Abstract
A nitrile-converting enzyme activity was induced in Aspergillus niger K10 by 3-cyanopyridine. The whole cell biocatalyst was active at pH 3-11 and hydrolyzed the cyano group into acid and/or amide functions in benzonitrile as well as in its meta- and para-substituted derivatives, cyanopyridines, 2-phenylacetonitrile and thiophen-2-acetonitrile.
Amides constituted a significant part of the total biotransformation products of 2- and 4-cyanopyridine, 4-chlorobenzonitrile, 4-tolunitrile and 1,4-dicyanobenzene, while alpha-substituted acrylonitriles gave amides as the sole products. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.