Abstract: The present invention relates to a gene derived from Pseudomonas chlororaphis B23 strain which encodes a polypeptide having nitrile hydratase activity being capable of hydrating nitriles to amides. The invention also relates to a recombinant DNA containing the gene, and a transformant transformed with the recombinant DNA. The present invention further relates to a method of producing nitrile hydratase using the transformant and of amides using nitrile hydratase.

Abstract: The present invention has disclosed the amino acid sequence and nucleotide sequence of the .alpha.- and .beta.-subunits of two types of nitrile hydratase derived from Rhodococcus rhodochrous J-1. The DNA fragment encoding nitrile hydratase is inserted into an expression vector and the recombinant vector is used for transformation. The transformant contains multiple copies of the gene and can produce much higher level of nitrile hydratase compared with conventionally used microorganisms.

Abstract: The present invention provides a recombinant plasmid comprising combining a hybrid plasmid vector with the isolated DNA sequences of one or more genes encoding nitrile degrading enzymes which are derived from bacteria belonging to the genus Rhodococcus, said hybrid plasmid vector comprising an isolated DNA sequence which confers on the vector the ability to replicate and amplify in the cells of bacteria belonging to the genus Rhodococcus, and an isolated DNA sequence which confers on the vector the ability to replicate and amplify in the cells of bacteria belonging to Escherichia coli, and an isolated DNA sequence containing a drug resistance gene.

Abstract: A thermally stable tryptophanase having (1) an optimum temperature for activity at a pH of 8.0 of about 70.degree. C., and (2) such thermal stability that it is not thermally deactivated when maintained at temperatures up to about 65.degree. C. and a pH of 8.0 for 40 minutes. The thermally stable tryptophanase can be produced by cultivating in a tryptophan-containing culture medium a thermally stable tryptophanase-producing bacterium which does not grow alone in said medium but grows there in the presence of Bacillus sp. strain S, and obtaining the resulting thermally stable tryptophanase from the culture broth. The thermally stable tryptophanase-producing microorganism for use in the above process is a novel organism.

Abstract: Expression plasmids containing the full cDNA sequence of calf prochymosin and capable of expressing prochymosin gene in E. coli host cells are disclosed. A method is described for the preparation of said plasmids which comprises altering the spacing between the SD and ATG sequences within the E. coli trp promoter-operator region of the parent expression plasmid, pCR 701, which is known to express prochymosin gene in the E. coli host cells. These modified expression plasmids are designed to provide high expression levels of prochymosin.

Abstract: A method for inducing the differentiation of tumor cells in human or animal, which comprises administering an effective amount of trichostatin A and/or trichostatin C to the human or animal.

Abstract: A process for the production of sphingomyelinase comprising cultivating a sphingomyelinase-producing microorganism, belonging to the genus Pseudomonas, in a culture medium and recovering sphingomyelinase from the culture medium.