Multienzymes and Cofactors Immobilized within Lipid-Polyamide Membrane Microcapsules for Sequential Substrate Conversion

Abstract

Microencapsulation is one of the methods of enzyme immobilization in which an unlimited number of enzymes can be immobilized within each microcapsule (1, 2). For multistep reactions with multienzyme systems it would be advantageous to immobilize cofactors within the microcapsules. Lipid-polyamide membrane microcapsules have been prepared, which can restrict the passage of hydrophilic molecules like KCl and NaCl (2, 3). Recently by using an extension and modification of this approach, it was possible to retain free cofactors within the microcapsules (4). Some substrates, e.g., α-ketoglutarate, could also be retained within such microcapsules. This way lipophilic substrate can diffuse into the microcapsules, in whidh sequential conversion and cofactor recycling can take place (4).