Highly Enantioselective Production of Chiral Secondary Alcohols with Candida zeylanoides as a New Whole Cell Biocatalyst

The increasing demand for biocatalysts in synthesizing enantiomerically pure chiral alcohols results from the outstanding characteristics of biocatalysts in reaction, economic, and ecological issues. Herein, fifteen yeast strains belonging to three food originated yeast species Candida zeylanoides, Pichia fermentans, and Saccharomyces uvarum were tested for their capability for asymmetric reduction of acetophenone to 1‐phenylethanol as biocatalysts. Of these strains, C. zeylanoides P1 showed an effective asymmetric reduction ability. Under optimized conditions, substituted acetophenones were converted to corresponding optically active secondary alcohols in up to 99% enantiomeric excess and at high yields. The preparative scale asymmetric bioreduction of 4‐nitroacetophenone ( 1m ) by C. zeylanoides P1 gave (S)‐1‐(4‐nitrophenyl)ethanol ( 2m ) with 89% yield and > 99% enantiomeric excess. Compound 2m has been obtained in an enantiomerically pure and inexpensive form. Additionally, these results indicate that C. zeylanoides P1 is a promising biocatalyst for the synthesis of chiral alcohols in industry.     

β‐Hydroxyamide‐Based Ligands and Their Use in the Enantioselective Borane Reduction of Prochiral Ketones

Hydroxyamide‐based ligands have occupied a considerable place in asymmetric synthesis. Here we report the synthesis of seven β‐hydroxyamide‐based ligands from the reaction of 2‐hydroxynicotinic acid with chiral amino alcohols and test their effect on the enantioselective reduction of aromatic prochiral ketones with borane in tetrahydofuran (THF). They produce the corresponding secondary alcohols with up to 76% enantiomeric excess (ee) and good to excellent yields (86‐99%). Chirality 26:21–26, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Enantioselective reduction of acetophenone and its derivatives with a new yeast isolate Candida tropicalis PBR-2 MTCC 5158

The enantioselective bioreduction of acetophenone and its various analogues has been carried out using a new yeast strain, Candida tropicalis MTCC 5158, to obtain the corresponding (S)-aryl ethanols with good yield and almost absolute enantioselectivity. The catalytic ability of this microbial strain for acetophenone reduction has been examined and also various parameters of the bioreduction reaction have been optimized. Studies on the catalytic performance showed that this microorganism is capable of carrying out the reduction in a broad range of pH (3-10) and temperature (25-40 degrees C), making it a more versatile biocatalyst. The preparative scale bioreduction of acetophenone using resting cells of Candida tropicalis yielded S-(-)-1-phenyl ethanol with 43% yield and >99% enantiomeric excess.     

Isolation of a Bacillus strain producing ketone reductase with high substrate tolerance

Target reaction-oriented screening from soil samples yielded a ketone reductase-producing Bacillus sp., strain ECU0013, which exhibits excellent stereoselectivity, high substrate tolerance and is capable of regenerating the required cofactor with glucose as a co-substrate. Whole-cells catalyzed the asymmetric reduction of 2-chloro-1-phenylethanone (50 mM) to (R)-2-chloro-1-phenylethanol with a 93.3% conversion rate and 99% e.e. (enantiomeric excess). A variety of ketones were enantioselectively reduced by resting cells, giving corresponding chiral alcohols with good to excellent e.e. values. These results suggest the potential of this strain for the industrial production of chiral halogenated aromatic alcohols.     

