Reverse vesicles as a new system for studying enzymes in organic solvents.

A new approach to the study of enzyme activity in organic solvents has been developed by using optically transparent reverse vesicles. Polyphenol oxidase was incorporated in an active form into the above ternary system formed by the non-ionic surfactant tetra(ethylene glycol) dodecyl ether/n-dodecane/water. The enzyme in this microenvironment, surprisingly, showed an apparent positive co-operativity which has never before been described either in aqueous solution or in reverse micelles. In addition, the Vmax. expressed was similar to that in water and twice that displayed in reverse micelles.