转氨酶催化不对称合成芳香族L-氨基酸

芳香族L-氨基酸是合成许多药物、农药、精细化学品和食品添加剂的重要手性砌块(Chiral buildingblocks)。利用酶催化具有高活性和高立体选择性的特点合成手性砌块是目前不对称合成领域重要的研究方向。通过对不同来源转氨酶的进化分析,选择分别源自原核生物大肠杆菌Escherichia coli和真核生物酿酒酵母Saccharomyces cerevisia中的两种具有代表性Ⅰ型芳香族转氨酶TyrB和Aro8,比较研究了两种转氨酶通过平衡逆转不对称氨化催化合成芳香族L-氨基酸的反应过程和催化效率。重组转氨酶TyrB和Aro8都能有效地合成天然芳香族氨基酸苯丙氨酸和酪氨酸以及非天然氨基酸苯甘氨酸。手性HPLC分析表明,合成的氨基酸都是L-构型的,e.e值等于100%。L-丙氨酸是适宜的氨基供体,转氨酶TyrB和Aro8都不能利用D-型氨基酸作为氨基供体。反应体系中氨基供体L-丙氨酸和氨基受体芳香族α-酮酸的最适摩尔比为4∶1。底物芳香族α-酮酸分子结构中芳香环上的取代基以及脂肪酸碳链部分的长度都对酶催化的转氨效率有显著的影响。在制备规模试验中,TyrB催化不对称转氨反应合成L-苯甘氨酸、L-苯丙氨酸和L-酪氨酸的比生产速率为0.28 g/(g.h)、0.31 g/(g.h)和0.60 g/(g.h),Aro8催化上述反应的比生产速率分别为0.61 g/(g.h)、0.48 g/(g.h)和0.59 g/(g.h)。研究结果对利用转氨酶通过平衡逆转不对称催化合成芳香族L-氨基酸的工业化应用具有指导意义。     

丙氨酸的双不对称合成

<正> 氨基酸的不对称合成是近年来十分热门的研究课题之一。八十年代发展起来的双不对称合成新策略为高光学纯度物质的合成提供了一条有益的思路。本文考察了在手性相转移催化剂催化下,通过邻苯二甲酰胺钾与手性α-溴代丙酸龙脑醋之间的Gabriel反应制取光学活性丙氨酸的双不对称合成反应,观察到了显著的双不对称诱导效应。     

氨基酸不对称合成

<正> 氨基酸不对称合成不仅对不对称合成本身有理论上及实践上的重要性,对生物活性多肽的研究也有很大意义。人们发现,用某些非蛋白氨基酸代替蛋白氨基酸,会大大提高多肽的活性。例如,在TRH中用六员环的L-焦-α-氨基己二酸代替五员环的L-焦谷氨酸大大提高它的中枢神经系统活     

基于噁唑烷酮的不对称催化合成构建多官能化手性氨基酸类化合物

多官能化手性氨基酸及其衍生物是一类重要的手性药物以及合成手性药的关键中间体,如现在大量用于临床的左甲状腺素、赖诺普利、阿莫西林、缬沙坦、头孢氨苄以及青霉素等。进行多官能化手性氨基酸类化合物的不对称催化合成,可为新型化学药的设计与发现开辟新的视野。噁唑烷酮(Azlactone)被证明是合成四取代氨基酸衍生物的优秀底物。可通过不对称催化手段向其中引入需要的基团,再经多取代的噁唑烷酮直接开环得到一系列的目标化合物。本文主要综述了近年来基于恶唑烷酮的不对称催化反应构建四取代氨基酸类化合物的研究。     

面包酵母催化羰基不对称还原合成手性醇的研究

以2-辛酮和4-氯乙酰乙酸乙酯(COBE)为模型底物分别考察了酵母细胞对直链甲基酮和陆羰基酯中的羰基不对称还原情况。实验发现不对称还原2-辛酮的产物主要是S型的2-辛醇,且对映体选择性很高。不对称还原COBE生成的主要是S(D)-型产物,反应COBE的转化率、光学选择性都比较高。同时发现COBE的浓度和产物对不对称还原都有一定负面的影响。     

