The enzymatic synthesis of isotopically labelled penicillin Ns with isopenicillin N synthase

Article abstract of DOI:10.1002/(SICI)1099-1344(199812)41:12<1145::AID-JLCR159>3.0.CO;2-2

The preparation of isotopically labelled penicillin Ns using a chemico-enzymatic approach is described. This route involves the chemical synthesis of variously labelled D,L,D,-aminoadipoyl-cysteinyl-valine tripeptides via well established facile protocols and concludes with the conversion of these tripeptides directly into penicillin Ns by the action of recombinant isopenicillin N synthase. Milligram quantities of isotopically labelled penicillin Ns, which would otherwise represent very challenging and expensive synthetic targets, are readily accessible from this route.