Abstract: Disclosed are: transcription regulatory factors capable of regulating the transcription or expression of genes for mannanases or cellulases, as mentioned below; and others. Specifically disclosed is a protein selected from the following proteins (a), (b) and (c): (a) a protein comprising the amino acid sequence depicted in SEQ ID NO:2; (b) a protein which comprises an amino acid sequence produced by deleting, substituting or adding one or several amino acid residues (e.g., 1 to 5 amino acid residues) in the amino acid sequence depicted in SEQ ID NO:2 and which is capable of regulating the transcription of genes for mannanases or cellulases; and (c) a protein which comprises an amino acid sequence having a 70% or higher sequence identity to the amino acid sequence depicted in SEQ ID NO:2 and which is capable of regulating the transcription of genes for mannanases or cellulases, or a partial fragment of the protein. Also specifically disclosed are a gene encoding the protein, and others.

Abstract: To improve the activity of a Koji mold protease in a solid or liquid culture medium in the production of foods (e.g., a seasoning), pharmaceuticals (e.g., a digestive agent), protease for use in a detergent and the like. Disclosed are a recombinant vector having capability of increasing the secretion of the Koji mold protease, a Koji mold which is transformed with the vector and has an increased expression of a gene for a protease or an increase secretion of the same, a method for the production of a protease by using the transformed Koji mold, and the like.

Abstract: In order to efficiently delete a large chromosomal region with a length of from several tens to hundreds kb such as a cluster of biosynthesis genes encoding a toxic substance such as Aflatoxin, the present invention provides a method for the deletion of a large chromosomal region comprising transforming a transformant having an increased frequency of homologous recombination due to suppression of a Ku gene, which is a mitosporic filamentous fungus belonging to Trichocomaceae with a vector for the deletion of a chromosomal region, which comprises a pair of homologous region arms having a nucleotide sequence that is homologous with a fragment at either end of said chromosomal region, and deleting the chromosomal region by means of homologous recombination between the resulting transformant and said vector.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is therefore to provide a transformant which will not produce a toxic substance such as Aflatoxin even after being manipulated with genetic engineering by efficiently deleting a large chromosomal region with a length of from several tens to hundreds kb such as a cluster of biosynthesis genes encoding the toxic substances such as Aflatoxin. The present invention is related to a method for the production of a strain having a deleted region in chromosome using a transformant having an increased frequency of homologous recombination due to suppression of a Ku gene, which is a mitosporic filamentous fungus belonging to Trichocomaceae, comprising transforming said transformant so as to include a homologous region in both ends of a chromosomal region to be deleted, and deleting the chromosomal region by means of homologous recombination based on said homologous region.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a strain having a significantly increased frequency of homologous recombination, which is necessary for gene disruption of gene replacement by gene targeting of a mitosporic filamentous fungus. This invention relates to a transformant having an increased frequency of homologous recombination (gene targeting), which is a mitosporic filamentous fungus belonging to Trichocomaceae, due to suppression of a ku gene by ku gene disruption or antisense RNA method, to a method for the production of a gene-disruption stain, gene-deletion strain, gene-replacement strain, gene-insertion strain or chromosome-modification strain by means of the gene targeting method using said transformant, and to the above-mentioned ku genes such as those derived from Aspergillus sojae and Aspergillus oryzae, and their expressed products (proteins).

Abstract: Provided are a protein comprising the amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 2 and having prolidase activities, a prolidase gene coding for the protein, a prolidase gene comprising the nucleotide sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 1, recombinant DNA having the gene inserted into vector DNA, and a transformant or transductant comprising the recombinant DNA, and a method for producing prolidase using the transformant or transductant. The present invention can improve the prolidase through protein engineering. The present invention can be also used for improving microorganisms used in the production of enzymes for food processing and fermented foods.

Abstract: This invention provides a transcription factor that has functions of regulating the expression of a sulfur-assimilatory gene of koji mold during culture, and a gene encoding the same. This invention also relates to a protein comprising the amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 3, and a gene encoding the amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 3 or comprising the nucleotide sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 2.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a foreign polypeptide comprising secreting the foreign polypeptide into an intercellular fluid of a plant and recovering the polypeptide therefrom; and to a promoter DNA for use in the method which is capable of directing the expression of the foreign polypeptide that is to be secreted. The method is extremely useful industrially, since the method enables to produce a foreign polypeptide in a plant xylem sap with high efficiency.

Abstract: There are an FGF inhibitor, a angiogenesis inhibitor and an antitumor agent which are useful as a pharmaceutical and so forth, and comprise complestatin or its derivative as an effective ingredient.

Abstract: The present invention provides a coating suitable for coating woods, and the coating is obtained by dissolving proanthocyanidine into water or a water-containing alcohol.

Abstract: A cyclic oligosaccharide or salts thereof comprising glucoses bound cyclically via .alpha.-1,6-linkages and having at least one S-oxo acid group bound, and ana gent for preventing or treating retroviral diseases which comprises said cyclic oligosaccharide or salts thereof as an active ingredient. The novel sulfated cyclic isomaltoligosaccharide inhibits infection of host cells with various retroviruses such as AIDS virus etc. so effectively that it has a significant preventive and therapeutic effect on diseases caused by retroviruses. Accordingly, said oligosaccharide can be utilized as an agent for preventing or treating retroviral diseases in pharmaceutical industry.

