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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 3, 2026

High-throughput Fluorometric Measurement of Potential Soil Extracellular Enzyme Activities

High-throughput Fluorometric Measurement of Potential Soil Extracellular Enzyme Activities

Published on: November 15, 2013

Pressure affects enzyme function in organic media.

J Kim¹, J S Dordick

¹Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, and Center for Biocatalysis and Bioprocessing, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA.

Biotechnology and Bioengineering

|September 5, 1993

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

High pressure decreases enzyme activity in organic solvents by removing essential water. This effect is more pronounced in hydrated enzymes, suggesting water-protein interactions are key to enzymatic catalysis in non-aqueous environments.

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High-throughput Fluorometric Measurement of Potential Soil Extracellular Enzyme Activities

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Determination of Microbial Extracellular Enzyme Activity in Waters, Soils, and Sediments using High Throughput Microplate Assays

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Unraveling Entropic Rate Acceleration Induced by Solvent Dynamics in Membrane Enzymes

Unraveling Entropic Rate Acceleration Induced by Solvent Dynamics in Membrane Enzymes

Published on: January 16, 2016

Area of Science:

Biochemistry
Physical Chemistry
Enzyme Kinetics

Background:

Enzyme function is sensitive to environmental conditions, including solvent polarity and pressure.
Understanding enzyme behavior in non-aqueous media is crucial for biocatalysis applications.
The role of enzyme-bound water in non-aqueous environments remains an area of active investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the effect of hydrostatic pressure on enzyme activity in polar organic solvents.
To determine activation volumes for enzymatic reactions in non-aqueous media.
To elucidate the influence of enzyme hydration on pressure-dependent activity in organic solvents.

Main Methods:

Enzyme activity assays were performed on subtilisin Carlsberg in various polar organic solvents.
Activation volumes were calculated from pressure-dependent kinetic data.
The hydration state of the enzyme was controlled and assessed.

Main Results:

Pressure significantly decreases enzymatic activity in polar organic solvents.
Activation volumes in organic solvents were larger in magnitude compared to aqueous solutions, especially for hydrated enzymes.
Evidence suggests pressure enhances the removal of enzyme-bound water, leading to reduced activity.

Conclusions:

Enzymatic activity in polar organic solvents is strongly influenced by the interaction between enzyme-bound water and the surrounding solvent.
Pressure-induced dehydration of enzymes plays a critical role in modulating their catalytic activity in non-aqueous media.
Combined effects of pressure and enzyme hydration offer a potential control mechanism for enzymatic catalysis in organic solvents.