Abstract: One or more embodiments of the present invention provide a microbial strain with improved productivity of ?-glutamylcysteine, bis-?-glutamylcystine, ?-glutamylcystine, reduced glutathione, and/or oxidized glutathione. Such microbial strain has disruption of [1] a gene encoding ?-glutamyltransferase and [2] a gene encoding phosphoglycerate mutase and enhanced expression of [3] a gene encoding glutamate-cysteine ligase and/or a gene encoding glutathione synthetase or [4] a gene encoding bifunctional glutathione synthetase. This invention also discloses a method for producing the substances mentioned above via culture of the microbial strain.

Abstract: A cyclic lipopeptide-producing microbial strain improve productivity of a cyclic lipopeptide, such as surfactin, via microbial culture. The cyclic lipopeptide-producing microbial strain, lack at least one of a gene encoding betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase (EC:1.2.1.8) or a gene encoding choline dehydrogenase (EC:1.1.1.1), and a method for producing a cyclic lipopeptide comprising culturing such microbial strain are provided.

Abstract: This invention is intended to improve glutathione productivity by fermentation using microorganisms. This invention relates to a microbial strain capable of overexpression of ?-glutamylcysteine, bis-?-glutamylcystine, ?-glutamylcystine, reduced glutathione, and/or oxidized glutathione in which the expression level of a gene encoding serine-O-acetyltransferase (EC:2.3.1.30) is enhanced and a method involving the use of such microbial strain.

Abstract: Provided is a mutant polyhydroxyalkanoate synthetase having an amino acid sequence which has 85% or more sequence identity with the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 and which contains a mutation of substitution of at least one of the amino acids at the 27th to 33rd, 39th, 56th, 106th, 129th, 144th, 165th, 170th and 172nd to 187th positions from the N-terminus of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 with another amino acid.

Abstract: A method for editing a plant genome includes coating a microparticle with at least one type of nucleic acid and/or at least one type of protein, introducing a deletion, insertion, or substitution into a target site in the genome of a plant by bombarding a shoot apex of the plant with the coated microparticle using a gene gun, growing the shoot apex bombarded with the coated microparticle to obtain a plant body, and selecting a genome-edited plant body from the plant body. The shoot apex of the plant is selected from the group consisting of a shoot apex of an embryo of a fully mature seed, a shoot apex of a young bud of a tuber, and a shoot apex of a terminal bud or a lateral bud.

Abstract: A method to transforming a plant includes coating a microparticle having a diameter of 0.3 to 0.9 ?m with at least one type of nucleic acid, bombarding a shoot apex of the plant with the coated microparticle using a gene gun, growing the shoot apex bombarded with the coated microparticle to obtain a plant body, and selecting a transformed plant body from the plant body. The shoot apex is selected from the group consisting of a shoot apex of an embryo of a fully mature seed, a shoot apex of a young bud of a tuber, and a shoot apex of a terminal bud or a lateral bud.

Abstract: A method for modifying a plant includes coating a microparticle with at least one type of nucleic acid and/or at least one type of a protein, bombarding a shoot apex of a plant with the coated microparticle, growing the shoot apex bombarded with the coated microparticle to obtain a plant body, and selecting a modified plant body from the plant body. The shoot apex is selected from the group consisting of a shoot apex of an embryo of a fully mature seed, a shoot apex of a young bud, a shoot apex of a terminal bud or a lateral bud, and a shoot apex of an immature embryo.

Abstract: A method for transforming a plant includes exposing a shoot apex of an axillary bud of a plant body, and introducing, into the shoot apex, a microparticle coated with at least one kind of nucleic acid.

Abstract: The present disclosure concerns a method for producing peptides such as glutathione and a microorganism that can be used for such method. One or more embodiments of the first aspect of the present disclosure concern a method for producing peptides such as glutathione comprising culturing a prokaryotic microbial strain in which the expression levels of one or more genes selected from among the gshA gene, the gshB gene, and the gshF gene are enhanced, compared with the expression levels thereof in the wild-type strain thereof in a medium in which the total concentration of cysteine and cystine is 0.5 g/l or lower. The second aspect of the present disclosure concerns a microorganism comprising disruptions of the ?-glutamyltransferase gene and the glutathione reductase gene and exhibiting the enhanced expression levels of the gshA gene and the gshB or gshF gene.

