17434-04-7Relevant articles and documents
Facile one-pot synthesis of tetrahydroisoquinolines from amino acids via hypochlorite-mediated decarboxylation and Pictet-Spengler condensation
Maresh, Justin J.,Crowe, Sean O.,Ralko, Arthur A.,Aparece, Mark D.,Murphy, Casey M.,Krzeszowiec, Mark,Mullowney, Michael W.
, p. 5047 - 5051 (2014)
A convenient method for oxidative decarboxylation of α-amino acids is presented. The aldehyde products may be isolated or converted to tetrahydroisoquinolines by addition of dopamine via Pictet-Spengler reaction. Racemic products are generated by phosphate buffer >300 mM to maximize regioselectivity. (S)-Enantiomer products are generated by norcoclaurine synthase reaction in maleic acid buffer to minimize chemical background reaction.
Design and Use of de novo Cascades for the Biosynthesis of New Benzylisoquinoline Alkaloids
Wang, Yu,Tappertzhofen, Nadine,Méndez-Sánchez, Daniel,Bawn, Maria,Lyu, Boyu,Ward, John M.,Hailes, Helen C.
, p. 10120 - 10125 (2019/06/27)
The benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs) are an important group of secondary metabolites from higher plants and have been reported to show significant biological activities. The production of BIAs through synthetic biology approaches provides a higher-yielding strategy than traditional synthetic methods or isolation from plant material. However, the reconstruction of BIA pathways in microorganisms by combining heterologous enzymes can also give access to BIAs through cascade reactions. Most importantly, non-natural BIAs can be generated through such artificial pathways. In the current study, we describe the use of tyrosinases and decarboxylases and combine these with a transaminase enzyme and norcoclaurine synthase for the efficient synthesis of several BIAs, including six non-natural alkaloids, in cascades from l-tyrosine and analogues.
Asymmetric synthesis of tetrahydroisoquinolines by enzymatic Pictet-Spengler reaction
Nishihachijo, Masakatsu,Hirai, Yoshinori,Kawano, Shigeru,Nishiyama, Akira,Minami, Hiromichi,Katayama, Takane,Yasohara, Yoshihiko,Sato, Fumihiko,Kumagai, Hidehiko
, p. 701 - 707 (2015/07/20)
Norcoclaurine synthase (NCS) catalyzes the stereo-selective Pictet-Spengler reaction between dopamine and 4-hydroxyphenylacetaldehyde as the first step of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid synthesis in plants. Recent studies suggested that NCS shows relatively relaxed substrate specificity toward aldehydes, and thus, the enzyme can serve as a tool to synthesize unnatural, optically active tetrahydroisoquinolines. In this study, using an N-terminally truncated NCS from Coptis japonica expressed in Escherichia coli, we examined the aldehyde substrate specificity of the enzyme. Herein, we demonstrate the versatility of the enzyme by synthesizing 6,7-dihydroxy-1-phenethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline and 6,7-dihydroxy-1-propyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline in molar yields of 86.0 and 99.6% and in enantiomer excess of 95.3 and 98.0%, respectively. The results revealed the enzyme is a promising catalyst that functions to stereoselectively produce various 1-substituted-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines.