Water-in-oil microemulsions as the reaction medium for the solvent-sensitive yellow laccases

To determine the applicability of water-in-oil microemulsions for enzymatic conversions catalysed by yellow laccase from Pleurotus ostreatus (YLPO) D1 the following were studied: (i) the catalytic activity of the YLPO D1 in the oxidation of typical phenolic substrates: catechol (CAT), 2,6-dimethoxyphenol (DMOP) and 2,2^'-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS), at the appropriate pH optimum values in aqueous buffer solutions and in 62 mM bis-2-(ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate sodium salt (AOT) in isooctane water-in-oil microemulsions; (ii) the effect of acetonitrile (ACN) on the kinetic parameters of DMOP oxidation catalysed by this laccase; (iii) the optimum conditions for the laccase catalytic activity in AOT in isooctane w/o microemulsions (w, laccase, AOT concentration); (iiv) the possibility of using the optimum water-in-oil microemulsions for the oxidation of aromatic alcohols (veratryl alcohol (VA) and benzyl alcohol (BA)) and the oxidative degradation of selected pollutants (3-chlorophenol, anthracene (ANT) and fluorene (FLU)).     

Studies on the catalytic behaviour of a cholinesterase-like abzyme in an AOT microemulsion system

The hydrolytic activity of a monoclonal catalytic antibody (9A8) (abzyme) with acetylcholinesterase-like activity was investigated in water-in-oil (w/o) microemulsions (reverse micelles) based on sodium bis-2-(ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT) in isooctane, using p- and o-nitrophenylacetate (p-and o-NPA) as substrates. The dependence of the abzyme hydrolytic activity on the molar ratio of water to surfactant (w(o)) showed a bell-shaped curve, presenting a maximum at w(o)=11.1. An increase of the AOT concentration at constant w(o), resulted in a decrease of the catalytic activity suggesting a possible inhibition effect of the surfactant. The incorporation of the abzyme into the reverse micelle system caused a blue shift of the fluorescence emission maximum by a magnitude of 7-10 nm depending on the w(o) value. This result indicates that the antibody molecule, or a large part of it, is located in the aqueous microphase of the system. Kinetic studies showed that the hydrolysis of p-and o-NPA in microemulsion system as well as in aqueous solution follows Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The catalytic efficiency (k(cat)/K(m)) in w/o microemulsion was significant lower than in aqueous solution.     

Reverse micelles,a system for antibody-catalysed reactions

This work presents some aspects of the application of catalytic antibodies in water-in-oil microemulsions (reverse micelles) based on sodium bis-2-(ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT) in isooctane. The monoclonal antibody (mAb) 9A8 used in this study is a fully characterised acetylcholinesterase-like antibody produced by the anti-idiotypic approach. The effect of various parameters, such as, the size and the concentration of reverse micelles, as well as the concentration and the nature of substrates on abzyme catalytic activity were investigated.     

Enzyme-Catalyzed oxidation of cholesterol in physically characterized water-in-oil microemulsions

The enzymatic conversion of cholesterol to cholestenone by cholesterol oxidase (Brevibacterium sp.)in reversed micelles in a system composed of AOT/isooctane/water/cholesterol has been examined. The catalytic activity of the enzyme was correlated with the physicochemical properties of water in water-in-oil (w/o) microemulsion systems. In a system consisting of 3 wt % AOT in isooctane, reversed micelles started to form as the [H(2)O]/[AOT] (e.g., the w(0)) ratio increased above 4-5. The formation of reversed micelles with a core of neat (bulk) water was verified from determinations of both the partial molar volume of water and the scissors vibration of water [with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy] in the w/o microemulsion systems. A plot of enzyme activity vs. w(0) indicated that the hydration of enzyme molecules per se was not sufficient to give rise to catalytic activity. Instead, it appeared that the formation of an aqueous micellar core was necessary for full activation of the enzyme. Based on micelle size distribution analysis, it was estimated that about one micelle per one thousand contained an enzyme molecule. Since the apparent reaction rate could be markedly enhanced by increasing the enzyme/water ratio, we conclude that the number of enzyme-containing micelles was an important rate-limiting factor in the system.     

