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A novel enzymatic production system of optically pure β-hydroxy α-amino acids was developed. Two enzymes were used for the system: an N-succinyl L-amino acid β-hydroxylase (SadA) belonging to the iron(II)/α-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase superfamily and an N-succinyl L-amino acid desuccinylase (LasA). The genes encoding the two enzymes are part of a gene set responsible for the biosynthesis of peptidyl compounds found in the Burkholderia ambifaria AMMD genome. SadA stereoselectively hydroxylated several N-succinyl aliphatic L-amino acids and produced N-succinyl β-hydroxy L-amino acids, such as N-succinyl- L-β-hydroxyvaline, N-succinyl- L-threonine, (2 S,3 R)- N-succinyl- L-β-hydroxyisoleucine, and N-succinyl- L- threo-β-hydroxyleucine. LasA catalyzed the desuccinylation of various N-succinyl- L-amino acids. Surprisingly, LasA is the first amide bond-forming enzyme belonging to the amidohydrolase superfamily, and has succinylation activity towards the amino group of L-leucine. By combining SadA and LasA in a preparative scale production using N-succinyl- L-leucine as substrate, 2.3 mmol of L- threo-β-hydroxyleucine were successfully produced with 93% conversion and over 99% of diastereomeric excess. Consequently, the new production system described in this study has advantages in optical purity and reaction efficiency for application in the mass production of several β-hydroxy α-amino acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel dioxygenase from Burkholderia ambifaria AMMD (SadA) stereoselectively catalyzes the C3-hydroxylation of N-substituted branched-chain or aromatic L-amino acids, especially N-succinyl-L-leucine, coupled with the conversion of α-ketoglutarate to succinate and CO2. To elucidate the structural basis of the substrate specificity and stereoselective hydroxylation, we determined the crystal structures of the SadA.Zn(II) and SadA.Zn(II).α-KG complexes at 1.77 Å and 1.98 Å resolutions, respectively. SadA adopted a double-stranded β-helix fold at the core of the structure. In addition, an HXD/EXnH motif in the active site coordinated a Zn(II) as a substitute for Fe(II). The α-KG molecule also coordinated Zn(II) in a bidentate manner via its 1-carboxylate and 2-oxo groups. Based on the SadA.Zn(II).α-KG structure and mutation analyses, we constructed substrate-binding models with N-succinyl-L-leucine and N-succinyl-L-phenylalanine, which provided new insight into the substrate specificity. The results will be useful for the rational design of SadA variants aimed at the recognition of various N-succinyl L-amino acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The front cover picture, provided by Makoto Hibi, Jun Ogawa et al., depicts Fe(II)/α ‐ ketoglutarate (αKG) ‐ dependent dioxygenases, which are hydroxylation biocatalysts catalyzing highly selective monooxygenation available to industrial applications. Recently, a great number of Fe(II)/αKG ‐ dependent dioxygenases with a variety of functions has been found in the genome database, and collected into a biocatalyst library. One of these enzymes, N ‐ succinyl L ‐ amino acid β ‐ hydroxylase, was applied to an enzymatic cascade system together with N ‐ succinyl L ‐ amino acid desuccinylase for the production of optically pure β ‐ hydroxy α ‐ amino acids. Details can be found in the full paper on pages 767 – 774 (M. Hibi, T. Kasahara, T. Kawashima, H. Yajima, S. Kozono, S. V. Smirnov, T. Kodera, M. Sugiyama, S. Shimizu, K. Yokozeki, and J. Ogawa, Adv. Synth. Catal. 2015, 357, 767 – 774; DOI: 10.1002/adsc.201400672). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel dioxygenase from Burkholderia ambifaria AMMD (SadA) stereoselectively catalyzes the C3-hydroxylation of N-substituted branched-chain or aromatic L-amino acids, especially N-succinyl-L-leucine, coupled with the conversion of α-ketoglutarate to succinate and CO2. To elucidate the structural basis of the substrate specificity and stereoselective hydroxylation, we determined the crystal structures of the SadA.Zn(II) and SadA.Zn(II).α-KG complexes at 1.77 Å and 1.98 Å resolutions, respectively. SadA adopted a double-stranded β-helix fold at the core of the structure. In addition, an HXD/EXnH motif in the active site coordinated a Zn(II) as a substitute for Fe(II). The α-KG molecule also coordinated Zn(II) in a bidentate manner via its 1-carboxylate and 2-oxo groups. Based on the SadA.Zn(II).α-KG structure and mutation analyses, we constructed substrate-binding models with N-succinyl-L-leucine and N-succinyl-L-phenylalanine, which provided new insight into the substrate specificity. The results will be useful for the rational design of SadA variants aimed at the recognition of various N-succinyl L-amino acids.

The electrochemical instability has been shown to appear in the transfer of cationic surfactant ions across the 1,2-dichloroethane/water interface. Cyclic voltammograms possess all fundamental characteristics that are predicted by the theory of electrochemical instability: the presence of the instability window, that is, the potential range where the interface becomes unstable, the location of the instability window around the standard ion transfer potential of surface-active ions, and the dependence of the width of the instability window on the concentration of the surfactant ions. Electrocapillary measurements clearly demonstrate that the interface becomes unstable, while the interfacial tension is positive, being higher than 20 mN m(-1). The electrocapillary curve exhibits the discontinuities at both ends of the instability window, indicating the similarity between the electrochemical instability and the phase transitions induced by the temperature, pressure, and chemical potential. The results from voltammetry and interfacial tension measurements for cationic surfactants support the idea that the electrochemical instability, so far reported in the transfer of anionic surfactants across the liquid/liquid interface, is one of intrinsic properties of the two-phase systems where the partition of surface-active ions takes place.