Chemoenzymatic Approach Research Articles

A chemo-enzymatic approach to specifically click-modified RNA

The growing interest in single-molecule analysis of RNA calls for programmable enzymatic labeling strategies beyond the horizon of solid-phase synthesized RNAs. Herein we describe an easy and versatile chemo-enzymatic approach to label RNA at its termini or defined internal positions via click-chemistry.

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of mono- and di-fluorinated Thomsen-Friedenreich (T) antigens and their sialylated derivatives.

Fluorinated Thomsen-Friedenreich (T) antigens were synthesized efficiently from chemically produced fluorinated monosaccharides using a highly efficient one-pot two-enzyme chemoenzymatic approach containing a galactokinase and a D-galactosyl-β1-3-N-acetyl-D-hexosamine phosphorylase. These fluorinated T-antigens were further sialylated to form fluorinated ST-antigens using a one-pot two-enzyme system containing a CMP-sialic acid synthetase and an α-2-3-sialyltransferase.

Use of biosynthetic enzymes in heparin and heparan sulfate synthesis

Heparan sulfate and heparin are highly sulfated polysaccharides consisting of repeating disaccharide units of glucuronic acid or iduronic acid that is linked to glucosamine. Heparan sulfate displays a range of biological functions, and heparin is a widely used anticoagulant drug in hospitals. It has been known to organic chemists that the chemical synthesis of heparan sulfate and heparin oligosaccharides is extremely difficult. Recent advances in the study of the biosynthesis of heparan sulfate/heparin offer a chemoenzymatic approach to synthesize heparan sulfate and heparin. Compared to chemical synthesis, the chemoenzymatic method shortens the synthesis and improves the product yields significantly, providing an excellent opportunity to advance the understanding of the structure and function relationships of heparan sulfate. In this review, we attempt to summarize the progress of the chemoenzymatic synthetic method and its application in heparan sulfate and heparin research.

Chemoenzymatic approaches to obtain chiral-centered selenium compounds

The synthesis of chiral-centered selenium compounds is presented. Enantioselective oxidations of these organoselenium compounds were performed using a wide range of biocatalysts, including Baeyer–Villiger monooxygenases, oxidoreductases-containing Aspergillus terreus and lipase (Cal-B) in the presence of oxidants. Finally, efficient synthesis of enantiopure organoselenium compounds using a kinetic resolution approach mediated by Cal-B was achieved.

ChemInform Abstract: Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Heparan Sulfate and Heparin

AbstractReview: 52 refs.

A new chemoenzymatic approach to the synthesis of chiral 4-aryl-1,4-dihydro-2H-isoquinolines via the enzymatic resolution of 2-acetyl-4-phenyl-1,4-dihydro-2H-isoquinolin-3-one

A new chemoenzymatic method is proposed for the synthesis of enantiomerically pure 4-phenyl-1,4-dihydro-2H-isoquinolines based on the enzymatic kinetic resolution of 2-acetyl-4-phenyl-1,4-dihydro-2H-isoquinolin-3-one. For the enzymatic resolution of the racemic substrate, readily available ‘home made’ animal liver acetone powders (LAPs) were used. Excellent enantioselectivity, exceeding 500, was achieved in a short reaction time upon application of turkey liver acetone powder as the biocatalyst. Reduction of obtained product led to the formation of amine (R)-1, which is hardly available using standard procedures. These results show that N-acetyl lactams are a new type of substrate for enzymatic biotransformations.

Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Heparin Oligosaccharides with both Anti-factor Xa and Anti-factor IIa Activities

Heparan sulfate (HS) and heparin are highly sulfated polysaccharides. Heparin is a commonly used anticoagulant drug that inhibits the activities of factors Xa and IIa (also known as thrombin) to prevent blood clot formation. Here, we report the synthesis of a series of size-defined oligosaccharides to probe the minimum size requirement for an oligosaccharide with anti-IIa activity. The synthesis was completed by a chemoenzymatic approach involving glycosyltransferases, HS sulfotransferases, and C(5)-epimerase. We demonstrate the ability to synthesize highly purified N-sulfo-oligosaccharides having up to 21 saccharide residues. The results from anti-Xa and anti-IIa activity measurements revealed that an oligosaccharide longer than 19 saccharide residues is necessary to display anti-IIa activity. The oligosaccharides also exhibit low binding toward platelet factor 4, raising the possibility of preparing a synthetic heparin with a reduced effect of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. The results from this study demonstrate the ability to synthesize large HS oligosaccharides and provide a unique tool to probe the structure and function relationships of HS that require the use of large HS fragments.

Self-assembly of amylose-grafted carboxymethyl cellulose

In this study, we performed the self-assembly of the amylose-grafted carboxymethyl cellulose sodium salt (NaCMC) for the formation of nanofiber films under aqueous conditions. The introduction of amylose graft chains was conducted by the chemoenzymatic approach including phosphorylase-catalyzed enzymatic polymerization. The product had the rigid NaCMC main chain, which further assembled leading to nanofibers by the formation of double helix between the long amylose graft chains in the intermolecular NaCMC chains of the products. The lengths of the fibers were depended on degrees of polymerization of amylose chains. The nanofiber films were constructed by drying the alkaline solutions of the amylose-grafted NaCMC. The lengths of the nanofibers strongly affected their arrangements in the films. The nanofibers were merged further by washing out alkali to produce the robust nanofiber films.

Uncovering Biphasic Catalytic Mode of C5-epimerase in Heparan Sulfate Biosynthesis

Heparan sulfate (HS), a highly sulfated polysaccharide, is biosynthesized through a pathway involving several enzymes. C(5)-epimerase (C(5)-epi) is a key enzyme in this pathway. C(5)-epi is known for being a two-way catalytic enzyme, displaying a "reversible" catalytic mode by converting a glucuronic acid to an iduronic acid residue, and vice versa. Here, we discovered that C(5)-epi can also serve as a one-way catalyst to convert a glucuronic acid to an iduronic acid residue, displaying an "irreversible" catalytic mode. Our data indicated that the reversible or irreversible catalytic mode strictly depends on the saccharide substrate structures. The biphasic mode of C(5)-epi offers a novel mechanism to regulate the biosynthesis of HS with the desired biological functions.

Site-specific chemical protein conjugation using genetically encoded aldehyde tags

We describe a method for modifying proteins site-specifically using a chemoenzymatic bioconjugation approach. Formylglycine generating enzyme (FGE) recognizes a pentapeptide consensus sequence, CxPxR, and it specifically oxidizes the cysteine in this sequence to an unusual aldehyde-bearing formylglyine. The FGE recognition sequence, or aldehyde tag, can be inserted into heterologous recombinant proteins produced in either prokaryotic or eukaryotic expression systems. The conversion of cysteine to formylglycine is accomplished by co-overexpression of FGE, either transiently or as a stable cell line, and the resulting aldehyde can be selectively reacted with α-nucleophiles to generate a site-selectively modified bioconjugate. This protocol outlines both the generation and the analysis of proteins aldehyde-tagged at their termini and the methods for chemical conjugation to the formylglycine. The process of generating aldehyde-tagged protein followed by chemical conjugation and purification takes 20 d.

A Practical Chemo-enzymatic Approach to Highly Enantio-Enriched 10-Ethyl-7,8-dihydro-γ-ionone Isomers: A Method for the Synthesis of 4,5-Didehydro-α-Ionone

An efficient and convenient strategy for the enantioselective synthesis of enantiomerically enriched 10-ethyl-7,8-dihydro-γ-ionone isomers (R)-(+)-7, and (S)-(−)-7 are described utilizing a lipase mediated resolution protocol, and reductive elimination of the secondary allylic alcohol as the key step. The enantioselective and diastereoselective lipase kinetic acetylation of 4-hydroxy-γ-ionone derivatives 6a afforded the 4-acetyl-γ-ionone derivatives (−)-8, and the 4-hydrox-γ-ionone derivatives (+)-6a, which are suitable precursors of the desired products. Stereospecific palladium-mediated elimination of allylic acetate provides the target compounds with an excellent enantiomeric excess and yield. Additionally, the novel 4,5-didehydro-α-ionone 13 is obtained from readily prepared (2,6,6-trimethylcyclohexa-2,4-dien-1-yl) methanol 9. The structures of all newly synthesized compounds have been elucidated by 1H, 13C NMR, GC-MS, and IR spectrometry. These compounds represent a new class of odorants that may be of pivotal relevance in industrial perfumery.