Polyphenoloxidases immobilized in organic gels: Properties and applications in the detoxification of aromatic compounds

Gelatine gels originate from water in oil microemulsions in which the ternary system consists of isooctane/ sulfosuccinic acid bis [2-ethyl hexyl] ester/water; the solubilization of gelatin in the water pool of these microemulsions transforms them into viscous gels in which it is possible to cosolubilize various reactive molecules. These gels were used to immobilize two phenoloxidases, a laccase from Trametes versicolor and a tyrosinase from mushroom. The best balance between gel retention and catalytic activity was reached at a gelatine concentration of 2.5% (w/v) in the case of tyrosinase, while laccase immobilization was independent of gelatine concentration. Both enzymes kept the same optimum pH as the corresponding soluble controls, while a partial loss of activity was observed when they were immobilized. Immobilized enzymes showed an increased stability when incubated for several days at 4 degrees C with a very low release from the gels in the incubation solutions. The immobilization of tyrosinase and of laccase enhanced stability to thermal inactivation. Furthermore, gel-entrapped tyrosinase was almost completely preserved from proteolysis: more than 80% of the activity was maintained, while only 25% of the soluble control activity was detected after the same proteolytic treatments. A column packed with gel-immobilized tyrosinase was used to demonstrate that enzymes immobilized with this technique may be reused several times in the same reaction without loosing their efficiency. Finally, gel-entrapped tyrosinase and laccase were capable of removing naturally occurring and xeno-biotic aromatic compounds from aqueous suspensions with different degrees of efficiency. (c) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Catalytic behavior of Pseudomonas cepacia lipase in w/o microemulsions

The activity of purified Pseudomonas cepacia lipase has been investigated in esterification reactions of various aliphatic alcohols with natural fatty acids. The reactions were carried out in microemulsions formed in isooctane by bis-(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate sodium salt (AOT). Kinetic studies showed that the reaction follows a ping-pong bi-bi mechanism with inhibition by both substrates. The apparent kinetic parameters of the reaction were found to be K(m octanol) = 310 mM, K(m lauric acid) = 78 mM, and V(max) = 250 mumol min(-1) mg(-1). The same system was used for the synthesis of mono- and diglycerides from glycerol and lauric acid, which was successful at very low w(o) values. The catalytic behavior of P. cepacia lipase was also studied in esterification reactions performed in a nonionic microemulsion system formulated by tetraethyleneglycoldodecylether (C(12)E(4)). The optimum activity was found at about w(o) = 8. The apparent values of V(max app) and K(m app) for octanol were calculated and found to be 100 mumol min(-1) mg(-1) and 76 mM, respectively. (c) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Esterification of hydrophilic diols catalysed by lipase in microemulsions

Summary The esterification of various hydrophilic diols with fatty acids catalyzed by Lipolase^TM was carried out in water-in-oil (w/o) microemulsion systems stabilized with sodium(bis-2-ethylhexyl)sulphosuccinate (AOT) as surfactant in isooctane. Mono- and di-esters were selectively synthesized with high reaction rates. The product distribution depends on substrates concentration. Microemulsions appear to be an effective and fast system for esterification of diols.     

Catalytic activity of lignin peroxidase and partition of veratryl alcohol in AOT/isooctane/toluene/water reverse micelles

The activity of lignin peroxidase (LiP) and the partition of its optimum substrate veratryl alcohol (VA) in sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT)/isooctane/toluene/water reverse micelles were studied in this paper to understand the microheterogeneous effect of the medium on the catalytic properties of LiP hosted in the reverse micelle. Results showed that LiP from Phanerochaete chrysosporium could express its activity in the reverse micelles, but its activity depended, to a great extent, on the composition of the reverse micelles. Optimum activity occurred at a molar ratio of water to AOT (ω₀) of 11, a pH value of 3.6, and a volume ratio of isooctane to toluene of 7–9. Under optimum conditions, the half-life of LiP was circa 12 h. The dependence of LiP activity on the volume fraction of water in the medium (θ), at a constant ω₀ value of 11, indicated that VA was mainly solubilized in the pseudophase of the reverse micelle. Based on the pseudobiphasic model and the corresponding kinetic method, a linear line can be obtained in a plot of apparent Michaelis constant of VA vs θ, and the partition coefficient of VA between the pseudophase and the organic solvent phase was determined to be 35.8, which was higher than that (22.3) between bulk water and the corresponding mixed organic solvent. H₂O₂ inhibited LiP at concentrations higher than 80 μM; this concentration value seems to be different from that in aqueous solution (about 3 mM). The differences mentioned above should be ascribed to the microheterogeneity and the interface of the AOT reverse micelle.     

