- Biocatalytic reduction of α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids to allylic alcohols
-
We have developed robust in vivo and in vitro biocatalytic systems that enable reduction of α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids to allylic alcohols and their saturated analogues. These compounds are prevalent scaffolds in many industrial chemicals and pharmaceuticals. A substrate profiling study of a carboxylic acid reductase (CAR) investigating unexplored substrate space, such as benzo-fused (hetero)aromatic carboxylic acids and α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids, revealed broad substrate tolerance and provided information on the reactivity patterns of these substrates. E. coli cells expressing a heterologous CAR were employed as a multi-step hydrogenation catalyst to convert a variety of α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids to the corresponding saturated primary alcohols, affording up to >99percent conversion. This was supported by the broad substrate scope of E. coli endogenous alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), as well as the unexpected CC bond reducing activity of E. coli cells. In addition, a broad range of benzofused (hetero)aromatic carboxylic acids were converted to the corresponding primary alcohols by the recombinant E. coli cells. An alternative one-pot in vitro two-enzyme system, consisting of CAR and glucose dehydrogenase (GDH), demonstrates promiscuous carbonyl reductase activity of GDH towards a wide range of unsaturated aldehydes. Hence, coupling CAR with a GDH-driven NADP(H) recycling system provides access to a variety of (hetero)aromatic primary alcohols and allylic alcohols from the parent carboxylates, in up to >99percent conversion. To demonstrate the applicability of these systems in preparative synthesis, we performed 100 mg scale biotransformations for the preparation of indole-3-aldehyde and 3-(naphthalen-1-yl)propan-1-ol using the whole-cell system, and cinnamyl alcohol using the in vitro system, affording up to 85percent isolated yield.
- Aleku, Godwin A.,Leys, David,Roberts, George W.
-
supporting information
p. 3927 - 3939
(2020/07/09)
-
- Homochiral isoquinolines by lipase-catalysed resolution and their diastereoselective functionalisation
-
Kinetic resolution of racemic isoquinoline alcohols and acetates has been successfully accomplished using lipases as chiral catalysts. The diastereoselective functionalisation of the isoquinoline moiety through the addition of C-nucleophiles to O-protected alcohol 9a in the presence of phenyl chloroformate has been carried out and dihydroquinolyl alcohol derivatives with high diastereomeric excess have been prepared.
- Guanti, Giuseppe,Riva, Renata
-
p. 1185 - 1200
(2007/10/03)
-
