The Promising Role of Amine Transaminase Cascades in the Synthesis of Non-Canonical Amino Acids

Abstract

Amine transaminases (ATA) are critical players in producing non-canonical amino acids, essential building blocks in pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals. Significant progress has been made in discovering and engineering enzymes in this field, enhancing their use in organic synthesis. However, challenges such as co-factor regeneration, substrate, and product inhibition remain significant limitations to widespread industrial enzyme application. (Chemo-)enzymatic cascades offer efficient and environmentally friendly pathways for synthesizing amino acids, reducing the need for multiple synthesis steps and saving the purification of intermediates. This review focuses specifically on the synthesis of non-canonical amino acids, emphasizing the use of enzymatic and chemoenzymatic cascades involving ATA.