Abstract: The present invention provides members that produce on a large scale a coenzyme-linked glucose dehydrogenase which has excellent substrate-recognizing ability toward glucose while providing low action on maltose. The present invention relates to a polynucleotide encoding a soluble coenzyme-linked glucose dehydrogenase that catalyzes the oxidation of glucose in the presence of an electron acceptor and has an activity toward maltose of 5% or lower; a polypeptide encoded by the nucleotide sequence of the polynucleotide; a recombinant vector carrying the polynucleotide; a transformed cell produced using the recombinant vector; a method for producing a polypeptide comprising culturing the transformed cell and collecting from the cultivated products a polypeptide that links to FAD to exert the glucose dehydration activity; a method for determination of glucose using the polypeptide; a reagent composition for determination of glucose; and a biosensor.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a gene (polynucleotide) encoding an FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase which can be characterized by reactivity to glucose, thermal stability, substrate-recognition performance, and low activity for maltose; a process for the production of the enzyme using a transformant cell transfected with the gene; a method for the determination of glucose; a reagent composition for use in the determination of glucose; and a biosensor for use in the determination of glucose. An embodiment is a polynucleotide encoding an FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase, comprising a polypeptide whose amino acid sequence comprises X1-X2-X3-X4-X5-X6, wherein X1 and X2 independently represent an aliphatic amino acid residue; X3 and X6 independently represent a branched amino acid residue; and X4 and X5 independently represent a heterocyclic amino acid residue or an aromatic amino acid residue.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method of manufacturing porous granules, a porous granule obtained by the method, a lipid-containing granule and a method of manufacturing thereof, and a food containing the lipid-containing granules and a method of manufacturing thereof. The porous granule of the present invention is bigger than the granule manufactured by the spray drying method, has high solubility, is easily obtained (porous structure can be easily formed), and has enough hardness. In addition, drying time and drying cost can be reduced because an amount of water to be dried can be reduced. The porous granule can be obtained by mixing a powder whose solubility is at most 100 g per 100 mL of water at 20° C., with water and drying a mixture under reduced pressure to obtain the porous granules having loose bulk density of at least 0.30 g/mL, having porous structure, and capable of absorbing lipids.

Abstract: The invention provides a flavin-binding glucose dehydrogenase exhibiting reduced fluctuation of activity depending on temperature environment, and a method for measuring glucose concentration using the flavin-binding glucose dehydrogenase. The flavin-binding glucose dehydrogenase has the following properties (1) to (3): (1) activity: which exhibits glucose dehydrogenase activity in the presence of an electron acceptor; (2) substrate specificity: which exhibits an activity of 10% or less against maltose, D-galactose, D-fructose, sorbitol, lactose and sucrose when the activity against D-glucose is defined as 100%; and (3) temperature characteristics: which exhibits lower fluctuation of activity in a wide temperature range of 10 to 50° C.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide: a novel gene (polynucleotide) encoding an FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase having excellent properties that it has excellent reactivity to glucose, excellent thermal stability, and excellent substrate-recognition performance and also has a low activity for maltose; a process for the production of the enzyme using a transformant cell transfected with the gene; and a method for the determination of glucose, a reagent composition for use in the determination of glucose, a biosensor for use in the determination of glucose and others, each characterized by using the enzyme obtained.

Abstract: [Object] To provide an FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase having a higher specificity for glucose. [Means for Resolution] A modified glucose dehydrogenase (GLD) which includes a substitution of at least one amino acid residue selected from the group consisting of amino acid residues at positions 37, 69, 72, 73, 76, 78, 102, 217, 228, 240, 356, 407, 424, 437, 527, and 530 in an amino acid sequence of a wild-type FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase (GLD) represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, and has a decreased ratio of activity for xylose/activity for glucose as compared with the wild-type GLD; a polynucleotide encoding the modified GLD; a recombinant vector containing the polynucleotide; a transformed cell produced by using the recombinant vector; etc.

