Cardosin A as a model aspartic proteinase for the study of organic solvent effects. An overview on catalytic and structural aspects

Water has proven to be one of the several limitations for broadening the scope of applications of enzymes in biocatalysis, especially when the reactants involved are poorly water-soluble. The introduction of an organic solvent into the reaction system has numerous advantages. These include a direct action of the solvents on the reactants (improving their solubility) and on the reaction products (improving or diminishing their solubility), thereby increasing the productivity of the reaction system. Nevertheless, it has been documented that the introduction of an organic solvent into the reaction mixture may induce alterations on enzyme activity, enzyme stability and thermostability, and enzyme specificity thereby imprinting new properties to old enzymes.