Oxygenases enantioselectivity

Cyclohexanone oxygenase from Acinetobacteria converts a variety of alicyclic ketones into lactones in a regio- and enantioselective manner (Table 12). The reaction can be carried out by a whole-cell process (181) or with the isolated enzyme (178). For example, 2-norbomanone [497-38-1] (112) is converted to the corresponding lactone in 81% yield (178). The enzyme, however, is not selective both enantiomers react equally well. The oxidation rate of camphor [76-22-2] (113), is about one-third that of (112) nevertheless, given sufficient amount of time, the product yield reaches 89%. Substituted cylohexanones (114) and cyclopentanones (115) are converted into the corresponding lactones in moderate to good yield and selectivity (179—181). 

Recently, the first asymmetric cell-free application of styrene monooxygenase (StyAB) from Pseudomonas sp. VLB 120 was reported [294]. StyAB catalyses the enantiospecific epoxidation of styrene-type substrates and requires the presence of flavin and NADH as cofactor. This two-component system enzyme consists of the actual oxygenase subunit (StyA) and a reductase (StyB). In this case, the reaction could be made catalytic with respect to NADH when formate together with oxygen were used as the actual oxidant and sacrificial reductant respectively. The whole sequence is shown in Fig. 4.106. The total turnover number on StyA enzyme was around 2000, whereas the turnover number relative to NADH ranged from 66 to 87. Results for individual substrates are also given in Fig. 4.106. Excellent enantioselectivities are obtained for a- and -styrene derivatives. 

Chiral lactones can be formed from ketones via the Bacyer-Villiger reaction. Such lactones are potentially useful synthons for a number of natural products (37). Many of the examples of enantioselective lactone formation have been demonstrated using cyclohexanone oxygenase isolated from various Acinetobacter spedes (37,38). Figure 14 shows the enzymatic lactonization of methylcyclohexanone, which gave an 80% yield with an enantiomeric excess greater than 98%. 

For the enantioselective preparations of chiral synthons, the most interesting oxidations are the hydroxylations of unactivated saturated carbons or carbon-carbon double bonds in alkene and arene systems, together with the oxidative transformations of various chemical functions. Of special interest is the enzymatic generation of enantiopure epoxides. This can be achieved by epoxidation of double bonds with cytochrome P450 mono-oxygenases, w-hydroxylases, or biotransformation with whole micro-organisms. Alternative approaches include the microbial reduction of a-haloketones, or the use of haloperoxi-dases and halohydrine epoxidases [128]. The enantioselective hydrolysis of several types of epoxides can be achieved with epoxide hydrolases (a relatively new class of enzymes). These enzymes give access to enantiopure epoxides and chiral diols by enantioselective hydrolysis of racemic epoxides or by stereoselective hydrolysis of meso-epoxides [128,129]. 

Scheme 5.20 Copper-mediated enantioselective oxygenase dearomatization using Cu(sparteine).

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