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A variant of Candida antarctica lipase A (CalA) was developed for the hydrolysis of alpha-substituted p-nitrophenyl esters by directed evolution. The E values of this variant for 7 different esters was 45-276, which is a large improvement compared to 2-20 for the wild type. The broad substrate scope of this enzyme variant is of synthetic use, and hydrolysis of the tested substrates proceeded with an enantiomeric excess between 95-99%. A 30-fold increase in activity was also observed for most substrates. The developed enzyme variant shows (R)-selectivity, which is reversed compared to the wild type that is (S)-selective for most substrates.

A highly combinatorial structure-based protein engineering method for obtaining enantioselectivity is reported that results in a thorough modification of the substrate binding pocket of Candida antarctica lipase A (CALA). Nine amino acid residues surrounding the entire pocket were simultaneously mutated, contributing to a reshaping of the substrate pocket to give increased enantioselectivity and activity for a sterically demanding substrate. This approach seems to be powerful for developing enantio-selectivity when a complete reshaping of the active site is required. Screening toward ibuprofen ester 1, a substrate for which previously used methods had failed, gave variants with a significantly increased enantioselectivity and activity. Wild-type CALA has a moderate activity with an if value of only 3.4 toward this substrate. The best variant had an E value of 100 and it also displayed a high activity. The variation at each mutated position was highly reduced, comprising only the wild type and an alternative residue, preferably a smaller one with similar properties. These minimal binary variations allow for an extremely condensed protein library. With this highly combinatorial method synergistic effects are accounted for and the protein fitness landscape is explored efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]