SENSITIVITY OF MICROBIAL LIPASES TO ACETALDEHYDE FORMED BY ACYL-TRANSFER REACTIONS FROM VINYL ESTERS

The sensitivity of twenty six microbial lipases towards acetaldehyde ( an unavoidable by-product in lipase-catalysed acyl transfer reactions with vinyl esters) was investigated. The sensitivity of an individual enzyme strongly depends on its properties such as microbial source, mo lecular weight and relative lysine content. Whereas the majority of en zymes (from Pseudomonas, Rhizopus, Chromobacterium, Mucor and Candida antarctica sp.) proved to be remarkably stable, lipases from Candida r ugosa and Geotrichum candidum lost most of their activity when exposed to acetaldehyde.