Abstract: An expression vector capable of expressing a foreign gene in Pseudonocardia autotrophica; a transformant of Pseudonocardia autotrophica produced by using the expression vector; a method for producing a protein by using the transformant; a method for producing an active form of vitamin D3 from vitamin D3, which comprises highly expressing a gene encoding an enzyme involved in the synthesis of the active form of vitamin D3 in a transformant by using the expression vector or the transformant; a method for producing 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 from vitamin D2; and a method for producing pravastatin from compactin, which comprises highly expressing a compactin hydroxylase gene in a transformant by using the expression vector or the transformant.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to obtain highly active P450scc enzyme protein which is an important enzyme protein that catalyzes the first step of the biosynthesis of industrially useful steroid hormone. The present invention provides a sterol side chain cleavage enzyme protein having the following physicochemical properties: (1) action: the enzyme acts on sterol represented by formula (I) as defined in the specification and cleaves the carbon-carbon bond between positions 20 and 22 of a sterol side chain portion by its activity of cleaving the bonds, so as to generate a compound represented by formula (II) as defined in the specification; (2) substrate specificity: when microorganisms that produce the enzyme protein are allowed to react with an aqueous solution containing 100 ?g/ml 4-cholesten-3-one or cholesterol at 28° C.

Abstract: An expression vector capable of expressing a foreign gene in Pseudonocardia autotrophica; a transformant of Pseudonocardia autotrophica produced by using the expression vector; a method for producing a protein by using the transformant; a method for producing an active form of vitamin D3 from vitamin D3, which comprises highly expressing a gene encoding an enzyme involved in the synthesis of the active form of vitamin D3 in a transformant by using the expression vector or the transformant; a method for producing 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 from vitamin D2; and a method for producing pravastatin from compactin, which comprises highly expressing a compactin hydroxylase gene in a transformant by using the expression vector or the transformant.

Abstract: The present invention provides polypeptides that participate in the biosynthesis of the pladienolide macrolide compounds, DNA that encodes these polypeptides and variants of this DNA, transformants that maintain all or a portion of this DNA or variant thereof, and a method of producing the pladienolide macrolide compounds using these transformants. More particularly, it provides an isolated pure DNA that contains at least one region encoding a polypeptide that participates in pladienolide biosynthesis; polypeptide encoded by this DNA; a self-replicating or integrated-replicating recombinant plasmid carrying this DNA; a transformant maintaining this DNA; and a method of producing a pladienolide, characterized by culturing this transformant on culture medium and collecting pladienolide from this culture medium.

Abstract: The present invention provides polypeptides that participate in the biosynthesis of the pladienolide macrolide compounds, DNA that encodes these polypeptides and variants of this DNA, transformants that maintain all or a portion of this DNA or variant thereof, and a method of producing the pladienolide macrolide compounds using these transformants. More particularly, it provides an isolated pure DNA that contains at least one region encoding a polypeptide that participates in pladienolide biosynthesis; polypeptide encoded by this DNA; a self-replicating or integrated-replicating recombinant plasmid carrying this DNA; a transformant maintaining this DNA; and a method of producing a pladienolide, characterized by culturing this transformant on culture medium and collecting pladienolide from this culture medium.

Abstract: This invention relates to a system for the expression of cytochrome P-450 gene in host Escherichia coli, and provides Escherichia coli which contains actinomycete ferredoxin gene and also ferredoxin gene and ferredoxin reductase gene which are xenogenic to Escherichia coli. Thus, this invention is useful for the promotion of effective single oxygen atom insertional reaction of a substrate organic compound.

Abstract: This invention provides DNA fragments for efficiently preparing a protein having asymmetric hydrolase activity for 4-substituted 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives, transformants obtained by using such a DNA fragment, and a process for preparing the aforesaid enzyme. Specifically, an isolated gene derived from the chromosome of Streptomyces viridosporus and encoding a protein having asymmetric hydrolase activity for 4-substituted 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives, plasmids having the aforesaid gene integrated thereinto, transformants obtained by using such a plasmid, and a process for preparing the aforesaid enzyme by using such a transformant are disclosed. A process for the enzymatic conversion of 4-substituted 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives by using the aforesaid enzyme is also disclosed.

Abstract: This invention provides DNA fragments for efficiently preparing a protein having asymmetric hydrolase activity for 4-substituted 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives, transformants obtained by using such a DNA fragment, and a process for preparing the aforesaid enzyme. Specifically, an isolated gene derived from the chromosome of Streptomyces viridosporus and encoding a protein having asymmetric hydrolase activity for 4-substituted 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives, plasmids having the aforesaid gene integrated thereinto, transformants obtained by using such a plasmid, and a process for preparing the aforesaid enzyme by using such a transformant are disclosed. A process for the enzymatic conversion of 4-substituted 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives by using the aforesaid enzyme is also disclosed.

Abstract: A DNA fragment or a restriction enzyme-digested DNA fragment, the DNA fragment containing a gene, acyA, encoding a 3-acylation enzyme for macrolide antibiotics, characterized by being derived from a strain belonging to the genus Streptomyces, having a size of about 1.8 kb or about 3.2 kb, and having a DNA base sequence shown in a restriction enzyme map shown in FIG. 1(A) or FIG. 1(B), respectively, in the attached drawing. 3-Acylated macrolide antibiotics can be produced advantageously using macrolide antibiotics-producing bacteria transformed with vector plasmids having inserted therein the DNA fragment.

Abstract: A DNA fragment containing acyB gene coding for an enzyme capable of acylating the 4"-position of a macrolide antibiotic, said DNA fragment being derived from a microorganism of the genus Streptomyces, having a size of about 3.1 kb and being characterized by the restriction endonuclease map shown in FIG. 1 , and a DNA restriction fragment resulting from digestion with a restriction endonuclease; a recombinant DNA plasmid containing this DNA fragment; a microorganism transformed with this recombinant plasmid; and a process for producing a 4"-acylated macrolide antibiotic by using the transformant.