Protoglobin-Catalyzed Formation of cis-Trifluoromethyl-Substituted Cyclopropanes by Carbene Transfer

Trifluoromethyl-substituted cyclopropanes (CF₃ -CPAs) constitute an important class of compounds for drug discovery. While several methods have been developed for synthesis of trans-CF₃ -CPAs, stereoselective production of corresponding cis-diastereomers remains a formidable challenge. We report a biocatalyst for diastereo- and enantio-selective synthesis of cis-CF₃ -CPAs with activity on a variety of alkenes. We found that an engineered protoglobin from Aeropyrnum pernix (ApePgb) can catalyze this unusual reaction at preparative scale with low-to-excellent yield (6-55 %) and enantioselectivity (17-99 % ee), depending on the substrate. Computational studies revealed that the steric environment in the active site of the protoglobin forced iron-carbenoid and substrates to adopt a pro-cis near-attack conformation. This work demonstrates the capability of enzyme catalysts to tackle challenging chemistry problems and provides a powerful means to expand the structural diversity of CF₃ -CPAs for drug discovery.