High level and enantioselective production of L-phenylglycine from racemic mandelic acid by engineered Escherichia coli using response surface methodology

Publication date: Available online 18 January 2020Source: Enzyme and Microbial TechnologyAuthor(s): Cun-Duo Tang, Hong-Ling Shi, Yuan-Yuan Jia, Xiang Li, Lin-Feng Wang, Jian-He Xu, Lun-Guang Yao, Yun-Chao KanAbstractL-Phenylglycine (L-PHG) is a member of unnatural amino acids, and becoming more and more important as intermediate for pharmaceuticals, food additives and agrochemicals. However, the existing synthetic methods for L-PHG mainly rely on toxic cyanide chemistry and multistep processes. To provide green, safe and high enantioselective alternatives, we envisaged cascade biocatalysis for the one-pot synthesis of L-PHG from racemic mandelic acid. A engineered E. coli strain was established to co-express mandelate racemase, D-mandelate dehydrogenase and L-leucine dehydrogenase and catalyze a 3-step reaction in one pot, enantioselectively transforming racemic mandelic acid to give L-PHG (e.e.>99%). After the conditions for biosynthesis of L-PHG optimized by response surface methodology, the yield and space-time yield of L-PHG can reach 87.89% and 79.70 g·L-1·d-1, which was obviously improved. The high-yielding and enantioselective synthetic methods use cheap and green reagents, and E. coli whole-cell catalysts, thus providing green and useful alternative methods for manufacturing L-PHG.Graphical abstract
Source: Enzyme and Microbial Technology - Category: Biotechnology Source Type: research