Properties and Synthetic Applications of Ammonia-Lyases

Ammonia-lyases catalyze a wide range of processes leading to α,β-unsaturated compounds by elimination of ammonia having few features in common. They utilize an extraordinary range of prosthetic groups; e.g. coenzyme B12, dipyrromethane cofactor, pyridoxal-phosphate, or the 3,5-dihydro-5-methylidene-4H-imidazol- 4-one (MIO) prosthetic groups. In this work, ammonia-lyases are reviewed with major emphasis on various aspects of biotransformations, covering topics from the fundamental biochemistry of ammonia-lyases to their structure determined by protein crystallography.