HYDROPHOBICITY AND WATER ACTIVITY RELATIONSHIPS OF WATER-MISCIBLE APROTIC-SOLVENTS ON KYOTORPHIN SYNTHESIS CATALYZED BY ALPHA-CHYMOTRYPSIN

alpha-Chymotrypsin was used to synthesize a kyotorphin derivative in w ater-miscible organic media. Increase in solvent mole fraction deactiv ated the enzyme exponentially. Maximum synthetic activity was with a w ater activity in the medium of higher than 0.8 for all assayed solvent s. The increase in solvent hydrophobicity (log Pi) (being Aw higher th an 0.8) enhanced 2-times both the selectivity of the synthetic reactio n, and the fluorescence intensity and emission wavelength of the enzym e, without dependence on the nature of solvent.