Rational Engineering of ( S )-Norcoclaurine Synthase for Efficient Benzylisoquinoline Alkaloids Biosynthesis

( )-Norcoclaurine is synthesized in vivo through a metabolic pathway that ends with ( )-norcoclaurine synthase (NCS). The former constitutes the scaffold for the biosynthesis of all benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs), including many drugs such as the opiates morphine and codeine and the semi-synthetic opioids oxycodone, hydrocodone, and hydromorphone. Unfortunately, the only source of complex BIAs is the opium poppy, leaving the drug supply dependent on poppy crops. Therefore, the bioproduction of ( )-norcoclaurine in heterologous hosts, such as bacteria or yeast, is an intense area of research nowadays. The efficiency of ( )-norcoclaurine biosynthesis is strongly dependent on the catalytic efficiency of NCS. Therefore, we identified vital NCS rate-enhancing mutations through the rational transition-state macrodipole stabilization method at the Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics (QM/MM) level. The results are a step forward for obtaining NCS variants able to biosynthesize ( )-norcoclaurine on a large scale.