Horse Liver Alcohol Dehydrogenase Research Articles

Double-stranded DNA-nucleic acid dye complex-sensitized biocatalytic photosynthesis: Base pairing-switched regeneration of nicotinamide cofactor

Photo-biocatalysis, the combination of photosensitization and biocatalysis, is an emerging solution for sunlight-based renewable energy. It is thus important to develop light antennas with both good light harvesting and efficient electron transfer. Herein, the intriguing electrical conductivity of dsDNA and its host effect (for nucleic acid dyes to harvest light) were explored simultaneously to develop a dsDNA-based light antenna for photo-biocatalysis. With SYBR Green I (SG) as the example of the nucleic acid dye, the proposed SG-dsDNA system was found to be capable for visible-light-driven reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) regeneration, and the turnover frequency of which (1.35 min−1) exceeded most of the existing photocatalytic systems. Since SG can only be hosted by dsDNA, meanwhile dsDNA can be formed through hybridization between single strand DNA and its complementary strand, the proposed system adds an extra control of the photocatalytic activity (DNA base pairing-based switch). When integrating the SG-dsDNA system with NADH-dependent horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase (HLADH), successful synthesis of 2-phenylpropanol (a crucial intermediates of profens manufacturing) was achieved.

Prevention of Swelling Phenomenon of Alginate Beads To Improve the Stability and Recyclability of Encapsulated Horse Liver Alcohol Dehydrogenase.

Horse Liver Alcohol Dehydrogenase (HLADH) has been immobilized on calcium-alginate beads and used for both oxidation and reduction reactions. To avoid swelling of the beads and their subsequent breakage, calcium ions were added to both reaction and storage solutions, allowing the beads to maintain the initial structural features. The techniques used for this purpose revealed that 2 mM Ca2+ is the optimal concentration, which does not significantly change the weight of the beads, the amount of water in them, and their external and internal structure. The optimized experimental procedure has been used to verify the properties of the enzyme in terms of reusability, storage, and thermal stability. The addition of calcium ions allows the enzyme to retain more than 80% of its initial activity for fourteen cycles and approximately 50% at the twentieth cycle. Moreover, when the biocatalyst has been stored in a buffer solution containing 2 mM Ca2+, the retention of enzyme activity after 30 days was 100%, compared to that measured before incubation. The encapsulated enzyme exhibits greater thermal stability than free HLADH up to at least 60 °C, preventing dimer dissociation into the two subunits.

Enhanced active-site electric field accelerates enzyme catalysis.

The design and improvement of enzymes based on physical principles remain challenging. Here we demonstrate that the principle of electrostatic catalysis can be leveraged to substantially improve a natural enzyme's activity. We enhanced the active-site electric field in horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase by replacing the serine hydrogen-bond donor with threonine and replacing the catalytic Zn2+ with Co2+. Based on the electric field enhancement, we make a quantitative prediction of rate acceleration-50-fold faster than the wild-type enzyme-which was in close agreement with experimental measurements. The effects of the hydrogen bonding and metal coordination, two distinct chemical forces, are described by a unified physical quantity-electric field, which is quantitative, and shown here to be additive and predictive. These results suggest a new design paradigm for both biological and non-biological catalysts.

Specific base catalysis by yeast alcohol dehydrogenase I with substitutions of histidine-48 by glutamate or serine residues in the proton relay system

His-48 in yeast alcohol dehydrogenase I (His 51 in horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase) is a highly conserved residue in the active sites of many alcohol dehydrogenases. The imidazole group of His-48 may participate in base catalysis of proton transfer as it is linked by hydrogen bonds through the 2′-hydroxyl group of the nicotinamide ribose and the hydroxyl group of Thr-45 to the hydroxyl group of the alcohol bound to the catalytic zinc. In this study, His-48 was substituted with a glutamic acid residue to determine if a carboxylate could replace imidazole or to a serine residue to determine if the exposure of the 2′-hydroxyl group of the ribose to solvent would allow proton transfer to water without base catalysis. At pH 7.3, the H48E substitution increases affinity for NAD+ and NADH 17- or 2.6-fold, but decreases catalytic efficiency (V/Km) on ethanol by 70-fold and on acetaldehyde by 6-fold relative to wild-type enzyme. The H48S substitution increases affinity for coenzymes by 2-fold and decreases (V/Km) on ethanol and acetaldehyde only by ∼3-fold. The substituted enzymes show substrate deuterium isotope (H/D) effects of 3–4 for turnover number (V1) and catalytic efficiency (V1/Kb) for ethanol oxidation, indicating that hydrogen transfer is partially rate-limiting and suggesting a somewhat more random mechanism for binding of ethanol and NAD+. For reduction of acetaldehyde, the deuterium isotope effects are small, and the kinetic mechanism appears to be ordered for binding of NADH first and acetaldehyde next. The pH dependencies for H48E and H48S ADHs can be described by a mechanism with pK values of about 6–7 and 9. However, the pH dependencies for oxidation of ethanol and butanol by the H48S enzyme are also simply described by a straight line, with slopes of log V1/Kb against pH of 0.37 or 0.43, respectively. The linear dependence apparently represents catalysis by hydroxide that has a low activity coefficient due to the protein environment, or to a kinetically complex proton transfer. The effects of the substitutions of His-48 show that this residue contributes to catalysis, although many dehydrogenases also have other residues.

