title: Nitrile-converting enzymes as a tool to improve biocatalysis in organic synthesis: recent insights and promises.
abstract: Nitrile-converting enzymes, including nitrilase and nitrile hydratase (NHase), have received increasing attention from researchers of industrial biocatalysis because of their critical role as a tool in organic synthesis of carboxylic acids and amides from nitriles. To date, these bioconversion approaches are considered as one of the most potential industrial processes using resting cells or purified enzymes as catalysts for production of food additives, pharmaceutical, and agrochemical precursors. This review focuses on the distribution and catalytic mechanism research of nitrile-converting enzymes in recent years. Molecular biology aspects to improve the biocatalytic performance of microbial nitrilase and NHase are demonstrated. The process developments of microbial nitrilase and NHase for organic synthesis are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: a School of Pharmaceutical Science, Jiangnan University , Wuxi , People's Republic of China and.|b The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University , Wuxi , People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jin-Song
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: a School of Pharmaceutical Science, Jiangnan University , Wuxi , People's Republic of China and.
authors.forename: Jin-Song
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: a School of Pharmaceutical Science, Jiangnan University , Wuxi , People's Republic of China and.
authors.forename: Zhen-Ming
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: a School of Pharmaceutical Science, Jiangnan University , Wuxi , People's Republic of China and.
authors.forename: Heng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: b The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University , Wuxi , People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhe-Min
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: a School of Pharmaceutical Science, Jiangnan University , Wuxi , People's Republic of China and.|b The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University , Wuxi , People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zheng-Hong
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000619:Aminohydrolases / Q000378:metabolism*; D055162:Biocatalysis; D060326:Chemistry Techniques, Synthetic; D006836:Hydro-Lyases / Q000378:metabolism*; D009570:Nitriles / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D009570:Nitriles; D000619:Aminohydrolases; C021867:nitrilase; D006836:Hydro-Lyases; C048831:nitrile hydratase
keywords: Amide; biocatalysis; carboxylic acid; molecular biology; nitrilase; nitrile hydratase; organic synthesis