A strategy to enhance the water solubility of luminescent ß-diketonate-Europium(III) complexes for time-gated luminescence bioassays.

Luminescent ß-diketonate-europium(III) complexes have been found a wide range of applications in time-gated luminescence (TGL) bioassays, but their poor water solubility is a main problem that limits their effective uses. In this work we propose a simple and general strategy to enhance the water solubility of luminescent ß-diketonate-europium(III) complexes that permits facile synthesis and purification. By introducing the fluorinated carboxylic acid group into the structures of ß-diketone ligands, two highly water-soluble and luminescent Eu3+ complexes, PBBHD-Eu3+ and CPBBHD-Eu3+, were designed and synthesized. An excellent solubility exceeding 20 mg/mL for PBBHD-Eu3+ was found in a pure aqueous buffer, while it also displayed strong and long-lived luminescence (quantum yield φ = 26%, lifetime τ = 0.49 ms). After the carboxyl groups of PBBHD-Eu3+ were activated, the PBBHD-Eu3+-labeled streptavidin-bovine serum albumin (SA-BSA) conjugate was prepared, and successfully used for the immunoassay of human α-fetoprotein (AFP) and the imaging of an environmental pathogen Giardia lamblia under TGL mode, which demonstrated the practicability of PBBHD-Eu3+ for highly sensitive TGL bioassays. The carboxyl groups of PBBHD can also be easily derivatized with other reactive chemical groups, which enables PBBHD-Eu3+ to meet diverse requirements of biolabeling technique, to provide new opportunities for developing functional europium(III) complex biolabels serving for TGL bioassays.

Mechanistic Insight into the TBHP-Mediated Decarboxylative Condensation of α-Ketoacids: Reaction Development and Application to Oligopeptide Synthesis.

With the aim of achieving the convergent elongation of peptide chains, an amide bond formation reaction that enables a peptide fragment coupling has long been pursued. The decarboxylative amidation recently reported by our group is a potential solution to this problem. In this article, a mechanistic analysis of the t-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) mediated-decarboxylative amidation of α-ketoacids that results in a significant advance in convergent peptide synthesis is described. Despite the observation of epimerization with low bulk substrates in preliminary studies, a systematic examination and understanding of the reaction mechanism enabled the development of a modified epimerization-free reaction whereby peptide fragment couplings using peptide α-ketoacids were successfully achieved.

Prebiotic synthesis of α-amino acids and orotate from α-ketoacids potentiates transition to extant metabolic pathways.

The Strecker reaction of aldehydes is the pre-eminent pathway to explain the prebiotic origins of α-amino acids. However, biology employs transamination of α-ketoacids to synthesize amino acids which are then transformed to nucleobases, implying an evolutionary switch-abiotically or biotically-of a prebiotic pathway involving the Strecker reaction into today's biosynthetic pathways. Here we show that α-ketoacids react with cyanide and ammonia sources to form the corresponding α-amino acids through the Bucherer-Bergs pathway. An efficient prebiotic transformation of oxaloacetate to aspartate via N-carbamoyl aspartate enables the simultaneous formation of dihydroorotate, paralleling the biochemical synthesis of orotate as the precursor to pyrimidine nucleobases. Glyoxylate forms both glycine and orotate and reacts with malonate and urea to form aspartate and dihydroorotate. These results, along with the previously demonstrated protometabolic analogues of the Krebs cycle, suggest that there can be a natural emergence of congruent forerunners of biological pathways with the potential for seamless transition from prebiotic chemistry to modern metabolism.

Pd and photoredox dual catalysis assisted decarboxylative ortho-benzoylation of N-phenyl-7-azaindoles.

The directing group assisted decarboxylative ortho-benzoylation of N-aryl-7-azaindoles with α-keto acids has been achieved by synergistic visible light promoted photoredox and palladium catalysis. The approach tenders rapid entry to aryl ketone architectures from simple α-keto acid precursors via the in situ generation of a benzoyl radical intermediate. The transformation provides a range of ortho-benzoylated N-aryl-7-azaindoles, with excellent site-selectivity and good functional group compatibility under mild reaction conditions. Biological target predictions indicate that these molecules may serve as potential anti-cancer and anti-viral agents.

Transamination-Like Reaction Catalyzed by Leucine Dehydrogenase for Efficient Co-Synthesis of α-Amino Acids and α-Keto Acids.

