Enantioselective Intramolecular CH Amination Catalyzed by Engineered Cytochrome P450 Enzymes In Vitro and In Vivo

Nitrogen activation: Though P450 enzymes are masters of oxygen activation and insertion into CH bonds, their ability to use nitrogen for the same purpose has so far not been explored. Engineered variants of cytochrome P450BM3 have now been found to catalyze intramolecular CH aminations in azide substrates. Mutations to two highly conserved residues significantly increased this activity.