Transaminase-Mediated Amine Borrowing via Shuttle Biocatalysis

Area of Science:

• Biocatalysis and Organic Chemistry
• Enzyme Engineering
• Sustainable Chemistry

Background:

• Shuttle catalysis facilitates reversible functional group transfer (e.g., CO, HCN), extending beyond hydrogenation.
• Biocatalytic hydrogen borrowing is established, but borrowing other functional groups remains unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and demonstrate the novel concept of amine borrowing using biocatalytic shuttle catalysis.
• To enable efficient intermolecular amine transfer and *in situ* generation of reactive intermediates.
• To achieve high product conversion by coupling amine borrowing with downstream irreversible reactions.

Main Methods:

• Development of a biocatalytic shuttle system for amine borrowing.
• Integration of amine borrowing with irreversible downstream reactions (e.g., Knorr-pyrrole synthesis, Pictet-Spengler reaction).
• Utilizing enzymes to catalyze the dynamic exchange of amine groups.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated efficient intermolecular amine shuttling, a novel biocatalytic approach.
• Successfully generated reactive intermediates *in situ* through amine borrowing.
• Achieved high conversion rates in biocatalytic equivalents of Knorr-pyrrole and Pictet-Spengler reactions.

Conclusions:

• Amine borrowing via biocatalytic shuttle catalysis is a new and powerful methodology.
• This approach offers a unique alternative to chemo-shuttle catalysis for amine transfer.
• The methodology holds significant potential for synthesizing complex molecules efficiently and sustainably.