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Bioconversion of acrylonitrile to acrylamide using a thermostable nitrile hydratase
1Department of Microbiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
Abstract:
Although providing an attractive route for production of acrylamide from acrylonitrile, utilization of nitrile hydratase enzymes has been limited by the requirement for low temperature bioconversion conditions. This report summarizes a search for thermostable nitrile hydratases from aerobic moderate thermophiles screened for ability to grow on acrylonitrile at concentrations to 1% at elevated temperatures. A new isolate Bacillus sp. BR449 constitutively expresses a thermostable nitrile hydratase with properties including low substrate inhibition and broad temperature range with optimal activity at 55 degrees C. With prolonged exposure, BR449 nitrile hydratase exhibited temperature- dependent inactivation by acrylonitrile, which is attributed to alkylation of nucleophilic sites on the enzyme.
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