Reasons for the high stability of fumarase activity ofBrevibacterium flavum cells immobilized with k-carrageenan gel

Abstract

Whole cells ofBrevibacterium flavum having high fumarase activity were immobilized using K-carrageenan. The reason for the high stability of fumarase activity of immobilized cells was investigated. One of main reasons for stabilizing fumarase activity by immobilization using K-carrageenan against organic solvents such as ethanol and acetone was the lower concentration of these solvents in the carrageenan gel compared with that in outer bulk solution. The stabilization of fumarase activity in the immobilized cells against protein-denaturing reagents was found to be related to rheological properties of K-carrageenan gel. Another reason for stabilizing fumarase activity by immobilization with K-carrageenan was to protect the cells from lysis. When immobilized cells were freeze-thawed, their fumarase activity increased and operation stability decreased. Therefore, one reason for the high decay of fumarase activity caused by the freeze-thawing may be a change in the pore size of the K-carrageenan gel. Fumarase activity and the operational stability of immobilized cells was found to depend on gelling conditions. Therefore, the steric structure of the K-carrageenan gel may be related to the decay of fumarase activity.