PhD defence Mohammad Zainal Abidin

Biocatalytic synthesis of pharmaceutically relevant amides and amino acids

Noncanonical amino acids and amide-bond containing compounds are particularly important molecules because of their diverse biological activities and wide-ranging applications in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical fields. In view of that, the development of versatile and sustainable catalytic strategies for production of these molecules is of high industrial and academic interest. Biocatalysis has emerged as a sustainable catalytic methodology for amino acid and amide synthesis, and several enzyme classes have been explored for their preparative usefulness.

In his thesis work, Mohammad Zainal Abidin successfully applied various enzymes and enzyme cascades for the efficient synthesis of N-arylalkyl-substituted L-aspartic acid derivatives as well as pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) derivatives that have proven to be difficult or tedious to synthesize. In particular, the enzyme-catalyzed production of a wide variety of structurally diverse pantothenic acids, including antimetabolite antimicrobials, such as pantothenol and pantoyltaurine, targeting coenzyme A biosynthesis is of high importance.

Interestingly, pantothenol as well as pantoyltaurine and its amides, have shown promise as antiplasmodial agents, with the pantoyltauramides also exhibiting selective activity against particular streptococcal infections. Thus, the established biocatalytic synthesis strategies for rapid synthesis of complex aspartic and pantothenic acids are likely to advance our ability to prepare and search for new pharmaceutically active compounds, including those that target CoA biosynthesis and utilization in a variety of pathogens.

Promotores Prof.dr. G.J. Poelarends en Prof.dr. W.J. Quax