External flavoprotein monooxygenases comprise a group of flavin-dependent oxidoreductases that catalyze the insertion of one atom of molecular oxygen into an organic substrate and the second atom is reduced to water. These enzymes are involved in a great number of metabolic pathways both in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Flavoprotein monooxygenases have attracted the attention of researchers for several decades and the advent of recombinant DNA technology caused a great progress in the field. These enzymes are subjected to detailed biochemical and structural characterization and some of them are also regarded as appealing oxidative biocatalysts for the production of fine chemicals and valuable intermediates toward active pharmaceutical ingredients due to their high chemo-, stereo-, and regioselectivity. Here, we review the most representative reactions catalyzed both in vivo and in vitro by prototype flavoprotein monooxygenases, highlighting the strategies employed to produce them recombinantly, to enhance the yield of soluble proteins, and to improve cofactor regeneration in order to obtain versatile biocatalysts. Although we describe the most outstanding features of flavoprotein monooxygenases, we mainly focus on enzymes that were cloned, expressed and used for biocatalysis during the last years.

In this work the substrate profile and stereoselectivity of engineered whole cells overexpressing the Baeyer–Villiger monooxygenase from Xanthobacter sp. ZL5 with respect to biotransformations of prochiral substrates is characterized. This enzyme catalyzes the desymmetrization of cyclic ketones bearing different chemical features with stereoselectivity similar to that obtained with a related protein fromAcinetobacter as a prototype representative of the cyclohexanone monooxygenase enzyme cluster. Moreover, this biocatalyst is able to convert sterically demanding substrates previously not transformed by other enzymes with excellent enantioselectivities. These results expand the repertoire of optically pure lactones accessible by whole‐cell biotransformation processes, which are useful intermediates for the synthesis of natural and bioactive products. In addition, we observed a remarkable epoxidation reaction of a non‐activated C=C bond catalyzed by this monooxygenase.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)

Dimethylphosphinsaure kann man nach einem einfachen Verfahren aus der Verbindung [(CH3)2 PSI2 herstellen. Einige ihrer Derivate werden beschrieben und das Polymerisationsverhalten einiger ungesattigter Derivate untersucht.

A heterobicyclic lactone obtained by stereoselective Baeyer-Villiger biooxidation with recombinant whole-cells expressing cyclopentanone monooxygenase from Comamonas sp. NCIMB 9872 was used for formal total syntheses of various natural products containing a tetrahydrofuran structural motif.