One-Pot Biocatalytic Cascade Reduction of Cyclic Enimines for the Preparation of Diastereomerically Enriched N-Heterocycles.

Ene-reductases (EREDs) catalyze the reduction of electron-deficient C═C bonds. Herein, we report the first example of ERED-catalyzed net reduction of C═C bonds of enimines (α,ß-unsaturated imines). Preliminary studies suggest their hydrolyzed ring-open ω-amino enones are the likely substrates for this step. When combined with imine reductase (IRED)-mediated C═N reduction, the result is an efficient telescoped sequence for the preparation of diastereomerically enriched 2-substituted saturated amine heterocycles.

Structure, Activity and Stereoselectivity of NADPH-Dependent Oxidoreductases Catalysing the S-Selective Reduction of the Imine Substrate 2-Methylpyrroline.

Oxidoreductases from Streptomyces sp. GF3546 [3546-IRED], Bacillus cereus BAG3X2 (BcIRED) and Nocardiopsis halophila (NhIRED) each reduce prochiral 2-methylpyrroline (2MPN) to (S)-2-methylpyrrolidine with >95 % ee and also a number of other imine substrates with good selectivity. Structures of BcIRED and NhIRED have helped to identify conserved active site residues within this subgroup of imine reductases that have S selectivity towards 2MPN, including a tyrosine residue that has a possible role in catalysis and superimposes with an aspartate in related enzymes that display R selectivity towards the same substrate. Mutation of this tyrosine residue-Tyr169-in 3546-IRED to Phe resulted in a mutant of negligible activity. The data together provide structural evidence for the location and significance of the Tyr residue in this group of imine reductases, and permit a comparison of the active sites of enzymes that reduce 2MPN with either R or S selectivity.

A reductive aminase from Aspergillus oryzae.

Reductive amination is one of the most important methods for the synthesis of chiral amines. Here we report the discovery of an NADP(H)-dependent reductive aminase from Aspergillus oryzae (AspRedAm, Uniprot code Q2TW47) that can catalyse the reductive coupling of a broad set of carbonyl compounds with a variety of primary and secondary amines with up to >98% conversion and with up to >98% enantiomeric excess. In cases where both carbonyl and amine show high reactivity, it is possible to employ a 1:1 ratio of the substrates, forming amine products with up to 94% conversion. Steady-state kinetic studies establish that the enzyme is capable of catalysing imine formation as well as reduction. Crystal structures of AspRedAm in complex with NADP(H) and also with both NADP(H) and the pharmaceutical ingredient (R)-rasagiline are reported. We also demonstrate preparative scale reductive aminations with wild-type and Q240A variant biocatalysts displaying total turnover numbers of up to 32,000 and space time yields up to 3.73 g l-1 d-1.

An (R)-Imine Reductase Biocatalyst for the Asymmetric Reduction of Cyclic Imines.

Although the range of biocatalysts available for the synthesis of enantiomerically pure chiral amines continues to expand, few existing methods provide access to secondary amines. To address this shortcoming, we have over-expressed the gene for an (R)-imine reductase [(R)-IRED] from Streptomyces sp. GF3587 in Escherichia coli to create a recombinant whole-cell biocatalyst for the asymmetric reduction of prochiral imines. The (R)-IRED was screened against a panel of cyclic imines and two iminium ions and was shown to possess high catalytic activity and enantioselectivity. Preparative-scale synthesis of the alkaloid (R)-coniine (90 % yield; 99 % ee) from the imine precursor was performed on a gram-scale. A homology model of the enzyme active site, based on the structure of a closely related (R)-IRED from Streptomyces kanamyceticus, was constructed and used to identify potential amino acids as targets for mutagenesis.