Asymmetric synthesis of (-)-fosfomycin and its trans-(1S,2S)-diastereomer using a biocatalytic reduction as the key step

Fosfomycin is a gram positive and gram negative antibiotic that contains an asymmetric epoxide. An enzyme library was screened for its ability to reduce dimethyl(1-chloro-2-oxopropyl)phosphonate to the corresponding asymmetric chlorohydrin. Homology models were built in MOE, which were shown to accurately model the enzyme-substrate complex displaying the stereoselectivity that we observed. Two enzymes, YDR368w and YHR104w, were chosen for the scale up and synthesis of fosfomycin and its trans-(1S,2S)-diastereomer. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.