Aldehyde dehydrogenase

A process for producing an aldehyde dehydrogenase wherein the dehydrogenase

• has a molecular weight of 150,000±6,000 kDa and comprises two homologous subunits or has a molecular weight of 230,000±9,000 kDa and comprises three homologous subunits, each subunit having a molecular weight of about 75,000±3,000 kDa;
• has L-sorbosone, D-glucosone, D-glucose, D-galactose, D-mannose, L-gulose, D-xylose, D-ribose, and D-arabinose dehydrogenase activity;
• utilizes as cofactors pyrroloquinoline quinone and heme c;
• has an optimum pH of from 7.0 to 8.5;
• and
• is inhibited by Co2+, Cu2+, Fe2+, Ni2+, Zn2+, monoiodoacetate and ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid,
• which process comprises disrupting one or more cells of a Gluconobacter oxydans microorganism having the identifying characteristics of Gluconobacter oxydans DSM No. 4025 (FERM BP-3812) which cell or cells contain the dehydrogenase, and purifying the aldehyde dehydrogenase from the disrupted cells.

A process for producing a carboxylic acid from its corresponding aldehyde which comprises contacting the aldehyde with a purified aldehyde dehydrogenase in the presence of an electron acceptor,

• wherein the dehydrogenase
• has a molecular weight of 150,000±6,000 kDa and comprises two homologous subunits or has a molecular weight of 230,000±9,000 kDa and comprises three homologous subunits, each subunit having a molecular weight of about 75,000±3,000 kDa;
• has L-sorbosone, D-glucosone, D-glucose, D-galactose, D-mannose, L-gulose, D-xylose, D-ribose, and D-arabinose dehydrogenase activity;
• utilizes as cofactors pyrroloquinoline quinone and heme c;
• has an optimum pH of from 7.0 to 8.5;
• and
• is inhibited by Co2+, Cu2+, Fe2+, Ni2+, Zn2+, monoiodoacetate and ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid, and
• wherein the carboxylic acid is selected from the group consisting, of 2-keto-L-gulonic acid, 2-keto-D-gluconic acid, D-gluconate, D-galactonic acid, D-mannoic acid, L-gulonic acid, D-xylonic acid, D-ribonic acid, and D-arabonic acid.