Crosslinked Aggregates of Fusion Enzymes in Microaqueous Organic Media

Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenases (BVMOs) are attractive for selectively oxidizing various ketones using oxygen into valuable esters and lactones. However, the application of BVMOs is restrained by cofactor dependency and enzyme instability combined with water-related downsides such as low substrate loading, low oxygen capacity, and water-induced side reactions. Herein, we described a redox-neutral linear cascade with in-situ cofactor regeneration catalyzed by fused alcohol dehydrogenase and cyclohexanone monooxygenase in aqueous and microaqueous organic media. The cascade conditions have been optimized regarding substrate concentrations as well as the amounts of enzymes and cofactors with the Design of Experiments (DoE). The carrier-free immobilization technique, crosslinked enzyme aggregates (CLEAs), was applied to fusion enzymes. The resultant fusion CLEAs were proven to function in microaqueous organic systems, in which the enzyme ratios, water contents (0.5–5 vol. %), and stability have been systematically studied. The fusion CLEAs showed promising operational (up to 5 cycles) and storage stability.