Enzymatic stereodivergent synthesis to access all possible product stereoisomers bearing multiple stereocenters is relatively undeveloped, although enzymes are being increasingly used in both academic and industrial areas. When two stereocenters and thus four stereoisomeric products are involved, obtaining stereodivergent enzyme mutants for individually accessing all four stereoisomers would be ideal. Although significant success has been achieved in directed evolution of enzymes in general, stereodivergent engineering of one enzyme into four highly stereocomplementary variants for obtaining the full complement of stereoisomers bearing multiple stereocenters remains a challenge. Using Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) as a model, we report the protein engineering of this enzyme into four highly stereocomplementary variants needed for obtaining all four stereoisomers in transesterification reactions between racemic acids and racemic alcohols in organic solvents. By generating and screening less than 25 variants each isomer, we achieved >90% selectivity for all of the four possible stereoisomers in the model reaction. This difficult feat was accomplished by developing a strategy dubbed "focused rational iterative site-specific mutagenesis" (FRISM) at sites lining the enzyme's binding pocket. The accumulation of single mutations by iterative site-specific mutagenesis using a restricted set of rationally chosen amino acids allows the formation of ultra-small mutant libraries requiring minimal screening for stereoselectivity. The crystal structure of all stereodivergent CALB variants, flanked by MD simulations, uncovered the source of selectivity.

The 2-oxoglutarate (2OG)-dependent non-heme enzyme FtmOx1 catalyzes the endoperoxide biosynthesis of verruculogen. Although several mechanistic studies have been carried out, the catalytic mechanism of FtmOx1 is not well determined owingtothe lackofareliable complex structure of FtmOx1 with fumitremorgin B. Herein we providet he X-ray crystal structure of the ternary complex FtmOx1•2OG•fumitremorgin Bataresolution of 1.22 .Our structures showthat the binding of fumitremorgin Bi nduces significant compression of the active pocket and that Y68 is in close proximityt o C26 of the substrate.F urther MD simulation and QM/MM calculations support aCarC-like mechanism, in which Y68 acts as the Hatom donor for quenching the C26-centered substrate radical. Our results are consistent with all available experimental data and highlight the importance of accurate complex structures in the mechanistic study of enzymatic catalysis.

Engineering artificial enzymes with high activity and catalytic mechanism different from naturally occurring enzymes is a challenge in protein design. For example, many attempts have been made to obtain active hydrolases by introducing a Ser → Cys exchange at the respective catalytic triads, but this generally induced a breakdown of activity. We now report that this long-standing dogma no longer pertains, provided additional mutations are introduced by directed evolution. By employing Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) as the model enzyme with the Ser-His-Asp catalytic triad, a highly active cysteine-lipase having a Cys-His-Asp catalytic triad and additional mutations W104V/A281Y/A282Y/V149G can be evolved, showing a 40-fold higher catalytic efficiency than wild-type CALB in the hydrolysis of 4-nitrophenyl benzoate, and tolerating bulky substrates. Crystal structures, kinetics, MD simulations and QM/MM calculations reveal dynamic features and explain all results, including the preference of a two-step mechanism involving the zwitterionic pair Cys105 − /His224 + rather than a concerted process.

Metal-free enantiocomplementary hydrolytic dynamic kinetic resolution of Morita−Baylis−Hillman (MBH) acetates was developed using triethylamine (TEA) as a racemization catalyst and wild-type or engineered lipase B from Candida antarctica (CALB) as stereoselectivity-determining catalyst, leading to chiral MBH alcohols with tailor-made R or S configurations on an optional basis. In the TEA-WT CALB catalysis system, WT CALB displays excellent S enantioselectivity for a series of MBH acetates tested (up to 96% ee and 98% conversion). Reversal of enantioselectivity in favor of (R)-MBH alcohols (95% ee; 95% conversion) was achieved by generating a focused site-specific mutagenesis library composed of less than 20 variants. Molecular modeling explains the origin of stereoselectivity.

Single mutation F432I/L or L435A/G remarkably reversed the (−)-selectivity of WT CHMOAcineto.

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Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) is one of the most extensively used biocatalysts in both academia and industry and exhibits remarkable (R)-enantioselectivity for various chiral sec-alcohols. Considering the significance of tailor-made stereoselectivity in organic synthesis, a discovery of enantiocomplementary lipase mutants with high (R)-and (S)-selectivity is valuable and highly desired. Herein, we report a highly efficient directed evolution strategy, using only 4 representative amino acids, namely, alanine (A), leucine (L), lysine (K), tryptophan (W) at each mutated site to create an extremely small library of CALB variants requiring notably less screening. The obtained best mutant with three mutations W104V/A281L/ A282K displayed highly reversed (S)-selectivity towards a series of sec-alcohol with E values up to 115 (conv. 50%, ee 94%). Compared with the previously reported (S)-selective CALB variant, W104A, a single mutation provided less selectivity, while the synergistic effects of three mutations in the best variant endow better (S)-selectivity and a broader substrate scope than the W104A variant. Structural analysis and molecular dynamics simulation unveiled the source of reversed enantioselectivity.

The 2‐oxoglutarate (2OG)‐dependent non‐heme enzyme FtmOx1 catalyzes the endoperoxide biosynthesis of verruculogen. Although several mechanistic studies have been carried out, the catalytic mechanism of FtmOx1 is not well determined owing to the lack of a reliable complex structure of FtmOx1 with fumitremorgin B. Herein we provide the X‐ray crystal structure of the ternary complex FtmOx1⋅2OG⋅fumitremorgin B at a resolution of 1.22 Å. Our structures show that the binding of fumitremorgin B induces significant compression of the active pocket and that Y68 is in close proximity to C26 of the substrate. Further MD simulation and QM/MM calculations support a CarC‐like mechanism, in which Y68 acts as the H atom donor for quenching the C26‐centered substrate radical. Our results are consistent with all available experimental data and highlight the importance of accurate complex structures in the mechanistic study of enzymatic catalysis.