β-Styryl- and β-Aryl-β-alanine Products of Phenylalanine Aminomutase Catalysis

Abstract

The substrate specificity of a Taxus -derived phenylalanine aminomutase (PAM) was investigated, and the enzyme was found to catalyze the conversion of variously substituted vinyl- and aryl- S -α-alanines to corresponding β-amino acids. This study shows the broad substrate specificity of PAM and thus demonstrates a potential, practical biosynthetic route toward unnatural β-amino acid subunits of Taxol analogues and β-peptides.