Transaminases engineering and their cascade systems for natural product synthesis.

Transaminases (TAs) represent a class of enzymes that enable highly stereoselective amination reactions under mild conditions, providing an exceptionally powerful and versatile green chemistry tool for the synthesis of chiral amines and nitrogen-containing compounds. However, most current reviews on transaminases focus on the efficient synthesis of chiral amines, whereas the efficient synthesis of complex natural products has rarely been reported. This review systematically discusses the characteristics of different types of transaminases, covering their underlying catalytic mechanisms, the dynamics and roles of the cofactor involved, and key enzymatic properties that are critical for their function and practical applicability. Recent advances in protein engineering strategies and in the design of multi-enzyme cascade systems are also discussed. A particular focus is directed toward representative applications of transaminase-mediated multi-enzyme cascade systems in natural product synthesis. Based on a systematic review of recent advances in transaminase research, this review focuses on their representative applications in multi‑enzyme cascade systems for natural product synthesis, providing a comprehensive and referenceable framework for green synthetic strategies.