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Enzymes for chemical synthesis

Nature volume 409, pages 232–240 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

New catalytic synthetic methods in organic chemistry that satisfy increasingly stringent environmental constraints are in great demand by the pharmaceutical and chemical industries. In addition, novel catalytic procedures are necessary to produce the emerging classes of organic compounds that are becoming the targets of molecular and biomedical research. Enzyme-catalysed chemical transformations are now widely recognized as practical alternatives to traditional (non-biological) organic synthesis, and as convenient solutions to certain intractable synthetic problems.

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Figure 1: Practical parameters to be considered in enzymatic synthesis.
Figure 2: Enzyme-catalysed enantiotransformation.
Figure 3: Cofactor regeneration.
Figure 4: Monooxygenase-catalysed reaction.
Figure 5: Enzymatic synthesis of glycoproteins.
Figure 6: A representative chemoenzymatic preparation of cyclic imine sugars.
Figure 7
Figure 8

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Article 24 June 2021

Elizabeth L. Bell, William Finnigan, … Sabine L. Flitsch

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Acknowledgements

We thank P. Sears for assistance with figure preparation, and other co-workers whose names are listed in the references. We also extend apologies to those whose biocatalysis research was not cited owing to space constraints. This research was supported by the NIH and NSF.

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  1. Department of Chemistry and the Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, 92037, California, USA

    Kathryn M. Koeller & Chi-Huey Wong

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Koeller, K., Wong, CH. Enzymes for chemical synthesis. Nature 409, 232–240 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/35051706

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