In this paper, we report the amidase-catalyzed hydrolysis of pyrrolidine-2,5-dicarboxamides and their application in organic synthesis. Catalyzed by Rhodococcus erythropolis AJ270, an amidase containing microbial whole cell catalyst, racemic trans-pyrrolidine-2,5-carboxamide was kinetically resolved into (2S,5S)-pyrrolidine-2,5-dicarboxamide and (2R,5R)-5-carbamoylpyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acid in high yields and excellent enantioselectivity. Biocatalytic desymmetrization of meso cis-pyrrolidinedicarboxamide afforded enantiomerically pure (2R,5S)-5-carbamoylpyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acid in an almost quantitative yield. In both kinetic resolution and desymmetrization, the amidase always exhibited excellent 2R-enantioselectivity, although its catalytic efficiency was influenced dramatically by the steric effect of the substituent on the nitrogen atom of pyrrolidine ring. The synthetic potential of biotransformation was demonstrated by the scalable preparation of (2R,5R)- and (2R,5S)-5-carbamoylpyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acids and their conversions to aza-nucleoside analogues and druglike pyrroline-fused diazepin-11(5H)-one compounds.
© 2012 American Chemical Society