Synthesis of optically pure ethyl (S)-4-chloro-3-hydroxybutanoate by Escherichia coli transformant cells coexpressing the carbonyl reductase and glucose dehydrogenase genes

The asymmetric reduction of ethyl 4-chloro-3-oxobutanoate (COBE) to ethyl (S)-4-chloro-3-hydroxybutanoate ((S)-CHBE) was investigated. Escherichia coli cells expressing both the carbonyl reductase (S1) gene from Candida magnoliae and the glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) gene from Bacillus megaterium were used as the catalyst. In an organic-solvent-water two-phase system, (S)-CHBE formed in the organic phase amounted to 2.58 M (430 g/l), the molar yield being 85%. E. coli transformant cells coproducing S1 and GDH accumulated 1.25 M (208 g/l) (S)-CHBE in an aqueous monophase system by continuously feeding on COBE, which is unstable in an aqueous solution. In this case, the calculated turnover of NADP+ (the oxidized form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate) to CHBE was 21,600 mol/mol. The optical purity of the (S)-CHBE formed was 100% enantiomeric excess in both systems. The aqueous system used for the reduction reaction involving E. coli HB101 cells carrying a plasmid containing the S1 and GDH genes as a catalyst is simple. Furthermore, the system does not require the addition of commercially available GDH or an organic solvent. Therefore this system is highly advantageous for the practical synthesis of optically pure (S)-CHBE.