Patent ID: 8470576

Claim:
An isolated polynucleotide or a pair of isolated polynucleotides encoding an enzyme having nitrile hydratase (NHase) [E.C. 4.2.1.84] activity, wherein the coding sequence is selected from the group consisting of (a) a polynucleotide or a pair of polynucleotides having or comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding the α-subunit of the NHase having the amino acid sequence of one of SEQ ID NOs:2, and 6, and the β-subunit of the NHase having the amino acid sequence of one of SEQ ID NOs:4, and 8; (b) a polynucleotide or a pair of polynucleotides having or comprising the nucleotide sequence of one of SEQ ID NOs:1, and 5 and encoding the α-subunit of the NHase, and the nucleotide sequence of one of SEQ ID NOs:3, and 7, encoding the β-subunit of the NHase; (c) a polynucleotide or a pair of polynucleotides comprising a nucleotide sequence which is at least 97% identical to the polynucleotide encoding the β-subunit of the NHase of one of SEQ ID NOs:3, or 7, or at least 97% identical to the polynucleotide encoding the α-subunit of the NHase of one of SEQ ID NOs:1, or 5; and (d) a polynucleotide or a pair of polynucleotides having a nucleotide sequence being degenerate as a result of the genetic code to the polynucleotide or pair of polynucleotides of (c); or the 100% complementary strand or pair of 100% complementary strands of such a polynucleotide or pair of polynucleotides of (a) to (c).