Gergely Bánóczi

Expression and properties of the highly alkalophilic phenylalanine ammonia-lyase of thermophilic Rubrobacter xylanophilus

The sequence of a phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL; EC: 4.3.1.24) of the thermophilic and radiotolerant bacterium Rubrobacter xylanophilus (RxPAL) was identified by screening the genomes of bacteria for members of the phenylalanine ammonia-lyase family. A synthetic gene encoding the RxPAL protein was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli TOP 10 in a soluble form with an N-terminal His6-tag and the recombinant RxPAL protein was purified by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. The activity assay of RxPAL with l-phenylalanine at various pH values exhibited a local maximum at pH 8.5 and a global maximum at pH 11.5. Circular dichroism (CD) studies showed that RxPAL is associated with an extensive α-helical character (far UV CD) and two distinctive near-UV CD peaks. These structural characteristics were well preserved up to pH 11.0. The extremely high pH optimum of RxPAL can be rationalized by a three-dimensional homology model indicating possible disulfide bridges, extensive salt-bridge formation and an excess of negative electrostatic potential on the surface. Due to these properties, RxPAL may be a candidate as biocatalyst in synthetic biotransformations leading to unnatural l- or d-amino acids or as therapeutic enzyme in treatment of phenylketonuria or leukemia.

Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase-Catalyzed Deamination of an Acyclic Amino Acid: Enzyme Mechanistic Studies Aided by a Novel Microreactor Filled with Magnetic Nanoparticles

Phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase (PAL), found in many organisms, catalyzes the deamination of l‐phenylalanine (Phe) to (E)‐cinnamate by the aid of its MIO prosthetic group. By using PAL immobilized on magnetic nanoparticles and fixed in a microfluidic reactor with an in‐line UV detector, we demonstrated that PAL can catalyze ammonia elimination from the acyclic propargylglycine (PG) to yield (E)‐pent‐2‐ene‐4‐ynoate. This highlights new opportunities to extend MIO enzymes towards acyclic substrates. As PG is acyclic, its deamination cannot involve a Friedel–Crafts‐type attack at an aromatic ring. The reversibility of the PAL reaction, demonstrated by the ammonia addition to (E)‐pent‐2‐ene‐4‐ynoate yielding enantiopure l‐PG, contradicts the proposed highly exothermic single‐step mechanism. Computations with the QM/MM models of the N‐MIO intermediates from l‐PG and l‐Phe in PAL show similar arrangements within the active site, thus supporting a mechanism via the N‐MIO intermediate.

A convenient method for the preparation of cyclohepta[b]indole derivatives

Cyclohepta[b]indole derivatives 7 were prepared by subsequent aza-Claisen rearrangement and intramolecular ring-closure of (cycloheptenylmethyl)benzenamine (3). The mechanisms of the reactions are also discussed.

Facile synthesis of cycloalkanoindole derivatives by aza-Claisen rearrangement

Carba analogs of physostigmine were prepared from aniline derivatives with BF3.Et2O catalyzed cyclization. Suzuki coupling reactions of the new compounds are also discussed.Graphical abstract.

Immobilization engineering – How to design advanced sol–gel systems for biocatalysis?

An immobilization engineering approach using bioinformatics and experimental design tools was applied to improve the sol–gel enzyme entrapment methodology. This strategy was used for the immobilization of lipase B from Candida antarctica (CaLB), a versatile enzyme widely used even on the industrial scale. The optimized entrapment of CaLB in sol–gel matrices is reported by the response-surface methodology enabling efficient process development. The immobilized CaLBs characterized by functional efficiency and enhanced recovery provided economical and green options for flow chemistry. Various ternary mixtures of sol–gel precursors allowed the creation of tailored entrapment matrices best suited for the enzyme and its targeted substrate. The sol–gel-entrapped forms of CaLB were excellent biocatalysts in the kinetic resolutions of secondary alcohols and secondary amines with aromatic or aliphatic substituents both in batch and continuous-flow biotransformations.

Influence of the aromatic moiety in α- And β-arylalanines on their biotransformation with phenylalanine 2,3-aminomutase from: Pantoea agglomerans

In this study enantiomer selective isomerization of various racemic α- and β-arylalanines catalysed by phenylalanine 2,3-aminomutase from Pantoea agglomerans (PaPAM) was investigated. Both α- and β-arylalanines were accepted as substrates when the aryl moiety was relatively small, like phenyl, 2-, 3-, 4-fluorophenyl or thiophen-2-yl. While 2-substituted α-phenylalanines bearing bulky electron withdrawing substituents did not react, the corresponding substituted β-aryl analogues were converted rapidly. Conversion of 3- and 4-substituted α-arylalanines happened smoothly, while conversion of the corresponding β-arylalanines was poor or non-existent. In the range of pH 7–9 there was no significant influence on the conversion of racemic α- or β-(thiophen-2-yl)alanines, whereas increasing the concentration of ammonia (ammonium carbonate from 50 to 1000 mM) inhibited the isomerization progressively and decreased the amount of the by-product (i.e. (E)-3-(thiophen-2-yl)acrylic acid was detected). In all cases, the high ee values of the products indicated excellent enantiomer selectivity and stereospecificity of the isomerization except for (S)-2-nitro-α-phenylalanine (ee 92%) from the β-isomer. Substituent effects were rationalized by computational modelling revealing that one of the main factors controlling biocatalytic activity was the energy difference between the covalent regioisomeric enzyme–substrate complexes.

Tailored mutants of phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase from Petroselinum crispum for the synthesis of bulky L‐ and D‐arylalanines

Tailored mutants of phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase from Petroselinum crispum (PcPAL) were created and tested in ammonia elimination from various sterically demanding, non‐natural analogues of phenylalanine and in ammonia addition reactions into the corresponding (E)‐arylacrylates. The wild‐type PcPAL was inert or exhibited quite poor conversions in both reactions with all members of the substrate panel. Appropriate single mutations of residue F137 and the highly conserved residue I460 resulted in PcPAL variants that were active in ammonia elimination but still had a poor activity in ammonia addition onto bulky substrates. However, combined mutations that involve I460 besides the well‐studied F137 led to mutants that exhibited activity in ammonia addition as well. The synergistic multiple mutations resulted in substantial substrate scope extension of PcPAL and opened up new biocatalytic routes for the synthesis of both enantiomers of valuable phenylalanine analogues, such as (4‐methoxyphenyl)‐, (napthalen‐2‐yl)‐, ([1,1′‐biphenyl]‐4‐yl)‐, (4′‐fluoro‐[1,1′‐biphenyl]‐4‐yl)‐, and (5‐phenylthiophene‐2‐yl)alanines.