Synthetic polymers as solubilizing vehicles for enzymes in water-poor media

A recent method for exposing enzymes to organic solvents is reviewed. By complex formation between the enzyme and polymers that per se are soluble in organic solvents it is possible to disperse the enzyme in the organic medium in such a way that an optically transparent (in the visible region) solution is obtained. After reaction, the separation of the enzyme from the organic medium can be obtained simply by addition of water. The enzyme can be recovered from the water phase. Physicochemical studies have revealed that the enzyme is more stable in the complex-bound form.