A new enzymatic method of acrylamide production.

Abstract

Toproduce acrylamide from acrylonitrile by use of a new enzyme, nitrile hydratase, a number of nitrile-utilizing microorganisms were screened for the enzyme activity by an intact cell system. An isobutyronitrile-utilizing bacterium, strain B23, showed the best productivity among 1 86 strains tested. The strain was identified taxonomically as Pseudomonaschlororaphis. The culture and reaction conditions for the production were studied for the strain. Underthe optimumconditions, 400 grams/liter of acrylamide was produced in 7.5hr. The yield was nearly 100% with a trace amountof acrylic acid. The cell-free extract of the strain showed strong activity of nitrile hydratase toward acrylonitrile and extremely low activity of amidase toward acrylamide.

Screening, cultivation, and biocatalytic performance of Rhodococcus boritolerans FW815 with strong 2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarbonitrile hydratase activity

“…Nitrilases catalyze the direct hydrolysis of nitriles into the corresponding carboxylic acids, while nitrile hydratases (NHases) catalyze nitrile hydrations to amides that are subsequently hydrolyzed into carboxylic acids by the action of amidases. Commonly, aliphatic nitriles are metabolized by a combination of NHase and amidase, while nitrilases act preferentially on aromatic nitriles [2,4,8,9,16]. It is well known that NHases are a group of bacterial metalloenzymes containing either a low spin non-heme Fe(III) or a low-spin non-corrin Co(III) ion in the catalytic center, designated as Fe-type NHase family and Co-type NHase family, respectively.…”

Cloning and biochemical properties of a highly thermostable and enantioselective nitrilase from Alcaligenes sp. ECU0401 and its potential for (R)-(−)-mandelic acid production

“…Nitrile compounds are convenient and synthetically important chemical building blocks for the synthesis of a variety of high-value carboxylic acids and amides [1][2][3][4], which are important intermediates in the production of pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals. Chemical hydrolysis of nitriles typically requires strongly acidic or basic conditions and higher reaction temperatures, and usually produces unwanted byproducts.…”

Screening, Isolation and Taxonomical Properties of Microorganisms Having Acrylonitrile-hydrating Activity

“…4 ,5) In connection with the latter, the production of amides from nitriles has been studied by several workers, 6 -14) and most of them focused on the accumulation of acetamide from acetonitrile. 6 -10) Recently, Asano et al 13 ) reported the enzymatic production of acrylamide from acrylonitrile by nitrile hydratase of Pseudomonas chlororaphis B23. This suggested the feasibility of the industrial production of acrylamide using microorganisms and prompted us to continl!e our research on the microbial production of acrylamide.…”