Covalent immobilization of an engineered omega-transaminase mutant Trp60Cys from Chromobacterium violaceum (CvTAW60C) was performed on bisepoxide-activated aminoalkyl resins. Activity of the various CvTAW60C preparations was evaluated in kinetic resolution of four racemic amines (rac-1aâd). The most active EA-G-CvTAW60C preparation (CvTAW60C attached to polymeric resin with ethylamine function activated with glycerol diglycidyl etherâEA-G) could perform the kinetic resolution of racemic 4-phenylbutan-2-amine (rac-1a) over 49% conversion up to 19 consecutive reaction cycles or in media containing up to 50% v/v DMSO as cosolvent in batch mode reactions. The immobilization process of CvTAW60C onto the EA-G resin filled in stainless steel bioreactors was also tested in flow-through mode. Kinetic resolution of three racemic amines containing aromatic moieties (rac-1a-c) was performed in continuous-flow mode resulting in easy-to-separate mixture of the corresponding ketone (2aâc) and the non-converted (R)-amine in high enantiopurity (ee(R)-1a-câ¯â¥â¯96%).
Chemoenzymatic methods for the amination of alcohols have been developed. The reactions were performed in a one-pot two-step fashion, where the alcohol starting material was first oxidized to the corresponding carbonyl compound and then subsequently converted to the amine product with an enzymatic system based on an amine transaminase. The enzyme system was able to operate in a water/organic solvent two-phase system in the presence of either a heterogeneous palladium(0) catalyst or a homogeneous copper(I) catalyst. High conversions to the product amines were achieved for a range of substituted benzyl alcohols and similar compounds, but unfortunately the use of aliphatic alcohols resulted in lower conversions and secondary alcohols could not be converted to the corresponding amines with this methodology.
The total synthesis of capsaicin analogues was performed in one pot, starting from compounds that can be derived from lignin. Heterogeneous palladium nanoparticles were used to oxidise alcohols to aldehydes, which were further converted to amines by an enzyme cascade system, including an amine transaminase. It was shown that the palladium catalyst and the enzyme cascade system could be successfully combined in the same pot for conversion of alcohols to amines without any purification of intermediates. The intermediate vanillyl-amine, prepared with the enzyme cascade system, could be further converted to capsaicin analogues without any purification using either fatty acids and a lipase, or Schotten-Baumann conditions, in the same pot. An aldol compound (a simple lignin model) could also be used as starting material for the synthesis of capsaicin analogues. Using l-alanine as organocatalyst, vanillin could be obtained by a retro-aldol reaction. This could be combined with the enzyme cascade system to convert the aldol compound to vanillylamine in a one-step one-pot reaction.
Increased reaction rates and increased enantioselectivities were observed with decreased concentrations of n-alkanols when resolving 2-methyldecanoic acid by esterification catalysed by immobilised lipase from Candida rugosa at controlled water activities in cyclohexane. The enantioselectivity was found to be independent of the water activity in the reaction medium at the n-heptanol concentrations investigated. However, when n-decanol was used as the acyl acceptor, not only the alcohol concentration but also the water activity in the reaction medium, influenced the enantioselectivity. The results obtained showed that the low enantioselectivity seen at a high alcohol concentration could be explained by the alcohol influencing the apparent V(max)(S) and V(max)(R) differently.
The thiol side chain of the M222C mutant of the subtilisin from Bacillus lentus (SBL) has been chemically modified by methyl-, aminoethyl-, and sulfonatoethylthiosulfonate reagents. Introduction of charged residues into the active site of the enzyme reduced the catalytic efficiency with Suc-AAPF-pNA as the substrate, but resulted in better binding of sterically demanding boronic acid inhibitors.
