Characterization of two aldo–keto reductases from Gluconobacter oxydans 621H capable of regio- and stereoselective α-ketocarbonyl reduction

Two cytosolic NADPH-dependent carbonyl reductases from Gluconobacter oxydans 621H, Gox0644 and Gox1615, were heterologously produced in Escherichia coli. The recombinant proteins were purified to homogeneity and characterized. Gox0644 and Gox1615 were dimers with native molecular masses of 66.1 and 74.5 kDa, respectively. The enzymes displayed broad substrate specificities and reduced α-ketocarbonyls at the keto moiety most proximal to the terminus of the alkyl chain to produce alpha-hydroxy carbonyls, as demonstrated by NMR. With respect to stereoselectivity, protein Gox0644 specifically reduced 2,3-pentanedione to 2R-hydroxy-pentane-3-one, whereas Gox1615 produced 2S-hydroxy-pentane-3-one. Both enzymes also reduced 1-phenyl-1,2-propanedione to 2-hydroxy-1-phenylpropane-1-one, which is a key intermediate in the production of numerous pharmaceuticals, such as antifungal azoles and antidepressants. Gox0644 displayed highest activities with 2,3-diones, α-ketoaldehydes, α-keto esters, and 2,5-diketogluconate. Gox1615 was less active with these substrates, but displayed a broader substrate spectrum reducing a variety of α-diketones and aldehydes.     

Utilization of d-Lactate as an Energy Source Supports the Growth of Gluconobacter oxydans

d-Lactate was identified as one of the few available organic acids that supported the growth of Gluconobacter oxydans 621H in this study. Interestingly, the strain used d-lactate as an energy source but not as a carbon source, unlike other lactate-utilizing bacteria. The enzymatic basis for the growth of G. oxydans 621H on d-lactate was therefore investigated. Although two putative NAD-independent d-lactate dehydrogenases, GOX1253 and GOX2071, were capable of oxidizing d-lactate, GOX1253 was the only enzyme able to support the d-lactate-driven growth of the strain. GOX1253 was characterized as a membrane-bound dehydrogenase with high activity toward d-lactate, while GOX2071 was characterized as a soluble oxidase with broad substrate specificity toward d-2-hydroxy acids. The latter used molecular oxygen as a direct electron acceptor, a feature that has not been reported previously in d-lactate-oxidizing enzymes. This study not only clarifies the mechanism for the growth of G. oxydans on d-lactate, but also provides new insights for applications of the important industrial microbe and the novel d-lactate oxidase.     

Vinyl ketone reduction by three distinct Gluconobacter oxydans 621H enzymes

Three cytosolic NADPH-dependent flavin-associated proteins (Gox2107, Gox0502, and Gox2684) from Gluconobacter oxydans 621H were overproduced in Escherichia coli, and the recombinant enzymes were purified and characterized. Apparent native molecular masses of 65.2, 78.2, and 78.4 kDa were observed for Gox2107, Gox0502, and Gox2684, corresponding to a trimeric structure for Gox2107 and dimers for Gox0502 and Gox2684. Analysis of flavin content revealed Gox2107 was flavin adenine dinucleotide dependent, whereas Gox0502 and Gox2684 contained flavin mononucleotide. The enzymes were able to reduce vinyl ketones and quinones, reducing the olefinic bond of vinyl ketones as shown by ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance. Additionally, Gox0502 and Gox2684 stereospecifically reduced 5S-(+)-carvone to 2R,5S-dihydrocarvone. All enzymes displayed highest activities with 3-butene-2-one and 1,4-naphthoquinone. Gox0502 and Gox2684 displayed a broader substrate spectrum also reducing short-chain α-diketones, whereas Gox2107 was most catalytically efficient.     

Structural and Kinetic Properties of Nonglycosylated Recombinant Penicillium amagasakiense Glucose Oxidase Expressed in Escherichia coli

