Iron-dependent nitrile hydratases (NHases) are mononuclear iron enzymes that catalyse the hydration of a large number of diverse nitriles to their corresponding amides. NHases are activated through the photochemical activation of water in which a bound NO is replaced with HO-. Organisms expressing NHases are capable of utilising aliphatic nitriles as the sole source of nitrogen.
NHases consist of alpha and beta heterodimers. These enzymes have importance as biocatalysts, for example in the production of acrylamide, and in bioremediation and have been efficiently used for the industrial production of acrylamide from acrylonitrile and for the removal of nitriles from wastewater.
Defined by 7 residues: CYS:A-109CYS:A-112SER:A-113CYS:A-114ARG:B-56TYR:B-72TYR:B-76