Biocatalytic desymmetrization of 3-substituted glutaronitriles by nitrilases. A convenient chemoenzymatic access to optically active (S)-Pregabalin and (R)-Baclofen
prochiral 3-substituted glutaronitriles offers a new approach to access (S)-Pregabalin and (R)-Baclofen. A number of nitrilases from diverse sources were screened with 3-isobutylglutaronitriles (1a) or 3-(4′-chlorophenyl)glutaronitriles (1b) as the substrate. Some nitrilases were found to catalyze the desymmetric hydrolysis of 1a and 1b to form opticallyactive 3-(cyanomethyl)-5-methylhexanoic acid (2a)
Inverting the Enantiopreference of Nitrilase‐Catalyzed Desymmetric Hydrolysis of Prochiral Dinitriles by Reshaping the Binding Pocket with a Mirror‐Image Strategy
obtained. The mutant enzyme was applied in the preparation of optically pure (R)‐3‐isobutyl‐4‐cyanobutanoic acid ((R)‐2 a) and showed similar stereopreferenceinversion towards a series of 3‐substituted glutaronitriles. This study may offer a general strategy to switch the stereopreference of other nitrilases and other enzymes toward the desymmetric reactions of prochiral substrates with two identical