Preparation of (R)-amines from racemic amines with an (S)-amine transaminase from Bacillus megaterium

Screening was carried out to identify strains useful for the preparation of (R)-1-cyclopropylethylamine and (R)-sec-butylamine by resolution of the racemic amines with an (S)-specific transaminase. Several Bacillus megaterium strains from our culture collection as well as several soil isolates were found to have the desired activity for the resolution of the racemic amines to give the (R)-enantiomers. Using an extract of the best strain, Bacillus megaterium SC6394, the reaction was shown to be a transamination requiring pyruvate as amino acceptor and pyridoxal phosphate as a cofactor. Initial batches of both amines were produced using whole cells of Bacillus megaterium SC6394. The transaminase was purified to homogeneity to obtain N-terminal as well as internal amino acid sequences. The sequences were used to design polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers to enable cloning and expression of the transaminase in E. coli SC16578. In contrast to the original B. megaterium process, pH control and aeration were not required for the resolution of sec-butylamine and an excess of pyruvate was not consumed by the recombinant cells. The resolution of sec-butylamine (0.68M) using whole cells of E. coli SC16578 was scaled up to give (R)-sec-butylamine-1/2H(2)SO(4) in 46.6% isolated yield with 99.2% ee. An alternative isolation procedure was also used to isolate (R)-sec-butylamine as the free base.