Introduction
Enzymatic carbon–carbon bond forming reactions [1] catalysed by aldolases, transketolases
[2–5], hydroxynitrile lyases [1,6] and thiamin diphosphate (ThDP)-depending α-hydroxy
ketone forming enzymes [1,7] are well established for synthetic purposes. This review
focuses on C–C bond formation by enzymes, which are less established for biocatalysis,
which have gained increased significance recently or which have been reported for
the first time. The review covers the period of approximately the last two years.
Subdivisions have been made according to the type of enzyme (lyase, oxidoreductase
and transferase) and enzymes with promiscuous activity. Most examples belong to the
group of lyases.
Lyases
Pictet-Spenglerases. The group of ‘Pictet-Spenglerases’ [8] encompasses various enzymes
such as norcoclaurine synthase and strictosidine synthase. The general reaction is
the condensation of an aryl ethylamine with an aldehyde to form a six-membered N-heterocycle
(Figure 1a,b). Norcoclaurine synthase (EC 4.2.1.78) catalyses the first step in benzylisoquinoline
alkaloid biosynthesis by forming a C–C bond between dopamine and 4-hydroxyphenylacetaldehyde
to yield (
s
)-norcoclaurine (Figure 1a). A recombinant norcoclaurine synthase originating from
the plant Thalictrum flavum (meadow rue) [9,10] was used to prepare (
s
)-norcoclaurine starting from cheap tyrosine and dopamine as substrates in a one-pot,
two-step process [11•
]. Tyrosine was first chemically decarboxylated by stoichiometric amounts of sodium
hypochlorite to generate the aldehyde species (4-hydroxyphenylacetadehyde), followed
by the addition of the enzyme and dopamine substrate. The optimised process afforded
(
s
)-norcoclaurine (e.e. 93%) in 81% yield and allowed the recycling of the enzyme.
Another Pictet-Spenglerase is strictosidine synthase (EC 4.3.3.2), which triggers
in nature the formation of strictosidine from tryptamine and secologanin (Figure 1b).
The recombinant enzyme from Catharanthus roseus was investigated concerning the acceptance
of non-natural substrates [12] and a strictosidine synthase from Ophiorrhiza pumila
was shown to accept a range of simple achiral aldehydes and substituted tryptamines
to form highly enantioenriched (e.e. >98%) tetrahydro-β-carbolines [13•
] (Figure 1b).
Thiamine diphosphate-dependent enzymes [7] were recently shown to catalyse besides
the well-known formation of α-hydroxy ketones via 1,2-addition also a 1,4-addition
when employing α,β-unsaturated ketones as substrates [14••
] (Figure 1c). This remarkable new development allows exploiting the decarboxylation
and umpolung of pyruvate to perform the so-called Stetter reaction giving access to
1,4-bifunctional molecules. This 1,4-addition was catalysed by the enzyme PigD from
Serratia marcescens, which is in contrast to other ThDP enzymes, for example, the
enzyme YerE, catalysing 1,2-addition. YerE on the other hand was successfully employed
for the carboligation of ketones with pyruvate as reagent to form enantioselectively
tertiary alcohols with a α-acetyl moiety [15•
].
Crotonases. Enzymes of the crotonase superfamily catalyse a wide variety of reaction
types including alkene hydration and isomerisation, coenzyme A ester hydrolysis and
C–C bond cleavage. Two members of the superfamily have been reported to catalyse C–C
bond formation [16], whereby in both cases the substrate bears a coenzyme A ester
moiety. Carboxymethylproline synthase CarB from Pectobacterium carotovorum activates
malonyl CoA derivatives via decarboxylation; the variant CarB His229Ala and its homologue
ThnE from Streptomyces cattleya [17] have been applied to convert amino acid aldehydes
and malonyl CoA derivatives into 5-membered, 6-membered and 7-membered N-heterocycles
(Figure 1d) [18••
]. The products were converted further to bicyclic β-lactam derivatives by carbapenam
synthetase CarA from P. carotovorum.
Tyrosine phenol lyase (EC 4.1.99.2), a pyridoxal 5-phosphate-dependent enzyme, catalyses
in vivo the reversible β-elimination reaction of l-tyrosine leading to phenol, ammonium
ion and pyruvate. Exploiting the reverse reaction, non-natural amino acids can be
prepared from substituted phenols, pyruvate and ammonium (Figure 1e). Since the wild-type
enzyme from Citrobacter freundii did not accept most investigated o-substituted phenols,
variants were designed based on the crystal structure of the enzyme. The best-identified
variant M379V allowed the synthesis of non-natural tyrosine derivatives possessing
a chloro, methoxy or methyl substituent in position 3′ of tyrosine within one step
[19•
]. The obtained tyrosine derivatives are building blocks for bioactive compounds or
biomarkers.