The gene coding for Penicillium amagasakiense glucose oxidase (GOX; β-d-glucose; oxygen 1-oxidoreductase [EC 1.1.3.4]) has been cloned by PCR amplification with genomic DNA as template with oligonucleotide probes derived from amino acid sequences of N- and C-terminal peptide fragments of the enzyme. Recombinant Escherichia coli expression plasmids have been constructed from the heat-induced pCYTEXP1 expression vector containing the mature GOX coding sequence. When transformed into E. coli TG2, the plasmid directed the synthesis of 0.25 mg of protein in insoluble inclusion bodies per ml of E. coli culture containing more than 60% inactive GOX. Enzyme activity was reconstituted by treatment with 8 M urea and 30 mM dithiothreitol and subsequent 100-fold dilution to a final protein concentration of 0.05 to 0.1 mg ml⁻¹ in a buffer containing reduced glutathione-oxidized glutathione, flavin adenine dinucleotide, and glycerol. Reactivation followed first-order kinetics and was optimal at 10°C. The reactivated recombinant GOX was purified to homogeneity by mild acidification and anion-exchange chromatography. Up to 12 mg of active GOX could be purified from a 1-liter E. coli culture. Circular dichroism demonstrated similar conformations for recombinant and native P. amagasakiense GOXs. The purified enzyme has a specific activity of 968 U mg⁻¹ and exhibits kinetics of glucose oxidation similar to those of, but lower pH and thermal stabilities than, native GOX from P. amagasakiense. In contrast to the native enzyme, recombinant GOX is nonglycosylated and contains a single isoform of pI 4.5. This is the first reported expression of a fully active, nonglycosylated form of a eukaryotic, glycosylated GOX in E. coli.Glucose oxidase (GOX; β-d-glucose; oxygen 1-oxidoreductase [EC 1.1.3.4]) is a hydrogen peroxide-generating flavoprotein catalyzing the oxidation of β-d-glucose to d-glucono-1,5-lactone. GOX is used in the food industry for the removal of glucose from powdered eggs, as a source of hydrogen peroxide in food preservation, for gluconic acid production, and in the production of beer and soft drinks, in which its reaction serves an antioxidant function (10, 39, 42). GOX is also used extensively for the quantitative determination of d-glucose in samples such as blood, food, and fermentation products (10, 39, 49). The enzyme has been purified from both Aspergillus niger (45) and Penicillium spp. (33), with A. niger NRRL3 being the most widely used strain for industrial-scale production (11). A problem with utilizing GOX from its native source is the presence of impurities such as catalase, cellulase, and amylase, which may impair some of its applications. To overcome these difficulties and to simplify the stringent purification procedures, which are relatively expensive, A. niger GOX has been cloned and expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a highly glycosylated form (17).The most frequent employment of GOX has been in biosensors, in which the biochemical event of glucose oxidation is detected by electrochemical, thermometric, or optical techniques. The most interesting possibilities appear to lie in electron transfer reactions, with artificial electron acceptors or mediators being used to transfer information from the enzyme to the electrode (49). The electrical communication between GOX and the electrode and thereby its biosensor performance are hampered by the protein-bound carbohydrate moiety of the enzyme (1, 15), which most probably impedes electron tunneling through the enzyme (32). Almost complete (24, 27) or partial (15, 32) deglycosylation of GOX is possible, but the procedure is expensive and complicated. A more efficient and effective way of obtaining nonglycosylated GOX would be to express the enzyme in a prokaryotic host. This would also enable the properties and efficiency of GOX to be improved for its use in biosensors by protein engineering techniques (49). As a first step towards this objective, GOX from Penicillium amagasakiense was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. GOX from P. amagasakiense was selected since the enzyme has a higher turnover rate and a better affinity for β-d-glucose than its A. niger counterpart (30, 33).In this study, we describe the cloning and expression of the gene encoding P. amagasakiense GOX and the refolding, purification, and characterization of the nonglycosylated recombinant enzyme. The activity of the recombinant GOX, expressed in the form of insoluble inclusion bodies, was reconstituted, and the active enzyme was shown to possess properties and secondary structure composition similar to those of native P. amagasakiense GOX. This is the first reported expression of a fully active nonglycosylated form of a eukaryotic glycosylated GOX in a prokaryote, which enabled us to demonstrate that in contrast to previous assumptions (4, 9, 47) the protein-bound carbohydrate moiety is not essential for the correct folding of GOX.     