α-Amino acids and α-keto acids are versatile building blocks for the synthesis of several commercially valuable products in the food, agricultural, and pharmaceutical industries. In this study, a novel transamination-like reaction catalyzed by leucine dehydrogenase was successfully constructed for the efficient enzymatic co-synthesis of α-amino acids and α-keto acids. In this reaction mode, the α-keto acid substrate was reduced and the α-amino acid substrate was oxidized simultaneously by the enzyme, without the need for an additional coenzyme regeneration system. The thermodynamically unfavorable oxidation reaction was driven by the reduction reaction. The efficiency of the biocatalytic reaction was evaluated using 12 different substrate combinations, and a significant variation was observed in substrate conversion, which was subsequently explained by the differences in enzyme kinetics parameters. The reaction with the selected model substrates 2-oxobutanoic acid and L-leucine reached 90.3% conversion with a high total turnover number of 9.0 × 106 under the optimal reaction conditions. Furthermore, complete conversion was achieved by adjusting the ratio of addition of the two substrates. The constructed reaction mode can be applied to other amino acid dehydrogenases in future studies to synthesize a wider range of valuable products.

Cobalt Phosphate Nanocrystals: A Catalase-Like Nanozyme and In Situ Enzyme-Encapsulating Carrier for Efficient Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of α-Keto Acid.

Chemoenzymatic catalysis combining the traits of chemical and enzymatic catalysis provides tremendous possibilities for the design of biosynthetic pathways utilizing inorganic catalysts and enzymes. However, the efficiency of chemoenzymatic catalysis is usually governed by the synergy and compatibility of the two catalysts. Here, we report for the first time the catalase-like activity of cobalt phosphate nanocrystals (CoPs). By a one-pot biomimetic mineralization with CoPs and l-amino acid oxidase (LAAO) under a mild condition, we have fabricated a hybrid nanobiocatalyst, LAAO@CoPs, for the chemoenzymatic synthesis of α-keto acid. The as-fabricated nanobiocatalyst with directly contacted catalytic sites of the enzyme and nanozyme maximizes the substrate channeling effects for in situ chemical decomposition of the oxidative intermediate, H2O2, during the enzymatic oxidation of l-tryptophan (l-Trp), thus minimizing the H2O2 accumulation and byproduct generation. Benefiting from the superiority of LAAO@CoPs, complete conversion (100.0%) of l-Trp to indole pyruvic acid is achieved, over two times higher than the yield of the free LAAO system (47.6%). Meanwhile, LAAO@CoPs show high stabilities against heat and proteolytic treatments. This work offers a new design approach for constructing a high-performance nanobiocatalyst for cascade reactions, especially for those systems with toxic or reactive intermediates.

Convenient Genetic Encoding of Phenylalanine Derivatives through Their α-Keto Acid Precursors.

The activity and function of proteins can be improved by incorporation of non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs). To avoid the tedious synthesis of a large number of chiral phenylalanine derivatives, we synthesized the corresponding phenylpyruvic acid precursors. Escherichia coli strain DH10B and strain C321.ΔA.expΔPBAD were selected as hosts for phenylpyruvic acid bioconversion and genetic code expansion using the MmPylRS/pyltRNACUA system. The concentrations of keto acids, PLP and amino donors were optimized in the process. Eight keto acids that can be biotransformed and their coupled genetic code expansions were identified. Finally, the genetic encoded ncAAs were tested for incorporation into fluorescent proteins with keto acids.

Stereodivergent Nucleophilic Additions to Racemic ß-Oxo Acid Derivatives: Fast Addition Outcompetes Stereoconvergence in the Archetypal Configurationally Unstable Electrophile.

Additions of carbon nucleophiles to racemic α-stereogenic ß-oxo acid derivatives that deliver enantiomerically enriched tertiary alcohols are valuable, but uncommon. This article describes stereodivergent Cu-catalyzed borylative cyclizations of racemic ß-oxo acid derivatives bearing tethered pro-nucleophilic olefins to deliver highly functionalized cyclopentanols containing four contiguous stereogenic centers. The reported protocol is applicable to a range of ß-oxo acid derivatives, and the diastereomeric products are readily isolable by typical chromatographic techniques. α-Stereogenic-ß-keto esters are typically thought to have extreme or spontaneous configurational fragility, but mechanistic studies for this system reveal an unusual scenario wherein productive catalysis occurs on the same time scale as background substrate racemization and completely outcompetes on-cycle epimerization, even under the basic conditions of the reaction.

Biocatalytic Construction of Quaternary Centers by Aldol Addition of 3,3-Disubstituted 2-Oxoacid Derivatives to Aldehydes.

