Simple dissolution-reaction model for enzymatic conversion of suspension of solid substrate

Although reactions in substrate suspension are employed in industry for several bioconversion processes, there appears to be no quantitative model available in the literature to rationalize the optimization of these processes. We present a simple model that incorporates the kinetics of substrate dissolution and a simultaneous enzymatic reaction. The model was tested in the alpha-chymotrypsin-catalyzed hydrolysis of an aqueous suspension of dimethyl benzylmethylmalonate to a homogeneous solution of enantiomerically pure monoester. This reaction occurs in the bulk phase, so catalysis by enzyme absorbed at the solid-liquid interface plays no role. The value of the parameters in the model (i.e., the mass transfer coefficient of substrate dissolution (k(L)), the substrate solubility, and the rate constant for the enzymatic reaction) were determined in separate experiments. Using these parameter values, the model gave a good quantitative prediction of the rate of the overall dissolution-reaction process. When the particle size distribution is known, k(L) may also be calculated instead. The model seems to be applicable also for other poorly soluble substrates, other enzymes, and other solvents. (c) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 56: 433-440, 1997.     

The kinetics of the succinoxidase

Rate equations for the enzymatic oxidation of succinic acid are derived on the assumption that when a single molecule of substrate combines with an enzyme molecule, it can do so with either one or two sites on the enzyme, and that oxidation occurs only in the second case. In addition it is assumed that the product of the reaction, fumaric acid, combines reversibly with the enzyme. With certain enzyme preparations the data fitted such an equation satisfactorily. In others the rate was that of a first-order reaction, but addition of cytochrome changed it to the former type. It was concluded that the transfer of hydrogen to oxygen was a first-order reaction and dominated the whole rate when enzyme preparations were used which had been washed relatively free of cytochrome. When the limiting factor was succino-dehydrogenase the rates followed the new equation. Criteria for recognizing noncompetitive inhibition are given, and inhibition by di-tertiary butyl peroxide was shown to be of this type.     

Enzymatic production of 4-hydroxyphenylacetaldehyde by oxidation of the amino group of tyramine with a recombinant primary amine oxidase

In this study, an efficient enzymatic process for the synthesis of 4-hydroxyphenylacetaldehyde (4-HPAA) from tyramine was developed using whole cells of recombinant Escherichia coli co-expressing primary amine oxidase (PrAO) from E. coli and catalase (CAT) from Bacillus pumilus. The reaction conditions for the synthesis of 4-HPAA were systematically optimized starting from a monophasic aqueous buffer. The optimum reaction temperature, pH, and biocatalyst loading were 33 °C, 7.5, and 20 g/L wet cells, respectively. Substrate feeding strategies were employed to alleviate substrate inhibition, providing a 14.8 % increase in yield. A biphasic catalytic system was explored to avoid product inhibition and thus further improve the 4-HPAA yield. Ethyl acetate was found to be the best organic solvent, and the optimum volume ratio of the organic phase to the aqueous phase was 40 % (v/v). Under the optimized conditions on a 1 L scale, a yield of 76.5 % was obtained with a substrate concentration of 120 mM. Thus, the bioconversion was more efficient in the ethyl acetate/buffer biphasic system than in the monophasic aqueous system, and the yield of 4-HPAA was improved 1.89-fold.     

Importance of solute partitioning in biphasic oxidation of benzyl alcohol by free and immobilized whole cells of pichia pastoris

Using free and immobilized whole cells of Pichia pastoris, the biocatalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohol was investigated in different two-phase systems. This reaction was strongly influenced by both the substrate and product inhibitions, and the production rate of benzaldehyde in the aqueous system became maximum at the initial substrate concentration of ca. 29 g/L with the aldehyde formation less than 4 to 5 g/L even after a longer reaction period. The reaction rates in the two-liquid phase systems were predominantly determined by the partitioning behaviors of the substrate and product between the two phases rather than by enzyme deactivation by the organic solvents. In the two-liquid phase systems, consequently, the organic solvent acted as a reservior to reduce these inhibitory effects, and it was essential to select the organic solvent providing the optimal partitioning of the substrate into the aqueous phase as well as the preferential extraction of the product into the organic phase. The whole cells immobilized in a mixed matrix composed of silicone polymer [>50% (v/v)] and Ca alginate gel (<50%) worked well in the xylene and decane media, providing comparable activities with the free cells. The production rate of aldehyde was also influenced by the solute partitioning into the hydrophilic alginate phase where the cells existed. (c) 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Pyrene-methyl lauryl ester, a new fluorescent substrate for lipases: use for diagnosis of acid lipase deficiency in Wolman's and cholesteryl ester storage diseases

