Abstract: The invention provides variants of the Azospirillum irakense CelA ?-glucosidase that have improve ?-glucosidase activity, particularly improved thermoactivity, compared to the wild type enzyme. The invention further provides related polynucleotides, vectors, host cell, and methods for making and using the variants.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a modified thiolase protein with an improved activity, a polynucleotide encoding the modified protein, an expression vector including the polynucleotide, and a transformant, to a composition for producing a biobutanol including the thiolase with an improved activity or a cell expressing the thiolase, and to a method of producing the biobutanol.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to hydrolysis of mannan-containing poly- or oligo-saccharides by use of a polypeptide having endo-?-mannanase activity. In particular the present disclosure relates to compositions comprising a bacterial endo-?-mannanase, polynucleotides encoding the endo-?-mannanase, and methods of use thereof.

Abstract: Provided is a method of producing 1,3-propanediol by culturing a recombinant strain in which the glycerol oxidative pathway had been blocked, and more particularly a method of producing 1,3-propanediol by two-step culture of a recombinant strain in which the oxidative pathway that produces byproducts in the glycerol metabolic pathway had been blocked. When the recombinant strain in which the glycerol oxidative pathway that produces byproducts had been blocked is cultured in two steps, 1,3-propanediol can be produced with improved yield without producing products that result in an increase in purification costs.

Abstract: The present invention relates to modified mevalonate kinases that are less sensitive to feedback inhibition, and to polynucleotides encoding them. The invention further pertains to vectors comprising these polynucleotides and host cells containing such vectors. The invention provides a process for producing the modified enzyme and for producing isoprenoid compounds using the modified enzymes.

Abstract: Isolated nucleic acid fragments and recombinant constructs comprising such fragments encoding delta-8 desaturases along with a method of making long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and using these delta-8 desaturases in plants.

Abstract: This invention relates to a novel, bacterial GTP Cyclohydrolase Type IB enzyme, and the crystal structure thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel H. polymorpha gene regulating Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) and a method for improving the efficiency of secretory expression of a recombinant protein using the same, more particularly, a method for improving the efficiency of secretory expression of a recombinant protein by identifying, modifying, and optimizing the HpHAC1 gene, which encodes a key transcription regulatory factor of the UPR mechanism in H. polymorpha, and a regulatory mechanism mediated by the gene. According to the present invention, the secretory expression system of H. polymorpha can be used for the mass-production of secretory proteins for industrial and medical applications, thereby producing a large amount of the proteins at low cost. Accordingly, the method is employed in the production of the proteins for industrial and medical use, so as to reduce economic burden for a patient, and contribute to the improvement in the welfare of all mankind.

Abstract: The inventors realized that the diversity generated by conventional methods may be limited by steric hindrance between amino acid residues in the three-dimensional structures of the resulting polypeptides. The steric hindrance may occur between amino acid residues at widely different positions in the amino acid sequences, e.g. between residues in two different domains of the 3D structure, and resulting polypeptides which include such steric hindrance may never be observed in the conventional recombination methods because they may be expressed in poor yields or may have poor activity or stability. The inventors developed a method to identify and alleviate such steric hindrance in the resulting polypeptides. In an alignment of the three-dimensional structures, steric hindrance is indicated when residues from two different structures are located within a certain distance.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of crystallizing of enzymes. The method is for rapidly crystallizing enzymes from impure mixtures. The method is simple and cheap, and it is compatible to industrial requirements. T1 lipase was able to form crystals at low protein concentration (2.5 mg/ml) in a day. High temperature crystallization was obtained from the method. The present invention also relates to a composition of a crystallized lipase produced from the said method.

Abstract: The invention relates to kinase inhibitor ligands and polyligands. In particular, the invention relates to ligands and polyligands that modulate ERK activity. The ligands and polyligands are utilized as research tools or as therapeutics. The invention includes linkage of the ligands and polyligands to a cellular localization signal, epitope tag and/or a reporter. The invention also includes polynucleotides encoding the ligands and polyligands.

Abstract: The present invention provides novel glycosyltransferase proteins produced by ascomycetous filamentous fungi (preferably species belonging to the genus Trichoderma, more preferably Trichoderma viride), as well as genes encoding the same. Among novel enzyme proteins provided by the present invention, particularly preferred is an enzyme protein obtained from the culture supernatant of Trichoderma viride strain IAM5141. The novel enzymes of the present invention allow glycosylation of flavonoid compounds to thereby improve their water solubility.

Abstract: The present invention relates to mutant ?5 desaturases, which have the ability to convert dihomo-?-linolenic acid [DGLA; 20:3 ?-6] to arachidonic acid [ARA; 20:4 ?-6] and/or eicosatetraenoic acid [ETA; 20:4 ?-3] to eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA; 20:5 ?-3] and which possess at least one mutation within the HPGG motif of the cytochrome b5-like domain. Isolated nucleic acid fragments and recombinant constructs comprising such fragments encoding ?5 desaturases, along with a method of making long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids [“PUFAs”] using these mutant ?5 desaturases in oleaginous yeast, are disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing a recombinant protein comprising using a selection method other than antibiotics. In particular, it relates to a stable host/vector system based on the pyrC gene complementation designed to produce high level of heterologous recombinant protein in Escherichia coli. The expression system of the present invention allows rapid selection of plasmid containing cells during the cloning phases and lead to high protein expression during fermentation. This system has a strong selective efficiency, especially during the induction phase, leading to the selection of an almost homogeneous and stable plasmid bearing cell population. Moreover the productivity of the culture is to a large extent better than the one based on antibiotic resistance. This elevated vector stability combined with its high productivity fulfils the requirements for heterologous protein production in Escherichia coli to an industrial level.

Abstract: Recently, the development of inducible expression systems has involved exploitation of the p-cym operon from Pseudomonas putida. Disclosed herein are novel expression systems and components thereof, which involve the development of a CymR variant with reverse DNA binding activity, such that they exhibit increased affinity for DNA in a presence rather than an absence of an effector molecule such as cumene or an equivalent thereof. Also disclosed are the CymR variant, fusion proteins incorporating such a variant, and its use in the control and expression of polynucleotides. The CymR variant comprises a 142Glu to 142Gly single point mutation of wild type CymR.

Abstract: The invention discloses the cloning, expression and uses of a chimeric fusion protein with superior chaperone and folding activities compared to the wild type chaperones. This invention relates to a chimeric fusion protein encoded by a recombinant DNA molecule containing nucleotide sequences coding for a polypeptide binding segment of a non-human chaperone protein and nucleotide sequences coding for an FK506 binding protein (FKBP) or an FK506-binding-protein-like domain (FKBP-like domain).

Abstract: This disclosure provides crystalline flavonoid or flavanone isomerases, isolated non-native isomerase having the structural coordinates of said crystalline isomerase, and nucleic acids encoding such non-native isomerase. Also disclosed are methods of predicting the activity and/or substrate specificity of a putative isomerase, methods of identifying potential ismerase substrates, and methods of identifying potential isomerase inhibitors.

Abstract: The present invention features methods of producing panto-compounds (e.g., pantothenate) using microorganisms in which the pantothenate biosynthetic pathway and/or the isoleucine-valine biosynthetic pathway and/or the coenzymeA biosynthetic pathway has been manipulated. Methods featuring ketopantoate reductase overexpressing microorganisms as well as aspartate ?-decarboxylase overexpressing microorganisms are provided. Methods of producing panto-compounds in a precursor-independent manner and in high yield are described. Recombinant microorganisms, vectors, isolated nucleic acid molecules, genes and gene products useful in practicing the above methodologies are also provided. The present invention also features a previously unidentified microbial pantothenate kinase gene, coaX, as well as methods of producing panto-compounds utilizing microorganisms having modified pantothenate kinase activity. Recombinant microorganisms, vectors, isolated coaX nucleic acid molecules and purified CoaX proteins are featured.

Abstract: This invention relates to methods and compositions for the diagnosis and treatment of Multiple Sulfatase Deficiency (MSD) as well as other sulfatase deficiencies. More specifically, the invention relates to isolated molecules that modulate post-translational modifications on sulfatases. Such modifications are essential for proper sulfatase function.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a new and nonobvious method of producing the C-terminal histidine tagged TAT-HOXB4 fusion protein (TAT-HOXB4H), providing unexpected benefits of increased yield and stability to allow for in vivo administration of this protein, and pharmaceutical composition comprising an effective ingredient, TAT-HOXB4H, having stimulatory activity on the production of hematopoietic cells. More specifically, recombinant TAT-HOXB4H protein enhances engraftment of bone marrow transplants, hematopoietic reconstruction, bone marrow re-population and number of circulating stem cells, particularly after chemotherapy or irradiation.