Modeling of pyruvate decarboxylases from ethanol producing bacteria.

Pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC) is a key enzyme in homoethanol fermentation process, which decarboxylates 2-keto acid pyruvate into acetaldehyde and carbon dioxide. PDC enzymes from potential ethanol-producing bacteria such as Zymomonas mobilis, Zymobacter palmae and Sarcina ventriculi have different K(m) and k(cat) values for the substrate pyruvate at their respective optimum pH. In this study, the putative three-dimensional structures of PDC dimer of Z.