title: Unexpected stereorecognition in nitrilase-catalyzed hydrolysis of beta-hydroxy nitriles.
abstract: Biocatalytic enantioselective hydrolysis of beta-hydroxy nitriles to corresponding (S)-enriched beta-hydroxy carboxylic acids has been achieved for the first time by an isolated nitrilase bll6402 from Bradyrhizobium japonicum USDA110. This offers a new "green" approach to optically pure beta-hydroxy nitriles and beta-hydroxy carboxylic acids. The observed remote stereorecognition is surprising because this nitrilase shows no enantioselectivity for the hydrolysis of alpha-hydroxy nitriles such as mandelonitrile.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas 75275, USA.
authors.forename: Sukanta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kamila
authors.forename: Dunming
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Edward R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Biehl
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hua
mesh_terms: D000619:Aminohydrolases / Q000737:chemistry*; D002384:Catalysis; D006868:Hydrolysis; D013237:Stereoisomerism
chemical_list: D000619:Aminohydrolases; C021867:nitrilase