Enzymes involved in the glycidaldehyde (2,3-epoxy-propanal) oxidation step in the kinetic resolution of racemic glycidol (2,3-epoxy-1-propanol) by Acetobacter pasteurianus.

Abstract

It is already known that kinetic resolution of racemic glycidol (2,3-epoxy-1-propanol) takes place when Acetobacter pasteurianus oxidizes the compound to glycidic acid (2,3-epoxy-propionic acid) with glycidaldehyde (2,3-epoxy-propanal) proposed to be the transient seen in this conversion. Since inhibition affects the feasibility of a process based on this conversion in a negative sense, and the chemical reactivity of glycidaldehyde predicts that it could be the cause for the phenomena observed, it is important to know which enzyme(s) oxidise(s) this compound. To study this, rac.- as well as (R)-glycidaldehyde were prepared by chemical synthesis and analytical methods developed for their determination. It appears that purified quinohemoprotein alcohol dehydrogenase (QH-ADH type II), the enzyme responsible for the kinetic resolution of rac.-glycidol, also catalyses the oxidation of glycidaldehyde. In addition, a preparation exhibiting dye-linked aldehyde dehydrogenase activity for acetaldehyde, most probably originating from molybdohemoprotein aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), which has been described for other Acetic acid bacteria, oxidised glycidaldehyde as well with a preference for the (R)-enantiomer, the selectivity quantified by an enantiomeric ratio (E) value of 7. From a comparison of the apparent kinetic parameter values of QH-ADH and ALDH, it is concluded that ALDH is mainly responsible for the removal of glycidaldehyde in conversions of glycidol catalysed by A. pasteurianus cells. It is shown that the transient observed in rac.-glycidol conversion by whole cells, is indeed (R)-glycidaldehyde. Since both QH-ADH and ALDH are responsible for vinegar production from ethanol by Acetobacters, growth and induction conditions optimal for this process seem also suited to yield cells with high catalytic performance with respect to kinetic resolution of glycidol and prevention of formation of inhibitory concentrations glycidaldehyde.