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Published on: February 16, 2018
Decarboxylation in Natural Products Biosynthesis
Nguyet A Nguyen1, Jacob H Forstater2, John A McIntosh1
1Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States.
Abstract:
Decarboxylation reactions are frequently found in the biosynthesis of primary and secondary metabolites. Decarboxylase enzymes responsible for these transformations operate via diverse mechanisms and act on a large variety of substrates, making them appealing in terms of biotechnological applications. This Perspective focuses on the occurrence of decarboxylation reactions in natural product biosynthesis and provides a perspective on their applications in biocatalysis for fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
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