Enhanced Ene-Reductase Activity through Alteration of Artificial Nicotinamide Cofactor Substituents.

The reduction of activated C=C double bonds is an important reaction in synthetic chemistry owing to the potential formation of up to two new stereogenic centers. Artificial nicotinamide cofactors were recently presented as alternative suppliers of hydride equivalents needed for alkene reduction. To study the effect of cofactors on the reduction of activated alkenes, a set of N-substituted synthetic nicotinamide cofactors with differing oxidation potentials were synthesized and their electrochemical and kinetic behavior was studied. The effects of the synthetic cofactors on enzyme activity of four ene reductases are outlined in this study, where the cofactor mimic with an N-substituted 4-hydroxy-phenyl residue led to a sixfold higher v_max relative to the natural cofactor NADH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]