Abstract: A microorganism culture sheet is provided which can limit the use of a costly cultivation material to a necessary portion, which has simple production at the time of manufacture, and can be simply and stably used by a user. The microorganism culture sheet of the present invention is a microorganism culture sheet comprising a base sheet, a culture layer formed on top of the base sheet, and a cover sheet that covers the culture layer, and the culture layer is pattern-formed with an application liquid comprising a polyvinylpyrrolidone and at least on selected from the group consisting of a gelling agent, a nutrient component, a color indicator, a selective agent and a substrate.

Abstract: This invention provides an HbA1c dehydrogenase that is capable of directly acting on hemoglobin A1c and is less likely to be influenced by oxygen concentration and a method for measurement and a kit of assay reagents using such HbA1c dehydrogenase. The HbA1c dehydrogenase having dehydrogenase activity and capable of directly acting on HbA1c is obtained by substitution of one or more amino acid residues at positions corresponding to positions 280, 269, 54, 241, and 267 of the amadoriase that is capable of directly acting on hemoglobin A1c and is derived from, for example, the genus Coniochaeta. This invention also provides a method for measurement of HbA1c, a kit of assay reagents, and a sensor using such HbA1c dehydrogenase. Such HbA1c dehydrogenase is capable of directly acting on hemoglobin A1c and has lowered oxidase activity and/or enhanced dehydrogenase activity.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to reduce error reaction that is not derived from enzyme reaction in a method for measuring histamine using histamine dehydrogenase. The present invention provides a kit for detecting histamine or an electrochemical sensor capable of detecting the oxidation of histamine, comprising (i) histamine dehydrogenase, and (ii-a) boric acid or a salt thereof, and/or a boronic acid or a salt thereof, and/or (ii-b) alkyl sulfate. The present invention also provides a method for detecting histamine using (i) histamine dehydrogenase, and (ii-a) boric acid or a salt thereof, and/or a boronic acid or a salt thereof, or (ii-b) sodium laurel sulfate, or using an electrochemical sensor capable of detecting the oxidation of histamine, comprising these components.

Abstract: This invention provides an amadoriase that acts on the ?-chain of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and generates hydrogen peroxide, a method for measurement of HbA1c using such amadoriase, and a reagent kit for measurement of HbA1c using such amadoriase. The method for measurement of HbA1c involves the use of an amadoriase that has specific activity of 0.1 U/mg or greater to ?F6P and oxidizes the HbA1c ?-chain amino terminus so as to generate hydrogen peroxide, and the reagent kit for measurement of HbA1c comprises such amadoriase. The method and the kit for measurement of HbA1c enable quantification of HbA1c to be performed rapidly, simply, and accurately.

Abstract: The present invention relates to FAD-GDH consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or 3, an amino acid sequence having an identity of 70% or more with the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or 3, or an amino acid sequence having a deletion, substitution or addition of one or several amino acids in the amino acid sequence (the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or the amino acid sequence having an identity of 70% or more with the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1); having an amino acid substitution at the position(s) corresponding to the following amino acid(s): the amino acid at the 175th position in the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, the amino acid at the 214th position in the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, the amino acid at the 192nd position in the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, the amino acid at the 212th position in the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, the amino acid at the 218th position in the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, and/or the amino acid at the 226th

