(63a) Enzymatic Reduction of Nitro Compounds to Amines with Nitroreductase

Nitroreductases are enzymes that reduce nitro compounds to corresponding nitroso, hydroxylamine, and amino compounds. In the past 20 years, they have gathered interest in several applications such as degradation of xenobiotic nitroaromatics, pharmaceutical production of amines, and activation of prodrugs in medical applications.

In previous studies, nitroreductases have shown to produce the hydroxylamine equivalent of the substrate. The instability and carcinogenicity of this product has been a barrier in using this enzyme. More recently, a nitroreductase from Salmonella typhimurium has been identified to produce the amine compounds from nitro aromatics.

Through this study we will prove the pathway of product and byproduct formation. With thorough understanding of the reaction cascade, we will show increased amine yields through optimization of the reaction conditions and mutational work.