beta-ketolases - Forgotten hydrolytic enzymes?

beta-Ketolases are a forgotten group of enzymes that hydrolyse carbon-carbon bonds of 1,3-diketones to give a cayboxylate anion and an alkyl ketone. They are ubiquitous and occupy a central catabolic role. We describe the physiological role of beta-ketolases and their potential application for kinetic resolution and synthesis. They are compared with heteroatom-bond hydrolases, which are essential to structural and synthetic chemists for the degradation of polymers and the synthesis of single-isomer substances. Will beta-ketolases be useful for carbon-carbon bond synthesis?