The Aqueous Two-Phase System Polyethylene Glycol/Dextran as a Reaction Medium for the Microsomal Monooxygenase System

An aqueous two-phase system of dextran and polyethylene glycol was investigated as a reaction medium for pig liver microsomes in order to find out if the partition of the microsomes, of the substrate 7-ethoxycoumarin and of the product 7-hydroxycoumarin favoured any biotechnological perspectives. Cytochrome-P-450 and NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase concentrations and the monooxygenase 7-ethoxycoumarin deethylation activity were measured under a variety of the system parameters. Microsomes totally partition into the bottom phase whereas the concentration ratio of substrate to product is higher in the microsome free top phase. An unfavourable effect is the specific partial deactivation of the cytochrome P-450 by polyethylene glycol.