Patents by Inventor Kaoru Okakura
Kaoru Okakura has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
-
Patent number: 10017756Abstract: What is aimed at is provision of an inexpensive and efficient saccharification method for lignocellulose using a thermostable xylanase and provision of a mutant xylanase that has a substitute amino acid residue, and that exhibits stable activity even under severe conditions in which enzymes easily inactivate, and that provides an initial rate of reaction not significantly reduced as compared to a wild-type xylanase corresponding to the mutant xylanase. Provided is a method of producing a saccharified product of lignocellulose, including contacting a lignocellulosic raw material with a thermostable xylanase, and a mutant xylanase that provides an initial rate of reaction that is at least 70% of that provided by a wild-type xylanase corresponding thereto, that has a xylanase activity after heat treatment at 50° C. for 24 hours that is at least 50% of its xylanase activity before the heat treatment, and that has a substitute amino acid residue.Type: GrantFiled: January 3, 2017Date of Patent: July 10, 2018Assignees: MITSUI CHEMICALS, INC., MEIJI SEIKA PHARMA CO., LTD.Inventors: Hisaaki Yanai, Hiroki Tamai, Masami Osabe, Fumikazu Yokoyama, Kaoru Okakura, Atsushi Inoue
-
Publication number: 20170107502Abstract: What is aimed at is provision of an inexpensive and efficient saccharification method for lignocellulose using a thermostable xylanase and provision of a mutant xylanase that has a substitute amino acid residue, and that exhibits stable activity even under severe conditions in which enzymes easily inactivate, and that provides an initial rate of reaction not significantly reduced as compared to a wild-type xylanase corresponding to the mutant xylanase. Provided is a method of producing a saccharified product of lignocellulose, including contacting a lignocellulosic raw material with a thermostable xylanase, and a mutant xylanase that provides an initial rate of reaction that is at least 70% of that provided by a wild-type xylanase corresponding thereto, that has a xylanase activity after heat treatment at 50° C. for 24 hours that is at least 50% of its xylanase activity before the heat treatment, and that has a substitute amino acid residue.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 3, 2017Publication date: April 20, 2017Applicants: MITSUI CHEMICALS, INC., MEIJI SEIKA PHARMA CO., LTD.Inventors: Hisaaki YANAI, Hiroki TAMAI, Masami OSABE, Fumikazu YOKOYAMA, Kaoru OKAKURA, Atsushi INOUE
-
Patent number: 9567617Abstract: What is aimed at is provision of an inexpensive and efficient saccharification method for lignocellulose using a thermostable xylanase and provision of a mutant xylanase that has a substitute amino acid residue, and that exhibits stable activity even under severe conditions in which enzymes easily inactivate, and that provides an initial rate of reaction not significantly reduced as compared to a wild-type xylanase corresponding to the mutant xylanase. Provided is a method of producing a saccharified product of lignocellulose, including contacting a lignocellulosic raw material with a thermostable xylanase, and a mutant xylanase that provides an initial rate of reaction that is at least 70% of that provided by a wild-type xylanase corresponding thereto, that has a xylanase activity after heat treatment at 50° C. for 24 hours that is at least 50% of its xylanase activity before the heat treatment, and that has a substitute amino acid residue.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2016Date of Patent: February 14, 2017Assignees: MITSUI CHEMICALS, INC., MEIJI SEIKA PHARMA CO., LTD.Inventors: Hisaaki Yanai, Hiroki Tamai, Masami Osabe, Fumikazu Yokoyama, Kaoru Okakura, Atsushi Inoue
-
Patent number: 9540617Abstract: A modified polynucleotide has a different base sequence in at least one codon from a wild-type base sequence encoding a horseradish peroxidase polypeptide. The usage frequency of the modified codon of the polynucleotide corresponds to the codon usage frequencies of three filamentous fungal species in Humicola, Aspergillus, and Trichoderma. The polynucleotide is capable of expressing the polypeptide to be encoded in a filamentous fungus.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2013Date of Patent: January 10, 2017Assignee: MEIJI SEIKA PHARMA CO., LTD.Inventors: Fumikazu Yokoyama, Kaoru Okakura, Atsushi Inoue, Koichiro Murashima, Toshiaki Nagasato, Koji Yanai, Akitaka Nakane
-
Patent number: 9512409Abstract: An object is to efficiently produce thermostable catalase at low cost by expressing it as a recombinant protein in large quantity. A recombinant microorganism capable of efficiently expressing thermostable catalase can be provided by obtaining a DNA necessary for efficiently producing it as a recombinant protein, and the thermostable catalase can be efficiently produced at low cost by cultivating the obtained recombinant microorganism. Hydrogen peroxide can be efficiently decomposed at low cost, even at high temperature, by treating a solution containing hydrogen peroxide with the thermostable catalase of the present invention.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2015Date of Patent: December 6, 2016Assignee: MEIJI SEIKA PHARMA CO., LTD.Inventors: Kaoru Okakura, Fusuke Mazuka, Takayoshi Fukushima, Koichiro Murashima
-