Activity and Stability Studies Of Mucor miehei Lipase Immobilized in Novel Microemulsion-based Organogels

Lipase from Mucor miehei was immobilized in bis-(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate sodium salt (AOT) as well as lecithin water-in-oil (w/o) microemulsion-based organogels (MBGs) formulated with biopolymers such as agar and hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose (HPMC), respectively. These lipase-containing MBGs prove to be novel solid-phase catalysts for use in organic media. Using these organogels at 25°C, various esterification reactions in non-polar solvents as well as in solvent free systems were possible. Apparent lipase activity was influenced to some extent by the nature and the concentration of biopolymers used. Lipase stability in such MBGs is much higher than that observed in w/o microemulsions. MBGs containing lipase functioned effectively in repeated batch syntheses of fatty esters. Kinetic studies have shown that ester synthesis catalyzed by immobilized lipase occurs via the Ping-Pong bi-bi mechanism in which only inhibition by excess of alcohol has been identified. Values of all kinetic parameters were determined.     

Activity and Stability Studies Of Mucor miehei Lipase Immobilized in Novel Microemulsion-based Organogels

Lipase from Mucor miehei was immobilized in bis-(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate sodium salt (AOT) as well as lecithin water-in-oil (w/o) microemulsion-based organogels (MBGs) formulated with biopolymers such as agar and hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose (HPMC), respectively. These lipase-containing MBGs prove to be novel solid-phase catalysts for use in organic media. Using these organogels at 25°C, various esterification reactions in non-polar solvents as well as in solvent free systems were possible. Apparent lipase activity was influenced to some extent by the nature and the concentration of biopolymers used. Lipase stability in such MBGs is much higher than that observed in w/o microemulsions. MBGs containing lipase functioned effectively in repeated batch syntheses of fatty esters. Kinetic studies have shown that ester synthesis catalyzed by immobilized lipase occurs via the Ping-Pong bi-bi mechanism in which only inhibition by excess of alcohol has been identified. Values of all kinetic parameters were determined.     

Characterization and catalytic property of surfactant-laccase complex in organic media

The oxidation of o-phenylenediamine catalyzed in anhydrous organic solvents by surfactant-laccase complex was investigated. The complex was prepared by utilizing a novel preparation technique in water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions. The surfactant-laccase complex effectively catalyzed the oxidation reaction in various dry organic solvents, while laccase, lyophilized from an aqueous buffer solution in which its activity was optimized, exhibited no catalytic activity in nonaqueous media. To optimize the preparation and reaction conditions for the surfactant-enzyme complexes, we examined the effects of pH in the water pool of W/O emulsions, the concentration of enzyme and surfactant at the preparation stage, and the nature of organic solvents at the reaction stage on the laccase activity in organic media. Surfactant-laccase complex showed a strong pH-dependent catalytic activity in organic media. Its optimum activity was obtained when the complex was prepared at a pH of about 3. Interestingly, native laccase in an aqueous buffer solution exhibited an optimum activity at the same pH of 3. The optimum preparation conditions of surfactant-laccase complex were [laccase] = 0.8 mg/mL and [surfactant] = 10 mM, and the complex showed the highest catalytic activity in toluene among nine anhydrous organic solvents. The effect of a cosolubilized mediator (1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HBT)) on the reaction was also investigated. The addition of HBT at the preparation stage of the enzyme complex did not accelerate the catalytic reaction because HBT was converted to an inactive benzotriazole (BT) by laccase. However, the addition of HBT at the reaction stage enhanced the catalytic performance by a factor of five compared to that without HBT.     

Pseudomonas cepacia lipase: Esterification reactions in AOT microemulsion systems

Summary The activity of purifiedPseudomonas cepacia lipase has been investigated in esterification reactions of various aliphatic alcohols with natural fatty acids. The reactions were carried out in microemulsions formed in isooctane by bis(2ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate sodium salt (AOT). The optima pH, T and water content (w_o) for the enzyme activity in this type of microemulsions have been determined. Studies on the effect of various fatty acids and alcohols on the enzyme specificity have shown a preference of this lipase for palmitic and caprylic acid as well as for propanol, while reactions involving cyclic alcohols can not be catalyzed at all. The differences on the behavior of this lipase as compared to other lipases studied in microemulsion systems as well as in other systems are discussed.     

