Institute of Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, People's Republic of China.
Adv Biochem Eng Biotechnol. 2009;113:33-77. doi: 10.1007/10_2008_25.
Biotransformation of nitriles mediated by nitrile-amide converting enzymes has attracted considerable attention and developed tremendously in the recent years in China since it offers a valuable alternative to traditional chemical reaction which requires harsh conditions. As a result, an upsurge of these promising enzymes (including nitrile hydratase, nitrilase and amidase) has been taking place. This review aims at describing these enzymes in detail. A variety of microorganisms harboring nitrile-amide converting activities have been isolated and identified in China, some of which have already applied with moderate success. Currently, a wide range of high-value compounds such as aliphatic, alicyclic, aromatic and heterocyclic amides and their corresponding acids were provided by these nitrile-amide degrading organisms. Simultaneously, with the increasing demand of chiral substances, the enantioselectivity of the nitrilase superfamily is widely investigated and exploited in China, especially the bioconversion of optically active alpha-substituted phenylacetamides, acids and 2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxamide and 2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid by means of the catalysts exhibiting excellent stereoselectivity. Besides their synthetic value, the nitrile-amide converting enzymes also play an important role in environmental protection. In this context, cloning of the genes and expression of these enzymes are presented. In the near future in China, an increasing number of novel nitrile-amide converting organisms will be screened and their potential in the synthesis of useful acids and amides will be further exploited.
腈酰胺转化酶介导的腈转化近年来在中国受到了极大的关注，因为它为传统化学方法提供了一种有价值的替代方法，传统化学方法需要苛刻的条件。因此，这些有前途的酶（包括腈水合酶、腈酶和酰胺酶）的数量迅速增加。本综述旨在详细描述这些酶。中国已经分离和鉴定了多种含有腈酰胺转化活性的微生物，其中一些已经取得了适度的成功。目前，这些腈酰胺降解微生物提供了广泛的高价值化合物，如脂肪族、脂环族、芳香族和杂环酰胺及其相应的酸。同时，随着对手性物质需求的增加，中国广泛研究和开发了腈酶超家族的对映选择性，特别是通过具有优异立体选择性的催化剂对手性α-取代苯乙酰胺、酸和 2,2-二甲基环丙烷甲酰胺和 2,2-二甲基环丙烷羧酸的生物转化。除了它们的合成价值外，腈酰胺转化酶在环境保护中也起着重要作用。在这方面，展示了这些酶的基因克隆和表达。在不久的将来，中国将筛选出越来越多的新型腈酰胺转化微生物，并进一步开发它们在有用酸和酰胺合成中的潜力。