Lipases are used frequently as chiral catalysts in the synthesis of various fine chemicals and intermediates. The increasing need of compounds with high stereochemical purity requires catalysts with an improved and controlled performance. This overview emphasizes some important aspects for the control of lipase enantioselectivity and some examples where the enantioselectivity has been altered or reversed are highlighted. However, in several of these cases the complete explanation for the altered or reversed enantioselectivity remains unclear and needs to be solved. Three different strategies (engineering of the reaction medium, the substrate molecule, and the enzyme) for exploring lipase enantioselectivity at a molecular level are discussed and summarized. These three different approaches represent powerful tools for understanding the molecular basis for lipase enantioselective catalysis and can guide the rational improvement and tailoring of catalyst performance. By combining approaches from chemistry and biology much is learnt about the most important parameters controlling lipase enantioselectivity for organic synthesis.
We have identified the existence of different modes of binding the enantiomers of 2-methyl-branched carboxylic acids to a lipase active site by rational substrate engineering. Similar to hydrolysis, previously investigated, we have now evidence for differential binding modes in the Candida rugosa lipase-catalyzed esterifications in cyclohexane. The relevance of considering two different binding modes to understand lipase enantiorecognition is demonstrated by introducing bulky substituents on a chiral carboxylic acid which impose a different orientation of the substrate acyl chain in the active site of Candida rugosa lipase. With this substrate engineering approach based on molecular modeling it is thus possible to markedly alter the enantioselectivity of the lipase. Examples from hydrolysis and new results from esterifications in an organic solvent are presented and discussed.
In an era characterized by a move towards a “knowledge society”, universities are central in fostering “knowledgeability”, that is the reflexive understanding of knowledge in knowledge societies. The objective of “knowledgeability” can be met through creating a stronger link between education and research. Furthermore, overall student performance, for example in critical thinking and problem solving, can be improved if research-related activities are incorporated into the curriculum. The aim of this paper is to use international examples to discuss the research- education nexus from four different perspectives, namely context, policy, implementation and quality, with case studies from higher education institutions in Singapore and Sweden. We suggest that different integrative technologies can be used to enhance the links, but it will be essential to consider the inputs of training, service and support in using new technology. Interestingly, the act of evaluating the link between education and research will increase awareness of this linkage by stakeholders involved in both education and research. In turn the link can be strengthened, contributing to increased quality in both education and research.
Enantiomerically pure (R)-2-methyldecanoic acid and (S)-2-methyl-1-decanol were prepared in a multi gram scale by esterification reactions catalysed by lipase from Candida rugosa. The enantiomeric ratios (E-values) were determined as a function of the chain length of the alcohol used as the complementary substrate in cyclohexane. In the resolution of 2-methyldecanoic acid the highest value (E = 37 ± 5) was obtained, when either 2-hexanol, 1-heptanol or 1-octanol were used. In contrast, when resolving 2-methyloctanoic acid, the E-values increased continually with increasing chain length of the alcohol used. 1-Hexadecanol gave the highest value: E > 100. The E-values were determined from the enantiomeric excess (ee) of the product at a conversion below 0.4. After two consecutive esterification reactions enantiomerically pure (R)-2-methyldecanoic acid, >99.8% ee, and after subsequent reduction of the ester produced, (S)-2-methyl-1-decanol, 96.7% ee, were obtained.
Molecular modelling identifies two different productive modes of binding the enantiomers of a 2-methyldecanoic acid ester to the active site of Candida rugosa lipase (CRL). The fast reacting S-enantiomer occupies the previously identified acyl-binding tunnel of the enzyme, whereas the R- enantiomer leaves the tunnel empty. The modelling suggested that if both enantiomers were forced to bind to the active site leaving the tunnel empty, the enzyme would reverse its enantiopreference to become R-enantioselective. To test this hypothesis, we designed a structural analogue to 2- methyldecanoic acid, 2-methyl-6-(2-thienyl)hexanoic acid, which was expected to be too bulky to fit its acyl moiety into the acyl-binding tunnel. The CRL- catalysed hydrolysis of the ethyl ester of this substrate resulted in the preferential conversion of the R-enantiomer as predicted by molecular modelling. This represents the first kinetic evidence supporting the existence of two different modes of binding the enantiomers of a 2- methyldecanoic acid ester to the active site of CRL. We have shown that a rational 3D based approach in combination with substrate engineering can be used to predict and control the stereochemical outcome of a lipase catalysed reaction.
