Recent Advances in the Enzymatic Synthesis of Optically Active Amino Acids

Abstract

Recent advances in the synthesis of optically active amino acids by enzymatic method are described. L-Lysine, L-cysteine, L-tryptophan and D-forms of various amino acids, including D-p-hydroxyphenylglycine, are synthesized from chemically synthesized substrates by asymmetric ring-opening hydrolysis. Multifunctional pyridoxal enzymes are useful for synthesis of various aromatic amino acids and sulfur-containing amino acids. Several enzymatic reactions being useful for production of amino acids are also described. The described enzymatic methods are simple and the most economical process to date for the industrial production of these amino acids. © 1983, The Society of Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Japan. All rights reserved.