Modular multi-enzyme cascades enable green and sustainable synthesis of non-canonical amino acids from glycerol.

ABSTRACT: Non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) bearing diverse functional groups hold transformative potential in drug discovery, protein engineering, and biomaterial science. However, their industrial-scale production remains constrained by the inefficiency, high cost, and environmental burden of conventional chemical and enzymatic methods. Here, we present a modular multi-enzyme cascade platform that leverages glycerol-an abundant and sustainable byproduct of biodiesel production-as a low-cost substrate for ncAAs synthesis. Directed evolution of O-phospho-L-serine sulfhydrylase (OPSS) enhances the catalytic efficiency of C-N bond formation by 5.6-fold, enabling the efficient synthesis of triazole-functionalized ncAAs. By integrating a plug-and-play enzymatic strategy, our system enables gram- to deca

SUBMITTER: Xu S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12397247 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature