Abstract: A recombinant of a methanol-assimilating bacterium in which an exogenous linear DNA fragment is introduced into its chromosomal DNA, and is prepared by the following steps:

Abstract: The present invention provides polypeptides and polynucleotides involved in central intermediates metabolism in Methylophilus methylotrophus and methods of producing amino acids in microorganisms having enhanced or attenuated expression of these polypeptides and/or polynucleotides.

Abstract: An ability of a methanol-utilizing bacterium to produce a polysaccharide is improved or suppressed using a DNA encoding a protein selected from the group consisting of:

Abstract: A DNA encoding for a mutant of LysE protein, or a homologous protein thereof, of a coryneform bacterium, wherein the mutant, when introduced into a methanol-assimilating bacterium imparts resistance to L-lysine analogue. The DNA encoding for a mutant of LysE protein, or a homologous protein thereof, is introduced into a methanol-assimilating bacterium to improve L-lysine and L-arginine productivity of the methanol-assimilating bacterium.

Abstract: The present invention describes a method for producing an L-amino acid comprising culturing a microorganism having an ability to produce an L-amino acid in a medium, whereby the L-amino acid accumulates in the medium, and collecting the L-amino acid from the medium, whereby said microorganism comprises a methanol-utilizing bacterium having the Entner-Doudoroff pathway in which 6-phosphogluconate dehydratase activity and/or 2-keto-3-dexoy-6-phosphogluconate aldolase activity is enhanced.

Abstract: The present invention provides polypeptides and polynucleotides involved in C1 assimilation in Methylophilus methylotrophus and methods of producing amino acids in microorganisms having enhanced or attenuated expression of these polypeptides and/or polynucleotides.

Abstract: There are provided a DNA coding for phosphohexuloisomerase, which is a protein defined in the following (A) or (B), and a method for producing the enzyme: (A) a protein having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 shown in Sequence Listing, (B) a protein having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 shown in Sequence Listing including substitution, deletion, insertion or addition of one or several amino acid residues and having phosphohexulose isomerase activity.

Abstract: A methane-utilizing microorganism capable of producing L-amino acid, for example, bacteria belonging to type I, type X or type II in the taxonomic categorization methane-utilizing bacteria such as Methylomonas albus, Methylococcus capsulatus and Methylosinus trichosporium, is cultivated in a culture medium in contact with gas containing methane which is the main source of carbon, to allow the L-amino acid to be produced and accumulated in the medium, and the L-amino acid is collected from the medium.

Abstract: A DNA encoding a variant of a protein, having a loop region and six hydrophobic helixes and involved in excretion of L-lysine to outside of a cell, wherein the DNA encodes a mutant protein not containing the loop region that is contained in a wild-type protein and facilitates excretion of L-lysine, L-arginine or both of these L-amino acids to outside of a cell of a methanol assimilating bacterium when the DNA is introduced into the bacterium, specifically lysE24, is introduced into a methanol assimilating bacterium such as Methylophilus bacteria to improve L-amino acid productivity, especially L-lysine and L-arginine productivities.

Abstract: In a method for producing a target substance by using a microorganism comprising culturing a microorganism having an ability to produce the target substance in a medium to produce and accumulate the target substance in the medium or cells of the microorganism and collecting the target substance from the medium or the cells of the microorganism, there are used, as the microorganism, a microorganism to which a methanol dehydrogenase gene is introduced, of which activities of hexulose phosphate synthase and phosphohexuloisomerase are enhanced and which is modified so that an ability to utilize methanol should be imparted or enhanced, and there is used a medium containing methanol as a carbon source.

Abstract: L-Arginine is produced by culturing a microorganism which has L-arginine producing ability and has been modified so that expression of lysE gene should be enhanced, such a microorganism further modified so that an arginine repressor should not function normally, or such a microorganism further modified so that intracellular activity of an enzyme in L-arginine biosynthetic pathway should be enhanced in a medium to produce and accumulate L-arginine in the medium and collecting the L-arginine from the medium.

Abstract: The present invention provides Methylobacillus bacteria containing an aspartokinase gene and/or a dihydrodipicolinate synthase gene wherein the activities of these genes are insensitive to L-lysine feedback inhibition and methods of producing L-lysine by culturing the Methylobacillus bacteria.

Abstract: An Escherichia coil mutant strain deficient in dihydrodipicolinate synthase or dihydrodipicolinate reductase is transformed by using a chromosome gene library of Bacillus methanolicus, a transformant strain which can grow on a minimal medium is selected, and recombinant DNA containing DNA which codes for dihydrodipicolinate synthase or dihydrodipicolinate reductase is obtained from the transformant.

Abstract: The present invention provides dihydropicolinate synthase and dihydrodipicolinate reductase enzymes from Bacillus methanolicus, polynucleotides encoding the enzymes, and methods of producing L-lysinse in microorganisms expressing the enzymes.

Abstract: There are provided a DNA coding for phosphohexuloisomerase, which is a protein defined in the following (A) or (B), and a method for producing the enzyme:

Abstract: A novel insertion sequence, which has been found in the sMMO gene coding for methane monooxygenase of methane-assimilating bacterium Methylococcus capsulatus NCIMB 11132 strain, and has inverted repeat sequences consisting of a sequence of the nucleotide numbers 5-19 of SEQ ID NO: 1 at the both ends, can be utilized as effective means for genetic analysis including creation of insertion mutant strains, gene mapping, promoter searching, insertion of genetic information into chromosomal DNA, disruption of specific gene and the like, or utilized for improving methane-assimilating bacteria by chromosomal genetic engineering techniques.

Abstract: A cell which is introduced with a DNA coding for a protein defined in the following (A) or (B): (A) a protein which has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 shown in Sequence Listing; (B) a protein which has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 shown in Sequence Listing including substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of one or several amino acids, and has activity to promote methanol dehydrogenase activity, in such a manner that the protein encoded by the DNA can be expressed, is cultured in a medium so that the protein having an activity to promote methanol dehydrogenase activity should be produced and accumulated in the medium, and the protein is collected from the medium. The present invention provides a novel activator of methanol dehydrogenase, DNA coding for it, cell expressing the DNA, and method for producing the activator.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing a transglutaminase, which comprises incubating Escherichia coli expressing genes encoding a heat shock protein (DnaJ) and a transglutaminase. The transglutaminase is produced in large quantities, at low cost and has the appropriate stereostructure to render the transglutaminase biologically active. The transglutaminase so produced is useful in the food industry.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a transglutaminase originating from Crassostrea gigas, a gene coding for the transglutaminase, a plasmid carrying the gene, a microorganism transformed with the plasmid, a method for producing an intended transglutaminase by cultivating the microorganism and a method for gelating a protein using the transglutaminase originating from Crassostrea gigas. When comparing with other transglutaminases, the transglutaminase originating from Crassostrea gigas has novel characteristic properties such that it can be activated by the action of calcium ions and that it is further activated by the addition of sodium chloride and/or potassium chloride and it is of utility value, in particular, as a gelling agent for foods.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a DNA fragment having a gene derived from fish which codes for a polypeptide possessing transglutaminase activity, a recombinant plasmid comprising a fish-derived DNA fragment which codes for a transglutaminase, a transformant into which a recombinant plasmid comprising a fish-derived DNA fragment which codes for a transglutaminase is introduced, and a method for the production of a transglutaminase, comprising culturing a transformant containing a fish-derived DNA fragment which codes for a transglutaminase.