University of Bayreuth discover enzyme for use as biocatalyst

In Germany, researchers at the University of Bayreuth have now discovered an enzyme that offers great advantages as a biocatalyst. It is eminently suited for the production of natural product-derived drugs that promise a broad spectrum of medical application. Conventional synthesis processes for these substances are very laborious. In the journal ACS Catalysis, researchers from the team of Prof. Dr. Frank Hahn present their discovery.

In their study, the Bayreuth scientists succeeded in proving that AmbDH3 can be used to produce the antibiotically active (–)-centrolobin. On the basis of this, the Bayreuth research team intends to tackle the synthesis of further, even more complex tetrahydropyran-containing natural products. One example are the Bryostatins, which are of great interest in drug research due to their antiviral activity. They might even be suitable for the treatment of cancer or Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers show in the new study that a variety of different heterocycles can be obtained with the help of the biocatalyst AmbDH3. The new biocatalyst has the advantage of allowing the spatial structure of the resulting ring-shaped molecules to be precisely controlled. In addition, AmbDH3 is a very stable enzyme and suitable for the production of large quantities of a desired substance. Until now, no biocatalyst has been known to combine all of these properties.

The scientists discovered AmbDH3 while studying bacteria that use this enzyme to produce ambruticin. This is a potential drug candidate for treatment of fungal diseases.

“I expect future applications for the enzyme AmbDH3 primarily in the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients, but also in the synthesis of fine chemicals. Our research group is confident that we will be able to discover further enzymes related to AmbDH3, which will further expand the repertoire of these biocatalysts. Our work has proven that biocatalysis can make a significant contribution to establishing a more natural resource-based economy. It thus contributes to solving central social challenges,” says the lead researcher, who, together with his team at the University of Bayreuth, is conducting research into the drug potential of natural products, and the synthetic potential of biosynthetic enzymes.