Abstract: The present invention provides an improved type protease which comprises an amino acid sequence that is at least 75% identical to SEQ ID NO:3, said improved type protease has at least one mutation selected from the group consisting of: (A) replacement of glutamine corresponding to glutamine at position 265 in SEQ ID NO: 3 with an acidic amino acid; and (B) replacement of glutamine at position 266 in SEQ ID NO: 3 with an acidic amino acid, and wherein said improved type protease has milk-clotting activity.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved type protease which comprises an amino acid sequence that is at least 75% identical to SEQ ID NO:3, said improved type protease has at least one mutation selected from the group consisting of: (A) replacement of glutamine corresponding to glutamine at position 265 in SEQ ID NO: 3 with an acidic amino acid; and (B) replacement of glutamine at position 266 in SEQ ID NO: 3 with an acidic amino acid, and wherein said improved type protease has milk-clotting activity.

Abstract: A composition for promoting bacterial proliferation and selectively proliferating Lactobacillus casei subsp. casei is disclosed, which includes a dextran. A variety of biological activities originating from L. casei subsp. casei can be sustained in a living body by selectively growing-proliferating and colonizing L. casei subsp. casei in the intestine of a human being, animal, or the like or by selectively growing-proliferating L. casei subsp. casei in the intestine, without supplying L. casei subsp. casei at all times.

Abstract: A composition for promoting bacterial proliferation and selectively proliferating Lactobacillus casei subsp. casei is disclosed, which includes a dextran. A variety of biological activities originating from L. casei subsp. casei can be sustained in a living body by selectively growing-proliferating and colonizing L. casei subsp. casei in the intestine of a human being, animal, or the like or by selectively growing-proliferating L. casei subsp. casei in the intestine, without supplying L. casei subsp. casei at all times.

Abstract: The present invention relates to dextran whose boron content is reduced to a value less than 0.30 &mgr;g/g (dry basis) calculated on the basis of boron atom, a process for producing the same, and dextran with which a container is filled in a solution state. Dextran of the present invention is obtained by treating a boron-containing dextran with a lower alcohol, and said dextran has such a characteristic that deposition is inhibited or the deposition rate is drastically reduced when using it in the form of a solution. Therefore, an isotonic sodium chloride solution of said dextran is suitably used as substitute plasma or external perfusate in an operation.

Abstract: A mutant fungus strain which produces a protease with low thermostability and low productivity was made from protease producing fungi and the gene coding for mutant enzyme is isolated from the mutant strain. A promoter which can function in yeast is ligated to the gene and inserted into a plasmid replicable in yeast, and the resulting plasmid is introduced into yeast. The yeast is cultured, thereby producing the mutant enzyme. Furthermore, a gene expressing an enzyme with a far lower thermostability is prepared by site-directed mutagenesis, which is introduced in yeast, thereby producing an enzyme with more distinctively reduced thermostability.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for the interesterification of oil or fat by treating such oil or fat in presence of a fatty acid or fatty acid ester or different oil or fat wherein a reactor column that is packed with an alkaline high molecular weight lipase preparation containing 0 to 5% moisture is fed with a substrate solution composed of the above oil or fat and fatty acid or fatty acid ester or different oil or fat for a continuous reaction in such a manner that the substrate solution contains 100 to 1800 ppm moisture and 50 to 800 ppm moisture at the inlet and outlet, respectively, of the column.

Abstract: A novel monophosphate and a novel diphosphate prepared by a phosphatidyl transfer reaction of a phospholipid and an alcohol in the presence of phospholipase D are disclosed. The phosphates can independently or together form small and stable liposomes which can include active components therein. Cosmetic compositions comprising these phosphates or liposomes penetrate well into the hair and the skin, and exhibit long-lasting excellent moisture-retaining, beauty, skin-activation effects.

Abstract: Novel mannobiose derivative represented by the general formula [I]: ##STR1## wherein groups of R.sub.1 to R.sub.5 each represents --OH, --OR.sub.6, --NHR.sub.6, (R.sub.6 represents an acyl group) or a group represented by the following formula (a), (b), (c), (d) or (e), provided that one of R.sub.1 to R.sub.5 represents --OR.sub.6 or --NHR.sub.6, one of the other 4 groups of R.sub.1 to R.sub.5 represents one of the groups represented by the formulae (a) to (e), and the remaining 3 groups of R.sub.1 to R.sub.5 represent --OH: ##STR2## wherein represents .alpha. or .beta. bond are provided by the invention.These compounds give liposomes a specific affinity for Kupffer cells of liver, and can be produced industrially.