Full Papers
cient l-6-bromotryptophan. As expected, l-5-bromotryptophan
showed the lowest conversions and yields, probably because
of the relatively high electron density at the carbonÀhalide
bond.
Molecular cloning of pyrH and thal
PyrH (Uniprot ID: A4D0H5) and thal (Uniprot ID: A1E280) genes
were synthesized codon-optimized for E. coli from GeneArt Tech-
nologies (Invitrogen) and subcloned into the pET28a vector using
NdeI and BamHI restriction sites with standard molecular cloning
procedures.
Conclusions
RP-HPLC
Although the biocatalytic reductions of ketones and hydrolysis
of racemic mixtures are established nowadays as an inherent
part of organic synthesis, halogenation reactions are per-
formed predominantly using chemical approaches. To the best
of our knowledge, our findings represent the first example of
Reactions were monitored by using RP-HPLC by using a Thermo
Scientific Accela 600 equipped with a Thermo Scientific Hypersil
GOLD 3 mm column (C18, 1502.1 mm, eluent A H2O/CH3CN/tri-
fluoroacetic acid (TFA)=95:5:0.1, eluent B H2O/CH3CN/TFA=
5:95:0.1, flow rate 0.7 mLminÀ1 using a linear gradient from 0–
100% B over 5 min).
a
consecutive biocatalytic halogenation–chemocatalytic
Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling combination in a one-pot ap-
proach on a preparative scale. With the modular reaction cas-
cade presented here, a bromine substituent is introduced bio-
catalytically at the C5-, C6-, or C7-position of tryptophan,
which depends on the FAD-dependent halogenase employed.
The CLEA methodology is suitable not only for the Trp-7 halo-
genase RebH but also for the Trp-5 halogenase PyrH and the
Trp-6 halogenase Thal on a preparative scale with comparable
yields. After the separation of the immobilized biocatalyst by
filtration, the bromine substituent can be displaced subse-
quently in Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reactions by the ad-
dition of base, boronic acid, and Pd catalyst to the reaction so-
lution. The resulting cross-coupling product can either be iso-
lated after neutralization in the zwitterionic form or trans-
formed in a third one-pot step to an Na-Boc-protected amino
acid that may be used directly for further (peptide) synthesis.
Depending on the electronic properties of the boronic acid,
this easily scalable reaction gives rise to 18 different trypto-
phan derivatives in good yields over three steps with only one
final purification step. These amino acids form interesting
building blocks for the synthesis of peptides and peptidomi-
metics that are otherwise chemically accessible only through
laborious multistep reactions. The cross-coupling product can
be extracted from the aqueous phase. As a result, only NaBr,
2-propanol, and Boc-anhydride are required in excess, and the
boronic acid can be used in stoichiometric amounts; cofactors
and the Pd catalyst are only used catalytically. In addition, sol-
vent- and time-consuming purification steps are minimized be-
cause of the one-pot approach, which underlines the sustaina-
bility of the presented process towards arylated tryptophan
derivatives. As much effort has been put into the expansion of
the substrate scope of tryptophan halogenases by means of
directed evolution with promising results,[24–26] the one-pot en-
zymatic halogenation–Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling method-
ology could also be applied to other non-tryptophan aryl
halides.[19]
For preparative HPLC purification, a LaChrom System (Merck Hita-
chi) equipped with a Phenomenex Jupiter column (10 mm, C18,
300 , 25021.1 mm, eluent A H2O/CH3CN/TFA=95:5:0.1, eluent B
H2O/CH3CN/TFA=5:95:0.1, flow rate 10 mLminÀ1) was used. For
Na-unprotected amino acids, the eluents without TFA were used to
obtain the zwitterionic form after purification.
ESI-MS
ESI/atmospheric-pressure chemical ionization (APCI) mass spectra
were recorded by using an Esquire 3000 ion trap mass spectrome-
ter (Bruker Daltonik GmbH, Bremen, Germany) equipped with
a standard ESI/APCI source. Samples were introduced directly by
using a syringe pump. Nitrogen served both as the nebulizer gas
and the dry gas. Nitrogen was generated by using a Bruker nitro-
gen generator NGM 11. Helium served as cooling gas for the ion
trap and collision gas for MSn experiments.
HRMS was recorded by using a MicroToF mass spectrometer
(Bruker Daltonics, Bremen) with sample-loop injection. Mass cali-
bration was performed immediately before measurement with
sodium formate cluster and quasi-internal calibration.
NMR spectroscopy
NMR spectra were recorded by using a Bruker DRX-500 (1H:
500 MHz, 13C: 126 MHz) spectrometer at 298 K, and chemical shifts
are reported relative to residual solvent peaks ([D6]DMSO: 1H:
2.50 ppm, 13C: 39.52 ppm).
General procedure of the three-step one-pot reaction (enzy-
matic halogenation–Suzuki cross coupling–Boc protection)
The biocatalytic halogenation using combiCLEAs was described in
detail previously.[20] E. coli lysate (30 mL) from 1.5 L of culture that
contained the overexpressed halogenase supplemented with 75 U
flavin reductase PrnF and 50 U alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) from
Rhodococcus sp. was precipitated by the addition of ammonium
sulfate (95% saturation) for 1 h at 48C. Glutaraldehyde was added
as a cross-linker (final concentration for RebH 0.5%, Thal 1%, PyrH
1.25%) to the solution and incubated for 2 h at 48C. The resulting
combiCLEAs were washed three times with Na2HPO4 (50 mL,
100 mm), stored overnight at 48C, and resuspended the next day
in the reaction solution that contained l-tryptophan (1 mm), NaBr
(30 mm), NAD+ (0.1 mm), FAD (1 mm), 2-propanol (5% v/v), and
Na2HPO4 (15 mm) at pH 7.4 adjusted with H3PO4. The reaction pro-
Experimental Section
Unless otherwise noted, all chemicals were obtained from commer-
cial suppliers as specified for analytical applications (p.a.).
ChemCatChem 2016, 8, 1799 – 1803
1802
ꢀ 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim