Journal of Tropical Oceanography ›› 2017, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (3): 55-60.doi: 10.11978/2016081CSTR: 32234.14.2016081

• Orginal Article • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Enantioselective production of (R)-1-phenylethanol by a novel marine microbial carboxylesterase

Jinlong HUANG1,2(), Yun ZHANG1,3, Aijun SUN1,3, Yunfeng HU1,3,4()   

  1. 1. Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510301, China
    2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
    3. Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510301, China
    4. South China Sea Bio-Resource Exploitation and Utilization Collaborative Innovation Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China
  • Received:2016-08-31 Revised:2016-09-22 Online:2017-05-20 Published:2017-06-01
  • Supported by:
    Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDA11030404);Guangzhou Science and Technology Plan Projects (201510010012);National Natural Science Foundation of China (21302199)

Abstract:

Deep-sea microbial esterase BSE00077 can efficiently resolve (±)-1-phenylethyl acetate and generate (R)-1- phenylethanol. The optimal working conditions for the enzymatic resolution of (±)-1-phenylethyl acetate by marine microbial esterase BSE00077 were found to be: 50mmol/L (±)-1-phenylethyl acetate, 10% n-heptane (v/v), pH 7.0, 30°C for 2h. After process optimization, desired optically pure product (R)-1-phenylethanol was obtained with an enantiomeric excess of over 99% and a conversion of over 30%. Esterase BSE00077 can also enzymatically resolve some other racemic 1-phenylethyl esters with different chain lengths. We found that the chain lengths could greatly affect the enantiomeric excess of desired product. Esterase BSE00077 is a novel marine microbial esterase with great potential in the asymmetric synthesis of (R)-1-phenylethanol as well as of other chiral chemicals in industry.

Key words: deep-sea microbial esterase, (R)-1-phenylethanol, hydrolysis, kinetic resolution