Laccase-catalysed biotransformation of collismycin derivatives. A novel enzymatic approach for the cleavage of oximes

Abstract

Analogues of the natural product collismycin bearing a carboxylic acid moiety has been efficiently synthesised from several collismycin precursors through a laccase-catalysed oxidation under mild conditions with TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-oxyl) as a mediator and aerial O₂ as an oxidant in aqueous medium. The biotransformations proceeded with excellent yields (85–95%) and involved, depending on the precursor, the oxidation of a benzylic hydroxyl group or the bioconversion of an aldoxime group into carboxylic acid. Since the latter is herein reported for the first time, we explored the potential of this novel oxime cleavage with several synthetic aldo- and ketoximes. Thus, the laccase/TEMPO system proved to be an efficient and green alternative for the deprotection of both aromatic and aliphatic ketoximes into the corresponding ketones. On the other hand, the reaction with aldoximes leads to dimeric species generated by coupling reactions.