Chemoenzymatic Cascade Reaction for the Valorization of the Lignin Depolymerization Product G-C2-Dioxolane Phenol.

Combining solid acid catalysts with enzyme reactions in aqueous environments is challenging because either very acidic conditions inactivate the enzymes, or the solid acid catalyst is neutralized. In this study, Amberlyst-15 encapsulated in polydimethylsiloxane (Amb-15@PDMS) is used to deprotect the lignin depolymerization product G-C2 dioxolane phenol in a buffered system at pH 6.0. This reaction is directly coupled with the biocatalytic reduction of the released homovanillin to homovanillyl alcohol by recombinant horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase, which is subsequently acylated by the promiscuous acyltransferase/hydrolase PestE_I208A_L209F_N288A in a one-pot system. The deprotection catalyzed with Amb-15@PDMS attains up to 97 % conversion. Overall, this cascade enables conversions of up to 57 %.

Bioorganometallic Chemistry at the Interface with Biocatalysis: Chemoselective Reduction of Biomimetic NAD+ Cofactors with [Cp*Rh(bpy)H]+, Tandem Catalysis with 1,4-NADH-Dependent Enzymes, Chiral Synthesis, Organotin Metabolites, and DFT Mechanism Studies

This Review will focus on our studies of the utilization of the [Cp*Rh(bpy)H]+ complex as a biomimetic hydrogenase, regeneration reagent for chemoselective reduction of biomimetic NAD+ cofactors, N-benzylnicotinamide triflate, 1, β-nicotinamide ribose-5′-methyl phosphate, 2, and natural NAD+, 3, in the conversion to their 1,4-NADH analogues, 1,4-dihydro-N-benzylnicotinamide, 4, and β-1,4-dihydronicotinamide-5′-ribose methyl phosphate, 5, and natural 1,4-NADH, 6, respectively. This regeneration reaction with 1,4-NADH biomimetics 4 and 5 was used in tandem with 1,4-NADH-dependent enzymes for organic synthesis. The enzyme examples will encompass horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase (HLADH) reductions of prochiral ketones to chiral S-alcohols; cytochrome P450 enzymes for selective C–H oxidation reactions of organic compounds, and organometallic substrates, tributyltin acetate and cyclohexyltriphenyltin, with 1,4-NAD(P)H; and the biomimetic 1,4-NADH cofactor, 4, with the 2-hydroxybiphenyl-3-monooxygenase enzyme, HbpA, a FAD-containing monooxygenase enzyme, for hydroxylation of ortho-substituted phenols to catechols. This Review also includes discussions on in-depth DFT mechanism studies, and other chemical mechanistic aspects, of all tandem catalytic reactions that demonstrate, utilizing a simplified model of the HLADH-Zn(II)-mediated enzyme, the unprecedented role of Zn(II) in the hydride transfer reaction. Moreover, site-directed mutagenesis with 1,4-NAD(P)H-dependent cytochrome P450 BM-3 improved the molecular recognition process for biomimetic 1,4-NADH cofactors in organic compound C–H oxidation reactions. The 1,4-NADH-dependent cytochrome P450 CAM recognized the biomimetic 1,4-NADH cofactors; however, site-directed mutagenesis of the putidaredoxin reductase (PdR) component increased the kinetics for the C–H oxidation reaction of camphor. Cyclohexyltriphenyltin demonstrated the differences in hydroxylation regioselectivity, when comparing the cytochrome P450 enzyme with biomimetic P450 porphyrin Fe(III) and Mn(III) models. The biomimetic 1,4-NADH cofactor, 1,4-dihydro-N-benzylnicotinamide, 4, was also utilized as a reducing agent, providing the reduced, chemoselective coenzyme, the FADH– anion, that further reacts with O2/H+ to provide the 4α-hydroperoxide flavin, for the HbpA enzymatic oxidative conversion of ortho-substituted phenols to catechols.

