Abstract: It is intended to provide a method of conveniently and quickly detecting cereulide which is an emetic toxin produced by Bacillus cereus. Cereulide is detected using the presence of cereulide synthase in a specimen as an indication. The presence of cereulide synthase is examined by detecting a nucleic acid encoding this enzyme or by an immunological method with the use of an antibody specific to the enzyme.

Abstract: The present invention relates to filamentous fungal host cells and particularly Trichoderma host cells useful for the production of heterologous granular starch hydrolyzing enzymes having glucoamylase activity.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel phospholipase A2 polypeptide, DNA encoding the polypeptide, a vector comprising the DNA, a transformant transformed with the vector, and a process for producing the phospholipase A2 polypeptide. The present invention also relates to a method of utilizing the polypeptide, e.g., a method of screening for a compound having agonist or antagonist activity by using the polypeptide or an antibody to the polypeptide, and a pharmaceutical comprising the polypeptide or an antibody to the polypeptide. The present invention further relates to a polypeptide inhibiting the phospholipase A2 activity of a phospholipase A2 polypeptide (hereinafter referred to as inhibitor polypeptide), DNA encoding the inhibitor polypeptide, a vector comprising the DNA encoding the inhibitor polypeptide, a transformant transformed with the vector, a pharmaceutical comprising the inhibitor polypeptide, and a process for producing the inhibitor polypeptide.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the preparation of L-amino acids, especially L-lysine, L-valine, L-homoserine and L-threonine, by fermenting a microorganism of the genus Escherichia which has a mutation or deletion in the gene encoding aspartate ammonium lyase (aspA).

Abstract: Isolated nucleic acid fragments and recombinant constructs comprising such fragments encoding a delta-8 desaturase along with a method of making long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) using this delta-8 desaturase in plants and oleaginous yeast.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for preparing an ethanol producing, xylose utilizing strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae comprising genes for overexpression of xylose reductase, xylitol dehydrogenase and xylulokinase, wherein in addition to said genes for production o phosphoacetyltransferase, and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase are introduced and optionally overexpressed.

Abstract: The invention is drawn to the enzymatic decarboxylation of 2-keto-L-gulonic acid (2-KLG) to produce xylose. The invention is also drawn to a method to detect xylose in vitro or in vivo (intracellularly), which employs an L-xylose dehydrogenase.

Abstract: The invention concerns lactic acid bacteria overproducing exopolysaccharides following mutation in the gene coding for ?-phosphoglucomutase. Said mutants are useful, in particular for preparing fermented products or for producing exopolysaccharides.

Abstract: The present invention can provide a process for producing a protein having ?1.4-galactosyltransferase activity using a transformant comprising a DNA encoding a protein having ?1.4-galactosyltransferase activity derived from a microorganism belonging to the genus Pasteurella and a process for producing a galactose-containing complex carbohydrate using a transformant capable of producing a protein having ?1,4-galactosyltransferase activity derived from a microorganism.

Abstract: A glycosaminoglycan sulfotransferase, a peptide thereof, a nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding the same, an enzyme agent for the synthesis of a glycosaminoglycan, which comprises the above-described enzyme or polypeptide, and a process for producing a glycosaminoglycan, which uses the enzyme agent.

Abstract: An enzyme having an activity of transferring N-acetylglucosamine to the non-reducing end of a Gal?1-4Glc or Gal?1-4GlcNAc-group via a ?-1,3 bond; a nucleic acid encoding the same; and a method of diagnosing cancer and/or tumor, in particular, digestive cancer and/or tumor using the expression dose of a gene of the above enzyme as an indication. A gene of a novel enzyme having an activity of transferring N-acetylglucosamine to the non-reducing end of a Gal ?1-4Glc or Gal ?1-4GlcNAc-group via a ?-1,3 bond is cloned from human stomach cells and its base sequence is determined. Then this enzyme is expressed. Since this enzyme is scarcely or never produced in cancer and/or tumor, in particular, digestive cancer and/or tumor cells, cancer and/or tumor can be diagnosed with the use of the expression of the enzyme gene as an indication.

Abstract: The invention relates to recombinant microorganisms which, in comparison to the starting organism, have a higher concentration or activity of a D-amino acid oxidase, of an L-amino acid dehydrogenase, of an NADH cosubstrate regenerating enzyme and, if necessary, of a catalase. The invention also includes methods for preparing L-amino acids from D-amino acids using of these microorganisms.

