Enzymatic synthesis of alpha-butylglucoside linoleate in a packed bed reactor for future pilot scale-up

The enzymatic synthesis of a mixture of unsaturated fatty acid alpha-butylglucoside esters, containing more than 60% alpha-butylglucoside linoleate, was achieved through lipase-catalyzed esterification. The continuous evaporation under reduced pressure of the water produced enabled substrate conversions greater than 95% to be reached. Two immobilized lipases from Candida antarctica (Chirazyme L2, c.-f., C2) and Rhizomucor miehei (Chirazyme L9, c.-f.) were compared in stirred batch and packed bed configurations. When the synthesis was carried out in stirred batch mode, C. antarctica lipase appeared to be of greater interest than the R. miehei enzyme in terms of stability and regioselectivity. Surprisingly, a change in the process design to a packed bed configuration enabled the stability of R. miehei lipase to be significantly improved, while the C. antarctica lipase efficiency to synthesize unsaturated fatty acid alpha-butylglucoside esters was slightly decreased. Water content in the microenvironment of the biocatalyst was assumed to be responsible for such changes. When the process is run in stirred batch mode, the conditions used promote the evaporation of the essential water surrounding the enzyme, which probably leads to R. miehei lipase dehydration. In contrast, the packed bed design enabled such water evaporation in the microenvironment of the biocatalyt to be avoided, which resulted in a tremendous improvement of R. miehei lipase stability. However, C. antarctica lipase led to the formation of 3% diesters, whereas the final percentage of diesters reached 21% when R. miehei enzyme was used as biocatalyst. A low content of diesters is of greater interest in terms of alpha-butylglucoside linoleate application as linoleic acid carrier, and therefore the enzyme choice will have to be made depending on the properties expected for the final product.     

双底物抑制下脂肪酶催化合成乳酸乙酯的研究

从微观体系考察了在双底物抑制下脂肪酶催化合成乳酸乙酯,叔丁醇是最佳溶剂,它可以很好地破坏乳酸分子由缔合而形成的分子簇。在所选的脂肪酶中,Novozym 435(南极假丝酵母脂肪酶B)的催化活性最好。综合产率和酶活两方面因素确定了最佳实验条件:酸醇摩尔比=1∶8、反应温度60℃、酸浓度0.3 mol/L、酶浓度45 g/mol、摇床转速200 r/min。     

Enzymatic tRNA acylation by acid and alpha-hydroxy acid analogues of amino acids

Incorporation of unnatural amino acids with unique chemical functionalities has proven to be a valuable tool for expansion of the functional repertoire and properties of proteins as well as for structure-function analysis. Incorporation of alpha-hydroxy acids (primary amino group is substituted with hydroxyl) leads to the synthesis of proteins with peptide bonds being substituted by ester bonds. Practical application of this modification is limited by the necessity to prepare corresponding acylated tRNA by chemical synthesis. We investigated the possibility of enzymatic incorporation of alpha-hydroxy acid and acid analogues (lacking amino group) of amino acids into tRNA using aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs). We studied direct acylation of tRNAs by alpha-hydroxy acid and acid analogues of amino acids and corresponding chemically synthesized analogues of aminoacyl-adenylates. Using adenylate analogues we were able to enzymatically acylate tRNA with amino acid analogues which were otherwise completely inactive in direct aminoacylation reaction, thus bypassing the natural mechanisms ensuring the selectivity of tRNA aminoacylation. Our results are the first demonstration that the use of synthetic aminoacyl-adenylates as substrates in tRNA aminoacylation reaction may provide a way for incorporation of unnatural amino acids into tRNA, and consequently into proteins.     

