CONVERSION OF D-CARNITINE INTO L-CARNITINE WITH STEREOSPECIFIC CARNITINE DEHYDROGENASES

D-Carnitine was converted to L-carnitine by resting and permeabilized cells as well as with purified stereospecific carnitine dehydrogenases from Agrobacterium sp. With permeabilized cells only 11% of D-carniti ne was converted into L-carnitine. Using highly stereospecific D- and L-carnitine dehydrogenases from Agrobacterium sp. (pH 8.5, 50 mM D-car nitine, 1 mM NAD(+), 0.1 mM NADH, 25-fold excess of L-carnitine dehydr ogenase) almost 50% of the D-carnitine could be converted into L-carni tine.