Preparation of surfactant-subtilisin Carlsberg complexes catalytically active in organic solvents

The characteristics of the surfactant-subtilisin Carlsberg (STC) complex ar e investigated on an enzymatic ester-exchange reaction in an organic solven t. The surfactant-STC complex exhibits a high enzymatic activity in various organic solvents although native STC hardly catalyzes the same reaction. T he results reveal that the pH value and the surfactant concentration at the preparation stage have a prominent effect to ensure high catalytic activit y of the enzyme complex in organic media. The high solubility of the surfac tant-STC complex in organic media makes it possible to obtain direct inform ation about the reaction mechanism by kinetic studies.