New nucleic acid encoding nitrilase, useful for converting aromatic nitriles to carboxylic acid, pharmaceutical intermediates, isolated from Rhodococcus rhodochrous

摘要

Isolated nucleic acid (I), encoding a polypeptide (II) with nitrilase activity, is (i) a 1483 bp sequence (1), reproduced; (ii) a sequence equivalent to (1) within the degeneracy of the genetic code or (iii) a derivative of (1) that encodes a polypeptide having at least 95% homology with a 366 amino acid polypeptide (2), reproduced, and essentially the same enzymatic activity as (2). Independent claims are also included for the following: (a) (II) encoded by (I); (b) nucleic acid construct containing (I) linked to one or more regulatory signals; (c) vector containing (I) or the construct of (b); (d) recombinant microorganism containing (I), the construct of (b) or the vector of (c); and (e) method for producing achiral or chiral carboxylic acids (III) by treating nitriles (IV) with (II) or with growing, resting or lysed microorganisms of (d).