Patent ID: 8637277

Claim:
A method for producing a carboxylic acid represented by the general formula (2) or a salt thereof from amide represented by the general formula (1) or a salt thereof comprising contacting the amide represented by the general formula (1) or a salt thereof with amidase, wherein, in the general formula (1), X represents any of H, S—C 2 H 4 —CONH 2 , S—C 2 H 4 —COOH and a cation; and n represents 1 when X is H, S—C 2 H 4 —CONH 2 or S—C 2 H 4 —COOH, and n represents the same integer as the valence of X when X is a cation, wherein, in the general formula (2), Y represents any of H and S—C 2 H 4 —COOH, and wherein the amide represented by the general formula (1) or the salt thereof is produced from nitrile represented by the general formula (3) or a salt thereof using nitrite hydratase obtained from a bacterium belonging to the genus Pseudonocardia , and the carboxylic acid represented by the general formula (2) or the salt thereof is produced from the amide or the salt thereof, wherein, in the general formula (3), Z represents any of H, S—C 2 H 4 —CN, S—C 2 H 4 —CONH 2 and a cation; and n represents 1 when Z is H or S—C 2 H 4 —CONH 2 , and n represents the same integer as the valence of Z when Z is a cation.