A method for the preparation of 3-ketoacyl-CoA derivatives.

A new method for the preparation of 3-ketoacyl-CoA thioesters (from malonylsemialdehyde to long-chain and phenylpropanoic 3-keto derivatives) is described. It utilizes the facile, thermodynamically very favorable, hydration of 2-alkynoyl-CoA thioesters by enoyl-CoA hydratase. The method is simple and avoids laborious organic syntheses or the use of multicomponent enzymatic methods.