Cloning and Overexpression of an NADH-Dependent Alcohol Dehydrogenase Gene from Candida maris Involved in (R)-Selective Reduction of 5-Acetylfuro[2,3-c]pyridine

Abstract

5-((R)-1-Hydroxyethyl)-furo[2,3-c]pyridine ((R)-FPH) is a useful chiral building block in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals. An NADH-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase (AFPDH) isolated from Candida maris catalyzed the reduction of 5-acetylfuro[2,3-c]pyridine (AFP) to (R)-FPH with 100% enantiomeric excess. The gene encoding AFPDH was cloned and sequenced. The AFPDH gene comprises 762 bp and encodes a polypeptide of 27,230 Da. The deduced amino acid sequence showed a high degree of similarity to those of other members of the short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase superfamily. The AFPDH gene was overexpressed in Escherichia coli under the control of the lac promoter. One L of the cultured broth of an E. coli transformant coexpressing AFPDH and the glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) gene reduced 250 g of AFP to (R)-FPH in an organic solvent two-phase system. Under coupling with NADH regeneration using 2-propanol, 1 L of the cultured broth of an E. coli transformant expressing the AFPDH gene reduced 150 g of AFP to (R)-FPH. The optical purity of the (R)-FPH formed was 100% enantiomeric excess under both reaction conditions.