EPSILON-CAPROLACTAM, A NEW POWERFUL INDUCER FOR THE FORMATION OF RHODOCOCCUS-RHODOCHROUS J1 NITRILASE

We found that ε-caprolactam is a new powerful inducer for the formation of Rhodococcus rhodochrous J1 nitrilase. When Rhodococcus rhodochrous J1 cells were cultivated at 28°C for 120 h in a nutrient medium supplemented with 0.5% (w/v) ε-caprolactam, an enormous amount of nitrilase was formed in the cells which corresponded to approximately 30% of all soluble protein. The level of ε-caprolactam in the culture broth barely decreased in the course of cultivation. γ-Butyrolactam and δ-valerolactam also caused effective induction. The induction of nitrilase formation by ε-caprolactam was also observed in some other Rhodococcus strains. © 1990 Springer-Verlag.