Chemoenzymatic synthesis of the chiral side-chain of statins: application of an alcohol dehydrogenase catalysed ketone reduction on a large scale.

The chemoenzymatic synthesis of the tert-butyl (S)-6-chloro-5-hydroxy-3-ketohexanoate is described. Our approach relies on a highly regio- and enantioselective reduction of a beta,delta-diketohexanoate ester catalysed by NADP(H)-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase of Lactobacillus brevis (LBADH). A detailed description of the scale-up of the enzymatic synthesis of the hydroxyketo ester is given which includes a scale-up of the substrate synthesis as well, i.

Alteration of the substrate specificity of benzoylformate decarboxylase from Pseudomonas putida by directed evolution.

Alteration of the substrate specificity of thiamin diphosphate (ThDP)-dependent benzoylformate decarboxylase (BFD) by error-prone PCR is described. Two mutant enzymes, L476Q and M365L-L461S, were identified that accept ortho-substituted benzaldehyde derivatives as donor substrates, which leads to the formation of 2-hydroxy ketones. Both variants, L476Q and M365L-L461S, selectively catalyze the formation of enantiopure (S)-2-hydroxy-1-(2-methylphenyl)propan-1-one with excellent yields, a reaction which is only poorly catalyzed by the wild-type enzyme.