Abstract: Microorganisms in which the activities of one or more kinds of peptidases and one or more kinds of proteins having peptide-transporting activity are reduced or lost and which have the ability to produce a dipeptide. Also, microorganisms in which the activities of three or more kinds of peptidases are reduced or lost and which have the ability to produce a dipeptide, and a process for producing dipeptides using the microorganisms.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing a dipeptide which comprises culturing in a medium a microorganism which has the ability to produce a protein having the activity to form the dipeptide from one or more kinds of amino acids and which has the ability to produce at least one of said one or more kinds of amino acids, allowing the dipeptide to form and accumulate in the medium, and recovering the dipeptide from the medium.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for economically producing N-acetylneuraminic acid without using expensive materials such as pyruvic acid and phosphoenolpyruvic acid. The process comprises: allowing (i) a culture of a microorganism having N-acetylneuraminic acid aldolase activity or N-acetylneuraminic acid synthetase activity, or a treated matter of the culture, (ii) a culture of a microorganism capable of producing pyruvic acid or a treated matter of the culture, or a culture of a microorganism capable of producing phosphoenolpyruvic acid or a treated matter of the culture, (iii) N-acetylmannosamine, and (iv) an energy source which is necessary for the formation of pyruvic acid or phosphoenolpyruvic acid to be present in an aqueous medium to form and accumulate N-acetylneuraminic acid in the aqueous medium; and recovering N-acetylneuraminic acid from the aqueous medium.

Abstract: The present invention provides a protein which catalyzes the synthesis of a dipeptide different from L-Ala-L-Ala, a process for producing the protein which catalyzes the synthesis of a dipeptide, a process for producing a dipeptide using the protein which catalyzes the synthesis of a dipeptide, and a process for producing the dipeptide using a culture of a microorganism producing the protein which catalyzes the synthesis of a dipeptide or the like as an enzyme source.

Abstract: The present invention provides: (1) crystals of a dipeptide which do not substantially comprise a dipeptide comprising D-amino acid as a constituent or a polypeptide consisting of three or more amino acids; and (2) crystals of a dipeptide which do not substantially comprise a dipeptide comprising D-amino acid as a constituent, a polypeptide consisting of three or more amino acids, or an amino acid amide; and a process for producing the dipeptide crystals.

Abstract: The present invention provides a protein which catalyzes the synthesis of a dipeptide different from L-Ala-L-Ala, a process for producing the protein which catalyzes the synthesis of a dipeptide, a process for producing a dipeptide using the protein which catalyzes the synthesis of a dipeptide, and a process for producing the dipeptide using a culture of a microorganism producing the protein which catalyzes the synthesis of a dipeptide or the like as an enzyme source.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing a dipeptide which comprises culturing in a medium a microorganism which has the ability to produce a protein having the activity to form the dipeptide from one or more kinds of amino acids and which has the ability to produce at least one of said one or more kinds of amino acids, allowing the dipeptide to form and accumulate in the medium, and recovering the dipeptide from the medium.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing a dipeptide or a dipeptide derivative by using a protein having the activity to form the dipeptide or dipeptide derivative from one or more kinds of amino acids or amino acid derivatives, or a culture of cells having the ability to produce the protein or a treated matter of the culture as a enzyme source, which comprise; allowing the enzyme source, one or more kinds of amino acids or amino acid derivatives and ATP to be present in an aqueous medium; allowing the dipeptide or dipeptide derivative to form and accumulate in the medium; and recovering the dipeptide or dipeptide derivative from the medium.

Abstract: The present invention provides a microorganism belonging to the genus Escherichia in which the activities of glutamine-synthetase adenylyltransferase (GlnE protein) and PII regulatory protein for glutamine synthetase are reduced or lost and which has the ability to form and accumulate L-glutamine or a substance biosynthesized utilizing nitrogen supplied by L-glutamine, and a process for producing L-glutamine or the substance biosynthesized utilizing nitrogen supplied by L-glutamine using the microorganism.

Abstract: The present invention provides: a protein having dipeptide-synthesizing activity or a protein for dipeptide synthesis; DNA encoding the protein having dipeptide-synthesizing activity or the protein for dipeptide synthesis; a recombinant DNA comprising the DNA; a transformant carrying the recombinant DNA; a process for producing the protein having dipeptide-synthesizing activity; an enzymatic process for producing a dipeptide using the protein having dipeptide-synthesizing activity or the protein for dipeptide synthesis; and a process for producing a dipeptide using, as an enzyme source, a culture of a microorganism or a transformant having the ability to produce the protein having dipeptide-synthesizing activity or the protein for dipeptide synthesis, or the like.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing a dipeptide which comprises culturing in a medium a microorganism which has the ability to produce a protein having the activity to form the dipeptide from one or more kinds of amino acids and which has the ability to produce at least one of said one or more kinds of amino acids, allowing the dipeptide to form and accumulate in the medium, and recovering the dipeptide from the medium.

Abstract: A microorganism having the ability to biosynthesize mevalonic acid from acetyl-CoA is obtained by transfecting a DNA participating in biosynthesis of mevalonic acid from acetyl-CoA into a host microorganism, preferably into a microorganism having only a non-mevalonic acid pathway, to express the DNA therein. Mevalonic acid can be efficiently produced by culturing the microorganism, and recovering mevalonic acid that is produced and accumulated in a large amount in the culture.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for producing a sugar nucleotide, in which a) a culture broth of a microorganism capable of producing NTP from a nucleotide precursor, or a treated product of the culture broth, and b) a culture broth of a microorganism capable of producing a sugar nucleotide from a sugar and NTP, or a treated product of the culture broth, are used as enzyme sources; a process for producing a complex carbohydrate, in which the above-described a) and b) and c) a culture broth of a microorganism, an animal cell or an insect cell capable of producing a complex carbohydrate from a sugar nucleotide and a complex carbohydrate precursor, or a treated product of the culture broth, are used as enzyme sources; a process for producing a complex carbohydrate, in which a culture broth of a microorganism, an animal cell or an insect cell capable of producing a complex carbohydrate from a sugar nucleotide and a complex carbohydrate precursor, or a treated product of the culture broth, is as an enzyme sour

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel protein having N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase activity; a DNA encoding the protein; a recombinant vector containing the DNA; a transformant obtainable by introducing the recombinant vector into a host cell; and a process for producing the protein or N-acetylmannosamine using the transformant.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing a dipeptide which comprises: allowing an enzyme source and one or more kinds of substances selected from the group consisting of amino acid amides, amino acid esters and amino acids to be present in an aqueous medium, said enzyme source being a culture of a microorganism having the ability to produce a dipeptide or a treated matter of the culture, and having been subjected to heat treatment at a temperature of 41 to 65° C. for 30 seconds to one hour so as to produce and accumulate the dipeptide in the aqueous medium; and recovering the dipeptide from the aqueous medium.

Abstract: The present invention provides microorganisms in which the activities of one or more kinds of peptidases and one or more kinds of proteins having peptide-transporting activity are reduced or lost and which have the ability to produce a dipeptide, microorganisms in which the activities of three or more kinds of peptidases are reduced or lost and which have the ability to produce a dipeptide, and a process for producing dipeptides using the microorganisms.

Abstract: Processes for producing GDP-fucose, comprising allowing GKDM and a culture broth of a microorganism capable of converting GKDM into GDP-fucose to be present in an aqueous medium, forming and accumulating GDP-fucose therein, and recovering the GDP-fucose therefrom; or comprising allowing a GTP precursor, a saccharide, a culture broth of a microorganism capable of forming GTP from a GTP precursor, and a culture broth of a microorganism capable of forming GKDM from a saccharide and GTP to be present in an aqueous medium, forming and accumulating GKDM therein, converting the accumulated GKDM into GDP-fucose using as a culture broth of a microorganism capable of converting GKDM into GDP-fucose to form and accumulate GDP-fucose therein, and recovering the GDP-fucose therefrom; and a process for producing GKDM, comprising allowing a GTP precursor, a saccharide, a culture broth of a microorganism capable of forming GTP from a GTP precursor, and a culture broth of a microorganism capable forming GKDM from a saccharide

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for producing a sugar nucleotide, in which a) a culture broth of a microorganism capable of producing NTP from a nucleotide precursor, or a treated product of the culture broth, and b) a culture broth of a microorganism capable of producing a sugar nucleotide from a sugar and NTP, or a treated product of the culture broth, are used as enzyme sources; a process for producing a complex carbohydrate, in which the above-described a) and b) and c) a culture broth of a microorganism, an animal cell or an insect cell capable of producing a complex carbohydrate from a sugar nucleotide and a complex carbohydrate precursor, or a treated product of the culture broth, are used as enzyme sources; a process for producing a complex carbohydrate, in which a culture broth of a microorganism, an animal cell or an insect cell capable of producing a complex carbohydrate from a sugar nucleotide and a complex carbohydrate precursor, or a treated product of the culture broth, is as an enzyme sour

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for economically producing N-acetylneuraminic acid without using expensive materials such as pyruvic acid and phosphoenolpyruvic acid. The process comprises: allowing (i) a culture of a microorganism having N-acetylneuraminic acid aldolase activity or N-acetylneuraminic acid synthetase activity, or a treated matter of the culture, (ii) a culture of a microorganism capable of producing pyruvic acid or a treated matter of the culture, or a culture of a microorganism capable of producing phosphoenolpyruvic acid or a treated matter of the culture, (iii) N-acetylmannosamine, and (iv) an energy source which is necessary for the formation of pyruvic acid or phosphoenolpyruvic acid to be present in an aqueous medium to form and accumulate N-acetylneuraminic acid in the aqueous medium; and recovering N-acetylneuraminic acid from the aqueous medium.

Abstract: The present invention provides a protein having &bgr;1,4-galactosyltransferase activity, DNA encoding the protein, a recombinant DNA comprising the DNA, a transformant carrying the recombinant DNA, a process for producing &bgr;1,4-galactosyltransferase by using the transformant, and a process for producing a galactose-containing carbohydrate by using the transformant.