Enzymes in the Synthesis of Natural Products and Other Small Molecules

Titelangaben

Schlotte, Luca ; Hahn, Frank:
Enzymes in the Synthesis of Natural Products and Other Small Molecules.
In: Hahn, Frank (Hrsg.): Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Natural Products and Complex Small Molecules. - Cambridge, UK : Royal Society of Chemistry , 2026 . - S. 1-22 . - (Chemical Biology ; 25 )
ISBN 978-1-83767-251-6
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/9781837677436-00001

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Abstract

Due to their versatile biological activity, natural products play a vital role in many current societal fields and remain a cornerstone of drug discovery. However, their complexity poses challenges for synthetic access. This chapter explores the use of enzymes as biocatalysts in natural product and drug synthesis (chemoenzymatic synthesis) as a strategy to overcome these limitations. Enzymes exhibit formidable selectivity and favourable operating conditions, making them well-suited to tackle imminent problems of complex molecule synthesis. An introduction into natural products, biocatalysis and chemo-biotechnological synthesis approaches is given and then how enzymes can be useful at different stages of total syntheses is discussed. The various enzymes for building block synthesis, scaffold formation, and late-stage modification are also highlighted. To supplement and complement the topics covered in other parts of the book, this chapter provides a more detailed discussion of polyketide synthases, non-ribosomal peptide synthetases, and methyltransferases, reflecting their increasing importance and potential. In summary, this chapter aims to emphasise that an interdisciplinary approach integrating enzyme-based methods can greatly improve the toolkit of synthetic chemists and thus have a lasting impact on this field of science.