In Vivo Tagging and Characterization of S‐Glutathionylated Proteins by a Chemoenzymatic Method

In Vivo Tagging and Characterization of S‐Glutathionylated Proteins by a Chemoenzymatic Method

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of heparan sulfate and heparin

Heparan sulfate (HS) is a highly sulfated polysaccharide that plays essential physiological and pathophysiological functions. The biosynthesis of HS involves a series of specialised sulfotransferases, an epimerase and glycosyl transferases. The availability of these enzymes offers a promising method to prepare HS polysaccharides and structurally defined oligosaccharides. Given the fact that chemical synthesis of large HS oligosaccharides is extremely difficult, preparation of HS using a chemoenzymatic approach has gained momentum. This review article summarises recent progress on the development of a chemoenzymatic approach to prepare HS and HS oligosaccharides.

Site-Selective Lysine Modification of Native Proteins and Peptides via Kinetically Controlled Labeling

The site-selective modification of the proteins RNase A, lysozyme C, and the peptide hormone somatostatin is presented via a kinetically controlled labeling approach. A single lysine residue on the surface of these biomolecules reacts with an activated biotinylation reagent at mild conditions, physiological pH, and at RT in a high yield of over 90%. In addition, fast reaction speed, quick and easy purification, as well as low reaction temperatures are particularly attractive for labeling sensitive peptides and proteins. Furthermore, the multifunctional bioorthogonal bioconjugation reagent (19) has been achieved allowing the site-selective incorporation of a single ethynyl group. The introduced ethynyl group is accessible for, e.g., click chemistry as demonstrated by the reaction of RNase A with azidocoumarin. The approach reported herein is fast, less labor-intensive and minimizes the risk for protein misfolding. Kinetically controlled labeling offers a high potential for addressing a broad range of native proteins and peptides in a site-selective fashion and complements the portfolio of recombinant techniques or chemoenzymatic approaches.

Ene Reductase‐Catalysed Synthesis of (R)‐Profen Derivatives

AbstractEnantiomerically pure (R)‐profen derivatives and intermediates are synthesised utilising the enzyme YqjM, an ene reductase from Bacillus subtilis. After optimisation of the reaction conditions, the chemoenzymatic approach was applied for the first time in the synthesis of (R)‐flurbiprofen methyl ester.

Chemoenzymatic Approach to the Total Synthesis of (+)-Bourgeanic Acid

Chemoenzymatic Approach to the Total Synthesis of (+)-Bourgeanic Acid

Defining Function of Lipopolysaccharide O-antigen Ligase WaaL Using Chemoenzymatically Synthesized Substrates

The WaaL-mediated ligation of O-antigen onto the core region of the lipid A-core block is an important step in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) biosynthetic pathway. Although the LPS biosynthesis has been largely characterized, only a limited amount of in vitro biochemical evidence has been established for the ligation reaction. Such limitations have primarily resulted from the barriers in purifying WaaL homologues and obtaining chemically defined substrates. Accordingly, we describe herein a chemical biology approach that enabled the reconstitution of this ligation reaction. The O-antigen repeating unit (O-unit) of Escherichia coli O86 was first enzymatically assembled via sequential enzymatic glycosylation of a chemically synthesized GalNAc-pyrophosphate-undecaprenyl precursor. Subsequent expression of WaaL through use of a chaperone co-expression system then enabled the demonstration of the in vitro ligation between the synthesized donor (O-unit-pyrophosphate-undecaprenyl) and the isolated lipid A-core acceptor. The previously reported ATP and divalent metal cation dependence were not observed using this system. Further analyses of other donor substrates revealed that WaaL possesses a highly relaxed specificity toward both the lipid moiety and the glycan moiety of the donor. Lastly, three conserved amino acid residues identified by sequence alignment were found essential for the WaaL activity. Taken together, the present work represents an in vitro systematic investigation of the WaaL function using a chemical biology approach, providing a system that could facilitate the elucidation of the mechanism of WaaL-catalyzed ligation reaction.