High resolution crystal structure of rat long chain hydroxy acid oxidase in complex with the inhibitor 4-carboxy-5-[(4-chlorophenyl)sulfanyl]-1, 2, 3-thiadiazole. Implications for inhibitor specificity and drug design

Long chain hydroxy acid oxidase (LCHAO) is responsible for the formation of methylguanidine, a toxic compound with elevated serum levels in patients with chronic renal failure. Its isozyme glycolate oxidase (GOX), has a role in the formation of oxalate, which can lead to pathological deposits of calcium oxalate, in particular in the disease primary hyperoxaluria. Inhibitors of these two enzymes may have therapeutic value. These enzymes are the only human members of the family of FMN-dependent l-2-hydroxy acid-oxidizing enzymes, with yeast flavocytochrome b₂ (Fcb2) among its well studied members. We screened a chemical library for inhibitors, using in parallel rat LCHAO, human GOX and the Fcb2 flavodehydrogenase domain (FDH). Among the hits was an inhibitor, CCPST, with an IC₅₀ in the micromolar range for all three enzymes. We report here the crystal structure of a complex between this compound and LCHAO at 1.3 Å resolution. In comparison with a lower resolution structure of this enzyme, binding of the inhibitor induces a conformational change in part of the TIM barrel loop 4, as well as protonation of the active site histidine. The CCPST interactions are compared with those it forms with human GOX and those formed by two other inhibitors with human GOX and spinach GOX. These compounds differ from CCPST in having the sulfur replaced with a nitrogen in the five-membered ring as well as different hydrophobic substituents. The possible reason for the ∼100-fold difference in affinity between these two series of inhibitors is discussed. The present results indicate that specificity is an issue in the quest for therapeutic inhibitors of either LCHAO or GOX, but they may give leads for this quest.     

Exploring glycolate oxidase (GOX) as an antiurolithic drug target: molecular modeling and in vitro inhibitor study

Glycolate oxidase (GOX) is one of the principal enzymes involved in the pathway of oxalate synthesis. It converts glycolate to glyoxylate by oxidation and then glyoxylate is finally converted to oxalate. Therapeutic intervention of GOX in this consequence thus found potential in the treatment of calcium oxalate urolithiasis. In present investigation, we explored GOX in search of potential leads from traditional resources. Molecular modeling of the identified leads, quercetin and kaempherol, was performed by employing Glide 5.5.211 (SchrodingerTM suite). In the absence of pure human glycolate oxidase (hGOX) preparation, in vitro experiments were performed on spinach glycolate oxidase (sGOX) as both enzymes possess 57% identity and 76% similarity along with several conserved active site residues in common. We aimed to identify a possible mechanism of action for the anti-GOX leads from Tribuls terrestris, which can be attributed to anti-urolithic drug development. This study found promising in development of future GOX inhibitory leads.     

Synthesis of 4-methylumbelliferyl α-d-mannopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-d-mannopyranoside and development of a coupled fluorescent assay for GH125 exo-α-1,6-mannosidases

Certain bacterial pathogens possess a repertoire of carbohydrate processing enzymes that process host N-linked glycans and many of these enzymes are required for full virulence of harmful human pathogens such as Clostridium perfringens and Streptococcus pneumoniae. One bacterial carbohydrate processing enzyme that has been studied is the pneumococcal virulence factor SpGH125 from S. pneumoniae and its homologue, CpGH125, from C. perfringens. These exo-α-1,6-mannosidases from glycoside hydrolase family 125 show poor activity toward aryl α-mannopyranosides. To circumvent this problem, we describe a convenient synthesis of the fluorogenic disaccharide substrate 4-methylumbelliferone α-d-mannopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-d-mannopyranoside. We show this substrate can be used in a coupled fluorescent assay by using β-mannosidases from either Cellulomonas fimi or Helix pomatia as the coupling enzyme. We find that this disaccharide substrate is processed much more efficiently than aryl α-mannopyranosides by CpGH125, most likely because inclusion of the second mannose residue makes this substrate more like the natural host glycan substrates of this enzyme, which enables it to bind better. Using this sensitive coupled assay, the detailed characterization of these metal-independent exo-α-mannosidases GH125 enzymes should be possible, as should screening chemical libraries for inhibitors of these virulence factors.     

On the detection of homotropic effects in enzymes of low co-operativity. Application to modified aspartate transcarbamoylase

