Carboxyl Methyltransferase Catalysed Formation of Mono- and Dimethyl Esters under Aqueous Conditions: Application in Cascade Biocatalysis



Ward, Lucy C, McCue, Hannah V, Rigden, Daniel J ORCID: 0000-0002-7565-8937, Kershaw, Neil M, Ashbrook, Chloe, Hatton, Harry, Goulding, Ellie, Johnson, James R and Carnell, Andrew J ORCID: 0000-0002-6353-403X
(2022) Carboxyl Methyltransferase Catalysed Formation of Mono- and Dimethyl Esters under Aqueous Conditions: Application in Cascade Biocatalysis. ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION, 61 (14). e202117324-.

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Abstract

Carboxyl methyltransferase (CMT) enzymes catalyse the biomethylation of carboxylic acids under aqueous conditions and have potential for use in synthetic enzyme cascades. Herein we report that the enzyme FtpM from Aspergillus fumigatus can methylate a broad range of aromatic mono- and dicarboxylic acids in good to excellent conversions. The enzyme shows high regioselectivity on its natural substrate fumaryl-l-tyrosine, trans, trans-muconic acid and a number of the dicarboxylic acids tested. Dicarboxylic acids are generally better substrates than monocarboxylic acids, although some substituents are able to compensate for the absence of a second acid group. For dicarboxylic acids, the second methylation shows strong pH dependency with an optimum at pH 5.5-6. Potential for application in industrial biotechnology was demonstrated in a cascade for the production of a bioplastics precursor (FDME) from bioderived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF).

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Biocatalysis, Carboxylic Acids, Cascades, Enzymes, Methyltransferase
Divisions: Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology
Faculty of Science and Engineering > School of Physical Sciences
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 24 Feb 2022 14:55
Last Modified: 18 Jan 2023 21:11
DOI: 10.1002/anie.202117324
Open Access URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202117324
Related URLs:
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3149606