REVERSE ACTION OF HYDROLASES IN FROZEN AQUEOUS-SOLUTIONS

The reverse action of hydrolases provides an attractive alternative to the chemical synthesis of peptides, oligosaccharides and oligonucleot ides. Freezing the reaction mixture has proved to suppress competitive reactions in enzyme-catalysed peptide synthesis. After a short discus sion of the influence of freezing on enzyme-catalysed reactions the cu rrent manuscript gives an overview of protease-catalysed peptide synth esis and the possible reasons of the yield-enhancing effect of freezin g. The application of glycosidases and ribonucleases for synthetic pur poses in frozen reaction mixtures is summarized.