Factors affecting 2-hydroxypropiophenone formation by benzoylformate decarboxylase from Pseudomonas putida

Benzoylformate (100 mM) was quantitatively converted to the acyloin compound, 2‐hydroxypropiophenone (61.76 mM) and benzaldehyde (38.2 mM) by an enzyme extract from Pseudomonas putida ATCC 12633 in the presence of 1.6M acetaldehyde. Biotransformations were carried out at pH 6.0 and 30°C with an incubation time of 60 min. Activity of the acyloin forming enzyme, benzoylformate decarboxylase, was 1.23 units/mL in the biotransformation mixture. Acyloin formation increased dramatically with pH in the range 4–5 and had a broad activity plateau in the pH range 5–8. A broad temperature optimum for acyloin formation was also observed in the range 20–40°C.