Halohydrin dehalogenases catalyse besides the ring-closure of vicinal halohydrins
to the corresponding epoxides also the nucleophilic ring-opening of epoxides with
a broad range of nucleophiles [20]. In case cyanide is used for the ring-opening of
an epoxide, a new C–C bond is formed. Recently, a multi-enzymatic synthesis for the
manufacture of atorvastatin (Lipitor®), a cholesterol-lowering drug, has been developed
(Scheme 1f) [21,22]: After asymmetric reduction of ethyl 4-chloroacetoacetate by an
alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), the obtained halohydrin was converted into the epoxide
and further into the corresponding hydroxynitrile by a halohydrin dehalogenase. Under
optimised conditions, (
r
)-ethyl 4-cyano-3-hydroxybutyrate could be obtained in 95% isolated yield and e.e. > 99.9%
with a space-time yield of 480 g L−1 day−1. In a similar approach, a one-pot cascade
was investigated, whereby by choosing the appropriate ADH, either enantiomer of various
β-hydroxynitriles could be produced in good yield and optically pure form [23].
Diels-Alderase. So far no naturally occurring enzyme catalysing an intermolecular
Diels-Alder reaction has been reported. Employing a computational approach (Rosetta
computational design methodology) an enzyme was designed enabling the intermolecular
Diels-Alder reaction of 4-carboxybenzyl trans-1,3-butadiene-1-carbamate and various
acrylamide derivatives (Figure 1g) [24••
]. The essential features of the active site to be established were hydrogen bond
acceptor and donor groups to activate the diene and dienophile as well as complementary
binding pockets to hold the two substrates in an optimal position. The designed genes
(84) were synthesised with a His-tag and expressed in Escherichia coli. Fifty of the
expressed enzymes were soluble and therefore chosen for purification. Out of these
50 enzymes, two enzymes were found to be active and mutations led to a 100-fold increase
of the catalytic activity. The substrate spectrum of two variants was also tested
using different dienophiles.
Oxidoreductases
Oxidoreductases are enzymes less commonly employed for C–C bond formation, except
for laccases and peroxidases; however, none of these two enzymes controls the actual
C–C bond formation reaction; they mediate just the formation of a reactive species.
Nevertheless, novel redox enzymes like the berberine bridge enzyme (BBE; vide infra)
were exploited for synthetic purposes and novel redox reactions for C–C bond formations
were identified.
The BBE is involved in the biosynthesis of benzophenanthridine alkaloids in plants
from the poppy family. It catalyses an intramolecular oxidative C–C bond formation
between a phenol moiety and an N-methyl group at the expense of molecular oxygen.
The most thoroughly studied enzyme is BBE from Eschscholzia californica (california
poppy) which has been obtained in substantial amounts by overexpression in Pichia
pastoris. Its X-ray crystal structure has been determined and the catalytic mechanism
has been studied [25]. Recently, BBE has been employed for the preparation of novel
optically pure (
r
)-benzylisoquinolines and (
s
)-berbine derivatives (Figure 2a) [26••
]. Starting from a racemic mixture, exclusively the (
s
)-enantiomer was transformed via C–C bond formation leading to a kinetic resolution
with perfect E-value (E > 200). The reaction could successfully be performed on a
500 mg scale at a substrate concentration of 20 g/L. Reactions were carried out in
a toluene/buffer biphasic system to solubilise the substrates and O2 was required
as the stoichiometric oxidant.
Laccases are multi-copper containing enzymes that catalyse the oxidation of various
O-substituted and N-substituted arenes at the expense of molecular oxygen [27]. They
have been employed frequently for C–C bond formation to achieve polymerisation or
oligomerisation, in ideal cases dimerisation [28]. Unfortunately, in many examples
complex product mixtures were obtained [29]. The laccases oxidise, for example, the
phenols to the corresponding highly reactive phenoxy radicals, which then can undergo
various follow-up reactions, like C–C bond or quinone formation [30–32]. Thus, in
general the laccase reaction on its own is not stereoselective. Nevertheless, an intriguing
transformation mediated by a laccase was the synthesis of the complex bisindole alkaloid
anhydrovinblastine 3 via the oxidative coupling of the indole derivatives catharanthine
1 and vindoline 2 and subsequent NaBH4-reduction (Figure 2b) [33•
]. The product could be isolated in 56% yield in optically pure form. The remarkable
reaction necessitates the initial cleavage of a C–C bond between a quaternary and
a tertiary carbon centre in catharanthine 1, followed by C–C bond formation to the
quarternary carbon atom. Additionally, this is one rare example where the molecule
to be oxidised has no phenolic alcohol moiety but a secondary amine. The NaBH4 is
supposed to be required for the reduction of an iminium group.
