Imine reductases are nicotinamide-dependent enzymes that catalyze the asymmetric reduction of various imines to the corresponding amine products. Owing to the increasing roles of chiral amines and heterocyclic compounds as intermediates for pharmaceuticals, the demand for novel selective synthesis strategies is vitally important. Recent studies have demonstrated the discovery and structural characterization of a number of stereoselective imine reductase enzymes. Here, we highlight recent progress in applying imine reductases for the formation of chiral amines and heterocycles. It particularly focuses on the utilization of imine reductases in reductive aminations of aldehydes and ketones with various amine nucleophiles, one of the most powerful reactions in the synthesis of chiral amines. Second, we report on the synthesis of saturated substituted N-heterocycles by combining them with further biocatalysts, such as carboxylic acid reductases, oxidases or transaminases. Finally, we summarize the latest applications of imine reductases in the promiscuous asymmetric hydrogenation of a highly reactive carbonyl compound and the engineering of the cofactor specificity from NADPH to NADH.
Keywords: Cascade reaction; Cofactor specificity; Engineering; Imine reductases; N-Heterocycles; Reductive amination.