Cloning, expression, and biochemical characterization of a novel NADP-dependent 7α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase from Clostridium difficile and its application for the oxidation of bile acids.

A gene encoding a novel 7α-specific NADP-dependent hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase from Clostridium difficile was cloned and heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli. The enzyme was purified using an N-terminal hexa-his-tag and biochemically characterized. The optimum temperature is at 60°C, but the enzyme is inactivated at this temperature with a half-life time of 5min.

Screening, Molecular Cloning, and Biochemical Characterization of an Alcohol Dehydrogenase from Pichia pastoris Useful for the Kinetic Resolution of a Racemic β-Hydroxy-β-trifluoromethyl Ketone.

The stereoselective synthesis of chiral 1,3-diols with the aid of biocatalysts is an attractive tool in organic chemistry. Besides the reduction of diketones, an alternative approach consists of the stereoselective reduction of β-hydroxy ketones (aldols). Thus, we screened for an alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) that would selectively reduce a β-hydroxy-β-trifluoromethyl ketone.

A quinone mediator drives oxidations catalysed by alcohol dehydrogenase-containing cell lysates.

Spontaneous electron transport to molecular oxygen led to regeneration of oxidised nicotinamide cofactor in cell lysates that contain an alcohol dehydrogenase, a quinone reductase and a quinone mediator. This concept allows the efficient oxidation of alcohols in the presence of alcohol dehydrogenase-containing E. coli lysates and catalytic amounts of the quinone lawsone.

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of vitamin B5-intermediate (R)-pantolactone via combined asymmetric organo- and biocatalysis.

The combination of an asymmetric organocatalytic aldol reaction with a subsequent biotransformation toward a "one-pot-like" process for the synthesis of (R)-pantolactone, which to date is industrially produced by a resolution process, is demonstrated. This process consists of an initial aldol reaction catalyzed by readily available l-histidine followed by biotransformation of the aldol adduct by an alcohol dehydrogenase without the need for intermediate isolation. Employing the industrially attractive starting material isobutanal, a chemoenzymatic three-step process without intermediate purification is established allowing the synthesis of (R)-pantolactone in an overall yield of 55% (three steps) and high enantiomeric excess of 95%.

Cooperative catalysis of noncompatible catalysts through compartmentalization: wacker oxidation and enzymatic reduction in a one-pot process in aqueous media.

A Wacker oxidation using CuCl/PdCl2 as a catalyst system was successfully combined with an enzymatic ketone reduction to convert styrene enantioselectively into 1-phenylethanol in a one-pot process, although the two reactions conducted in aqueous media are not compatible due to enzyme deactivation by Cu ions. The one-pot feasibility was achieved via compartmentalization of the reactions. Conducting the Wacker oxidation in the interior of a polydimethylsiloxane thimble enables diffusion of only the organic substrate and product into the exterior where the biotransformation takes place.

Development of a growth-dependent selection system for identification of L-threonine aldolases.

Threonine aldolases (TAs) are useful enzymes for the synthesis of β-hydroxy-α-amino acids due to their capability to catalyze asymmetric aldol reactions. Starting from two prochiral compounds, an aldehyde and glycine, two chiral stereocenters were formed in a single step via C-C bond formation. Owing to poor diastereoselectivity and low activity, the enzymatic synthesis of β-hydroxy-α-amino acids by TAs is still a challenge.

An enzyme cascade synthesis of ε-caprolactone and its oligomers.

Poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) is chemically produced on an industrial scale in spite of the need for hazardous peracetic acid as an oxidation reagent. Although Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenases (BVMO) in principle enable the enzymatic synthesis of ε-caprolactone (ε-CL) directly from cyclohexanone with molecular oxygen, current systems suffer from low productivity and are subject to substrate and product inhibition. The major limitations for such a biocatalytic route to produce this bulk chemical were overcome by combining an alcohol dehydrogenase with a BVMO to enable the efficient oxidation of cyclohexanol to ε-CL.

Enzymatic routes for the synthesis of ursodeoxycholic acid.

Ursodeoxycholic acid, a secondary bile acid, is used as a drug for the treatment of various liver diseases, the optimal dose comprises the range of 8-10mg/kg/day. For industrial syntheses, the structural complexity of this bile acid requires the use of an appropriate starting material as well as the application of regio- and enantio-selective enzymes for its derivatization. Most strategies for the synthesis start from cholic acid or chenodeoxycholic acid.

Strategies for regeneration of nicotinamide coenzymes emphasizing self-sufficient closed-loop recycling systems.

Biocatalytic reduction reactions depending on nicotinamide coenzymes require an additional reaction to regenerate the consumed cofactor. For preparative application the preferred method is the simultaneous coupling of an in situ regeneration reaction. There are different strategically advantageous routes to achieve this goal.

Whole-cell double oxidation of n-heptane.

Biocascades allow one-pot synthesis of chemical building blocks omitting purification of reaction intermediates and expenses for downstream processing. Here we show the first whole cell double oxidation of n-heptane to produce chiral alcohols and heptanones. The concept of an artificial operon for co-expression of a monooxygenase from Bacillus megaterium (P450 BM3) and an alcohol dehydrogenase (RE-ADH) from Rhodococcus erythropolis is reported and compared to the widely used two-plasmid or Duet-vector expression systems.

