title: Surface hydrolysis of polyacrylonitrile with nitrile hydrolysing enzymes from Micrococcus luteus BST20.
abstract: A new Micrococcus luteus strain BST20 was isolated with ability to metabolize PAN polymers as sole carbon source. Out of seven synthetized PAN copolymers containing different moieties of acrylic acid and/or vinyl acetate the polymer with lowest crystallinity (PAN with 5% vinyl acetate) was most easily metabolized. (13)C labelled PAN was completely converted to the acrylic acid by this strain. M. luteus BST20 produced membrane-bound nitrile hydrolysing enzymes able to convert nitrile groups on PAN powder surface to the corresponding acids. Similarly, nitrile groups on PAN fabrics were transformed to the corresponding acid as indicated by an K/S increased after dying with Methylene blue and the released ammonia. On small soluble substrates the enzyme system showed a preference for aliphatic and aromatic substituted aliphatic nitriles.
authors.affiliation: Graz University of Technology, Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Petersgasse 12/I A, 8010 Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Gudrun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fischer-Colbrie
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matama
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heumann
authors.forename: Ludmila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Martinkova
authors.forename: Artur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cavaco Paulo
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guebitz
mesh_terms: D000180:Acrylic Resins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006868:Hydrolysis; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D016982:Micrococcus luteus / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development; D009570:Nitriles / Q000378:metabolism*; D011108:Polymers / Q000378:metabolism; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D009570:Nitriles; D011108:Polymers; C010504:polyacrylonitrile