The congested nature of quaternary carbons hinders their preparation, most notably when stereocontrol is required. Here we report a biocatalytic method for the creation of quaternary carbon centers with broad substrate scope, leading to different compound classes bearing this structural feature. The key step comprises the aldol addition of 3,3-disubstituted 2-oxoacids to aldehydes catalyzed by metal dependent 3-methyl-2-oxobutanoate hydroxymethyltransferase from E. coli (KPHMT) and variants thereof. The 3,3,3-trisubstituted 2-oxoacids thus produced were converted into 2-oxolactones and 3-hydroxy acids and directly to ulosonic acid derivatives, all bearing gem-dialkyl, gem-cycloalkyl, and spirocyclic quaternary centers. In addition, some of these reactions use a single enantiomer from racemic nucleophiles to afford stereopure quaternary carbons. The notable substrate tolerance and stereocontrol of these enzymes are indicative of their potential for the synthesis of structurally intricate molecules.

Studies on the synthesis and stability of α-ketoacyl peptides.

Oxidative stress, an excess of reactive oxygen species (ROS), may lead to oxidative post-translational modifications of proteins resulting in the cleavage of the peptide backbone, known as α-amidation, and formation of fragments such as peptide amides and α-ketoacyl peptides (α-KaP). In this study, we first compared different approaches for the synthesis of different model α-KaP and then investigated their stability compared to the corresponding unmodified peptides. The stability of peptides was studied at room temperature or at temperatures relevant for food processing (100 °C for cooking and 150 °C as a simulation of roasting) in water, in 1% (m/v) acetic acid or as the dry substance (to simulate the thermal treatment of dehydration processes) by HPLC analysis. Oxidation of peptides by 2,5-di-tert-butyl-1,4-benzoquinone (DTBBQ) proved to be the most suited method for synthesis of α-KaPs. The acyl side chain of the carbonyl-terminal α-keto acid has a crucial impact on the stability of α-KaPs. This carbonyl group has a catalytic effect on the hydrolysis of the neighboring peptide bond, leading to the release of α-keto acids. Unmodified peptides were significantly more stable than the corresponding α-KaPs. The possibility of further degradation reactions was shown by the formation of Schiff bases from glyoxylic or pyruvic acids with glycine and proven through detection of transamination products and Strecker aldehydes of α-keto acids by HPLC-MS/MS. We propose here a mechanism for the decomposition of α-ketoacyl peptides.

2,4-Diketo esters: Crucial intermediates for drug discovery.

Convenient structures such as 2,4-diketo esters have been widely used as an effective pattern in medicinal chemistry and pharmacology for drug discovery. 2,4-Diketonate is a common scaffold that can be found in many biologically active and naturally occurring compounds. Also, many 2,4-diketo ester derivatives have been prepared due to their suitable synthesis. These synthetic drugs and natural products have shown numerous interesting biological properties with clinical potential as a cure for the broad specter of diseases. This review aims to highlight the important evidence of 2,4-diketo esters as a privileged scaffold in medicinal chemistry and pharmacology. Herein, numerous aspects of 2,4-diketo esters will be summarized, including synthesis and isolation of their derivatives, development of novel synthetic methodologies, the evaluation of their biological properties as well as the mechanisms of action of the diketo ester derivates. This paperwork is expected to be a comprehensive, trustworthy, and critical review of the 2,4-diketo ester intermediate to the chemistry community.

Keto leucine and keto isoleucine are bioavailable precursors of their respective amino acids in cell culture media.

Highly concentrated cell culture media formulations are essential to develop next generation bioprocesses used to produce therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, fusion proteins, bispecific molecules and mAb fragments. Although cysteine/cystine and tyrosine are the first components preventing the development of highly concentrated complex cell culture media, leucine and isoleucine were identified as the next critical amino acids due to their limited solubility. This work sought to investigate highly soluble and readily bioavailable derivatives of both amino acids that may be used in batch, fed-batch or perfusion processes. The α-keto acids of Leu and Ile, keto leucine and keto isoleucine sodium salts, were tested in cell culture media and proved to be beneficial to increase the overall solubility of cell culture media formulations. These keto acids were readily bioavailable for various CHO cells and can be used in both media and feeds. The quality of the final recombinant protein was studied in processes using the precursors and the mechanism of amination was investigated in CHO cells. Altogether, both keto acids represent an alternative to their respective amino acids to develop highly concentrated cell culture media formulations to support next generation bioprocesses.

Structural basis of keto acid utilization in nonribosomal depsipeptide synthesis.

Nonribosomal depsipeptides are natural products composed of amino and hydroxy acid residues. The hydroxy acid residues often derive from α-keto acids, reduced by ketoreductase domains in the depsipeptide synthetases. Biochemistry and structures reveal the mechanism of discrimination for α-keto acids and a remarkable architecture: flanking intact adenylation and ketoreductase domains are sequences separated by >1,100 residues that form a split 'pseudoAsub' domain, structurally important for the depsipeptide module's synthetic cycle.

