title: Stereoselective reduction of carbonyl compounds using the cell-free extract of the earthworm, Lumbricus rubellus, as a novel source of biocatalyst.
abstract: We found the reducing activity toward carbonyl compounds in the cell-free extract of the earthworm, Lumbricus rubellus. The earthworm extract had a reducing activity for keto esters in the presence of NADH or NADPH as a coenzyme. The earthworm extract reduced ethyl 3-methyl-2-oxobutanoate to the corresponding alcohol with a high enantiomeric excess (91%, R-form) at 50 degrees C in the presence of NADH. In particular, ethyl 2-oxoheptanoate was exclusively reduced to the corresponding (R)-hydroxyl ester with a high enantiomeric excess (>99%).
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, Okayama University of Science, Okayama. ishihara@dls.ous.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kohji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishihara
authors.forename: Nobuyoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nakajima
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002384:Catalysis; D002474:Cell-Free System; D007659:Ketones / Q000378:metabolism*; D009249:NADP / Q000378:metabolism; D009835:Oligochaeta / Q000378:metabolism*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D013237:Stereoisomerism
chemical_list: D007659:Ketones; D009249:NADP