Enantioselective hydrolysis of ketoprofen amide by Rhodococcus sp. C3II and Rhodococcus erythropolis MP 50

Process Optimisation Studies and Aminonitrile Substrate Evaluation of Rhodococcus erythropolis SET1, A Nitrile Hydrolyzing Bacterium

A comprehensive series of optimization studies including pH, solvent and temperature were completed on the nitrile hydrolyzing Rhodococcus erythropolis bacterium SET1 with the substrate 3-hydroxybutyronitrile. These identified temperature of 25 °C and pH of 7 as the best conditions to retain enantioselectivity and activity. The effect of the addition of organic solvents to the biotransformation mixture was also determined. The results of the study suggested that SET1 is suitable for use in selected organo-aqueous media at specific ratios only. The functional group tolerance of the isolate with unprotected and protected β-aminonitriles, structural analogues of β-hydroxynitriles was also investigated with disappointingly poor isolated yields and selectivity obtained. The isolate was further evaluated with the α- aminonitrile phenylglycinonitrile generating acid in excellent yield and ee (>99 % (S) - isomer and 50 % yield). A series of pH studies with this substrate indicated pH 7 to be the optimum pH to avoid product and substrate degradation.

Enantioselective Resolution of (R,S)-Carvedilol to (S)-(-)-Carvedilol by Biocatalysts

Among the microorganisms employed in the study, Aspergillus niger (GUFCC5443), Escherichia coli (ATCC9637), Streptomyces halstedii (CKM-2), Pseudomonas putida (NCIB9494), Cunninghamella elegans (NCIM689) and Sphingomonas paucimobilis (NCTC11030) were capable for the enantioselective conversion of racemic Carvedilol. Immobilization technique enhanced the enantioselectivity of microorganisms and thus increased the enantiomeric purity of the drug. Excellent enantiomeric ratios (E) were found in reactions catalyzed by immobilized A. niger and E. coli with values 174.44 and 104.26, respectively. Triacylglycerol lipase from Aspergillus niger was also employed in this study as a biocatalyst which resulted in the product with 83.35% enantiomeric excess (ee) and E of 11.34 while the enzyme on immobilization has yielded 99.08% ee and 216.39 E. The conversion yield (C%) of the drug by free-enzyme was 57.42%, which was enhanced by immobilization to 90.51%. Hence, our results suggest that immobilized triacylglycerol lipase from A. niger (Lipase AP6) could be an efficient biocatalyst for the enantioselective resolution of racemic Carvedilol to (S)-(-)-Carvedilol with high enantiomeric purity followed by immobilized cultures of A. niger and E. coli.

The remarkable Rhodococcus erythropolis

Rhodococcus erythropolis cells contain a large set of enzymes that allow them to carry out an enormous number of bioconversions and degradations. Oxidations, dehydrogenations, epoxidations, hydrolysis, hydroxylations, dehalogenations and desulfurisations have been reported to be performed by R. erythropolis cells or enzymes. This large array of enzymes fully justifies the prospective application of this bacterium in biotechnology.

Cloning and heterologous expression of an enantioselective amidase from Rhodococcus erythropolis strain MP50

The gene for an enantioselective amidase was cloned from Rhodococcus erythropolis MP50, which utilizes various aromatic nitriles via a nitrile hydratase/amidase system as nitrogen sources. The gene encoded a protein of 525 amino acids which corresponded to a protein with a molecular mass of 55.5 kDa. The deduced complete amino acid sequence showed homology to other enantioselective amidases from different bacterial genera. The nucleotide sequence approximately 2.5 kb upstream and downstream of the amidase gene was determined, but no indications for a structural coupling of the amidase gene with the genes for a nitrile hydratase were found. The amidase gene was carried by an approximately 40-kb circular plasmid in R. erythropolis MP50. The amidase was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli and shown to hydrolyze 2-phenylpropionamide, alpha-chlorophenylacetamide, and alpha-methoxyphenylacetamide with high enantioselectivity; mandeloamide and 2-methyl-3-phenylpropionamide were also converted, but only with reduced enantioselectivity. The recombinant E. coli strain which synthesized the amidase gene was shown to grow with organic amides as nitrogen sources. A comparison of the amidase activities observed with whole cells or cell extracts of the recombinant E. coli strain suggested that the transport of the amides into the cells becomes the rate-limiting step for amide hydrolysis in recombinant E. coli strains.

Purification and properties of an amidase from Rhodococcus erythropolis MP50 which enantioselectively hydrolyzes 2-arylpropionamides

An enantioselective amidase from Rhodococcus erythropolis MP50 was purified to homogeneity. The enzyme has a molecular weight of about 480,000 and is composed of identical subunits with molecular weights of about 61,000. The NH2-terminal amino acid sequence was significantly different from previously published sequences of bacterial amidases. The purified amidase hydrolyzed a wide range of aliphatic and aromatic amides, The highest enzyme activities were found with amides carrying hydrophobic residues, such as pentyl or naphthoyl. The purified enzyme converted racemic 2-phenylpropionamide, naproxen amide [2-(6-methoxy-2-naphthyl) propionamide], and ketoprofen amide [2-(3'-benzoylphenyl)propionamide] to the corresponding S-acids with an enantiomeric excess of >99% and an almost 50% conversion of the racemic amides. The enzyme also hydrolyzed different alpha-amino amides but without significant enantioselectivity.