Biocatalysis enables the scalable conversion of biobased furans into various furfurylamines

Abstract

Biobased furans have emerged as chemical building blocks for the development of materials because of their diverse scaffolds and as they can be directly prepared from sugars. However, selective, efficient, and cost-effective scalable conversion of biobased furans remains elusive. Here, we report a robust transaminase (TA) from Shimia marina (SMTA) that enables the scalable amination of biobased furanaldehydes with high activity and broad substrate specificity. Crystallographic and mutagenesis analyses provide mechanistic insights and a structural basis for understanding SMTA, which enables a higher substrate conversion. The enzymatic cascade process established in this study allows one-pot synthesis of 2,5-bis(aminomethyl)furan (BAMF) and 5-(aminomethyl)furan-2-carboxylic acid from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural. The biosynthesis of various furfurylamines, including a one-pot cascade reaction for BAMF generation using whole cells, demonstrates their practical application in the pharmaceutical and polymer industries. Biobased furans are important chemical building blocks for the development of materials, but selective, efficient, and cost-effective scalable conversion of biobased furans remains elusive. Here, the authors report a transaminase from Shimia marina (SMTA) that enables the scalable amination of biobased furanaldehydes with high activity and broad substrate specificity and provide structural and mechanistic insights into SMTA activity.