Abstract: A glucose dehydrogenase having modified electron transfer properties, and a glucose measurement method and measuring kit using the glucose dehydrogenase are provided. Provided are a glucose dehydrogenase having at least 1, 2 or 3 amino acid substitutions, for example, amino acid substitution with a polar amino acid or alanine, in the region corresponding to the 457th to 477th position in SEQ ID NO: 1 of a glucose dehydrogenase having homology with SEQ ID NO: 1, a glucose measurement method, a measurement reagent kit and a sensor using the glucose dehydrogenase. The electron transfer properties of the glucose dehydrogenase of the present invention is modified and can be used in measuring glucose in the presence of a mediator with reduced concentration or in the absence of a mediator, and can be used, for example, in continuous glucose measurement.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an object of the present invention is to provide a firefly luciferase having improved thermostability. In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a luciferase mutant having improved thermostability that is a mutant of firefly luciferase comprising an amino acid sequence in which the amino acid residue at the position corresponding to position 393 of SEQ ID NO 1 is substituted, a polynucleotide encoding the luciferase mutant, and a production method of the luciferase mutant.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for producing selenoneine that allows production of selenoneine at higher yields as compared with a conventional technology, and, therefore, enables selenoneine production on an industrial scale. This purpose can be achieved by a method for producing selenoneine, comprising the step of applying histidine and a selenium compound to a transformant that has a gene encoding an enzyme of (1) below introduced therein and that can overexpress the introduced gene, to obtain selenoneine. (1) An enzyme that catalyzes a reaction in which hercynylselenocysteine is produced from histidine and selenocysteine in the presence of S-adenosylmethionine and iron (II).

Abstract: Provided is a novel mediator. The present invention relates to a novel mediator, and an electrode modifying agent and an electron transfer promoting agent comprising the mediator, an electrode, a battery, a composition, and an enzyme sensor comprising the electrode modifying agent or the electron transfer promoting agent, and a method using any of these.

Abstract: Provided herein is a salt-free or low-salt soy sauce-like liquid seasoning having a desirable flavor and desirable functionality with no contamination by microorganisms. A method for producing such a sauce-like liquid seasoning is also provided. The salt-free or low-salt soy sauce-like liquid seasoning having a desirable flavor and desirable functionality is obtained by inoculating raw material grains of primarily soybean or wheat with a koji mold to prepare a solid koji, adding salt-free or low-salt water for brewing to the solid koji to prepare a moromi, pasteurizing the moromi, and fermenting the moromi with yeast in a container adapted to reduce entry of harmful microorganisms.

Abstract: This invention provides an amadoriase having improved specific activity on a glycated substrate, compared with conventional amadoriase. Provided is an amadoriase comprising a substitution of the amino acid at the position corresponding to position 64 of the amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 1 with an amino acid selected from the group consisting of glycine, serine, methionine, leucine, threonine, valine, and isoleucine, a method for measurement of HbA1c, and a reagent kit for measurement of HbA1c using such amadoriase. Such method and kit for measurement enable rapid, simple, and accurate quantification of HbA1c.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide an organism having an ergothioneine productivity that is capable of easily producing ergothioneine within a short period of time at a high yield, as compared with a conventional technology, and, therefore, enables ergothioneine production on an industrial scale. This purpose can be achieved by a transformed fungus into which a gene encoding enzyme (1) or genes encoding enzymes (1) and (2) have been inserted and in which the inserted gene(s) are overexpressed. (1) an enzyme catalyzing a reaction of synthesizing hercynyl cysteine sulfoxide from histidine and cysteine in the presence of S-adenosyl methionine, iron (II) and oxygen. (2) An enzyme catalyzing a reaction of synthesizing ergothioneine from hercynyl cysteine sulfoxide using pyridoxal 5?-phosphate as a coenzyme.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a soy milk containing methylpyrazine compounds consisting of 2-methylpyrazine, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine and 2,6-dimethylpyrazine at a quantity of 40 to 7000 ?g per 1 L.

Abstract: A first object of the present invention is to provide a raw liquid for a seasoning which can be utilized for obtaining a seasoning with a mellow aroma and high palatability by simply performing yeast fermentation so as to enable the yeast fermentation even at home, an index of fermentation control, a set of members including the raw liquid and the index, and a method for manufacturing a seasoning. A second object of the present invention is to provide a seasoning that has a fruity aroma hardly noticeable in a conventional soy sauce while having a flavor inherent in a soy sauce. The first object is achieved by a raw liquid for a seasoning having a reducing sugar content of 4.5 wt % or more and an ethanol content of 1.

