Nitrile biotransformations for the synthesis of highly enantioenriched beta-hydroxy and beta-amino acid and amide derivatives: a general and simple but powerful and efficient benzyl protection strategy to increase enantioselectivity of the amidase.

Biotransformations of a number of racemic beta-hydroxy and beta-amino nitrile derivatives were studied using Rhodococcus erythropolis AJ270, the nitrile hydratase and amidase-containing microbial whole cell catalyst, under very mild conditions. The overall enantioselectivity of nitrile biotransformations was governed predominantly by the amidase whose enantioselectivity was switched on remarkably by an O- and a N-benzyl protection group of the substrates. While biotransformations of beta-hydroxy and beta-amino alkanenitriles gave low yields of amide and acid products of very low enantiomeric purity, introduction of a simple benzyl protection group on the beta-hydroxy and beta-amino of nitrile substrates led to the formation of highly enantioenriched beta-benzyloxy and beta-benzylamino amides and acids in almost quantitative yield. The easy protection and deprotection operations, high chemical yield, and excellent enantioselectivity render the nitrile biotransformation a useful protocol in the synthesis of enantiopure beta-hydroxy and beta-amino acids.