One-Step Biocatalytic Synthesis of Sustainable Surfactants Using Selective Amide Bond Formation

N-alkanoyl-N-methylglucamides (MEGAs) are non-toxic surfactants widely used in pharmaceutical and biochemical applications and hence more sustainable syntheses towards these compounds are highly desired. Here we present an aqueous, enzymatic synthesis route towards MEGAs and analogues using carboxylic acid reductase (CAR), which has been engineered to catalyse amide bond formation (CAR-A). Compared to lipase catalysed reactions, this biocatalyst is capable of selective amide bond formation between amino-polyols and fatty acids without the competing esterification reaction being observed. The wide substrate scope of CAR-A catalysed amidation was exemplified by the synthesis of 16 amides including several commercially relevant targets. The ATP co-factor could be recycled from cheap polyphosphate using a kinase. This work establishes acyl-phosphate mediated chemistry as a selective strategy for biocatalytic amide bond formation in the presence of competing alcohol functionalities.

Rapid Mechanochemical Synthesis of Amides with Uronium-Based Coupling Reagents, a Method for Hexa-amidation of Biotin[6]uril

<p>Solid-state reactions using mechanochemical activation have emerged as solvent-free atom-efficient strategies for sustainable chemistry. Herein we report a new mechanochemical approach for the amide coupling of carboxylic acids and amines, mediated by combination of (1-сyano-2-ethoxy-2-oxoethylidenaminooxy)dimethylaminomorpholinocarbenium hexafluorophosphate (COMU) or <i>N</i>,<i>N</i>,<i>N</i>′,<i>N</i>′-tetramethylchloroformamidinium hexafluorophosphate (TCFH) and K₂HPO₄. The method delivers a range of amides in high 70–96% yields and fast reaction rates. The reaction protocol is mild, maintains the integrity of the adjacent to carbonyl stereocenters, and streamlines isolation procedure for solid amide products. Minimal waste is generated due to the absence of bulk solvent. We show that K₂HPO₄ plays a dual role, acting as a base and a precursor of reactive acyl phosphate species. Amide bonds from hindered carboxylic acids and low-nucleophilic amines can be assembled within 90 min by using TCFH in combination with K₂HPO₄ or <i>N</i>-methylimidazole. The developed mechanochemical liquid-assisted amidation protocols were successfully applied to the challenging couplings of all six carboxylate functions of biotin[6]uril macrocycle with phenylalanine methyl ester, resulting in an 80% yield of highly pure hexa-amide-biotin[6]uril. In addition, fast and high-yielding synthesis of peptides and versatile amide compounds can be performed in a safe and environmentally benign manner, as verified by green metrics.<b></b></p>

Rapid Mechanochemical Synthesis of Amides with Uronium-Based Coupling Reagents, a Method for Hexa-amidation of Biotin[6]uril

<p>Solid-state reactions using mechanochemical activation have emerged as solvent-free atom-efficient strategies for sustainable chemistry. Herein we report a new mechanochemical approach for the amide coupling of carboxylic acids and amines, mediated by combination of (1-сyano-2-ethoxy-2-oxoethylidenaminooxy)dimethylaminomorpholinocarbenium hexafluorophosphate (COMU) or <i>N</i>,<i>N</i>,<i>N</i>′,<i>N</i>′-tetramethylchloroformamidinium hexafluorophosphate (TCFH) and K₂HPO₄. The method delivers a range of amides in high 70–96% yields and fast reaction rates. The reaction protocol is mild, maintains the integrity of the adjacent to carbonyl stereocenters, and streamlines isolation procedure for solid amide products. Minimal waste is generated due to the absence of bulk solvent. We show that K₂HPO₄ plays a dual role, acting as a base and a precursor of reactive acyl phosphate species. Amide bonds from hindered carboxylic acids and low-nucleophilic amines can be assembled within 90 min by using TCFH in combination with K₂HPO₄ or <i>N</i>-methylimidazole. The developed mechanochemical liquid-assisted amidation protocols were successfully applied to the challenging couplings of all six carboxylate functions of biotin[6]uril macrocycle with phenylalanine methyl ester, resulting in an 80% yield of highly pure hexa-amide-biotin[6]uril. In addition, fast and high-yielding synthesis of peptides and versatile amide compounds can be performed in a safe and environmentally benign manner, as verified by green metrics.<b></b></p>

Membrane fluidity adjusts the insertion of the transacylase PlsX to regulate phospholipid biosynthesis in Gram-positive bacteria

