Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology – Micro-organism – per se ; compositions thereof; proces of... – Bacteria or actinomycetales; media therefor
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-13
2001-06-05
Nashed, Nashaat T. (Department: 1652)
Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology
Micro-organism, per se ; compositions thereof; proces of...
Bacteria or actinomycetales; media therefor
C435S232000, C435S252310
Reexamination Certificate
active
06242242
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel nitrile hydratase and the DNA encoding the nitrile hydratase, from a thermophilic Bacillus sp., which is constitutively expressed, activated in the presence of cobalt ions, active within a temperature range of 5° C. to 70° C. and a pH range of 5 to 9, and stable at elevated temperatures of 50° C. to 60° C. in the presence of acrylonitrile for a significant period of time. Further, the present invention relates to the use of the nitrile hydratase to produce acrylamide which is used for forming polymers.
(2) Description of Related Art
Enzymatic formation of acrylamide from acrylonitrile offers advantages over the traditional copper-catalyzed process in reduction of unwanted waste products and decreased energy input, making the process a promising example of utilization of enzymes for development of “green” processes for commodity chemical production (Ashina, Y., et al., in Industrial Applications of Immobilized Biocatalysts, A. Tanaka, T. Tosa, T. Kobayashi, eds. Marcell Dekker, N.Y. p. 91-107 (1993)). Nitrile hydratases capable of catalyzing this hydration have been found in a wide variety of bacteria (Yamada, H., et al., Biosci. Biotech. Biochem. 60:1391-1400 (1996); and Cramp, R., et al., Microbiology 143:2313-2320 (1997)). Nitto Chemical Company, Japan, has pioneered the utilization of the nitrile hydratase from
Rhodococcus rhodochrous
J1 for the production of acrylamide from acrylonitrile. The
R. rhodochrous
nitrile hydratase is a novel enzyme which contains cobalt bound at the active site. The cobalt ion containing nitrile hydratases provide more attractive catalytic features than ferric ion-containing nitrile hydratases (Nagasawa, T., et al., Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 40:189-195 (1993)). Although the Nitto acrylamide process is in successful production, their bioconversion process uses immobilized non-viable whole cells in the process which is run at a temperature below 10° C. and with modest acrylonitrile concentrations in order to prevent inactivation of the hydratase enzyme catalyst by the acrylonitrile substrate and to avoid product polymerization (Nagasawa, T., et al., Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 40:189-195 (1993)).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,001,081 to Commeyras et al describes the use of various mesophilic bacterial species from the genus Bacteridium (in the sense of Prévot), genus Micrococcus (in the sense of Bergey), genus Bacillus and genus Brevibacterium (in the sense of Bergey) for conversion of nitriles to amides. In particular, the strain R 332, a mesophilic Bacillus species, was cited as having nitrilasic activity. R332 was shown to have optimal growth between 20° C. and 40° C. (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,563,053 to Takashima et al). In the nitrilasic reaction with any of the above bacteria, the pH is maintained at the pH value which is limiting for the hydrolysis of the amide to its acid. The reaction temperature is 25° C.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,968 to Watanabe et al describes a process to convert acrylonitrile to acrylamide by using bacteria strains from either Corynebacterium or Nocardia genera. However, bacteria from genus Bacillus, genus Bacteridium, and genus Brevibacterium were also recited as being useful. The nitrile hydratase described has high activity but has low heat resistance and is inactivated in a rather short time period at temperatures between 25° C. and 30° C. Therefore, while the reactions are performed between 0° and 30° C., the reactions are preferably performed at 15° C. or less.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,700 to Prevatt et al relates to conversion of aromatic polynitriles having no hydroxyl groups to an aromatic compound having at least one cyano group and one amide group or acid group. The invention discloses Rhodococcus species which have nitrilase systems capable of selectively hydrolyzing various cyano groups of the polynitrile. The nitrilase systems are induced either prior to or simultaneously with conversion of the aromatic polynitrile. The conversion of a dinitrile to a nitrile amide according to the invention is performed within the temperature range of 15° to 35° C.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,982 to Yamada et al relates to a process which uses various Pseudomonas species to cause the conversion of a nitrile to its corresponding amide. The process is performed under alkaline conditions at a temperature between the range of 0° to 20° C. The cells prior to use in the process are cultivated in the presence of an inducer (e.g., isobutyronitrile in the case when acrylonitrile is to be hydrated).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,130,235 to Beppu et al describes isolated DNA of Rhodococcus sp. N-774 encoding nitrile hydratase activity and recombinant
E. coli
containing the DNA. The nitrile hydratase activity appears to require Fe
+
ions. A method for producing the nitrile hydratase in culture medium is also disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,858 to Yamada et al describes a
Rhodococcus rhodochrous
strain J-1. wherein a lactam induces the nitrilase activity in the cultured strain which is then used for the conversion of a nitrile to its corresponding acid. The conversion process is performed under temperatures ranging from 5° to 50° C. and within a pH between 4 and 10.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,334,519 to Yamada et al describes the use of cobalt cores with
Rhodococcus rhodochrous
strain J-1 to enhance the action of the nitrile hydratase in the conversion of a nitrile to its corresponding amide. In particular, the bacteria is cultivated in culture medium containing cobalt ions and a nitrile or amide inducer to induce the nitrile hydratase. The bacteria is then used for the conversion process which is performed at a temperature between 15° to 50° C. and a pH that is usually between 7 to 9.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,563,053 to Takashima et al describes a process for production of amide compounds from their nitrile precursor using the thermophilic bacterium
Bacillus smithii
strain SC-J05-1. The nitrile hydratase activity is inducible when a nitrile compound or an amide compound is added to the culture medium. The useful temperature range for the conversion process is between 0° and 70° C.
The foregoing provide attractive methods for production of an amide from its corresponding nitrile, in particular acrylamide from acrylonitrile. However, utilization of many of these nitrile hydratase enzymes has been limited by the requirement that very low temperatures be used for the bioconversion conditions, which increases production costs by requiring the reactions to be cooled.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides novel thermophilic strains of Bacillus sp. which have a constitutive and non-inducible nitrile hydratase activity and a relatively low amidase activity which is useful for conversion of a nitrile to an amide without producing significant amounts of the corresponding acid. In particular, the present invention relates to the conversion of acrylonitrile to acrylamide by the thermophilic Bacillus sp. BR449. The nitrile hydratase of Bacillus sp. BR449 has high activity at temperatures between 20° C. and 70° C. and in the presence of relatively high concentrations of the nitrile. Importantly, the nitrile hydratase has maximal activity at 55° C. and is stable at temperatures up to 60° C. The hydratase activity is stimulated by cultivating the bacterium in media supplemented with divalent metal ions, particularly cobalt ions.
The present invention also provides a process for the bioconversion of a nitrile to its corresponding amide with little production of the corresponding acid. The bioconversion process uses the nitrile hydratase activity of the novel thermophilic Bacillus sp. BR449. In particular, the bioconversion of acrylonitrile to acrylamide is described.
Objects
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide thermophilic strains of bacteria such as the Bacillus sp. disclosed herein which produces a nitrile hydratase that is active at temperatures between 20° C. to 70° C. and in the presence of relatively high concentrations of the nitrile wherein the nitrile
Kim Sang Hoon
Oriel Patrick J.
Padmakumar Rugmini
Board of Trustees operating Michigan State University
Fronda Christian L.
McLeod Ian C.
Nashed Nashaat T.
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