Biotransf v b-Aminonitrilen zu - Biotransformation of ß-Amino Nitriles to ß-Amino Acids

ß-Amino acids represent a class of compounds featuring important biological properties. They occur as constituents in natural products (peptides, depsipeptides, macrocyclic glycopeptides) with antibiotic, cytotoxic and other important pharmacological properties and their potential as drugs has also been recognized for the free amino acid per se. The goal of the project is to develop a protocol for the (enantioselective) synthesis of ß-amino acids starting from their corresponding ß-amino nitriles by means of enzymatic/ microbial transformations. Two Rhodococcus strains have been selected featuring the required properties for the enzyme catalyzed nitrile hydrolysis on a preparative reaction scale. not assigned KP: COST Projekt