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Screening of yeasts for cell-free production of (R)-phenylacetylcarbinol

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Abstract

105 yeast strains from 10 genera and 40 species were evaluated for cell-free production of (R)-phenylacetylcarbinol (PAC), the chiral precursor in the manufacture of the pharmaceuticals ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. Carboligase activity of pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC), forming PAC from benzaldehyde and pyruvate, was found in extracts of 98 strains. PAC was not formed from benzaldehyde and acetaldehyde, an activity of bacterial PDCs from Zymomonas mobilis and Zymobacter palmae. Two interesting groups of candidates were identified in the yeast screening: carboligase activities of Schizosaccharomyces pombe PDCs were very low but showed best resistance to pre-incubation with acetaldehyde and benzaldehyde; and highest carboligase activities combined with medium resistance were found in strains of Candida utilis, C. tropicalis and C. albicans.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia Fax

    Bettina Rosche & Peter L. Rogers

  2. BASF-AG, Fine Chemicals and Biocatalysis Research, 67056, Ludwigshafen, Germany

    Michael Breuer & Bernhard Hauer

Authors
  1. Bettina Rosche
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  2. Michael Breuer
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  3. Bernhard Hauer
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  4. Peter L. Rogers
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Correspondence to Bettina Rosche.

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Rosche, B., Breuer, M., Hauer, B. et al. Screening of yeasts for cell-free production of (R)-phenylacetylcarbinol. Biotechnology Letters 25, 841–845 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024009807227

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