Study on Conjugated Redox Membranes Containing an Intercellular Component of Wool as an Electron Carrier

To realize artificially such a conjugated redox reaction as that which is drived across the biological cell membrane, two enzymic redox reactions were conjugated across a hydrogel membrane prepared with urethane prepolymer holding stabilized isocyanate groups. As redox couples, glucose 6-phosphate (G6P)/glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD)/gluconolactone 6-phosphate (GL6P) and glutathione oxidized form (GSSG)/glutathione reductase (GRD)/glutathione reduced form (GSH) were chosen together with their common coenzyme, NADP+/NADPH. The driving of a system consisting of two redox couples separated with the hydrogel membrane containing the coenzyme NADP+ was intiated by the reduction of NADP+ on the membrane surface in contact with the G6PD/G6P solution. The conjugated redox reaction proceeded by electron exchange between coenzymes in the membrane and the reproducing of NADP+, which was accompanied with the GRD/GSSG solution. The rate of electron transfer across the urethane membrane was markedly accelerate...