Abstract: A skin agent for external use and a cosmetic agent are provided, by transdermal administration of which expected actions and effects of ubiquinone derivatives, salts thereof, ubiquinones and ubiquinols are effectively obtained. The skin agent for external use includes a ubiquinone derivative or a salt thereof as an active ingredient. The ubiquinone derivative is represented by the formula (1): wherein R1 and R2 are each a hydrogen atom or a phosphoric group, at least one of R1 and R2 is a phosphoric group, and n is an integer in the range of 1 to 9.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for acyltransferase reaction in which an acyl group of acyl coenzyme A is transferred to an acyl group receptor characterized in that the reaction is carried out by production and/or reproduction of acyl coenzyme A from coenzyme A in a reaction system by a chemical thioester exchange reaction with acylthioester. The present invention, wherein expensive acyl CoA is reproduced nonenzymatically in a reaction system, enables to continuously carry out acyltransferase reaction only by putting a small amount of acyl CoA with a donor and a receptor of an acyl group into a system. Accordingly, the method of the present invention can be applied to an industrial production method of various kinds of compounds including useful biological molecules and synthesis of polymers such as polyester.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a hair nourishing cosmetic which allows an antioxidative action of ubiquinone to contribute to hair nourishment. The hair nourishing cosmetic of the present invention comprises a ubiquinone derivative represented by the following formula (1) and/or its salt, wherein R1 and R2 are each independently a hydrogen atom or a phosphoric acid group, at least one of R1 and R2 is a phosphoric acid group, and n is an integer of 1 to 9.

Abstract: Hydroxycitric acid derivatives and salts thereof are provided which are useful as active ingredients of skin external preparations and cosmetics. Also provided are processes for production of the hydroxycitric acid derivatives, and skin external preparations and cosmetics containing the hydroxycitric acid derivatives. Specific hydroxycitric acid derivatives or salts thereof are produced wherein at least one of the hydroxyl groups of hydroxycitric acid or least one of the hydroxyl groups and at least one carboxyl group of hydroxycitric acid are modified to linkage moieties breakable by biological enzyme reaction. The hydroxycitric acid derivatives or salts thereof are added in skin external preparations and cosmetics.

Abstract: To provide novel carnitine derivatives and salts thereof that are resistant to hydrolysis in the presence of aqueous media, and also provide external skin preparations and cosmetics that are excellent in storage stability, product life, skin affinity and percutaneous absorption properties. In particular, to provide novel ?-branched acyl carnitine derivatives and salts thereof, external skin preparations and cosmetics comprising specific ?-branched acyl carnitine derivatives and/or salts thereof.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide skin external preparations and cosmetics which contain a branched acyl carnitine and have excellent formulation stability. A skin external preparation of the present invention includes a carnitine derivative represented by the following Formula (1) and/or a carnitine derivative salt represented by the following Formula (2), and an amphoteric surfactant. In Formula (1), R1 and R2 are each independently a C1-18 optionally branched, saturated or unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon group. In Formula (2), R1 and R2 are the same as in Formula (1), X? is a specific anion and Y+ is a specific cation.

Abstract: An emulsified skin external preparation including 0.01 to 10% by mass of a branched acyl carnitine derivative represented by the following Formula (1) and/or a carnitine derivative salt represented by the following Formula (2), and 0.01 to 20% by mass of a nonionic surfactant: where R1 and R2 are each independently a C1-18 optionally branched, saturated or unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon group. In Formula (2), R1 and R2 are the same as in Formula (1), X? is a specific anion and Y+ is a specific cation.

Abstract: A skin agent for external use and a cosmetic agent are provided, by transdermal administration of which expected actions and effects of ubiquinone derivatives, salts thereof, ubiquinones and ubiquinols are effectively obtained. The skin agent for external use includes a ubiquinone derivative or a salt thereof as an active ingredient. The ubiquinone derivative is represented by the formula (1): wherein R1 and R2 are each a hydrogen atom or a phosphoric group, at least one of R1 and R2 is a phosphoric group, and n is an integer in the range of 1 to 9.

Abstract: Disclosed is a dermatological preparation that are safe and are excellent in inhibiting and removing skin pigmentation and in inhibiting skin roughness. A dermatological preparation comprising a tocopherol aminoalkylcarboxylate and/or a salt thereof, the tocopherol aminoalkylcarboxylate being represented by Formula (I): wherein R1 is a hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group; R2 and R3 are each independently a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; X is a cycloalkylene group of 3 to 6 carbon atoms; and n is 0 or 1.

Abstract: To provide novel carnitine derivatives and salts thereof that are resistant to hydrolysis in the presence of aqueous media, and also provide external skin preparations and cosmetics that are excellent in storage stability, product life, skin affinity and percutaneous absorption properties. In particular, to provide novel ?-branched acyl carnitine derivatives and salts thereof, external skin preparations and cosmetics comprising specific ?-branched acyl carnitine derivatives and/or salts thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for acyltransferase reaction in which an acyl group of acyl coenzyme A is transferred to an acyl group receptor characterized in that the reaction is carried out by production and/or reproduction of acyl coenzyme A from coenzyme A in a reaction system by a chemical thioester exchange reaction with acylthioester. The present invention, wherein expensive acyl CoA is reproduced nonenzymatically in a reaction system, enables to continuously carry out acyltransferase reaction only by putting a small amount of acyl CoA with a donor and a receptor of an acyl group into a system. Accordingly, the method of the present invention can be applied to an industrial production method of various kinds of compounds including useful biological molecules and synthesis of polymers such as polyester.

Abstract: The invention relates to a selection method of an Escherichia coli mutant strain which expresses an exogenous gene at a high level, wherein stress resistance such as hydrogen peroxide decomposition activity is used as an index, the Escherichia coli mutant strain selected thereby and production methods of enzyme using the strain and of useful compounds like amino acids (especially L-amino acid) and the like using the strain. According to the selection method of the invention, an Escherichia coli mutant strain where gene expression amount does not decrease with passage can be obtained, and a compound using a plant-derived ammonia lyase can be efficiently produced.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for acyltransferase reaction in which an acyl group of acyl coenzyme A is transferred to an acyl group receptor characterized in that the reaction is carried out by production and/or reproduction of acyl coenzyme A from coenzyme A in a reaction system by a chemical thioester exchange reaction with acylthioester. The present invention, wherein expensive acyl CoA is reproduced nonenzymatically in a reaction system, enables to continuously carry out acyltransferase reaction only by putting a small amount of acyl CoA with a donor and a receptor of an acyl group into a system. Accordingly, the method of the present invention can be applied to an industrial production method of various kinds of compounds including useful biological molecules and synthesis of polylmers such as polyester.

Abstract: The present invention provides an external preparation for skin, which comprises a multi-branched polysaccharide derivative with multi-branched polysaccharide skeleton consisting of saccharides as constituent units, wherein at least one of hydroxyl (OH) groups in the multi-branched polysaccharide skeleton is substituted by OR (wherein R represents a hydrogen atom, a hydrocarbon having 1 to 30 carbon groups or a hydrocarbon having 1 to 30 carbon groups which has hetero atom), which can give moisture and turgor to the skin, and cosmetics containing the external preparation.

Abstract: Hydroxycitric acid derivatives and salts thereof are provided which are useful as active ingredients of skin external preparations and cosmetics. Also provided are processes for production of the hydroxycitric acid derivatives, and skin external preparations and cosmetics containing the hydroxycitric acid derivatives. Specific hydroxycitric acid derivatives or salts thereof are produced wherein at least one of the hydroxyl groups of hydroxycitric acid or least one of the hydroxyl groups and at least one carboxyl group of hydroxycitric acid are modified to linkage moieties breakable by biological enzyme reaction. The hydroxycitric acid derivatives or salts thereof are added in skin external preparations and cosmetics.

Abstract: The present invention relates to: a reductase gene for an ?-substituted-?,?-unsaturated carbonyl compound which contains a DNA sequence encoding an amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 20 and an amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 21; an enzyme which is a product of the gene; a plasmid and a transformant each containing the gene DNA; and a method of reducing an ?-substituted-?,?-unsaturated carbonyl compound using the transformant. According to claim the present invention, there is provided an enzyme gene which is useful in producing a corresponding ?-substituted-?,?-saturated carbonyl compound optically active at the ?-position by hydrogenating an ?,?-carbon double bond of an ?-substituted carbonyl compound, which is a compound prochiral at the alpha-position, and an enzyme which is a gene product thereof.

Abstract: The invention relates to a selection method of an Escherichia coli mutant strain which expresses an exogenous gene at a high level, wherein stress resistance such as hydrogen peroxide decomposition activity is used as an index, the Escherichia coli mutant strain selected thereby and production methods of enzyme using the strain and of useful compounds like amino acids (especially L-amino acid) and the like using the strain. According to the selection method of the invention, an Escherichia coli mutant strain where gene expression amount does not decrease with passage can be obtained, and a compound using a plant-derived ammonia lyase can be efficiently produced.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel Rhodococcus bacterium and to a process of hydrolyzing a cyano group of a nitrile compound using a novel Rhodococcus bacterium to produce the corresponding carboxylic acid. The present invention also relates to a process of producing carboxylic acids, in particular cyano carboxylic acids using a transformant transformed with a plasmid containing a nitrilase gene, a nitrile hydratase gene and an amidase gene derived from Rhodococcus bacteria capable of exhibiting particularly excellent position selectivity for the cyano group of aromatic polynitrile compounds, to such a transformant, such a plasmid, to such genes, to a process of producing an enzyme using the transformant, and to enzymes obtained by the process. The carboxylic acids, in particular cyano carboxylic acids obtained by the present invention are useful as starting materials for the synthesis of drugs, agrochemicals, dyestuff and other chemicals.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for acyltransferase reaction in which an acyl group of acyl coenzyme A is transferred to an acyl group receptor characterized in that the reaction is carried out by production and/or reproduction of acyl coenzyme A from coenzyme A in a reaction system by a chemical thioester exchange reaction with acylthioester. The present invention, wherein expensive acyl CoA is reproduced nonenzymatically in a reaction system, enables to continuously carry out acyltransferase reaction only by putting a small amount of acyl CoA with a donor and a receptor of an acyl group into a system. Accordingly, the method of the present invention can be applied to an industrial production method of various kinds of compounds including useful biological molecules and synthesis of polylmers such as polyester.

Abstract: The present invention provides a polysaccharide/functional compound complex comprising a functional compound and a multi-branched polysaccharide derivative, wherein the multi-branched polysaccharide derivative has a skeleton of a multi-branched polysaccharide composed of a saccharide as a structural unit, and at least one of the hydroxyl groups (OH) of the multi-branched polysaccharide is substituted by OR, wherein R represents a hydrogen atom, a hydrocarbon having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, or a hydrocarbon having 1 to 30 carbon atoms and hetero atom. The functional compound can be efficiently incorporated into polysaccharide derivative, and further by exposing the polysaccharide complex to an environment such as a solution, sustained release of the functional compound can be controlled. By utilizing this property, the complex can be efficiently used in external preparations for skin such as cosmetic products.