Enzymatic catalysis in organic solvents: Polyethylene glycol modified hydrogenase retains sulfhydrogenase activity in toluene.

Naturally occurring enzymes may be modified by covalently attaching hydrophobic groups that render the enzyme soluble and active in organic solvents, and have the potential to greatly expand applications of enzymatic catalysis. The reduction of elemental sulfur to hydrogen sulfide by a hydrogenase isolated from Pyrococcus furiosus has been investigated as a model system for organic biocatalysis. While the native hydrogenase catalyzed the reduction of sulfur to H(2)S in aqueous solution, no activity was observed when the aqueous solvent was replaced with anhydrous toluene. Hydrogenase modified with PEG p-nitrophenyl carbonate demonstrated its native biocatalytic ability in toluene when the reducing dye, benzyl viologen, was also present. Neither benzyl viologen nor PEG p-nitrophenyl carbonate alone demonstrated reducing capability. PEG modified cellulase and benzyl viologen were also incapable of reducing sulfur to H(2)S, indicating that the enzyme itself, and not the modification procedure, is responsible for the conversion in the nonpolar organic solvent. Sulfide production in toluene was tenfold higher than that produced in an aqueous system with equal enzyme activity, demonstrating the advantages of organic biocatalysis. Applications of bio-processing in nonaqueous media are expected to provide significant advances in the areas of fossil fuels, renewable feedstocks, organic synthesis, and environmental control technology. (c) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.