In contrast with the ease of observing heterotropic effects in allosteric enzymes of low co-operativity, the detection of homotropic effects is often difficult. As a consequence, erroneous conclusions about the uncoupling of homotropic and heterotropic effects can result unless sensitive techniques are used for analyzing the kinetic data. Simulations of experiments as well as actual measurements on the allosteric enzyme, aspartate transcarbamoylase, of Escherichia coli and some of its modified forms, were performed in attempts to develop stringent diagnostic procedures for the detection of homotropic effects in enzymes of low co-operativity. The analyses show that direct saturation plots (velocity versus substrate concentration), double reciprocal plots, and Hill plots yield misleading results in that the co-operativity known to be present is not observed. In contrast, Eadie plots (velocity/substrate concentration versus velocity) are much more sensitive in revealing homotropic effects. Since the observed co-operativity depends on both the allosteric equilibrium constant, L, and the number of active sites, n, simulations were performed on the effect of those parameters. The maxima in the Eadie plots increased as L was lowered and conversely the maxima decreased as n was reduced. These changes were confirmed with a mutant aspartate transcarbamoylase which had the same specific activity as the wild-type enzyme and a lower value of L, and also with a hybrid enzyme containing fewer active sites and the same L value. Analogous experiments on nitrated aspartate transcarbamoylase derivatives of decreasing activity showed that Eadie plots were of value in distinguishing between the changes in L and n values resulting from the inactivation. Data from the literature were analyzed in the form of Eadie plots and in all cases homotropic effects were readily detectable for aspartate transcarbamoylase derivatives previously claimed to be devoid of co-operativity.     

Construction of a fusion enzyme of dextransucrase and dextranase: Application for one-step synthesis of isomalto-oligosaccharides

The linear isomalto-oligosaccharides (IMO) with DP2–DP10 were produced by one-step process using engineered fusion enzyme (DXSR) of endo-dextranase and only α-(1–6) glucan synthesizing dextransucrase. The fusion enzyme was successfully expressed in Escherichia coli and characterized. Compared to individual enzymes, DXSR had 150% increased endo-dextranase activity and 98% decreased dextransucrase activity. The partially purified DXSR displayed molecular mass of 240 kDa as analyzed by SDS–PAGE. It showed both enzyme activities on analysis by zymogram. The thermal- and pH-stability of DXSR was around 28 °C and pH at 5.0–6.4, respectively. IMOs production by DXSR was increased by the addition of metal ions such as Fe²⁺, Li⁺, K⁺ and Ni²⁺, but the enzyme was strongly inhibited by Hg²⁺ and Ag⁺. DXSR produced linear IMO with DP2–DP10 using sucrose as a sole substrate. The molecular weight and amount of IMO could be controlled by the sucrose concentration. DXSR gave 30-fold higher production of IMO than that of an equal activity mixture of the two enzymes such as dextranase and dextransucrase.     

In silico and in vivo analysis of signal peptides effect on recombinant glucose oxidase production in nonconventional yeast <Emphasis Type="Italic">Yarrowia lipolytica</Emphasis>

Signal peptide (SP) is an important factor and biobrick in the production and secretion of recombinant proteins. The aim of this study was in silico and in vivo analysis of SPs effect on the production of recombinant glucose oxidase (GOX) in Yarrowia lipolytica. Several in silico softwares, namely SignalP4, Signal-CF, Phobius, WolfPsort 0.2, SOLpro and ProtParam, were used to analyse the potential of 15 endogenous and exogenous SPs for the secretion of recombinant GOX in Y. lipolytica. According to in silico results, the SP of GOX was predicted as suitable in terms of high secretory potential and of protein solubility and stability which is chosen for in vivo analysis. The recombinant Y. lipolytica strain produced 280 U/L of extracellular GOX after 7 days in YPD medium. The results show that the SP of GOX can be applied to efficient production of extracellular heterologous proteins and metabolic engineering in Y. lipolytica.     

松果梢斑螟对虫害诱导寄主防御的抑制作用

以松果梢斑螟（Dioryctria pryeri）-油松（Pinus tabuleaformis）（2年生球果和新梢）为研究对象,探讨梢斑螟幼虫对油松球果小卷蛾（Gravitarmata margarotana）先期虫害诱导寄主防御的抑制作用,以及虫害诱导的负防御机制。结果表明,双萜松脂酸作为油松球果和新梢的主要组成和诱导性防御物质,梢斑螟虫害后球果双萜松脂酸极显著增加,10 d后降低到正常水平;而新梢虫害后,松脂酸显著增加,后随新梢基础含量而增加,10 d后虫害新梢松脂酸显著高于球果。梢斑螟幼虫以小卷蛾虫害球果、健康球果和新梢等部位为食料,均为梢斑螟5龄幼虫下唇腺葡萄糖氧化酶（Glucose oxidase,GOX）活性最高,极显著高于4龄和3龄幼虫;且同一龄期,小卷蛾虫害球果中的梢斑螟幼虫GOX活性最高,显著高于新梢和健康球果中幼虫酶活性。研究发现,虫害后萜类防御物质随幼虫GOX活性升高呈下降趋势。梢斑螟幼虫RNA和P含量比较发现,取食小卷蛾虫害球果、健康球果和新梢3种食料,均为梢斑螟3龄幼虫最高,5龄幼虫最小,差异极显著;但同一龄期,3种食料发育的幼虫,其RNA和P含量间无显著差异。这些结果说明,小卷蛾幼虫的先期危害,诱导了寄主防御,但后来的梢斑螟幼虫通过下唇腺GOX抑制了寄主的诱导防御,使其生长率与健康球果和新梢中的幼虫基本一致。     