过渡金属催化手性α-取代丙酸类药物的不对称氢化合成进展

手性α-取代丙酸及其衍生物是一类重要的有机合成彻块和关键中间体,现已被广泛地应用于手性药物的合成之中。如临床正在大量使用的非甾体类抗炎药布洛芬、萘普生、酮洛芬和氟比洛芬等。众所周知的抗疟药青蒿素,其合成关键中间体二氢青蒿酸同样属于此种结构。所以,手性α-取代丙酸及其衍生物的不对称合成一直是科学家研究的热点。不对称催化氢化反应因为其原子经济性和高效性,越来越引起人们的关注。本文主要综述了近年来过渡态金属催化氢化合成手性α-取代丙酸类药物的研究进展。     

生物催化不对称还原制备氟代手性醇

由于氟原子的特殊性质，化合物中引入氟原子可显著改变其物理化学性质。因此，氟原子在药物中的应用越来越广。此外，80%药物分子结构属于手性分子。其中，氟代手性醇常见于手性药物结构中，该类结构的合成方法研究具有重要的意义。不对称还原含氟酮是合成此结构的常见方法。与化学还原方法相比，生物催化还原具有对映选择性强、产率高和易于分离纯化等优点。生物催化，特别是酶催化还原含氟酮类化合物成为手性药物合成领域的研究热点。本文从纯化酶催化和全细胞催化两个方面，综述了近年来含氟酮生物催化还原合成氟代手性醇的研究进展，并分析总结了氟代对酮生物催化还原的影响，最后对生物催化还原法未来的发展进行了展望。     

Formation of small circular DNA molecules via an in vitro site-specific recombination system

The Cre-lox site-specific recombination system of bacteriophage P1 has been used to investigate the role of DNA flexibility in recombination. We have determined that a minimal distance of 82 bp must separate two loxP sites located on the same DNA molecule to allow these sites to undergo intramolecular recombination with one another. As a result of recombination, DNA circles as small as 116bp have been produced. In addition, we have demonstrated that the nuclease BAL 31 recognizes distortions in the DNA helix resulting from the formation of small DNA circles whose length is not a multiple of the helical repeat.     

MenD as a versatile catalyst for asymmetric synthesis

The thiamine diphosphate (ThDP)-dependent enzyme 2-succinyl-5-enolpyruvyl-6-hydroxy-3-cyclohexene-1-carboxylate synthase (MenD) from Escherichia coli K12, formerly known as SHCHC-synthase, catalyses the decarboxylation of α-ketoglutarate and the subsequent addition of the resulting succinyl-THDP to isochorismate. Here, the enzyme is tested for unphysiologial C–C bond-forming reactions.Condensation of α-ketoglutarate after decarboxylation to a broad range of aldehydes gave α-hydroxyketones with isolated yields from 26 to 87% and 94 to 98% ee for addition to aromatic aldehydes. MenD accepts a wide range of aldehydes as acceptor substrates to produce chiral α-hydroxyketones with conserved regioselectivity where the activated succinylsemialdehyde serves selectively as the donor. Regioselectivity is inverted only for condensation of α-ketoglutarate with pyruvate (activated acetaldehyde) as donor. Besides α-ketoglutarate, pyruvate and oxalacetate are accepted as donors in combination with benzaldehyde and 2-fluorobenzaldehyde as acceptors, however with decreased activity of C–C bond formation.The physiological 1,4-addition of α-ketoglutarate to isochorismate was investigated for acceptor substrate variability. (2S,3S)-2,3-Dihydroxy-2,3-dihydrobenzoate (2,3-CHD), which lacks the pyruvyl found in isochorismate, is converted to (5S,6S)-2-succinyl-5,6-dihydroxycyclohex-2-enecarboxylate. In contrast to the addition to carbonyls, the active site of MenD does appear to impose specific constraints on the acceptor substrate for 1,4-addition with α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids.     

Selection of small molecules by the Tetrahymena catalytic center.

