A study towards efficient L-threonine aldolase-catalyzed enantio- and diastereoselective aldol reactions of glycine with substituted benzaldehydes: biocatalyst production and process development

Baer K, Dückers N, Rosenbaum T, et al. A study towards efficient L-threonine aldolase-catalyzed enantio- and diastereoselective aldol reactions of glycine with substituted benzaldehydes: biocatalyst production and process development. Tetrahedron Asymmetry. 2011;22(9):925-928.The development of aldol reactions of glycine with substituted benzaldehydes in the presence of recombinant L-threonine aldolases from Escherichia coil or Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which were obtained with excellent overexpression data, has been carried out. When using glycine and ortho-chlorobenzaldehyde, a high conversion of >95%, an enantioselectivity of >99% ee, and a diastereoselectivity with d.r.(syn/anti) = 80:20 was obtained for the resulting beta-hydroxy alpha-amino acid in such a biotransformation. It should be noted that this enzymatic process can be conducted at an elevated substrate concentration of 250 mM. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved