title: A high-throughput screening method for determining the substrate scope of nitrilases.
abstract: Nitrile compounds are intermediates in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals such as atorvastatin. We have developed a chromogenic reagent to screen for nitrilase activity as an alternative to Nessler's reagent. It produces a semi-quantifiable blue colour and hydrolysis of 38 nitrile substrates by 23 nitrilases as cell-free extracts has been shown.
authors.affiliation: Industrial Biotechnology Research Group, Department of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST, UK. justin.perry@northumbria.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Gary W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Black
authors.forename: Nicola L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Justin J B
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.forename: P David
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Randall
authors.forename: Graeme
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Turnbull
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000619:Aminohydrolases / Q000378:metabolism*; D057166:High-Throughput Screening Assays; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009570:Nitriles / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D009570:Nitriles; D000619:Aminohydrolases; C021867:nitrilase