Recent trends and novel concepts in cofactor-dependent biotransformations

Area of Science:

• Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering
• Green Chemistry and Sustainable Synthesis

Background:

• Cofactor-dependent enzymes are vital for diverse synthetic transformations.
• Cofactor requirements present economic and practical hurdles in biocatalysis.
• Extensive research has focused on in situ regeneration of key cofactors, notably NADH and NADPH.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the state-of-the-art in cofactor regeneration for biocatalysis.
• To highlight advancements in developing more efficient and sustainable regeneration methods.
• To explore novel applications of cofactor dependence in enzyme engineering and cascade systems.

Main Methods:

• Review of established and emerging in situ cofactor regeneration strategies.
• Analysis of oxidoreductase applications in industrial-scale biocatalysis.
• Discussion of enzyme engineering approaches for novel cofactor reactivity and cascade integration.

Main Results:

• A wide array of cofactor regeneration options are available, enabling routine industrial use of oxidoreductases.
• Continued development focuses on improving atom economy, simplifying reaction setups, and increasing productivities.
• Cofactor engineering and multi-enzyme cascades offer new avenues for redox biotransformations.

Conclusions:

• Efficient cofactor regeneration is key to overcoming limitations in biocatalysis.
• Novel strategies like enzyme engineering and cascade systems expand the utility of cofactor-dependent enzymes.
• These advancements solidify cofactor-dependent biotransformations as a powerful tool for synthesizing complex molecules.