3-quinuclidinone reductase (QNR)

3-quinuclidinone reductase (QNR) is a microbial enzyme that catalyzes the stereospecific, cofactor-dependent reduction of 3-quinuclidinone to (R)-3-quinuclidinol. Primarily isolated from organisms such as Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Rhodotorula rubra, and Microbacterium luteolum, the enzyme belongs to the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) superfamily. While QNR is not a physiological therapeutic target in humans, it is highly valued in pharmaceutical biotechnology as a biocatalyst for the synthesis of chiral intermediates. Its product, (R)-3-quinuclidinol, serves as a critical chiral building block for several medications, including the muscarinic receptor antagonist solifenacin (Vesicare) for overactive bladder and the M1 agonist talsaclidine for Alzheimer's disease. Industrial research often focuses on the recombinant expression and production of this enzyme in Escherichia coli to optimize yields and enantiomeric purity for large-scale drug manufacturing.

Other names

Quinuclidinone reductase3-quinuclidinone:NAD(P)+ oxidoreductaseAtQRRrQRMlQRArQREC 1.1.1.336

Industrial biocatalysis for the asymmetric reduction of ketones to chiral alcohol drug intermediates