Penicillin V acylase from Streptomyces mobaraensis (Sm-PVA) showed high acyl-transfer activity in reactions using methyl esters of carboxylic acid (acyl donor) and amino compounds (nucleophile), to produce the corresponding amides. Moreover, Sm-PVA had broad substrate specificity, as indicated by the fact that it catalyzed the efficient synthesis of fl-lactam antibiotics, capsaicin derivatives, and N-fatty-acyl-amino acid/N-fatty-acyl-peptide derivatives.