一类生物催化剂——氰基耐受型腈水合酶

氰基耐受型腈水合酶是一类生物催化剂。与普通腈水合酶相比,它能够耐受体系中较高浓度的氰基而不受抑制,从而为α-羟(氨)基酰胺的工业化合成开辟了崭新途径。研究腈水合酶的氰基耐受性机理及提高其耐受能力是目前需要解决的关键问题。综述了腈水合酶受氰基抑制的机制,氰基耐受型腈水合酶的发现以及其在蛋氨酸和2-羟基异丁酰胺生物合成中的应用。同时,对今后氰基耐受型腈水合酶基础、应用研究的思路进行了探讨。     

腈水合酶基因克隆与调控表达的研究进展

微生物腈水合酶作为新型生物催化剂得到日益广泛的应用 ,但野生菌株本身存在的酶稳定性差等问题制约了这一绿色工艺的发展 ,基因工程菌为解决这个难题开辟了新的思路。总结了各种菌株中腈水合酶的序列研究进展 ,虽然基因序列和蛋白序列同源性不高 ,但它们都以基因簇的形式存在 ,并具有相同的活性中心序列。归纳了克隆并表达腈水合酶基因的基本步骤和方式 ,并提出几种有效增强重组腈水合酶活性表达的方法。     

重组固氮菌腈水合酶催化3-（4-氯苯基）戊二腈的选择性水解

通过基因数据挖掘方法（genome mining）获得了来源于固氮菌Herbaspirillum seropedicae SmR1中的腈水合酶基因hsn1。构建了hsn1／pETDuet-1／BL21的大肠杆菌共表达重组菌,经IPTG诱导获得了具有良好催化能力的Co^2＋依赖型腈水合酶HSN1。利用全细胞反应研究了HSN1的底物谱,发现HSN1对底物3-（4-氯苯基）戊二腈有良好的区域选择性及一定的对映选择性,它可以选择性地水解1个腈基得到3-（4-氯苯基）-4-氰基丁酰胺,该化合物可通过一步化学反应合成巴氯芬。     

恶臭假单胞菌腈水合酶βAla97影响催化己二腈的区域选择性

对恶臭假单胞菌(Pseudomonas putida)腈水合酶(Pp NHase)催化己二腈进行研究,发现Pp NHase只能催化己二腈中1个氰基生成单酰胺产物5-氰基戊酰胺,具有区域选择性;睾丸酮丛毛单胞菌(Comamonas testosteroni)腈水合酶(Ct NHase)能催化己二腈直接生成己二酰二胺,不具有催化区域选择性。为了阐明这一区域选择性差异的机制,对Ct NHase和Pp NHaseβ亚基的氨基酸序列进行比对,结果显示同源性为94.1%,Ct NHase存在βAla97缺失。基于此分析,构建了Pp NHaseβ97位Ala的缺失突变体(ΔAla97)。利用高效液相色谱检测ΔAla97催化己二腈的产物,发现ΔAla97能将底物完全催化为己二酰二胺,表明βAla97是影响催化己二腈由5-氰基戊酰胺向己二酰二胺转化的关键氨基酸。     

腈转化酶在精细化学品生产中的应用

腈化合物是一类重要的用于合成多种精细化学品的化合物,它们容易制备,并且可以合成多种化合物。传统化学水解方法将腈化合物转化为相应的羧酸或酰胺通常需要高温、强酸、强碱等相对苛刻的条件,腈转化酶(腈水解酶、腈水合酶和酰胺酶)由于其生物催化过程具有高效、高选择性、条件温和等特点,在精细化学品的合成中越来越受到人们的关注。许多腈转化酶已经被开发出来并用于精细化学品的生产。以下介绍了腈转化酶在医药及中间体、农药及中间体、食品与饲料添加剂等精细化学品生产中的应用。随着研究的不断深入,将会有更多的腈转化酶被开发出来并用于精细化学品的生产。     

棒状杆菌腈水合酶的形成条件

本文研究了棒状杆菌(cORYNEBACTERIUM)ZBB-2l腈水合酶形成的最适条件。在培养基中加入Fe2+、维生素B1和L-谷氨酸等,并以n-丁腈做诱导物,可明显促进该菌腈水合酶的生物合成。ZBB-21菌在选定的培养基中,于28℃培养64小时,其腈水合酶比活力可达83．1u／mg,而酰胺酶的比活力只有1．1u／mg。腈水合酶比活力比以前报道的提高9倍。     

