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Metalloenzyme nitrile hydratase: Structure, regulation, and application to biotechnology

Nature Biotechnology volume 16, pages 733–736 (1998)Cite this article

Abstract

Nitrile hydratase (NHase), which catalyzes the hydration of nitriles to amides, has been used in the industrial production of acrylamide and nicotinamide. Recent studies on NHases, which are roughly classified into iron and cobalt types according to the metal involved, have clarified the photoactivation mechanism, the novel Iigand structure of the metal-binding sites, the unique mechanism of the enzyme hyper-induction, and the occurrence of an accessory gene involved in cobalt-containing NHase formation. These detailed analyses have led to the development of biotechnological applications of NHase, including biotransformation and bioremediation.

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  1. Michihiko Kobayashi: Corresponding author.

  2. Michihiko Kobayashi: on sabbatical

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan

    Michihiko Kobayashi & Sakayu Shimizu

  2. Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Stanford, CA

    Michihiko Kobayashi

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  1. Michihiko Kobayashi
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  2. Sakayu Shimizu
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Kobayashi, M., Shimizu, S. Metalloenzyme nitrile hydratase: Structure, regulation, and application to biotechnology. Nat Biotechnol 16, 733–736 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0898-733

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