P450 BM3‐Catalyzed Regio‐ and Stereoselective Hydroxylation Aiming at the Synthesis of Phthalides and Isocoumarins

Cytochrome P450 BM3 monooxygenases are able to catalyze the regio‐ and stereoselective oxygenation of a broad range of substrates, with promising potential for synthetic applications. To study the suitability of P450 BM3 variants for stereoselective benzylic hydroxylation of 2‐alkylated benzoic acid esters, the biotransformation of methyl 2‐ethylbenzoate, resulting in both enantiomeric forms of 3‐methylphthalide, was investigated. In the case of methyl 2‐propylbenzoate as a substrate the regioselectivity of the reaction was shifted towards β‐hydroxylation, resulting in the synthesis of enantioenriched R‐ and S‐configured 3‐methylisochroman‐1‐one. The potential of P450 BM3 variants for regio‐ and stereoselective synthesis of phthalides and isocoumarins offers a new route to a class of compounds that are valuable synthons for a variety of natural compounds.     

Manganese‐Catalyzed ortho‐C−H Alkenylation of Aromatic N−H Imidates with Alkynes: Versatile Access to Mono‐Alkenylated Aromatic Nitriles

So far, the direct C−H alkenylation of aromatic nitriles with alkynes has not been achieved. Herein, we discribe the first manganese‐catalyzed C−H alkenylation of aromatic N−H imidates to access mono‐alkenylated aromatic nitriles. The reaction is accelerated by the presence of a catalytic amount of sodium pivalate. This protocol is also highlighted by the simple catalytic system, good compatibility of functional groups, and excellent mono‐/dialkenylation selectivity as well as E/Z stereoselectivity.

     

Protonation‐Initiated Cyclization by a Class II Terpene Cyclase Assisted by Tunneling

Terpenes represent one of the most diversified classes of natural products with potent biological activities. The key to the myriad of polycyclic terpene skeletons with crucial functions in organisms from all kingdoms of life are terpene cyclase enzymes. These biocatalysts enable stereospecific cyclization of relatively simple, linear, prefolded polyisoprenes by highly complex, partially concerted, electrophilic cyclization cascades that remain incompletely understood. Herein, additional mechanistic light is shed on terpene biosynthesis by kinetic studies in mixed H₂O/D₂O buffers of a class II bacterial ent‐copalyl diphosphate synthase. Mass spectrometry determination of the extent of deuterium incorporation in the bicyclic product, reminiscent of initial carbocation formation by protonation, resulted in a large kinetic isotope effect of up to seven. Kinetic analysis at different temperatures confirmed that the isotope effect was independent of temperature, which is consistent with hydrogen tunneling.     

Zeolite NaY‐Promoted Monocyclization of Epoxy Polyene Terpenes: A Unique Route for the Direct Synthesis of Incompletely Cyclized Naturally Occurring Terpenols

A variety of epoxy polyene terpenes cyclize readily by confinement within zeolite NaY to form primarily products of monocyclization. The monocyclization pathway is highly predominant, irrespectively of the side chain of the epoxy terpene, while the monocyclic products possess regioselectively an exomethylenic double bond. The selective monocyclization in the case of epoxyfarnesyl acetate, epoxyfarnesylacetone or 2,3‐epoxysqualene, provides a direct route to the synthesis of a variety of natural products, such as elengasidiol, farnesiferols B–D, achilleol A, camelliol C and to four farnesylacetone‐derived metabolites isolated from the brown algae Cystophora monoliformis. The optical rotation of achilleol A derived from the cyclization of (S)‐2,3‐epoxysqualene matches with that of the natural product, thus the absolute configuration of achilleol A was established as 1S,3R. From the mechanistic point of view, the NaY‐promoted cyclization of 9,10‐epoxygeranylacetone, selectively deuterium labelled at the C‐10 methyl group, is >97% stereoselective with respect to the topicity of the gem‐dimethyl group. This result is in agreement with a concerted mechanism. Finally, we have proved through labelling experiments, for the first time, that the biomimetic transformation of epoxy polyene terpenes to 2,3,4‐trimethylcyclohexanones upon acid catalysis is a highly stereoselective process. Thus, the less hindered gem‐methyl group on the epoxide functionality becomes α‐ to the carbonyl in the final isomerized product.     

