Hydrolysis, enzyme catalysis

Nitrilases catalyze the synthetically important hydrolysis of nitriles with formation of the corresponding carboxylic acids [4]. Scientists at Diversa expanded the collection of nitrilases by metagenome panning [56]. Nevertheless, in numerous cases the usual limitations of enzyme catalysis become visible, including poor or only moderate enantioselectivity, limited activity (substrate acceptance), and/or product inhibition. Diversa also reported the first example of the directed evolution of an enantioselective nitrilase [20]. An additional limitation had to be overcome, which is sometimes ignored, when enzymes are used as catalysts in synthetic organic chemistry product inhibition and/or decreased enantioselectivity at high substrate concentrations [20]. 

Because of its importance to carbohydrate technology, biochemistry, and physical organic chemistry, the hydrolytic cleavage of glycosides has been extensively studied with respect to both acid and enzymic catalysis. Reviews on the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis have been presented by BeMiller, Capon, ... 

Pietzsch, M. and Syldatk, C. (2002) Hydrolysis and formation of hydantoins, in Enzyme Catalysis in Organic Synthesis, 2nd edn (eds K. Drauz and H. Waldmann), Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH, pp. 761-799. 

The study of both carbonyl and carbon acid participation in ester hydrolysis has been used by Bowden and Last (1971) to evaluate certain of the factors suggested for important roles in enzymic catalysis. A first model concerns a comparison of the three formyl esters and shows that the proximity of the formyl to the ester group and internal strain increase in passing along the series, 1,2-benzoate, 1,8-naphthoate and 4,5-phenanthroate. The very large rate enhancements result from the proximity of the internal nucleophile once formed and from internal strain. Strain is increased or induced by the primary... 

The conventional synthesis of aliphatic polyesters based on adipic acid and a range of diols, such as 1,4-butanediol or 1,6-hexanediol, involves a high-temperature esterification reaction typically at 240-260 °C and an organometallic catalyst such as stannous octano-ate. The use of enzyme catalysis results in a much lower reaction temperature, but also the possibility of removing the esterification catalyst, giving the polyester significantly improved hydrolysis resistance. 

Classic resolntion has been performed by formation of diastereomeiic salts which could be separated. In a series of synthetic steps and when resolution is one step, it is of utmost importance that the correct chirality is introduced at an early stage. When a racemate is subject to enzyme catalysis, one enantiomer reacts faster than the other and this leads to kinetic resolution (Figure 2.2c). Results of hydrolysis using lipase B from Candida antarctica (CALB) and a range of C-3 secondary butanoates are shown in Table 2.1. 

Evidence comes from comparative rate studies.216 Thus 71 was hydrolyzed about 105 times faster than benzamide (PhCONH2) at about the same concentration of hydrogen ions. That this enhancement of rate was not caused by the resonance or field effects of COOH (an electron-withdrawing group) was shown by the fact both o-nitrobenzamide and terephthal-amic acid (the para isomer of 71) were hydrolyzed more slowly than benzamide. Many other examples of neighboring-group participation at a carbonyl carbon have been reported.2 7 It is likely that nucleophilic catalysis is involved in enzyme catalysis of ester hydrolysis. 

Coleman, D. E., and Sprang, S. R. (1999a). Reaction dynamics of G-protein catalyzed hydrolysis of GTP as viewed by X-ray crystallographic snapshots of Gial. In Methods in Enzymology Enzyme Kinetics and Mechanism, Part E Energetics of Enzyme Catalysis (V. L. Schramm and D. L. Puvich, Eds.), Vol. 308, pp. 70-92. Academic Press, New York. 

Figure 5.8 Amide hydrolysis in the presence of papain, an example of nucleophilic enzyme catalysis.

Jakubke, H.-D. Hydrolysis and Formation of Peptides. In Enzyme Catalysis in Organic Synthesis, Drauz, K Waldmann, H. Eds., Wiley-VCH Verlag Weinheim, 2002, Vol. 2, p. 800. 

The catalytic activity of artificial chymotrypsin in the hydrolysis of m-tert-butylphenyl acetate (k = 2.8xl02 s 1, KM = 13xl05M) was found to be close to the activity of chymotrypsin in the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl acetate (k,.at = l.lxlO2 s 1, KM = 4x105M). Another example of mimicking enzyme catalysis by P-cyclodextrin is general acid-base-catalyzed hydrolysis and nitrosation of amines by alkyl nitrites (Iglesias, 1998). 

---