Abstract: Provided is a mutant PHA synthase which produces of a PHA copolymer with a high or low 3HH ratio while maintaining PHA productivity. The mutant PHA synthase is a mutant polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase having an amino acid sequence having 85% or more sequence identity with the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 and having at least one of the following mutations (a) to (c): (a) a substitution of serine at 389th position from N-terminus of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 with an amino acid other than serine; (b) a substitution of leucine at 436th position from the N-terminus of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 with an amino acid other than leucine; and (c) a deletion of 11 to 19 amino acid residues from the C-terminus of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1.

Abstract: A DNA construct for expressing a genome editing system in a plant cell is provided. The DNA construct has a cleaving target region flanked by two recombinase recognition sites arranged in the same direction. A gene encoding a site-specific recombinase that specifically recognizes these recombinase recognition sites is arranged outside of the cleaving target region. The cleaving target region contains a marker gene divided into a 5? region and 3? region and a gene encoding the genome editing system arranged between the 3? region and the 5? region.

Abstract: Provided is a mutant polyhydroxyalkanoate synthetase having an amino acid sequence which has 85% or more sequence identity with the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 and which contains a mutation of substitution of at least one of the amino acids at the 27th to 33rd, 39th, 56th, 106th, 129th, 144th, 165th, 170th and 172nd to 187th positions from the N-terminus of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 with another amino acid.

Abstract: A fertilizer composition for application to leaves of a plant includes oxidized glutathione and one or more fertilizer components. A method for cultivating a plant includes applying oxidized glutathione and one or more fertilizer components to leaves of the plant. A fertilizer kit for application to leaves of a plant includes oxidized glutathione and a composition comprising one or more fertilizer components, wherein the glutathione and the composition in the fertilizer kit are separate from each other.

Abstract: A method for modifying a plant includes coating a microparticle with at least one type of nucleic acid and/or at least one type of a protein, bombarding a shoot apex of a plant with the coated microparticle, growing the shoot apex bombarded with the coated microparticle to obtain a plant body, and selecting a modified plant body from the plant body. The shoot apex is selected from the group consisting of a shoot apex of an embryo of a fully mature seed, a shoot apex of a young bud, a shoot apex of a terminal bud or a lateral bud, and a shoot apex of an immature embryo.

Abstract: A controlled-release fertilizer includes oxidized glutathione and a release control agent, and a method produces the controlled-release fertilizer.

Abstract: This invention provides a method of plant transformation via Agrobacterium comprising inoculating and infecting a plant with an Agrobacterium carrying a foreign-gene-containing vector under application of a plant growth-inhibiting hormone. This invention also provides a method of plant transformation via Agrobacterium comprising transforming a plant with an Agrobacterium carrying a vector comprising a T-DNA region in which a foreign gene is contained but no selectable marker gene is contained.

Abstract: A method for editing a plant genome includes coating a microparticle with at least one type of nucleic acid and/or at least one type of protein, introducing a deletion, insertion, or substitution into a target site in the genome of a plant by bombarding a shoot apex of the plant with the coated microparticle using a gene gun, growing the shoot apex bombarded with the coated microparticle to obtain a plant body, and selecting a genome-edited plant body from the plant body. The shoot apex of the plant is selected from the group consisting of a shoot apex of an embryo of a fully mature seed, a shoot apex of a young bud of a tuber, and a shoot apex of a terminal bud or a lateral bud.

Abstract: A method to transforming a plant includes coating a microparticle having a diameter of 0.3 to 0.9 ?m with at least one type of nucleic acid, bombarding a shoot apex of the plant with the coated microparticle using a gene gun, growing the shoot apex bombarded with the coated microparticle to obtain a plant body, and selecting a transformed plant body from the plant body. The shoot apex is selected from the group consisting of a shoot apex of an embryo of a fully mature seed, a shoot apex of a young bud of a tuber, and a shoot apex of a terminal bud or a lateral bud.

Abstract: A fertilizer composition for application to leaves of a plant includes oxidized glutathione and one or more fertilizer components. A method for cultivating a plant includes applying oxidized glutathione and one or more fertilizer components to leaves of the plant. A fertilizer kit for application to leaves of a plant includes oxidized glutathione and a composition comprising one or more fertilizer components, wherein the glutathione and the composition in the fertilizer kit are separate from each other.

Abstract: A controlled-release fertilizer includes oxidized glutathione and a release control agent, and a method produces the controlled-release fertilizer.