Enzymatic synthesis of sialic acid derivative by immobilized lipase from Candida antarctica

The effects of important reaction parameters on the enhancement of sialic acid derivative lipophilic properties through the lipase-catalyzed esterification of N-acetyl neuraminic acid methyl ester are investigated in this study. It is found that the lipase Novozym 435 from Candida antarctica is particularly useful in the preparation of sialic acid methyl ester monononanoate (SAMEMN). The optimum temperature for the SAMEMN synthesis reaction using Novozym 435 is 60 °C, and nonanoic anhydride is found to be the best substrate among all acyl donors. The Novozym 435-catalyzed esterification of N-acetyl neuraminic acid methyl ester gave a maximum yield of 87.7% after 6 h in acetonitrile at 60 °C. Because the novel method developed is simple, yet effective, it could potentially be used industrially for the production of sialic acid derivatives.     

Enzymatic synthesis of a new inhibitor of alpha-amylases: acarviosinyl-isomaltosyl-spiro-thiohydantoin

Synthesis of acarviosinyl-isomaltosyl-spiro-thiohydantoin in yields up to 20%, has been achieved by Bacillus stearothermophilus maltogenic amylase (BSMA). BSMA is capable of transferring the acarviosine-glucose residue from an acarbose donor onto glucopyranosylidene-spiro-thiohydantoin. Reactions were followed using HPLC and MALDI-TOF MS. 1H and 13C NMR studies revealed that the enzyme reserved its stereoselectivity. Glycosylation took place mainly at C-6 resulting in alpha-acarviosinyl-(1-->4)-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->6)-D-glucopyranosylidene-spiro-thiohydantoin. This compound was found to be a much more efficient salivary amylase inhibitor than glucopyranosylidene-spiro-thiohydantoin with kinetic constants of K(EI)=0.19 microM and K(ESI)=0.24 microM.     

Enzymatic synthesis of ethyl glucoside lactate in non-aqueous system

Ethyl glucoside lactate, a novel α-hydroxy acid derivative, was synthesized by transesterification in non-aqueous phase using immobilized lipase as biocatalyst. Parameters such as solvent type, substrate concentration, reaction temperature, and enzyme concentration were investigated to optimize the lipase-catalyzed transesterification. In solvent-free system with butyl lactate as both acyl donor and solvent, a 71% conversion was achieved. In order to investigate the effect of initial water content, the reactions were carried out in the mediums treated with molecular sieves. The results showed that conversion and initial rate decreased with the increase of water content. The conversion and initial rate reached to 95% and 67.4 mM/h, respectively, by carrying out the reaction under reduced pressure, which was employed to eliminate butanol and the initial water.     

Enzymatic synthesis of lysophosphatidic acid and phosphatidic acid

Immobilised 1,3-specific lipase from Rhizopus arrhizus was used as catalyst for the esterification of -glycero-3-phosphate and fatty acid or fatty acid vinyl ester in a solvent-free system. With lauric acid vinyl ester as acyl donor, a_w<0.53 favored the synthesis of lysophosphatidic acid (1-acyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphate, LPA1) and the spontaneous acyl migration of the fatty acid on the molecule. Subsequent acylation by the enzyme resulted in high phosphatidic acid (1,2-diacyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphate, PA) formation and high total conversions (>95%). With oleic acid, maximum conversions of 55% were obtained at low water activities. Temperatures below melting point of the product favored precipitation and resulted in high final conversion and high product ratio [LPA/(PA+LPA)]. Thus, LPA was the only product with lauric acid vinyl ester as acyl donor at 25°C. Increased substrate ratio ( -glycero-3-phosphate/fatty acid) from 0.05 to 1 resulted in a higher ratio of LPA to PA formed, but a lower total conversion of -glycero-3-phosphate. Increased amounts of enzyme preparation did not result in higher esterification rates, probably due to high mass-transfer limitations.     