Abstract: Provided is a glycated hemoglobin oxidase with small measurement error or without deviation of the measured value from the true value regarding a sample containing glycated abnormal hemoglobin. Provided are a glycated hemoglobin oxidase comprising an amino acid sequence in which the amino acid at the position corresponding to position 113, 109, 106, or 102 of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 is substituted with an amino acid other than a positively-charged amino acid, such as glutamic acid, alanine, or aspartic acid as well as a method and a reagent kit for measurement of glycated hemoglobin using such glycated hemoglobin oxidase. The glycated hemoglobin is capable of reacting with various genotypes and enables highly accurate measurement of glycated hemoglobin in a sample containing glycated abnormal hemoglobin.

Abstract: This invention provides an amadoriase having high reactivity with ?-fructosyl hexapeptide (?F6P) derived from the ?-chain amino terminus of glycated hemoglobin (HbAlc), which enables satisfactory quantification of ?F6P cleaved from HbAlc. A novel amadoriase is derived from the amadoriase of the genus Coniochaeta by substitution of one or more amino acids at positions selected from the group consisting of positions 62, 63, 102, 106, 110, 113, 355, and 419. Such amadoriase enables rapid, simple, accurate, and satisfactory quantification of ?F6P cleaved from HbAlc. With the use of such amadoriase, a method for measurement of HbAlc by an enzymatic method and a kit for measurement of HbAlc that are based on the same principle as used in the conventional standard method and excellent in terms of the relevance with the standard method.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide an organism having an ergothioneine productivity that is capable of easily producing ergothioneine within a short period of time at a high yield, as compared with a conventional technology, and, therefore, enables ergothioneine production on an industrial scale. This purpose can be achieved by a transformed fungus into which a gene encoding enzyme (1) or genes encoding enzymes (1) and (2) have been inserted and in which the inserted gene(s) are overexpressed. (1) an enzyme catalyzing a reaction of synthesizing hercynyl cysteine sulfoxide from histidine and cysteine in the presence of S-adenosyl methionine, iron (II) and oxygen. (2) An enzyme catalyzing a reaction of synthesizing ergothioneine from hercynyl cysteine sulfoxide using pyridoxal 5?-phosphate as a coenzyme.

Abstract: Provided is a composition by which glycated hemoglobin can be measured even in the presence of a stronger surfactant than a conventional case. Also provided is a buffer and/or stabilizer which maintains the residual activity of an amadoriase or lowers a reduction of residual activity. The present invention provides a composition for use in measuring glycated hemoglobin containing an amadoriase having substitution of one or more amino acid residues at a position(s) corresponding to an amino acid(s) selected from the group consisting of position 262, position 257, position 249, position 253, position 337, position 340, position 232, position 129, position 132, position 133, position 44, position 256, position 231 and position 81 of an amadoriase derived from the genus Coniochaeta and represented by SEQ ID No: 1 or 3, and having residual activity even in the presence of a surfactant.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a fermented seasoning containing 5?-nucleotides derived from fermentation at a high concentration without externally adding 5?-nucleotides and a method of producing the same. In a case where the nucleic acids are externally added, display of additives is indispensable on an ingredients description, and thus it cannot be said that the fermented seasoning have no chemical seasoning additive or made by natural brewing; however, with the fermented seasoning relating to the present invention, it is unnecessary to display additives on the ingredients description, and thus it is possible to appeal an added value to nature oriented or natural oriented consumers.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide an organism having an ergothioneine productivity that is capable of easily producing ergothioneine within a short period of time at a high yield, as compared with a conventional technology, and, therefore, enables ergothioneine production on an industrial scale. This purpose can be achieved by a transformed fungus into which a gene encoding enzyme (1) or genes encoding enzymes (1) and (2) have been inserted and in which the inserted gene(s) are overexpressed. (1) an enzyme catalyzing a reaction of synthesizing hercynyl cysteine sulfoxide from histidine and cysteine in the presence of S-adenosyl methionine, iron (II) and oxygen. (2) An enzyme catalyzing a reaction of synthesizing ergothioneine from hercynyl cysteine sulfoxide using pyridoxal 5?-phosphate as a coenzyme.