Fluorescent pyrene-methyl lauryl ester (PMLes) was synthesized and used for the determination of cellular lipase activities in lymphoblasts and fibroblasts from normal subjects and from patients affected with Wolman's or cholesteryl ester storage diseases (both exhibiting a deficiency of the lysosomal acid lipase). The hydrolysis of PMLes by acid lipase could be followed directly in a spectrofluorometer; this was possible because of the very high fluorescence emission of pyrene-methanol at 378 nm (monomeric form) in aqueous medium, whereas the substrate has practically no monomeric emission at 378 nm but emits only at 475 nm (excimeric form) in the experimental conditions used: this property permitted us to use PMLes as a fluorogenic substrate. In an alternative procedure, the enzymatic reaction could be determined after partition of the reaction mixture in a biphasic system of heptane and aqueous ethanol; the residual undegraded substrate partitioned into the upper heptane phase and the fluorescence of the product (i.e. pyrene-methanol) was read in the lower aqueous-ethanolic phase, at 378 nm. PMLes was hydrolyzed in extracts of normal lymphoblasts and fibroblasts by at least two lipases, one acidic lipase (pH 4.0) and a second more neutral enzyme (pH 6.5). The acidic lipase activity was practically absent in lymphoblasts and fibroblasts from Wolman's or cholesteryl ester storage diseases. This demonstrates that the fluorescent PMLes is hydrolyzed by the lysosomal acid lipase and can be used as a very sensitive fluorogenic substrate which permits direct recording of product formation and is suitable for the enzymatic diagnosis of either of these diseases.     

Stirred Tank Two-Liquid Phase Biocatalytic Reactor Studies: Kinetics, Evaluation and Modelling of Substrate Mass Transfer

Kinetic measurements of the benzyl acetate hydrolysis by pig liver esterase in a two-liquid phase stirred tank reactor were made at a variety of aqueous phase enzyme concentrations and stirrer speeds. All experiments were performed in an inverted liquid-liquid system at a high phase ratio. The results were explained in terms of the aqueous phase bulk reaction model developed from previous Lewis cell studies. An algorithm is presented for the indirect measurement of the substrate mass transfer coefficient and consequently a model was developed to predict reaction rates. While the model describes the kinetics effectively, and could therefore be used to predict reactor behaviour, no difference was observed between kinetic measurements made at a stirrer speed of 750 and 1000 rpm.     

Continuous enzymatic production of peptide precursor in aqueous/organic biphasic medium

N-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-L-aspartic acid (Z-L-Asp) has generally been used as a carboxyl substrate for the enzymatic synthesis of a precursor of aspartame (synthetic sweetener); however, alternative inexpensive protection groups have been in demand for lowering the total cost of its industrial-scale production. A formyl group (F-) was found to be a more desirable protecting group for the N-terminus of amino acid derivatives due to its low cost of preparation, introduction, and removal. The yield of F-AspPheOMe (N-formyl-L-aspartyl-L-phe- nylalanine methylester), however, was found to be <10% in a conventional aqueous medium. We found that F-L-Asp and L-PheOMe were partitioned mainly to the aqueous phase in an aqueous/organic biphasic medium, whereas F-AspPheOMe partitioned to the organic phase, especially when some extracting agents were added. In this study, simultaneous operation of an enzymatic reaction and a product separation by liquid-liquid extraction was thus applied to the F-AspPheOMe synthesis. We succeeded in synthesizing F-AspPheOMe continuously in an aqueous/tributylphosphate (TBP) biphasic medium with >95% yield, which was about tenfold higher than that in an aqueous monophasic medium.     

