| abstract |
An enzyme carnitinehydrolyase is isolated from microorganisms belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae, particularly Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgarius, Proteus mirabilis, Citrobacter freundii, Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella anatum, e Salmonella cottbus, following anaerobic cultivation of the microorganisms in the presence of D,L-carnitine and/or crotonobetaine, by cell disruption and chromatography of the resulting protein extract. The enzyme, upon immobilization and activation by an effector which is also obtained from the protein extract following enzyme isolation, is used for stereoselectively hydrating crotonobetaine into L(-)-carnitine by contacting a solution of crotonobetaine or crotonobetaine derivatives with carnitinehydrolyase in the presence of the effector. |