title: The enzymatic transformation of water-insoluble reactants in nonaqueous solvents. Conversion of cholesterol to cholest-4-ene-3-one by a Nocardia sp. Reprinted from Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Vol. XVII, Pages 815-826 (1975).
abstract: The rapid conversion of cholesterol to cholestenone by Nocardia in the presence of high proportions of water-immiscible solvent has been demonstrated. At high agitator speeds, the reaction rate was not limited by the rates of transfer of oxygen or cholesterol to the microorganisms. Using 100 g of thawed cells in 200 ml of carbon tetrachloride containing 16% (w/v) cholesterol, at 20 degrees C cholestenone was formed at 7 g/hr. Cells could be separated easily from the organic solvent and reused. After 7 runs (69 hr) the reaction rate had fallen only to half the value for the first run.
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Buckland
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dunnill
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Lilly
mesh_terms: D002784:Cholesterol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000266:history* / Q000378:metabolism; D049673:History, 20th Century; D009615:Nocardia / Q000378:metabolism; D012995:Solubility; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D014867:Water; D002784:Cholesterol