Vanadium nitrogenase. A recently reported, rather surprising example of C–C bond formation
is the formation of ethylene, ethane and propane from carbon monoxide by vanadium
nitrogenase in the presence of molecular hydrogen, ATP and dithionite as electron
source [34•
]. The holoenzyme originating from Azotobacter vinelandii comprises a catalytically
active VFe-protein and a Fe-protein which serves as a reductant in the ATP-dependent
electron-transfer process. At the moment this reaction is probably more a curiosity
than a useful reaction to be applied on preparative scale.
Benzylation by fermenting cells. In the last redox example the enzymes involved are
not characterised yet; only fermenting cells were employed. Nevertheless, from the
overall reaction scheme it can be deduced that an oxidative step is definitely required
and obviously C–C bond formation occurs. The fungus Penicillium griseoroseum was found
to attach clavatol (4) to flavanone 5 at position C-6 (Scheme 2d) [35]. Thus, the
overall reaction represents a benzylation of the flavanone. Flavonoids in plants are
recognized as a part of their defence mechanisms, and therefore this observed C–C
bond formation is suggested to represent an adaptation of fungi to plants’ metabolite
composition.
Transferases
Prenyltransferases will not be discussed here in detail, since they have recently
been reviewed extensively [36,37] and have at the moment limited applications in biocatalytic
organic synthesis. The same is true for methylation, which has been heavily investigated
from a biochemical point of view [38,39]; however, synthetic applications employing
methyltransferases are limited due to difficulties to recycle the required cofactor
(SAM, S-adenoyl-l-methionine).
Nevertheless, a recent study indicated that methyltransferases have probably a significant
synthetic potential: It has been shown that modified SAM-cofactors bearing an allyl,
propargyl, but-2-en-1-yl, but-2-in-1-yl or benzyl group instead of methyl are also
accepted by methyltransferases NovO from Streptomyces spheroids and CouO from Streptomyces
rishiriensis (Figure 3) [40]. Thus, in addition to methylation at position 8 in coumarin
derivatives, regioselective transfer of other alkyl groups (allyl, but-2-en-1-yl,
but-2-in-1-yl, propargyl and benzyl) could be achieved.
Enzymes with promiscuous carbon–carbon bond forming activity
Catalytically promiscuous hydrolases were recently reviewed including promiscuous
carbon–carbon bond formations [41]. In general, the C–C bond forming reactions catalysed
by hydrolases do not yield products with a significant enantiomeric excess, actually
the products are racemic in most cases. However, a lipase from porcine pancreas (Porcine
pancreas lipase(PPL), EC 3.1.1.3) was reported recently to form the aldol product
with an e.e. of 15% using 4-nitrobenzaldehyde and acetone as substrates (Figure 4a)
[42]. The e.e. could be improved using less water in the reaction system so that an
e.e. of 44% could be reached, but the conversion dropped significantly. In another
example, nuclease p1 was used as a catalyst to perform the asymmetric aldol reaction
between various aromatic aldehydes and cyclic ketones [43]. Depending on the substrates
used, yields up to 55% with e.e. up to >99% and d.r. > 99:1 were achieved.
Probably initiated by a reported Henry reaction mediated by a hydroxynitrile lyase
from Hevea brasiliensis [44,45], other enzymes have been shown to perform the biocatalytic
Henry reaction as well: Examples are a transglutaminase (protein-glutamine l-glutamyltransferase;
EC 2.3.2.13) from Streptorerticillium griseoverticillatum [46] and a d-aminoacylase
(EC 3.5.1.81) (Scheme 4b) [47]. However, no results about the stereoselectivity were
published.
Conclusion and perspective
The review demonstrates that the toolbox of enzymes catalysing various C–C bond forming
reactions is expanding. It can be expected that many more C–C bond forming enzymes
will be applied as biocatalysts in organic synthesis during the next years. Maybe
soon non-natural products might be synthesised via elegant synthetic routes involving
enzymatic C–C bond forming steps additionally to biocatalytic functional group modifications
as is already common for biocatalytic synthesis of sugars.
References and recommended reading
Papers of particular interest, published within the period of review, have been highlighted
as:
• of special interest
•• of outstanding interest