7.4 Cofactor Recycling for Enzyme Catalyzed Processes

Abstract

Cofactor-dependent enzymes exhibit extremely useful synthetic utility. However, the high cost and low availability of enzyme cofactors preclude their use in stoichiometric amounts. As a result, various cofactor regeneration strategies have been developed that serve to regenerate the required cofactor, while simultaneously driving the reaction equilibrium toward the desired products. Cofactor regeneration systems have been demonstrated using chemical, electrochemical, and photochemical methods. However, enzymatic methods continue to dominate regeneration processes due to stringent requirements for selectivity and compatibility with the reaction of interest. The most notable recent developments in cofactor regeneration have been the use of multienzyme regeneration systems and enzyme immobilization. These recent developments have enabled the increasingly widespread use of cofactor-dependent enzymes at industrial scale.