Nitrilase-producing acidovorax facilis

US6066490A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• E.I. DU PONT DE NEMOURS AND COMPANY · US

Inventors

• Robert Di Cosimo · Rockland, US
• Robert D. Fallon · Elkton, US
• John Edward Gavagan · Wilmington, US
• Frank E. Herkes · Wilmington, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 10, 1997
• Grant date: May 23, 2000
• Expiry date: Dec 10, 2017

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P20/52
• WIPO field: Biotechnology
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A process for the preparation of five-membered or six-membered ring lactams from aliphatic .alpha.,.omega.-dinitriles has been developed. In the process an aliphatic .alpha.,.omega.-dinitrile is first converted to an ammonium salt of an .omega.-nitrilecarboxylic acid in aqueous solution using a catalyst having an aliphatic nitrilase (EC 3.5.5.7) activity, or a combination of nitrile hydratase (EC 4.2.1.84) and amidase (EC 3.5.1.4) activities. The ammonium salt of the .omega.-nitrilecarboxylic acid is then converted directly to the corresponding lactam by hydrogenation in aqueous solution, without isolation of the intermediate .omega.-nitrilecarboxylic acid or .omega.-aminocarboxylic acid. When the aliphatic .alpha.,.omega.-dinitrile is also unsymmetrically substituted at the .alpha.-carbon atom, the nitrilase produces the .omega.-nitrilecarboxylic acid ammonium salt resulting from hydrolysis of the .omega.-nitrile group with greater than 98% regioselectivity, thereby producing only one of the two possible lactam products during the subsequent hydrogenation. A heat-treatment process to select for desirable regioselective nitrilase or nitrile hydratase activities while destroying und…