Enzyme and Microbial Technology, Vol.24, No.1-2, 13-20, 1999
Dual production of highly pure methyl (R)-4-chloro-3-hydroxybutyrate and (S)-3-hydroxy-gamma-butyrolactone with Enterobacter sp.
An efficient and practical procedure for simultaneous generation of highly pure methyl (R)-4-chloro-3-hydroxybutyrate and (S)-3-hydroxy-gamma-butyrolactone using bacterial cells of Enterobacter sp. DS-S-75 was developed. The resulting methyl (R)-4-chloro-3-hydroxybutyrate from the racemate (8% w/v) exhibited high optical purity (>99% enantiomeric excess) with a yield of 48%. Another of the dual products, (S)-3-hydroxy-gamma-butyrolactone, was also obtained with excellent optical purity (95.9% enantiomeric excess) in a high mole conversion yield of 48%. This conversion of methyl (S)-4-chloro-3-hydroxybutyrate into (S)-3-hydroxy-gamma-butyrolactone by the resting cells of the strain DS-S-75 proceeded with the complete stereoselectivity releasing chloride ion and methanol; namely, no dechlorinating activity for methyl (R)-4-chloro-3-hydroxybutyrate was detected. The cellfree extracts from the strain DS-S-75 showed dechlorinating activity for several alkyl (S)-4-chloro-3-hydroxybutyrates to give (S)-3-hydroxy-gamma-butyrolactone, but not for chlorohydrins, chloroacetone, and chloroacids.
Keywords:LIPASE-CATALYZED SYNTHESIS, CHIRAL BUILDING BLOCK, BETA-KETO-ESTERS, ASYMMETRIC-SYNTHESIS, ACID GABOB, ETHYL 4-CHLORO-3-OXOBUTANOATE, MACROCYCLIC LACTONES, ORGANIC-SOLVENTS;PSEUDOMONAS SP, REDUCTION