Cofactor recycling, biocatalytic asymmetric reduction

Nakamura K, Yamanaka R. Light mediated cofactor recycling system in biocatalytic asymmetric reduction of ketone. /. Chem. Soc. Chem. Commun. 2002 16 1782-1783. 

An alternative was provided by Codexis that developed a route to a chiral precursor to ezetimibe based on the asymmetric biocatalytic reduction of 5-[(4S)-2-oxo-4-phenyl(l,3-oxazolidin-3-yl)]-l-(4-fluorophenyl)pentane-l,5-dione to (4S)-3-[(5S)-5-(4-fluorophenyl)-5-hydroxy-pentanoyl]-4-phenyl-l,3-oxazolidin-2-one (Figure 13.5a). Ketoreductases from LactohaciUus sp. identified as potential catalysts were improved via protein engineering and the best mutant was implemented in a process running at 100 g/1 with a coupled-enzyme cofactor recycling system (GDH and glucose), allowing formation of the alcohol with >99.9% ee [20]. 

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