脂肪酶在微乳液和微乳液凝胶中催化辛酸辛醇的酯化反应

脂肪酶在合成反应中具有很高的区域选择性和立体选择性 ,已广泛用于食品工业和药物工业[1,2 ] ,在有机介质中的脂肪酶催化反应已有较多研究[3 ,4 ] 。微乳液一般由表面活性剂、助表面活性剂、油和水等组份组成 ,它是一种热力学稳定、光学透明、宏观均匀而微观不均匀的体系 ,能提供酶催化所需要的巨大油 /水界面[5] 。而将脂肪酶增溶于油包水(Ｗ /Ｏ)微乳液中的纳米级“水池”中 ,可使酶以分子水平分散[6] ,图 1(ａ) ,从而可用来模拟细胞微环境中的反应。油包水微乳液中的酶可通过加入明胶而制成固定化酶 ,含明胶的微乳液凝胶 (ＭＢＧｓ)最早…     

Solubilization of soybean mitochondria in AOT/isooctane water-in-oil microemulsions

The water-in-oil microemulsion system bis(2 ethyl-hexyl-sodium-succinate (AOT)/isooctane/water is able to solubilize soybean nodules mitrochrondria. Transparent and thermodynamically stable hydrocarbon solutions are obtained, which can be assayed for mitochondrial activity just as aqueous solutions. Malate dehydrogenase (MDH) activity was measured in vivo and gave in reverse micelles very similar results as in water. However the kinetic behavior of this reaction in AOT/isooctane reverse micelles shows some differences with respect to water. Mitochondria in reverse AOT micelles are able to retain about 70% of their initial MDH activity after three days. Mitochondria can be back-transferred from reverse micelles to water and show respiratory activity almost identical to the native organelles. Electron microscopy studies show that the dimensions of mitochondria back-transferred into water from AOT micelles are comparable to the dimensions of the native organelles.     

Water-in-ionic liquid microemulsion-based organogels as novel matrices for enzyme immobilization

The use of water-in-ionic liquid microemulsion-based organogels (w/IL MBGs) as novel supports for the immobilization of lipase B from Candida antarctica and lipase from Chromobacterium viscosum was investigated. These novel lipase-containing w/IL MBGs can be effectively used as solid phase biocatalysts in various polar and non-polar organic solvents or ILs, exhibiting up to 4.4-fold higher esterification activity compared to water-in-oil microemulsion-based organogels. The immobilized lipases retain their activity for several hours at 70°C, while their half life time is up to 25-fold higher compared to that observed in w/IL microemulsions. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy data indicate that immobilized lipases adopt a more rigid structure, referring to the structure in aqueous solution, which is in correlation with their enhanced catalytic behavior observed.     

Stabilities and rates in the laccase/TEMPO-catalyzed oxidation of alcohols

The influence of alcohol, 4-acetylamino,2,2,6,6′-tetramethylpiperidinyloxy (4-acetylamino-TEMPO) and laccase (from Trametes versicolor, TvL) concentration in the aerobic oxidation of furfuryl alcohol was investigated. Studies show that the K_m for 4-acetylamino-TEMPO is around 6.3 mM (V_max=0.18 mM min^?1) using 6.6 U mL^?1 of laccase and a furfuryl alcohol concentration of 140 mM. Under these optimized conditions, the reaction rate is still dependent on the concentration of enzyme in solution. Laccase can be reused, with a residual activity of around 25%. An important conclusion is that laccase is not stable in the presence of oxoammonium salts, presumably due to degradation via oxidation of essential amino acid residues or the glycosyl moieties on the periphery of the enzyme.     

A comparison of lipase-catalysed ester and lactone synthesis in low-water systems: analysis of optimum water activity.

