Immobilization of biocatalysts with bombyx mori silk fibroin by several kinds of physical treatment and its application to glucose sensors

Abstract

Biocatalyst-immobilized Bombyx mori silk fibroin membrane was prepared. The insolubilization of the water-soluble membranes was performed by physical treatments only, i.e. stretching, compressing and standing under high humidity and methanol-immersion treatment, without any use ofcovalently binding reagent. All physical treatments performed were effective for the purpose of the immobilization of the enzymes in the membranes. The structural characterization of the glucose oxidase (GOD) immobilized membrane was performed in detail. The permeability of the substrate depends on the crystalline structure, i.e. the fraction of Silk I and Silk II of the membrane. The activity yield of the immobilized GOD was more than 80% of the value of free enzyme when 0–002% of the enzyme was entrapped in the membrane, but it decreased with increasing the concentration of the GOD in the membrane. This seems to result from diffusion limitation of the substrate. The pH and thermal stabilities of the immobilized enzyme were much improved, and were essentially independent of the methods of the immobilization. Development of the GOD or microorganism, Pseudomonas fluorescens immobilized silk fibroin membranes as glucose sensors are described.