PlsX plays a central role in the coordination of fatty acid and phospholipid biosynthesis in Gram-positive bacteria. PlsX is a peripheral membrane acyltransferase that catalyzes the conversion of acyl-ACP to acyl-phosphate, which is in turn utilized by the polytopic membrane acyltransferase PlsY on the pathway of bacterial phospholipid biosynthesis. We have recently studied the interaction between PlsX and membrane phospholipids in vivo and in vitro, and observed that membrane association is necessary for the efficient transfer of acyl-phosphate to PlsY. However, understanding the molecular basis of such a channeling mechanism remains a major challenge. Here, we disentangle the binding and insertion events of the enzyme to the membrane, and the subsequent catalysis. We show that PlsX membrane binding is a process mostly mediated by phospholipid charge, whereas fatty acid saturation and membrane fluidity remarkably influence the membrane insertion step. Strikingly, the PlsXL254E mutant, whose biological functionality was severely compromised in vivo but remains catalytically active in vitro, was able to superficially bind to phospholipid vesicles, nevertheless, it loses the insertion capacity, strongly supporting the importance of membrane insertion in acyl-phosphate delivery. We propose a mechanism in which membrane fluidity governs the insertion of PlsX and thus regulates the biosynthesis of phospholipids in Gram-positive bacteria. This model may be operational in other peripheral membrane proteins with an unprecedented impact in drug discovery/development strategies.

Metal-Catalyzed Site-Selective Monoacylation of Diols in Aqueous Media

Site-selective reactions of water-soluble biomolecules are being developed to produce efficient conversions in water and water­/solvent mixtures. This review focuses on the use of designs based on bis-bidentate chelation of large metal ions by diols to be acylated by a co-chelated water-stable reagent. Topics discussed include: 1. The preparation and properties of water-stable acyl phosphate monoesters and their reactions with diol-chelated metal ions. 2. Site-selective monoaminoacylation of 3′-terminal diols of RNA and their applications in protein engineering. 3. Site-selective monoacylation of sugars with acyl phosphate monoesters associated with metal ions, including lanthanum and lead. The combination of metal ion, 1,2-diol, and acyl phosphate monoester produces site-selective reactions in aqueous media­ that can produce a general approach to site-selective mono-(amino)acylation in RNA and carbohydrates.1 Introduction2 Synthetic Aminoacylation of tRNA3 Activated Amino Acids in Water4 Metal Ions and Their Effects on the Reactivity of Acyl Phosphate Monoesters5 The Challenge of Site-Selective Acylation of Carbohydrates in Water6 Conclusions and Prospects

An ATP-Dependent Ligase with Substrate Flexibility Involved in Assembly of the Peptidyl Nucleoside Antibiotic Polyoxin

ABSTRACT Polyoxin (POL) is an unusual peptidyl nucleoside antibiotic, in which the peptidyl moiety and nucleoside skeleton are linked by an amide bond. However, their biosynthesis remains poorly understood. Here, we report the deciphering of PolG as an ATP-dependent ligase responsible for the assembly of POL. A polG mutant is capable of accumulating multiple intermediates, including the peptidyl moiety (carbamoylpolyoxamic acid [CPOAA]) and the nucleoside skeletons (POL-C and the previously overlooked thymine POL-C). We further demonstrate that PolG employs an ATP-dependent mechanism for amide bond formation and that the generation of the hybrid nucleoside antibiotic POL-N is also governed by PolG. Finally, we determined that the deduced ATP-binding sites are functionally essential for PolG and that they are highly conserved in a number of related ATP-dependent ligases. These insights have allowed us to propose a catalytic mechanism for the assembly of peptidyl nucleoside antibiotic via an acyl-phosphate intermediate and have opened the way for the combinatorial biosynthesis/pathway engineering of this group of nucleoside antibiotics. IMPORTANCE POL is well known for its remarkable antifungal bioactivities and unusual structural features. Actually, elucidation of the POL assembly logic not only provides the enzymatic basis for further biosynthetic understanding of related peptidyl nucleoside antibiotics but also contributes to the rational generation of more hybrid nucleoside antibiotics via synthetic biology strategy.

Increased efficiency in biomimetic Lewis acid–base pair catalyzed monoacylation of diols by acyl phosphate monoesters

Acyl phosphate monoesters are biomimetic acylation reagents that require coordination to metal ions to react with cis-diol substrates in water. With lanthanide catalysts, outcomes are compromised by (1) the competitive lanthanide-promoted hydrolysis of the acyl phosphate reagents as well as by (2) the high affinity of lanthanum ions for the phosphate monoester by-product. Based on analysis of the mechanism of the process, optimizing reaction conditions can selectively inhibit the lanthanum-promoted hydrolysis of acyl phosphate monoesters. Furthermore, using zinc salts and lead salts in place of lanthanides enhances the reactivity of the reactants and causes less complexation of the metal ion with the by-products.

Electrophilic activation of aminocarboxylic acid by phosphate ester promotes Friedel–Crafts acylation by overcoming charge–charge repulsion

o-Methyl salicylates enhance the reactivity of the phosphate ester via a protonation-induced conformational change to generate acyl phosphate, thereby overwhelming the charge–charge repulsion associated with formation of the acylium ion, enabling aromatic ketones to be generated from various carboxylic acids.

Chemoselective generation of acyl phosphates, acylium ion equivalents, from carboxylic acids and an organophosphate ester in the presence of a Brønsted acid

Reactions of an organophosphate ester with carboxylic acids proceeded smoothly and chemoselectively in the presence of a Brønsted acid, affording acyl phosphate intermediates, leading to formation of various functional aromatic ketones.