Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing an immobilized microorganism having high filtration properties, and to provide a method for producing an amino acid using the immobilized microorganism. A method for producing an immobilized microorganism is characterized in that a microorganism is contacted with carboxymethyl cellulose sodium salt and then contacted with polyethylenimine and an alkane dial after the first contact with carboxymethyl cellulose sodium salt.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a recombinant protein, which can increase the cell growth rate in culture while stably maintaining plasmids in the cells, thereby improving the recombinant protein yield. The present invention provides a method for producing a recombinant protein, including a high-temperature culture step of culturing at 32° C. or higher a Brevibacillus bacterium that contains a gene encoding a recombinant protein, and a low-temperature culture step of culturing the Brevibacillus bacterium at a temperature lower than 32° C. after the high-temperature culture step.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a recombinant protein, which can increase the cell growth rate in culture while stably maintaining plasmids in the cells, thereby improving the recombinant protein yield. The present invention provides a method for producing a recombinant protein, including a high-temperature culture step of culturing at 32° C. or higher a Brevibacillus bacterium that contains a gene encoding a recombinant protein, and a low-temperature culture step of culturing the Brevibacillus bacterium at a temperature lower than 32° C. after the high-temperature culture step.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a means for producing an optically active tropic acid that is a compound useful as a synthetic raw material or an intermediate for pharmaceutical products and the like. The present invention provides a novel polypeptide having activity to (R)-selectively hydrolyze a racemic tropic acid amide, DNA encoding the polypeptide, a vector containing the DNA, a transformant prepared by transformation with the vector, and a method for producing an optically active carboxylic acid amide and an optically active carboxylic acid using them.

Abstract: The present invention has its object to provide a method for producing an L-amino acid comprising reacting a keto acid with an amino acid dehydrogenase and an enzyme having coenzyme regenerating ability to convert to a L-amino acid, wherein a coenzyme is added in two or more portions in the reaction. The method of the present invention enables efficient production of an L-amino acid useful as a synthetic intermediate such as a pharmaceutical intermediate with high optical purity by an enzymatic reductive amination independent of the purity of the keto acid used as a substrate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel amino acid dehydrogenase, DNA encoding the enzyme, and a transformant having the DNA introduced therein. The present invention also relates to a process for producing an L-amino acid, 2-oxo acid or D-amino acid, which includes allowing the amino acid dehydrogenase or a microorganism or transformant capable of producing the enzyme to act on a substrate compound. The amino acid dehydrogenase has good reactivity even with an amino acid or a 2-oxo acid each having a bulky side chain such as an aromatic-ring-containing group, which acids are poorly reactive with conventional amino acid dehydrogenases. The amino acid dehydrogenase enables the inexpensive and highly efficient production of a useful optically active amino acid.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a means for producing an optically active tropic acid that is a compound useful as a synthetic raw material or an intermediate for pharmaceutical products and the like. The present invention provides a novel polypeptide having activity to (R)-selectively hydrolyze a racemic tropic acid amide, DNA encoding the polypeptide, a vector containing the DNA, a transformant prepared by transformation with the vector, and a method for producing an optically active carboxylic acid amide and an optically active carboxylic acid using them.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel D-amino acid oxidase isolated and purified from Candida intermedia, a gene encoding the D-amino acid oxidase, a recombinant plasmid containing the gene, and a transformant into which the D-amino acid oxidase gene has been introduced, as well as a production method of D-amino acid oxidase including culturing the transformant. Moreover, the present invention relates to a production method of L-amino acids, 2-oxo acids or cyclic imines, which include reacting racemic amino acids with the D-amino acid oxidase, more preferably, a production method of L-amino acids, which includes reacting racemic amino acid with the D-amino acid oxidase, amino acid dehydrogenase and an enzyme having a coenzyme-regenerating activity. According to the present invention, L-amino acids, 2-oxo acids or cyclic imines can be produced with good efficiency in an industrial scale.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel amino acid dehydrogenase, DNA encoding the enzyme, and a transformant having the DNA introduced therein. The present invention also relates to a process for producing an L-amino acid, 2-oxo acid or D-amino acid, which includes allowing the amino acid dehydrogenase or a microorganism or transformant capable of producing the enzyme to act on a substrate compound. The amino acid dehydrogenase has good reactivity even with an amino acid or a 2-oxo acid each having a bulky side chain such as an aromatic-ring-containing group, which acids are poorly reactive with conventional amino acid dehydrogenases. The amino acid dehydrogenase enables the inexpensive and highly efficient production of a useful optically active amino acid.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel D-amino acid oxidase isolated and purified from Candida intermedia, a gene encoding the D-amino acid oxidase, a recombinant plasmid containing the gene, and a transformant into which the D-amino acid oxidase gene has been introduced, as well as a production method of D-amino acid oxidase including culturing the transformant. Moreover, the present invention relates to a production method of L-amino acids, 2-oxo acids or cyclic imines, which include reacting racemic amino acids with the D-amino acid oxidase, more preferably, a production method of L-amino acids, which includes reacting racemic amino acid with the D-amino acid oxidase, amino acid dehydrogenase and an enzyme having a coenzyme-regenerating activity. According to the present invention, L-amino acids, 2-oxo acids or cyclic imines can be produced with good efficiency in an industrial scale.

Abstract: The present invention has its object to provide a method for producing an L-amino acid comprising reacting a keto acid with an amino acid dehydrogenase and an enzyme having coenzyme regenerating ability to convert to a L-amino acid, wherein a coenzyme is added in two or more portions in the reaction. The method of the present invention enables efficient production of an L-amino acid useful as a synthetic intermediate such as a pharmaceutical intermediate with high optical purity by an enzymatic reductive amination independent of the purity of the keto acid used as a substrate.

Abstract: Disclosed are an epoxidized polyester which comprises, per molecule, at least three bifunctional groups each having the general formula ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are the same or different and each is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group containing 1 to 5 carbon atoms, or R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 taken together represent an endomethylene group, and which has a number average molecular weight of about 1,000 to about 10,000, as well as processes for preparing the epoxidized polyester.

Abstract: An insecticide for protecting a fibrous material from the damage by an insect, which comprises a carbamic ester of the formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are, the same or different, each a hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group and R.sub.3 is a lower alkyl group as an active ingredient.

Abstract: An insecticide which comprises an oxalic ester of the formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are, the same or different, each a hydrogen atom or a C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl group but at least one of them is a C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl group.