Effect of organic solvents on a chloroperoxidase biotransformation

The effect of organic solvents on the chlorination activity of chloroperoxidase (CPO) was identified for use in biotransformations with CPO. CPO was found to chlorinate monochlorodimedon (MCD) in the presence of organic solvents with log P values less than 0. The relative rates of chlorination with chloride ion in the presence of H2O2, buffer and 2.5–20% of either dimethyl sulfoxide, N,N-dimethyl formamide, methanol or acetonitrile, were in the range of 10–58% of that in buffer (pH 2.8) at the same reactant concentrations. The presence of such organic solvents was found to alter CPO catalysis by altering the protein conformation and the local environment at the active site. CPO did not display chlorination activity in the presence of organic solvents which had log P values greater than 0.