Industrial Biotransformations

Carboxypeptidase B
Pig Pancreas
3) Flow scheme
Not published.
4) Process parameters
conversion: >99.9 %
yield: > 90 %
selectivity: > 90 %
reactor type: batch
reactor volume: 7,500 L
capacity: > 0.5 t · a –1
residence time: 4–6 h
space-time-yield: 1.7 g · L –1 ·d –1
down stream processing: chromatography
enzyme activity: 20 U · g –1 enzyme supplier:
enzyme
Calbiochem, USA
start-up date: 1998
production site: Sanofi Aventis, Germany
company: Sanofi Aventis, France
5) Product application
● In 1921 insulin could be isolated from dog pancreas.
● The sequence was identified by Sanger in 1955.
● Insulin regulates the blood sugar level. It is used for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Up to
5 % of the population of the western world suffers from diabetes.
● A glucose level below 0.25 mM leads to problems in energy supply to the brain. Consequences
can include coma, irreversible brain damage and death.
● Since insulin is decomposed by proteases it cannot be administered orally. A new application
method is inhalation of modified insulin with faster effects due to exchange of single hydrophobic
amino acid with several hydrophilic amino acids. The continuous application after
measurement of the blood sugar level is the most comfortable and efficient way.
6) Literature
EC 3.4.17.2
● Frank, B.H., Chance, R.E. (1983) Two routes for producing human insulin utilizing recombinant
DNA technology, Münch. Med. Wschr. 125, 14–20
● Jørgensen, L.N., Rasmussen, E., Thomsen, B. (1989) HM(ge), Novo’s biosynthetic insulin;
Med. View. III, No. 4, 1–7
● Ladisch, M.R., Kohlmann, K.L. (1992) Recombinant human insulin, Biotechnol. Prog. 8, 469–
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