Enzyme for biocatalysis uses solvent as a substrate

January 31, 2024

The researchers found that the biocatalyst formate dehydrogenase is capable of converting formamide in addition to formic acid. This means, first of all, that the enzyme is also able to cleave C-N bonds that are difficult to break down. Secondly, formamide is a common solvent. This opens up new possibilities for poorly soluble NADH reactions as well as NADPH-dependent reactions. The researchers published their findings on January 26, 2024. This reaction has never been described, and experimental results of NADPH formation using formamide as an electron source indicate that comparable or even slightly better results can be obtained compared to traditional systems using formic acid. The waste product of this reaction is also CO₂, and by escaping, the reaction is prevented from reversing. The researchers say this reaction opens up entirely new possibilities for biocatalyst applications.

From：phys.org