Abstract: The inventors have designed novel FSH mutants with increased glycosylation and longer half-lives for use in inducing folliculogenesis in human patients. The use of a FSH mutant preparation of the invention permits the use of lower cumulative doses of FSH to achieve the same or better clinical result.

Abstract: A thermostable glycosidase enzymes derived from various Thermococcus, Staphylothermus and Pyrococcus organisms is disclosed. The enzymes are produced from native or recombinant host cells and can be utilized in the food processing industry, pharmaceutical industry and in the textile industry, detergent industry and in the baking industry.

Abstract: Enzymes mediating in the release of compounds characteristic of human malodour and in particular axillary malodour, and compounds that inhibit said enzymes having the general formula (I)

Abstract: An enzyme exhibiting endo-?-1,4-glucanase activity which belongs to family 9 of glycosyl hydrolases is obtainable from or endogeneous to a strain belonging to the genus Bacillus such as Bacillus licheniformis, ATCC 14580; an isolated polynucleotide (DNA) molecule encoding an enzyme or enzyme core (the catalytically active domain of the enzyme) exhibiting endo-?-1,4-glucanase activity selected from (a) polynucleotide molecules comprising a nucleotide sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO:1 from nucleotide 76 to nucleotide 1455 or from nucleotide 76 to nucleotide 1941, (b) polynucleotide molecules that encode a polypeptide being at least 75% identical to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 from amino acid residue 26 to amino acid 485 or from amino acid residue 26 to amino acid residue 646, and (c) degenerate nucleotide sequences of (a) or (b), the expressed endoglucanase enzyme being useful in various industrial applications.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the preparation of L-amino acids, especially L-lysine, L-valine, L-homoserine and L-threonine, by fermenting a microorganism of the genus Escherichia which has a mutation or deletion in the gene encoding aspartate ammonium lyase (aspA).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a screening process for hydantoin racemases and to novel hydantoin racemases, to the nucleic acid sequences coding therefor and to a proces for mutagenesis. Hydantoin racemases are of interest in connection with the production of enantiomerically enriched amino acids from racemic hydantoins.

Abstract: This invention provides fusion polypeptides that include a glycosyltransferase catalytic domain and a catalytic domain from an accessory enzyme that is involved in making a substrate for a glycosyltransferase reaction. Nucleic acids that encode the fusion polypeptides are also provided, as are host cells for expressing the fusion polypeptides of the invention.

Abstract: A glycosaminoglycan sulfotransferase, a peptide thereof, a nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding the same, an enzyme agent for the synthesis of a glycosaminoglycan, which comprises the above-described enzyme or polypeptide, and a process for producing a glycosaminoglycan, which uses the enzyme agent.

Abstract: The present invention can provide a process for producing a protein having ?1.4-galactosyltransferase activity using a transformant comprising a DNA encoding a protein having ?1.4-galactosyltransferase activity derived from a microorganism belonging to the genus Pasteurella and a process for producing a galactose-containing complex carbohydrate using a transformant capable of producing a protein having ?1,4-galactosyltransferase activity derived from a microorganism.

Abstract: The invention provides recombinant host cells containing at least one heterologous polynucleotide encoding a polysaccharase under the transcriptional control of a surrogate promoter capable of increasing the expression of the polysaccharase. In addition, the invention further provides such hosts with genes encoding secretory protein/s to facilitate the secretion of the expressed polysaccharase. Preferred hosts of the invention are ethanologenic and capable of carrying out simultaneous saccharification fermentation resulting in the production of ethanol from complex cellulose substrates.

Abstract: An enzyme having an activity of transferring N-acetylglucosamine to the non-reducing end of a Gal?1-4Glc or Gal?1-4GlcNAc-group via a ?-1,3 bond; a nucleic acid encoding the same; and a method of diagnosing cancer and/or tumor, in particular, digestive cancer and/or tumor using the expression dose of a gene of the above enzyme as an indication. A gene of a novel enzyme having an activity of transferring N-acetylglucosamine to the non-reducing end of a Gal ?1-4Glc or Gal ?1-4GlcNAc-group via a ?-1,3 bond is cloned from human stomach cells and its base sequence is determined. Then this enzyme is expressed. Since this enzyme is scarcely or never produced in cancer and/or tumor, in particular, digestive cancer and/or tumor cells, cancer and/or tumor can be diagnosed with the use of the expression of the enzyme gene as an indication.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to novel nucleotide and amino acid sequences, and more particularly to novel human acetyl CoA carboxylase 2 (ACC2) and rat ACC2 sequences. The sequences provided herein can be expressed in a recombinant format. Methods of isolating the ACC2 sequence are also provided, which can be employed to isolate any ACC sequence. The ACC2 sequences can be employed in therapeutic applications to diagnose or treat a condition associated with ACC2. The invention also relates to the identification of modulators of ACC activity using the recombinant human ACC2 enzyme as the screening target.

