Kinetic model development for α-amino ester hydrolase (AEH)-catalyzed synthesis of β-lactam antibiotics

Abstract

α-Amino ester hydrolases (AEH) are a class of enzymes highly specific for catalyzing the synthesis and hydrolysis of amides and esters of α-amino acids. They are particularly promising catalyst candidates as an alternative to penicillin G acylase (PGA) for synthesis of a variety of β-lactam antibiotics, including cephalexin, cefadroxil, amoxicillin, and ampicillin. In this study, X. campestris pv. campestris AEH and two previously established quadruple variants designed for enhanced stability (N186D/A275P/V622I/E143G termed QVG and N186D/A275P/V622I/E143H termed QVH) were characterized in terms of their kinetic properties. AEH appears to have highest substrate specificity for cephalosporins, particularly cephalexin. The optimum pH value for activity was found to be between pH 6.5 – 6.75 for synthesis of amoxicillin, cephalexin, and cefadroxil, while synthesis selectivity consistently increased with decreasing pH value. Evidence for substrate inhibition preventing the β-lactam nucleus from binding and forming the corresponding amide is discussed. Time-course kinetic data across a wide range of substrate concentrations was found to corroborate the presence of substrate inhibition, and five possible kinetic models are derived to explain AEH-catalyzed cephalexin synthesis kinetic profiles. A best fit model that incorporates both competitive substrate inhibition and partial substrate inhibition was selected based on the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and quality of fit at high substrate concentration. Finally, progress of the synthesis of beta-lactams in a single CSTR was simulated using the best fit kinetic model and a Pareto optimal front was constructed for fractional yield, productivity, and substrate conversion to evaluate potential reactor configurations.