Butyryl-CoA (or butyryl-coenzyme A, butanoyl-CoA) is an organiccoenzyme A-containing derivative of butyric acid.[1] It is a natural product found in many biological pathways, such as fatty acid metabolism (degradation and elongation), fermentation, and 4-aminobutanoate (GABA) degradation. It mostly participates as an intermediate, a precursor to and converted from crotonyl-CoA.[2] This interconversion is mediated by butyryl-CoA dehydrogenase.
From redox data, butyryl-CoA dehydrogenase shows little to no activity at pH higher than 7.0. This is important as enzyme midpoint potential is at pH 7.0 and at 25 °C. Therefore, changes above from this value will denature the enzyme.[3]
Within the human colon, butyrate helps supply energy to the gut epithelium and helps regulate cell responses.[4]
Butyryl-CoA has a very high calculated potential Gibbs energy, -462.53937 kcal/mol, stored at its bond with CoA.[5]
^Berzin V, Tyurin M, Kiriukhin M (February 2013). "Selective n-butanol production by Clostridium sp. MTButOH1365 during continuous synthesis gas fermentation due to expression of synthetic thiolase, 3-hydroxy butyryl-CoA dehydrogenase, crotonase, butyryl-CoA dehydrogenase, butyraldehyde dehydrogenase, and NAD-dependent butanol dehydrogenase". Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology. 169 (3): 950–959. doi:10.1007/s12010-012-0060-7. PMID23292245. S2CID22534861.
^Louis P, Young P, Holtrop G, Flint HJ (February 2010). "Diversity of human colonic butyrate-producing bacteria revealed by analysis of the butyryl-CoA:acetate CoA-transferase gene". Environmental Microbiology. 12 (2): 304–314. Bibcode:2010EnvMi..12..304L. doi:10.1111/j.1462-2920.2009.02066.x. PMID19807780.