Abstract: Novel metabolites and enzymes involved in skatole metabolism are disclosed. The novel metabolites are 3-OH-3-methylindolenine (HMI); 3-methyloxindole (3MOI); indole-3-carbinol (I-3C); and 2-aminoacetophenone (2-AM). Measuring levels of these metabolites in a pig may be useful in identifying the pig's ability to metabolize skatole and its susceptibility to boar taint. The novel enzymes involved in skatole metabolism are aldehyde oxidase and CYP2A6. Enhancing the activity of these enzymes may be useful in enhancing skatole metabolism and reducing boar taint. The identification of the enzyme also allows the development of screening assays for substances that interact with these enzymes and skatole metabolism or for genetic screening to identify pigs on the basis of their skatole metabolism. Pigs having high levels of these enzymes may be selected and bred to produce pigs that have a lower incidence of boar taint.

Abstract: The invention provides an isolated polypeptide containing the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 or 24. The invention also provides an isolated polypeptide containing a) an amino acid sequence having at least 50% amino acid identity with SEQ ID NO: 10, and b) an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NOS: 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, or 24; or a conservative variant thereof. The invention further provides an isolated polypeptide containing the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2, 4, 6, or 8. The invention also provides a method for identifying a compound that modulates a COX-1 variant by contacting an isolated COX-1 variant or a COX-1 variant over-expressed in a genetically engineered cell with a compound and determining the level of an indicator which correlates with modulation of a COX-1 variant, where an alteration in the level of the indicator as compared to a control level indicates that the compound is a compound that modulates the COX-1 variant.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel nucleic acid encoding a ?-1,3-glucanase polypeptide of lily, and an expression vector, host cell and transgenic plant comprising the nucleic acid of the invention. The expression of the nucleic acid of the invention in the plant will enhance resistance against a wide variety of stresses, in particular fungal attack.

Abstract: This invention pertains to nucleic acid fragments encoding plant glucosyltransferases, heretofore undescribed, that exhibit catalytic activity with p-hydroxybenzoic acid (pHBA) as a substrate and only attach glucose to the aromatic carboxyl group of pHBA, to form the pHBA glucose ester. These enzymes have potential applications both in vitro and in vivo, and their primary amino acid sequences can be used to identify other proteins that have similar kinetic properties.

Abstract: The invention relates to a variant of a parent fungal glucoamylase, which exhibits improved thermal stability and/or increased specific activity using saccharide substrates.

Abstract: A novel gene defining a novel enzyme UDP-Galactose: ?-D-Galactose-R 4-?-D-galactosyltransferase, termed ?4Gal-T1, with unique enzymatic properties is disclosed. The invention discloses isolated DNA molecules and DNA constructs encoding ?4Gal-T1 and derivatives thereof by way of amino acid deletion, substitution or insertion exhibiting ?4Gal-T1 activity, as well as cloning and expression vectors including such DNA, cells transfected with vectors, and recombinant methods for providing ?4Gal-T1. The enzyme ?4Gal-T1 and ?4Gal-active derivatives thereof are disclosed. Further, the invention discloses methods of obtaining ?1, 4galactosyl glycosylated glycosphingolipids by use of an enzymatically active ?4Gal-T1 protein thereof or by using cells stably transfected with a vector including DNA encoding an enzymatically active ?4Gal-T1 protein as an expression system for recombinant production of such glycosphingolipids.

Abstract: The invention provides a thermal tolerant mannanase that is a member of the glycoside hydrolase family. The invention further discloses this mannanase as ManA. ManA has been isolated and characterized from Acidothermus cellulolyticus. The invention further provides recombinant forms of the identified ManA. Methods of making ManA polypeptides, including fusions, variants, and derivatives, are also disclosed. Methods of using mannanase A, including for the processing of food and for use in food stuffs as bulking agents and the like, are also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention discloses a human cyclooxygenase-2 cDNA, a human cyclooxygenase-2 and assays for preferentially and independently measuring cyclogenase-2 or cyclooxygenase-1 activity present in a given sample.