Stereoselective preparation of cyclic L-amino acids

1. A method of production of a cyclic L-amino acid of formula (I) or a salt or derivative thereof:

wherein said method comprises:

(a) expressing a polynucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of: a polynucleotide sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 1, a polynucleotide sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 2, and a polynucleotide sequence comprising SEQ ID NO:5; wherein SEQ ID NOs:1,2 and 5 are generated by mutagenesis and encode ornithine cyclodeaminase enzyme, and wherein the encoded ornithine cyclodeaminase enzyme is produced in a recombinant E.coli strain;

(b) reacting an L-diamino acid of formula (II)

a salt or derivative of an L-diamino acid of formula (II), or an enantiomeric mixture comprising an L-diamino acid of formula (II) and a corresponding D-diamino acid, the salts or derivatives thereof in variable proportions, with the produced enzyme of step (a); and

(c) recovering the cyclic L-amino acid of formula (I) or a salt or derivative thereof in an enantiomeric excess of at least 80%; wherein:

R 1 in formula (I) and formula (II) is selected from the group consisting of: a hydrogen atom, a linear or branched alkyl radical having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms and a linear or branched acyl radical having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms;

X in formula (I) and formula (II) represents a saturated, or partially or totally unsaturated, linear or branched C 1 -C 9 hydrocarbon chain, optionally comprising in the chain and/or at the end of the chain one or several heteroatoms or heterogroups selected from the group consisting of: O, S, P, and NR 2 ;

R 2 represents H or C 1 -C 4 alkyl or acyl group;

the hydrocarbon chain is optionally being substituted by one or several identical or different radicals selected from the group consisting of: —R, —O R, —SR, ═ 0 , —C(O)OR, —C(S)OR, —C(O)NR′R″, —C(S)NR′RR″, —CN, —N O 2 , —NR′R″, —NR′C(O)R, —SiOR and -SiOR;

R, R′, and R″, are identical or different and represent hydrogen or a linear or branched, saturated, or totally or partially unsaturated, hydrocarbon radical having from 2 to 20 carbon atoms; and

R′ and R″ optionally form a ring with the atom carrying them.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compound of formula (I) comprises a ring with six bonds, X representing a hydrocarbon chain with four bonds.

3. Method of claim 1 , wherein X represents a linear or branched alkylene chain.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the expression product of step (a) is purified prior to step (b).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compound of general formula (I) is in the form of an ammonium salt in aqueous solution.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein L-piperidine-2-carboxylic acid or one of its salts is prepared from L-lysine.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein L-piperazine-2-carboxylic acid or one of its salts is prepared from L-azalysine.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein L-thiomorpholine-2-carboxylic acid or one of its salts is prepared from L-thialysine.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein X in formula (I) and formula (II) represents a saturated, or partially or totally unsaturated, linear or branched C 2 -C 4 hydrocarbon chain, optionally comprising in the chain and/or at the end of the chain one or several heteroatoms or heterogroups selected from the group consisting of: O, S, P, and NR 2.

10. Method of claim 1 , wherein no exogenous nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is added to the reaction medium.