Effect of organic solvents on penicillin acylase-catalyzed reactions: interaction of organic solvents with enzymes

The effects of various organic solvents on penicillin acylase-catalyzed synthesis of β-lactam antibiotics (pivampicillin and ampicillin) have been investigated in water-solvent mixtures. The rates of penicillin acylase-catalyzed reactions were found to be significantly reduced by the presence of a small amount of organic solvent. In particular, the rate of enzyme catalysis was extremely low in the presence of ring-structured solvents and acids while enzyme activities were fully restored after removing the solvents. This indicates that interactions between the solvents and the enzyme are specific and reversible. To correlate the inhibitory effects of organic solvents with solvent properties the influence of solvent hydrophobicities and solvent activity on the rate of pivampicillin synthesis was examined. The reaction rate was found to decrease with increasing solvent hydrophobicities, and a better correlation was observed between the reaction rate and solvent activity. The effects of ionic strength on the synthesis of pivampicillin and ampicillin were also examined. The ionic strength dependence indicates that electrostatic interactions are involved in the binding of ionic compounds to the enzyme. On the basis of the active site structure of penicillin acylase, a possible mechanism for molecular interactions between the enzyme and organic solvents is suggested.     

Solvent effects on ouabain binding to the (Na+,K+)-ATPase of rat brain

The effects of the solvents deuterated water (2H2O) and dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO) on [3H]ouabain binding to (Na+,K+)-ATPase under different ligand conditions were examined. These solvents inhibited the type I ouabain binding to the enzyme (i.e., in the presence of Mg2+ + ATP + Na+). In contrast, both solvents stimulated type II (i.e., Mg2+ + Pi-, Mg2+-, or Mn2+-dependent) binding of the drug. The solvent effects were not due to pH changes in the reaction. However, pH did influence ouabain binding in a differential manner, depending on the ligands present. For example, changes in pH from 7.05 to 7.86 caused a drop in the rate of binding by about 15% in the presence of Mg2+ + Na+ + ATP, 75% in the Mg2+ + Pi system, and in the presence of Mn2+ an increase by 24% under similar conditions. Inhibitory or stimulatory effects of solvents were modified as various ligands, and their order of addition, were altered. Thus 2H2O inhibition of type I ouabain binding was dependent on Na+ concentration in the reaction and was reduced as Na+ was elevated. Contact of the enzyme with the Me2SO, prior to ligands for type I binding, resulted in a greater inhibition of ouabain binding than that when enzyme was exposed to Na+ + ATP first and then to Me2SO. Likewise, the stimulation of type II binding was greater when appropriate ligands acted on enzyme prior to addition of the solvent. Since Me2SO and 2H2O inhibit type I ouabain binding, it is proposed that this reaction is favored under conditions which promote loss of H2O, and E1 enzyme conformation; the stimulation of type II ouabain binding in the presence of the solvents suggests that this type of binding is favored under conditions which promote the presence of H2O at the active enzyme center and E2 enzyme conformation. This postulation of a role of H2O in modulating enzyme conformations and ouabain interaction with them is in concordance with previous observations.     

Protein crystallography at sub-zero temperatures: lysozyme-substrate complexes in cooled mixed solvents.

To determine the feasibility of direct X-ray crystallographic structure determination of productive enzyme-substrate complexes and to ascertain the best conditions for such studies, the hydrolysis of bacterial cell walls and oligosaccharides by human leukaemic lysozyme was investigated in mixed aqueous/organic solvents and high salt solutions. Although high salt solutions modify the enzymic reaction, hydrolysis in mixed solvents appears to proceed by the same mechanism as in aqueous solution. At low temperatures the reaction is slowed progressively, and at −25 °C the enzyme-substrate complex in mixed solvents is stable indefinitely. The conformation of the enzyme is not significantly altered in these solvents, and the enzyme-substrate complex can be formed by direct addition of substrate to the enzyme at sub-zero temperatures, as required for crystallographic studies. The pH profile of the reaction in mixed solvents allows conditions of optimal binding to be selected. These studies in solution demonstrate that low-temperature protein crystallography may indeed permit the direct determination of the three-dimensional structure of enzyme-substrate complexes. They also delineate the precise conditions of pH, temperature and solvent to use in the crystallographic experiments.     

Enhancement of stability and activity of phospholipase A(1) in organic solvents by directed evolution.