Measurement of α-amylase and glucoamylase activities produced during fermentation

A method for the automatic measurement of α-amylase and glucoamylase activities during fermentation has been developed. Soluble starch dyed with Remazol Brilliant Orange was used as the substrate for α-amylase and 4-nitrophenyl α-d-glucopyranoside for glucoamylase. The same automatic analysis system could be used for both of these enzymes because the reaction products were measured at the same wavelength. Simultaneous pick-up of enzyme and the respective substrate was enabled by using two samplers. The presence of α-amylase did not interfere with the glucoamylase determination. Absolute values for α-amylase activity were obtained using a mathematical correction. Monitoring of these enzymes was accomplished during microbial fermentation.     

Expression and Characterization of Glucose Oxidase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aspergillus niger</Emphasis> in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Yarrowia lipolytica</Emphasis>

Glucose oxidase (GOX) is currently used in clinical, pharmaceutical, food and chemical industries. The aim of this study was expression and characterization of Aspergillus niger glucose oxidase gene in the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica. For the first time, the GOX gene of A. niger was successfully expressed in Y. lipolytica using a mono-integrative vector containing strong hybrid promoter and secretion signal. The highest total glucose oxidase activity was 370 U/L after 7 days of cultivation. An innovative method was used to cell wall disruption in current study, and it could be recommended to use for efficiently cell wall disruption of Y. lipolytica. Optimum pH and temperature for recombinant GOX activity were 5.5 and 37 °C, respectively. A single band with a molecular weight of 80 kDa similar to the native and pure form of A. niger GOX was observed for the recombinant GOX in SDS-PAGE analysis. Y. lipolytica is a suitable and efficient eukaryotic expression system to production of recombinant GOX in compered with other yeast expression systems and could be used to production of pure form of GOX for industrial applications.     

13CNMR Spectra of β-diketones from waxes of the gramineae

The ¹³CNMR spectra of six β-diketones and seven oxygenated β-diketones have been measured. The β-dicarbonyl grouping has the following effects on the chemical shifts of the neighbouring carbons: α-, + 8.72; β-, ? 3.98; γ-, ?0.42; δ-, ?0.33; ?-,?0.20; ζ-,?0.09; η-, ?0.05; θ-, ?0.03 ppm. The effects indicate the position of the grouping up to the 10,12-position. The positions of hydroxyl and oxo groups, up to the eighth carbon from the end of the chain, are also shown by long-range effects. The relative positions of a β-diketone grouping and another oxygen-containing group can be established from the ¹³CNMR spectrum with little ambiguity when they are separated by six or fewer methylene groups. For these structures NMR spectroscopy is more reliable than mass spectroscopy, which gives results which are difficult to interpret when groups are close together.Components of mixtures of hydroxy β-diketones, from grass waxes, are identified and proportions indicated by the NMR spectra.     

Enhanced production of α-ketoglutarate by fed-batch culture in the metabolically engineered strains of Corynebacterium glutamicum

The fed-batch culture system was employed to enhance production of α-ketoglutarate (α-KG) by the strainsof Corynebacterium glutamicum, whose genes encoding the key enzymes responsible for the biosynthesis of L-glutamate from α-KG were deleted. In a shake flask fermentation, C. glutamicum JH110 in which the 3 genes, gdh (encoding glutamate dehydrogenase), gltB (encoding glutamate synthase), and aceA (encoding isocitrate lyase) were disrupted showed the highest production of α-KG (12.4 g/L) compared to the strains JH102 (gdh mutant), JH103 (gltB mutant), and JH107 (gdh gltB double mutant). In the fed-batch cultures using a 5 L-jar fermenter, the strain JH107 produced more α-KG (19.5 g/L), but less glutamic acid (23.3 g/L) than those produced by the parent strain HH109, as well as JH102. The production of α-KG was significantly enhanced and the accumulation of glutamicacid was minimized by the ammonium-limited fed-batch cultures employing C. glutamicum JH107. Further improvement of α-KG production by the strain JH107 was achieved through the ammonium-limited fed-batch culture with the feeding of molasses, and the levels of α-KG and glutamic acid produced were 51.1 and 0.01 g/L, respectively.     

