Identification of MsrA homologues for the preparation of (R)-sulfoxides at high substrate concentrations

Org Biomol Chem. 2019 Mar 27;17(13):3381-3388. doi: 10.1039/c9ob00384c.

Abstract

Here we report a methionine sulfoxide reductase A (MsrA) homologue with extremely high substrate tolerance and a wide substrate scope for the biocatalytic preparation of enantiopure sulfoxides. This MsrA homologue which was obtained from Pseudomonas alcaliphila (named paMsrA) showed good activity and enantioselectivity towards a series of aryl methyl/ethyl sulfoxides 1a-1k, with electron-withdrawing or electron-donating substituents at the aromatic ring. Chiral sulfoxides in the R configuration were prepared with approximately 50% of yield and up to 99% enantiomeric excess through the asymmetric reductive resolution of racemic sulfoxide catalyzed by the recombinant paMsrA protein. More importantly, kinetic resolution has been successfully accomplished with high enantioselectivity (E > 200) at initial substrate concentrations up to 320 mM (approximately 45 g L-1), which represents a great improvement in the aspect of the substrate concentration for the biocatalytic preparation of chiral sulfoxides.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Kinetics
  • Methionine Sulfoxide Reductases / analysis*
  • Methionine Sulfoxide Reductases / metabolism
  • Molecular Structure
  • Pseudomonas / enzymology
  • Sulfoxides / chemistry
  • Sulfoxides / metabolism*

Substances

  • Sulfoxides
  • Methionine Sulfoxide Reductases