Abstract: A novel enzyme which has an activity to release side chain carboxyl groups and ammonia from a protein by acting upon side chain amido groups in the protein. This invention relates to a method for the production of an enzyme, which comprises culturing in a medium a strain that belongs to a bacterium classified into Cytophagales or Actinomycetes and has the ability to produce an enzyme having a property to deamidate amido groups in protein, thereby effecting production of said enzyme, and subsequently collecting said enzyme from the culture mixture. It also relates to a method for the modification of protein making use of a novel enzyme which directly acts upon amido groups in protein as well as to an enzyme which has a property to deamidate amido groups in protein and a gene which encodes said enzyme.

Abstract: A novel enzyme which has an activity to release side chain carboxyl groups and ammonia from a protein by acting upon side chain amido groups in the protein. This invention relates to a method for the production of an enzyme, which comprises culturing in a medium a strain that belongs to a bacterium classified into Cytophagales or Actinomycetes and has the ability to produce an enzyme having a property to deamidate amido groups in protein, thereby effecting production of said enzyme, and subsequently collecting said enzyme from the culture mixture. It also relates to a method for the modification of protein making use of a novel enzyme which directly acts upon amido groups in protein as well as to an enzyme which has a property to deamidate amido groups in protein and a gene which encodes said enzyme.

Abstract: A novel enzyme which has an activity to release side chain carboxyl groups and ammonia from a protein by acting upon side chain amido groups in the protein. This invention relates to a method for the production of an enzyme, which comprises culturing in a medium a strain that belongs to a bacterium classified into Cytophagales or Actinomycetes and has the ability to produce an enzyme having a property to deamidate amido groups in protein, thereby effecting production of said enzyme, and subsequently collecting said enzyme from the culture mixture. It also relates to a method for the modification of protein making use of a novel enzyme which directly acts upon amido groups in protein as well as to an enzyme which has a property to deamidate amido groups in protein and a gene which encodes said enzyme.

Abstract: Compositions having an effect of promoting gastric emptying. These compositions comprise a lipase which was found to have an effect of promoting gastric emptying together with lipase activity-free ingredient(s) acting on the digestive tracts such as a prokinetic, a histamine H2 receptor antagonist, a proton pump inhibitor and/or a stomachic ingredient. They are efficaciously employed as medicaments for ameliorating or treating chronic gastrointestinal symptoms such as sinking feelings, heartburn and heaviness in the stomach, i.e., complaints about the digestive tracts.

Abstract: A novel method for cross-linking a protein, which uses a multi-copper oxidase such as laccase, bilirubin oxidase, and the like.

Abstract: A dough composition containing not less than 15 units of a raw starch decomposing enzyme per kilogram of a raw material to be baked, which may further contain glucose oxidase and/or hemicellulase. The characteristics of the dough composition are improved to provide baked products which have improved softness and are slow in getting hard.

Abstract: This invention provides an L-&agr;-glycerophosphate oxidase (GPO) having excellent properties such as stability, heat resistance and reactivity. A recombinant GPO obtained by replacing an amino acid of a specified position of an amino acid sequence deduced from the Enterococcus faecium No. 7044 GPO gene or DNA coding for the GPO with other amino acid has excellent thermal stability and reactivity. That is, the invention provides modified forms of the GPO having the amino acid sequence of Sequence No. 1 in the Sequence Listing, in which the 130-position leucine counting from the N-terminus of the GPO is replaced by other amino acid and/or the 225-position serine counting from the N-terminus of the GPO is replaced by other amino acid and/or the 298-position threonine counting from the N-terminus of the GPO is replaced by other amino acid and/or the 420-position aspartic acid counting from the N-terminus of the GPO is replaced by other amino acid.

Abstract: A novel enzyme which has an activity to release side chain carboxyl groups and ammonia from a protein by acting upon side chain amido groups in the protein. This invention relates to a method for the production of an enzyme, which comprises culturing in a medium a strain that belongs to a bacterium classified into Cytophagales or Actinomycetes and has the ability to produce an enzyme having a property to deamidate amido groups in protein, thereby effecting production of said enzyme, and subsequently collecting said enzyme from the culture mixture. It also relates to a method for the modification of protein making use of a novel enzyme which directly acts upon amido groups in protein as well as to an enzyme which has a property to deamidate amido groups in protein and a gene which encodes said enzyme.

Abstract: A novel method for cross-linking a protein, which uses a multi-copper oxidase such as laccase, bilirubin oxidase, and the like.

Abstract: Oligosaccharides having physiological activities are synthesized in vivo in order to, for example, improve intestinal bacterial flora. An enzyme composition comprising an enzyme capable of forming an oligosaccharide having a physiological activity in the living body and a method for forming an oligosaccharide having a physiological activity in the living body are provided.

Abstract: To provide a medicament that can be used as a drug for the effective treatment of gastric ulcers, duodenal ulcers and like diseases of the digestive tract. The medicament comprises a combination of at least one agent selected from the group consisting of histamine H.sub.2 receptor antagonists and proton pump inhibitors, and a digestive enzyme.

