Enzymatic peptide synthesis in organic media: a comparative study of water-miscible and water-immiscible solvent systems.

Peptide synthesis was carried out in a variety of organic solvents with low contents of water. The enzyme was deposited on the support material, celite, from an aqueous buffer solution. After evaporation of the water the biocatalyst was suspended in the reaction mixtures. The chymotrypsin-catalyzed reaction between Z-Phe-OMe and Leu-NH2 was used as a model reaction. Under the conditions used ([Z-Phe-OMe]0 less than or equal to 40 mM, [Leu-NH2]0/([Z-Phe-OMe]0 = 1.5) the reaction was first order with respect to Z-Phe-OMe. Tris buffer, pH 7.8, was the best buffer to use in the preparation of the biocatalyst. In water-miscible solvents the reaction rate increased with increasing water content, but the final yield of peptide decreased due to the competing hydrolysis of Z-Phe-OMe. Among the water-miscible solvents, acetonitrile was the most suitable, giving 91% yield with 4% (by vol.) water. In water-immiscible solvents the reaction rate and the product distribution were little affected by water additions in the range between 0% and 2% (vol. %) in excess of water saturation. The reaction rates correlated well with the log P values of the solvent. The highest yield (93%) was obtained in ethyl acetate; in this solvent the reaction was also fast. Under most reaction conditions used the reaction product was stable; secondary hydrolysis of the peptide formed was normally negligible. The method presented is a combination of kinetically controlled peptide synthesis (giving high reaction rates) and thermodynamically controlled peptide synthesis (giving stable reaction products).     

Enzymatic peptide synthesis in organic solvent mediated by gels of copolymerized acrylic derivatives of alpha-chymotrypsin and polyoxyethylene.

Copolymers of acrylated derivatives of alpha-chymotrypsin and polyethylene glycol (PEG) have been prepared and used as biocatalysts for the synthesis of model peptides in organic solvent containing a low quantity of water. Other peptide couplings have been tried to point out the chemico- and stereoselectivity and examples of segment couplings are given.     

Enzymatic esterification in organic media: role of water and organic solvent in kinetics and yield of butyl butyrate synthesis

Summary The respective roles of organic solvent and of water in butyl butyrate synthesis from n-butanol and n-butyric acid in n-hexane by Mucor miehei lipase have been investigated by analysis of the kinetics and the reaction balances. Esterificaton was found to take place in both low water systems containing solid enzyme in hexane and in biphasic aqueous enzyme solution/hexane systems. In the solid enzyme system, the enzyme adsorbed the water produced, thus delaying the appearance of a discrete aqueous phase. As expected, the presence of some water was indispensable for this system, as its removal or exclusion by various means (adsorption, distillation) affected enzyme activity. However, water removal had little effect on the final yield of esterification. Reaction velocities were quite similar for the solid enzyme/hexane system and for the biphasic aqueous enzyme solution/hexane system. In the latter case, the butyl butyrate formed was almost exclusively found in the organic phase. Ethyl butyrate, a more polar compound, was synthesized with a lower yield. These results allow the conclusion that the reaction took place in a phase consisting of either solid hydrated enzyme with no discrete aqueous phase or of an aqueous enzyme solution by basically similar mechanisms according to the amount of water available to the system, the esterification being driven to completion by transfer of the ester into the organic phase because of a favourable partition coefficient. Offprint requests to: F. Monot     

Peptide synthesis of aspartame precursor using organic-solvent-stable PST-01 protease in monophasic aqueous-organic solvent systems

The PST-01 protease is a metalloprotease that has zinc ion at the active center and is very stable in the presence of water-soluble organic solvents. The reaction rates and the equilibrium yields of the aspartame precursor N-carbobenzoxy-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester (Cbz-Asp-Phe-OMe) synthesis from N-carbobenzoxy-L-aspartic acid (Cbz-Asp) and L-phenylalanine methyl ester (Phe-OMe) in the presence of water-soluble organic solvents were investigated under various conditions. Higher reaction rate and yield of Cbz-Asp-Phe-OMe were attained by the PST-01 protease when 30 mM Cbz-Asp and 500 mM Phe-OMe were used. The maximum reaction rate was obtained pH 8.0 and 37 degrees C. In the presence of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), glycerol, methanol, and ethylene glycol, higher reaction rates were obtained. The equilibrium yield was the highest in the presence of DMSO. The equilibrium yield of Cbz-Asp-Phe-OMe using the PST-01 protease attained 83% in the presence of 50% (v/v) DMSO.     