Whole cell application of Lactobacillus paracasei BD101 to produce enantiomerically pure (S)‐cyclohexyl(phenyl)methanol

In this study, a total of 10 bacterial strains were screened for their ability to reduce cyclohexyl(phenyl)methanone 1 to its corresponding alcohol. Among these strains, Lactobacillus paracasei BD101 was found to be the most successful biocatalyst to reduce the ketones to the corresponding alcohols. The reaction conditions were systematically optimized for the reducing agent L paracasei BD101, which showed high enantioselectivity and conversion for the bioreduction. The preparative scale asymmetric reduction of cyclohexyl(phenyl)methanone ( 1 ) by L paracasei BD101 gave (S)‐cyclohexyl(phenyl)methanol ( 2 ) with 92% yield and >99% enantiomeric excess. The preparative scale study was carried out, and a total of 5.602 g of (S)‐cyclohexyl(phenyl)methanol in high enantiomerically pure form (>99% enantiomeric excess) was produced. L paracasei BD101 has been shown to be an important biocatalyst in asymmetric reduction of bulky substrates. This study demonstrates the first example of the effective synthesis of (S)‐cyclohexyl(phenyl)methanol by the L paracasei BD101 as a biocatalyst in preparative scale.     

Production of enantiomerically enriched chiral carbinols using Weissella paramesenteroides as a novel whole cell biocatalyst

Abstract

In this study, four bacterial strains were tested for their ability to reduce acetophenones to its corresponding alcohol. Among these strains Weissella paramesenteroides N7 was found to be the most successful biocatalyst to reduce the ketones to the corresponding alcohols. The reaction conditions were systematically optimized for W. paramesenteroides N7 that resulted in high enantioselectivity and conversion rates for the bioreduction. The scale-up asymmetric reduction of 1-(4-methoxyphenyl) propan-1-one (1r) by W. paramesenteroides N7 gave (R)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl) propan-1-ol (2r) with 94% yield and >99% enantiomeric excess. This is the first report showing the synthesis of (R)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl) propan-1-ol (2r) in enantiopure form using a biocatalyst on a gram scale. The whole cell catalyzed the reductions of ketone substrates on the preparative scale, demonstrating that W. paramesenteroides N7 would be a valuable biocatalyst for the preparation of chiral aromatic alcohols of pharmaceutical interest as a promising and alternative green approach.     

Bio-catalytic asymmetric synthesis of β-adrenergic receptor blocker precursor: (R)-2-bromo-1-(naphthalen-2-yl)ethanol

Abstract

Aromatic α-halohydrins, particularly 2-haloethanols as significant precursor of drugs, can easily be converted to chiral β-adrenergic receptor blockers. Eight strains of Lactobacillus curvatus were tested as biocatalysts for asymmetric reduction of 2-bromo-1-(naphthalen-2-yl)ethanone 1 to 2-bromo-1- (naphthalen-2-yl) ethanol 2. The parameters of the bioreduction were optimized using L. curvatus N4, the best biocatalyst found. As a result, (R)-2-bromo-1-(naphthalen-2-yl)ethanol 2, which can be β-adrenergic receptor blocker precursor, was produced for the first time in high yield and enantiomerically pure form using biocatalysts. Moreover, the gram scale synthesis was performed and 7.54?g of (R)-2 was synthesized as enantiopure form (enantiomeric excess >99%) in 48?h. The important advantages of this process are that it produces of (R)-2 for the first time in enantiopure form, in excellent yield and under environmentally friendly and moderate reaction conditions. This system is of the potential to be applied at a commercial scale.     

Asymmetric Borane Reduction of Prochiral Ketones Catalyzed By Helical Poly[(S)‐3‐vinyl‐2,2'‐dihydroxy‐1,1'‐binaphthyl]

The application of helical poly[(S)‐3‐vinyl‐2,2'‐dihydroxy‐1, 1'‐binaphthyl] ( L* ) in the asymmetric borane reduction of prochiral ketones was studied. The results showed that L* had excellent catalytic activity as well as enantioselectivity, giving up to 96% yield and up to 99% enantiomeric excess (ee) of the corresponding secondary alcohol at 25 °C. Moreover, L* can be easily recovered and reused without loss of catalytic activity. Chirality 27:422–424, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Highly enantioselective bioreduction of prochiral ketones by stem and germinated plant of Brassica oleracea variety italica

