Issue 17, 2022

Reductive aminations by imine reductases: from milligrams to tons

Abstract

The synthesis of secondary and tertiary amines through the reductive amination of carbonyl compounds is one of the most significant reactions in synthetic chemistry. Asymmetric reductive amination for the formation of chiral amines, which are required for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and other bioactive molecules, is often achieved through transition metal catalysis, but biocatalytic methods of chiral amine production have also been a focus of interest owing to their selectivity and sustainability. The discovery of asymmetric reductive amination by imine reductase (IRED) and reductive aminase (RedAm) enzymes has served as the starting point for a new industrial approach to the production of chiral amines, leading from laboratory-scale milligram transformations to ton-scale reactions that are now described in the public domain. In this perspective we trace the development of the IRED-catalyzed reductive amination reaction from its discovery to its industrial application on kg to ton scale. In addition to surveying examples of the synthetic chemistry that has been achieved with the enzymes, the contribution of structure and protein engineering to the understanding of IRED-catalyzed reductive amination is described, and the consequent benefits for activity, selectivity and stability in the design of process suitable catalysts.

Graphical abstract: Reductive aminations by imine reductases: from milligrams to tons

Article information

Article type
Perspective
Submitted
07 jan 2022
Accepted
06 apr 2022
First published
07 apr 2022
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY license

Chem. Sci., 2022,13, 4697-4713

Reductive aminations by imine reductases: from milligrams to tons

A. K. Gilio, T. W. Thorpe, N. Turner and G. Grogan, Chem. Sci., 2022, 13, 4697 DOI: 10.1039/D2SC00124A

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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