The modelling and kinetic investigation of the lipase-catalysed acetylation of stereoisomeric prostaglandins

The lipase-catalysed acetylation of the hydroxyl groups of five stereoisomeric prostaglandins of type F was investigated by means of molecular dynamics simulations and the results compared with experimental observations. An NMR spectroscopic monitoring was performed to estimate reaction velocities and the regioselectivity. A molecular modelling protocol that could qualitatively differentiate between the OH groups of prostaglandins being either accessible or unaccessible to the Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) catalysed acetylation was developed. The protocol developed analysed the protein structure deformation, the content of essential hydrogen bonds and the function-based subset energy of tetrahedral intermediates along the molecular dynamics simulations trajectory. The tetrahedral intermediates displaying a deformation RMS value lower than 3.0 Å, an essential hydrogen bond content over 50% and a subset energy less than −95 kJ/mol were classified active. In total, the accessibility of 16 out of 17 different prostaglandin OH groups was correctly predicted.