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The relative activities of BCAT towards 1,
4-methyl-2-oxovaleric acid (keto form of Leu) and
3-methyl-2-oxobutyric acid (keto form of Val) were
examined with 10 mM L-Glu with 10 mM α-keto
acid (substrate). The enzyme activity towards 1 was
57% and 145% of that towards 3-methyl-2-oxobu-
tyric acid and 4-methyl-2-oxovaleric acid, respec-
tively.The specific activity of the purified BCAT was
18 U mg–1 in the presence of 10 mM 1 and 10 mM
L-Glu at 25°C.The enzyme showed its highest activ-
ity at pH 7.5 (data not shown). For kinetic analysis,
the initial reaction rates were analysed with various
concentrations of 1 (0–15 mM) in the presence of
10 mM L-Glu. The apparent Km and kcat for 1 were
2.6 mM and 9.6 s–1, respectively. When asymmetric
synthesis was carried out with 10 mM 1, 10 mM
L-Glu and BCAT (0.5 U mL–1) in 1 mL of 100 mM
phosphate buffer (pH 7.5) at 37°C, 4.6 mM L-2
(Ͼ99% ee) was produced, which matches the
reported result that the equilibrium constant of ami-
notransferase is close to unity (Taylor et al. 1998).
inhibition by L-Glu was not observed up to a concen-
tration of 200 mM. In the case of 1, the reaction rate
increased as the concentration of 1 was increased up
to 20 mM. However, when the concentration of 1
exceeded 20 mM, the reaction rate decreased, and
the reaction rate at 200 mM 1 was 55% that of 20
mM 1. Further, product inhibition by 2-ketoglutarate
was examined with 20 mM L-Glu and 20 mM 1.The
enzyme lost 83% of its activity in the presence of 10
mM 2-ketoglutarate. Product inhibition of BCAT by
2-ketoglutarate has previously been reported (Hong
et al. 2010, Taylor et al. 1998).
These results indicate that continuous removal of
2-ketoglutarate could improve the production of L-2
by BCAT. Asymmetric syntheses were carried out
with different amounts of BCAT (1.0 or 2.5 U mL–1)
in 1 mL of 100 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.5) con-
taining 50 (or 100 or 200) mM 1, and 100 (or 200)
mM L-Glu for 24 h. In all cases, the amount of L-2
produced (Ͼ99% ee) did not exceed 25 mM.
Asymmetric synthesis of L-2 using a coupled system
Asymmetric synthesis of L-2 with only BCAT
To overcome product inhibition of BCAT by 2-ke-
toglutarate, AspAT was coupled with BCAT. The
produced 2-ketoglutarate is converted back to L-Glu
using L-Asp as the amino donor by AspAT, then
spontaneous decarboxylation of oxaloacetate forms
pyruvate. Thus, AspAT drives the reaction beyond
equilibrium (Taylor et al. 1998). PDC, which can
further shift the equilibrium of the reaction, was also
introduced into the BCAT/AspAT coupled reaction
(Figure 1). PDC performs the non-oxidative thia-
mindiphosphate-mediated decarboxylation of pyru-
vate to acetaldehyde (Yun & Kim 2008). AspAT and
PDC genes were cloned into pET22b(ϩ) (Novagene,
USA) and vector pET24ma, respectively, and effec-
tively expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) (Figure 4A).
The AspAT and the PDC activity of each of the
crude extracts of recombinant E. coli were found to
be 35 and 8.5 U mg–1, respectively. Each crude
extract was directly used for the coupling reaction
without further purification.
When the asymmetric synthesis was carried out
in 100 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.5) with 100 mM
1, 100 mM L-Glu and BCAT (1.5 U mL–1), 22.5
mM L-2 (Ͼ99% ee) was produced after 24 h (the
conversion of 1 reached a plateau after 4-h reaction)
(Figure 4B).The BCAT/AspAT and BCAT/AspAT/
PDC coupling reaction produced 65 and 88 mM L-2
(Ͼ99% ee) after 24 h, respectively (Figure 4B).The
BCAT/AspAT/PDC coupling reaction gave about
3.9-fold higher yield than the BCAT reaction, as well
as 1.4-fold higher yield than the BCAT/AspAT cou-
pling reaction. It is notable that pyruvate itself did
not have any inhibitory effect on the BCAT reaction
Since the aminotransferase reaction is greatly influ-
enced by the product and substrate concentrations,
product and substrate inhibition of BCAT was exam-
ined (Figure 3). To measure substrate inhibition by
L-Glu and 1, the initial reaction rates were analysed
under the conditions described in Figure 3. Substrate
100
80
60
40
20
0
0
0
50
100
150
200
10
L-Glu or 2-keto-6-hydroxyhexanoic acid (mM)
2
4
6
8
2-Ketoglutarate (mM)
Figure 3. Substrate and product inhibition of BCAT.The reaction
was carried out with 1 mL of 100 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.5)
containing BCAT (0.05 U mL–1) at 37°C. Substrate inhibition by
L-Glu ( ), reaction conditions: 20 mM 1, L-Glu (0–200 mM);
°
substrate inhibition by 1 (•), reaction conditions: 20 mM L-Glu
and 1 (0–200 mM); product inhibition by 2-ketoglutarate (Δ),
reaction conditions: 20 mM 1, 20 mM L-Glu and 2-ketoglutarate
(0–10 mM).