Pyrococcus furiosus-mediated reduction of conjugated carboxylic acids: Towards using syngas as reductant

Pyrococcus furiosus catalyzes the reduction of carboxylic acids to their corresponding alcohols. In addition to hydrogen also carbon monoxide can be used as stoichiometric reductant, paving the way to cheap syngas to promote biocatalytic acid reduction. The enzymes responsible for coupling CO-oxidation to acid reduction are currently unknown but may represent an unprecedented enzyme class. Furthermore, enoate reductase-like activity has been detected in P. furiosus while lacking ‘classical’ enoate reductases.