Cluster Screening: An Effective Approach for Probing the Substrate Space of Uncharacterized Cytochrome P450s

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) are versatile enzymes with high potential for biocatalysis. The number of newly annotated P450 genes has been increasing constantly, and these thus represent a rich resource for new biocatalysts. However, the substrate scopes of newly identified P450s are often not known, and thus their exploitation is difficult. Herein we describe an approach, named “cluster screening”, and its application for the primary characterization of two P450s: CYP154E1 and CYP154A8. A library comprising 51 compounds was designed and organized into nine groups according to their chemical properties. The activities of both P450s in vitro were maintained with suitable nonphysiological redox partners, and the cluster library was screened with these enzymes for product formation. From this library, 30 compounds tested positive for CYP154E1 and 23 were positive for CYP154A8. Cluster screening distinguishes subtle differences in activity and selectivity of enzymes as closely related as those of the same P450 family. For example, the alkaloid pergolide mesylate was converted by CYP154E1 (4 %) but not by CYP154A8. A building block of vitamin D₃, Grundmann's ketone, was converted by both enzymes, although conversion was higher with CYP154E1 (100 vs 53 %).     

Ruthenium(II)‐ or Rhodium(III)‐Catalyzed Grignard‐Type Addition of Indolines and Indoles to Activated Carbonyl Compounds

The ruthenium(II)‐ or rhodium(III)‐catalyzed pyrimidinyl‐directed Grignard‐type C−H additions of N‐heterocycles with activated aldehydes and ketones are described. A cationic ruthenium catalyst and sodium acetate additive in dichloroethane as solvent were found to be optimal catalytic system for the construction of C‐7 alkylated indolines. In sharp contrast, a cationic rhodium complex allows the generation of C‐2 alkylated indoles and pyrroles as well as C‐1 alkylated carbazoles. The site‐selective C−H functionalization of these heterocyclic scaffolds could be an important asset towards the development of novel bioactive compounds.

     

Second Coordination Sphere Effects on the Mechanistic Pathways for Dioxygen Activation by a Ferritin: Involvement of a Tyr Radical and the Identification of a Cation Binding Site

Ferritins are ubiquitous diiron enzymes involved in iron(II) detoxification and oxidative stress responses and can act as metabolic iron stores. The overall reaction mechanisms of ferritin enzymes are still unclear, particularly concerning the role of the conserved, near catalytic center Tyr residue. Thus, we carried out a computational study of a ferritin using a large cluster model of well over 300 atoms including its first- and second-coordination sphere. The calculations reveal important insight into the structure and reactivity of ferritins. Specifically, the active site Tyr residue delivers a proton and electron in the catalytic cycle prior to iron(II) oxidation. In addition, the calculations highlight a likely cation binding site at Asp₆₅, which through long-range electrostatic interactions, influences the electronic configuration and charge distributions of the metal center. The results are consistent with experimental observations but reveal novel detail of early mechanistic steps that lead to an unusual mixed-valent iron(III)-iron(II) center.     

Palladium on Carbon‐Catalyzed C−H Amination for Synthesis of Carbazoles and its Mechanistic Study

10% Palladium on carbon (10% Pd/C) successfully catalyzed the intramolecular C−H amination of various N‐mesylated 2‐aminobiphenyls in the presence of a catalytic amount of pyridine N‐oxide in heated dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) under an oxygen atmosphere to afford the corresponding N‐mesylcarbazoles. The reaction would proceed via a single‐electron transfer process based on its significant suppression by the addition of a single‐electron scavenger, tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ), and the substituents on the aromatic rings of the substrate have an insignificant effect on the reaction progress.

     

Ruthenium‐Mediated Dual Catalytic Reactions of Isoquinoline via C−H Activation and Dearomatization for Isoquinolone

We have unraveled the ruthenium‐promoted prototype reaction based on C(sp²)−C(sp³) bond formation through the reigoselective C−H activation of isoquinoline and pyridine derivatives with various alkyl halides, leading to 1‐substituted isoquinoline products in good yield. This C−H catalytic reaction did not rely on chelation assistance of the directing group of the substrates. The dimer [RuCl₂(p‐cymene)]₂ in combination with an N‐heterocyclic carbene ligand, adamantanecarboxylic acid and K₂CO₃ base in N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone solution at 150 °C are the best conditions. Simultaneously, we are also able to chemically tune the reaction mode to dearomatization by adding water, leading to isoquinolone products. This reaction methodology is not suitable for other nitrogen‐containing heteroarenes such as pyridazines and pyrimidines.