We attempted to apply the directed evolution approach to enhancing enzyme properties in the presence of organic solvents, in which enzyme stability and activity were often drastically reduced. Stability and catalytic activity of phospholipase A(1) in the presence of an organic solvent were enhanced by error-prone polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA shuffling followed by a filter-based visual screening. Three mutants (SA8, SA17 and SA20) were isolated on indicator plates (i.e., 1% phosphatidylcholine gels containing 30% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)) after a second mutant library was treated in 50% DMSO for 36 h. The half-life values of the three mutants exhibited an approximately 4-fold increase. The three mutants also exhibited increased stability in all organic solvents tested compared with the wild-type enzyme. Thus, an enzyme variant having superior catalytic efficiency in most of the organic solvents could be obtained by using any solvent suitable for designing the efficient screening system, regardless of the properties of the particular solvent.     

Evaluation of cardosin A as a proteolytic probe in the presence of organic solvents

This investigation showed that cardosin A not only is active in media with organic solvents, cleaving the β-chain of oxidised insulin at three susceptible peptide bonds, but also maintains its specificity in all media tested. Additionally, the presence of organic solvents in the reaction media led to modifications of enzyme selectivity, which enabled the detection of intermediate products. While solvents like ethyl acetate induced a decrease in enzymatic activity, both by reducing the amount of active enzyme and presumably due to an inhibiting effect of ethyl acetate (which might compete with the substrate for the active site of the enzyme), n-hexane caused an increase in the hydrolysis velocity of one peptide bond. In view of the activity and specificity of cardosin A (which shows high preference for hydrophobic residues), it is proposed as a reliable probe for limited proteolysis in the presence of organic solvents. This may become particularly useful for structural characterisation of membrane proteins.     

Studies on immobilized trypsin in high concentrations of organic solvents.

Trypsin was covalently immobilized on porous glass in the presence and absence of a specific substrate and reacted in various organic solvents of different dielectric constants. Optimum solvent concentration, pH profile, Km(app), Vmax(app), productivity versus temperature, activity, and reaction rates were determined. Reaction rates of six lysyl dipeptides were compared. Crystalline trypsin was dansylated for studies by nanosecond fluorescence techniques to determine the effects of introducing high concentrations of organic solvents on the molecule. The results indicated that greater reaction rates were observed with dipeptides having more acidic carboxyl terminal groups. The data also indicated that greater reaction rates were observed in higher concentrations of solvents of lower dielectric constants. Nanosecond fluorescence spectroscopy of trypsin in high concentrations of a low dielectric constant solvent indicated major dehydration even though maximal enzyme activity was achieved under these conditions.     

Organic Solvent-Tolerant Bacterium Which Secretes an Organic Solvent-Stable Proteolytic Enzyme

A bacterial strain which can be grown in a medium containing organic solvents and can secrete a proteolytic enzyme was isolated and identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The strain was derived by the following two-step procedures: high proteolytic enzyme producers were first isolated by the usual method, and then the organic solvent-tolerant microorganism was selected from these high-rate proteolytic enzyme producers. The proteolytic activity of the supernatant of the culture was stable in the presence of various organic solvents. The stability of the enzyme in the presence of organic solvents, of which the values of the logarithm of the partition coefficient (log P) were equal to or more than 3.2, was almost the same as that in the absence of organic solvents. It is expected that both the solvent-tolerant microorganism and the solvent-stable enzyme produced by this strain can be used as catalysts for reactions in the presence of organic solvents.     

Improvement of hydrogenase enzyme activity by water-miscible organic solvents

Both stability and catalytic activity of the HynSL Thiocapsa roseopersicina hydrogenase in the presence of different water-miscible organic solvents were investigated. For all organic solvents under study the substantial raise in hydrogenase catalytic activity was observed. The stimulating effect of acetone and acetonitrile on the reaction rate rose with the increase in solvent concentration up to 80%. At certain concentrations of acetonitrile and acetone (60–80%, v/v in buffer solution) the enzyme activity was improved even 4–5 times compared to pure aqueous buffer. Other solvents (aliphatic alcohols, dimethylsulfoxide and tetrahydrofuran) improved the enzyme activity at low concentrations and caused enzyme inactivation at intermediate concentrations. The long-term incubation of the hydrogenase with aliphatic alcohols, dimethylsulfoxide and tetrahydrofuran at intermediate concentrations of the latter caused enzyme inactivation. The reduced form of hydrogenase was found to be much more sensitive to action of these organic solvents than the enzyme being in oxidized state. The hydrogenase is rather stable at high concentrations of acetone or acetonitrile during long-term storage: its residual activity after incubation in these solvents upon air within 30 days was about 50%, and immobilized enzyme remained at the 100% of its activity during this period.     