Abstract

An eco-friendly and environmentally benign asymmetric reduction of a broad range of prochiral ketones employing Brassica oleracea variety italica (stems and germinated plant) as a novel biocatalyst was developed. It was found that B. oleracea variety italica could be used effectively for enantioselective bioreduction in aqueous medium with moderate to excellent chemical yield and enantiomeric excess (ee). This process is more efficient and generates less waste than conventional chemical reagents or microorganisms. Both R- and S-configurations were obtained by these asymmetric reactions. The best ee were achieved for pyridine derivatives (92–99%). The ee in germinated plant reactions were significantly higher than those of stem reactions. The low cost and the easy availability of these biocatalysts suggest their possible use for large scale preparations of important chiral alcohols.     

Asymmetric microbial reduction of ethyl and isoprophyl α,1,3-trioxo-2-isoindolinebutyrate

Summary Microorganisms are capable of the asymmetric reduction of various types of ketones. From a limited screening with 103 selected microbial strains two have been chosen which reduce ethyl and isopropyl ,1,3-trioxo-2-isoindolinebutyrate (1a and 1b) stereoselectively. The optically active products ethyl and isopropyl -hydroxy-1,3-dioxo-2-isoindoline butyrate (2a and 2b) are useful precursors of the cerebral insufficiency improver hydroxy-aniracetam. Up to 3% of substrates 1a or 1b can be added in the reaction medium and converted by Candida parapsilosis. The isolated (R)-enantiomers of the product alcohols 2a and 2b show an enantiomeric excess (ee) of 98%–99%. The process was successfully tested on a 200-1 scale, the transformation rate being 0.83 g/1 per day and the yield of isolated product 72%. With Torulopsis magnoliae (S)-enantiomers of the products 2a and 2b were formed with an ee of 97%–99%.Offprint requests to: Hans G. W. Leuenberger     

Synthesis of optically pure 1,2-epoxypropane by microbial asymmetric reduction of chloroacetone

A number of bacteria and yeast was screened for asymmetric reduction of prochiral chloroacetone into chiral 1-chloro-2-propanol, which is chemically convertible into chiral 1,2-epoxypropane. In this way Rhodotorula glutinis produced optically pure S-1,2-epoxypropane with 98% enantiomeric excess and in a relatively high final concentration. The enzyme that catalysed the asymmetric reduction was an NAD(P)H-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase. Reduction of racemic 3-chloro-2-butanone resulted in mixtures of cis and trans-2,3-epoxybutane, indicating that no enantioselective reduction of this haloketone occurred. Correspondence to: C. A. G. M. Weijers     

Screening and identification of epiphytic yeasts with potential for biological control of green mold of citrus fruits

Epiphytic yeasts isolated from the surface of citrus fruits, harvested in several orchards in the Souss-Massa-Draa Valley, Agadir, Morocco, were in vivo screened for antagonistic activity against Penicillium digitatum, the causal agent of green mold of citrus. From a total of 245 yeast strains assessed for their biocontrol activity against P. digitatum, fifteen reduced the incidence of disease to less than 50%. The effectiveness of the best selected yeast strains showed that Pichia anomala (YT73), Debaryomyces hansenii (YT22) and Hanseniaspora guilliermondii (YT13) were the most effective, with a reduction of green mold incidence from 65 to ~80%, compared to the control. The identification of the fifteen selected yeast strains was carried out through an integrated approach including phenotypic and genotypic (sequencing of D1/D2 domain of 26S rDNA encoding gene) methods. These 15 selected were identified as: H. guilliermondii, D. hansenii, H. uvarum and P. anomala. The study of the dynamics of two of the best strains, H. guilliermondii and D. hansenii, showed that these strains can grow rapidly, by approximately 2 log units, in citrus fruit wounds. Such rapid growth in wounds indicates that these antagonist yeasts are excellent colonizers of citrus wounds and can thrive on citrus fruits as a substrate.     

