Abstract: A sialogogue characterized by comprising polyglutamic acid or its salt. This sialogogue is blended into an oral composition and a food product. This sialogogue is capable of rendering the oral mucosa pleasant even in the case of severe xerostomia.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a ?-fructofuranosidase variant whose reaction specificity is improved to be suitable for the production of fructooligosaccharides. According to the present invention, there is provided a ?-fructofuranosidase variant consisting of a mutated amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or a mutated homologue thereof, which has mutations at specific amino acid residues.

Abstract: A novel endoglucanase derived from Staphylotrichum coccosporum, a polynucleotide encoding the endoglucanase, and a cellulase preparation containing the endoglucanase are disclosed. The endoglucanase or cellulase preparation is available for a washing use or fabric processing, such as a color clarification of a cellulose-containing fabric, a reduction of fuzz, an improvement of the touch feel and appearance of the fabric, providing a localized color change to the fabric, or a reduction of stiffness.

Abstract: An optical low pass filter (2) is formed, for example, by a birefringent plate so as to control the light beam separation width, thereby changing the cut-off frequency according to an imaging mode. The number of pixels of an imaging element (5) is set greater than the number of pixels corresponding to the dynamic image display resolution. In a still image capturing mode, the light beam separation width is set narrower so that the resolution of the imaging element (5) can be used as it is while suppressing generation of a false color to a certain degree. On the other hand, in a dynamic image capturing mode, the light beam separation width is set wider so that a high-frequency component corresponding to an unnecessary resolution component for an output image signal can be cut off and suppression of the false color can be performed strongly as compared to the still image capturing mode.

Abstract: This invention relates to a protein that is a Zygomycetes-derived endoglucanase lacking the cellulose-binding domain and exhibits endoglucanase activity, and a method for using the same. This invention can enhance effects of an endoglucanase enzyme on fabric treatment such as reduction of fuzzing, improvement in feel and appearance, color clarification, partial color change, and softening of cellulose-containing fabrics and on performance improvement in the deinking of waste paper and drainage of paper pulp.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a ?-fructofuranosidase variant whose reaction specificity is improved to be suitable for the production of fructooligosaccharides. According to the present invention, there is provided a ?-fructofuranosidase variant consisting of a mutated amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or a mutated homologue thereof, which has mutations at specific amino acid residues.

Abstract: A deinking method using a cellulase which enables the load upon the environment to be reduced; and an evaluation method whereby a cellulase effective in deinking and the effective addition level of the cellulase can be appropriately determined. By proposing pulp-swelling activity (PSA) that elevates the water-retention value of pulp after pulp is reacted with cellulase, it becomes possible to select an enzyme that is effective in cellulase-deinking treatment without lowering the paper strength and to determine the effective enzyme dosage. Namely, a method of deinking waste paper is provided wherein the selection of an effective cellulase and the optimization of the enzyme dosage with the use of PSA as an indication make it possible to minimize the cellulase addition level and lessen the amount of the deinking agent.

Abstract: A novel endoglucanase derived from Staphylotrichum coccosporum, a polynucleotide encoding the endoglucanase, and a cellulase preparation containing the endoglucanase are disclosed. The endoglucanase or cellulase preparation is available for a washing use or fabric processing, such as a color clarification of a cellulose-containing fabric, a reduction of fuzz, an improvement of the touch feel and appearance of the fabric, providing a localized color change to the fabric, or a reduction of stiffness.

Abstract: A sialogogue characterized by comprising polyglutamic acid or its salt. This sialogogue is blended into an oral composition and a food product. This sialogogue is capable of rendering the oral mucosa pleasant even in the case of severe xerostomia.

Abstract: A cellulase preparation comprising an endoglucanase derived from Zygomycetes, a cellulose-binding-domain-deleted endoglucanase, or a modified or homologous protein thereof, together with a reducing agent is disclosed. Further, a method of treating cellulose-containing fabric, comprising the step of treating the fabric with the cellulase preparation to improve a property of the fabric, a method of deinking waste paper, comprising the step of treating the waste paper with the cellulase preparation. together with a deinking agent, and a method of improving freeness of paper pulp, comprising the step of treating the paper pulp with the cellulase preparation, are disclosed.

Abstract: A process for producing a transgenic plant which accumulates a fructooligosaccharide, comprising the step of transforming a plant with a gene construct comprising a gene encoding ?-fructofuranosidase capable of converting sucrose into a fructooligosaccharide, and a transgenic plant produced by the process, are disclosed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a novel peroxidase enzyme with high dye degradation activity, the genetic information thereof and a method for degrading and decolorizing dye by using the same. The invention enables the degradation and decolorizing of a wide range of dye types in an efficient manner with no occurrence of any problem, such as secondary pollution due to the generation of hazardous byproducts or the discharge of the greenhouse effect gas due to high-level energy consumption. In accordance with the invention, further, the enzyme can be supplied at a large quantity, on the basis of the genetic information, so the enzyme can be applied to the treatment of wastewater containing dyes and the like, in the fields of staining industry and the like.

Abstract: A deinking method using a cellulase which enables the load upon the environment to be reduced; and an evaluation method whereby a cellulase effective in deinking and the effective addition level of the cellulase can be appropriately determined. By proposing pulp-swelling activity (PSA) that elevates the water-retention value of pulp after pulp is reacted with cellulase, it becomes possible to select an enzyme that is effective in cellulase-deinking treatment without lowering the paper strength and to determine the effective enzyme dosage. Namely, a method of deinking waste paper is provided wherein the selection of an effective cellulase and the optimization of the enzyme dosage with the use of PSA as an indication make it possible to minimize the cellulase addition level and lessen the amount of the deinking agent.

Abstract: A cellulase preparation comprising an endoglucanase derived from Zygomycetes, a cellulose-binding-domain-deleted endoglucanase, or a modified or homologous protein thereof, together with a reducing agent is disclosed. Further, a method of treating cellulose-containing fabric, comprising the step of treating the fabric with the cellulase preparation to improve a property of the fabric, a method of deinking waste paper, comprising the step of treating the waste paper with the cellulase preparation. together with a deinking agent, and a method of improving freeness of paper pulp, comprising the step of treating the paper pulp with the cellulase preparation, are disclosed.

Abstract: This invention relates to a protein that is a Zygomycetes-derived endoglucanase lacking the cellulose-binding domain and exhibits endoglucanase activity, and a method for using the same. This invention can enhance effects of an endoglucanase enzyme on fabric treatment such as reduction of fuzzing, improvement in feel and appearance, color clarification, partial color change, and softening of cellulose-containing fabrics and on performance improvement in the deinking of waste paper and drainage of paper pulp.

Abstract: Disclosed is a poly-.gamma.-glutamic acid ester comprising recurring units represented by the following formula (A): ##STR1## wherein R represents an ester-forming group, and recurring units represented by the following formula (B): ##STR2## wherein the former units (A) occupy at least 40% and the polymerization degree, that is, the total number of both the units (A) and (B), is at least 1000.