Nitrile Hydratase-Catalyzed Production of Nicotinamide from 3-Cyanopyridine in Rhodococcus rhodochrous J1.
Nitrile hydratase, which occurs abundantly in cells of Rhodococcus rhodochrous J1 isolated from soil samples, catalyzes the hydration of 3-cyanopyridine to nicotinamide. By using resting cells, the reaction conditions for nicotinamide production were optimized. Under the optimum conditions, 100% of the added 12 M 3-cyanopyridine was converted to nicotinamide without the formation of nicotinic acid, and the highest yield achieved was 1,465 g of nicotinamide per liter of reaction mixture containing resting cells (1.48 g as dry cell weight) in 9 h. The nicotinamide produced was crystallized and then identified physicochemically. The further conversion of the nicotinamide to nicotinic acid was due to the low activity of nicotinamide as a substrate for the amidase(s) present in this organism.
Nagasawa
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Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa, Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606, Japan.
Mathew
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Mauger
J
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Yamada
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