Influence of point mutations near the active site on the catalytic properties of fungal arylacetonitrilases from Aspergillus niger and Neurospora crassa

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/j.molcatb.2012.01.005

Arylacetonitrilases from Aspergillus niger CBS 513.88 and Neurospora crassa OR74A (NitAn and NicNc, respectively) were expressed in recombinant Escherichia coli JM109. The respective whole-cell catalysts preferentially hydrolyzed (R)-enantiomers of (R,S)-mandelonitrile and (R,S)-2-phenylpropionitrile. NitNc also formed significant amounts of mandelamide from (R,S)-mandelonitrile (40% of total product), mainly found as the (S)-enantiomer. At pH 4.5 and 5.0, the cells retained more than 40 and 60% of their nitrilase activity at pH 7, respectively. Nitrilase variants generated by site-directed mutagenesis carried amino acid replacements in the vicinity of the catalytically active cysteine residues (C162 and C167 in NitAn and NitNc, respectively). The conversions of (R,S)-mandelonitrile and (R,S)-2-phenylpropionitrile by the nitrilase variants were compared to the wild-type nitrilases in terms of activity, enantioselectivity, and acid/amide ratio of the products formed. Thus the W168A variant of NitNc was identified, which formed significantly increased amounts of mandelamide and 2-phenylpropionamide, and which demonstrated an almost complete inversion of enantioselectivity for the conversion of (R,S)-2- phenylpropionitrile (from R- to S-selectivity).