Kinetic modeling of enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose in differently pretreated fibers from dairy manure

A kinetic model incorporating dynamic adsorption, enzymatic hydrolysis, and product inhibition was developed for enzymatic hydrolysis of differently pretreated fibers from a nitrogen-rich lignocellulosic material-dairy manure. The effects of manure proteins on the enzyme adsorption profile during hydrolysis have been discussed. Enzyme activity, instead of protein concentration, was used to describe the enzymatic hydrolysis in order to avoid the effect of manure protein on enzyme protein analysis. Dynamic enzyme adsorption was modeled based on a Langmiur-type isotherm. A first-order reaction was applied to model the hydrolysis with consideration being given for the product inhibition. The model satisfactorily predicted the behaviors of enzyme adsorption, hydrolysis, and product inhibition for all five sample manure fibers. The reaction conditions were the substrate concentrations of 10-50 g/L, enzyme loadings of 7-150 FPU/g total substrate, and the reaction temperature of 50 degrees C.     

Enzymatic synthesis of arginine-based cationic surfactants

A novel enzymatic approach for the synthesis of arginine N-alkyl amide and ester derivatives is reported. Papain deposited onto solid support materials was used as catalyst for the amide and ester bond formation between Z-Arg-OMe and various long-chain alkyl amines and alcohols (H2N-Cn2, HO-Cn; n = 8-16) in organic media. Changes in enzymatic activity and product yield were studied for the following variables: organic solvent, aqueous buffer content, support for the enzyme deposition, presence of additives, enzyme loading, substrate concentration, and reaction temperature. The best yields (81-89%) of arginine N-alkyl amide derivatives were obtained at 25 degrees C in acetonitrile with an aqueous buffer content ranging from 0 to 1% (v/v) depending on the substrate concentration. The synthesis of arginine alkyl ester derivatives was carried out in solvent-free systems at 50 or 65 degrees C depending on the fatty alcohol chain length. In this case, product yields ranging from 86 to 89% were obtained with a molar ratio Z-Arg-OMe/fatty alcohol of 0.01. Papain deposited onto polyamide gave, in all cases, both the highest enzymatic activities and yields. Under the best reaction conditions the syntheses were scaled up to the production of 2 g of final product. The overall yields, which include reaction, Nalpha-benzyloxycarbonyl group (Z) deprotection and purification, varied from 53 to 77% of pure (99.9% by HPLC) product.     

Dynamic modeling of immobilized cell reactor: application to ethanol fermentation

A mathematical model has been developed for the unsteady-state operation of an immobilized cell reactor. The substrate solution flows through a mixed-flow reactor in which cells immobilized in gel beads are retained. The substrate diffuses from the external surface of the gel beads to some internal location where reaction occurs. The product diffuses from the gel beads into liquid medium which flows out of the reactor. The model combines simultaneous diffusion and reaction, as well as cell growth, and it can predict how the rates of substrate consumption, product formation, and cell growth vary with time and with initial conditions. Ethanol fermentation was chosen as a representative reaction in the immobilized cell reactor, and numerical calculations were carried out. Excellent agreement was observed between model predictions and experimental data available in the literature.     

Enzymatic production of enantiopure ketoprofen in a solvent-free two-phase system

Enzymatic hydrolysis conducted in a medium composed of solely substrate is considered to resolve racemic ketoprofen esters. In a system composed of two components, the pure liquid substrate (organic phase) and water (aqueous phase), hydrolysis products can be efficiently removed from the reaction mixtures. Accordingly, in this study we designed a solvent-free two-phase system for the enantioselective enzymatic hydrolysis of ketoprofen esters. In order to further optimize this system, the influences of various factors, such as the pH of the aqueous phase, temperature, enzyme content, and the alcohol chain length of esters, were examined on conversion and enantiomeric excess. 1N NaHCO₃ was identified as the most efficient aqueous phase for the extraction of ketoprofen. Changes in the amount of enzyme did not significantly affect the maximum conversion or the enantiomeric excess. On the other hand, ketoprofen esters with shorter alcohol chains displayed higher initial reaction rates and conversions in solventless media. In the case of ketoprofen propyl ester, for example, the productivity of the solvent-free two-phase system was about 10–100 times higher than that obtained to date for ketoprofen esterification with alcohols in organic solvents. The enantioselectivities obtained in solvent-free media were similar to those obtained for the enantioselective esterification of ketoprofen in organic solvents.     

