Engineered Imine Reductase Catalyzed Enantiodivergent Synthesis of Alkylated Amphetamines

Abstract

Less steric ketones exhibited low stereoselectivity toward M5 due to their difficulty in restricting the free rotation of the imine intermediate. An engineered enantio-complementary imine reductase from M5 was obtained with catalytic activity. We identified four key residues that play essential roles in controlling stereoselectivity. Two mutants, I149Y-W234L (up to 99% S ee) and L200M-F260M (up to 99% R ee), were achieved, showing excellent stereoselectivity toward the tested substrates, offering valuable biocatalysts for synthesizing alkylated amphetamines.