Synthetic potential of thiamin diphosphate-dependent enzymes

Thiamin diphosphate-dependent enzymes (mainly pyruvate decarboxylase, trans ketolase, benzoylformate decarboxylase) are increasingly being used to perf orm regio- and enantioselective reactions in chemoenzymatic syntheses. To u tilize enzymes for unphysiological reactions and to yield novel products, a broad substrate spectrum is desirable. We give an overview of the use of t hese enzymes in biotransformations and in chemoenzymatic syntheses includin g multi-enzyme approaches which involve thiamin diphosphate-dependent enzym es as biocatalysts to obtain pharmaceutical compounds as ephedrine and glyc osidase inhibitors, sex pheromones as exo-brevicomin, C-13-labelled metabol ites, and other intermediates as 1-deoxyxylulose 5-phosphate, a precursor o f vitamins and isoprenoids. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reser ved.