     

Mechanistic Insights into the Cytochrome P450‐Mediated Oxidation and Rearrangement of Littorine in Tropane Alkaloid Biosynthesis

During the biosynthesis of certain tropane alkaloids, littorine ( 1 ) is rearranged to hyoscyamine ( 3 ). Recent evidence indicates that this isomerisation is a two‐step process in which the first step is an oxidation/rearrangement to give hyoscyamine aldehyde ( 2 ). This step is catalysed by CYP80F1, a cytochrome P450 enzyme, which was recently identified from the plant Hyoscyamus niger; CYP80F1 also catalyses the hydroxylation of littorine at the 3′‐position. The mechanisms of the reactions catalysed by CYP80F1 were probed with synthetic deutero and arylfluoro analogues of 1 . Measurement of the primary kinetic isotope effects indicates that C3′ hydrogen abstraction is the rate‐limiting step for the oxidation/rearrangement of natural littorine, and for the 3′‐hydroxylation reaction of the unnatural S enantiomer of littorine. The character of the intermediates in the oxidation/rearrangement and hydroxylation reaction was probed with the use of arylfluorinated analogues of (R)‐littorine (natural stereoisomer) and (S)‐littorine (unnatural stereoisomer) as substrates for CYP80F1. The relative conversions of ortho‐, meta‐ and para‐fluorolittorine analogues were used to obtain information on the likely intermediacy of either a benzylic radical or benzylic carbocation intermediate. The data suggest that hydroxylation takes place via a benzylic carbocation intermediate, whereas the product profile arising from rearrangement is more consistent with a benzylic radical intermediate.     

Structural,Functional, and Spectroscopic Characterization of the Substrate Scope of the Novel Nitrating Cytochrome P450 TxtE

A novel cytochrome P450 enzyme, TxtE, was recently shown to catalyze the direct aromatic nitration of L ‐tryptophan. This unique chemistry inspired us to ask whether TxtE could serve as a platform for engineering new nitration biocatalysts to replace current harsh synthetic methods. As a first step toward this goal, and to better understand the wild‐type enzyme, we obtained high‐resolution structures of TxtE in its substrate‐free and substrate‐bound forms. We also screened a library of substrate analogues for spectroscopic indicators of binding and for production of nitrated products. From these results, we found that the wild‐type enzyme accepts moderate decoration of the indole ring, but the amino acid moiety is crucial for binding and correct positioning of the substrate and therefore less amenable to modification. A nitrogen atom is essential for catalysis, and a carbonyl must be present to recruit the αB′₁ helix of the protein to seal the binding pocket.     

Cloning,Expression and Purification of Cindoxin,an Unusual Fmn‐Containing Cytochrome P450 Redox Partner

Cytochromes P450 (P450s) belong to a superfamily of haemoproteins that catalyse a remarkable variety of oxidative transformations. P450 catalysis generally requires that cognate redox proteins transfer electrons, derived ultimately from NAD(P)H, to the P450 for oxygen activation. P450_cin (CYP176A1) is a bacterial P450 that is postulated to allow Citrobacter braakii to live on cineole as its sole carbon source by initiating cineole biodegradation. Here we report the cloning, expression, purification and characterisation of one of its postulated redox partners, cindoxin (Cdx), which has strong similarity to the FMN domain of cytochrome P450 reductase. Cindoxin reductase (CdR), which displays strong similarity to NADPH‐dependent ferredoxin reductases, was unable to be expressed in a functional form. Mass spectrometric and HPLC analyses confirmed that the flavin cofactor of cindoxin was FMN. Redox potentiometric titrations were performed with cindoxin within the range 6<pH<8; this enabled the quinone/semiquinone (E₁) and semiquinone/hydroquinone (E₂) redox potentials to be determined. Our results show that cindoxin might be somewhat different to other flavodoxins that interact with P450s, in which generally only one couple is important. Both redox states of cindoxin could be catalytically relevant. A catalytically active system was reconstituted in vitro with E. coli flavodoxin reductase (Fpr) acting as the terminal redox partner in the absence of CdR. Our results show that Cdx and Fpr support regio‐ and stereoselective P450_cin‐catalysed cineole oxidation to (1R)‐6β‐hydroxycineole with turnover rates up to 1500 min^?1. This system is tightly coupled with 80 % of NADPH reducing equivalents funnelled into substrate oxidation.     

Copper‐Catalyzed Remote C−H Functionalization of 8‐Aminoquinolines with Sodium and Lithium Sulfinates

A simple and mild copper‐catalyzed sulfonylation of 8‐aminoquinolines with sodium and lithium sulfinates is reported. In the presence of manganese(III) acetate [Mn(OAc)₃] as cooxidant a highly site‐selective C−H functionalization at the C‐5 position takes place. The reaction proceeds readily at room temperature in air and various sulfones were synthesized in moderate to high yields. Moreover, a straightforward procedure for the conversion of organolithium reagents and sulfur dioxide into C‐5 sulfonylated quinolines was developed.

