Biomanufacturing Biobased Organic Amines from Biomass-Derived Aldehydes Through the Amination with Transaminase 3FCR-3M

Lignocellulose, as the most abundant renewable biomass, offers a sustainable source of valuable chemicals. This study explores the biosynthesis of vanillylamine, a versatile lignin derivative used in producing furans, food additives, and pharmaceuticals, from biobased aldehydes under mild conditions. A transaminase (3FCR-3M) from <i>Ruegeria</i> sp. TM1040 was expressed in <i>E. coli</i> and applied in ethylene glycol-water medium (ethylene glycol, 20 vol%). Under optimized conditions (35 °C, pH 7.5), using <i>L</i>-alanine (<i>L</i>-Ala:vanillin = 5:1, mol:mol) as the amine donor, the whole-cell biocatalyst effectively converted various aromatic and furan aldehydes (50 mM), including vanillin, isovanillin, anisaldehyde, furfural, and HMF, into corresponding amines. Yields ranged from 52.8% to 98.4%. This work demonstrates a green and efficient bioamination strategy for producing vanillylamine and its derivatives from renewable biomass.