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).
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.
Buckland
B C
BC
Dunnill
P
P
Lilly
M D
MD
D002784:Cholesterol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000266:history* / Q000378:metabolism; D049673:History, 20th Century; D009615:Nocardia / Q000378:metabolism; D012995:Solubility; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
D014867:Water; D002784:Cholesterol