Amidases resolutions

In a similar way, several cephalosporins have been hydrolyzed to 7-aminodeacetoxycephalosporanic acid (72), and nocardicin C to 6-aminonocardicinic acid (73). Penicillin G amidase from Pscherichia coli has been used in an efficient resolution of a racemic cis intermediate required for a preparation of the synthon required for synthesis of the antibiotic Loracarbef (74). The racemic intermediate (21) underwent selective acylation to yield the cis derivative (22) in 44% yield the product displayed a 97% enantiomeric excess (ee). 

Hydantoinases belong to the E.C.3.5.2 group of cyclic amidases, which catalyze the hydrolysis of hydantoins [4,54]. As synthetic hydantoins are readily accessible by a variety of chemical syntheses, including Strecker reactions, enantioselective hydantoinase-catalyzed hydrolysis offers an attractive and general route to chiral amino acid derivatives. Moreover, hydantoins are easily racemized chemically or enzymatically by appropriate racemases, so that dynamic kinetic resolution with potential 100% conversion and complete enantioselectivity is theoretically possible. Indeed, a number of such cases using WT hydantoinases have been reported [54]. However, if asymmetric induction is poor or ifinversion ofenantioselectivity is desired, directed evolution can come to the rescue. Such a case has been reported, specifically in the production of i-methionine in a whole-cell system ( . coli) (Figure 2.13) [55]. 

Figure 6.39 Resolution of 2-hydroxy- and 2-amino-3,3,3-trifluoro-2-methylpropionamide by an amidase.

Patent literature reports on the analogous resolutions of phosphinotricin using, among others, penicillin G-acylase, penicillin G-amidase, subtilisin or microorganisms such as Enterobacter aerogenes, Klebsiella oxytoca, Corynebac-terium sp., Rhodococcus rubropertinctus and others7°... 

Scheme 6.7 Easy-on/easy-off resolution of amines with penicillin G amidase.

The use of enzymes and whole cells as catalysts in organic chemistry is described. Emphasis is put on the chemical reactions and the importance of providing enantiopure synthons. In particular kinetics of resolution is in focus. Among the topics covered are enzyme classification, structure and mechanism of action of enzymes. Examples are given on the use of hydrolytic enzymes such as esterases, proteases, lipases, epoxide hydrolases, acylases and amidases both in aqueous and low-water media. Reductions and oxidations are treated both using whole cells and pure enzymes. Moreover, use of enzymes in sngar chemistiy and to prodnce amino acids and peptides are discnssed. 

Figure 7 Preparation of chiral synthon for (3-3-receptor agonist (A) enzymatic resolution of racemic amino acid amide (8) by amidase from M. neoaurum ATCC 25795 (B) enzymatic resolution of racemic amino acid amide (10) by amidase from M. neoaurum ATCC 25795 (C) enzymatic asymmetric hydrolysis of diester (12) to the corresponding (>S)-monoester (13) by pig liver esterase.

The enzymatic resolution of racemic (a-methyl)phenylalanine amide (8) and a-(4-methoxyphenyl)alanine amide (10) to the corresponding (S)-amino acids (9) and (11), respectively, by an amidase from M neoaurum ATCC 25795 has been developed (Figs. 7A and 7B). The chiral amino acids are intermediates for the syntheses of P-3-receptor agonists [31-35],... 

An example of a very efficient asymmetric transformation is the preparation of (W)-phcnylgly-cine amide (Scheme 7.8) (see also Chapter 25).40 This offers a good alternative to the enzymatic resolution of (fCS )-phcnylglycinc amide with the (S)-specific amidase from Pseudomoms putida.41 This amide is used in a coupling process for semi-synthetic antibiotics.42... 

DSM developed a slightly different approach towards enantiopure amino acids. Instead of performing the Strecker synthesis with a complete hydrolysis of the nitrile to the acid it is stopped at the amide stage. Then a stereoselective amino acid amidase from Pseudomonas putida is employed for the enantioselective second hydrolysis step [83], yielding enantiopure amino acids [34, 77, 78]. Although the reaction is a kinetic resolution and thus the yields are never higher than 50% this approach is overall more efficient. No acylation step is necessary and the atom efficiency is thus much higher. A drawback is that the racemisation has to be performed via the Schiff s base of the D-amide (Scheme 6.23). 

Recently it was reported that an a-amino-e-caprolactam racemase from Achro-mobacter obae can racemise a-amino acid amides efficiently. In combination with a D-amino acid amidase from Ochrobactrum anthropi L-alanine amide could be converted into D-alanine. This tour de force demonstrates the power of the racemase [84]. If racemic amide is used as a starting material the application of this racemase in combination with a d- or L-amidase allows the preparation of 100% d- or L-amino acid, a dynamic kinetic resolution instead of DSM s kinetic resolution (Scheme 6.24). 

At Bristol-Myers Squibb amidases were employed for the enantioselective preparation of new potential / -3-receptor agonists [62]. A kinetic resolution of the starting amides was achieved with very good to excellent enantioselectivities (Scheme 6.29). As already mentioned above, whole cells were used for these transformations. 

The starting material for the acylase process is a racemic mixture of N-acetyl-amino acids 20 which are chemically synthesized by acetylation of D, L-amino acids with acetyl chloride or acetic anhydride in alkaU via the Schotten-Baumann reaction. The kinetic resolution of N-acetyl-D, L-amino acids is achieved by a specific L-acylase from Aspergillus oryzae, which only hydrolyzes the L-enantiomer and produces a mixture of the corresponding L-amino acid, acetate, and N-acetyl-D-amino acid. After separation of the L-amino acid by a crystallization step, the remaining N-acetyl-D-amino acid is recycled by thermal racemization under drastic conditions (Scheme 13.18) [47]. In a similar process racemic amino acid amides are resolved with an L-spedfic amidase and the remaining enantiomer is racemized separately. Although the final yields of the L-form are beyond 50% of the starting material in these multistep processes, the effidency of the whole transformation is much lower than a DKR process with in situ racemization. On the other hand, the structural requirements for the free carboxylate do not allow the identification of derivatives racemizable in situ therefore, the racemization requires... 

In biocatalysis, hydrolases are the most important class of enzymes for carrying out enzymatic resolutions. Many hydrolases, such as esterases, lipases, epoxide hydrolases, proteases, peptidases, acylases, and amidases, are commercially available a substantial number of them are bulk enzymes [87]. Resting-cell systems, if they are not immobilized, are used in diluted suspensions and could be handled as quasi-homogeneous catalysts. 

In the same group as nitrilase enzymes are the amidases. This includes amino acid amidase (EC 3.5.1.4), used to prepare amino acids, usually through resolution, and also penicillin G acylase (penicillin G amidohydrolase) (EC 3.5.1.11), used in the manufacture of semisynthetic penicillins [102,103]. Immobilized penicillin G acylase has most recently been used to catalyze the formation of A-a-phenylacetyl amino acids, which can then be used in peptide coupling reactions (see Section 13.2.3.2) [104]. 

Several multi-ton industrial processes still use enzymatic resolution, often with lipases that tolerate different substrates. BASF, for example, makes a range of chiral amines by acylating racemic amines with proprietary esters. Only one enantiomer is acylated to an amide, which can be readily separated from the unreacted amine. Many fine chemicals producers also employ acylases and amidases to resolve chiral amino acids on a large scale. l-Acylases, for example, can resolve acyl d,l-amino acids by producing the I-amino acids and leaving the N-acyl-l-amino acid untouched after separation, the latter can be racemized and returned to the reaction. d-Acylase forms the alternative product. Likewise, DSM and others have an amidase process that works on the same principle d,l-amino acid amides are selectively hydrolyzed, and the remaining d-amino acid amide can be either racemized or chemically hydrolyzed. 

Alternative hydrolytic enzymes, such as amidases and acylases, have also been employed for the resolution of racemic amines. Unlike lipases, these enzymes are typically not commercially available but they can be isolated from microorganisms. 

Avecia identified approximately 60 microorganisms with amidase activity capable of resolving racemic amines [17, 18]. Arthrobacter species predominated in the list of microorganisms identified. The kinetic resolution of N acetyl 1 aminoindanol 35 by a freeze dried microbial sample (BH2 NI amidase) allowed access to (1S,2R) N acetyl 1 aminoindanol 35 in high enantiomeric excess (96%). This compound is a key intermediate in the synthesis of Merck s HIV protease inhibitor Crixivan 37 (indin avir) (Figure 14.12). 

A classic example of a typical enzymatic resolution on an industrial scale is the acylase-mediated production of L-methionine. This method has also been applied for the production of L-phenylalanine and L-valine. In addition to acylases, amidases, hydantoinases, and /i-lactam hydrolases represent versatile biocatalysts for the production of optically active L-amino acids. A schematic overview of the different type of enzymatic resolutions for the synthesis of L-amino acids is given in Fig. 2. 

In summary, a broad range of large-scale applicable biocatalytic methodologies have been developed for the production of L-amino acids in technical quantities. Among these industrially feasible routes, enzymatic resolutions play an important role. In particular, L-aminoacylases, L-amidases, L-hydantoinases in combination with L-carbamoylases, and /l-lactam hydrolases are efficient and technically suitable biocatalysts. In addition, attractive manufacturing processes for L-amino acids by means of asymmetric (bio-)catalytic routes has been realized. Successful examples are reductive amination, transamination, and addition of ammonia to rx,/fun-saturated carbonyl compounds, respectively. 

Lonza AG has reported on the use of enantioselective amidases for the resolution of piperazine-2-carboxamide and piperidine-2-carboxamide using whole cell biocatalysts from Klebsiella terrigena, Pseudomonas fluorescence and Burkholderia sp., the last containing an (R)-selective amidase (Scheme 12.2-7)[l 1. Furthermore, several amidases exhibiting high selectivities [either (Sj- or (R)-] towards 2-arylpropiona-... 

Several methods to resolve racemic mixtures of a- amino acids have been worked out, including separation of diastereomeric salts by crystallization or amides by chromatography. Chiral HPLC on phases carrying d- and L-pro-line-copper complexes has been scaled up to 20 g quantities of amino acid race-mates. Resolution with immobilized amidases, which deacetylate only L-amino acid acetamides, and subsequent precipitation of the D-amino acid acetamides work on a 500-kg scale. All kinds of labels ( C, D) can thus be introduced... 

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