Dependence of crystallographic atomic displacement parameters on temperature (25-150 K) for complexes of horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase.

Enzymes catalyze reactions by binding and orienting substrates with dynamic interactions. Horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase catalyzes hydrogen transfer with quantum-mechanical tunneling that involves fast motions in the active site. The structures and B factors of ternary complexes of the enzyme with NAD+ and 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl alcohol or NAD+ and 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol were determined to 1.1-1.3 Å resolution below the `glassy transition' in order to extract information about the temperature-dependent harmonic motions, which are reflected in the crystallographic B factors. The refinement statistics and structures are essentially the same for each structure at all temperatures. The B factors were corrected for a small amount of radiation decay. The overall B factors for the complexes are similar (13-16 Å2) over the range 25-100 K, but increase somewhat at 150 K. Applying TLS refinement to remove the contribution of pseudo-rigid-body displacements of coenzyme binding and catalytic domains provided residual B factors of 7-10 Å2 for the overall complexes and of 5-10 Å2 for C4N of NAD+ and the methylene carbon of the alcohols. These residual B factors have a very small dependence on temperature and include local harmonic motions and apparently contributions from other sources. Structures at 100 K show complexes that are poised for hydrogen transfer, which involves atomic displacements of ∼0.3 Å and is compatible with the motions estimated from the residual B factors and molecular-dynamics simulations. At 298 K local conformational changes are also involved in catalysis, as enzymes with substitutions of amino acids in the substrate-binding site have similar positions of NAD+ and pentafluorobenzyl alcohol and similar residual B factors, but differ by tenfold in the rate constants for hydride transfer.

Production of Chiral (S)-2-Phenyl-1-Propanol by Enantioselective Biocatalysts

Enantioselective production of (S)-2-phenyl-1-propanol is important as in order to be applied in industry, a high degree of optical purity is required. Besides organocatalysts and metal complexes, biocatalysts can be used for its synthesis in their isolated form or as whole-cell biocatalysts, both of which have various advantages and disadvantages. In this research, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as a whole-cell biocatalyst, and recombinant horse-liver alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), as an isolated enzyme, were investigated in terms of their activity, kinetics and enantioselectivity. In the case of yeast, therate of cofactor regeneration was twice that of substrate conversion, moreover, the biocatalyst Saccharomyces cerevisiae can be characterised by substrate-limited kinetics and low nantioselectivity. In contrast, the isolated enzyme recombinant horse-liver ADH exhibited biphasic kinetics and cofactor regeneration was the rate-limiting step. The outstanding enantioselectivity of recombinant horse-liver ADH renders it a promising catalyst for the purpose of this synthesis.

Biocatalytic Production of a Nylon 6 Precursor from Caprolactone in Continuous Flow.

6‐Aminocaproic acid (6ACA) is a key building block and an attractive precursor of caprolactam, which is used to synthesize nylon 6, one of the most common polymers manufactured nowadays. (Bio)‐production of platform chemicals from renewable feedstocks is instrumental to tackle climate change and decrease fossil fuel dependence. Here, the cell‐free biosynthesis of 6ACA from 6‐hydroxycaproic acid was achieved using a co‐immobilized multienzyme system based on horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase, Halomonas elongata transaminase, and Lactobacillus pentosus NADH oxidase for in‐situ cofactor recycling, with >90 % molar conversion (m.c.) The integration of a step to synthesize hydroxy‐acid from lactone by immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B resulted in >80 % m.c. of ϵ‐caprolactone to 6ACA, >20 % of δ‐valerolactone to 5‐aminovaleric acid, and 30 % of γ‐butyrolactone to γ‐aminobutyric acid in one‐pot batch reactions. Two serial packed‐bed reactors were set up using these biocatalysts and applied to the continuous‐flow synthesis of 6ACA from ϵ‐caprolactone, achieving a space‐time yield of up to 3.31 g6ACA h−1 L−1 with a segmented liquid/air flow for constant oxygen supply.