Patent number: 9394554Abstract: What is aimed at is provision of an inexpensive and efficient saccharification method for lignocellulose using a thermostable xylanase and provision of a mutant xylanase that has a substitute amino acid residue, and that exhibits stable activity even under severe conditions in which enzymes easily inactivate, and that provides an initial rate of reaction not significantly reduced as compared to a wild-type xylanase corresponding to the mutant xylanase. Provided is a method of producing a saccharified product of lignocellulose, including contacting a lignocellulosic raw material with a thermostable xylanase, and a mutant xylanase that provides an initial rate of reaction that is at least 70% of that provided by a wild-type xylanase corresponding thereto, that has a xylanase activity after heat treatment at 50° C. for 24 hours that is at least 50% of its xylanase activity before the heat treatment, and that has a substitute amino acid residue.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2012Date of Patent: July 19, 2016Assignees: Mitsui Chemicals, Inc., Meiji Seika Pharma Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hisaaki Yanai, Hiroki Tamai, Masami Osabe, Fumikazu Yokoyama, Kaoru Okakura, Atsushi Inoue
-
Publication number: 20160168555Abstract: What is aimed at is provision of an inexpensive and efficient saccharification method for lignocellulose using a thermostable xylanase and provision of a mutant xylanase that has a substitute amino acid residue, and that exhibits stable activity even under severe conditions in which enzymes easily inactivate, and that provides an initial rate of reaction not significantly reduced as compared to a wild-type xylanase corresponding to the mutant xylanase. Provided is a method of producing a saccharified product of lignocellulose, including contacting a lignocellulosic raw material with a thermostable xylanase, and a mutant xylanase that provides an initial rate of reaction that is at least 70% of that provided by a wild-type xylanase corresponding thereto, that has a xylanase activity after heat treatment at 50° C. for 24 hours that is at least 50% of its xylanase activity before the heat treatment, and that has a substitute amino acid residue.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2016Publication date: June 16, 2016Applicants: Mitsui Chemicals, Inc., Meiji Seika Pharma Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hisaaki YANAI, Hiroki TAMAI, Masami OSABE, Fumikazu YOKOYAMA, Kaoru OKAKURA, Atsushi INOUE
-
Patent number: 9181537Abstract: By having a cellulase preparation comprising at least a certain amount of endoglucanases derived from two different types of microorganisms, the cellulase preparation can be provided with a higher activity and a wider pH property than those of cellulase preparations each containing one of the endoglucanases alone. Moreover, by introducing and expressing simultaneously two different types of cellulase genes in a single host cell, a cellulase preparation having a high activity and a wide pH property can be produced easily.Type: GrantFiled: July 1, 2010Date of Patent: November 10, 2015Assignee: MEIJI SEIKA PHARMA CO., LTD.Inventors: Kaoru Okakura, Koichiro Murashima
-
Publication number: 20150140574Abstract: A modified polynucleotide has a different base sequence in at least one codon from a wild-type base sequence encoding a horseradish peroxidase polypeptide. The usage frequency of the modified codon of the polynucleotide corresponds to the codon usage frequencies of three filamentous fungal species in Humicola, Aspergillus, and Trichoderma. The polynucleotide is capable of expressing the polypeptide to be encoded in a filamentous fungus.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 30, 2013Publication date: May 21, 2015Applicant: MEIJI SEIKA PHARMA CO., LTD.Inventors: Fumikazu Yokoyama, Kaoru Okakura, Atsushi Inoue, Koichiro Murashima, Toshiaki Nagasato, Koji Yanai, Akitaka Nakane
-
Publication number: 20150132820Abstract: An object is to efficiently produce thermostable catalase at low cost by expressing it as a recombinant protein in large quantity. A recombinant microorganism capable of efficiently expressing thermostable catalase can be provided by obtaining a DNA necessary for efficiently producing it as a recombinant protein, and the thermostable catalase can be efficiently produced at low cost by cultivating the obtained recombinant microorganism. Hydrogen peroxide can be efficiently decomposed at low cost, even at high temperature, by treating a solution containing hydrogen peroxide with the thermostable catalase of the present invention.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 27, 2015Publication date: May 14, 2015Applicant: MEIJI SEIKA PHARMA CO., LTD.Inventors: Kaoru OKAKURA, Fusuke MAZUKA, Takayoshi FUKUSHIMA, Koichiro MURASHIMA
-
Patent number: 8975053Abstract: An object is to efficiently produce thermostable catalase at low cost by expressing it as a recombinant protein in large quantity. A recombinant microorganism capable of efficiently expressing thermostable catalase can be provided by obtaining a DNA necessary for efficiently producing it as a recombinant protein, and the thermostable catalase can be efficiently produced at low cost by cultivating the obtained recombinant microorganism. Hydrogen peroxide can be efficiently decomposed at low cost, even at high temperature, by treating a solution containing hydrogen peroxide with the thermostable catalase of the present invention.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2009Date of Patent: March 10, 2015Assignee: Meiji Seika Pharma Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kaoru Okakura, Fusuke Mazuka, Takayoshi Fukushima, Koichiro Murashima
