Nitrilases bacterial

Layh N, A Stolz, S Eorster, E Effenberger, H-J Knackmuss (1992) Enantioselective hydrolysis of O-acetyl-mandelonitrile to O-acetylmandelic acid by bacterial nitrilases. Arch Microbiol 158 405-411. 

Fig. 7. Alignment of amino acid sequences in bacterial nitrilases Jl, rhodochrous Jl K22, R. rhodochrous K22 JM3, A.faecalis JM3 Bxn, K. ozaenae. An asterisk indicates the active cysteine residue...

Nitrilases are quite rare in bacterial genomes and less than 20 were reported prior to the application of metagenomics for their detection in environmental DNA [81]. Two studies targeting environmental genomes report the detection of more than 337 novel nitrilases. This has dramatically increased the amount of information about nitrilases, and the newly discovered diversity can be applied for the enantioselective production of hydroxy carboxylic add derivatives [81]. 

Stalker DM, KE McBride (1987) Cloning and expresssion in Escherichia coli of a Klebsiella ozaenae plasmid-borne gene encoding a nitrilase specific for the herbicide Bromoxynil. J Bacterial 169 ... 

Three cyanide-degrading nitrilases were recently cloned and purified and their kinetic profiles were evaluated in order to better understand their applicability to cyanide bioremediation. CynD from Bacilluspumilus Cl and DyngD from Pseudomonas stutzeri exhibit fairly broad pH profiles with >50% activity retained across pH 5.2 to pH 8.0 while the CHT (NHase) from Gloeocercospora sorghi exhibited a more alkaline pH activity profile with almost all of its activity retained at pH 8.5, slightly lower thermal tolerance, and quite different metal tolerance compared with the two bacterial enzymes [46]. 

Bacterial enzymes have been reported to catalyze the hydrolysis of nitriles [118][121], A nitrilase (EC 3.5.5.1) acts to hydrolyze aromatic nitriles directly to the carboxylic acid. A nitrile hydratase (a lyase, EC 4.2. E84) acts on short-chain aliphatic nitriles to form the amide. As discussed below, the hydrolysis of nitriles to amides is also documented in mammals, but little appears known about the enzymes involved. 

Notably, nitrile-degrading enzymes (e.g. nitrilase that converts the CN group to carboxylic acid, and nitrile hydratase that produces an amide function) have been described, and they co-exist with aldoxime-degrading enzymes in bacteria (Reference 111 and references cited therein). Smdies in this area led to the proposal that the aldoxime-nitrile pathway, which is implemented in synthesis of drugs and fine chemicals, occurs as a natural enzymic pathway. It is of interest that the enzyme responsible for bacterial conversion of Af-hydroxy-L-phenylalanine to phenacetylaldoxime, an oxidative decarboxylation reaction, lacks heme or flavin groups which are found in plant or human enzymes that catalyze the same reaction. Its dependency on pyridoxal phosphate raised the possibility that similar systems may also be present in plants . 

Transgenic plants containing a nitrilase specific for the herbicide bromoxynil (= 3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxybenzonitrile)have also been developed [93] the Cal-gene company transformed tobacco plants with the bacterial Klebsiella ozaenae gene encoding nitrilase [94] that detoxifies the herbicide by hydrolysis (conversion of bromoxynil to 3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxybenzoic acid), resulting in the establishment of the herbicide-resistant transgenic plants. 

Kaul, R, Banerjee, A., Mayibaj, S., et al. 2004. Screening for enantioselective nitrilases Kinetic resolution of racemic mandelonitrile to (R)-(-)-mandelic acid by new bacterial isolates. Tetrahedron Asymmtry, 15 207-11. 

Recently, the potential of bacterial enzymes for the synthesis of aromatic, optically active amides, and carboxylic acids firom racemic nitriles was evaluated. An enantiomer-selective amidase, active on several 2-aryl and 2-aryloxy propionamides, was identifided and purified from Brevibacterium sp. strain R312 [145]. A nitrilase, found in Acinetobacter sp. strain AK226 and able to hydrolyze efihciently both aromatic and aliphatic nitriles, was reported to hydrolyze racemic nitriles to optically active 2-aryl propionic acids [146]. Enzyme system of Rhodococcus butanica could be successfully adapted for the kinetic resolution of a-arylpropionitriles resulting in the formation of (R)-... 

Kfen, V., and Martmkova, L. (2006) Immobilization of fungal nitrilase and bacterial amidase - two enzymes working in accord. Biocatal. Biotransform., 24, 414-418. 

TABLE 12.4 Catalytic Properties of Plant Nitrilases and their Bacterial Homologues ... 

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