Abstract: The present invention provides members that produce on a large scale a coenzyme-linked glucose dehydrogenase which has excellent substrate-recognizing ability toward glucose while providing low action on maltose. The present invention relates to a polynucleotide encoding a soluble coenzyme-linked glucose dehydrogenase that catalyzes the oxidation of glucose in the presence of an electron acceptor and has an activity toward maltose of 5% or lower; a polypeptide encoded by the nucleotide sequence of the polynucleotide; a recombinant vector carrying the polynucleotide; a transformed cell produced using the recombinant vector; a method for producing a polypeptide comprising culturing the transformed cell and collecting from the cultivated products a polypeptide that links to FAD to exert the glucose dehydration activity; a method for determination of glucose using the polypeptide; a reagent composition for determination of glucose; and a biosensor.

Abstract: The present invention provides a microorganism-derived soluble coenzyme-binding glucose dehydrogenase which catalyzes a reaction for oxidizing glucose in the presence of an electron acceptor, has an activity to maltose as low as 5% or less, and is inhibited by 1,10-phenanthroline. The invention also provides a method for producing the coenzyme-binding glucose dehydrogenase, and a method and a reagent for measuring employing the coenzyme-binding glucose dehydrogenase. According to the invention, the coenzyme-binding glucose dehydrogenase can be applied to an industrial field, and a use becomes possible also in a material production or analysis including a method for measuring or eliminating glucose in a sample using the coenzyme-binding glucose dehydrogenase as well as a method for producing an organic compound. It became also possible to provide a glucose sensor capable of accurately measuring a blood sugar level.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a process for enzymatically producing dietary sterol fatty acid esters having physiological activities from phytosterols and fatty acids or oils and fats using lipase as a catalyst; the synthetic reaction conditions and the purification steps are so structured that dietary sterol fatty acid esters superior in sensory qualities including color, odor and taste, and safety, which is applicable as a general food, a health food or pharmaceuticals can be produced.

Abstract: The present invention provides foods containing sterol fatty acid esters composition and having pleasant texture, taste and flavor, wherein free sterols are hardly crystallized during storage, and a lot of the sterol fatty acid esters composition may be incorporated in foods having a low oil and fat content. The foods contain 1% by weight or more of the sterol fatty acid esters composition with a degree of esterification of more than 90%, thereby enabling foods containing oils and fats having a good emulsifying effect to be obtained.

Abstract: A process for enzymatically producing, from a vegetable oil deodorizer distillate, a dietary sterol fatty acid ester superior in flavor qualities (e.g., color, odor and taste) and safety and containing no or little trans fatty acids, wherein the conditions for treatment of the starting material, synthetic reaction and subsequent purification are controlled so that the sterol fatty acid ester becomes applicable as a daily food material, a health food material or a pharmaceutical material. In the process, fatty acid esters, e.g., triacylglycerol, in the vegetable oil deodorizer distillate are previously degraded by hydrolysis with a chemical catalyst, fatty acids produced in the hydrolysis are removed by molecular distillation to give a sterol-containing fraction. The sterol-containing fraction is added with any fat and oil primarily comprising triacylglycerol. The mixture is used as the starting material, and the synthetic reaction is performed under strictly controlled conditions using a lipolytic enzyme.

Abstract: A process for enzymatically producing, from a vegetable oil deodorizer distillate, a dietary sterol fatty acid ester superior in flavor qualities (e.g., color, odor and taste) and safety and containing no or little trans fatty acids, wherein the conditions for treatment of the starting material, synthetic reaction and subsequent purification are controlled so that the sterol fatty acid ester becomes applicable as a daily food material, a health food material or a pharmaceutical material. In the process, fatty acid esters, e.g., triacylglycerol, in the vegetable oil deodorizer distillate are previously degraded by hydrolysis with a chemical catalyst, fatty acids produced in the hydrolysis are removed by molecular distillation to give a sterol-containing fraction. The sterol-containing fraction is added with any fat and oil primarily comprising triacylglycerol. The mixture is used as the starting material, and the synthetic reaction is performed under strictly controlled conditions using a lipolytic enzyme.