Abstract: N-acetylmannosamine dehydrogenase gene derived from a microorganism belonging to the genus Flavobacterium, e.g., Flavobacterium sp. No. 141-8 strain and defined by a specific restriction enzyme map which encodes 271 amino acid sequence. Using the recombinant DNA, N-acetylmannosamine dehydrogenase can be produced in a simpler manner in an industrial scale. The enzyme is useful for quantitative determination of sialic acid.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel cycloisomaltooligosaccharide selected from the group consisting of novel cycloisomaltoheptaose having a cyclic structure composed of 7 glucose residues in .alpha.-1,6 linkage, novel cycloisomaltooctaose having a cyclic structure composed of 8 glucose residues in .alpha.-1,6 linkage and novel cycloisomaltononaose having a cyclic structure composed of 9 glucose residues in .alpha.-1,6 linkage, novel cycloisomaltooligosaccharide synthase forming said oligosaccharides from dextran, and a process for producing said oligosaccharides by use of said enzyme or a microorganism capable of producing said enzyme.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a phosphatidyl chromanol derivative having the formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 represent a hydrogen atom, or a saturated or unsaturated fatty acid residue of 2-24 carbon numbers, n is an integer of 1-5 and X is a monovalent cation; a process for synthesizing the phosphatidyl chromanol derivative of the formula (3) which comprises reacting a phospholipid with a chroman derivative of the formula: ##STR2## wherein n is an integer of 1-5 using a phospholipase D and an antioxidant/emulsifier containing the compound of the formula (3).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel cycloisomaltooligosaccharide selected from the group consisting of novel cycloisomaltoheptaose having a cyclic structure composed of 7 glucose residues in .alpha.-1,6 linkage, novel cycloisomaltooctaose having a cyclic structure composed of 8 glucose residues in .alpha.-1,6 linkage and novel cycloisomaltononaose having a cyclic structure composed of 9 glucose residues in .alpha.-1,6 linkage, novel cycloisomaltooligosaccharide synthase forming said oligosaccharides from dextran, and a process for producing said oligosaccharides by use of said enzyme or a microorganism capable of producing said enzyme.

Abstract: L-Fucose dehydrogenase having the following Physicochemical properties (1) and (2):(1) Action and substrate specificityIt withdraws hydrogen from L-fucose and converts into L-fuconolactone and at the same time, reduces coenzyme NADP.sup.+ to NADPH.(2) pH and stable pH rangeWhen Tris-imidazole-sodium acetate buffer solution is used, the optimum pH is in a range of 9.0 to 10.0 and the stable pH range is between 8.0 and 10.5.The L-fucose dehydrogenase utilizing NADP.sup.+ as coenzyme can be obtained by culturing L-fucose dehydrogenase-producing strain belonging to the genus Pseudomonas in a medium and collecting formed L-fucose dehydrogenase from the culture.L-Fucose can be quantitatively determined by reacting a sample containing L-fucose with L-fucose dehydrogenase requiring NADP.sup.+ as coenzyme and assaying NADPH produced.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel NADH kinase which has high stability and is specific for NADH, and a process for producing the NADH kinase by culturing a yeast belonging to the genus Pichia in a culture medium, and this enzyme permits highly sensitive determination of NADH alone and hence is useful in the field of clinical medicine.

Abstract: N-Acetylhexosamine-dehydrogenase which takes off hydrogen from N-acetylglucosamine or N-acetylgalactosamine to convert them to N-acetylglucosaminolactone or N-acetylgalactosaminolactone, respectively, and, at the same time, reduces co-enzymes NAD.sup.+ to NADH is provided herein.The enzyme of this invention can be obtained by culturing, in a medium, a strain belonging to Genus Pseudomonas and having an ability to produce N-acetylhexosamine-dehydrogenase, followed by collecting the enzyme from the cultured product.Herein is also provided a method for quantitatively analyzing N-acetylglucosamine or N-acetylgalactosamine which comprises reacting N-acetylglucosamine-dehydrogenase upon a sample containing N-acetylglucosamine or N-acetylgalactosamine and measuring the quantity of the resulting NADH.

Abstract: A method for measuring creatine in a sample by the use of creatine amidinohydrolase which comprises decomposing the N-ethylglycine present in the sample enzymatically and thereafter reacting sarcosine oxidase upon the sample; and a reagent for use in the measurement of creatine comprising the first reagent and the second reagent, wherein the first reagent comprises a sarcosine oxidase of which Km value to N-ethylglycine at pH 8, 37.degree. C. is 20 mM or below and catalase or comprises said sarcosine oxidase, a hydrogen donor oxidatively condensable with 4-aminoantipyrine and peroxidase and the second reagent comprises creatine amidinohydrolase, a sarcosin oxidase of which Km value to N-ethylglycine at pH 8, 37.degree. C. is 50 mM or above, peroxidase and a color reagent for H.sub.2 O.sub.2.

Abstract: N-Acetylmannosamine dehydrogenase which takes off hydrogen from N-acetylmannosamine to convert it into N-acetylmannosaminolactone and, at the same time, reduces coenzyme NAD into NADH. This enzyme can be obtained by culturing, in a medium, a strain belonging to Genus Flavobacterium and having an ability to produce N-acetylmannosamine dehydrogenase producing activity, and then collecting it. This enzyme is usable in the quantitative analysis of N-acetylmannosamine or sialic acid.