Glucoheptonic acid derivative as a new transgalactosylation product

Transgalactosylation is increasingly used for modification of selected compounds because it may introduce new bioactive properties or improve existing ones. This paper presents the application of transgalactosylation activity of Kluyveromyces lactis β-galactosidase (EC 3.2.1.23) for a new derivative of glucoheptonic acid synthesis. The study concerned the impact of following factors on the course of reaction: content and ratio of substrates, enzyme dose, pH of the solution and the presence of salts. In the most favourable conditions (without salt), the final product concentration reached 54.5?g/L, which corresponded to 10.9% of dry matter. Research has shown that higher initial dry matter content results in higher product content (as % dm). The addition of 0.5–0.75?M MgCl₂ or 1?M NaCl led to significantly increased yield. In contrast, the presence of MnCl₂ or the lowest enzyme dose seemed to slow down the synthesis process. Increasing the pH over the optimal value for hydrolytic activity of β-galactosidase caused inhibition of transgalactosylation reaction. The molar ratio of 1.9:1 (sodium glucoheptonate:lactose) was the best among tested options. The described method allowed to successfully obtain a new compound with satisfactory yield in comparison to other transgalactosylation products.     

Enzymatic synthesis of D-glucosaminic acid from D-glucosamine

D-glucosaminic acid (2-amino-2-deoxy-D-gluconic acid), a component of bacterial lipopolysaccharides and a chiral synthon, is easily prepared on a multigram scale by air oxidation of D-glucosamine (2-amino-2-deoxy-D-glucose) catalysed by glucose oxidase.     

Enzymatic synthesis of cytidine 5'-monophospho-N-acetylneuraminic acid

We have established an efficient method for enzymatic production of cytidine 5'-monophospho-N-acetylneuraminic acid (CMP-NeuAc) from inexpensive materials, N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) and cytidine 5'-monophosphate (CMP). The Haemophilus influenzae nanE gene encoding GlcNAc 6-phosphate (GlcNAc 6-P) 2-epimerase and the Campylobacter jejuni neuB1 gene encoding N-acetylneuraminic acid (NeuAc) synthetase, both of whose products are involved in NeuAc biosynthesis, were cloned and co-expressed in Escherichia coli cells. We examined the synthesis of NeuAc from GlcNAc via GlcNAc 6-P, N-acetylmannosamine (ManNAc) 6-P, and ManNAc by the use of E. coli cells producing GlcNAc 6-P 2-epimerase and NeuAc synthetase, in expectation of biological functions of E. coli such as the supply of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), which is an essential substrate for NeuAc synthetase, GlcNAc phospholylation by the PEP-dependent phosphotransferase system, and dephospholylation of ManNAc 6-P. Eleven mM NeuAc was synthesized from 50 mM GlcNAc by recombinant E. coli cells with the addition of glucose as an energy source. Next we attempted to synthesize CMP-NeuAc from GlcNAc and CMP using yeast cells, recombinant E. coli cells, and H. influenzae CMP-NeuAc synthetase, and succeeded in efficient production of CMP-NeuAc due to a sufficient supply of PEP and efficient conversion of CMP to cytidine 5'-triphosphate by yeast cells.     

Depigmenting activity of new kojic acid derivative obtained as a side product in the synthesis of cinnamate of kojic acid

We synthesized cinnamate derivatives of kojic acid for use as depigmenting agents by various esterification methods. The cinnamate of 5-position of kojic acid (6) was obtained by EDC coupling, DCC coupling, acid chloride, and mixed anhydride methods. To obtain the cinnamate of the 2-position of kojic acid (7), we carried out the nucleophilic addition of the potassium salt of cinnamic acid to kojyl chloride. In this reaction, we discovered the occurrence of a side reaction and identified the structure of the side product thus formed. We evaluated the depigmenting activities of both the side product and the cinnamate derivatives of kojic acid. Interestingly, the side product (11) showed more potent depigmenting activity (IC(50)=23.51μM) than compound 7 (IC(50)>100μM) which is the mother compound of the side product. However, it has no tyrosinase inhibitory activity. Compound 6, the cinnamate of 5-position of kojic acid, also showed moderate depigmenting activity (IC(50)=46.64μM) without tyrosinase inhibitory activity. Production of this side product (11) may have originated from the proton exchange between the potassium salt of cinnamic acid and kojyl chloride. We then efficiently reduced the yield of the side product by controlling the equilibrium of the potassium salt of cinnamic acid. The addition of cinnamic acid greatly reduced the amount of the side product produced.