Hydroxynitrile lyases nitrile

The hydroxynitrile lyase (HNL)-catalysed cyanohydrin reaction is a useful method to synthesize enantiopure a-hydroxy nitriles and the corresponding a-hydroxy acids. However, small ketones, such as 2-butanone, are converted with low selectivities, due to the poor discrimination between methyl and ethyl. ... 

The production of optically active cyanohydrins, with nitrile and alcohol functional groups that can each be readily derivatized, is an increasingly significant organic synthesis method. Hydroxynitrile lyase (HNL) enzymes have been shown to be very effective biocatalysts for the formation of these compounds from a variety of aldehyde and aliphatic ketone starting materials.Recent work has also expanded the application of HNLs to the asymmetric production of cyanohydrins from aromatic ketones. In particular, commercially available preparations of these enzymes have been utilized for high ee (5)-cyanohydrin synthesis from phenylacetones with a variety of different aromatic substitutions (Figure 8.1). 

Chiral cyanohydrins are versatile intermediates in the synthesis of a-hydroxy acids, /3-amino alcohols, amino nitriles, a-hydroxy ketones and aziridines. For the synthesis of enantiopure cyanohydrins, the use of hydroxynitrile lyases is currently the most effective approach.Application of an organic-solvent-free system allows thermodynamically hindered substrates to be converted with moderate to excellent yields. With the use of the highly selective hydroxynitrile lyase from Manihot esculenta, the syntheses of several acetophenone cyanohydrins with excellent enantioselectivities were developed (Figure 8.2). (5)-Acetophenone cyanohydrin was synthesized on a preparative scale. ... 

In particular, the use of hydroxynitrile lyase has proved to be a general and reliable method for obtaining a-hydroxy nitriles of both configurations [22]. An interesting approach is the Upase- and baseacyl-cyanohydrin for a synthetic DKR [23]. This is a combination of two reaction systems the dynamic, base-catalyzed equiUbrium between acetone cyanohydrin, acetone, HCN, aldehyde and a racemic cyanohydrin and the lipase-catalyzed enantioselective and irreversible acylation of the hydroxyl group. The combination yields the... 

Figure 11.14 Synthesis of (S)-2-hydroxycarboxylic amides using a one-pot cascade of (S)-hydroxynitrile lyase from Manihot esculenta (MeHnL) and nitrile hydratase from Nitriliruptor alkaliphilus (NHase). R = vinyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl.

Cyanohydrin formation Aldehyde or ketone 2-Hydroxy nitrile Synthesis of 2-hydroxy nitriles Oxynitrilase (Hydroxynitrile lyase)... 

Enzymes of the hydroxynitrilase dass catalyze the addition of HCN to aldehydes, produdng cyanohydrins. Recendy, the reaction has been extended to a few ketones with modified hydroxynitrilase enzymes. In many cases, these are formed with good optical purities and such reactions are the simplest type of enzyme catalyzed carbon-carbon bond formation. By pairing hydroxynitrile lyases with nitrilases or nitrile hydratases, one-pot, multistep conversions become possible, and this also shifts the equilibrium to favor the addition products. Such concerns are particularly important when applying these catalysts to ketones where the equilibrium generally favors the starting carbonyl compound (Figure 1.17). 

The application of nitrile-converting enzymes, nitrilases, and hydroxynitrile lyases in the s)mthesis of chiral compounds and cyanohydrins is covered. 

On the other hand, various ( l-cyanohydrins have been prepared using (5)-hydroxy-nitrile lyases from plants (Fig. 34). The (5)-cyanohydrins can be further converted to a-hydroxy acids by acid hydrolysis without racemization [107]. A recent example is the hydroxynitrile lyase from Manihot esculenta, which was cloned in E. coli and used as chiral catalyst for the synthesis of a broad range of optically active a-hydroxynitriles including keto-(5)-cyanohydrins using diisopropyl ether as organic solvent and HCN as cyanide source [112]. Compared to the enzymes from leaves, the overexpressed enzyme in E. coli showed higher enantioselectivity. 

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