One-Pot Production of <scp>l</scp> - threo -3-Hydroxyaspartic Acid Using Asparaginase-Deficient Escherichia coli Expressing Asparagine Hydroxylase of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2)

We developed a novel process for efficient synthesis of l - threo -3-hydroxyaspartic acid ( l -THA) using microbial hydroxylase and hydrolase. A well-characterized mutant of asparagine hydroxylase (AsnO-D241N) and its homologous enzyme (SCO2693-D246N) were adaptable to the direct hydroxylation of l -aspartic acid; however, the yields were strictly low. Therefore, the highly stable and efficient wild-type asparagine hydroxylases AsnO and SCO2693 were employed to synthesize l -THA. By using these recombinant enzymes, l -THA was obtained by l -asparagine hydroxylation by AsnO followed by amide hydrolysis by asparaginase via 3-hydroxyasparagine. Subsequently, the two-step reaction was adapted to one-pot bioconversion in a test tube. l -THA was obtained in a small amount with a molar yield of 0.076% by using intact Escherichia coli expressing the asnO gene, and thus, two asparaginase-deficient mutants of E. coli were investigated. A remarkably increased l -THA yield of 8.2% was obtained with the asparaginase I-deficient mutant. When the expression level of the asnO gene was enhanced by using the T7 promoter in E. coli instead of the lac promoter, the l -THA yield was significantly increased to 92%. By using a combination of the E. coli asparaginase I-deficient mutant and the T7 expression system, a whole-cell reaction in a jar fermentor was conducted, and consequently, l -THA was successfully obtained from l -asparagine with a maximum yield of 96% in less time than with test tube-scale production. These results indicate that asparagine hydroxylation followed by hydrolysis would be applicable to the efficient production of l -THA.