The fact that many enzymes have broad substrate specificity has been a property, of fundamental importance for the widespread applications of enzymes in synthetic chemistry. Many enzymes can, in addition, catalyze completely different reactions compared to their natural ones. The possibility of using molecular biology techniques to control Such catalytic plasticity of enzymes in order to establish completely new reaction specificity in the active site is the topic for this review. The examples are subdivided according to six different approaches used (i - vi) for engineering of the reaction specificity. The first approach (i) is the random method of directed evolution to achieve new reaction specificity. Other approaches involve strategies where tire reaction specificity of a known enzyme is implemented into another, closely related, enzyme by substituting key amino acid residues selected either by (ii) sequence or (iii) structural overlap of the two enzymes. Yet other approaches involve substitution of key amino acid residues to introduce new reaction specificity without comparing with a template enzyme (iv) and the introduction of a complete catalytic machinery (v). The final approach is the introduction of an active site into a non-catalytic protein (vi). These six different approaches for altering the reaction chemistry of enzymes each represent a powerful tool for controlling the catalytic plasticity or enzymes. The prospect for these altered enzymes as catalysts in synthetic chemistry is very large although examples of practical use are rare and still challenging. The progress in the area of altering enzyme reaction specificity will result in a Continued development towards the goal of creating tailor-made enzymes for synthetic chemistry.
Enantiomerically pure amines and amino acids are important building blocks in academic research as well as in industrial-scale chemical production. Transaminases are versatile enzymes providing access to such compounds of high enantiomeric excess. This chapter illustrates the available strategies with transaminases such as kinetic resolution or stereoselective synthesis and highlights many successful examples for amino acid and chiral amines synthesis. There are some known challenges linked to the use of transaminases, for example in terms of unfavorable equilibria and inhibition. Several successful examples to overcome these limitations are presented. Also, the classification of transaminases, mechanistic details, and various strategies for optimization are discussed.
Humicola lanuginosa lipase was used for enantioselective hydrolyses of a series of homologous 2-phenoxyalkanoic acid ethyl esters. The enantioselectivity (E-value) of the enzyme changed from an (R)-enantiomer preference for the smallest substrate, 2-phenoxypropanoic acid ester, to an (S)-enantiomer preference for the homologous esters with longer acyl moieties. The E-values span the range from E=13 (R) to E=56 (S). A molecular modeling study identified two different substrate-binding modes for each enantiomer. We found that the enantiomers favored different modes. This discovery provided a model that offered a rational explanation for the observed switch in enantioselectivity. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
A Ser105Ala mutant of Candida antarctica lipase B has previously been shown to catalyze aldol additions. Quantum chemical calculations predicted a reaction rate similar to that of natural enzymes, whereas experiments showed a much lower reaction rate. Molecular dynamics simulations, presented here, show that the low reaction rate is a consequence of the low frequencies of near attack complexes in the enzyme. Equilibrium was also considered as a reason for the slow product formation, but could be excluded by performing a sequential reaction to push the reaction towards product formation. In this paper, further experimental results are also presented, highlighting the importance of the entire active site for catalysis.
Enzymes are efficient catalysts in synthetic chemistry, and their catalytic activity with unnatural substrates in organic reaction media is an area attracting much attention. Protein engineering has opened the possibility to change the reaction specificity of enzymes and allow for new reactions to take place in their active sites. We have used this strategy on the well-studied active-site scaffold offered by the serine hydrolase Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB, EC 3.1.1.3) to achieve catalytic activity for aldol reactions. The catalytic reaction was studied in detail by means of quantum chemical calculations in model systems. The predictions from the quantum chemical calculations were then challenged by experiments. Consequently, Ser105 in CALB was targeted by site-directed mutagenesis to create enzyme variants lacking the nucleophilic feature of the active site. The experiments clearly showed an increased reaction rate when the aldol reaction was catalyzed by the mutant enzymes as compared to the wild-type lipase. We expect that the new catalytic activity, harbored in the stable protein scaffold of the lipase, will allow aldol additions of substrates, which cannot be reached by traditional aldolases
In this study, we present the binary phase diagrams of the pure (R)- and the racemic aqueous sodium-2-methyldecanoate surfactant systems. The latter is a 1:1 mixture of the pure (S)- and pure (R)-form. The systems were investigated using crossed polaroids, polarizing optical microscope and 2HNMR splittings. Both systems form a micellar phase, followed by a hexagonal, some intermediate phase and a large cubic phase. At even higher concentrations, the 2HNMR studies showed larger quadrupolar splittings up to 1200 Hz, due to a lamellar phase. The intermediate phase was in both cases very narrow, and extended up to > 23°C in the racemic system and up to 30°C in the pure (R)-system. The similarity between these two binary phase diagrams indicates that the change in molecular packing is so small that it does not drastically affect the phase behavior. The Krafft temperature in the micellar phase in both systems is 1°C, which is very low compared to that of unsubstituted alkanoates with the same chain length.
Michael-type additions of various thiols and alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds were performed in organic solvent catalyzed by wild-type and a rationally redesigned mutant of Candida antarctica lipase B. The mutant locks the nucleophilic serine 105 in the active-site; this results in a changed catalytic mechanism of the enzyme. The possibility of utilizing this mutant for Michael-type additions was initially explored by quantum-chemical calculations on the reaction between acrolein and methanethiol in a model system. The model system was constructed on the basis of docking and molecular-dynamics simulations and was designed to simulate the catalytic properties of the active site. The catalytic system was explored experimentally with a range of different substrates. The k(cat) values were found to be in the range of 10(-3) to 4 min(-1), similar to the values obtained with aldolase antibodies. The enzyme proficiency was 10(7). Furthermore, the Michael-type reactions followed saturation kinetics and were confirmed to take place in the enzyme active site.
For biocatalytic production of pharmaceutically important chiral amines the.-transaminase enzymes have proven useful. Engineering of these enzymes has to some extent been accomplished by rational design, but mostly by directed evolution. By use of a homology model a key point mutation in Chromobacterium violaceum omega-transaminase was found upon comparison with engineered variants from homologous enzymes. The variant Trp60Cys gave increased specificity for (S)-1-phenylethylamine (29-fold) and 4'-substituted acetophenones (similar to 5-fold). To further study the effect of the mutation the reaction rates were Swain-Lupton parameterised. On comparison with the wild type, reactions of the variant showed increased resonance dependence; this observation together with changed pH optimum and cofactor dependence suggests an altered reaction mechanism.
Measurement of the active enzyme fraction in a given enzyme preparation is a requirement for accurate kinetic measurements and activity comparisons of, for example, engineered mutants. omega-Transaminases, enzymes capable of interconverting ketones and amines by use of pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (PIP), can be used for the production of pharmaceutically important chiral amines but are subject to engineering to meet the practical requirements in synthesis reactions. Therefore, an active site quantification method is needed. Such a method was developed by quantifying the amount of consumed substrate in a virtually irreversible half transamination reaction. (S)-1-phenylethylamine was converted to acetophenone, while the holo enzyme (E-PLP) was converted to apo enzyme with bound pyridoxamine-5'-phosphate (E:PMP). Further, the mass of active enzyme was correlated to the absorbance of the holo enzyme to achieve a direct measurement method. The active Chromobacterium violaceum omega-transaminase with bound PLP can be quantified at 395 nm with an apparent extinction coefficient of 8.1 mM(-1) cm(-1).
