Plant Nitrilases and their Bacterial Homologues

Plant nitrilases and related enzymes in some plant-associated bacteria preferentially utilize arylaliphatic nitriles such as 3-phenylpropionitrile or 3-phenylbutyronitrile. These enz3unes also exhibit remarkable activities for aliphatic nitriles (Table 12.4). 

The nitrilase NITl in A. thaliana, which was overproduced in E. coli, proved to have a wide S5mthetic use, its products being aliphatic and arylaliphatic carboxylic acids or amides depending on the structure of the substrate [81]. A similar nitrilase (ZmNIT2) was characterized in Zea mays (maize) [82]. This enzyme also 

TABLE 12.3 Catalytic Properties of Purified Aliphatic Nitrilases  

Enzyme Source Substrate (U/mg) Product from Fumaronitrile (% Cyano Acid) References 

TABLE 12.4 Catalytic Properties of Plant Nitrilases and their Bacterial Homologues  

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