Partial purification and characterization of a coniferyl alcohol dehydrogenase fromRhodococcus erythropolis

A nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-dependent coniferyl alcohol dehydrogenase was enriched 1,200-fold from crude extracts ofRhodococcus erythropolis. The purification procedure involved ion exchange chromotography, gel filtration on Biogel A 1,5 and Sephadex G-200, and hydroxyapatite treatment. The enzyme had a molecular weight of approximately 200,000 and displayed maximal activity at pH 9.0. The apparentK_m values for NAD and coniferyl alcohol were, respectively, 0.22 and 0.645 mM. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) could only partially replace NAD. The enzyme was active with vanillyl alcohol and aromatic alcohols bearing the ,-unsaturated side chain of coniferyl alcohols. These aromatic alcohols included the dilignols dehydrodiconiferyl alcohol and guaiacylglycerol--coniferyl ether.