Microbial stereospecific reduction of 3-quinuclidinone with newly isolated Nocardia sp. and Rhodococcus erythropolis

Abstract

Abstract Two bacterium strains, Nocardia sp. WY1202 and Rhodococcus erythropolis WY1406, were isolated from soil samples. They catalyzed the asymmetric reduction of 3-quinuclidinone to give enantiomeric pure (R)- and (S)-3-quinuclidinol, respectively. The optimal temperatures for the bioreduction by Nocardia sp. and R. erythropolis were 30 °C and 37 °C, respectively, while both strains showed highest activity at pH 8.0. Without external addition of expensive NADH or NADPH, (R)-3-quinuclidinol and (S)-3-quinuclidinol were obtained with 93% and 92% isolated yield and >99% enantiomeric excess. As such, microbial reduction by Nocardia sp. WY1202 or R. erythropolis WY1406 offers a new stereospecific approach to both antipodes of 3-quinuclidinol of pharmaceutical importance.