Biosynthesis of lactones from diols mediated by an artificial flavin

Background Lactones are important compounds in the field of medicine, material and chemical industry. One of the promising accesses to these flexible scaffolds is NAD(P) + -dependent alcohol dehydrogenases-catalyzed oxidative lactonization of diols, which relies on the construction of an efficient NAD(P) + regeneration system. Results In this study, a novel system combining horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase (HLADH) with the synthetic bridged flavin cofactor was established for biosynthesis of lactones. The reaction conditions of this system were optimized and a variety of lactones including chiral lactones were efficiently obtained from various diols. Compared to the previously reported NAD(P) + -regeneration systems, this system showed better regeneration efficiency and product yield. A two-phase system was further applied to solve the problem of product inhibition, and 80% yield was obtained at the condition of 300 mM substrate. Conclusions This study provides an efficient method to synthesis of lactones from diols under mild conditions. We believe this system will be a promising alternative to promote the synthesis of other valuable compounds. Graphic abstract