Aldolase-type Reactions

Serine hydroxymethyltransferase is a PLP-dependent aldolase. It catalyzes interconversion between glycine and various P-hydroxy-a-amino acids, such as serine and threonine, via formation of a quinoid intermediate derived from PLP with the amino acid substrate (Scheme 2.9). This aldolase-type reaction is of interest as an asymmetric synthesis of a-amino acids via C-C bond formation. 

Kuzuhara et al. synthesized an optically resolved pyridoxal analog having an ansa chain" between the 2 - and 5 -positions (45) [46]. The aldolase-type reaction of 45 and glycine with either acetaldehyde or propionaldehyde afforded the corresponding P-hy-droxy-a-amino acid with 27-77% ee. The erythro isomers were 1.2-1.8 times dominant over threo ones. The (S) -enantiomer of the pyridoxal derivative furnished the (S)-amino acid in excess. Accordingly, the reaction occurred on the same face as was occupied by the ansa chain. We have confirmed these results [47]. 

Murakami et al. have utilized Mayer vesides to study aldolase-type reactions [48]. Formation of [i-phenylserinc from glydne and benzaldehyde proceeded effectively by cooperative catalysis of a hydrophobic pyridoxal derivative (47) and Zn(n) ions in the bilayer vesicle formed with 32. The threo isomer was dominantly produced over the erythro form. A marked enantioselectivity was observed in the co-veside of 32 and 35 in combination with 47 and Cu(ii) the ee for formation of (2S,3R)-P-phcnylscrinc over its enantiomeric (2R,3S)-isomer was 58%. Enantioselectivity also arose with another bilayer assembly, formed with 32, 35, and 37 in the presence of Cu(ii), where the (2R,3S) isomer was dominant over the (2S,3R) species in 13% ee. The opposite enantioselectivity performed by the second system, as compared with that for 47, might reflect a different stereochemical environment around the quinoid intermediate that allows the attack of benzaldehyde. 

Vitamin B6 enzyme models that can catalyze five types of reactions - transamination, racemization, decarboxylation, P-elimination and replacement, and aldolase-type reactions - have been reviewed. There are also five approaches to construct the vitamin B6 enzyme models (i) vitamin B6 augmented with basic or chiral auxiliary functional groups (ii) vitamin B6 having an artificial binding site (iii) vitamin B6-surfactant systems (iv) vitamin B6-polypeptide systems (v) polymeric and dendrimeric vitamin B6 systems. These model systems show rate enhancement and some selectivity in vitamin B6-dependent reactions, but they are still primitive compared with the real enzymes. We expect to see improved reaction rates and selectivities in future generations of vitamin B6 enzyme models. An additional goal, which has not received ade-... 

There are two distinct groups of aldolases. Type I aldolases, found in higher plants and animals, require no metal cofactor and catalyze aldol addition via Schiff base formation between the lysiae S-amino group of the enzyme and a carbonyl group of the substrate. Class II aldolases are found primarily ia microorganisms and utilize a divalent ziac to activate the electrophilic component of the reaction. The most studied aldolases are fmctose-1,6-diphosphate (FDP) enzymes from rabbit muscle, rabbit muscle adolase (RAMA), and a Zn " -containing aldolase from E. coli. In vivo these enzymes catalyze the reversible reaction of D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate [591-57-1] (G-3-P) and dihydroxyacetone phosphate [57-04-5] (DHAP). 

Enzyme Catalyzed. The enzyme aldolases are the most important catalysts for catalyzing carbon-carbon bond formations in nature.248 A multienzyme system has also been developed for forming C-C bonds.249 Recently, an antibody was developed by Schultz and co-workers that can catalyze the retro-aldol reaction and Henry-type reactions.250 These results demonstrate that antibodies can stabilize the aldol transition state but point to the need for improved strategies for enolate formation under aqueous conditions. 

A tandem enzymatic aldol-intramolecular Homer-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction has been used in the synthesis of a cyclitol.310 The key steps are illustrated in Scheme 8.33. The phosphonate aldehyde was condensed with dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) in water with FDP aldolase to give the aldol adduct, which cyclizes with an intramolecular Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction to give the cyclo-pentene product. The one-pot reaction takes place in aqueous solution at slightly acidic (pH 6.1-6.8) conditions. The aqueous Wittig-type reaction has also been investigated in DNA-templated synthesis.311... 

In 2008 Resmini et al. [76] presented their work on the synthesis of novel molecularly imprinted nanogels with Aldolase type I activity in the cross-aldol reaction between 4-nitrobenzaldehyde and acetone. A polymerisable proline derivative was used as the functional monomer to mimic the enamine-based mechanism of aldolase type I enzymes. A 1,3-diketone template, used to create the cavity, was... 

The similarity between mechanisms of reactions between proline- and 2-deoxy-ribose-5-phosphate aldolase-catalyzed direct asymmetric aldol reactions with acetaldehyde suggests that a chiral amine would be able to catalyze stereoselective reactions via C-H activation of unmodified aldehydes, which could add to different electrophiles such as imines [36, 37]. In fact, proline is able to mediate the direct catalytic asymmetric Mannich reaction with unmodified aldehydes as nucleophiles [38]. The first proline-catalyzed direct asymmetric Mannich-type reaction between aldehydes and N-PMP protected a-ethyl glyoxylate proceeds with excellent chemo-, diastereo-, and enantioselectivity (Eq. 9). 

From a synthetic point of view, the chemically catalyzed and the aldolase-catalyzed reactions complement each other. Both can catalyze the synthesis of compounds that are difficult to obtain with the other type of catalyst. Aldolases have an excellent control over the regiochemistry and accept a wide variety of acceptor molecules. As mentioned above they allow only a few donor molecules. The aldolases that are commonly used activate four different donor molecules and are classified according to them (Scheme 5.20) [2-4, 40, 43]. Other aldolases are known, too, but their application for synthesis has so far been very limited and they will therefore not be discussed here. 

Enzymes turned out to be very helpful in the de novo synthesis of certain monosaccharides. Generally, two chiral carbonyl compounds are combined in an aldol-type reaction. In carbohydrate metabolism, aldolases catalyze the condensation of dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) and aldehydes to higher sugar components. To date, about thirty aldolases have been classified, but only... 

The originally proposed stereochemical model by Hajos and Parrish" was rejected by M.E. Jung and A. Eschenmoser. They proposed a one-proline aldolase-type mechanism involving a side chain enamine. The most widely accepted transition state model to account for the observed stereochemistry was proposed by C. Agami et al. suggesting the involvement of two (S)-(-)-proline molecules. " " Recently, K.N. Houk and co-workers reexamined the mechanism of the intra- and intermolecular (S)-(-)-proline catalyzed aldol reactions. Their theoretical studies, kinetic, stereochemical and dilution experiments support a one-proline mechanism where the reaction goes through a six-membered chairlike transition state. 

RAMA has been the most popular synthetic aldolase, due to its commercial availability. Notably, no significant differences in substrate specificity or stereoselectivity between FDP aldolases from different sources have been observed188. However, it is still important to verify this, especially for the type II aldolases which operate by a different mechanism. In fact, the type II aldolase from E. coli, which has been subcloned and overexpressed127, has the potential to supplant RAMA as the FDP aldolase of choice for synthesis. It has enhanced stability compared with RAMA (vide supra), and is available from a microbial as opposed to an animal source. Table 14.1-1 illustrates products prepared from FDP aldolase-catalyzed reactions with DHAP. 

Although the development of a range of catalytic asymmetric aldol-type reactions has proven to be a valuable contribution to asymmetric synthesis [35—37], in all of these reactions pre-conversion of the ketone moiety to a more reactive species such as an enol silyl ether, enol methyl ether, or ketene silyl acetal has been an unavoidable necessity. However, quite recently Shibasaki et al. reported that a direct catalytic asymmetric aldol reaction, which is known in enzyme chemistry, is also possible in the presence of heterobimetallic lanthanoid catalysts [38]. Using fR)-LLB (20 mol%), which shows both Lewis acidity and Bron-sted basicity similar to the corresponding aldolases, the desired optically active aldol adducts were obtained with up to 94% ee. A variety of aldehydes and unmodified ketones can be used as starting materials (Scheme 11). 

In nature, aldol reaction is catalyzed by two different classes of aldolases type I aldolases catalyze the reaction via enamine formation while with type II aldolases the reaction involves a zinc(II) ion [5] (Figure 5.2). 

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