Abstract: The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a method and a kit for easily performing a color reaction for coloration of bright green to blue colors by using tyrosinase. The above-mentioned problem was solved by providing a coloration method comprising the steps of: (a) mixing peptide and tyrosinase; (b) incubating the mixture; and (d) cryopreserving the incubated mixture; and by providing a kit for performing a color reaction, comprising: (i) peptide; and (ii) tyrosinase.

Abstract: The present invention relates to mutant microorganisms having the ability to produce propanol in high concentration and high yield, and to a method of producing propanol using the same. More particularly, the invention relates to mutant microorganisms having the ability to produce propanol in high concentration and high yield, which have introduced therein genes that encodes enzymes which are involved in the biosynthesis of propanol from threonine, and to a method of producing propanol using the same.

Abstract: This invention is metabolically engineer bacterial strains that provide increased intracellular NADPH availability for the purpose of increasing the yield and productivity of NADPH-dependent compounds. In the invention, native NAD-dependent GAPDH is replaced with NADP-dependent GAPDH plus overexpressed NADK. Uses for the bacteria are also provided.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a DOI synthase having properties such as stability to heat and pH, which are superior to those of conventional enzymes, and a method for producing DOI using the above-mentioned enzyme. The present invention provides a 2-deoxy-scyllo-inosose synthase having the properties described in the following (1), (2), (4), (6) and (7), and also having the properties described in the following (3) and/or (5): (1) action: the enzyme has a function to convert glucose-6-phosphate to 2-deoxy-scyllo-inosose; (2) optimum pH range: pH 7.0 to 7.7; (3) stable pH range: pH 6.0 to 8.0; (4) optimum temperature range: 55° C. to 70° C.; (5) stable temperature range: 20° C. to 46° C.; (6) coenzyme used: NAD+; and (7) molecular weight: 39,000 to 42,000.

Abstract: The present invention relates to micro-organisms and to methods of producing proteins. More specifically, the inventions relates to a host cell useful for the expression of heterozygous proteins in which the host cell, Pichia pastoris, has been genetically modified so that the gene for endogenous secreted subtilisin Sub2 protease is completely or partially inactivated.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a deacetylation hydrolase of a hyaluronic acid a hyaluronic acid deacetylated by same and a derivative thereof. The deacetylated hyaluronic acid and the derivative thereof have the following characteristic: a delayed initial decomposition rate on a living body; minimized decrease of molecular weight and viscosity; accelerated gelation due to a lower gelation temperature than the gelation temperature for a non-deacetylated hyaluronic acid; and an hMSC survival rate that is hardly affected by increased concentration of the deacetylated hyaluronic acid and the derivative thereof in a culture medium. As a result, the deacetylated hyaluronic acid and the derivative thereof can be useful as a bioingredient such a delivery system for a cell, gene, drug, and the like, or a support for tissue engineering, etc.

Abstract: Disclosed are a ketoreductase mutant which can be used for an efficient production of daunorubicin derivatives, a DNA encoding the mutant, a transformant prepared by introducing the DNA thereinto to produce a daunorubicin derivative, and a process of producing a daunorubicin derivative using the transformant. The ketoreductase mutant has an amino acid sequence in which one amino acid residue or two or more amino acid residues selected from the group consisting of amino acids located at positions corresponding to the 42nd, 149th, 153rd, 270th, and 306th amino acids in the amino acid sequence of a ketoreductase (EvaE) from a chlororemomycin-producing bacterium (Amycolatopsis orientalis) are substituted with another amino acid residues.

Abstract: The invention provides, inter alia, compositions and methods for the biological production of pentose sugars, such as 2-methylerythritol (2-ME), 1-deoxyxylulose (1-DX), and monoacetylated-2-C-methylerythritols, using recombinant cells.

Abstract: The present invention relates to, for example, an ?-substituted ?-amino acid ester derivative asymmetric hydrolase including an enzyme of the following (a) or (b): (a) an enzyme comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 at least from position 1 to position 362, wherein the tyrosine at position 277 of SEQ ID NO:1 is substituted with alanine, tryptophan, isoleucine, or histidine, and having the ability to hydrolyze a substrate; or (b) an enzyme comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 at least from position 1 to position 362, wherein the tyrosine at position 277 of SEQ ID NO:1 is substituted with an amino acid other than tyrosine, and having the ability to hydrolyze a substrate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to polypeptides having xylanase activity and nucleic acid sequences encoding such polypeptides. The invention also relates to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the nucleic acid constructs as well as methods for producing and using the polypeptides. One specific application of the xylanase is the selective hydrolysis of pentose sugar components of hemicellulose-containing plant biomass. The nucleotide sequence may be used for the production of the xylanase or optimized mutants thereof.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to treatments involving glutaredoxins. In one aspect, systems and methods of the invention can be used to treat a subject having an oxidative stress condition, for example, airway inflammation or asthma. In some embodiments, a glutaredoxin may be used to treat a subject. Also provided in certain aspects of the present invention are kits for therapies involving glutaredoxins, methods for promoting such therapies, and the like.

