Industrial design of enzymic processes catalysed by very active immobilized derivatives: utilization of diffusional limitations (gradients of pH) as a profitable tool in enzyme engineering.

We have developed integrated studies of enzyme reaction engineering for the hydrolysis of penicillin G catalysed by very active penicillin G acylase (PGA) derivatives. We have studied the distinct effect of a key variable (pH) on different industrial parameters (e.g. activity/stability parameters). In this way we have demonstrated, in contrast with that proposed by other authors, that the generation of gradients of pH inside the porous structure of very active enzyme derivatives may be not a problem but a 'very profitable tool' to improve the whole set of industrial parameters. In this way we can establish two distinct 'optimal pH values': (i) the one inside the particle of the biocatalyst and (ii) the one in the bulk solution. The use of an external pH of 8.0 associated with the promotion of a controlled decrease in internal pH (e.g. around a mean value of 5.5) was very useful to simultaneously obtain interesting values of all industrial parameters: (i) very high hydrolytic yields (higher than 97%); (ii) a very important increase on the stability of PGA derivatives (higher than a 50-fold factor); and (iii) a very small decrease in operational activity (approximately 15%) as compared with the one of soluble enzyme at pH 8.0 with no diffusional hindrances.