Acetaldehyde–alcohol dehydrogenase (AdhE) converts acetyl-CoA to ethanol and is a key enzyme in bacterial alcoholic fermentation. AdhE forms spirosomes and, here, the authors present the cryoEM structures of compact and extended E.coli AdhE spirosomes and show that the extended conformation is the catalytically active form of the enzyme and discuss mechanistic implications.
- Pauline Pony
- Chiara Rapisarda
- Rémi Fronzes
