PURPOSE: To produce α-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutyramide industrially and advantageously under a mild condition of normal temperature and normal pressure by using a bacterium having hydrating activity of α-hydroxy-4- methylthiobutronitrile.
CONSTITUTION: α-Hydroxy-4-methylthiobutyronitrile is converted into α- hydroxy-4-methylthiobutyramide by hydrating reaction by action of bacterium to produce α-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutyramide. A bacterium belonging to the genus Rhodococcus, Corynebacterium, Pseudomonas, Arthrobacter of Alcaligenes, capable of hydrating α-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutronitrile, is used as the bacterium. The reaction condition is 0.01-50 wt.% amount of the cells used and 0.1-70 wt.% α-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutronitrile concentration wherein a substrate may be not completely dissolved in the reaction medium. The reaction is carried out at 5-60°C at pH 4-11 for 0.5-100 hours.
TAMURA KOJI
YAMAGAMI TOMOHIDE
KOBAYASHI ETSUKO
