Bioconversion with whole cell penicillin acylase in aqueous two-phase systems

The deacylation of Pen G was carried out by using recombinant E. coli in an aqueous two-phase system consisting of polyethylene glycol and potassium p hosphate solution, which partitions the cells to the bottom phase and the p roducts to the top phase. Bioconversion and product separation were carried out in the same reactor. Repeated batch conversion was employed ten times and enzymic activity showed only a slight decline. When pure enzyme was use d for bioconversion in an aqueous two-phase system, the decline was fast an d bioconversion using whole cell penicillin acylase was better than that ob tained using the pure acylase. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All r ights reserved.