Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 13, 2026

Light-driven Enzymatic Decarboxylation
Published on: May 22, 2016
Enzymatic reduction of levulinic acid by engineering the substrate specificity of 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase
Young Joo Yeon1, Hyung-Yeon Park, Young Je Yoo
1School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea.
Abstract:
Enzymatic reduction of levulinic acid (LA) was performed for the synthesis of 4-hydroxyvaleric acid (4HV)--a monomer of bio-polyester and a precursor of bio-fuels--using 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (3HBDH) from Alcaligenes faecalis. Due to the catalytic inactivity of the wild-type enzyme toward LA, engineering of the substrate specificity of the enzyme was performed. A rational design approach with molecular docking simulation was applied, and a double mutant, His144Leu/Trp187Phe, which has catalytic activity (kcat/Km=578.0 min(-1) M(-1)) toward LA was generated. Approximately 57% conversion of LA to 4HV was achieved with this double mutant in 24 h, while no conversion was achieved with the wild-type enzyme.
Related Concept Videos
Alcohols from Carbonyl Compounds: Reduction
Catalytic hydrogenation is similar to the reduction of an alkene or alkyne by adding H2 across the pi bond in the presence of transition metal catalysts like Raney Ni, Pd–C, Pt, or Ru. Aldehydes and ketones can be reduced by this method, often under mild to moderate heat (25–100°C) and...
Acid Halides to Alcohols: LiAlH4 Reduction
The mechanism proceeds in three steps. First, the nucleophilic hydride ion attacks the carbonyl carbon of the acid halide to form a tetrahedral intermediate. Next, the carbonyl group is re-formed, and the halide ion departs as a leaving group, generating an aldehyde. A second nucleophilic attack by the hydride yields an alkoxide ion, which, upon protonation, gives a primary alcohol as...
Carboxylic Acids to Primary Alcohols: Hydride Reduction
Hydroboration-Oxidation of Alkenes
Reactions of Aldehydes and Ketones: Baeyer–Villiger Oxidation
The carbonyl center is activated by...
Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation
The metal catalyst used can be either heterogeneous or homogeneous. When hydrogenation of an alkene generates a chiral center, a pair of enantiomeric products is expected to form. However, an enantiomeric excess of one of the products can be facilitated using an enantioselective reaction or an...

