One-pot synthesis of (R)- and (S)-phenylglycinol from bio-based l-phenylalanine by an artificial biocatalytic cascade

Abstract Chiral phenylglycinol is a very important chemical in the pharmaceutical manufacturing. Current methods for synthesis of chiral often suffered from unsatisfied selectivity, low product yield and using non-renewable resourced substrates, then remain grand challenge. Design construction synthetic microbial consortia promising strategy to convert bio-based materials into high value-added compounds. In this study, we reported six-step artificial cascade biocatalysis system conversion l -phenylalanine phenylglycinol. This was designed consortium including two engineered recombinant Escherichia coli cell modules, one E. module co-expressed six different enzymes (phenylalanine ammonia lyase/ferulic acid decarboxylase/phenylacrylic decarboxylase/styrene monooxygenase/epoxide hydrolase/alcohol dehydrogenase) efficient 2-hydroxyacetophenone. The second expressed an ( R )-?-transaminase or S )-?-transaminase, alanine dehydrogenase glucose 2-hydroxyacetophenone )- )-phenylglycinol, respectively. Combining E . after optimization bioconversion conditions (including pH, temperature, concentration, amine donor concentration ratio), could be easily converted )-phenylglycinol with up 99% > ee Preparative scale biotransformation also conducted on 100-mL scale, obtained 71.0% 80.5% yields, , 5.19 g/L d 4.42 productivity, salient features biocatalytic are good excellent mild reaction condition no need additional cofactor (NADH/NAD + ), provide practical method sustainable L-phenylalanine.