Dietrich Böse

Latex clearing protein-an oxygenase cleaving poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) rubber at the cis double bonds.

ABSTRACT Gordonia polyisoprenivorans strain VH2, a potent rubber-degrading actinomycete, harbors two latex clearing proteins (Lcps), which are known to be essential for the microbial degradation of rubber. However, biochemical information on the exact role of this protein in the degradation of polyisoprene was lacking. In this study, the gene encoding Lcp1VH2 was heterologously expressed in strains of Escherichia coli, the corresponding protein was purified, and its role in rubber degradation was examined by measurement of oxygen consumption as well as by chromatographic and spectroscopic methods. It turned out that active Lcp1VH2 is a monomer and is responsible for the oxidative cleavage of poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) in synthetic as well as in natural rubber by the addition of oxygen (O2) to the cis double bonds. The resulting oligomers possess repetitive isoprene units with aldehyde (CHO-CH2—) and ketone (—CH2-CO-CH3) functional groups at the termini. Two fractions with average isoprene contents of 18 and 10, respectively, were isolated, thus indicating an endocleavage mechanism. The activity of Lcp1VH2 was determined by applying a polarographic assay. Alkenes, acyclic terpenes, or other rubber-like polymers, such as poly(cis-1,4-butadiene) or poly(trans-1,4-isoprene), are not oxidatively cleaved by Lcp1VH2. The pH and temperature optima of the enzyme are at pH 7 and 30°C, respectively. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that active Lcp1VH2 is a Cu(II)-containing oxygenase that exhibits a conserved domain of unknown function which cannot be detected in any other hitherto-characterized enzyme. The results presented here indicate that this domain might represent a new protein family of oxygenases.

Stereoselective synthesis of both enantiomers of rugulactone.

The stereoselective total synthesis of both enantiomers of rugulactone 1 has been completed by applying enantioselective allyl additions as key steps. Two different strategies based on highly stable and enantiomerically pure α-substituted allylboronic esters 2 and 3 were performed starting from boronic ester 4.

A Diastereoselective One-Pot, Three-Step Cascade toward α-Substituted Allylboronic Esters

A new highly diastereoselective synthesis of chiral α-substituted allylboronic esters, based on a one-pot, three-step cascade, is presented. The palladium- and acid-cocatalyzed reaction cascade involves a desilylation of a TBS-protected allylic alcohol, borylation, and addition of an allyl group to an aldehyde. Herein we present the first application of a TBS-protected allylic alcohol in a palladium-catalyzed borylation/allylation reaction.

Chemoenzymatic Total Synthesis of the Proposed Structures of Putaminoxins B and D

Different enzymatic and nonenzymatic approaches were tested and compared to afford enantiopure homoallylic and allylic alcohols as building blocks in a total synthesis showcase. Thereby, highly enantioselective alcohol dehydrogenases and the P450 BM3 monooxygenase variant A74G L188Q were compared to classical asymmetric reagent-controlled allyl additions. Thus, the first total syntheses of the proposed structures for putaminoxins B/D and their respective enantiomers were accomplished. Detailed spectroscopic analysis of the newly synthesized compounds unraveled a discrepancy with respect to the reported structures of putaminoxins B/D. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that total synthesis is generally required for unequivocal assignment of configuration, because purely comparative NMR studies and judgment by analogy can lead to false predictions.