Synthesis of aspartame precursor by solid thermolysin in organic solvent

Summary The enzymatic synthesis of a peptide compound was carried out successfully in homogeneous organic solvent.Solid Thermolysin was found to catalyze the synthetic reaction of N-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester (Z-APM; a precursor of sweetner Aspartame) from N-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-aspartic acid (Z-L-Asp) and L-phenylalanine methyl ester (L-PheOMe) in a 98 percent organic medium (ethylacetatebenzenemethanolwater=5029192). The dissolution of enzyme was not observed. The optimal pH shifted to acidic side by 1.0 pH unit, compared with that in aqueous medium. The enzymatic activity of solid thermolysin with an average size of 3.4×9.5 m was determined to be 0.18 moles-product/(mg-solid)·h under the initial concentrations of L-PheOMe of 0.1M and Z-L-Asp of 0.05M, and at pH 6.0 and 40°C.     

Enzymatic synthesis of l-ascorbyl linoleate in organic media

A novel l-ascorbyl fatty acid ester, l-ascorbyl linoleate was successfully prepared by enzymatic esterification and transesterification in a non-aqueous medium using immobilized lipase as biocatalyst. Changes in enzymatic activity and product yield were studied for the following variable: the nature of the fatty acid, the fatty acid concentration and water content. The yield of synthesis for the C18 unsaturated fatty acids were higher than for the C18 saturated fatty acid. Initial enzyme concentration does not affect the equilibrium of the reaction. And the product yield (33.5%) in the transesterification was higher than that of the esterification (21.8%) at a high-substrate concentration 0.3 M. The medium water content was found to have a distinct influence on the l-ascorbyl linoleate synthesis.These authors contributed equally to the article.     

Chemical modification of alginates in organic solvent systems

Alginates are (1→4)-linked linear copolysaccharides composed of β-D-mannuronic acid (M) and its C-5 epimer, α-l-guluronic acid (G). Several strategies to synthesize organically modified alginate derivatives have been reported, but almost all chemistries are performed in either aqueous or aqueous-organic media. The ability to react alginates homogeneously in organic solvents would open up access to a wide range of new chemistries and derivatives. However, past attempts have been restricted by the absence of methods for alginate dissolution in organic media. We therefore report a strategy to dissolve tetrabutylammonium (TBA) salts of alginic acid in polar aprotic solvents containing tetrabutylammonium fluoride (TBAF). Acylation of TBA-alginate was performed under homogeneous conditions, such that both M and G residues were acetylated up to a total degree of substitution (DS) ≈1.0. Performing the same reaction under heterogeneous conditions resulted in selective acylation of M residues. Regioselectivity in the acylated alginate products was studied, and degradation under basic reaction conditions was probed.     

Enantioselective synthesis ofN-acetyl-l-methionine with aminoacylase in organic solvent

We have developed an enzymatic procedure for the enantiospecific synthesis ofN-acetyl-l-methionine with aminoacylase in an organic solvent.N-Acetyl-l-methionine was most effectively synthesized with a yield of about 90% (on the basis of thel-methionine used) when the reaction mixture, composed of 100 mm sodium acetate, 20 MMdl-methionine and aminoacylase (1000 units) immobilized on celite in 1 ml ethyl acetate saturated with 32 l 140mm sodium phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) containing 0.1 mm CoCl₂, was incubated at 30°C for 24 h.N-Acetyl-l-methionine was isolated from the reaction mixture and the enantiomeric excess was 100%.d-Methionine was also isolated from the mixture with a yield of about 95% and 90% enantiomeric excess. The method is applicable to the synthesis of otherN-acetyl-l-amino acids.     

