Baker's yeast: improving the d-stereoselectivity in reduction of 3-oxo esters

The stereoselectivity of baker's yeast in the reduction of ethyl 3-oxopentanoate was shifted towards the corresponding (R)-hydroxy ester by sugar, heat treatment and allyl alcohol. The highest enantiomeric excesses obtained with baker's yeast with a good reduction capacity, 92–97%, were achieved by combining allyl alcohol and sugar; heat treatment did not increase the stereoselectivity further. With the use of this technique, ethyl (R)-3-hydroxyhexanoate, >99% ee, and ethyl (S)-4-chloro-3-hydroxybutanoate, 82–90% ee, were produced from the corresponding esters, and for the first time an excess of the (R)-enantiomer of ethyl 3-hydroxybutanoate was obtained with ordinary baker's yeast.     

Baker''s yeast: production of d- and l-3-hydroxy esters

Baker's yeast grown under oxygen limited conditions and used in the reduction of 3-oxo esters results in a shift of the stereoselectivity of the yeast towards -hydroxy esters as compared with ordinary baker's yeast. The highest degree of stereoselectivity was obtained with growing yeast or yeast harvested while growing. In contrast, the stereoselectivity was shifted towards -hydroxy esters when the oxo esters were added slowly to ordinary baker's yeast supplied with gluconolactone as co-substrate. The reduction rate with gluconolactone was increased by active aeration. Ethyl -(S)-3-hydroxybutanoate was afforded in>99% ee. Both enantiomers of ethyl 3-hydroxypentanoate, -(R) in 96% ee and -(S) in 93% ee, and of ethyl 4-chloro-3-hydroxybutanoate, -(S) in 98% ee and -(R) in 94% ee, were obtained. The results demonstrate that the stereoselectivity of baker's yeast can be controlled to a large extent without the use of inhibitors, heat treatment, etc.     

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of (4S,5R)-5-hydroxy-γ-decalactone

Reduction of ethyl 2-hydroxy-3-oxooctanoate with immobilised baker's yeast at pH 4.0 yields anti-2R,3R-dihydroxy ester with high diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity (de 70%, ee 80%) which is conveniently converted to (4S,5R)-5-hydroxy-γ-decalactone.     

Control of enantioselectivity in the baker's yeast asymmetric reduction of γ-chloro β-diketones to γ-chloro (S)-β-hydroxy ketones

1-Chloro-2,4-alkanediones 1a–f prepared in one step were reduced using baker's yeast to afford 1-chloro-2-hydroxy-4-alkanones 2a–f regioselectively in S 29% to R 58% ee. Use of a small amount of organic solvents to dissolve the substrate enhanced the enantiomeric excess in favor of the S configuration. The function of the organic solvents was studied with reducing enzymes isolated from baker's yeast. Some polar solvents selectively inhibited the enzymes, while nonpolar solvents enhanced the concentration of substrate in water. Application of inhibitors with heat-treatment and organic solvents as additives enhanced the enantiomeric excesses of the products to S 66–96% ee.     

Stereochemical control in microbial reduction. Part 31: Reduction of alkyl 2-oxo-4-arylbutyrates by baker's yeast under selected reaction conditions

Treatment of baker's yeast with phenacyl chloride in an aqueous–organic solvent has been proven to be an effective method of inhibiting the enzymes that afford (S)-enantiomers of α-hydroxy esters in the reduction of α-keto esters. The procedure is effective for the whole-cell system to produce the (R)-product with high chemical yield and high enantiomeric excess.     

Immobilized microorganisms in the reduction of ethyl 4-chloro acetoacetate

Microorganisms were used to reduce ethyl 4-chloroacetoacetate (CAAE) to ethyl (S)-4-chloro-3-hydroxybutanoate [(S)-CHBE]. Mucor ramannianus provided 98% conversion with 84% ee. Free cells of Kluyveromyces marxianus led to 95% conversion with 81% ee. After a fractionary factorial design to study the reaction conditions, calcium alginate immobilized cells of K. marxianus furnished the product with 99% conversion with 91% ee.     

Enantiogenic synthesis of (R)-(−)-3-hydroxy-1-penten-4-one

Condensation of pyruvate and acrolein with whole cells of baker's yeast resulted in a mixture of 3-hydroxy-1-penten-4-one 1 and 4-hydroxy-1-penten-3-one 2. The absolute configuration (R) and the enantiomeric excess (ee 72%) of the compound 1 were determined.     

Transformation of racemic ethyl 3-hydroxybutanoate into the (R)-enantiomer exploiting lipase catalysis and inversion of configuration

Racemic ethyl 3-hydroxybutanoate rac-1 was transformed into ethyl (R)-acetoxybutanoate (ee = 92%) with 85–90% chemical yields using enantioselective acylation with isopropenyl acetate in the presence of Candida antarctica lipase B (CAL-B, Novozym 435) under solvent-free conditions, followed by mesylation of the unreacted (S)-alcohol in the reaction mixture and inversion of configuration with cesium acetate in DMF in one pot. When the (R)-acetoxybutanoate was subjected to alcoholysis with ethanol and CAL-B, enantiopure (R)-1 (ee >99%) was produced.     

Biosynthesis of Ethyl (S)-4-Chloro-3-Hydroxybutanoate by NADH-Dependent Reductase from E. coli CCZU-Y10 Discovered by Genome Data Mining Using Mannitol as Cosubstrate

The reductase (PgCR) from recombinant Escherichia coli CCZU-Y10 displayed high reductase activity and excellent stereoselectivity for the reduction of ethyl 4-chloro-3-oxobutanoate (COBE) into ethyl (S)-4-chloro-3-hydroxybutanoate ((S)-CHBE). To efficiently synthesize (S)-CHBE (>99 % enantiomeric excess (ee)), the highly stereoselective bioreduction of COBE into (S)-CHBE with the whole cells of E. coli CCZU-Y10 was successfully demonstrated in a dibutyl phthalate-water biphasic system. The appropriate ratio of the organic phase to water phase was 1:1 (v/v). The optimum reaction temperature, reaction pH, cosubstrate, NAD⁺, and cell dosage of the biotransformation of 100 mM COBE in this biphasic system were 30 °C, 7.0, mannitol (2.5 mmol/mmol COBE), 0.1 μmol/(mmol COBE), and 0.1 g (wet weight)/mL, respectively. Moreover, COBE at a high concentration of (1,000 mM) could be asymmetrically reduced to (S)-CHBE in a high yield (99.0 %) and high enantiometric excess value (>99 % ee). Significantly, E. coli CCZU-Y10 shows high potential in the industrial production of (S)-CHBE (>99 % ee).     

A microbially based approach for the asymmetric synthesis of both enantiomers of R-and S-fluoxetine

Both enantiomers of fluoxetine were synthesized in five steps from ethyl benzoylacetate(1)using microbial-chemical approach with overall yields of 59% and 62% respectively.(S)-Enan-tiomer can be obtained in >99% e.e.by resting cell of baker's yeast and the R form was produced in 81 %e.e.by immobilized Geotrichum sp.G 38.     

Optically active 1-(benzofuran-2-yl)ethanols and ethane-1,2-diols by enantiotopic selective bioreductions

Enantiotopic selective reduction of 1-(benzofuran-2-yl)ethanones 1a–d, 1-(benzofuran-2-yl)-2-hydroxyethanones 4a–c and 2-acetoxy-1-(benzofuran-2-yl)ethanones 3a–c was performed by baker's yeast for preparation of optically active (benzofuran-2-yl)carbinols [(S)-5a–d, (S)-6a–c and (R)-6a–c, enantiomeric excess from 55 to 93% ee].     

Asymmetric Synthesis of (S)-5,5,5,5′,5′,5′,5′-Hexafluoroleucine

(S)-5,5,5,5′,5′,5′-Hexafluoroleucine ((S)- 13 ) of 81 % ee is prepared from hexafluoroacetone ( l ) and ethyl bromopyruvate (= ethyl 2-oxopropanoate) in 7 steps with an overall yield of 18% (Schemes 1 and 2). Key step in this sequence is the highly enantioselective reduction of the carbonyl group in α-keto ester 4 either by bakers' yeast (91 % ee) or by ‘catecholborane’ 6 utilizing an oxazaborolidine catalyst, yielding hydroxy ester (R)- 5 with 99% ee. The absolute configuration was determined by X-ray analysis of the HCl adduct (S,R)- 9b of (2S)-N-[(R)- l-phenylethyl]-5,5,5,5′,5′,5′-hexafluoroleucine ethyl ester.     

