Engineered imine reductases and methods for the reductive animation of ketone and amine compounds

1. An engineered polypeptide having imine reductase activity, comprising SEQ ID NO:96.

2. The engineered polypeptide of claim 1 which is capable of converting substrate compound (1a) pyruvate,

and substrate compound (2b) butylamine

to product compound (3b), N-2-(butylamino)propanoic acid,

under suitable reaction conditions.

3. The engineered polypeptide of claim 1 which is capable of converting substrate compound (1b) cyclohexanone,

and substrate compound (2a) L-norvaline

to product compound (3c), (S)-2-(cyclohexylamino)pentanoic acid,

under suitable reaction conditions.

4. The engineered polypeptide of claim 1 which is capable of converting substrate compound (1b) cyclohexanone,

and substrate compound (2b) butylamine

to product compound (3d), N-butylcyclohexanamine,

under suitable reaction conditions.

5. The engineered polypeptide of claim 1 which is capable of converting substrate compound (1i),

and substrate compound (2b)

to product compound (3n),

under suitable reaction conditions.

6. The engineered polypeptide of claim 1 which is capable of converting substrate compound (1j),

and substrate compound (2b)

to product compound (3o),

under suitable reaction conditions.

7. A process for preparing an amine compound of formula (III),

wherein

(a) R 1 and R 2 are independently selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom, an optionally substituted alkyl, an optionally substituted alkenyl, an optionally substituted alkynyl, an optionally substituted alkoxy, an optionally substituted carboxy, an optionally substituted aminocarbonyl, an optionally substituted heteroalkyl, an optionally substituted heteroalkenyl, an optionally substituted heteroalkynyl, an optionally substituted carboxyalkyl, an optionally substituted aminoalkyl, an optionally substituted haloalkyl, an optionally substituted alkylthioalkyl, an optionally substituted cycloalkyl, an optionally substituted aryl, an optionally substituted arylalkyl, an optionally substituted heterocycloalkyl, an optionally substituted heteroaryl, and an optionally substituted heteroarylalkyl;

(b) R 1 and R 2 are linked to form a 3-membered to 10-membered ring;

(c) R 3 and R 4 are independently selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom, an optionally substituted alkyl, an optionally substituted alkenyl, an optionally substituted alkynyl, an optionally substituted alkoxy, an optionally substituted carboxy, an optionally substituted aminocarbonyl, an optionally substituted heteroalkyl, an optionally substituted heteroalkenyl, an optionally substituted heteroalkynyl, an optionally substituted carboxyalkyl, an optionally substituted aminoalkyl, an optionally substituted haloalkyl, an optionally substituted alkylthioalkyl, an optionally substituted cycloalkyl, an optionally substituted aryl, an optionally substituted arylalkyl, an optionally substituted heterocycloalkyl, an optionally substituted heteroaryl, and an optionally substituted heteroarylalkyl, with the proviso that both R 3 and R 4 cannot be hydrogen;

(d) R 3 and R 4 are linked to form a 3-membered to 10-membered ring; or

(e) at least one of R 1 and R 2 is linked to at least one of R 3 and R 4 ;

wherein optionally, the carbon atom and/or the nitrogen indicated by * is chiral;

the process comprising contacting

a compound of formula (I),

wherein R 1 and R 2 are as defined in (a) or (b) above; and

a compound of formula (II),

wherein R 3 and R 4 are as defined in (c) or (d) above;

with an engineered polypeptide having imine reductase activity in presence of a cofactor under suitable reaction conditions, wherein the engineered polypeptide is the engineered polypeptide of claim 1 .

8. The process of claim 7 in which R 3 and R 4 are linked to form a 3-membered to 10-membered ring.

9. The process of claim 7 in which the substrate compound of formula (II) is selected from methylamine, dimethylamine, isopropylamine, butylamine, isobutylaminel, L-norvaline, aniline, (S)-2-aminopent-4-enoic acid, pyrrolidine, and hydroxypyrrolidine.

10. The process of claim 7 , wherein at least one of R 1 and R 2 of the compound of formula (I) is linked to at least one of R 3 and R 4 of the amine compound of formula (II), whereby the process for preparing the amine compound of formula (III) comprises an intramolecular reaction.

11. The process of claim 7 in which the suitable reaction conditions comprise

(a) substrate loading at about 10 g/L to 100 g/L;

(b) about 0.1 g/L to about 50 g/L of the engineered polypeptide;

(c) about 0.05 g/L (0.001 M) to about 2.5 g/L (0.050 M) of NAD(P)H;

(d) a pH of about 6 to 10;

(e) temperature of about 20° to 50° C.; and

(f) reaction time of 2-120 hrs.