Cytochrome P450 (CYP) Progress in Biocatalysis for Synthetic Organic Chemistry

Synthetic chemists have long been seduced by the potential of the cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (CYP) enzyme family. CYP biocatalysis transforms a ten-step synthesis into a two-stage process. This is extremely important in the drive for greener processes, and is ultimately a way to influence the E factor of any commercial process. Recent advances in molecular and synthetic biology have aided in the development of improved CYP enzymes. CYP enzymes have become available commercially for metabolite synthesis and other applications, and this, together with the rapid advances in the rational or semi-rational redesign of the enzymes, is starting to have an impact, bringing the technology to a wider audience for testing. One of the most prominently used enzymes in this class is the Bacillus megaterium BM3 enzyme. CYP biocatalysis is particularly interesting for application to certain classes of compounds, such as steroids.