Carboligase

CARBOLIGASE, an enzyme discovered by Neuberg in yeast that produces the synthesis of carbon chains. Under the influence of C. a, acetaldehyde formed during the fermentation of sugar or pyruvic acid is synthesized with added aldehydes into optically active ketospiro alcohols with a longer carbon chain, for example with benzaldehyde into phenylacetylcarbinol: C.H₆.CHO + HOC.CH, = C.H₆.CHOH.CO.CH,, ' б-;нзальдегид ацетальдегид фенилацетилкарбинол with the second particle of acetaldehyde into methyl-acetylcarbinol: сн,. сно + нос. сн,=сн,. снон. co. сн,. ацетальдегид ацетальдегид метилацетилкарбинол C with ready added acetaldehyde synthesis does not occur. The reversal of the reaction has so far not been observed. This unique enzyme and its biological significance are still almost completely unexplored. With high probability C. participates in the formation of butyric acid from acetaldehyde during butyric fermentation and generally in the formation of higher fatty acids from the decomposition products of carbohydrates. It is possible that it also plays a role in other synthetic processes in which the intermediate metabolism products of the organism enter, in particular in the resynthesis of glycogen from lactic acid (or methylglyoxal) in the so-called Pasteur-Meyerhof reaction.