[Isolation of nitrile hydratase from Rhodococcus rhodochrous M8 cells and determination of the N-terminal amino acid sequence of its subunits].

Nitrile hydratase was isolated and purified to homogeneity from cells of Rhodococcus rhodochrous M8. This enzyme catalyzes the hydrolysis of acrylic acid nitrile to acrylamide. Nitrile hydratase content in the cell was shown to be 17% of total soluble protein.