title: Molecular characterisation of a novel thermophilic nitrile hydratase.
abstract: The thermophilic soil isolate, Bacillus pallidus Dac521, expresses a constitutive nitrile hydratase. The purified enzyme was found to be a 110 kDa tetramer composed of two alpha and two beta subunits with molecular masses of 27 kDa and 29 kDa, respectively. The enzyme electrophoresed as a single protein band on native PAGE but two protein bands with isoelectric points of 4.7 and 5.5 on isoelectric focusing suggested the presence of isozymes. The purified enzyme was moderately thermostable up to 55 degrees C and the enzyme activity was stable over a broad pH range. Comparisons of the N-terminal amino acid sequences of the nitrile hydratase subunits with those of other nitrile hydratases showed up to 90% identity for the beta subunit sequence but no significant identity for the alpha subunit. The enzyme hydrolysed a narrow range of aliphatic substrates and did not hydrolyse any of the cyclic, hydroxy-, di- or aromatic nitriles tested. The activity was irreversibly inhibited by the aromatic nitrile, benzonitrile. The kinetic constants for acetonitrile, acrylonitrile and propionitrile compared favourably with those of mesophilic nitrile hydratases.
authors: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
authors: R A
authors: RA
authors: Cramp
authors: D A
authors: DA
authors: Cowan
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001407:Bacillus / Q000201:enzymology*; D004795:Enzyme Stability; D006836:Hydro-Lyases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007526:Isoelectric Point; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009570:Nitriles; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D009570:Nitriles; C014356:benzonitrile; D006836:Hydro-Lyases; C048831:nitrile hydratase