Abstract: A thermal cycler for incubating reaction mixture, the thermal cycler including:(1) a heat block for holding and heating reaction containers which contain the reaction mixture, the heat block being a double-layered structure of a lower layer heat block and an upper layer heat block; and (2) a thermal control means for controlling a temperature of the lower layer heat block and a temperature of the upper layer heat block independently and respectively and keeping the temperature of the upper layer heat block higher than the temperature of the lower layer heat block while incubating the reaction mixture. Since the thermal cycler prevents the occurrence of the condensation of water or other components of the reaction mixture in the reaction container and the thermal differences based on the installation positions of the reaction containers, the PCR method and the other enzyme reaction can be performed in a good repeatability.

Abstract: The present invention provides a ceramidase activity inhibitor which inhibits ceramidase activity, specifically neutral/alkaline ceramidase activity, characterized in that the inhibitor comprises, as an active ingredient, a processed product derived from at least one plant selected from the group consisting of plants belonging to Ginkgoaceae, plants belonging to Cucurbitaceae, plants belonging to Rutaceae, plants belonging to Laminariaceae, plants belonging to Myrtaceae and plants belonging to Compositae, and a medicament, a quasi-drug, cosmetics and a food, each comprising the inhibitor.

Abstract: The present invention provides a ceramidase activity inhibitor which inhibits ceramidase activity, specifically neutral/alkaline ceramidase activity, characterized in that the inhibitor comprises, as an active ingredient, a processed product derived from at least one plant selected from the group consisting of plants belonging to Ginkgoaceae, plants belonging to Cucurbitaceae, plants belonging to Rutaceae, plants belonging to Laminariaceae, plants belonging to Myrtaceae and plants belonging to Compositae, and a medicament, a quasi-drug, cosmetics and a food, each comprising the inhibitor.

Abstract: A process for producing lysosphingolipids by using an enzyme capable of specifically hydrolyzing the acid amide bond between a sphingoid and a fatty acid in a sphingolipid, characterized in that the enzyme reaction is carried out in a two-phase system liquid reaction mixture containing at least an organic solvent forming an aqueous phase and a separation phase in the presence of, if desired, a surfactant.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel sphingolipid ceramide N-deacylase (SCDase) having a wide substrate specificity; a method for enzymatically producing a lysosphingolipid or a sphingolipid derivative using the SCDase which is useful in the fields of medicine, carbohydrate engineering, cell engineering, and the like; the lysosphingolipid or sphingolipid derivative obtained by this production method; a gene which encodes a polypeptide having an SCDase activity useful in sphingolipid technology; a method for industrially producing a polypeptide having an SCDase deacylase activity and a recombinant polypeptide thereof using a transformant to which the gene is introduced; a probe or primer which hybridizes to the gene; and an antibody or a fragment thereof which specifically binds to the polypeptide.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel sphingolipid ceramide N-deacylase (SCDase) having a wide substrate specificity; a method for enzymatically producing a lysosphingolipid or a sphingolipid derivative using the SCDase which is useful in the fields of medicine, carbohydrate engineering, cell engineering, and the like; the lysosphingolipid or sphingolipid derivative obtained by this production method; a gene which encodes a polypeptide having an SCDase activity useful in sphingolipid technology; a method for industrially producing a polypeptide having an SCDase deacylase activity and a recombinant polypeptide thereof using a transformant to which the gene is introduced; a probe or primer which hybridizes to the gene; and an antibody or a fragment thereof which specifically binds to the polypeptide.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel sphingolipid ceramide N-deacylase (SCDase) having a wide substrate specificity; a method for enzymatically producing a lysosphingolipid or a sphingolipid derivative using the SCDase which is useful in the fields of medicine, carbohydrate engineering, cell engineering, and the like; the lysosphingolipid or sphingolipid derivative obtained by this production method; a gene which encodes a polypeptide having an SCDase activity useful in sphingolipid technology; a method for industrially producing a polypeptide having an SCDase deacylase activity and a recombinant polypeptide thereof using a transformant to which the gene is introduced; a probe or primer which hybridizes to the gene; and an antibody or a fragment thereof which specifically binds to the polypeptide.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel sphingolipid ceramide N-deacylase (SCDase) having a wide substrate specificity; a method for enzymatically producing a lysosphingolipid or a sphingolipid derivative using the SCDase which is useful in the fields of medicine, carbohydrate engineering, cell engineering, and the like; the lysosphingolipid or sphingolipid derivative obtained by this production method; a gene which encodes a polypeptide having an SCDase activity useful in sphingolipid technology; a method for industrially producing a polypeptide having an SCDase deacylase activity and a recombinant polypeptide thereof using a transformant to which the gene is introduced; a probe or primer which hybridizes to the gene; and an antibody or a fragment thereof which specifically binds to the polypeptide.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel sphingolipid ceramide N-deacylase (SCDase) having a wide substrate specificity; a method for enzymatically producing a lysosphingolipid or a sphingolipid derivative using the SCDase which is useful in the fields of medicine, carbohydrate engineering, cell engineering, and the like; the lysosphingolipid or sphingolipid derivative obtained by this production method; a gene which encodes a polypeptide having an SCDase activity useful in sphingolipid technology; a method for industrially producing a polypeptide having an SCDase deacylase activity and a recombinant polypeptide thereof using a transformant to which the gene is introduced; a probe or primer which hybridizes to the gene; and an antibody or a fragment thereof which specifically binds to the polypeptide.

Abstract: An isolated DNA having a sequence encoding a polypeptide possessing endoglycoceramidase activator activity or functionally equivalent variants thereof; and a method for producing a polypeptide possessing endoglycoceramidase activator activity or functionally equivalent variants thereof by gene recombinant technology.

Abstract: An isolated DNA having a sequence encoding a polypeptide possessing endoglycoceramidase activity or functionally equivalent variants thereof, and a method for producing a polypeptide possessing endoglycoceramidase activity or functionally equivalent variants thereof by gene recombinant technology.

Abstract: An almond N-glycosidase gene and genes associated therewith are described. Vectors integrated such genes therein, recombinant microorganisms transformed with said vectors, and a process for preparing the almond N-glycosidase using said recombinant microorganisms are also described.