Overexpression and Characterization of the Gene Encoding 1,3-Propanediol Oxidoreductase of Citrobacter freundii

Glycerol can be biologically converted to 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PD), a key raw material required for the synthesis of polytrimethylene terephthalate and other polyester fibers. 1,3-propanediol oxidoreductase (PDOR) is the rate-limiting enzyme in 1,3-PD synthesis biologically pathway. In present study, the dhaT gene encoding PDOR was cloned from Citrobacter freundii and overexpressed in E. coli BL21. The recombinant enzyme was purified by nickel-chelate chromatography combined with gel filtration to study the enzymatic characterization. Specific activity of recombinant PDOR was 55.2 U/mg. Km and Vmax values were 8.9 mM, 40.2 U/mg respectively. Holoenzyme of PDOR maybe a decamer of which a monomer has a molecular mass of 43 kDa. This research may form a basis for the future work on biological synthesis of 1, 3-PD.