Relative Incidence of Ascomycetous Yeasts in Arctic Coastal Environments

Previous studies of fungi in polar environments have revealed a prevalence of basidiomycetous yeasts in soil and in subglacial environments of polythermal glaciers. Ascomycetous yeasts have rarely been reported from extremely cold natural environments, even though they are known contaminants of frozen foods. Using media with low water activity, we have isolated various yeast species from the subglacial ice of four glaciers from the coastal Arctic environment of Kongsfjorden, Spitzbergen, including Debaryomyces hansenii and Pichia guillermondii, with counts reaching 10⁴ CFU L⁻¹. Together with the basidiomycetes Cryptococcus liquefaciens and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, these yeasts represent the stable core of the subglacial yeast communities. Other glacial ascomycetous species isolated included Candida parapsilosis and a putative new species that resembles Candida pseudorugosa. The archiascomycete Protomyces inouyei has seldom been detected anywhere in the world but was here recovered from ice in a glacier cave. The glacier meltwater contained only D. hansenii, whereas the seawater contained D. hansenii, Debaryomyces maramus, Pichia guilliermondii, what appears to represent a novel species resembling Candida galli and Metschnikowia bicuspidata. Only P. guilliermondii was isolated from sea ice, while snow/ice in the fjord tidal zone included C. parapsilosis, D. hansenii, P. guilliermondii and Metschnikowia zobellii. All of these isolated strains were characterized as psychrotolerant and xero/halotolerant, with the exception of P. inouyei.     

Concise Total Synthesis of Acortatarin A

(+) and (?)-Dihydropinidine and (+)- and (?)-epidihydropinidine were synthesized from hydroxy esters 1 and 2 which had been prepared by yeast reduction of methyl (2-oxocyclohexyl)acetate. The enantiomeric excess at the C-1 positions of 1 and 2 were both determined as more than 99% ee.     

Response surface methodology as optimization strategy for asymmetric bioreduction of acetophenone using whole cell of Lactobacillus senmaizukei

Abstract

Whole cell applications are one of the main methodologies for the bioreduction of prochiral ketones to obtain enantiomerically rich chiral secondary alcohols which are mainly affected by the culture parameters of the whole cell. In this study, whole cell of Lactobacillus senmaizukei as a safe Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) was used for the reduction of acetophenone and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) application was used to optimize the culture parameters in terms of temperature, pH, incubation time, and agitation level to obtain the highest enantiomeric excess (ee) and conversion rate. The predicted optimum conditions for the bioreduction with whole cell Lactobacillus senmaizukei were found to be pH of 5.25, temperature of 25?°C, incubation time of 72?hr, and agitation level of 100?rpm. Importantly, the efficiency of the reduction of the acetophenone was significantly affected by the linear and quadratic effects of culture parameters. These findings are important to show the role of culture parameters for the bioreduction reactions and also the efficiency of the RSM technique to optimize these parameters.     

Enzymatic resolution of homoallyllic alcohols using various Rhizopus species

The asymmetric resolution of various 1-aryl-3-buten-1-ols via microbial hydrolysis of the corresponding acetates has been investigated using different Rhizopus species. The chosen species, R. arrhizus (wild type), efficiently hydrolyzed 1-phenyl- and 1-para-substituted phenyl-3-buten-1-ol acetates, producing the enantiomerically pure (R)-alcohols with 53–65% yields. Although the antipode acetates were obtained with 9–52% enantiomeric excess, the (S)-alcohols were amenable in > 99% enantiomeric excess via a R. arrhizus mediated asymmetric reduction of the corresponding ketones.     

