Chemoenzymatic Production of Enantiocomplementary 2-Substituted 3-Hydroxycarboxylic Acids from L-α-Amino Acids

A two-enzyme cascade reaction plus in situ oxidative decarboxylation for the transformation of readily available canonical and non-canonical L-α-amino acids into 2-substituted 3-hydroxy-carboxylic acid derivatives is described. The biocatalytic cascade consisted of an oxidative deamination of L-α-amino acids by an L-α-amino acid deaminase from Cosenzaea myxofaciens, rendering 2-oxoacid intermediates, with an ensuing aldol addition reaction to formaldehyde, catalyzed by metal-dependent (R)- or (S)-selective carboligases namely 2-oxo-3-deoxy-l-rhamnonate aldolase (YfaU) and ketopantoate hydroxymethyltransferase (KPHMT), respectively, furnishing 3-substituted 4-hydroxy-2-oxoacids. The overall substrate conversion was optimized by balancing biocatalyst loading and amino acid and formaldehyde concentrations, yielding 36–98% aldol adduct formation and 91– 98% ee for each enantiomer. Subsequent in situ follow-up chemistry via hydrogen peroxide-driven oxidative decarboxylation afforded the corresponding 2-substituted 3-hydroxycarboxylic acid derivatives.