The catalytic center in group I RNAs contains a selective binding site that accommodates both guanosine and L-arginine. In order to understand the specificity of the RNA for small molecules, we analyzed 6 RNAs that vary in this region. Specificity for nucleotides resides substantially in G264 rather than its paired nucleotide C311, and is expressed substantially in Km, with comparatively little variation in kcat. kcat is not notably perturbed even for RNAs with mispairs in the active-site helix. For 5 of 6 sequences, effects of RNA substitutions on arginine binding and GTP reactivity are proportional, confirming that arginine contacts a subset of the groups occupied by G. As a result of particular mutations, reaction with GTP is decreased, and reaction with the natural nucleotides UTP and ATP is enhanced. Molecular modeling of these effects suggests that exceptionally flexible placement of reactants may be an essential quality of RNA-catalyzed splicing. The specificity of the intron can be rationalized by a type of binding model not previously considered, in which the G/arginine site includes adjacent nucleotides (an 'axial' site), rather than a single nucleotide, G264.     

Synthesis of pyrophosphates for in vitro selection of catalytic RNA molecules

Reported here are synthetic routes to pyrophosphates linking riboflavin with various nucleosides. The focus is on a flavin-uracil dinucleotide having a biotin tag on the uracil, a molecule that has potential value in the selection of RNA enzymes that catalyze the template-directed polymerization of RNA in the 3'-to-5' direction, which is the direction opposite that catalyzed by standard protein polymerases. Two detailed procedures are presented to prepare this new compound, as well as one procedure to prepare the new flavin-2,6-diaminopurine dinucleotide.     

Metal ion-directed cooperative DNA binding of small molecules

Compound (1), which consists of an oxine and a pyridinium group, was synthesized as a metal-responsive DNA binding ligand. Two 1s coordinate to a Cu(II) to form a stable dimer (1(2)-Cu), even in the presence of DNA. The binding of 1 with sonicated calf thymus DNA was enhanced by ca. 10(3) times after forming the dimer; the binding constants were estimated to be 3.2 x 10(4)M(-1) and 2.4 x 10(7)M(-1) in the absence and the presence, respectively, of a half mole of Cu(II). The enormous acceleration of the binding is partly attributed to the generation of a dicationic charge by the formation of the dimer. High cooperativity between dimers could be also responsible; dimers would gather along the duplex as a template to form 1D spiral aggregates.     

Modulation of DNA structure formation using small molecules

Genome integrity is essential for proper cell function such that genetic instability can result in cellular dysfunction and disease. Mutations in the human genome are not random, and occur more frequently at “hotspot” regions that often co-localize with sequences that have the capacity to adopt alternative (i.e. non-B) DNA structures. Non-B DNA-forming sequences are mutagenic, can stimulate the formation of DNA double-strand breaks, and are highly enriched at mutation hotspots in human cancer genomes. Thus, small molecules that can modulate the conformations of these structure-forming sequences may prove beneficial in the prevention and/or treatment of genetic diseases. Further, the development of molecular probes to interrogate the roles of non-B DNA structures in modulating DNA function, such as genetic instability in cancer etiology are warranted. Here, we discuss reported non-B DNA stabilizers, destabilizers, and probes, recent assays to identify ligands, and the potential biological applications of these DNA structure-modulating molecules.     

Processing DNA molecules as text

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is the DNA-equivalent of Gutenberg’s movable type printing, both allowing large-scale replication of a piece of text. De novo DNA synthesis is the DNA-equivalent of mechanical typesetting, both ease the setting of text for replication. What is the DNA-equivalent of the word processor? Biology labs engage daily in DNA processing—the creation of variations and combinations of existing DNA—using a plethora of manual labor-intensive methods such as site-directed mutagenesis, error-prone PCR, assembly PCR, overlap extension PCR, cleavage and ligation, homologous recombination, and others. So far no universal method for DNA processing has been proposed and, consequently, no engineering discipline that could eliminate this manual labor has emerged. Here we present a novel operation on DNA molecules, called Y, which joins two DNA fragments into one, and show that it provides a foundation for DNA processing as it can implement all basic text processing operations on DNA molecules including insert, delete, replace, cut and paste and copy and paste. In addition, complicated DNA processing tasks such as the creation of libraries of DNA variants, chimeras and extensions can be accomplished with DNA processing plans consisting of multiple Y operations, which can be executed automatically under computer control. The resulting DNA processing system, which incorporates our earlier work on recursive DNA composition and error correction, is the first demonstration of a unified approach to DNA synthesis, editing, and library construction.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11693-010-9059-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.