Production of multiple terpenes of different chain lengths by subcellular targeting of multi-substrate terpene synthase in plants

Multi-substrate terpene synthases (TPSs) are distinct from typical TPSs that react with a single substrate. Although in vitro activity of few multi-substrate TPSs have been reported, in vivo characterization has not been well investigated for most of them. Here, a new TPS from Cananga odorata, CoTPS5, belonging to TPS-f subfamily was functionally characterized in vitro as well as in vivo. CoTPS5 reacted with multiple prenyl-pyrophosphate substrates of various chain lengths as a multi-substrate TPS. It catalyzed the formation of (E)-β-ocimene, (E,E)-α-farnesene and α-springene from geranyl pyrophosphate, (E,E)-farnesyl pyrophosphate and geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate, respectively. Upon transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana, CoTPS5 localized to cytosol and produced only (E,E)-α-farnesene. However, expression of plastid-targeted CoTPS5 in N. benthamiana resulted in biosynthesis of all three compounds, (E)-β-ocimene, (E,E)-α-farnesene and α-springene. Similarly, transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing plastid-targeted CoTPS5 showed stable and sustainable production of (E)-β-ocimene, (E,E)-α-farnesene and α-springene. Moreover, their production did not affect the growth and development of transgenic Arabidopsis plants. Our results demonstrate that redirecting multi-substrate TPS to a different intracellular compartment could be an effective way to prove in vivo activity of multi-substrate TPSs and thereby allowing for the production of multiple terpenoids simultaneously in plants.     

An unusual chimeric amylosucrase generated by domain-swapping mutagenesis

Amylosucrase (ASase; EC 2.4.1.4) synthesizes α-1,4-glucans using sucrose as a sole substrate. The aim of this study was to compare the enzymatic properties of four recombinant ASase genes to determine the underlying mechanisms thereof. Following cloning and expression in Escherichia coli, we determined that the ASase enzyme from Deinococcus geothermalis (DGAS) had the highest thermostability whereas ASase from Neisseria polysaccharea (NPAS) showed the greatest polymerization activity. Chimeric ASases were constructed using dgas and npas genes by overlap extension polymerase chain reaction. Two of the six chimeric ASases generated, NPAS-B′ and DGAS-B, showed ASase activity using sucrose as the sole substrate. However, DGAS-B was not able to produce longer α-1,4-glucans; the highest degree of polymerization was <12. In the kinetic study, not only the substrate binding affinity but also the production rate of DGAS-B was greater than those of DGAS. Molecular dynamic computational simulation suggested that DGAS-B could not synthesize longer glucan chains because of the change in flexibilities of loops 4, 7, and 8 as compared to those of DGAS.     

Purification, cloning, and overexpression of an alcohol dehydrogenase from Nocardia globerula reducing aliphatic ketones and bulky ketoesters

For the huge amount of chiral chemicals and precursors that can potentially be produced by biocatalysis, there is a tremendous need of enzymes with new substrate spectra, higher enantioselectivity, and increased activity. In this paper, a highly active alcohol dehydrogenase is presented isolated from Nocardia globerula that shows a unique substrate spectrum toward different prochiral aliphatic ketones and bulky ketoesters as well as thioesters. For example, the enzyme reduced ethyl 4-chloro-3-oxo butanoate with an ee >99% to (S)-4-chloro-3-hydroxy butanoate. Very interesting is also the fact that 3-oxobutanoic acid tert-butylthioester is reduced with 49.4% of the maximal activity while the corresponding tert-butyloxyester is not reduced at all. Furthermore, it has to be mentioned that acetophenone, a standard substrate for many known alcohol dehydrogenases, is not reduced by this enzyme. The enzyme was purified from wild-type N. globerula cells, and the corresponding 915-bp-long gene was determined, cloned, expressed in Escherichia coli, and applied in biotransformations. The N. globerula alcohol dehydrogenase is a tetramer of about 135 kDa in size as determined from gel filtration. Its sequence is related to several hypothetical 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenases whose sequences were derived by whole-genome sequencing from bacterial sources as well as known mammalian 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenases and ß-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenases from different clostridiae.