Virtuelle (Nano) Welten: PDB Molecule of the Month 13: Alcohol Dehydrogenase

Making Alcohol

Alcohol dehydrogenase also plays a central role in the most ancient business of biotechnology: alcoholic fermentation. Yeast and many bacteria build a larger alcohol dehydrogenase, like the one shown on the right (PDB entry 1ykf). It performs the last step in the conversion of food into metabolic energy, creating ethanol instead of detoxifying it. Sugars are broken down and used for energy, forming ethanol as the waste product, which is excreted into liquid surrounding the cell. We have harnessed this process to produce alcoholic beverages: yeast is allowed to ferment grain sugars to form beer, and yeast is allowed to ferment grape juice to form wine.

Alkohol Dehydrogenase

Making Alcohol