Partition coefficients of substrates and products and solvent selection for biocatalysis under nearly anhydrous conditions

The effect of solvent on the activity of mushroom tyrosinase toward three substrates was studied at a constant water activity of either 0.74 or 0.86. No simple correlation was observed between enzyme activity and log P, but partition coefficients of substrate (P(s)) and product (P(p)) gave systematic relations with enzyme activity. When initial reaction rates were considered, there was a bellshaped relationship between enzyme activity and P(s) with an optimal P(s) for each substrate. This can be explained by assuming that the solvent affected the enzyme activity primarily by affecting the substrate concentration in the aqueous layer around the catalyst where the enzymic reaction occurs. When long-term reaction rates were considered, a high P(p)/P(s) ratio was consistent with preservation of enzyme activity. (c) 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Kinetic manifestations of slow isomerization of allosteric enzyme for the model of Monod, Wyman and Changeux]

A shape of the curves of a product accumulation in time (t) is analysed for the variant of Monod, Wyman and Changeux model which is characterized by comparable rates of equilibration between R and T enzyme forms on the one hand and the enzymatic process on the other hand. It is assumed that the complex of R and T forms with substrate are in rapid equilibrium with the free components. The character of the dependences of effective constant of R denoting T isomerization and the value of tau on substrate concentration are analysed (tau is the intercept of t-axis for linear asymptota of the curve of product concentration versus time at t leads to infinity). It is also shown that the low rate of R denoting T isomerization may be manifested by the shape of the plot of initial reaction rate versus substrate concentration unusual for the model of Monod et al. (the plots with intermediate plateau and ones with Hill's coefficient of cooperativity less than unity).     

Dihydrolipoyl transacetylase of Escherichia coli. Formation of 8-S-acetyldihydrolipoamide

The dihydrolipoyl transacetylase component (E2) of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex catalyzes the reaction of acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) with dihydrolipoamide, producing coenzyme A and S-acetyldihydrolipoamide. The acetyl group is shown by experiments reported herein to be bonded to S8 in the enzymatic product. 1H NMR analysis of synthetic samples of both structural isomers of S-acetyl-S-(phenylmercurio)dihydrolipoamide enabled structural assignments to be made. Reaction of 8-S-acetyl-6-S-(phenylmercurio)dihydrolipoamide with 3-mercaptopropionic acid in chloroform produced 8-S-acetyldihydrolipoamide which contained a small amount (5%) of the 6-S isomer. Reaction of 6,8-di-S-acetyldihydrolipoamide with NH2OH produced a 4:1 mixture of 6-S-acetyldihydrolipoamide and the 8-S isomer. These compounds did not isomerize at significant rates in chloroform but rapidly isomerized to the equilibrium mixture in aqueous solution (Keq = 3.4). The second-order rate constants for the hydroxide-catalyzed isomerization were found to be kf = (1.15 +/- 0.07) X 10(6) M-1 X s-1 and kr = (3.36 +/- 0.20) X 10(5) M-1 X s-1 in the direction of the formation of the 8-S isomer. The enzymatic product was trapped by addition of phenylmercuric hydroxide within 15 s-30 min after starting the reaction. 1H NMR analysis of the products obtained at various times showed that the enzymatic product was 8-S-acetyldihydrolipoamide, which underwent progressive isomerization to the mixture of isomers within a few minutes. In the reaction of acetyl-CoA with dihydrolipoamide, the latter substrate reacts in place of enzyme-bound dihydrolipoyl moieties. Therefore, acetylation occurs at the 8-S position of bound lipoyl groups.     

