Studies of enzyme-mediated reactions. Part 11. Experiments on the dismutation of aldehyde to alcohol and carboxylic acid by the complex of liver alcohol dehydrogenase and NAD+

Abstract

[1-³H₁] Heptanal undergoes dismutation in the presence of the complex of liver alcohol dehydrogenase and NAD⁺ to yield unlabelled heptanoic acid and (1RS)-[1-³H₁]heptanol with double the specific radioactivity, thus demonstrating transfer of the formyl hydrogen from one half of the sample to the other. Conditions are found for reducing the incidence of this dismutation process.