Aldolases phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent

Enzymatic synthesis relying on the use of aldolases offers several advantages. As opposed to chemical aldolization, aldolases usually catalyze a stereoselective aldol reaction under mild conditions there is no need for protection of functional groups and no cofactors are required. Moreover, whereas high specificity is reported for the donor substrate, broad flexibility toward the acceptor is generally observed. Finally, aldolases herein discussed do not use phosphorylated substrates, contrary to phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent aldolases involved in vivo in the biosynthetic pathway, such as KDO synthetase or DAHP synthetase [18,19]. 

Other pyruvate- and phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent aldolases have been isolated and purified, but have not yet been extensively investigated for synthetic use. Those showing promise for future applications include, 3-deoxy-D-arabino-2-heptulosonic acid 7-phosphate (DAHP) synthetase (EC 4.1.2.15), 2-keto-4-hydroxyglutarate (KHG) aldolase (EC 4.1.2.31), and 2-keto-3-deoxy-D-gluconate (KDG) aldolase (EC 4.1.2.20). DAHP synthetase has been used... 

The aldolases which have been investigated for their synthetic utility can be classified on the basis of the donor substrate accepted by the enzyme. For the synthesis of 3-deoxy-2-ulosonic acids pyruvate- and phosphoenolpyruvate dependent aldolases are the most desirable enzymes as they are involved in the metabolism of sialic acids (or structurally related ones) in vivo. They use pyruvate or phosphoenolpyruvate as a donor to form 3-deoxy-2-keto acids (Table 1). Both of them add a three-carbons ketone fragment onto a carbonyl group of an aldehyde. The pyruvate dependent aldolases have a catabolic function in vivo, whereas the phosphoenolpyruvate dependent aldolases are involved in the biosynthesis of the keto acids. For synthetic purpose the equilibrium of the pyruvate dependent aldolases is shifted toward the condensation products through the use of an excess of pyruvate. 

Pickl, A., Johnsen, U., and Schonheit, P. (2012) Fructose degradation in the haloarchaeon Haloferax volcanii involves a bacterial type phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system, fructose-l-phosphate kinase, and class 11 fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase. J Bacteriol 194, 3088-3097. 

The pyruvate and phosphoenolpyruvate dependent aldolases are an important group of enzymes catalyzing the synthesis of a-oxoacids from a variety of polyhydroxylated aldehydes. They are usually type I aldolases. In vivo, the... 

In nature, most aldolases are rooted in the sugar metabolic cycle and accept highly functionalized substrates for the aldol reaction. Nevertheless, the scope of enzymatic aldol reactions is limited, since aldolases strictly distinguish between the acceptor and the donor, yielding almost exclusively one product, and is furthermore restricted to only a few different possible natural donors. According to the donor molecules, aldolases are grouped in dihydroxyacetone phosphate-, phosphoenolpyruvate- or pyruvate-, acetaldehyde-, and glycine-dependent aldolases [41]. 

Pyruvate-dependent aldolases catalyze the breaking of a carbon-carbon bond in nature. This reaction can, however, be reversed if an excess of pyruvate is used, establishing one new stereocenter in the course of it. The natural function of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP)-dependent aldolases on the other hand is to catalyze the synthesis of a-keto acids. Since PEP is a very reactive, unstable and difficult to prepare substrate, they are not commonly used in synthesis. 

Pyruvate-dependent aldolases have catabolic activity in vivo, whereas their counterparts utilizing phosphoenolpyruvate as the donor substrate are involved in the biosynthesis of keto acids. Both classes of enzymes have been used in synthesis to prepare similar a-keto acids. The enzymes catalzye this type of reaction in vivo and their stereoselectivity are presented together in this section (Schemes 5.27, 5.28). 

Figure 11.1 Proposed pathway for hex-ose metabolism of homofermentative LAB (1) and (2) phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP)-dependent sugar phosphotransferase system (PTS) (3) mannitol-specific PTS (4) phospho-glucose isomerase (5) mannitol-1-phosphate dehydrogenase (6) mannitol-1-phosphatase (7) 6-phosphofructokinase (8) fructose-diphosphatase (9) fructose-1,6-diphosphate aldolase (10) triosephosphate isomerase (11) glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase...

Iron is also an essential constituent of several non-porphyrin enzymes, e.g. aconitase, aldolase, and succinic dehydrogenase. Inhibition of the synthesis of glucose by tryptophan in animal cells depends on chelation. The tryptophan is metabolized to pyridine-2,3-dicarboxylic acid, which complexes the divalent iron necessary for the action of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (a key enzyme in the neogenesis of glucose) (Veneziale et al., 1967). 

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