Enzymatic method for producing L-glufosinate and its phosphoesters

An enzymatically catalyzed method for producing L-glufosinate or a phosphoester thereof, the method comprising:

• reacting an activated L-homoserine HA with a substrate S of the following structure (I) to produce a compound of the following structure (III),
• wherein R1 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, an alkyl, an alkenyl, an alkinyl, a hydroxyalkyl, and an aryl, and
• wherein the activated L-homoserine HA has the following structure (II):
• wherein R2 is a hydrocarbon group with 1 to 15 carbon atoms which optionally comprises at least one functional group selected from OH, COOH, NH, and
• wherein the reaction is catalyzed by at least one enzyme selected from the group consisting of a sulfhydrylase and a cystathionine γ-synthase,
• wherein the sulfhydrylase comprises a polypeptide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:
• 2 and variants of SEQ ID NO:
• 2, SEQ ID NO:
• 6 and variants of SEQ ID NO:
• 6, SEQ ID NO:
• 19 and variants of SEQ ID NO:
• 19, SEQ ID NO:
• 22 and variants of SEQ ID NO:
• 22, SEQ ID NO:
• 23 and variants of SEQ ID NO:
• 23, SEQ ID NO:
• 10 and variants of SEQ ID NO:
• 10, SEQ ID NO:
• 14 and variants of SEQ ID NO:
• 14, SEQ ID NO:
• 18 and variants of SEQ ID NO:
• 18, SEQ ID NO:
• 20 and variants of SEQ ID NO:
• 20, SEQ ID NO:
• 24 and variants of SEQ ID NO:
• 24, SEQ ID NO:
• 25 and variants of SEQ ID NO:
• 25, SEQ ID NO:
• 26 and variants of SEQ ID NO:
• 26, SEQ ID NO:
• 27 and variants of SEQ ID NO:
• 27, SEQ ID NO:
• 28 and variants of SEQ ID NO:
• 28, and SEQ ID NO:
• 34 and variants of SEQ ID NO:
• 34,
• wherein the variants of SEQ ID NOs:
• 2, 6, 10, 14, 18-20, 22-28, and 34 are defined as polypeptide sequences with at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NOs:
• 2, 6, 10, 14, 18-20, 22-28, and 34 respectively, and
• wherein the cystathionine y-synthase comprises a polypeptide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:
• 17 and variants of SEQ ID NO:
• 17. SEQ ID NO:
• 21 and variants of SEQ ID NO:
• 21, SEQ ID NO:
• 29 and variants of SEQ ID NO:
• 29, SEQ ID NO:
• 30 and variants of SEQ ID NO:
• 30, SEQ ID NO:
• 31 and variants of SEQ ID NO:
• 31, SEQ ID NO:
• 32 and variants of SEQ ID NO:
• 32, and SEQ ID NO:
• 33 and variants of SEQ ID NO:
• 33,
• wherein the variants of SEQ ID NOs:
• 17, 21, and 29-33 are defined as polypeptide sequences with at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NOs:
• 17, 21, and 29-33 respectively.