An extraction/immobilization method for His(6)-tagged enzymes for use in synthesis applications is presented. By modifying silica oxide beads to be able to accommodate metal ions, the enzyme was tethered to the beads after adsorption of Co(II). The beads were successfully used for direct extraction of C. antarctica lipase B (CalB) from a periplasmic preparation with a minimum of 58% activity yield, creating a quick one-step extraction-immobilization protocol. This method, named HisSi Immobilization, was evaluated with five different enzymes [Candida antarctica lipase B (CalB), Bacillus subtilis lipase A (BslA), Bacillus subtilis esterase (BS2), Pseudomonas fluorescence esterase (PFE), and Solanum tuberosum epoxide hydrolase 1 (StEH1)]. Immobilized CalB was effectively employed in organic solvent (cyclohexane and acetonitrile) in a transacylation reaction and in aqueous buffer for ester hydrolysis. For the remaining enzymes some activity in organic solvent could be shown, whereas the non-immobilized enzymes were found inactive. The protocol presented in this work provides a facile immobilization method by utilization of the common His 6 tag, offering specific and defined means of binding a protein in a specific location, which is applicable for a wide range of enzymes.
A new immobilization method for enzymes is presented to facilitate synthetic applications in aqueous as well as organic media. The enzyme Alanine racemase (AlaR) from Geobacillus stearothermophilus was cloned, overexpressed and then immobilized on a silica-coated thin-layer chromatography plate to create an enzyme surface. The enzyme, fused to a His(6)-tag at its N-terminal, was tethered to the chemically modified silica-coated TLC plate through cobalt ions. The immobilized enzyme showed unaltered kinetic parameters in small-scale stirred reactions and retained its activity after rinsing, drying, freezing or immersion in n-hexane. This practical method is a first step towards a general immobilization method for synthesis applications with any enzyme suitable for His(6)-tagging.
The amine transaminase from Chromobacterium violaceum (Cv-ATA) is a pyridoxal-5’-phosphate (PLP)dependent enzyme. The biological activity of this enzyme requires the formation of a holo homo dimer.The operational stability of Cv-ATA is, however, low due to dimer dissociation. At the enzyme dimeric interface, two phosphate group binding cups (PGBC) are located. Each cup coordinates the phosphate group of PLP by hydrogen bonds originating from both subunits. Hypothetically, molecular coordination of phosphate groups (PLP or free inorganic phosphate) into the PGBC can affect both dimer stabilization and enzyme activity. To test this assumption, the influence of phosphate (as a functional group in PLP or as free inorganic anions) on the stability and activity of Cv-ATA was explored by various biophysical techniques. The results show that Cv-ATA has a relatively low affinity towards PLP, which results in an excess of apo dimeric enzyme after enzyme purification. Incubation of the apo dimer in buffer solution supplemented with PLP restored the active holo dimer. The addition of PLP or inorganic phosphate into the enzyme storage solutions protected Cv-ATA from both chemical and long term storage unfolding. The use of phosphate buffer leads to faster inactivation of the holo enzyme, compared to the use of HEPES buffer. These results open up for new perspectives on how to improve the stability of PLP-dependent enzymes.
The amine transaminase from Vibrio fluvialis (Vf-ATA) is an attractive enzyme with applications within Biocatalysis for the preparation of chiral amines. Various catalytic properties of Vf-ATA have been investigated, but a biophysical characterization of its stability has been lacking. Today, the industrial application of Vf-ATA is limited by its low operational stability. In order to enhance the knowledge regarding the structural stability of ATAs, general characterizations of different ATAs are required. In this work, the stability of Vf-ATA was explored. First, the affinity between enzyme and pyridoxal-5’-phosphate (PLP) (KD value of 7.9â¯ÎŒM) was determined. Addition of PLP to enzyme preparations significantly improved the enzyme thermal stability by preventing enzyme unfolding. With the aim to understand if this was due to the PLP phosphate group coordination into the phosphate group binding cup, the effect of phosphate buffer on the enzyme stability was compared to HEPES buffer. Low concentrations of phosphate buffer showed a positive effect on the enzyme initial activity, while higher phosphate buffer concentrations prevented cofactor dissociation. Additionally, the effects of various amine or ketone substrates on the enzyme stability were explored. All tested amines caused a concentration dependent enzyme inactivation, while the corresponding ketones showed no or stabilizing effects. The enzyme inactivation due to the presence of amine can be connected to the formation of PMP, which forms in the presence of amines in the absence of ketone. Since PMP is not covalently bound to the enzyme, it could readily leave the enzyme upon formation. Exploring the different stability effects of cofactor, substrates, additives and buffer system on ATAs seems to be important in order to understand and improve the general performance of ATAs.
