A novel ene-reductase from Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942 for the asymmetric reduction of alkenes

Abstract The increasing demand for enantiopure molecules in the pharmaceutical and fine-chemical industry requires the availability of well-characterized and efficient biocatalysts for asymmetric syntheses. Thereby, asymmetric reduction of alkenes represents one of the most employed reactions for the production of chiral molecules. Here, we present a novel ene-reductase from the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942, a member of the old yellow enzyme family, capable of reducing C C bonds in a anti -specific fashion. We evaluated its biocatalytic potential by characterizing the substrate spectrum, cofactor preference, stereoselectivity and biochemical properties. This NADPH-dependent flavoprotein accepted a wide range of activated alkenes and displayed a pH optimum between pH 7.6 and pH 8.6. A C-terminal His 6 -tag decreased the enzyme activity 2.7-fold, but did not influence the stereoselectivity. The reduction of (R)-carvone and 2-methylmaleimide yielded (R)-products with high optical purities (98% de and >99% ee, respectively), pointing out the applicability of this new biocatalyst in the stereoselective production of chiral compounds.