Hydrolysis of the Nitrile group in $\alpha$-Aminophenylacetonitrile by Nitrilase;Development of a New Biotechnology for Stereospecific Production of S-$\alpha$-Phenylglycine

Phenylglycine was obtained as the sole metabolite when .alpha.-aminophenylacetonitrile was ted to the culture broth of Aspergillus furmigatus furmigatus. The isolated phenylglycine showed L-configuration with 80% optical purity. Examination of the hydrolysis of the substrate to phenylglycine with cell free extracts, and the supernatant fraction and the particulate fraction both of which were obtained after ultracentrifugation of the cell free extract at 100,000g, indicated that the nitrile group hydrolyzing enzymes, nitrilase existed not only in cytoplasm, but in microsome fractions.