Enzymatic ketone reduction: mapping the substrate profile of a short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase (YMR226c) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase (YMR226c) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli, and the encoded protein was purified. The activity and enantioselectivity of this recombinant enzyme were evaluated with a series of ketones. The alcohol dehydrogenase (YMR226c) was found to effectively catalyze the enantioselective reductions of aryl-substituted acetophenones, α-chloroacetophenones, aliphatic ketones, and α- and β-ketoesters. While the enantioselectivity for the reduction of β-ketoesters was moderate, the acetophenone derivatives, aromatic α-ketoesters, some substituted α-chloroacetophenones, and aliphatic ketones were reduced to the corresponding chiral alcohols with excellent enantioselectivity. The enantiopreference of this enzyme generally followed Prelog’s rule for the simple ketones. The ester functionality played some role in determining the enzyme’s enantiopreference for the reduction of α- and β-ketoesters. The present study serves as a valuable guidance for the future applications of this versatile biocatalyst.

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