Asymmetric Ketone Reduction Using Targeted Yeast Collections Isolated from Chinese Liquor Pits

Abstract

Plenty of bacteria, yeasts, molds have been found in Chinese liquor pits. In order to investigate the applications of specifi c yeasts on ketone reduction, we screened some yeast strains in the Yeast Library of Chinese Liquor Pits in Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, using f ive carbonyl compounds as potential substrates. The results indicated that the majority of the strains were capable of ketone reduction, and most of them obeyed the Prelog's rule. Some of the strains showed excellent stereo-selectivity, indicating high application potential in chiral drug intermediates production. For example, Williopsis sp. 2.045 transfered 3,5-bis(trif luoromethyl)-acetophenone into(S)-3,5-bis(trif luoromethyl)-1-phenethanol with over 99% yield and ee; Rhodotorula sp. 2.154 changed N-methyl-3-oxo-3-(thiophen-2-yl)propanamide into(S)-3-hydroxy-N-methyl-3-(thiophen-2-yl)propanamide with a yields of 95% and 99% ee. The results suggested that Chinese liquor pits contains lots of bioresources with high ketone reducing activity. It could be used as a targeted library in the screening of microbes with ketone reductase activity, which can highly improve the eff iciency of strain screening. Fig 6, Tab 6, Ref 24