用于腈纶表面改性的Corynebacterium nitrilophilus 腈水合酶的摇瓶发酵优化

通过毛细管效应、扫描电镜、染色实验等方法,考察了Corynebacterium nitrilophilus腈水合酶(nitrilre hydratase,NHase)在腈纶表面改性中的应用。结果表明,C. nitrilophilus腈水合酶处理后的腈纶纤维的润湿性及染料可染性分别比对照提高了43.5%和85.7%,说明该腈水合酶具有较好的腈纶纤维表面改性性能。为了提高用于腈纶表面改性的C. nitrilophilus腈水合酶的产量,采用单因素实验及正交实验在摇瓶上对碳源、氮源、诱导剂、金属离子等进行考察,获得较优的摇瓶发酵生产腈水合酶的条件:碳源采用葡萄糖,15 g/L;氮源采用酵母粉与氯化铵复配,浓度分别为3 g/L、1 g/L;诱导剂尿素的最适剂量为10 g/L;由于该腈水合酶是钴型酶,所以需在发酵过程中添加氯化钴,浓度为0.07 g/L。经过摇瓶优化,酶活由最初的16.2 U/ml提高到45.7 U/ml,提高了2.8倍。     

红球菌低分子量型腈水合酶的异源激活及激活子的结构域功能

腈水合酶激活子具有亚基自身交换伴随子或者金属离子伴随子的功能,能够辅助腈水合酶摄取金属离子,对于腈水合酶的活性表达必不可少。与腈水合酶自身相比,激活子的序列保守性低,研究其激活作用的特点,探索其结构与功能之间的关系,对于理解腈水合酶的成熟机制具有重要意义。将红球菌Rhodococcus rhodochrous J1低分子量型腈水合酶L-NHase分别与4种异源激活子组合共表达,测定异源激活子对L-NHase的激活作用,进一步对激活子进行序列分析和结构模拟,并研究关键结构域的功能。结果表明,4种异源激活子均能激活L-NHase,但激活后L-NHase的比酶活存在差异,激活子A对L-NHase的激活程度最高,激活后的L-NHase比酶活为出发酶的97.79%;激活子G对L-NHase的激活程度最低,激活后的L-NHase比酶活为出发酶的23.94%。激活子E和激活子G具有保守结构域TIGR03889,缺失其中部分序列会使两者的激活作用基本丧失。将激活子G的N端序列替换为激活子E的N端序列,并将激活子E的C端序列添加至激活子G的C端,能够使L-NHase的比酶活提高178.40%。激活子的激活作用具有普遍性和特异性,其保守结构域对激活作用至关重要,同时N端结构域和C端结构域也对激活作用产生重要影响。     

DA-F127水凝胶包埋固定化含腈水合酶细胞

腈水合酶是一类可催化腈类化合物转化生成相应酰胺类物质的酶。含腈水合酶的游离细胞催化水合反应存在酶容易失活、细胞无法重复利用、分离纯化困难等缺陷,细胞固定化技术可有效解决这些问题。为探索合适的固定化方法,以含腈水合酶的重组E. coli细胞为研究对象,以固定化酶活回收率和批次反应情况为评价指标,筛选比较了几种常用的包埋固定化方法。结果表明,DA-F127水凝胶包埋固定化细胞不仅具有较高的酶活回收率,而且稳定性也很好。对该方法进行了固定化条件和操作稳定性优化,当DA-F127浓度为15%、UV光源距离为20cm、光照时间为6min、菌体含量为20mg/g固定化细胞时,酶活回收率为89. 74%,并且可以催化9批次150g/L的3-氰基吡啶完成转化,第九批次转化率可达98. 26%。与游离细胞催化过程相比,单位质量游离细胞的烟酰胺产量提高了12倍,具有良好的工业应用前景。     

DA-F127水凝胶包埋固定化含腈水合酶细胞

腈水合酶是一类可催化腈类化合物转化生成相应酰胺类物质的酶。含腈水合酶的游离细胞催化水合反应存在酶容易失活、细胞无法重复利用、分离纯化困难等缺陷,细胞固定化技术可有效解决这些问题。为探索合适的固定化方法,以含腈水合酶的重组E.coli细胞为研究对象,以固定化酶活回收率和批次反应情况为评价指标,筛选比较了几种常用的包埋固定化方法。结果表明,DA-F127水凝胶包埋固定化细胞不仅具有较高的酶活回收率,而且稳定性也很好。对该方法进行了固定化条件和操作稳定性优化,当DA-F127浓度为15%、UV光源距离为20cm、光照时间为6min、菌体含量为20mg/g 固定化细胞时,酶活回收率为89.74%,并且可以催化9批次150g/L的3-氰基吡啶完成转化,第九批次转化率可达98.26%。与游离细胞催化过程相比,单位质量游离细胞的烟酰胺产量提高了12倍,具有良好的工业应用前景。     

