Molecular cloning and functional characterization of a two highly stereoselective borneol dehydrogenases from Salvia officinalis L

Enzymes for selective terpene functionalization are of particular importance for industrial applications. Pure enantiomers of borneol and isoborneol are fragrant constituents of several essential oils and find frequent application in cosmetics and therapy. Racemic borneol can be easily obtained from racemic camphor, which in turn is readily available from industrial side-streams. Enantioselective biocatalysts for the selective conversion of borneol and isoborneol stereoisomers would be therefore highly desirable for their catalytic separation under mild reaction conditions. Although several borneol dehydrogenases from plants and bacteria have been reported, none show sufficient stereoselectivity. Despite Croteau et al. describing sage leaves to specifically oxidize one borneol enantiomer in the late 70s, no specific enzymes have been characterized. We expected that one or several alcohol dehydrogenases encoded in the recently elucidated genome of Salvia officinalis L. would, therefore, be stereoselective. This study thus reports the recombinant expression in E. coli and characterization of two enantiospecific enzymes from the Salvia officinalis L. genome, SoBDH1 and SoBDH2, and their comparison to other known ADHs. Both enzymes produce preferentially (+)-camphor from racemic borneol, but (−)-camphor from racemic isoborneol

Looking back: A short history of the discovery of enzymes and how they became powerful chemical tools

Enzymatic approaches to challenges in chemical synthesis are increasingly popular and very attractive to industry given their green nature and high efficiency compared to traditional methods. In this historical review we highlight the developments across several fields that were necessary to create the modern field of biocatalysis, with enzyme engineering and directed evolution at its core. We exemplify the modular, incremental, and highly unpredictable nature of scientific discovery, driven by curiosity, and showcase the resulting examples of cutting-edge enzymatic applications in industry