PRODUCTION OF DELTA-(L-ALPHA-AMINOADIPYL)-L-CYSTEINYL-D-VALINE BY ENTRAPPED ACV-SYNTHETASE FROM STREPTOMYCES-CLAVULIGERUS

delta-(L-alpha-Aminoadipyl)-L-cysteinyl-D-valine (ACV)-synthetase from Streptomyces clavuligerus was studied under conditions that enabled the reuse of the enzyme. Coupling of ACV-synthetase to DEAE-Trisacryl and aminopropyl-glass resulted in an immobilized enzyme product of little or no catalytic activity. However, an enzyme reactor was designed by physical confinement of partially-purified ACV-synthetase in an ultrafiltration cell. This system was stimulated by phosphoenolpyruvate at lower concentrations of ATP, an effect not observed with purified enzyme. Up to 30% conversion of the limiting substrate, cysteine, to ACV occurred under semi-continuous conditions. Reaction products were investigated as potential inhibitors: AMP was the most inhibitory, but only when used at concentrations in excess of those produced in reaction mixtures. Under a nitrogen atmosphere, both product and enzyme stabilities were greatly improved and the enzyme retained 45-65% of its initial activity after five uses at room temperature during a 24-h period. Extrapolations based on these data suggest that 1.3 g partially purified enzyme (0.13 g(-1)) would be capable of producing 411 mg of ACV in a 1-L reaction mixture in this period.