Description
This enzyme, characterized from the halophilic archaeon Haloferax mediterranei and the mold Aspergillus oryzae, catalyses a stereospecific reduction of 2-oxocarboxylic acids into the corresponding D-2-hydroxycarboxylic acids. The enzyme prefers substrates with a main chain of 5 carbons (such as 4-methyl-2-oxopentanoate) to those with a shorter chain, and can use NADH with much lower efficiency. cf. EC 1.1.1.345, (D)-2-hydroxyacid dehydrogenase (NAD+)