title: Cyanide bioremediation: the potential of engineered nitrilases.
abstract: The cyanide-degrading nitrilases are of notable interest for their potential to remediate cyanide contaminated waste streams, especially as generated in the gold mining, pharmaceutical, and electroplating industries. This review provides a brief overview of cyanide remediation in general but with a particular focus on the cyanide-degrading nitrilases. These are of special interest as the hydrolysis reaction does not require secondary substrates or cofactors, making these enzymes particularly good candidates for industrial remediation processes. The genetic approaches that have been used to date for engineering improved enzymes are described; however, recent structural insights provide a promising new approach.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-3258, USA.
authors.forename: Jason M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Structural Biology Research Unit, Institute for Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Trevor Sewell
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-3258, USA. benedik@tamu.edu.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Benedik
mesh_terms: D000619:Aminohydrolases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001407:Bacillus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D003486:Cyanides / Q000378:metabolism*; D056506:Geobacillus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D006836:Hydro-Lyases / Q000378:metabolism; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D006868:Hydrolysis; D008958:Models, Molecular; D015202:Protein Engineering
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D003486:Cyanides; D000619:Aminohydrolases; C021867:nitrilase; D006836:Hydro-Lyases; C048831:nitrile hydratase
keywords: Bioremediation; Cyanide; Cyanide dihydratase; Nitrilase; Protein engineering; Protein stability