Abstract: This invention relates to a .gamma.-cyclodextrin glucanotransferase having novel properties, to a process for the production of the .gamma.-cyclodextrin glucanotransferase which comprises culturing a strain belonging to the genus Brevibacterium capable of producing cyclodextrin glucanotransferase, thereby allowing the strain to produce the .gamma.-cyclodextrin glucanotransferase in a culture medium, and subsequently collecting the enzyme, to a process for the production of cyclodextrin which comprises allowing the cyclodextrin glucanotransferase to react with substrate dissolved in a solution, thereby effecting formation of .gamma.-cyclodextrin as a main product, and to a method for increasing .gamma.-cyclodextrin yield without accompanying yield increase of total cyclodextrin, which comprises adding ethyl alcohol to a reaction solution in which .gamma.-cyclodextrin and .beta.-cyclodextrin are formed from starch by the action of .gamma.

Abstract: A bread quality-improving composition and a process for the production of bread using the composition. More particularly, a bread quality-improving composition which contains a maltotriose-forming enzyme or a maltotriose-forming enzyme, glucose oxidase and/or hemicellulase and a process for the production of dough and bread using the composition. The bread quality-improving composition renders possible the easy handling of dough without covering it with wheat flour and the like, the exclusion of additives for use in the control of water content, an improvement in elasticity and ductility of bread when baked, the prevention of bread solidification and other problems such as a reduction in bread volume when frozen dough is used and the elimination or reduction of emulsifying agents.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel ascorbate oxidase (ASOD) which catalyzes oxidation reaction of L-ascorbic acid with molecular oxygen to form L-dehydroascorbic acid and hydrogen peroxide, a process for producing the ascorbate oxidase comprising using a microorganism belonging to the genus Eupenicillium, a gene encoding ASOD, a transformant containing such a gene, a process for producing ASOD using such a transformant, and a reagent composition comprising ASOD, such as a reagent composition for examination, a food additive, and a reagent composition in the fields of food and clinical examination. The ascorbate oxidase has excellent stability particularly in a liquid state.

Abstract: A DNA fragment containing a caffeine demethylase gene produced by a microorganism belonging to the genus Pseudomonas and capable of assimilating caffeine and a process for producing a 3-methyl-7-alkylxanthine comprising cultivating a novel bacterium strain of the genus Pseudomonas having been transformed with a recombinant DNA having integrated therein the above-mentioned DNA fragment in a nutrient culture medium containing a 1,3-dimethyl-7-alkylxanthine to produce a 3-methyl-7-alkylxanthine in the culture and recovering the produced 3-methyl-7-alkylxanthine from the culture are disclosed, as well as a process for producing 3-methyl-7-propylxanthine, comprising cultivating a microorganism capable of converting 1,3-dimethyl-7-propylxanthine to 3-methyl-7-propylxanthine or a mutant thereof in a nutrient culture medium containing 1,3-dimethyl-7-propylxanthine, to produce 3-methyl-7-propylxanthine in the culture and recovering the produced 3-methyl-7-propylxanthine from the culture.

Abstract: An additive for cholesterol-containing food, containing a rice bran component and/or a derivative thereof as an active ingredient, a method of using same, and food treated thereby; and a process for producing mayonnaise controlled in the rise of a blood cholesterol level, or the absorption of cholesterol. A method of decreasing the effect of cholesterol contained in food on a living organism, for example, controlling the rise of a blood cholesterol level by adding to cholesterol-containing food a food additive capable of forming a complex with cholesterol, such as an extract of a rice bran component, .gamma.-orizanol (.gamma.-OZ) which is a mixture of esters of ferulic acid with various alcohols prepared by refining said extract and/or a derivative of a rice bran component, thereby forming a cholesterol complex of the food additive, whereby the cholesterol contained in food becomes nonabsorbable by a living organism or can be removed therefrom.

Abstract: A method of determining tenascin in a cerebrospinal fluid sample by immunoassay, etc. is disclosed. The tenascin level in the cerebrospinal fluid serves as a glioma marker and thus the selective diagnosis of glioma is possible.

Abstract: A DNA gene which encodes transglutaminase, a plasmid in which the DNA gene is incorporated, a transformant transformed with the plasmid and a process for the production of transglutaminase that comprises culturing the transformant.

Abstract: A debranching enzyme, a process for producing the enzyme, a microorganism capable of producing the enzyme, and a process for producing glucose liquids using the enzyme are disclosed. The microorganism is preferrably Bacillus FERM BP-4204, the enzyme is a debranching enzyme which acts on alpha-1,6 glucosidase bonds on produce straight chain amylose, acts on pullulan and also acts on relatively long chain saccharides, wherein said substrate specificity for activity on pullulan is set at 100, the activity of said enzyme on soluble starches relative to said activity on pullulan is from about 20 to 40, the activity of said enzyme on glycogen relative to said activity on pullulan is from about 30 to 60, and the activity of said enzyme on amylopectin relative to said activity on pullulan is from about 10 to 30, has an optimum pH from about 4.5 to 6.0, an optimum temperature from about 60.degree. C. to about 70.degree. C., a molecular weight of about 98 kD as measured by SDS-PAGE, and an isoelectric point of about 2.

Abstract: An isoamylase, useful in the field of starch saccharification, having a molecular weight of about 105,000, an isoelectric point of 6.4, an optimum pH of 3.0 to 5.0, an optimum temperature of about 50.degree. C. and exhibiting temperature stability at 45.degree. C..times.10 minutes and pH stability at pH 3.5 to 6.0, and a process for producing the same comprising cultivating an isoamylase-producing strain belonging to the genus Xanthomonas and recovering the enzyme produced.