title: InspIRED by Nature: NADPH-Dependent Imine Reductases (IREDs) as Catalysts for the Preparation of Chiral Amines.
abstract: Imine reductases (IREDs) are NADPH-dependent oxidoreductases that catalyse the asymmetric reduction of cyclic prochiral imines to amines, with excellent stereoselectivity. Since their discovery, stereocomplementary IREDs have been applied to the production of both (S) and (R) cyclic secondary amines, and the expansion in gene sequences recently identified has hinted at new substrate ranges that extend into acyclic imines and even suggest the possibility of asymmetric reductive amination from suitable ketone and amine precursors. Structural studies of various IREDs are beginning to reveal the complexities inherent in determining substrate range, stereoselectivity and mechanism in these enzymes, which represent a valuable emerging addition to the toolbox of available biocatalysts for chiral amine production.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of York Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, U.K.. gideon.grogan@york.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Gideon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grogan
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 7DN, U.K.. nicholas.turner@manchester.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Nicholas J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Turner
keywords: NADPH; amines; biocatalysis; oxidoreductases; stereoselectivity