Summary Nootkatone is one of the major terpenes in the heartwood of the Nootka cypress Callitropsis nootkatensis. It is an oxidized sesquiterpene, which has been postulated to be derived from valencene. Both valencene and nootkatone are used for flavouring citrus beverages and are considered among the most valuable terpenes used at commercial scale. Functional evaluation of putative terpene synthase genes sourced by large‐scale EST sequencing from Nootka cypress wood revealed a valencene synthase gene (CnVS). CnVS expression in different tissues from the tree correlates well with nootkatone content, suggesting that CnVS represents the first dedicated gene in the nootkatone biosynthetic pathway in C. nootkatensis The gene belongs to the gymnosperm‐specific TPS‐d subfamily of terpenes synthases and its protein sequence has low similarity to known citrus valencene synthases. In vitro, CnVS displays high robustness under different pH and temperature regimes, potentially beneficial properties for application in different host and physiological conditions. Biotechnological production of sesquiterpenes has been shown to be feasible, but productivity of microbial strains expressing valencene synthase from Citrus is low, indicating that optimization of valencene synthase activity is needed. Indeed, expression of CnVS in Saccharomyces cerevisiae indicated potential for higher yields. In an optimized Rhodobacter sphaeroides strain, expression of CnVS increased valencene yields 14‐fold to 352 mg/L, bringing production to levels with industrial potential.

a b s t r a c tChicory (Cichorium intybus L.), which is known to have a variety of terpene-hydroxylating activities, was screened for a P450 mono-oxygenase to convert (+)-valencene to (+)-nootkatone. A novel P450 cDNA was identified in a chicory root EST library. Co-expression of the enzyme with a valencene synthase in yeast, led to formation of trans-nootkatol, cis-nootkatol and (+)-nootkatone. The novel enzyme was also found to catalyse a three step conversion of germacrene A to germacra-1(10),4,11(13)-trien-12-oic acid, indicating its involvement in chicory sesquiterpene lactone biosynthesis. Likewise, amorpha-4,11-diene was converted to artemisinic acid. Surprisingly, the chicory P450 has a different regio-specificity on (+)-valencene compared to germacrene A and amorpha-4,11-diene.

Enzyme-catalyzed reductions have been studied for decades and have been introduced in more than 10 industrial processes for production of various chiral alcohols, alpha-hydroxy acids and alpha-amino acids. The earlier hurdle of expensive cofactors was taken by the development of highly efficient cofactor regeneration methods. In addition, the accessible number of suitable dehydrogenases and therefore the versatility of this technology is constantly increasing and currently expanding beyond asymmetric production of alcohols and amino acids. Access to a large set of enzymes for highly selective C=C reductions and reductive amination of ketones for production of chiral secondary amines and the development of improved D-selective amino acid dehydrogenases will fuel the next wave of industrial bioreduction processes.

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The enantioselectivity of epoxide hydrolase from Agrobacterium radiobacter (EchA) was improved using error-prone PCR and DNA shuffling. An agar plate assay was used to screen the mutant libraries for activity. Screening for improved enantioselectivity was subsequently done by spectrophotometric progress curve analysis of the conversion of para-nitrophenyl glycidyl ether (pNPGE). Kinetic resolutions showed that eight mutants were obtained with up to 13-fold improved enantioselectivity toward pNPGE and at least three other epoxides. The large enhancements in enantioselectivity toward epichlorohydrin and 1,2-epoxyhexane indicated that pNPGE acts as an epoxyalkane mimic. Active site mutations were found in all shuffled mutants, which can be explained by an interaction of the affected amino acid with the epoxide oxygen or the hydrophobic moiety of the substrate. Several mutations in the shuffled mutants had additive effects.