Simultaneous purification of nitrile hydratase and amidase of Alcaligenes sp. MTCC 10674

Alcaligenes sp. MTCC 10674 has a bienzymatic system for the hydrolysis of nitriles. The nitrile hydratase and amidase have been purified simultaneously to homogeneity using a combination of (NH)(4)SO(4) precipitation, ion exchange chromatography and gel permeation chromatography. Nitrile hydratase and amidase have molecular weight of 47 and 114 kDa, respectively and exist as heterodimer. Optimum temperatures for maximum activity of nitrile hydratase and amidase were 15 °C (2.4 U/mg protein) and 45 °C (2.3 U/mg protein), respectively. Nitrile hydratase showed maximum 7.8 U/mg protein at 50 mM acrylonitrile and amidase has 9.2 U/mg protein at 25 mM propionamide. Nitrile hydratase has V(max) 10 μmol/min/mg and K(m) 40 mM, while amidase has V(max) 12.5 μmol/min/mg and K(m) 45.5 mM, respectively. Heavy metal ions Hg(2+), Ag(+), Pb(2+) and Cu(2+) were strong inhibitors of nitrile hydratase and amidase activity.