A Nitrile Hydratase in the Eukaryote Monosiga brevicollis

Bacterial nitrile hydratase (NHases) are important industrial catalysts and waste water remediation tools. In a global computational screening of conventional and metagenomic sequence data for NHases, we detected the two usually separated NHase subunits fused in one protein of the choanoflagellate Monosiga brevicollis, a recently sequenced unicellular model organism from the closest sister group of Metazoa. This is the first time that an NHase is found in eukaryotes and the first time it is observed as a fusion protein. The presence of an intron, subunit fusion and expressed sequence tags covering parts of the gene exclude contamination and suggest a functional gene. Phylogenetic analyses and genomic context imply a probable ancient horizontal gene transfer (HGT) from proteobacteria. The newly discovered NHase might open biotechnological routes due to its unconventional structure, its new type of host and its apparent integration into eukaryotic protein networks.     

Nitrile Hydratase and Its Application to Industrial Production of Acrylamide

Nitrile hydratase (NHase) was discovered in our laboratory. This enzyme was purified and characterized from various microorganisms. NHases are roughly classified into two groups according to the metal involved: Fe-type and Co-type. NHases are expected to have great potential as catalysts in organic chemical processing because they can convert nitriles to the corresponding higher-value amides under mild conditions. We have used microbial enzymes for the production of useful compounds; NHase has been used for the industrial production (production capacity: 30,000 tons/year) of acrylamide from acrylonitrile. This is the first successful example of a biotransformation process for the manufacture of a commodity chemical. This review summarizes the history of NHase studied not only from a basic standpoint but also from an applied point of view.     

Diversity of Nitrile Hydratase and Amidase Enzyme Genes in Rhodococcus erythropolis Recovered from Geographically Distinct Habitats

A molecular screening approach was developed in order to amplify the genomic region that codes for the α- and β-subunits of the nitrile hydratase (NHase) enzyme in rhodococci. Specific PCR primers were designed for the NHase genes from a collection of nitrile-degrading actinomycetes, but amplification was successful only with strains identified as Rhodococcus erythropolis. A hydratase PCR product was also obtained from R. erythropolis DSM 43066^T, which did not grow on nitriles. Southern hybridization of other members of the nitrile-degrading bacterial collection resulted in no positive signals other than those for the R. erythropolis strains used as positive controls. PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism-single-strand conformational polymorphism (PRS) analysis of the hydratases in the R. erythropolis strains revealed unique patterns that mostly correlated with distinct geographical sites of origin. Representative NHases were sequenced, and they exhibited more than 92.4% similarity to previously described NHases. The phylogenetic analysis and deduced amino acid sequences suggested that the novel R. erythropolis enzymes belonged to the iron-type NHase family. Some different residues in the translated sequences were located near the residues involved in the stabilization of the NHase active site, suggesting that the substitutions could be responsible for the different enzyme activities and substrate specificities observed previously in this group of actinomycetes. A similar molecular screening analysis of the amidase gene was performed, and a correlation between the PRS patterns and the geographical origins identical to the correlation found for the NHase gene was obtained, suggesting that there was coevolution of the two enzymes in R. erythropolis. Our findings indicate that the NHase and amidase genes present in geographically distinct R. erythropolis strains are not globally mixed.     

New inhibitors of iron-containing nitrile hydratases

There is growing evidence in the literature emphasizing the significance of the post-translational modification of cysteine thiols to sulfenic acids (SOH), which have been found in a number of proteins. Crystallographic and mass spectrometric evidence has shown the presence of this group in an inactive form of the industrially important enzyme nitrile hydratase (NHase). This oxidized cysteine is unique in that it forms part of the coordination sphere of the low-spin iron III at the active site of the enzyme. The presence of this unstable sulfenic group in the active form of NHase is the subject of some controversy. To try to detect this function in NHase, we have studied the inhibitory effect on nitrile hydration of reagents known to react with sulfenic acids. Two NHases were studied, namely, Rhodococcus rhodochrous R312 NHase and Comamonas testosteroni NI1 NHase, and the reagents used were meta-chlorocarbonyldicyano-phenylhydrazone (m-ClCP), 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBD-Cl), and 2-nitro-5-thiocyanato-benzoic acid (NTBA). Following this approach we report three novel inhibitors of NHases. In addition, we report thiocyanate reagents that can be used to monitor NHase activity spectroscopically.     

Nitrile hydratases (NHases): At the interface of academia and industry

Nitrile hydratase (NHase, EC 4.2.1.84) is one of the key enzymes of nitrile metabolism in a large number of microbes that catalyses the hydration of nitriles to corresponding amides, and has been successfully adopted in chemical industry for production of acrylamide, nicotinamide and 5-cyanovaleramide. However, NHase is still under active consideration of enzymologists to expand its potential for synthesis of various amides. Most of the NHases have been reported for their limited substrates acceptability, low enantioselectivity and thermostability and therefore a considerable improvement is required for developing as robust biocatalyst for synthesis of a range of organic amides. Studies on biochemical properties, gene configuration, active-site chemical models and site-directed mutagenesis have given the insight into the structural and functional characteristics of NHase. Keeping in view, the present review critically describes the available information on natural sources (based on activity and phylogenetic analysis), biochemical properties, catalysis–structure relationship, molecular expression and potential applications of this enzyme.     

