Unexpected stereorecognition in nitrilase-catalyzed hydrolysis of beta-hydroxy nitriles

摘要

Biocatalytic enantioselective hydrolysis of, ss-hydroxy nitriles to corresponding (S)-enriched, ss-hydroxy carboxylic acids has been achieved for the first time by an isolated nitrilase bII6402 from Bradyrhizobium japonicum USDA110. This offers a new "green" approach to optically pure, ss-hydroxy nitriles and, ss-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.