presence of an NADP-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase activity in Acinetobacter calcoaceticus

A soluble NADP‐dependent alcohol dehydrogenase activity (EC 1.1.1.2) was found in all five strains of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus tested. In A. calcoaceticus NCIB8250, this dehydrogenase was not induced by growth on ethanol, but was present at approximately the same specific activity when this strain was grown on a variety of carbon sources. The specific activity of the NADP‐dependent alcohol dehydrogenase is about 10% of the activity of the NAD‐dependent alcohol dehydrogenase found in bacteria grown on ethanol. The distinct biochemical properties of the NADP‐dependent dehydrogenase showed that this activity was not due to lack of nucleotide specificity of the NAD‐dependent dehydrogenase.