Purification and characterization of a thermophilic NAD+‐dependent lactate dehydrogenase from Moorella thermoacetica

Oxidation of lactate under anaerobic dark fermentative conditions poses an energetic problem. The redox potential of the lactate/pyruvate couple is too electropositive to reduce the physiological electron carriers NAD(P)+ or ferredoxin. However, the thermophilic, anaerobic, and acetogenic model orga...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Florian P. Rosenbaum, Volker Müller
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-05-01
Series:FEBS Open Bio
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/2211-5463.13964
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Summary:Oxidation of lactate under anaerobic dark fermentative conditions poses an energetic problem. The redox potential of the lactate/pyruvate couple is too electropositive to reduce the physiological electron carriers NAD(P)+ or ferredoxin. However, the thermophilic, anaerobic, and acetogenic model organism Moorella thermoacetica can grow on lactate but was suggested to have a NAD+‐dependent lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), based on enzyme assays in cell‐free extract. LDHs of thermophilic and anaerobic bacteria are barely characterized but have a huge biotechnological potential. Here, we have purified the LDH from M. thermoacetica by classical chromatography. Lactate‐dependent NAD+ reduction was observed with high rates. Electron bifurcation was not observed. At pH 8 and 65 °C, the LDH had a specific activity of 60 U·mg−1 for lactate oxidation, but NADH‐driven pyruvate reduction was around four times faster with an activity of 237 U·mg−1. Since lactate formation is preferred by the enzyme, further modifications of the LDH can be suggested to improve the kinetics of this enzyme making it a promising candidate for biotechnological applications.
ISSN:2211-5463