Rhodococcus pyridinovorans MW3, a bacterium producing a nitrile hydratase

Rhodococcus pyridinovorans MW3 was isolated from an arable land of manioc from the Congo for its ability to transform acrylonitrile to acrylamide. This strain contains a cobalt nitrile hydratase (NHase) showing high sequence homology with NHases so far described. The specific NHase activity was 97 U mg(-1) dry wt. NHase production by R. pyridinovorans MW3 was urea and Co-dependent. The NHase was active for acrylamide up to 60% (w/v) indicating its potential for acrylamide production.     

Metallochaperone function of the self-subunit swapping chaperone involved in the maturation of subunit-fused cobalt-type nitrile hydratase

The transition metal (iron or cobalt) is a mandatory part that constitutes the catalytic center of nitrile hydratase (NHase). The incorporation of the cobalt ion into cobalt-containing NHase (Co-NHase) was reported to depend on self-subunit swapping and the activator of the Co-NHase acts as a self-subunit swapping chaperone for subunit exchange. Here we discovered that the activator acting as a metallochaperone transferred the cobalt ion into subunit-fused Co-NHase. We successfully isolated two activators, P14K and NhlE, which were the activators of NHases from Pseudomonas putida NRRL-18668 and the activator of low-molecular-mass NHase from Rhodococcus rhodochrous J1, respectively. Cobalt content determination demonstrated that NhlE and P14K were two cobalt-containing proteins. Substitution of the amino acids involved in the C-terminus of the activators affected the activity of the two NHases, indicating that the potential cobalt-binding sites might be located at the flexible C-terminal region. The cobalt-free NHases could be activated by either of the two activators, and both the two activators activated their cognate NHase more efficiently than did the noncognate ones. This study provided insights into the maturation of subunit-fused NHases and confirmed the metallochaperone function of the self-subunit swapping chaperone.     

Diversity of nitrile hydratase and amidase enzyme genes in Rhodococcus erythropolis recovered from geographically distinct habitats

A molecular screening approach was developed in order to amplify the genomic region that codes for the alpha- and beta-subunits of the nitrile hydratase (NHase) enzyme in rhodococci. Specific PCR primers were designed for the NHase genes from a collection of nitrile-degrading actinomycetes, but amplification was successful only with strains identified as Rhodococcus erythropolis. A hydratase PCR product was also obtained from R. erythropolis DSM 43066(T), which did not grow on nitriles. Southern hybridization of other members of the nitrile-degrading bacterial collection resulted in no positive signals other than those for the R. erythropolis strains used as positive controls. PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism-single-strand conformational polymorphism (PRS) analysis of the hydratases in the R. erythropolis strains revealed unique patterns that mostly correlated with distinct geographical sites of origin. Representative NHases were sequenced, and they exhibited more than 92.4% similarity to previously described NHases. The phylogenetic analysis and deduced amino acid sequences suggested that the novel R. erythropolis enzymes belonged to the iron-type NHase family. Some different residues in the translated sequences were located near the residues involved in the stabilization of the NHase active site, suggesting that the substitutions could be responsible for the different enzyme activities and substrate specificities observed previously in this group of actinomycetes. A similar molecular screening analysis of the amidase gene was performed, and a correlation between the PRS patterns and the geographical origins identical to the correlation found for the NHase gene was obtained, suggesting that there was coevolution of the two enzymes in R. erythropolis. Our findings indicate that the NHase and amidase genes present in geographically distinct R. erythropolis strains are not globally mixed.     

Rapid and specific identification of nitrile hydratase (NHase)-encoding genes in soil samples by polymerase chain reaction

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol was developed for the specific detection of genes coding nitrile hydratase (NHase). Primer design was based on the highly conserved sequences found in the coding region of the alpha-subunit gene corresponding to the metal-binding site. Purified genomic DNA from bacterial strains or directly from soil can serve as the target for the PCR, thus affording a simple and rapid method for screening NHase genes. The primer pairs, NHCo1/NHCo2 and NHFe1/NHFe2 yield PCR products corresponding to a partial coding sequence of cobalt and iron NHase genes, respectively. Using the PCR method, both types of iron- and cobalt-NHase-encoding genes were detected in DNA from pure cultures and soil samples. Furthermore consensus primers allowed rapid cloning and expression of novel NHases in Escherichia coli.