Hydrophobic and electronic factors in the design of dialkylglycine decarboxylase mimics.

The first functional catalytic mimic of the enzyme dialkylglycine decarboxylase is described. This system utilizes a hydrophobically modified polyethylenimine polymer, a pyridoxamine cofactor, and a 2-aryl-2-alkylglycine sacrificial amine source to convert alpha-keto acids to alpha-amino acids at biologically relevant temperatures with multiple turnovers of the pyridoxamine catalyst. The effects of hydrophobic and electronic factors in the 2,2-disubstituted sacrificial amine source and the pyridoxamine catalyst on turnover frequency and turnover number are explored.