A fast chemoenzymatic synthesis of [11C]-N5,N10-methylenetetrahydrofolate as a potential PET tracer for proliferating cells

Thymidylate synthase and folate receptors are well-developed targets of cancer therapy. Discovery of a simple and fast method for the conversion of 11CH3Ito[11C]-formaldehyde (11CH2O) encouraged us to label the co-factor of this enzyme. Preliminary studies conducted on cell lines have demonstrated a preferential uptake of [11-14C]-(R)-N5,N10-methylene-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolate (14CH2H4folate) by cancerous cell vs. normal cells from the same organ (Saeed M., Sheff D. and Kohen A. Novel positron emission tomography tracer distinguishes normal from cancerous cells. J Biol Chem 2011;286:33872-33878), pointing out 11CH2H4folate as a positron emission tomography (PET) tracer for cancer imaging. Herein we report the synthesis of 11CH2H4folate, which may serve as a potential PET tracer. In a remotely controlled module, methyl iodide (11CH3I) was bubbled into a reaction vial containing trimethylamine N-oxide in N,N-Dimethylformamide (DMF) and heated to 70°C for 2 min. Formaldehyde (11CH2O) formed after the completion of reaction was then mixed with a solution of freshly prepared tetrahydrofolate (H4folate) by using a fast chemoenzymatic approach to accomplish synthesis of 11CH2H4folate. Purification of the product was carried out by loading the crude reaction mixture on a SAX cartridge, washing with water to remove unbound impurities and finally eluting with a saline solution. The synthesis and purification of 11CH2H4folate were completed within 5 min. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis of the product after SAX purification indicates that more than 90% of the radioactivity that was retained on the SAX cartridge was in 11CH2H4folate, with minor (<10%) radioactivity due to unreacted 11CH2O. We present a fast (∼5 min) synthesis and purification of 11CH2H4folate as a potential PET tracer. The final product is received in physiologically compatible buffer (100 mM sodium phosphate, pH 7.0 containing 500 mM NaCl) and ready for use in vivo.

ChemInform Abstract: One‐Pot Three‐Enzyme Synthesis of UDP‐GlcNAc Derivatives.

AbstractAn efficient chemoenzymatic approach producing a series of uridine diphosphate N‐acetylglucosamine derivatives (III) containing natural and non‐natural modifications at C‐2 and C‐6 of the glusosamine moiety using a one‐pot three‐enzyme system is described.

Benzoylated uronic acid building blocks and synthesis of N-uronate conjugates of lamotrigine.

A chemoenzymatic approach towards benzoylated uronic acid building blocks has been investigated starting with benzoylated hexapyranosides using regioselective C-6 enzymatic hydrolysis as the key step. Two of the building blocks were reacted with the antiepileptic drug lamotrigine. Glucuronidation of lamotrigine using methyl (2,3,4-tri-O-benzoyl-α-d-glycopyranosyl bromide)uronate proceeded to give the N2-conjugate. However, lamotrigine-N2-glucuronide was most efficiently synthesised from methyl (2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-α-d-glucopyranosyl bromide)uronate. Employing nitromethane as solvent with CdCO3 as a base lamotrigine-N2 glucuronide was prepared in a high yield (41%). Also methyl (2,3-di-O-benzoyl-4-deoxy-4-fluoro-α-d-glucosyl bromide)uronate underwent N-glucuronidation, but the product was unstable, eliminating hydrogen fluoride to give the corresponding enoate conjugate.