Aldolase-Catalyzed C_C Bond Formation of Carbohydrate Synthesis

Three types of aldolase-catalyzed reactions which are promising for C. C bond formation, not only for the practical synthesis of carbohydrates but also in active pharmaceutical ingredients manufacturing, were introduced. The authors focused on the use of three nonphosphorylated nucleophiles: pyruvic acid, acetaldehyde, and dihydroxyacetone. Furthermore, nitroaldol reaction catalyzed by hydroxynitrile lyase (HNL) is noted as an example of catalysis caused by the promiscuous ability of enzymes. All of following the aspects involving screening of new enzymes, characterization, substrate specificity study, synthetic application, and protein engineering are very important in developing improved biocatalytic processes.