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Updated: Aug 8, 2026

Enzymatic Cascade Reactions for the Synthesis of Chiral Amino Alcohols from L-lysine
Published on: February 16, 2018
Biotransformation of beta-ketosulfides to produce chiral beta-hydroxysulfoxides
H L Holland1, F M Brown, F Barrett
1Department of Chemistry, Brock University, ON L2S 3A1, St. Catharines, Canada. holland@chemiris.labs.brocku.ca
Abstract:
The biotransformations of a series of substituted phenylthio-2-propanone and benzylthio-2-propanone were carried out using Helminthosporium sp. NRRL 4671, Mortierella isabellina ATCC 42613, or Rhodococcus erythropolis IGTS8. Several products gave microbial oxidation of sulfide to sulfoxide and reduction of carbonyl to secondary alcohol, producing beta-hydroxysulfoxides in medium to high enantiomeric and diastereomeric purities. Fungal biotransformations using Helminthosporium sp. and M. isabellina resulted in the opposite sulfoxide configurations of various beta-hydroxysulfoxide products.
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