L-arabinitol dehydrogenase (Neurospora crassa) (NcLAD)

Zinc-dependent dehydrogenase NcLAD, specifically known as L-arabinitol dehydrogenase from the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa, is a key enzyme in the fungal pentose catabolic pathway (UniProt Q7S9L8). It catalyzes the NAD+-dependent oxidation of L-arabinitol to L-xylulose, which is a critical step for the utilization of L-arabinose as a carbon source (Nocek et al., 2011). Structurally, NcLAD belongs to the medium-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (MDR) family and requires a zinc ion for its catalytic activity. While not a primary therapeutic target for human diseases, NcLAD is of significant interest in industrial biotechnology and metabolic engineering for the production of biofuels and biochemicals from lignocellulosic biomass. Its well-characterized structure and kinetics make it a model for understanding polyol metabolism in fungi. The enzyme's specificity and efficiency are key factors in designing microbial cell factories for sustainable chemical production.

Other names

L-arabinitol 4-dehydrogenaseLAD-1NCU00643Zinc-dependent L-arabinitol dehydrogenase

Catalyzes the NAD+-dependent oxidation of L-arabinitol to L-xylulose.