Diastereomeric P1-chiral diamidophosphites with terpene fragments in asymmetric catalysis

Diamidophosphite P¹-monodentate, ligands based on terpene alcohols and (S)- or (R)-(2-anilinomethyl)pyrrolidine, induce high enantioselectivities (ee’s up to 99%) in Pd-catalyzed allylic substitution reactions. In the Pd-catalyzed deracemization of ethyl (E)-1,3-diphenylallyl carbonate up to 92% enantioselectivity has been achieved. The Rh-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of α-dehydrocarboxylic acid esters leads to a maximum of 56% ee with quantitative conversion. Diastereomeric diamidophosphites prepared from [(1S)-endo]-(−)-borneol were found to be the most efficient stereoselectors.     

Synthesis and structural characterization of enantiopure (2R,5R)-(+)-2,5-dimethylthiolane

Enantiopure (2R,5R)-(+)-2,5-dimethylthiolane was synthesized by cyclization with sodium sulfide of the dimesylate of (2S,5S)-(+)-2,5-hexanediol, which was obtained by baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) reduction of acetonyl acetone in high enantiomeric purity. The structure of the diol and absolute stereochemistry of the sulfone derived from the title molecule were determined by X-ray crystal structure analysis.     

Über die Stereoselektivität der α-Alkylierung von (1R, 2S) (+)-cis-2-hydroxy-cyclohexancarbonsäureäthylester

The Stereoselectivity of the α-Alkylation of (+)-(1R, 2S)-cis-Ethyl-2-hydroxy-cyclohexanecarboxylate In continuation of our work on the stereoselectivity of the α-alkylation of β-hydroxyesters [1] [2], we studied this reaction with the title compound (+)- 2 . The latter was prepared through reduction of 1 with baker's yeast. Alkylation of the dianion of (+)- 2 furnished (?)- 4 in 72% chemical yield (Scheme 1) and with a stereoselectivity of 95%. Analogously, (?)- 7 was prepared with similar yields. Oxidation of (?)- 4 and (?)- 7 respectively furnished the ketones (?)- 6 (Scheme 3) and (?)- 8 (Scheme 4) respectively, each with about 76% enantiomeric excess (NMR.). It is noteworthy that yeast reduction of rac- 6 (Scheme 3) is completely enantioselective with respect to substrate and product and gives optically pure (?)- 4 in 10% yield, which was converted into optically pure (?)- 6 (Scheme 3). The alkylation of the dianionic intermediate shows a higher stereoselectivity (95%) from the pseudoequatorial side than that of 1-acetyl- or 1-cyano-4-t-butyl-cyclohexane (71% and 85%) [9] or that of ethyl 2-methyl-cyclohexanecarboxylate (82%). The stereochemical outcome of the above alkylation is comparable with that found in open chain examples [1] [2]. Finally (+)-(1R, 2S)- 2 was also alkylated with Wichterle's reagent to give (?)-(1S, 2S)- 9 in 64% yield. The latter was transformed into (?)-(S)- 10 and further into (?)-(S)- 11 (Scheme 5). (?)-(S)- 10 and (?)-(S)- 11 showed an e.e. of 76–78% (see also [11]). Comparison of these results with those in [11] confirmed our former stereochemical assignment concerning the alkylation step.     

Deracemisation of β-hydroxy esters using immobilised whole cells of Candida parapsilosis ATCC 7330: substrate specificity and mechanistic investigation

Deracemisation of aryl substituted β-hydroxy esters by immobilised whole cells of Candida parapsilosis ATCC 7330 gave >99% ee and up to 75% yield of their corresponding (S)-enantiomers. Mechanistic investigation of the deracemisation reaction carried out using a deuterated substrate, ethyl 3-deutero-3-hydroxy-3-phenyl propanoate revealed that while the (S)-enantiomer remains unreacted the (R)-enantiomer undergoes enantioselective oxidation to its corresponding ketoester, which on complementary enantiospecific reduction gives the (S)-enantiomer in high yield and % ee.     

A convenient resolution of racemic lavandulol through lipase-catalyzed acylation with succinic anhydride: simple preparation of enantiomerically pure (R)-lavandulol

(R)- and (S)-lavandulol and their esters are important compounds in perfumery and have recently become significant in pheromone research. (R)-Lavandulol and its esters, as well as the esters of (S)-lavandulol have been identified as sex and aggregation pheromones in two mealybugs, in thrips and in weevils. We report a convenient resolution of racemic lavandulol through lipase-catalyzed acylation with succinic anhydride. This method does not require tedious chromatographic separation and is particularly suitable for the preparation of enantiomerically pure (R)-lavandulol with 98% ee in one resolution cycle. The (S)-lavandulol with 90% ee can be obtained by a second resolution cycle.     