Course of pH during the formation of amoxicillin by a suspension-to-suspension reaction

Amoxicillin can be produced in an enzymatic suspension-to-suspension reaction in which the substrate(s) and product(s) are mainly present as solid particles, while the reaction takes place in the liquid phase. During these suspension-to-suspension reactions different subprocesses take place, such as dissolution/crystallization of substrates and products, enzymatic synthesis of the product(s), and undesired enzymatic hydrolysis of substrates and/or products. All these subprocesses are influenced by pH and also influence the pH because the reactants are weak electrolytes. This paper describes a quantitative model for predicting pH and concentrations of reactants during suspension-to-suspension reactions. The model is based on mass and charge balances, pH-dependent solubilities of the reactants, and enzyme kinetics. For the validation of this model, the kinetically controlled synthesis of amoxicillin from 6-aminopenicillanic acid and D-(p)hydroxyphenylglycine methyl ester was studied. The pH and the dissolved concentrations took a very different course at different initial substrate amounts. This was described quite reasonably by the model. Therefore, the model can be used as a tool to optimize suspension-to-suspension reactions of weak electrolytes.     

Kinetics and equilibrium of enzymatic synthesis of peptides in aqueous/organic biphasic systems. Thermolysin-catalyzed synthesis of N-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester

We studied kinetics and the equilibrium relationship for the thermolysin-catalyzed synthesis of N-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester (Z-Asp-PheOMe) from N-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-L-aspartic acid (Z-Asp) and L-phenylalanine methyl ester (PheOMe) in an aqueous-organic biphasic system. This is a model reaction giving a condensation product with dissociating groups. The kinetics for the synthesis of Z-Asp-PheOMe in aqueous solution saturated with ethyl acetate was expressed by a rate equation for the rapid-equilibrium random bireactant mechanism, and the reverse hydrolysis reaction was zero-order with respect to Z-Asp-PheOMe concentration. The courses of synthesis of Z-Asp-PheOMe in the biphasic system were well explained, by the rate equations obtained for the aqueous solution and by the partition of substrate and condensation product between the both phases. The rate of synthesis in the biphasic system was much lower than in aqueous solution due to the unfavorable partition of PheOMe in the aqueous phase. The equation for the equilibrium yield of Z-Asp-PheOMe in the biphasic system was derived assuming that only the non-ionized forms of the substrate and condensation product exist in the organic phase. It was found theoretically and experimentally that the yield of Z-Asp-PheOMe is maximum at the aqueous-phase pH of around 5, lower than for synthesis in aqueous solution. The effect of the organic solvent on the rate and equilibrium for the synthesis of Z-Asp-PheOMe could be explained by the variation in the partition coefficient. The effect of the partitioning of substrate on the aqueous-phase pH change was also shown.     

Non-porous magnetic micro-particles: comparison to porous enzyme carriers for a diffusion rate-controlled enzymatic conversion

In this study the kinetics of conversion of a low-soluble substrate by an immobilized enzyme was investigated with respect to the diffusion limitation within porous and non-porous carriers. Non-porous micro-magnetic beads in comparison to conventional porous supports like Eupergit and Sepharose were tested. Due to their small diameters and their magnetic properties, micro-magnetic beads are especially applicable in diffusion rate-controlled processes in biological suspensions. The enzymatic reaction studied was the conversion of emulsified dirhamnolipid by immobilized Naringinase from Penicillium decumbens to monorhamnolipid and L-rhamnose. Taking into account mass transfer phenomena, the variation of the reaction effectiveness factor with increasing enzyme loading was estimated and compared with experimental efficiencies utilizing different enzyme loaded immobilized preparations. For comparison, carrier activities were also determined with the model substrate p-nitro-phenyl-rhamnoside. Intrinsic enzyme activities were thereby evaluated for porous supports. Highest specific activities were obtained with the micro-magnetic beads. These non-porous micro-beads demonstrated to be the most suitable carrier for bioconversion of a low-soluble substrate like rhamnolipids, where mass diffusional resistances in the three-phase reaction process are completely overcome. However, the smaller particle surface available limited the specific activity obtained at high protein loadings.