Bioelectrocatalytic Conversion from N2 to Chiral Amino Acids in a H2/α-Keto Acid Enzymatic Fuel Cell.

Enzymatic electrosynthesis is a promising approach to produce useful chemicals with the requirement of external electrical energy input. Enzymatic fuel cells (EFCs) are devices to convert chemical energy to electrical energy via the oxidation of fuel at the anode and usually the reduction of oxygen or peroxide at the cathode. The integration of enzymatic electrosynthesis with EFC architectures can simultaneously result in self-powered enzymatic electrosynthesis with more valuable usage of electrons to produce high-value-added chemicals. In this study, a H2/α-keto acid EFC was developed for the conversion from chemically inert nitrogen gas to chiral amino acids, powered by H2 oxidation. A highly efficient cathodic reaction cascade was first designed and constructed. Powered by an applied voltage, the cathode supplied enough reducing equivalents to support the NH3 production and NADH recycling catalyzed by nitrogenase and diaphorase. The produced NH3 and NADH were reacted in situ with leucine dehydrogenase (LeuDH) to generate l-norleucine with 2-ketohexanoic acid as the NH3 acceptor. A 92% NH3 conversion ratio and 87.1% Faradaic efficiency were achieved. On this basis, a H2-powered fuel cell with hyper-thermostable hydrogenase (SHI) as the anodic catalyst was combined with the cathodic reaction cascade to form the H2/α-keto acid EFC. After 10 h of reaction, the concentration of l-norleucine achieved 0.36 mM with >99% enantiomeric excess and 82% Faradaic efficiency. From the broad substrate scope and the high enzymatic enantioselectivity of LeuDH, the H2/α-keto acid EFC is an energy-efficient alternative to electrochemically produce chiral amino acids for biotechnology applications.

One-pot, two-step synthesis of unnatural α-amino acids involving the exhaustive aerobic oxidation of 1,2-diols.

Herein, we report the nor-AZADO-catalyzed exhaustive aerobic oxidations of 1,2-diols to α-keto acids. Combining oxidation with transamination using dl-2-phenylglycine led to the synthesis of free α-amino acids (AAs) in one pot. This method enables the rapid and flexible preparation of a variety of valuable unnatural AAs, such as fluorescent AAs, photoactivatable AAs, and other functional AAs for bioorthogonal reactions.

Accessing Methyl Groups in Proteins via 1H-detected MAS Solid-state NMR Spectroscopy Employing Random Protonation.

We recently introduced RAP (reduced adjoining protonation) labelling as an easy to implement and cost-effective strategy to yield selectively methyl protonated protein samples. We show here that even though the amount of H2O employed in the bacterial growth medium is rather low, the intensities obtained in MAS solid-state NMR 1H,13C correlation spectra are comparable to spectra obtained for samples in which α-ketoisovalerate was employed as precursor. In addition to correlations for Leu and Val residues, RAP labelled samples yield also resonances for all methyl containing side chains. The labelling scheme has been employed to quantify order parameters, together with the respective asymmetry parameters. We obtain a very good correlation between the order parameters measured using a GlcRAP (glucose carbon source) and a α-ketoisovalerate labelled sample. The labelling scheme holds the potential to be very useful for the collection of long-range distance restraints among side chain atoms. Experiments are demonstrated using RAP and α-ketoisovalerate labelled samples of the α-spectrin SH3 domain, and are applied to fibrils formed from the Alzheimer's disease Aß1-40 peptide.

Electrosynthesis of amino acids from biomass-derivable acids on titanium dioxide.

Seven amino acids were electrochemically synthesized from biomass-derivable α-keto acids and NH2OH with faradaic efficiencies (FEs) of 77-99% using an earth-abundant TiO2 catalyst. Furthermore, we newly constructed a flow-type electrochemical reactor, named a "polymer electrolyte amino acid electrosynthesis cell", and achieved continuous production of alanine with an FE of 77%.

