Method for producing mercaptans by hydrogen-assisted disulfide enzyme hydrogenolysis

1. A process for the preparation of a mercaptan of formula R—SH, comprising:

(a) preparing a mixture, comprising:

(1) a disulfide of formula R—S—S—R′,

wherein R and R′, independently, represent a linear, branched or cyclic hydrocarbon-based radical comprising from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, wherein the hydrocarbon-based radical is saturated or contains one or more unsaturations in the form of double or triple bond(s), or R and R′ form together, with the sulfur atoms bearing them, a cyclic group comprising from 4 to 22 atoms,

(2) a catalytic amount of an amino acid bearing a thiol group or of a thiol-group-containing peptide, wherein the amino acid bearing a thiol group or the thiol-group-containing peptide may optionally be in the form of the corresponding disulfide,

(3) a catalytic amount of an enzyme catalyzing the reduction of a disulfide bridge created between two equivalents of the amino acid bearing a thiol group or of the thiol-group-containing peptide,

(4) a catalytic amount of an enzyme catalyzing the reduction of hydrogen, and

(5) a catalytic amount of a cofactor common to the enzyme catalyzing the reduction of a disulfide bridge created between two equivalents of the amino acid bearing a thiol group or of the thiol-group-containing peptide and the enzyme catalyzing the reduction of hydrogen,

(b) adding hydrogen with a catalytic amount of a hydrogen dehydrogenase enzyme,

(c) carrying out the enzymatic reaction,

(d) recovering the mercaptan of formula R—SH and the mercaptan of formula R′—SH,

(e) optionally, separating and, optionally, purifying the mercaptan of formula R—SH and/or of the mercaptan of formula R′—SH.

2. The process of claim 1 , comprising:

(a′) preparing a mixture, comprising:

(1) a disulfide of formula R—S—S—R′,

(2) a catalytic amount of amino acid bearing a thiol group or of a thiol-group-containing peptide, wherein the amino acid bearing a thiol group or the thiol-group-containing peptide may optionally be in the form of the corresponding disulfide,

(3) a catalytic amount of reductase enzyme corresponding to the amino acid bearing a thiol group or to the thiol-group-containing peptide, and

(5) a catalytic amount of NADPH,

(b′) adding hydrogen with a catalytic amount of hydrogen dehydrogenase enzyme,

(c′) carrying out the enzymatic reaction,

(d′) recovering the mercaptan of formula R—SH and the mercaptan of formula R′—SH,

(e′) separating and, optionally, purifiying the mercaptan of formula R—SH and/or of the mercaptan of formula R′—SH.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein R and R′, independently, represent a linear, branched or cyclic hydrocarbon-based radical comprising from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, wherein the hydrocarbon-based radical is saturated or contains one or more unsaturations in the form of double or triple bond(s), or R and R′ form together, with the sulfur atoms bearing them, a cyclic group comprising from 5 to 10 atoms.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein R and R′, independently, represent a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkylaryl or arylalkyl radical comprising from 1 to 20 carbon atoms and optionally functionalized by one or more functions chosen from alcohol, aldehyde, ketone, acid, amide, nitrile or ester functions or functions bearing sulfur, phosphorus, silicon or halogen.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the disulfide of formula R—S—S—R′ is dimethyl disulfide.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the amino acid bearing a thiol group or the peptide bearing a thiol group is chosen from cysteine, homocysteine, glutathione and thioredoxin.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen is introduced into the reaction medium via bubbling.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the pH of the reaction is between 6 and 8.5.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen/disulfide molar ratio is between 0.01 and 100 over the whole of the reaction.

10. The process of claim 1 , wherein the amino acid bearing a thiol group or thiol-group-containing peptide is glutathione.

11. The process of claim 1 , wherein the cofactor is a flavinic cofactor or a nicotinic cofactor.

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein the cofactor is NADPH.

13. The process of claim 1 , wherein

the disulfide of formula R—S—S—R′ is dimethyl disulfide,

the amino acid bearing a thiol group or thiol-group-containing peptide is glutathione, and

the cofactor is NADPH.

14. A mixture, comprising:

(1) a disulfide of formula R—S—S—R′,

wherein R and R′, independently, represent a linear, branched or cyclic hydrocarbon-based radical comprising from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, wherein the hydrocarbon-based radical is saturated or contains one or more unsaturations in the form of double or triple bond(s), or R and R′ form together, with the sulfur atoms bearing them, a cyclic group comprising from 4 to 22 atoms,

(2) a catalytic amount of amino acid bearing a thiol group or of a thiol-group-containing peptide, wherein the amino acid bearing a thiol group or the thiol-group-containing peptide may optionally be in the form of the corresponding disulfide,

(3) a catalytic amount of an enzyme catalyzing the reduction of a disulfide bridge created between two equivalents of the amino acid bearing a thiol group or of the thiol-group-containing peptide,

(4) optionally, a catalytic amount of an enzyme catalyzing the reduction of hydrogen,

(5) a catalytic amount of a cofactor common to the enzyme catalyzing the reduction of a disulfide bridge created between two equivalents of the amino acid bearing a thiol group or of the thiol-group-containing peptide and the enzyme catalyzing the reduction of hydrogen, and

(6) optionally, hydrogen.

15. The mixture of claim 14 , wherein:

the enzyme catalyzing the reduction of a disulfide bridge created between two equivalents of the amino acid bearing a thiol group or of the thiol-group-containing peptide is a reductase, and

the cofactor is NADPH.

16. The process of claim 1 , wherein the enzyme catalyzing the reduction of hydrogen is a hydrogen dehydrogenase.