     

Utilizing Terminal Oxidants to Achieve P450‐Catalyzed Oxidation of Methane

Terminal oxidant‐supported P450 reactions alleviate the need for substrate binding to initiate catalysis by chemically generating “compound I.” This allows investigation of the innate substrate range of the enzyme active site. Using iodosylbenzene as the oxidant, CYP153A6, a medium‐chain terminal alkane hydroxylase, exhibits methanol formation in the presence of methane demonstrating that P450‐mediated methane hydroxylation is possible.     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Oxidative Carbonylation of Aromatic C−H Bonds with Alcohols using Molybdenum Hexacarbonyl as the Carbon Monoxide Source

With molybdenum hexacarbonyl as the carbon monoxide source, a general palladium‐catalyzed carbonylative transformation of the C−H bond on aromatic rings to produce esters has been developed. Good yields of the corresponding products have been obtained with wide functional group tolerance and excellent regioselectivity. A variety of aliphatic alcohols are suitable reactants here.

     

Copper‐Catalyzed Cyanomethylation of Substituted Tetrahydroisoquinolines with Acetonitrile

A novel method for the synthesis of cyanomethylated tetrahydroisoquinolines has been developed with mild reaction conditions, good yields and a broad substrate scope. Acetonitrile, a common solvent, is for the first time used as a pronucleophile for this type of two sp³ C−H bonds cross‐dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) reaction. A new oxidative system (CuCl₂/TEMPO/Cs₂CO₃) has been established by our group, in which the mild TEMPO reagent was found to be a highly efficient oxidant.

     

Aliphatic Halogenase Enables Late‐Stage C−H Functionalization: Selective Synthesis of a Brominated Fischerindole Alkaloid with Enhanced Antibacterial Activity

The anion promiscuity of a newly discovered standalone aliphatic halogenase WelO5 was probed and enabled the selective synthesis of 13R‐bromo‐12‐epi‐fischerindole U via late‐stage enzymatic functionalization of an unactivated sp³ C?H bond. Pre‐saturating the WelO5 active site with a non‐native bromide anion was found to be critical to the highly selective in vitro transfer of bromine, instead of chlorine, to the target carbon center and also allowed the relative binding affinity of bromide and chloride towards the WelO5 enzyme to be assessed. This study further revealed the critical importance of halogen substitution on modulating the antibiotic activity of fischerindole alkaloids and highlights the promise of WelO5‐type aliphatic halogenases as enzymatic tools to fine‐tune the bioactivity of complex natural products.     

Product Distributions of Cytochrome P450 OleTJE with Phenyl-Substituted Fatty Acids: A Computational Study

There are two types of cytochrome P450 enzymes in nature, namely, the monooxygenases and the peroxygenases. Both enzyme classes participate in substrate biodegradation or biosynthesis reactions in nature, but the P450 monooxygenases use dioxygen, while the peroxygenases take H₂O₂ in their catalytic cycle instead. By contrast to the P450 monooxygenases, the P450 peroxygenases do not require an external redox partner to deliver electrons during the catalytic cycle, and also no external proton source is needed. Therefore, they are fully self-sufficient, which affords them opportunities in biotechnological applications. One specific P450 peroxygenase, namely, P450 OleT_JE, reacts with long-chain linear fatty acids through oxidative decarboxylation to form hydrocarbons and, as such, has been implicated as a suitable source for the biosynthesis of biofuels. Unfortunately, the reactions were shown to produce a considerable amount of side products originating from C^α and C^β hydroxylation and desaturation. These product distributions were found to be strongly dependent on whether the substrate had substituents on the C^α and/or C^β atoms. To understand the bifurcation pathways of substrate activation by P450 OleT_JE leading to decarboxylation, C^α hydroxylation, C^β hydroxylation and C^α–C^β desaturation, we performed a computational study using 3-phenylpropionate and 2-phenylbutyrate as substrates. We set up large cluster models containing the heme, the substrate and the key features of the substrate binding pocket and calculated (using density functional theory) the pathways leading to the four possible products. This work predicts that the two substrates will react with different reaction rates due to accessibility differences of the substrates to the active oxidant, and, as a consequence, these two substrates will also generate different products. This work explains how the substrate binding pocket of P450 OleT_JE guides a reaction to a chemoselectivity.