Properties of Nitrilase and Its Substrates

Robinson and Hook (1964) have synthesized a number of compounds structurally related to the naturally occurring nitrile ricinine (XCV) and have reported some of the properties of ricinine nitrilase, an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of ricinine as shown below  

Infrared spectra were given for ricinine and for several compounds used in the study of the properties of the enzyme. In the spectrum for ricinine the typical C=N stretching band was present at about 2250 cm The cyano group of 3-cyano-2-pyridones was hydrolyzed if position 1 of the 2-pyridone was unsubstituted or substituted with a methyl or ethyl group and position 4 was unsubstituted or substituted with a methoxyl or ethoxyl group. 

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