The Use of an Altered Specificity Engineered Enzyme for Asymmetric Synthesis: Enantioselective Reduction of 4-Methyl-2-oxopent-3-enoic Acid.

A genetically engineered version of Bacillus stearothermophilus lactate dehydrogenase, incorporating structural motifs which serve to alter substrate specificity in favour of α-keto acids with bulky aliphatic side chains, was used to effect enantioselective reduction of 4-methyl-2-oxopent-3-enoic acid.