A Deep Eutectic Solvent Thermomorphic Multiphasic System for Biocatalytic Applications.

The applicability of a thermomorphic multiphasic system (TMS) composed of a hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent (DES) and an aqueous potassium phosphate buffer with a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) phase change for homogeneous biocatalysis was investigated. A lidocaine‐based DES with the fatty acid oleic acid as a hydrogen‐bond donor was studied. Phase diagrams were determined and presented within this study. We tested different additional components to the solvent system and observed a decrease in the cloud point of approximately 0.026 °C per concentration unit. Distribution studies revealed a clear distribution of the protein in the aqueous buffer phase (>95 %), whereas the hydrophobic substrate and educt accumulated (>95 %) in the DES‐enriched layer. Finally, a reduction catalyzed by horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase was performed in a larger‐scale experiment, and the biocatalyst could be recycled by simply removing the DES phase for three recycling runs.

Enzymatic production of acetaldehyde using a Pseudomonas fluorescens mannitol‐2‐dehydrogenase mutant to regenerate NAD+

Over the past decade, market saturation has drastically reduced the value of ethanol, which threatens the viability of industrial bioethanol facilities throughout the Midwest. In response, we are exploring enzymatic methods to convert ethanol and other biomass substrates into higher value chemical derivatives, such as acetaldehyde, to enhance the economic sustainability of bioethanol production. Acetaldehyde has a market price 2.5 times greater than ethanol and the volatility of acetaldehyde offers the potential for ready industrial separation. We are currently evaluating a coupled enzyme reaction in which horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase produces acetaldehyde from ethanol while an N191D mutant of Pseudomonas fluorescens mannitol‐2‐dehydrogenase (PfM2DH) is used to produce mannitol from fructose and to oxidize NADH regenerating NAD+. We have chosen the N191D mutant based on work by Klimacek and Nidetsky demonstrating that this mutation converts wild type PfM2DH, which is reversible, into an enzyme selective for fructose reduction (1). In previous work, we have shown that PfM2DH is active under a wide range of pH and temperature conditions making it a promising enzyme for industrial production. We are developing a GC‐MS solid phase microextraction (SPME) assay to evaluate accumulation of acetaldehyde in the head space of our reaction vessel. This assay will allow us to optimize conditions for the industrial stripping of acetaldehyde from a reactor. We are also optimizing a HILIC‐LC‐MS assay to quantify mannitol production in solution. Combining these assays allows the determination of total acetaldehyde production and the acetaldehyde fraction entering the gas phase. In addition to evaluating the viability of our horse liver ADH and PfM2DH_N191D coupled reaction, these assays will allow the characterization of future enzyme pairs in our efforts to valorize bioethanol using an industrial enzymatic process.

Biosynthesis of lactones from diols mediated by an artificial flavin

BackgroundLactones are important compounds in the field of medicine, material and chemical industry. One of the promising accesses to these flexible scaffolds is NAD(P)+-dependent alcohol dehydrogenases-catalyzed oxidative lactonization of diols, which relies on the construction of an efficient NAD(P)+ regeneration system.ResultsIn this study, a novel system combining horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase (HLADH) with the synthetic bridged flavin cofactor was established for biosynthesis of lactones. The reaction conditions of this system were optimized and a variety of lactones including chiral lactones were efficiently obtained from various diols. Compared to the previously reported NAD(P)+-regeneration systems, this system showed better regeneration efficiency and product yield. A two-phase system was further applied to solve the problem of product inhibition, and 80% yield was obtained at the condition of 300 mM substrate.ConclusionsThis study provides an efficient method to synthesis of lactones from diols under mild conditions. We believe this system will be a promising alternative to promote the synthesis of other valuable compounds.Graphic abstract

One‐Pot Enzyme Cascade Catalyzed Asymmetrization of Primary Alcohols: Synthesis of Enantiocomplementary Chiral β‐Nitroalcohols

