Couplings of Enzymes onto Microorganisms

Abstract

THE coupling of enzymes onto insoluble support materials offers several advantages including increased stabilization of the enzyme, re-use of the enzyme without tedious recovery by precipitation, and close control of the extent of conversion in enzyme reactors. Coupling may also afford an improved heat-stability, greater specificity, or a different pH optimum compared with the enzyme in the free state. On the whole, work on insolubilized enzymes has been confined to single enzymes separated from the organism that produced them and coupled to non-living supports^1–4. The work reported here concerns the coupling of enzymes onto living cells in order to supplement the array of enzymes naturally produced.