Enzymatic esterification of dihydrocaffeic acid with linoleyl alcohol in organic solvent media

The enzymatic esterification of dihydrocaffeic acid with linoleyl alcohol, using immobilized lipases (Lipozyme IM 20 and Novozym 435), was investigated in selected organic solvent media. Novozym 435 was found to be more efficient for catalyzing the esterification reaction. The highest enzymatic activity of 0.89 μmol esterified linoleyl alcohol/g solid enzyme/min was obtained in a hexane/2-butanone mixture of 75:25 (v/v), with an esterification yield of 75%; however, an increase in the 2-butanone proportion in the mixture up to 50% (v/v) resulted in a decrease in enzymatic activity and esterification yield to 0.38 μmol esterified linoleyl alcohol/g solid enzyme/min and 40%, respectively. The maximum esterification yield of 99.3% was obtained with a dihydrocaffeic acid to linoleyl alcohol ratio of 1:8. The electrospray ionization-mass spectroscopic structural analysis of the end products confirmed the biosynthesis of dihydrocaffeic acid ester of linoleyl alcohol, which demonstrated an anti-radical activity using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl as a radical model.     

Feasibility of using water-immiscible organic solvents in biological waste-gas treatment

In order to conclude about the feasibility of using water-immiscible organic solvents in biological waste-gas treatment, a theoretical study was done in which different types of organic-solvent-containing systems are compared with systems where the pollutant is transferred directly to the water phase. For each system the total equipment volume needed to remove 99% of a pollutant from a waste-gas stream is calculated. Three different pollutants with a different solubility in water are considered: Hexane (m _gw =71), dichloromethane (m _gw =0.1) and acetone (m _gw =0.0016), withm _gw the partition coefficient (kg/m³ gas/kg/m³ water) of the pollutant between the gas and the water phase. From the results it is concluded that the use of organic solvents is only advantageous in case the specific area for mass transfer between solvent and water is large enough to compensate for the additional transport resistance introduced by the solvent, and secondly if the solvent shows a sufficiently high affinity for the pollutants.     

Oxidation of dibenzothiophene catalyzed by immobilized hemoproteins in water-immiscible organic solvents

In various water-immiscible organic solvents, hemoglobin, myoglobin and cytochrome c deposited on Celite catalyzed the oxidation of dibenzothiophene when peroxides having nonpolar substituents, such as t-butyl hydroperoxide and cumene hydroperoxide (, -dimethylbenzyl hydroperoxide), were used as oxidants. In hexadecane, oxidation of dibenzothiophene by immobilized cytochrome c, with a K _m value of 0.15 mM for dibenzothiophene, was inhibited by cumene hydroperoxide above 0.5 mM.     

Powerful solvent systems useful for synthesis of sparingly-soluble peptides in solution.

Our maximum protection strategy for the synthesis of human parathyroid hormone(1-84) indicates that fully protected peptide segments in the form of Boc-peptide phenacyl (Pac) ester are relatively soluble in ordinary organic solvents such as DMF, NMP or DMSO, which are suitable for coupling segments. However, about 1% of such segments synthesized were found to be insoluble even in the most polar solvent, DMSO. Thus, a more powerful solvent which can be used for their peptide synthesis was pursued. Among the solvent systems tested, a mixture of trifluoroethanol (TFE) or hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) and trichloromethane (TCM) or dichloromethane (DCM) was found to be most powerful for dissolving such sparingly-soluble protected peptides. These solvent systems were confirmed to be useful for the removal reaction of the carboxy-terminal Pac esters from the sparingly-soluble segments. They were then tested for the coupling reactions of fully protected Boc-peptides with other sparingly-soluble peptide esters. The TFE/TCM or TFE/DCM system was extremely useful for coupling segments without danger of racemization and of trifluoroester formation, if WSCI was used as the coupling reagent in the presence of 3,4-dihydro-3-hydroxy-4-oxo-1,2,3-benzotriazine (HOOBt).     

Reaction equilibrium for lipase-catalyzed condensation in organic solvent systems

Lipase-catalyzed condensation in an organic solvent is useful for the syntheses of esters. To reasonably design and optimize the reaction conditions, knowledge of the reaction equilibrium is required. The interaction of water with other reactants and the quantitative predictions for adsorption of water by a desiccant are discussed. The solvent effects on the reaction equilibrium are also elucidated in mixtures of nitrile and tert-alcohol.     

Reaction equilibrium for lipase-catalyzed condensation in organic solvent systems

Lipase-catalyzed condensation in an organic solvent is useful for the syntheses of esters. To reasonably design and optimize the reaction conditions, knowledge of the reaction equilibrium is required. The interaction of water with other reactants and the quantitative predictions for adsorption of water by a desiccant are discussed. The solvent effects on the reaction equilibrium are also elucidated in mixtures of nitrile and tert-alcohol.     

