Unveiling and Engineering the Reverse Catalytic Potential of ‘Ene’-Reductases

Keywords

desymmetrizing - cyclohexenones - ‘ene’-reductases - directed evolution - reverse catalysis - desaturation - biocatalysis

Significance

The Ye group developed a biocatalytic platform using reengineered ‘ene’-reductases for asymmetric carbonyl desaturation. It facilitates the enantioselective dehydrogenation of cyclohexanones, producing versatile chiral cyclohexenones under mild conditions. By employing directed evolution, the platform achieves enhanced enantioselectivity while tolerating diverse substituents and minimizing the need for harsh reagents. This sustainable approach not only addresses limitations of traditional methods but advances the fields of asymmetric synthesis and biocatalysis, offering a promising alternative for complex molecular transformations.

Comment

Recent advancements have shown that flavin-dependent ‘ene’-reductases (EREDs) are powerful tools for enabling a variety of reductive radical transformations, highlighting the potential of directed evolution in the development of novel enzymatic catalysis. In this study, the authors expand the ERED mutation pool and reveal their applications in oxidative dehydrogenation. Notably, the reverse catalytic processis a reduction, opening up new possibilities for the development of innovative biocatalytic oxidation reactions.

Publication History

Article published online:
25 February 2025