Formate production through biocatalysis

• Published in: Bioengineered Vol. 4; no. 5; pp. 348 - 350
• Main Authors: Alissandratos, Apostolos, Kim, Hye-Kyung, Easton, Christopher J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis 01.09.2013; Landes Bioscience
• Subjects: acetogens; Addendum; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Bacterial Proteins - metabolism; Biocatalysis; Carbon Cycle; Carbon Dioxide - metabolism; Clostridium - enzymology; Clostridium - genetics; Clostridium carboxidivorans; fixation; formate dehydrogenase; Formate Dehydrogenases - genetics; Formate Dehydrogenases - metabolism; Formates - metabolism; formic acid; hydrogen storage; Kinetics; Oxidation-Reduction; reduction; formic acid; Clostridium carboxidivorans; acetogens; formate dehydrogenase; CO2 fixation; CO2 reduction; hydrogen storage
• ISSN: 2165-5979; 2165-5987
• DOI: 10.4161/bioe.25360

The generation of formate from CO 2 provides a method for sequestration of this greenhouse gas as well as the production of a valuable commodity chemical and stabilized form of hydrogen fuel. Formate dehydrogenases are enzymes with the potential to catalyze this reaction; however they generally favor the reverse process, i.e., formate oxidation. By contrast, the formate dehydrogenase of the acetogen Clostridium carboxidivorans has been found to preferentially catalyze the reduction of CO 2 . This is in accord with its natural role to introduce CO 2 as a carbon source in the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway. The direction of catalysis derives from the enzyme's low affinity for formate. This enzyme is therefore an excellent candidate for biotechnological applications aimed at producing formic acid and derivative chemicals from CO 2 .