Enzymatic synthesis of derivatives of vitamin A in organic media

The present article provides an enzymatic method of retinol esterification to reduce photodestruction and irritation problems characteristic of retinol. More specifically, it relates to a method of synthesising retinyl adipate, retinyl succinate, retinyl oleate and retinyl lactate greatly appreciated by cosmetic manufacturer. Desired compounds can be synthesised directly using Candida antarctica lipase and Rhizomucor miehei lipase in organic media.     

Hydrolytic reactions in two-phase systems. Effect of water-immiscible organic solvents on stability and activity of acid phosphatase, beta-glucosidase, and beta-fructofuranosidase.

The stability and activity of three hydrolytic enzymes, acid phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.2), beta-fructofuranosidase (EC 3.2.1.26), and beta-glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.4), were studied at 30 degrees C in two-phase systems. They were prepared with equal quantities of buffered water and a water-immiscible organic solvent. Low-molecular-weight acetates and paraffins were tested in this investigation. The kinetic constant of storage inactivation was correlated with the logarithm of solvent polarity. Enzyme stability in the presence of organic phases, whose log P value was included in 1.2-2.2, was greater than the one measured in pure buffered aqueous media. On the other hand, a dramatic enzyme denaturation took place making use of solvents at higher log P-value. Experiments carried out during the 24-h operation clarified that the reaction yield does not depend solely on solvent polarity. Acid phosphatase and beta-glucosidase, which are less resistant than beta-fructofuranosidase to temperature and shear in buffered solutions, showed especially significant enhancement of catalytic activity when hydrolysis was performed with the addition of acetates (50% v/v).     

Enzymatic synthesis of amino acid-sugar alcohol conjugates in organic media

Amino acid-sugar alcohol conjugates were synthesized by a commercial serine protease, Optimase M-440, in organic media. Optimase M-440 showed broad substrate specificity towards N-t-Boc-protected l-amino acids as acyl donors and sugar alcohols as nucleophiles. Among various solvents tested Optimase M-440 showed the highest activity in pyridine. The regioselective acylation of the primary –OH groups of sugar alcohols gave the amino acid conjugates in good yields without byproducts.     

Immobilization and biocatalysis of chlorophyllase in selected organic solvent systems

Chlorophyllase extract from Phaeodactylum tricornutum was immobilized by physical adsorption on DEAE-cellulose and silica gel as well as by covalent binding on Eupergit C, Eupergit C250L, Eupergit C/ethylenediamine (EDA) and Eupergit C250L/EDA. Although the highest immobilization yield (83-93%) and efficiency (51-53%) were obtained when chlorophyllase extract was immobilized on DEAE-cellulose and silica gel, there was no improvement in the thermal stability of chlorophyllase as compared to that of the free one. The immobilization of chlorophyllase extract on Eupergit C250L/EDA resulted by a high recovery of enzymatic activity, with an immobilization efficiency of 44%, and promoted a higher stabilization of chlorophyllase (four times) in the aqueous/miscible organic solvent medium. On the other hand, the inhibitory effect of refined bleached deodorized (RBD) canola oil was reduced by immobilization of chlorophyllase extract onto silica gel as compared to those obtained with other enzyme preparations. However, the re-cycled chlorophyllase extract immobilized on Eupergit C250L/EDA retained more than 75% of its initial enzyme activity after 6 cycles, whereas that immobilized on silica gel was completely inactivated. The highest catalytic efficiency, for both free and immobilized chlorophyllase on Eupergit C250L/EDA, was obtained in the ternary micellar system as compared to the aqueous/miscible organic solvent and biphasic media.     

Enzymatic reaction kinetic: comparison in an organic solvent and in supercritical carbon dioxide

Myristic acid esterification has been performed by an immobilized lipase from Mucor Miehei both in n-hexane and in supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO(2)). The enzyme is stable in SCCO(2) at 15 MPa and 323 K. The reaction rate is influenced by the concentration of water and by the reaction medium composition. A reaction mechanism is proposed, and kinetic parameters are determined at 12.5 MPa and 313 K. Maxium velocity appears 1.5-fold higher in SCCO(2) than in n-hexane; however, as solubility of myristic acid is greater in n-hexane, it is not yet definitively clear that the supercritical medium is more favorable than the classical organic solvent for this type of enzyme reaction.