Recombinant Cyanobacteria for the Asymmetric Reduction of C=C Bonds Fueled by the Biocatalytic Oxidation of Water

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2016 Apr 25;55(18):5582-5. doi: 10.1002/anie.201601200. Epub 2016 Mar 29.

Abstract

A recombinant enoate reductase was expressed in cyanobacteria and used for the light-catalyzed, enantioselective reduction of C=C bonds. The coupling of oxidoreductases to natural photosynthesis allows asymmetric syntheses fueled by the oxidation of water. Bypassing the addition of sacrificial cosubstrates as electron donors significantly improves the atom efficiency and avoids the formation of undesired side products. Crucial factors for product formation are the availability of NADPH and the amount of active enzyme in the cells. The efficiency of the reaction is comparable to typical whole-cell biotransformations in E. coli. Under optimized conditions, a solution of 100 mg prochiral 2-methylmaleimide was reduced to optically pure 2-methylsuccinimide (99 % ee, 80 % yield of isolated product). High product yields and excellent optical purities demonstrate the synthetic usefulness of light-catalyzed whole-cell biotransformations using recombinant cyanobacteria.

Keywords: biotechnology; enzyme catalysis; photocatalysis; photosynthesis; reduction.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biocatalysis*
  • Biotransformation
  • Cyanobacteria / metabolism*
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Oxidoreductases / chemistry
  • Oxidoreductases / metabolism*
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Water / chemistry
  • Water / metabolism*

Substances

  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Water
  • Oxidoreductases