The amine transaminase from Chromobacterium violaceum (Cv-ATA) is a well-known enzyme to achievechiral amines of high enantiomeric excess in laboratory scales. However, the low operational stabilityof Cv-ATA limits the enzyme applicability on larger scales. In order to improve the operational stabilityof Cv-ATA, and thereby extending its applicability, factors (additives, co-solvents, organic solvents anddifferent temperatures) targeting enzyme stability and activity were explored in order to find out how tostore and apply the enzyme. The present investigation shows that the melting point of Cv-ATA is improvedby adding sucrose or glycerol, separately. Further, by storing the enzyme at higher concentrations and inco-solvents, such as; 50% glycerol, 20% methanol or 10% DMSO, the active dimeric structure of Cv-ATAis retained. Enzyme stored in 50% glycerol at −20◦C was e.g., still fully active after 6 months. Finally,the enzyme performance was improved 5-fold by a co-lyophilization with surfactants prior to usage inisooctane.
The present invention relates generally to an eco-friendly methodology for the conversion of alcohols and aldehydes to amines and amides using an integrated enzyme cascade system with metal-and organocatalysis. More specifically, the present invention relates to synthesis of capsaicinoids starting from vanillin alcohol and using a combination of an enzyme cascade system and catalysts. Furthermore, the method also relates to synthesis of capsaicinoids derivatives starting from vanillin alcohol derivatives and using a combination of an enzyme cascade system and catalysts.
By combining site-directed mutagenesis with chemical modification, we have altered the S1 and S1 pocket specificity of subtilisin Bacillus lentus (SBL) through the incorporation. of unnatural amino acid moieties, in the following manner: WT → Cys(mutant) + H3CSO2SR → Cys-SR, where R may be infinitely variable. A paradigm between extent of activity changes and surface exposure of the modified residue has emerged. Modification of M222C, a buffed residue in the S1' pocket of SBL, caused dramatic changes in k(cat)/K(M), of an up to 122-fold decrease, while modification of S166C, which is located at the bottom of the S1 pocket and is partially surface exposed, effected more modest activity changes. Introduction of a positive charge at S166C does not alter k(cat)/K(M), whereas the introduction of a negative charge results in lowered activity, possibly due to electrostatic interference with oxyanion stabilization. Activity is virtually unaltered upon modification of S156C, which is located toward the bottom of the S1 pocket and surface exposed and whose side chain is solvated. An unexpected structure-activity relationship was revealed for S166C-SR enzymes in that the pattern of activity changes observed with increasing steric size of R was not monotonic. Molecular modeling analysis was used to analyze this unprecedented structure-activity relationship and revealed that the position of the β- carbon of Cys166 modulates binding of the P1 residue of the AAPF product inhibitor.
Candida rugosa lipase catalysed resolutions of 2-methylalkanoic acids run on a large scale often display decreased enantiomeric rations (E-values) and reaction rates compared with small-scale experiments. By continuous control of the water activity (addition of inorganic salt/hydrated salt mixtures) this can be avoided. The importance of the proper choice of alcohol as well as its concentration is demonstrated. (R)-2-Methyloctanoic acid (8.6g) and (S)-2-methyl-1-octanol (4.5 g), both in 99.6% ee were prepared from 20 g racemic 2-methyloctanoic acid.