An S‐Selective Lipase Was Created by Rational Redesign and the Enantioselectivity Increased with Temperature

Higher activity with larger pockets: The figure shows a superposition of intermediates that occur in acyl transfer to (S)-1-phenylethanol catalyzed by Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB). Wild-type CALB cannot accomodate the phenyl group (gray) in the stereospecificity pocket and form all of the catalytically essential H bonds. The Trp 104 Ala mutation liberates the volume in yellow, the S enantiomer is easily fitted, and the specificity constant increases by a factor of 130 000.