Abstract: Polypeptides were identified among translated coding sequences from a metagenomic cow rumen database, that were shown to provide xylose isomerase activity in yeast cells. The xylose isomerase activity can complete a xylose utilization pathway so that yeast can use xylose in fermentation, such as xylose in biomass hydrolysate.

Abstract: Provided herein are host cells comprising carbonic anhydrase activity, wherein the cells are capable of producing C4-dicarboxylic acid. Also provided are methods of producing C4-dicarboxylic acid comprising (a) cultivating the host cells having carbonic anhydrase activity in a medium under suitable conditions to produce C4-dicarboxylic acid; and (b) recovering the C4-dicarboxylic acid.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a cell to be stably cultured in a medium, which cell is adjusted for the production of oligosaccharides, the cell being transformed to comprise at least one nucleic acid sequence coding for an enzyme involved in oligosaccharide synthesis. In addition the cell is transformed to comprise at least one nucleic acid sequence coding for a protein of the sugar efflux transporter family, a functional homolog or derivative thereof. Further, the invention concerns a method for the production of oligosaccharides involving above cell.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods for producing a fermentation product, such as ethanol, by co-culture of a member of the genus Paenibacillus and an ethanologenic microbe, such as yeast or E. coli. Also provided are methods for making enzymes useful in the saccharification of a pretreated lignocellulosic material. The enzymes may be made by culturing a member of the genus Paenibacillus in a composition suitable for production of such enzymes. An example of such a composition is a pretreated lignocellulosic material, for example, spent hydrolysates. Also provided are genetically modified members of the genus Paenibacillus that have been genetically modified to not produce an antimicrobial, for instance, a polymyxin E.

Abstract: An L-cysteine-producing bacterium is provided, as well as a method for producing L-cysteine etc. using the bacterium by developing a novel technique for improving L-cysteine-producing ability of a bacterium. By culturing a bacterium belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae, which has L-cysteine-producing ability and is modified so that activity of a protein encoded by the yciW gene, for example, a protein defined by the following (A) or (B), is reduced, in a medium, and collecting L-cysteine, L-cystine, a derivative thereof, or a mixture thereof from the medium, these compounds are produced: (A) a protein having the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2, (B) a protein having the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2, but which includes substitution, deletion, insertion, or addition of one or several amino acid residues, reduction of which activity in the bacterium results in improvement in the L-cysteine-producing ability.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a recombinant Escherichia coli (E. coli) capable of producing D-xylonic acid from D-xylose and a method for producing D-xylonic acid using the same. The recombinant E. coli producing D-xylonic acid from D-xylose according to the present invention is a recombinant E. coli EWX4 (Microorganism deposition number KCTC11988BP) capable of producing D-xylonic acid from D-xylose. When utilizing the recombinant E. coli prepared by the method of the present invention, it is possible to produce D-xylonic acid from D-xylose with high yield while reducing production cost using sole carbon source.

Abstract: In one aspect, the present invention provides an isolated mutant insulin degrading enzyme (IDE) having an amino acid sequence that is at least 90% identical to SEQ ID NO:1 over its entire length and comprises at least one amino acid substitution at any of amino acid residues 332, 339, 341, 359, 360, 361, 374, 429, 609, 898, 899 or 901 of the sequence. The mutant IDE has a differential activity relative to that of wild-type IDE. Also provided is a polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a microorganism belonging to the genus Escherichia sp. and a method for producing L-amino acid using the same. The microorganism belonging to the genus Escherichia sp. has a sucrose assimilability and L-amino acid producing ability, which is obtained by introducing a gene encoding a sucrose assimilative microorganism-derived sucrose metabolic enzyme to sucrose non-assimilative microorganism belonging to the genus Escherichia sp. having an L-amino acid producing ability and sucrose PTS (phosphoenolpyruvate dependent sucrose phosphotransferase system) activity.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for biotechnological production of a hydrogen carrier. It is proposed to culture ammonium-producing cyanobacteria in which, by increasing the nitrogenase activity and/or blocking the utilization of ammonium in the cell metabolism and/or providing an exit mechanism for ammonium via the cell membrane, the ammonium yield is increased. The ammonia generated by the cyanobacteria is made available as a hydrogen carrier.