Amidase activity of some bacteria

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Enzymology

Background:

• Bacteria exhibit diverse enzymatic activities, including nitrilase and amidase.
• Understanding the relationship between these activities is crucial for microbial biochemistry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare the spectrum of amidase activity in bacteria with high nitrilase activity.
• To determine the substrate specificity of bacterial amidases.

Main Methods:

• Enzyme assays were performed on bacterial isolates from various taxonomic groups (Bacillus, Bacteridium, Micrococcus, Brevibacterium).
• The substrate specificity of the amidase activity was characterized.

Main Results:

• The amidase activity spectrum was consistent across different bacterial genera possessing high nitrilase activity.
• Bacterial amidase activity, while broad, was found to be more restricted than nitrilase activity.
• Internal amides and vinyl-bound amides were not hydrolyzed by the tested amidases.

Conclusions:

• A conserved pattern of amidase activity exists in bacteria with high nitrilase activity, irrespective of taxonomic classification.
• Bacterial amidases exhibit specific substrate limitations, excluding internal and vinyl-bound amides.