Enzyme reaction kinetics in organic solvents: A theoretical kinetic model and comparison with experimental observations

A theoretical kinetic model has been developed in order to describe the enzyme reaction in organic solvents. In this model the hydration of the enzyme molecule was examined and the equilibrium kinetic constants expressed in terms of thermodynamic activity. Analysis of a proposed kinetic model shows that the enzyme reaction rate in organic solvents is determined by two factors: substrate solvation and enzyme hydration, which are determined by the activity coefficient of the substrate and the water activity of the reaction media, respectively. The activity coefficient of the substrate and the water activity have been calculated using the UNIFAC equation to analyze the effects of organic solvents on the rate of enzyme reaction, and the results were compared with experimental data. Predictions of the proposed model were found to be in good agreement with previous experimental observations.     

Stability and activity of cross-linking enzyme crystals of cyclodextrin glucanotransferase isolated from Bacillus macerans

Recently, a new technique using cross-linking enzyme crystals (CLECs) was introduced in the field of enzyme technology. CLECs are solid crystalline particles which are insoluble in both water and organic solvents. Chemical cross-linking of the enzyme crystals preserves the catalytic activity even in harsh conditions such as at high temperature, at extreme pH, in organic solvents, and in the presence of proteases and radical chemicals. CLECs of cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) could be useful biocatalysts because they were stable at elevated temperature, in organic solvents, and in the presence of enzyme inactivation surfactant. They also maintained their activity against protein-digesting enzyme.     

Influence of water-miscible organic solvents on kinetics and enantioselectivity of the (R)-specific alcohol dehydrogenase from Lactobacillus brevis

Using the organic solvents acetonitrile and 1,4-dioxane as water-miscible additives for the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH)-catalyzed reduction of butan-2-one, we investigated the influence of the solvents on enzyme reaction behavior and enantioselectivity. The NADP(+)-dependent (R)-selective ADH from Lactobacillus brevis (ADH-LB) was chosen as biocatalyst. For cofactor regeneration, the substrate-coupled approach using propan-2-ol as co-substrate was applied. Acetonitrile and 1,4-dioxane were tested from mole fraction 0.015 up to 0.1. Initial rate experiments revealed a complex kinetic behavior with enzyme activation caused by the substrate butan-2-one, and increasing K(M) values with increasing solvent concentration. Furthermore, these experiments showed an enhancement of the enantioselectivity for (R)-butan-2-ol from 37% enantiomeric excess (ee) in pure phosphate buffer up to 43% ee in the presence of 0.1 mol fraction acetonitrile. Finally, the influence of the co-solvents on water activity of the reaction mixture and on enzyme stability was investigated.     

Effects of organic solvents on the enzyme activity of Trypanosoma cruzi glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase in calorimetric assays

In drug discovery programs, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is a standard solvent widely used in biochemical assays. Despite the extensive use and study of enzymes in the presence of organic solvents, for some enzymes the effect of organic solvent is unknown. Macromolecular targets may be affected by the presence of different solvents in such a way that conformational changes perturb their active site structure accompanied by dramatic variations in activity when performing biochemical screenings. To address this issue, in this work we studied the effects of two organic solvents, DMSO and methanol (MeOH), in the isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) kinetic assays for the catalyzed reaction of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) from Trypanosoma cruzi. The solvent effects on T. cruzi GAPDH had not yet been studied. This enzyme was shown here to be affected by the organic solvents content up to 5.0% for MeOH and up to 7.5% for DMSO. The results show that when GAPDH is assayed in the presence of DMSO (5%, v/v) using the ITC experiment, the enzyme exhibits approximately twofold higher activity than that of GAPDH with no cosolvent added. When MeOH (5%, v/v) is the cosolvent, the GAPDH activity is sixfold higher. The favorable effects of the organic solvents on the Michaelis-Menten enzyme-substrate complex formation ensure the consistency of the biological assays, structural integrity of the protein, and reproducibility over the measurement time. The reaction was also kinetically monitored by standard spectrophotometric assays to establish a behavioral performance of T. cruzi GAPDH when used for screening of potential inhibitors.     