Towards the discovery of alcohol dehydrogenases: NAD(P)H fluorescence-based screening and characterization of the newly isolated Rhodococcus erythropolis WZ010 in the preparation of chiral aryl secondary alcohols

A simple and reliable procedure was developed to screen biocatalysts with high alcohol dehydrogenase activity, efficient internal coenzyme regeneration, and high stereoselectivity. The strategy of activity screening in a microtitre plate format was based on the detection of fluorescence of NAD(P)H originating from the oxidation of alcohols. The primary and secondary screenings from soil samples yielded a versatile bacterial biocatalyst Rhodococcus erythropolis WZ010 demonstrating potential for the preparation of chiral aryl secondary alcohols. In terms of activity and stereoselectivity, the optimized reaction conditions in the stereoselective oxidation were 30?°C, pH 10.5, and 250?rpm, whereas bioreduction using glucose as co-substrate was the most favorable at 35?°C and pH 7.5 in the static reaction mixture. Under the optimized conditions, fresh cells of the strain stereoselectively oxidized the (S)-enantiomer of racemic 1-phenylethanol (120?mM) to acetophenone and afforded the unoxidized (R)-1-phenylethanol in 49.4?% yield and >99.9?% enantiomeric excess (e.e.). In the reduction of 10?mM acetophenone, the addition of 100?mM glucose significantly increased the conversion rate from 3.1 to 97.4?%. In the presence of 800?mM glucose, acetophenone and other aromatic ketones (80?mM) were enantioselectively reduced to corresponding (S)-alcohols with excellent e.e. values. Both stereoselective oxidation and asymmetric reduction required no external cofactor regeneration system.     

Asymmetric reduction of aryl ketones with a new isolate Rhodotorula sp. AS2.2241

A yeast strain, Rhodotorula sp. AS2.2241, capable of reducing acetophenone and α-bromoacetophenone with high stereoselectivity, was isolated from soil samples through a novel screening procedure in which acetophenone was supplied in vapor state as the sole carbon and energy source. The biosynthesis of the ketone reductase in the yeast cells reached a maximum of 41.0 U/l at 20 h of cultivation. The reductase isolated from the Rhodotorula sp. cells was partially purified by 52.6-fold through a single column chromatography of DEAE–cellulose. The catalytic performance of the partially purified reductase was examined, and the highest activity was observed at pH 6.5 and 50 °C. The short-chain alkyl aldehydes such as acetaldehyde and those aldehydes or ketones with a benzoyl group were found to be good substrates for the reductase. In the preparative bioreductions of 50 mM acetophenone and 2 mM α-bromoacetophenone using resting cells of Rhodotorula sp. AS2.2241, (S)-(−)-1-phenylethanol (>99.5% enantiomeric excess (e.e.), 34.7% yield) and (R)-(−)-2-bromo-1-phenylethanol (>99.9% e.e., 19.9% yield) were obtained, respectively.     

不对称还原苯乙酮的酵母菌株筛选与分子鉴定

利用苯乙酮作为模式底物,对145株菌株进行初筛和复筛,获得一株具有高效立体选择性的酵母菌株YS6-2,能够不对称还原苯乙酮生成(S)-1-苯基乙醇.在苯乙酮浓度为70mmol/L时,底物的初始转化率达26.8%,产物(S)-1-苯基乙醇的对映体过量值为98.8%.基于形态学、生理生化特征、18S rDNA和26S rDNA D1/D2区域的分析表明,YS6-2为胶红酵母(Rhodotorula muci-laginosa).     

Highly enantiomeric reduction of acetophenone and its derivatives by locally isolated Rhodotorula glutinis

Ninety isolates of microorganisms belonging to different taxonomical groups (30 bacteria, 20 yeast, and 40 fungi) were previously isolated from various samples. These isolates were screened as reducing agents for acetophenone 1a to phenylethanol 2a . It was found that the isolate EBK‐10 was the most effective biocatalyst for the enantioselective bioreduction of acetophenone. This isolate was identified as Rhodotorula glutinis by the VITEK 2 Compact system. The various parameters (pH 6.5, temperature 32°C, and agitation 200 rpm) of the bioreduction reaction was optimized, which resulted in conversions up to 100% with >99% enantiomeric excesses (ee) of the S‐configuration. The preparative scale bioreduction of acetophenone 1a by R. glutinis EBK‐10 gave (S)‐1‐phenylethanol 2a in 79% yield, complete conversion, and >99% ee. In addition, R.glutinis EBK‐10 successfully reduced various substituted acetophenones. Chirality, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.