Abstract
Recent studies on enzyme reactions in organic solvents are reviwed. The reactions are classified into three categories : heterogeneous, biphasic, and homogeneous systems. The following subjects are described and discussed about the heterogeneous system : 1) the maximal expression of enzyme activity in organic solvents in terms of water content, hydration of enzyme, and equilibrium of water between enzyme and substrate solution, 2) solvent effect on the catalytic power of enzyme, 3) thermostability and thermoreactivity, and 4) applications of the enzyme reactions to synthetic chemistry.
