Preparative Biocatalytic Synthesis of α-Ketomethylselenobutyrate-A Putative Agent for Cancer Therapy

Molecules. 2023 Aug 22;28(17):6178. doi: 10.3390/molecules28176178.

Abstract

Biomedical studies of the role of organic selenium compounds indicate that the amino acid derivative of L-selenomethionine, α-ketomethylselenobutyrate (KMSB), can be considered a potential anticancer therapeutic agent. It was noted that, in addition to a direct effect on redox signaling molecules, α-ketoacid metabolites of organoselenium compounds are able to change the status of histone acetylation and suppress the activity of histone deacetylases in cancer cells. However, the wide use of KMSB in biomedical research is hindered not only by its commercial unavailability, but also by the fact that there is no detailed information in the literature on possible methods for the synthesis of this compound. This paper describes in detail the procedure for obtaining a high-purity KMSB preparation (purity ≥ 99.3%) with a yield of the target product of more than 67%. L-amino acid oxidase obtained from C. adamanteus was used as a catalyst for the conversion of L-selenomethionine to KMSB. If necessary, this method can be used as a basis both for scaling up the synthesis of KMSB and for developing cost-effective biocatalytic technologies for obtaining other highly purified drugs.

Keywords: L-amino acid oxidase; cancer therapy; histone deacetylase inhibition; organoselenium compounds; preparative biocatalytic synthesis; α-ketomethylselenobutyrate.

MeSH terms

  • Acetylation
  • Antioxidants
  • Biocatalysis
  • Biomedical Research*
  • Neoplasms* / drug therapy
  • Selenomethionine

Substances

  • Selenomethionine
  • Antioxidants

Grants and funding

The research was funded by the Federal Medical Biological Agency (FMBA) of the Russian Federation awarded to the Centre for Strategic Planning of FMBA. The State Assignment number is 388–00102-20-01.