Solvent effects on ouabain binding to the (Na+,K+)-ATPase of rat brain

The effects of the solvents deuterated water (²H₂O) and dimethyl sulfoxide (Me₂SO) on [³H]ouabain binding to (Na⁺,K⁺)-ATPase under different ligand conditions were examined. These solvents inhibited the type I ouabain binding to the enzyme (i.e., in the presence of Mg²⁺+ATP+Na⁺). In contrast, both solvents stimulated type II (i.e., Mg²⁺+P_i-, or Mn²⁺-dependent) binding of the drug. The solvent effects were not due to pH changes in the reaction. However, pH did influence ouabain binding in a differential manner, depending on the ligands present. For example, changes in pH from 7.05 to 7.86 caused a drop in the rate of binding by about 15% in the presence of Mg²⁺+Na⁺+ATP, 75% in the Mg²⁺+P_i system, and in the presence of Mn²⁺ an increase by 24% under similar conditions. Inhibitory or stimulatory effects of solvents were modified as various ligands, and their order of addition, were altered. Thus, ²H₂O inhibition of type I ouabain binding was dependent on Na⁺ concentration in the reaction and was reduced as Na⁺ was elevated. Contact of the enzyme with Me₂SO, prior to ligands for type I binding, resulted in a greater inhibition of ouabain binding than that when enzyme was exposed to Na⁺+ATP first and then to Me₂SO. Likewise, the stimulation of type II binding was greater when appropriate ligands acted on enzyme prior to addition of the solvent. Since Me₂SO and ²H₂O inhibit type I ouabain binding, it is proposed that this reaction is favored under conditions which promote loss of H₂O, and E₁ enzyme conformation; the stimulation of type II ouabain binding in the presence of the solvents suggests that this type of binding is favored under conditions which promote the presence of H₂O at the active enzyme center and E₂ enzyme conformation. This postulation of a role of H₂O in modulating enzyme conformations and ouabain interaction with them is in concordance with previous observations.     

The effect of magnetized water on the oxidation reaction of phenol derivatives and aromatic amines by horseradish peroxidase enzyme

The present study aimed to investigate, for the first time, the rate of the oxidation reaction of some derivatives of phenol and aromatic amines, that is, pyrogallol, catechol, resorcinol, ortho-aminophenol, meta-aminophenol, para-aminophenol, ortho-phenylenediamine, and para-phenylenediamine, in the presence of hydrogen peroxide in pure and magnetized solvents using horseradish peroxidase enzyme. The reaction was studied in the absence and presence of a magnetized solvent under completely identical conditions. The results showed that magnetized solvent could change the structure of the enzyme and reduce its activity. In addition, it affected the rate of oxidation of the selected derivatives through altering the strength of the hydrogen bonds of the system. The changes in the structure and activity of the enzyme were examined using UV–Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy as well as viscosity measurement technique. Examination of the secondary structure via the far UV-CD spectrum indicated the increase in the alpha helical structure in the magnetized solvent. When dissolved in a magnetized solvent, hydrogen peroxide as an enzyme substrate reduced the rate of enzymatic reaction and provided lower saturation conditions for the enzyme compared with when it was dissolved in the pure solvent.     

Organic solvent tolerance of an alkaline protease from salt-tolerant alkaliphilic <Emphasis Type="Italic">Streptomyces clavuligerus</Emphasis> strain Mit-1

A salt-tolerant alkaliphilic actinomycete, Mit-1 was isolated from Mithapur, coastal region of Gujarat, India. The strain was identified as Streptomyces clavuligerus and based on 16S rRNA gene sequence (EU146061) homology; it was related to Streptomyces sp. (AY641538.1). The organism could grow with up to 15% salt and pH 11, optimally at 5% and pH 9. It was able to tolerate and secrete alkaline protease in the presence of a number of organic solvents including xylene, ethanol, acetone, butanol, benzene and chloroform. Besides, it could also utilize these solvents as the sole source of carbon with significant enzyme production. However, the organism produced spongy cell mass with all solvents and an orange brown soluble pigment was evident with benzene and xylene. Further, the enzyme secretion increased by 50-fold in the presence of butanol. With acetone and ethanol; the enzyme was highly active at 60–80°C and displayed optimum activity at 70°C. The protease was significantly stable and catalyzed the reaction in the presence of xylene, acetone and butanol. However, ethanol and benzene affected the catalysis of the enzyme adversely. Crude enzyme preparation was more stable at 37°C in solvents as compared to partially purified and purified enzymes. The study holds significance as only few salt-tolerant alkaliphilic actinomycetes are explored and information on their enzymatic potential is still scares. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report on organic solvent tolerant protease from salt-tolerant alkaliphilic actinomycetes.     