AbstractBiocatalytic asymmetrization of inexpensive and stable primary alcohols to prepare enantioenriched β‐nitroalcohols is an important development in green chemistry for the production of chiral pharmaceutical intermediates. Herein, we report a one‐pot, two‐step cascade reaction sequence in which first benzylic alcohols were oxidized to produce corresponding benzaldehydes using horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase (HLADH). The in situ generated aldehydes were then reacted in a biphasic medium with nitromethane by Arabidopsis thaliana hydroxynitrile lyase (AtHNL) or Baliospermum montanum HNL (BmHNL) catalyzed Henry reaction to produce stereoselective β‐nitroalcohols with (R) or (S) configuration, respectively. Using HLADH‐AtHNL, (R)‐β‐nitroalcohols were obtained in up to 64% conversion, and HLADH‐BmHNL, (S)‐β‐nitroalcohols in up to 70% conversion, while in both cases excellent stereoselectivity (up to >99% ee) was achieved. The concept was proven by functionalization of sp3 C−H bond of ten simple achiral benzylic alcohols to enantiocomplementary chiral β‐nitroalcohols.magnified image

Alternative binding modes in abortive NADH-alcohol complexes of horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase

Enzymes typically have high specificity for their substrates, but the structures of substrates and products differ, and multiple modes of binding are observed. In this study, high resolution X-ray crystallography of complexes with NADH and alcohols show alternative modes of binding in the active site. Enzyme crystallized with the good substrates NAD+ and 4-methylbenzyl alcohol was found to be an abortive complex of NADH with 4-methylbenzyl alcohol rotated to a “non-productive” mode as compared to the structures that resemble reactive Michaelis complexes with NAD+ and 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol or 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl alcohol. The NADH is formed by reduction of the NAD+ with the alcohol during the crystallization. The same structure was also formed by directly crystallizing the enzyme with NADH and 4-methylbenzyl alcohol. Crystals prepared with NAD+ and 4-bromobenzyl alcohol also form the abortive complex with NADH. Surprisingly, crystals prepared with NAD+ and the strong inhibitor 1H,1H-heptafluorobutanol also had NADH, and the alcohol was bound in two different conformations that illustrate binding flexibility. Oxidation of 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol during the crystallization apparently led to reduction of the NAD+. Kinetic studies show that high concentrations of alcohols can bind to the enzyme-NADH complex and activate or inhibit the enzyme. Together with previous studies on complexes with NADH and formamide analogues of the carbonyl substrates, models for the Michaelis complexes with NAD+-alcohol and NADH-aldehyde are proposed.

Synthesis of furoic acid from biomass via tandem pretreatment and biocatalysis

Upgradation of bio-based product furfural into important intermediates is of great interest. In this study, tin-based adamellite (Sn-adamellite) was firstly synthesized for converting bamboo shoot shell (BSS) into furfural. The optimum solid acid Sn-adamellite loading, pretreatment temperature and pretreatment time were 3.0 wt%, 170 °C and 30 min, respectively. SEM and FT-IR images and chemical components of untreated and pretreated BSS samples indicated that sequential alkalic soaking and solid acid pretreatment could be effectively used for removing xylan in biomass. Furthermore, recombinant E. coli BH harboring horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase (HLADH) was constructed for the biotransformation of 30 mM furfural into furoic acid with 100% analytical yield at pH 7.5 and 35 °C. Finally, an effective hybrid strategy was successfully developed for converting BSS to furoic acid by tandem catalysis via Sn-adamellite pretreatment combined with recombinant E. coli whole cells harboring HLADH.

CYP505E3: A Novel Self-Sufficient ω-7 In-Chain Hydroxylase.

The self-sufficient cytochrome P450 monooxygenase CYP505E3 from Aspergillus terreus catalyzes the regioselective in-chain hydroxylation of alkanes, fatty alcohols, and fatty acids at the ω-7 position. It is the first reported P450 to give regioselective in-chain ω-7 hydroxylation of C10-C16 n-alkanes, thereby enabling the one step biocatalytic synthesis of rare alcohols such as 5-dodecanol and 7-tetradecanol. It shows more than 70 % regioselectivity for the eighth carbon from one methyl terminus, and displays remarkably high activity towards decane (TTN≈8000) and dodecane (TTN≈2000). CYP505E3 can be used to synthesize the high-value flavour compound δ-dodecalactone via two routes: 1) conversion of dodecanoic acid into 5-hydroxydodecanoic acid (24 % regioselectivity), which at low pH lactonises to δ-dodecalactone, and 2) conversion of 1-dodecanol into 1,5-dodecanediol (55 % regioselectivity), which can be converted into δ-dodecalactone by horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase.

CYP505E3: A Novel Self‐Sufficient ω‐7 In‐Chain Hydroxylase

AbstractThe self‐sufficient cytochrome P450 monooxygenase CYP505E3 from Aspergillus terreus catalyzes the regioselective in‐chain hydroxylation of alkanes, fatty alcohols, and fatty acids at the ω‐7 position. It is the first reported P450 to give regioselective in‐chain ω‐7 hydroxylation of C10–C16 n‐alkanes, thereby enabling the one step biocatalytic synthesis of rare alcohols such as 5‐dodecanol and 7‐tetradecanol. It shows more than 70 % regioselectivity for the eighth carbon from one methyl terminus, and displays remarkably high activity towards decane (TTN≈8000) and dodecane (TTN≈2000). CYP505E3 can be used to synthesize the high‐value flavour compound δ‐dodecalactone via two routes: 1) conversion of dodecanoic acid into 5‐hydroxydodecanoic acid (24 % regioselectivity), which at low pH lactonises to δ‐dodecalactone, and 2) conversion of 1‐dodecanol into 1,5‐dodecanediol (55 % regioselectivity), which can be converted into δ‐dodecalactone by horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase.

Substitutions of Amino Acid Residues in the Substrate Binding Site of Horse Liver Alcohol Dehydrogenase Have Small Effects on the Structures but Significantly Affect Catalysis of Hydrogen Transfer.

Previous studies showed that the L57F and F93W alcohol dehydrogenases catalyze the oxidation of benzyl alcohol with some quantum mechanical hydrogen tunneling, whereas the V203A enzyme has diminished tunneling. Here, steady-state kinetics for the L57F and F93W enzymes were studied, and microscopic rate constants for the ordered bi-bi mechanism were estimated from simulations of transient kinetics for the S48T, F93A, S48T/F93A, F93W, and L57F enzymes. Catalytic efficiencies for benzyl alcohol oxidation (V1/EtKb) vary over a range of ∼100-fold for the less active enzymes up to the L57F enzyme and are mostly associated with the binding of alcohol rather than the rate constants for hydride transfer. In contrast, catalytic efficiencies for benzaldehyde reduction (V2/EtKp) are ∼500-fold higher for the L57F enzyme than for the less active enzymes and are mostly associated with the rate constants for hydride transfer. Atomic-resolution structures (1.1 Å) for the F93W and L57F enzymes complexed with NAD+ and 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl alcohol or 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol are almost identical to previous structures for the wild-type, S48T, and V203A enzymes. Least-squares refinement with SHELXL shows that the nicotinamide ring is slightly strained in all complexes and that the apparent donor-acceptor distances from C4N of NAD to C7 of pentafluorobenzyl alcohol range from 3.28 to 3.49 Å (±0.02 Å) and are not correlated with the rate constants for hydride transfer or hydrogen tunneling. How the substitutions affect the dynamics of reorganization during hydrogen transfer and the extent of tunneling remain to be determined.

One-Pot Multienzyme Synthesis of Rare Ketoses from Glycerol.

A facile approach is introduced here for the synthesis of rare ketoses from glycerol and d-/l-glyceraldehyde (d-/l-GA). The reactions were carried out in a one-pot multienzyme fashion in which the only carbon source is glycerol. In the enzymatic cascade, glycerol is phosphorylated and then oxidized at C2 to afford dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP), the key donor for enzymatic aldol reaction. Meanwhile, the primary alcohol of glycerol is also oxidized to give the acceptor molecule GA in situ (d- or l-isomer could be formed stereospecifically with either alditol oxidase or horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase). Different DHAP-dependent aldolases were used to generate the aldol adducts (rare ketohexose phosphates) with various stereoconfigurations and diastereomeric ratios. It is worth noting that the enzyme that catalyzes the phosphorylation reaction in the first step could also help recycle the phosphate in the last step to provide free rare sugar molecules. This study provides a useful method for rare ketose synthesis on a 100 mg to g scale, starting from relatively inexpensive materials which solved the problem of supplying both glycerol 3-phosphate and GA in our previous work. It also demonstrates an example of green synthesis due to highly efficient carbon usage and recycling of cofactors.

1,4-NADH Biomimetic Co-Factors with Horse Liver Alcohol Dehydrogenase (HLADH), Utilizing [Cp*Rh(bpy)H](OTf) for Co-factor Regeneration, Do in Fact, Produce Chiral Alcohols from Reactions with Achiral Ketones

In this Catalysts Comment Article, we will present our latest published results [...]