Abstract: The invention relates to a new strain of Pseudomonas putida (designated as HI-70) and to the isolation, cloning, and sequencing of a cyclododecanone monooxygenase-encoding gene (named cdnB) from said strain. The invention also relates to a new cyclododecanone monooxygenase and to a method of use of the cyclododecanone monooxygenase-encoding gene.

Abstract: A gene encoding a polypeptide having an activity of digesting sulfated fucogalactan which is useful in sugar chain engineering reagents, analyzing the structures of sulfated fucose-containing polysaccharides and preparing degraded products of the polysaccharides; a genetic engineering process for producing the polypeptide; and the polypeptide obtained by the process.

Abstract: Cyclopentanone 1,2-monooxygenase (CPMO) from Comamonas (previously Pseudomonas) sp. strain NCIMB 9872 carries out the second step of a degradation pathway that allows the bacterium to use cyclopentanol as a sole carbon source for growth. In the present invention there is reported the localization of the CPMO-encoding gene (cpnB) on a 4.3-kb SphI fragment, the determination of its sequence. The 550-amino acid CPMO polypeptide (Mt, 62,111) encoded by the gene was found to have 36.5% identity with the sequence of cyclohexanone 1,2-monooxygenase (CHMO) of Acinetobacter sp. strain NCIMB 9871. The 62-kDa CPMO was expressed in E. coli as an IPTG-inducible protein.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the production of L-amino acids by fermentation of recombinant microorganisms of the Enterobacteriaceae family, wherein a) the yfiD ORF and/or the pflB gene or nucleotide sequences coding for the gene products are overexpressed in the microorganisms producing the desired L-amino acid, and the microorganisms are cultured in a medium under conditions in which the desired L-amino acid is enriched in the medium or in the cells; and b) the desired L-amino acid is isolated, in a manner such that constituents of the fermentation broth and/or the biomass in its entirety or in portions (>0 to 100%) either remain in the isolated product or are completely removed.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to novel nucleotide and amino acid sequences, and more particularly to novel human acetyl CoA carboxylase 2 (ACC2) and rat ACC2 sequences. The sequences provided herein can be expressed in a recombinant format. Methods of isolating the ACC2 sequence are also provided, which can be employed to isolate any ACC sequence. The ACC2 sequences can be employed in therapeutic applications to diagnose or treat a condition associated with ACC2. The invention also relates to the identification of modulators of ACC activity using the recombinant human ACC2 enzyme as the screening target.

Abstract: Variants of the ? subunit of AMP-activated kinase (AMPK), nucleic acids encoding such variants, and methods for their use are provided. The AMPK variants include splice variants that have an additional exon in the AMPK mRNA, and thus have an additional 15 amino acid residues in the encoded polypeptide. The AMPK variants can, for example, have at least 75% identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:4, and can contain an amino acid sequence having at least 75% identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2.

Abstract: The invention provides an isolated polypeptide containing the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 or 24. The invention also provides an isolated polypeptide containing a) an amino acid sequence having at least 50% amino acid identity with SEQ ID NO: 10, and b) an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NOS: 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, or 24; or a conservative variant thereof. The invention further provides an isolated polypeptide containing the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2, 4, 6, or 8. The invention also provides a method for identifying a compound that modulates a COX-1 variant by contacting an isolated COX-1 variant or a COX-1 variant over-expressed in a genetically engineered cell with a compound and determining the level of an indicator which correlates with modulation of a COX-1 variant, where an alteration in the level of the indicator as compared to a control level indicates that the compound is a compound that modulates the COX-1 variant.

Abstract: An acyltransferase is provided, suitable for use in the manufacture of microbial oils enriched in omega fatty acids in oleaginous organisms. Specifically, the gene encoding diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT2) has been isolated from Mortierella alpina. This gene encodes an enzyme that participates in the terminal step in oil biosynthesis in fungi and yeast and is expected to play a key role in altering the quantity of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids produced in oils of oleaginous organisms. Most desirably, the substrate specificity of the instant DGAT2 will be particularly useful to enable accumulation of long-chain PUFAs having chain lengths equal to or greater than C20 in oleaginous yeast, such as Yarrowia lipolytica.