ENZYMATIC MEMBRANE METHOD FOR THE SYNTHESIS AND SEPARATION OF PEPTIDES

摘要

The present invention provides a method for the enzymatic synthesis of peptides accomplished by shifting the chemical equilibrium that exists in a reaction mixture between charged or ionized reacting amino acids and uncharged or non-ionized peptide product in the presence of a proteolytic enzyme such as thermolysin. The equilibrium is shifted by diffusion of the uncharged peptide product across an ion-rejection membrane which removes the uncharged peptide from the reaction mixture and preferably the diffused uncharged peptide is quickly converted to a charged species that cannot back-diffuse into the reaction mixture so that the uncharged peptide is effectively "pulled" across the membrane.