Branched-chain amino acid and branched-chain ketoacid ingestion increases muscle protein synthesis rates in vivo in older adults: a double-blind, randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Protein ingestion increases muscle protein synthesis rates. However, limited data are currently available on the effects of branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) and branched-chain ketoacid (BCKA) ingestion on postprandial muscle protein synthesis rates. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the impact of ingesting 6 g BCAA, 6 g BCKA, and 30 g milk protein (MILK) on the postprandial rise in circulating amino acid concentrations and subsequent myofibrillar protein synthesis rates in older males. METHODS: In a parallel design, 45 older males (age: 71 ± 1 y; BMI: 25.4 ± 0.8 kg/m2) were randomly assigned to ingest a drink containing 6 g BCAA, 6 g BCKA, or 30 g MILK. Basal and postprandial myofibrillar protein synthesis rates were assessed by primed continuous l-[ring-13C6]phenylalanine infusions with the collection of blood samples and muscle biopsies. RESULTS: Plasma BCAA concentrations increased following test drink ingestion in all groups, with greater increases in the BCAA and MILK groups compared with the BCKA group (P < 0.05). Plasma BCKA concentrations increased following test drink ingestion in all groups, with greater increases in the BCKA group compared with the BCAA and MILK groups (P < 0.05). Ingestion of MILK, BCAA, and BCKA significantly increased early myofibrillar protein synthesis rates (0-2 h) above basal rates (from 0.020 ± 0.002%/h to 0.042 ± 0.004%/h, 0.022 ± 0.002%/h to 0.044 ± 0.004%/h, and 0.023 ± 0.003%/h to 0.044 ± 0.004%/h, respectively; P < 0.001), with no differences between groups (P > 0.05). Myofibrillar protein synthesis rates during the late postprandial phase (2-5 h) remained elevated in the MILK group (0.039 ± 0.004%/h; P < 0.001), but returned to baseline values following BCAA and BCKA ingestion (0.024 ± 0.005%/h and 0.024 ± 0.005%/h, respectively; P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Ingestion of 6 g BCAA, 6 g BCKA, and 30 g MILK increases myofibrillar protein synthesis rates during the early postprandial phase (0-2 h) in vivo in healthy older males. The postprandial increase following the ingestion of 6 g BCAA and BCKA is short-lived, with higher myofibrillar protein synthesis rates only being maintained following the ingestion of an equivalent amount of intact milk protein. This trial was registered at Nederlands Trial Register (www.trialregister.nl) as NTR6047.

Engineering D-Lactate Dehydrogenase from Pediococcus acidilactici for Improved Activity on 2-Hydroxy Acids with Bulky C3 Functional Group.

Engineering D-lactic acid dehydrogenases for higher activity on various 2-oxo acids is important for the synthesis of 2-hydroxy acids that can be utilized in a wide range of industrial fields including the production of biopolymers, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetic compounds. Although there are many D-lactate dehydrogenases (D-LDH) available from a diverse range of sources, there is a lack of biocatalysts with high activities for 2-oxo acids with large functional group at C3. In this study, the D-LDH from Pediococcus acidilactici was rationally designed and further engineered by controlling the intermolecular interactions between substrates and the surrounding residues via analysis of the active site structure of D-LDH. As a result, Y51L mutant with the catalytic efficiency on phenylpyruvate of 2200 s-1 mM-1 and Y51F mutant on 2-oxobutryate and 3-methyl-2-oxobutyrate of 37.2 and 23.2 s-1 mM-1 were found, which were 138-, 8.5-, and 26-fold increases than the wild type on the substrates, respectively. Structural analysis revealed that the distance and the nature of the interactions between the side chain of residue 51 and the substrate C3 substituent group significantly affected the kinetic parameters. Bioconversion of phenyllactate as a practical example of production of the 2-hydroxy acids was investigated, and the Y51F mutant presented the highest productivity in in vitro conversion of D-PLA.

Some Preformulation Studies of Pyruvic Acid and Other α-Keto Carboxylic Acids in Aqueous Solution: Pharmaceutical Formulation Implications for These Peroxide Scavengers.

The purpose of this study is to assess some of the variables determining the aldol-like condensation of pyruvic acid (1), a peroxide scavenger, in aqueous solution to parapyruvic acid and higher oligomers. Its stability is compared to 3 other α-keto carboxylic acids, 2 with sterically hindered methylene groups alpha to the keto functionality (2-3) and phenylglyoxylic acid (4) with no methylene group. High-performance liquid chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance, and liquid chromatography mass spectroscopy techniques are used in the kinetics and product analyses. 1 condensation is concentration dependent and base catalyzed above pH 7, consistent with the reaction mechanism proceeding through the attack of the fraction of the methylene group, alpha to the keto group, in its anionic form, at the keto group of a second molecule of 1. The major product is confirmed to be parapyruvic acid, but higher-order oligomers are also observed. All 3 of the other α-keto carboxylic acids 2-4 are considerably less reactive, with 4 being completely stable. Stable solutions of 1 can be prepared by the use of relatively dilute solutions maintained at slightly acidic pH values. 1 prevents the oxidation of methionine on addition of hydrogen peroxide.