Based on the principles and metrics of green chemistry and sustainable development, biocatalysis is both a green and sustainable technology. This is largely a result of the spectacular advances in molecular biology and biotechnology achieved in the past two decades. Protein engineering has enabled the optimization of existing enzymes and the invention of entirely new biocatalytic reactions that were previously unknown in Nature. It is now eminently feasible to develop enzymatic transformations to fit predefined parameters, resulting in processes that are truly sustainable by design. This approach has successfully been applied, for example, in the industrial synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients. In addition to the use of protein engineering, other aspects of biocatalysis engineering, such as substrate, medium, and reactor engineering, can be utilized to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness and, hence, the sustainability of biocatalytic reactions. Furthermore, immobilization of an enzyme ...

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Role of Biocatalysis in Sustainable Chemistry

Biocatalysis has found numerous applications in various fields as an alternative to chemical catalysis. The use of enzymes in organic synthesis, especially to make chiral compounds for pharmaceuticals as well for the flavors and fragrance industry, are the most prominent examples. In addition, biocatalysts are used on a large scale to make specialty and even bulk chemicals. This review intends to give illustrative examples in this field with a special focus on scalable chemical production using enzymes. It also discusses the opportunities and limitations of enzymatic syntheses using distinct examples and provides an outlook on emerging enzyme classes.

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Biocatalysis: Enzymatic Synthesis for Industrial Applications

The review compiles artificial cascades involving enzymes with a focus on the last 10 years. A cascade is defined as the combination of at least two reaction steps in a single reaction vessel without isolation of the intermediates, whereby at least one step is catalyzed by an enzyme. Additionally, cascades performed in vivo and in vitro are discussed separately, whereby in vivo cascades are defined here as cascades relying on cofactor recycling by the metabolism or on a metabolite from the living organism. The review introduces a systematic classification of the cascades according to the number of enzymes in the linear sequence and differentiates between cascades involving exclusively enzymes and combinations of enzymes with non-natural catalysts or chemical steps. Since the number of examples involving two enzymes is predominant, the two enzyme cascades are further subdivided according to the number, order, and type of redox steps. Furthermore, this classification differentiates between cascades where al...

Artificial Biocatalytic Linear Cascades for Preparation of Organic Molecules

Enzyme-catalyzed reactions have begun to transform pharmaceutical manufacturing, offering levels of selectivity and tunability that can dramatically improve chemical synthesis. Combining enzymatic reactions into multistep biocatalytic cascades brings additional benefits. Cascades avoid the waste generated by purification of intermediates. They also allow reactions to be linked together to overcome an unfavorable equilibrium or avoid the accumulation of unstable or inhibitory intermediates. We report an in vitro biocatalytic cascade synthesis of the investigational HIV treatment islatravir. Five enzymes were engineered through directed evolution to act on non-natural substrates. These were combined with four auxiliary enzymes to construct islatravir from simple building blocks in a three-step biocatalytic cascade. The overall synthesis requires fewer than half the number of steps of the previously reported routes.

Design of an in vitro biocatalytic cascade for the manufacture of islatravir

Oxidation chemistry using enzymes is approaching maturity and practical applicability in organic synthesis. Oxidoreductases (enzymes catalysing redox reactions) enable chemists to perform highly selective and efficient transformations ranging from simple alcohol oxidations to stereoselective halogenations of non-activated C-H bonds. For many of these reactions, no "classical" chemical counterpart is known. Hence oxidoreductases open up shorter synthesis routes based on a more direct access to the target products. The generally very mild reaction conditions may also reduce the environmental impact of biocatalytic reactions compared to classical counterparts. In this Review, we critically summarise the most important recent developments in the field of biocatalytic oxidation chemistry and identify the most pressing bottlenecks as well as promising solutions.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/anie.201800343

Biocatalytic Oxidation Reactions: A Chemist's Perspective

Finding faster and simpler ways to screen protein sequence space to enable the identification of new biocatalysts for asymmetric synthesis remains both a challenge and a rate-limiting step in enzyme discovery. Biocatalytic strategies for the synthesis of chiral amines are increasingly attractive and include enzymatic asymmetric reductive amination, which offers an efficient route to many of these high-value compounds. Here we report the discovery of over 300 new imine reductases and the production of a large (384 enzymes) and sequence-diverse panel of imine reductases available for screening. We also report the development of a facile high-throughput screen to interrogate their activity. Through this approach we identified imine reductase biocatalysts capable of accepting structurally demanding ketones and amines, which include the preparative synthesis of N-substituted β-amino ester derivatives via a dynamic kinetic resolution process, with excellent yields and stereochemical purities.

Screening and characterization of a diverse panel of metagenomic imine reductases for biocatalytic reductive amination.

The alkylation of amines with either alcohols or carboxylic acids represents a mild and safe alternative to the use of genotoxic alkyl halides and sulfonate esters. Here we report two complementary one-pot systems in which the reductive aminase (RedAm) from Aspergillus oryzae is combined with either (i) a 1° alcohol/alcohol oxidase (AO) or (ii) carboxylic acid/carboxylic acid reductase (CAR) to affect N-alkylation reactions. The application of both approaches has been exemplified with respect to substrate scope and also preparative scale synthesis. These new biocatalytic methods address issues facing alternative traditional synthetic protocols such as harsh conditions, overalkylation and complicated workup procedures.

Biocatalytic N-Alkylation of Amines Using Either Primary Alcohols or Carboxylic Acids via Reductive Aminase Cascades.

A generic platform for the immobilisation of engineered biocatalysts

A novel amine oxidase (AO)/imine reductase (IRED) system was developed for the deracemization of racemic amines. By combining (R)-6-hydroxy-d-nicotine oxidase (6-HDNO) with an (R)-IRED, a panel of racemic 2-substituted piperidines and pyrrolidines were deracemized to yield the (S)-amines in high yields and enantiomeric excess values. Other N-heterocycles were deracemized with monoamine oxidase (MAO-N) or 6-HDNO in combination with ammonia borane, which allowed comparison of the two enzyme deracemization approaches with that involving a chemical reducing agent.

Combined Imine Reductase and Amine Oxidase Catalyzed Deracemization of Nitrogen Heterocycles

Amine oxidases are useful bio-catalysts for the synthesis of enantiomerically pure 1°, 2° and 3° chiral amines. Enzymes in this class (e.g., MAO-N from Aspergillus niger) reported previously have been shown to be highly S selective. Herein we report the development of an enantiocomplementary R-selective amine oxidase based on 6-hydroxy-D-nicotine oxidase (6-HDNO) with broadened substrate scope and high enantioselectivity. The engineered 6-HDNO enzyme has been applied to the preparative deracemisation of a range of racemic amines to yield S-configured products, for example, (S)-nicotine, in high ee.

Rachel S. Heath

Papers

Screening and characterization of a diverse panel of metagenomic imine reductases for biocatalytic reductive amination.

Biocatalytic N-Alkylation of Amines Using Either Primary Alcohols or Carboxylic Acids via Reductive Aminase Cascades.

A generic platform for the immobilisation of engineered biocatalysts

Combined Imine Reductase and Amine Oxidase Catalyzed Deracemization of Nitrogen Heterocycles

Development of an R-Selective Amine Oxidase with Broad Substrate Specificity and High Enantioselectivity