We investigated the effects of the lyophilisation medium (enzyme plus buffer salt and additives) and of water activity (a(w)) on the catalytic properties of lipase from Chromobacterium viscosum (lipase CV) in organic solvents; catalysis of ester and lactone synthesis were compared and, despite the similarities of the reactive groups involved in these reactions, some interesting differences were observed. Including 2-[N-morpholino]ethanesulfonic acid (MES) buffer in the lyophilisation medium of lipase CV increased its catalytic activity in transesterification and lactonisation, although the buffer salt requirement for maximal activity differed between the two reactions. Sorbitol, glucose, lactose, 18-crown-6 (crown ether 18-C-6), beta-cyclodextrin and bovine serum albumin were employed as alternative additives in the transesterification reaction, but were not as effective as MES buffer. Salt hydrates were used to investigate the effect of a(w) on esterification and lactonisation reactions catalysed by lipase CV. The maximum rate of hexadecanolide synthesis in toluene occurred at a(w) = 0.48. The optimum a(w) for the transesterification reaction in heptane/alcohol mixtures depended on the alcohol substrate employed (1-heptanol, 2-heptanol, or 3-methyl-3-hexanol) but not on the acyl donor (p-NP acetate or caprylate). The optimum a(w) values for both reactions were unchanged when a common solvent system (toluene/1-heptanol) was employed, indicating that the dependence of enzyme activity on a(w) is an intrinsic property of the enzyme-catalysed reaction and not a function of the solvent or other additives.     

Mechanism of protein extraction from the solid state by water-in-oil microemulsions

The extraction of solid-phase alpha-chymotrypsin, bovine serum albumin (BSA), and lysozyme by water-in-oil microemulsion (w/o-ME) solution containing Aerosol-OT (AOT) was thoroughly examined as a means to maximize protein solubilization in organic solvent media. Protein extraction occurred simultaneously with the adsorption of water and AOT by the solid protein. Water and AOT were desorbed at nearly equal rates, suggesting that both materials were desorbed together as micreomulsions. The solubilization of protein increased linearly with the ratio of solid protein to extractant solution except at a high value of the ratio, where most protein-containing microemulsions were desorbed. Based on our results, a mechanistic model was developed to describe the solid-phase extraction procedure. First, microemulsions are desorbed from solution by the solid protein, resulting in the formation of a solid protein-AOT-water aggregate. Second, when a protein in the solid phase binds to a sufficient number of microemulsions, the resulting aggregate's increased hydrophobicity drives its solubilization into lipophilic solvent. Third, through the exchange of materials between the solubilized precipitate and the remaining microemulsions, protein-containing w/o-MEs are formed. The presence of adsorption is further indicated by an isotherm existing between the water, AOT, and protein content of the resulting solid phase for each protein. The driving force behind adsorption is either AOT-protein interactions or the protein's affinity for microemulsion-encapsulated water, depending on the properties of the protein and the size of the microemulsions, in agreement with the model of P. L. Luisi [Chimia, 44: 270-282 (1990)]. The second step of our model is mass transfer limited for the extraction of solid alpha-chymotrypsin and BSA. The extraction of solid lysozyme was limited by the occurrence of an irreversible precipitation process. (c) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 53: 583-593, 1997.     

Kinetic study of lipase catalyzed esterification reactions in water-in-oil microemulsions

The kinetics of the esterification of lauric acid by (-)menthol, catalyzed by Penicillium simplicissimum lipase, was studied in water/bis-(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate sodium salt (AOT)/isooctane microemulsions. Due to their low water content, microemulsions assist in reversing the direction of lipase activity, favoring synthetic reactions. The kinetics of this synthesis follows a Ping-Pong Bi--Bi mechanism. The values of all apparent kinetic parameters were determined. The theoretical model for the expression of enzymic activity in reverse micelles, proposed by Verhaert et al. (Verhaert, R., Hilhorst, R., Vermüe, M., Schaafsma, T. J., Veeger, C. 1990. Eur. J. Biochem. 187: 59-72) was extended to express the lipase activity in an esterification reaction involving two hydrophobic substrates in microemulsion systems. The model takes into account the partitioning of the substrates between the various phases and allows the calculation of the intrinsic kinetic constants. The experimental results showing the dependence of the initial velocity on the hydration ratio, W(o) = [H(2)O]/[AOT], of the reverse micelles, were in accordance with the theoretically predicted pattern. (c) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Microemulsions as a tool for the regioselective lipase-catalysed esterification of aliphatic diols

The efficiency of Humicola lanuginosa and Candida cylindracea lipases to catalyse the regioselective esterification of butane-1,3-diol with oleic acid has been demonstrated in water-in-oil microemulsion systems stabilized with sodium (bis-2-ethylhexyl) sulphosuccinate as a surfactant in isooctane. Mono- and diesters were selectively synthesized with high reaction rates. The product distribution depends on the positional specificity of the lipases. Water-in-oil microemulsions appear to be an effective and fast system for the regioselective enzymatic esterification of diols. Received: 29 April 1996 / Received revision: 29 July 1996 / Accepted: 5 August 1996