Search

The main objective of this work was to improve the selective synthesis of a volatile compound: aldehyde or alcohol using a coupled-enzyme system. A novel method of synthesis of C6-aldehyde or alcohol was carried out in the presence of hydroperoxide lyase (HPLS) activity coupled to alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity. After cleavage of the initial substrate, hydroperoxy fatty acid catalyzed by HPLS, the second enzyme, ADH, can catalyze the reduction of the aldehyde to the corresponding alcohol, or the oxidation of contaminating alcohol into aldehyde, depending on the cofactor present in the medium (oxidized or reduced form). We succeeded in improving the synthesis of one of the products. When coupling HPLS to NADP, the selectivity of hexanal production from 13-hydroperoxy linoleic acid was improved, and hexanol production was reduced 5 to 10 times after 15 min of reaction at 15 degrees C and pH 7.0. In another experiment, HPLS was coupled to ADH in the presence of NADH. The production of alcohol (hexenols) was then favored especially when using 13-hydroperoxy linolenic acid as substrate at concentrations >15 mM, reaching 95% of the products. Coupling of the enzymatic reactions (cleavage reduction) not only reduced the number of steps but also allowed us to increase the conversion rate of the initial substrate (hydroperoxy fatty acid). Structures of the compounds produced in this work were confirmed using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy analysis. Each of these products has its own delicately different fresh odor that can be used in various applications.

The use of immobilized enzymes has opened the possibility of large scale utilization of NAD(+)-linked dehydrogenases, but the applications of this technique were limited by the necessity of providing the large amounts of NAD(+) required by its stoichiometric consumption in the reaction. After immobilization of alcohol dehydrogenase and intactE. coli by glutaraldehyde in the presence of serum albumin, the respiratory chain was found to be capable of regenerating NAD(+) from NADH. This NAD(+) can be recycled at least 100 times, and thus the method is far more effective than any other, and, moreover, does not require NADH oxydase purification. The total NADH oxidase activity recovered was 10-30% of the initial activity.Although, NADH is unable to cross the cytoplasmic membrane, it was able to reach the active site of NADH dehydrogenase after immobilization. The best yield of NADH oxidase activity with immobilized bacteria was obtained without prior treatment of the bacteria to render them more permeable. The denaturation by heat of NADH oxidase in cells that are permeabilized was similar before and after immobilization. In contrast, the heat denaturation of soluble Β-galactosidase required either a higher temperature or a longer exposure after immobilization. The sensitivity of immobilized NADH oxidase to denaturation by methanol was decreased compared to permeabilized cells. As a result, it is clear that the system can function in the presence of methanol, which is necessary as a solvent for certain water insoluble substrates.