Stereoselective nitrile-forming enzymes

Besides the use of stereoselective nitrile-converting enzymes as described above, useful chiral building blocks have also been obtained by stereoselective nitrile-forming enzymes. The main product class of nitrile-forming enzymes are cyanohydrins (a-hydroxynitriles, 1-cyanoalkanols), which are versatile synthons in organic synthesis that are readily convertible to a-hydroxy acids [90], a-hydroxy aldehydes [91], ethanolamines [92], amino alcohols, pyrethroid insecticides [93], imidazoles, and heterocycles [94]. Examples of valuable bioactive products derived from chiral cyanohydrins are (i )-adrenaline, L-ephedrin, and (5)-amphetamines [95]. For the synthesis of chiral cyanohydrins, stereoselective enzymes from both plant and bacterial sources have been used. 

Evidence for the enantioselectivity of the nitrile hydratase was given by the purified enzyme catalyzing the hydration of the (5)-nitrile at least 50 times faster than the hydrolysis of the (i )-nitrile [51]. The strain was also capable of a two-step hydrolysis of racemic ibuprofen and naproxen nitriles to the corresponding (S)-acids in enantiomeric purities above 90% e.e., however, with the stereoselectivity residing primarily in the amidase. In this case, the analysis of enantioselectivity was complicated due to the product inhibition of (i )-nitrile hydration by enzymatically formed (5)-amide. On the basis of the initial rate of appearance, the nitrile hydratase showed a slight preference for the (R) enantiomers of... 

Together with R. rhodochrous ATCC 21197 [43] and Pseudomonas putida NRRL 18668 [51], also Rhodococcus sp. C3II md Rhodococcus erythropolis MP 50 were used for the enantiospecific preparation of (S)-naproxen [65]. Rhodococcus sp. C3II lacks a nitrilase but exhibits nitrile hydratase and amidase activities, both of which are constitutive and prefer the (5 )-enantiomers of naproxen derivatives. On the other hand, the enzymes from R. erythropolis MP 50 were induced by nitriles and its nitrile hydratase was (R)-specific [44]. Due to the presence of a strictly (5)-specific amidase, both strains finally formed (5)-naproxen with high enantioselectivity (Fig. 18). Evidence for the enantioselectivity of the nitrile hydratases of both strains was obtained by the formation of optically active amides in the presence of the amidase inhibitor diethyl phosphoramidate [63,65]. The nitrile hydratase of Rhodococcus sp. C3II whole cells was used for the sjmthesis of (>S)-naproxen amide with 94% e.e. after 30% conversion in the presence of the amidase inhibitor [63]. In addition, the highly stereoselective amidases of these two strains were used to prepare (5)-ketoprofen (Fig. 28), and the amidase from R. erythropolis MP 50 was used to prepare (5)-2-phenylpropionic acid with more than 99% e.e. and more than 49% conversion [66,67]. 

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