Properties and Stereoselectivity of Carbonyl Reductases Involved in the Ketone Reduction of Warfarin and Analogues

Reduction of carbonyl groups plays an important role in the detoxification of xenobiotic compounds (Wermuth et al, 1986; Ziegler, 1988). The enzymes responsible for this metabolic route are widely distributed amongst species and tissues (Ahmed et al, 1979; Felsted and Bachur, 1980). Next to their role in detoxification, they are also involved in the processing of endogenous compounds, as e.g. steroids, prostaglandins, bile acids, glucuronic acid etc. (Pietruszko and Chen, 1976; Felstedt and Bachur, 1980; Wermuth, 1981; Hara et al, 1982; Kudo et al, 1990).