Whole cultures of Nocardia sp. NRRL 5646 reduce carboxylic acids, first to aldehydes, then to alcohols and subsequently to the corresponding acetyl esters. This work describes an NADPH-dependent reductase responsible for catalyzing the reduction of aldehyde intermediates, which was purified 3240-fold by a combination of Mono-Q, hydroxyapatite, and ADP-agarose chromatographies. By sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the purified enzyme ran as a single band of 47 kDa. A native molecular mass estimated at 101 kDa indicated that the enzyme was a homodimer in the native, active state. Edman degradation indicated a unique N-terminal sequence as NH2-X-X-Ala-Ala-Ala-Tyr-Ala-Val-Pro-Ala-Pro-Asp-Gly-Cys-Phe-Glu-Lys-Val-Thr-Ile-Glu-Arg-Arg-Glu-Leu-Gly. The enzyme catalyzed reductions of many aryl- and alkyl-aldehyde substrates. Reactions were most favorable in the direction of aldehyde reduction to alcohols. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (2000) 25, 328–332.
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Received 08 May 2000/ Accepted in revised form 20 October 2000
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Li, T., Rosazza, J. The carboxylic acid reduction pathway in Nocardia. Purification and characterization of the aldehyde reductase. J Ind Microbiol Biotech 25, 328–332 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jim.7000096
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jim.7000096