Synthesis of ethyl and t-butyl (3R,5S)-dihydroxy-6-benzyloxy hexanoates via diastereo- and enantioselective microbial reduction

Previously we have demonstrated the reduction of ethyl diketoester 4 to the corresponding dihydroxy ester 6a by Acinetobacter sp. SC13874. Recently we screened more than 100 cultures for microbial reduction of both the ethyl and t-butyl diketoesters 4 and 5. Most yeast cultures showed a preference for reduction at the C-3 with low enantioselectivity. Among the three Acinetobacter strains screened, Acinetobacter sp. SC13874 reduced both compounds 4 and 5 to the corresponding (3R)- and (5S)-monohydroxy compounds. Monohydroxy compounds were isolated and their absolute configurations determined. (3R)- and (5S)-Monohydroxy compounds were reduced further to the corresponding dihydroxy esters 6a and 8a to provide alternate routes for the synthesis of compounds 14a and 16a, potential intermediates for the synthesis of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. Cell suspensions of Acinetobacter sp. SC13874 reduced the ethyl diketoester 4 to a mixture of desired syn and undesired anti diastereomers. The desired syn-(3R,5S)-dihydroxy ester 6a was obtained with an enantiomeric excess (ee) of 99% and a diastereomeric excess (de) of 63%. Cell suspensions reduced the t-butyl diketoester 5 to a mixture of mono- and dihydroxy esters with the dihydroxy ester showing an ee of 87% and de of 51% for the desired syn-(3R,5S)-dihydroxy ester 8a. Three different ketoreductases were purified to homogeneity, and their biochemical properties compared. Reductase I only catalyzes the reduction of ethyl diketoester 4 to its monohydroxy products 10 and 11, whereas reductase II catalyzes the formation of dihydroxy products 6 and 7 from monohydroxy substrates 10 and 11. A third reductase (III) was identified, which catalyzes the reduction of diketoester 4 to syn-(3R,5S)-dihydroxy ester 6a.     

Homochiral (R)- and (S)-1-heteroaryl- and 1-aryl-2-propanols via microbial redox

Preparation of various heteroaryl propanols 2a–g and of the corresponding propanones 3a–g as starting materials for microbial redox is described. The kinetic resolution of the racemic propanols 2a–g is obtained via oxidation with Pseudomonas paucimobilis and Bacillus stearothermophilus [(R)-alcohols, ee 74–100%]. Similar results are achieved with 3-(2-hydroxypropyl)trifluoromethylbenzene 7 (44%, ee 100% of the (R)-alcohol 6). The reduction of the propanones 3a–d and 3g with baker's yeast and other fungi gives the (S)-alcohols (ee 100%). The pure (S)-alcohols are also obtained by reduction of 1-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-2-propanone 7. 1-[(4,4-Dimethyl)-2-(Δ²)oxazolinyl]-2-propanone 3e and 1[2-(Δ²)-thiazolinyl)-2-propanone 3f are not reduced. The heterocyclic rings of (S)-5-(2-hydroxypropyl)-3-methylisoxazole 2d and of (S)-2-(2-hydroxypropyl)-4-methylthiazole 2g are deblocked to the homochiral enamino ketone 8 (78%) and to the protected β-hydroxy aldehyde 9 (73%), respectively. The (R)-3-(2-hydroxypropyl)trifluoromethylbenzene 6 is transfomed into the homochiral precursor of (S)-fenfluramine 10 (overall yield 65%).     

Reassignment of the absolute configuration of the baker's yeast reduction of (±)-ethyl 1-allyl-2-oxocyclopentanecarboxylate

The baker's yeast reduction of (±)-ethyl 1-allyl-2-oxocyclopentanecarboxylate under aqueous conditions in the presence of CuO yields (1S,2S)-(+)-ethyl 1-allyl-2-hydroxycyclopentanecarboxylate and the unreacted enantiomer (1R)-(−)-ethyl 1-allyl-2-oxocyclopentanecarboxylate. The absolute configuration of the secondary alcohol was determined from the X-ray crystal structure of the (1S)-10-camphorsulfonyl derivative of (1S,2S)-(+)-ethyl 1-allyl-2-hydroxycyclopentanecarboxylate. This refutes configurational claims based on CD/ORD and chemical affiliation techniques currently reported in the literature for this reaction.