A novel microbial esterase BSE01281 identified from the Indian Ocean was cloned, expressed, and functionally characterized. Esterase BSE01281 could enanoselectively resolve (±)-1-phenylethanol and (±)-1-phenylethyl acetate through two types of enzymatic reactions. After the optimization of enzymatic reactions, BSE01281 could efficiently generate (R)-1-phenylethyl acetate with high enantiomeric excess (>99%) and high conversion (42%) after 96 h trans-esterification reactions. Additionally, BSE01281 could also produce (R)-1-phenylethanol (e.e. > 99%) and (S)-1-phenylethyl acetate (e.e. > 95%) at a conversion of 49% through direct hydrolysis of inexpensive racemic 1-phenylethyl acetate for 8 h. Optically pure (R)-1-phenylethanol generated from direct enzymatic hydrolysis of racemic 1-phenylethyl acetate by BSE01281 is not easily prepared by dehydrogenases, which generally follow the "Prelog's rule" and give (S)-1-phenylethanol instead.
Keywords: Chiral 1-phenylethanol; Chiral 1-phenylethyl acetate; Esterase; High enantiomeric excess; Kinetic resolution.