Acylases acylase

Acylase (acylase I aminoacylase N-acetyl amino acid amidohydrolase E.C. 3.5.1.14), is one of the best-known enzymes as far as substrate specificity (Chenault, 1989) or use in immobilized (Takahashi, 1989) or membrane reactors (Wandrey, 1977, 1979 Leuchtenberger, 1984 Bommarius, 1992a) is concerned however, its exact mechanism or 3D structure is still not known (Gentzen, 1979 1980). Acylase is available in large, process-scale quantities from two sources, porcine kidney and the mold Aspergillus oryzae. 

Figure 4 The schematic representation of plasmid pHDVl 1 (18.9 kbp). The DNA seciuences are denoted as follows thin line, vector DNA and (hygrotnycin B resistance) gene (41) solid boxes, the regulatory elements of the alkaline protease gene from A. chrjiO en m ATCCU550 (6,42) open boxes, DAO cDNA of F. solani (11) and CC acylase (Acylase) genomic ENA of P. diminu i V22 (6,27). Restriction enzyme sites B, BomHl C, Clol E. BcoRI Ps, Pstl Pv, Pvull Sa,. Socl Sm, Smal.

Enzymatic hydrolysis of A/-acylamino acids by amino acylase and amino acid esters by Hpase or carboxy esterase (70) is one kind of kinetic resolution. Kinetic resolution is found in chemical synthesis such as by epoxidation of racemic allyl alcohol and asymmetric hydrogenation (71). New routes for amino acid manufacturing are anticipated. 

T.-amino acids DL-acetylamino acids L- amino acylase A.sp. oryc e 25... 

D-amino acids DL-acylamino acids D-amino acylase 206... 

Table 2. Typical Operating Parameters for Immobilized Glucose Isomerase and Penicillin V Acylase...

Immobilized enzyme Glucose isomerase Penicillin V acylase... 

The second most important group of immobilized enzymes is stiU the penicillin G and V acylases. These are used in the pharmaceutical industry to make the intermediate 6-aminopenici11anic acid [551-16-6] (6-APA), which in turn is used to manufacture semisynthetic penicillins, in particular ampicilHn [69-53-4] and amoxicillin [26787-78-0]. This is a remarkable example of how a complex chemical synthesis can be replaced with a simple enzymatic one ... 

En2yme techniques are primarily developed for commercial reasons, and so information about immobilisation and process conditions is usually Limited. A commercially available immobilised penicillin V acylase is made by glutaraldehyde cross-linking of a cell homogenate. It can be used ia batch stirred tank or recycled packed-bed reactors with typical operating parameters as iadicated ia Table 2 (38). Further development may lead to the creation of acylases and processes that can also be used for attaching side chains by ensymatic synthesis. 

Resolution of Racemic Amines and Amino Acids. Acylases (EC3.5.1.14) are the most commonly used enzymes for the resolution of amino acids. Porcine kidney acylase (PKA) and the fungaly3.spet i//us acylase (AA) are commercially available, inexpensive, and stable. They have broad substrate specificity and hydrolyze a wide spectmm of natural and unnatural A/-acyl amino acids, with exceptionally high enantioselectivity in almost all cases. Moreover, theU enantioselectivity is exceptionally good with most substrates. A general paper on this subject has been pubUshed (106) in which the resolution of over 50 A/-acyl amino acids and analogues is described. Also reported are the stabiUties of the enzymes and the effect of different acyl groups on the rate and selectivity of enzymatic hydrolysis. Some of the substrates that are easily resolved on 10—100 g scale are presented in Figure 4 (106). Lipases are also used for the resolution of A/-acylated amino acids but the rates and optical purities are usually low (107). 

Hog kidney acylase, pH 7, H2O, 36°, 35 h. In this case deprotection also proceeds with resolution since only one enantiomer is cleaved. 

This amide, readily formed from an amine and the anhydride, is readily cleaved by penicillin acylase (pH 8.1, A -methylpyrrolidone, 65-95% yield). This depro-tection procedure works on peptides as well as on nonpeptide substrates. 

This ester is conveniently formed from a penicillinic acid with PhCH2C02CH2Cl and TEA. Cleavage is accomplished by enzymatic hydrolysis with penicillin G. acylase in 70-90% yield. 

Penicillin G. acylase, pH 7.8 buffer, 35°, 30 min to 2 h. These conditions result in isolation of the disulfide, but if j8-mercaptoethanol is included in the reaction mixture, the thiol can be isolated. ... 

Preparation of PhAcOZ amino acids proceeds from the chloroformate, and cleavage is accomplished enzymatically with penicillin G acylase (pH 7 phosphate buffer, 25°, NaHS03, 40-88% yield). In a related approach, the 4-ace-toxy derivative is used, but in this case deprotection is achieved using the lipase, acetyl esterase, from oranges (pH 7, NaCl buffer, 45°, 57-70% yield). 

Enzymatic hydrolysis with Aspergillis Acylase, pH 8.5, 75% yield. 

This amide, readily formed from an amine and the anhydride or enzymatically using penicillin amidase, is readily cleaved by penicillin acylase (pH 8.1, A -methylpyrrolidone, 65-95% yield). This deprotection procedure works on peptides, phosphorylated peptides, and oligonucleotides, as well as on nonpeptide substrates. The deprotection of racemic phenylacetamides with penicillin acylase can result in enantiomer enrichment of the cleaved amine and the remaining amide. An immobilized form of penicillin G acylase has been developed. ... 

Figure 6.11 Hydrolysis of penicillin G by penicillin acylase and p-lactamase.

Table 6.3 Some sources of penicillin acylases used for the large scale production of 6-APA.

The most commonly used source of penicillin V acylase is the fungus Bovista plumbia. Incubation of phenoxymethyl penicillin (penicillin V) with this enzyme produces a yield of about 90-92% 6-APA. 

The latter two points usually tip the balance in favour of using purified enzymes. Ideally the enzyme should be easy to isolate. The penicillin acylase from Bacillus megaterium is, for example, an extracelluar enzyme and can be readily absorbed into bentonite. 

In section 6.6.1, we described how enzymatic methods have come to dominate the production of the important intermediates used in the manufacture of semi-synthetic -lactams. In principle, the hydrolytic penicillin acylases may be used in the reverse direction to add acyl groups to 6-APA. For example, a two-step enzymatic process has been described for the preparation of ampiciilin (D-(-)-a-aminobenzylpenidllin structure shown in Figure 6.17). 

In this process, penicillin G is first hydrolysed to 6-APA with the acylase derived from Kluyvera citwphila at a slightly alkaline pH (pH 75). Subsequently the 6-APA is incubated with an acylase derived from Pseudomonas mdanogenum and with DL-phenylglydne methyl ester at pH 55. This produces ampiciilin in reasonable yields only because of the specificity of the P. melanogenum enzyme. This enzyme does not react with penicillin G nor phenylacetic acid. 

It was almost immediately recognised that the deacylated product, 7-aminocephalosporanic add (7-ACA, Figure 6.16), would be of similar importance as was 6-APA in the development of new penidllins. However, 7-ACA, the cephalosporin equivalent of 6-APA, could not be found in fermentations of Cephalosporin acremonium. In Figure 6.15 we have shown that penicillin acylase hydrolyses the acyl residue from natural cephalosporins. Up to a point this is true. These acylases will, however, only work with a limited range of acyl residues. It now seems that nature does not provide for acylases or transacylases that have the capacity to remove or change the D-a-aminoadipyl side chain of cephalosporin C efficiently in a single step. Widespread search for such an enzyme still remains unsuccessful. 

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