Effect of organic solvents on the activity and stability of halophilic alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH2) from Haloferax volcanii

The effect of various organic solvents on the catalytic activity, stability and substrate specificity of alchohol dehydrogenase from Haloferax volcanii (HvADH2) was evaluated. The HvADH2 showed remarkable stability and catalysed the reaction in aqueous?Corganic medium containing dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and methanol (MeOH). Tetrahydrofuran and acetonitrile were also investigated and adversely affected the stability of the enzyme. High concentration of salt, essential to maintain the enzymatic activity and structural integrity of the halophilic enzyme under standard conditions may be partially replaced by DMSO and MeOH. The presence of organic solvents did not induce gross changes in substrate specificity. DMSO offered a protective effect for the stability of the enzyme at nonoptimal pHs such as 6 and 10. Salt and solvent effects on the HvADH2 conformation and folding were examined through fluorescence spectroscopy. The fluorescence findings were consistent with the activity and stability results and corroborated the denaturing properties of some solvents. The intrinsic tolerance of this enzyme to organic solvent makes it highly attractive to industry.     

Carboxypeptidase Y stability

The stability of carboxypeptidase Y under different reaction conditions and in the presence various cosolvents was investigated. Loss of both hydrolysis and transpeptidation activities was monitored. Incubation of the enzyme at high temperatures or high pH resulted in the loss of both activities at the same rate. Addition of ammonium sulfate resulted in loss of transpeptidation activity but not hydrolysis activity. Addition of some organic solvents or Triton X-100 to the incubation mixture resulted in loss of both activities with transpeptidation being lost more rapidly than hydrolysis activity, while other organic solvents were observed to eliminate both activities entirely. Incubation of the enzyme in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate resulted in a decrease in both activities but hydrolysis was lost more rapidly than the transpeptidase activity. Implications of the observed preferential loss of activities to the labeling of peptides and proteins is discussed.     

Peptide synthesis catalyzed by polyethylene glycol-modified chymotrypsin in organic solvents

Chymotrypsin modified with polyethylene glycol was successfully used for peptide synthesis in organic solvents. The benzene-soluble modified enzyme readily catalyzed both aminolysis of N-benzoyl-L-tyrosine p-nitroanilide and synthesis of N-benzoyl-L-tyrosine butylamide in the presence of trace amounts of water. A quantitative reaction was obtained when either hydrophobic or bulky amides of L- as well as D-amino acids were used as acceptor nucleophiles, while almost no reaction occurred with free amino acids or ester derivatives. The acceptor nucleophile specificity of modified chymotrypsin as a catalyst in the formation of both amide and peptide bonds in organic solvents was quite comparable to that in aqueous solution as well as to that of the leaving group in hydrolysis reactions. By contrast, the substrate specificity of modified chymotrypsin in organic solvents was different from that in water since arginine and lysine esters were found to be as effective as aromatic amino acids to form the acyl-enzyme with subsequent synthesis of a peptide bond.     

Quinic and isochlorogenic acids in sunflower seeds (Helianthus annuus Lin.)]

Quinic and isochlorogenic acids have been identified in sunflower's seeds (Helianthus annuus Lin.) by paper chromatography in presence of various solvents. Quinic acid has been detected by color reaction and isochlorogenic by ultra-violet light.     

低共熔溶剂对酶的影响及应用研究*

低共熔溶剂是由一定化学计量比的氢键受体和氢键供体组合而成的新型绿色溶剂,具有成本低、易制备、环境友好等特点,可以作为普通有机溶剂和离子液体的替代溶剂。酶作为生物催化剂时反应条件温和,对反应底物专一性高,并且具有极高的催化效率和反应速度。酶促反应通常发生在水溶液体系,但近年来发现在低共熔溶剂中酶促反应也能有效进行。综述酶与低共熔溶剂共同作用的机理以及低共熔溶剂在酶促反应中的应用,展望未来的研究方向,为酶促反应体系的进一步开发奠定理论基础。