Combining the 'two worlds' of chemocatalysis and biocatalysis towards multi-step one-pot processes in aqueous media.

The combination of biocatalytic and chemocatalytic reactions leading to one-pot processes in aqueous medium represents an economically and ecologically attractive concept in organic synthesis due to the potential to avoid time and capacity consuming and waste producing work-up steps of intermediates. The use of water as a solvent has many advantages. A key feature is the opportunity it provides as the solvent in nature to make use of the full range of enzymes.

Towards catalyst compartimentation in combined chemo- and biocatalytic processes: immobilization of alcohol dehydrogenases for the diastereoselective reduction of a β-hydroxy ketone obtained from an organocatalytic aldol reaction.

The alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) from Lactobacillus kefir and Rhodococcus sp., which earlier turned out to be suitable for a chemoenzymatic one-pot synthesis with organocatalysts, were immobilized with their cofactors on a commercially available superabsorber based on a literature known protocol. The use of the immobilized ADH from L.

Direct biocatalytic one-pot-transformation of cyclohexanol with molecular oxygen into ɛ-caprolactone.

The development of a biocatalytic process concept for ɛ-caprolactone, which directly converts cyclohexanol as an easily available industrial raw material into the desired ɛ-caprolactone in a one-pot fashion while only requiring air as sole reagent, is reported. The desired product ɛ-caprolactone was obtained with 94-97% conversion when operating at a substrate concentration in the range of 20-60 mM. At higher substrate concentrations, however, a significant drop of conversion was found.

α-Hydroxy-β-keto acid rearrangement-decarboxylation: impact on thiamine diphosphate-dependent enzymatic transformations.

The thiamine diphosphate (ThDP) dependent MenD catalyzes the reaction of α-ketoglutarate with pyruvate to selectively form 4-hydroxy-5-oxohexanoic acid 2, which seems to be inconsistent with the assumed acyl donor role of the physiological substrate α-KG. In contrast the reaction of α-ketoglutarate with acetaldehyde gives exclusively the expected 5-hydroxy-4-oxo regioisomer 1. These reactions were studied by NMR and CD spectroscopy, which revealed that with pyruvate the observed regioselectivity is due to the rearrangement-decarboxylation of the initially formed α-hydroxy-β-keto acid rather than a donor-acceptor substrate role variation.

Biochemical characterisation of a NADPH-dependent carbonyl reductase from Neurospora crassa reducing α- and β-keto esters.

A gene encoding an NADPH-dependent carbonyl reductase from Neurospora crassa (nccr) was cloned and heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli. The enzyme (NcCR) was purified and biochemically characterised. NcCR exhibited a restricted substrate spectrum towards various ketones, and the highest activity (468U/mg) was observed with dihydroxyacetone.

The three-dimensional structure of AKR11B4, a glycerol dehydrogenase from Gluconobacter oxydans, reveals a tryptophan residue as an accelerator of reaction turnover.

The NADP-dependent glycerol dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.

Asymmetric reduction of activated alkenes using an enoate reductase from Gluconobacter oxydans.

A recombinant enoate reductase from Gluconobacter oxydans was heterologously expressed, purified, characterised and applied in the asymmetric reduction of activated alkenes. In addition to the determination of the kinetic properties, the major focus of this work was to utilise the enzyme in the biotransformation of different interesting compounds such as 3,5,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1,4-dione (ketoisophorone) and (E/Z)-3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienal (citral). The reaction proceeded with excellent stereoselectivities (>99% ee) as well as absolute chemo- and regioselectivity, only the activated C=C bond of citral was reduced by the enoate reductase, while non-activated C=C bond and carbonyl moiety remained untouched.

Threonine aldolases-screening, properties and applications in the synthesis of non-proteinogenic beta-hydroxy-alpha-amino acids.

Threonine aldolases (TAs) constitute a powerful tool for catalyzing carbon-carbon bond formations in synthetic organic chemistry, thus enabling an enantio- and diastereoselective synthesis of beta-hydroxy-alpha-amino acids. Starting from the achiral precursors glycine and an aldehyde, two new stereogenic centres are formed in this catalytic step. The resulting chiral beta-hydroxy-alpha-amino acid products are important precursors for pharmaceuticals such as thiamphenicol, a L: -threo-phenylserine derivative or L: -threo-3,4-dihydroxyphenylserine.

Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of Gre2p, an NADP(+)-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Gre2p [Genes de respuesta a estres (stress-response gene)] from Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a monomeric enzyme of 342 amino acids with a molecular weight of 38.1 kDa. The enzyme catalyses both the stereospecific reduction of keto compounds and the oxidation of various hydroxy compounds and alcohols by the simultaneous consumption of the cofactor NADPH and formation of NADP(+).

Highly efficient and stereoselective biosynthesis of (2S,5S)-hexanediol with a dehydrogenase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The enantiopure (2S,5S)-hexanediol serves as a versatile building block for the production of various fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals. For industrial and commercial scale, the diol is currently obtained through bakers' yeast-mediated reduction of 2,5-hexanedione. However, this process suffers from its insufficient space-time yield of about 4 g L(-1) d(-1) (2S,5S)-hexanediol.