-
Publication number: 20140322764Abstract: What is aimed at is provision of an inexpensive and efficient saccharification method for lignocellulose using a thermostable xylanase and provision of a mutant xylanase that has a substitute amino acid residue, and that exhibits stable activity even under severe conditions in which enzymes easily inactivate, and that provides an initial rate of reaction not significantly reduced as compared to a wild-type xylanase corresponding to the mutant xylanase. Provided is a method of producing a saccharified product of lignocellulose, including contacting a lignocellulosic raw material with a thermostable xylanase, and a mutant xylanase that provides an initial rate of reaction that is at least 70% of that provided by a wild-type xylanase corresponding thereto, that has a xylanase activity after heat treatment at 50° C. for 24 hours that is at least 50% of its xylanase activity before the heat treatment, and that has a substitute amino acid residue.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 22, 2012Publication date: October 30, 2014Inventors: Hisaaki Yanai, Hiroki Tamai, Masami Osabe, Fumikazu Yokoyama, Kaoru Okakura, Atsushi Inoue
-
Publication number: 20120100578Abstract: By having a cellulase preparation comprising at least a certain amount of endoglucanases derived from two different types of microorganisms, the cellulase preparation can be provided with a higher activity and a wider pH property than those of cellulase preparations each containing one of the endoglucanases alone. Moreover, by introducing and expressing simultaneously two different types of cellulase genes in a single host cell, a cellulase preparation having a high activity and a wide pH property can be produced easily.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 1, 2010Publication date: April 26, 2012Applicant: MEIJI SEIKA PHARMA CO., LTD.Inventors: Kaoru Okakura, Koichiro Murashima
-
Publication number: 20100330646Abstract: An object is to efficiently produce thermostable catalase at low cost by expressing it as a recombinant protein in large quantity. A recombinant microorganism capable of efficiently expressing thermostable catalase can be provided by obtaining a DNA necessary for efficiently producing it as a recombinant protein, and the thermostable catalase can be efficiently produced at low cost by cultivating the obtained recombinant microorganism. Hydrogen peroxide can be efficiently decomposed at low cost, even at high temperature, by treating a solution containing hydrogen peroxide with the thermostable catalase of the present invention.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 18, 2009Publication date: December 30, 2010Inventors: Kaoru Okakura, Fusuke Mazuka, Takayoshi Fukushima, Koichiro Murashima
-
Patent number: 7790430Abstract: Disclosed is a novel cellulose having an amino acid sequence in which the 162nd and/or 166th amino acid residues in the amino acid sequence of cellulose NCE5 are substituted. Further, a polynucleotide encoding the novel cellulose, an expression vector containing the polynucleotide, a host cell transformed with the expression vector, and a cellulose preparation and a washing composition containing the cellulose are disclosed. The cellulose of the present invention is resistant to surfactants, and maintains a high activity even under alkaline conditions.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2008Date of Patent: September 7, 2010Assignee: Meiji Seika Kaisha, Ltd.Inventors: Kaoru Okakura, Koji Yanai
-
Publication number: 20080199938Abstract: Disclosed is a novel cellulose having an amino acid sequence in which the 162nd and/or 166th amino acid residues in the amino acid sequence of cellulose NCE5 are substituted. Further, a polynucleotide encoding the novel cellulose, an expression vector containing the polynucleotide, a host cell transformed with the expression vector, and a cellulose preparation and a washing composition containing the cellulose are disclosed. The cellulose of the present invention is resistant to surfactants, and maintains a high activity even under alkaline conditions.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 11, 2008Publication date: August 21, 2008Inventors: Kaoru OKAKURA, Koji Yanai
-
Patent number: 7374921Abstract: Disclosed is a novel cellulase having an amino acid sequence in which the 162nd and/or 166th amino acid residues in the amino acid sequence of cellulase NCE5 are substituted. Further, a polynucleotide encoding the novel cellulase, an expression vector containing the polynucleotide, a host cell transformed with the expression vector, and a cellulase preparation and a washing composition containing the cellulase are disclosed. The cellulase of the present invention is resistant to surfactants, and maintains a high activity even under alkaline conditions.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2003Date of Patent: May 20, 2008Assignee: Meiji Seika Kaisha, Ltd.Inventors: Kaoru Okakura, Koji Yanai
-
Patent number: 7285404Abstract: The present invention provides an enzyme that synthesizes a cyclic depsipeptide, particularly the substance 1022, and a gene thereof. A cyclic depsipeptide synthetase according to the present invention comprises (a) an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or (b) a modified amino acid sequence of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 that have one or more modifications selected from a substitution, a deletion, an addition and an insertion and has cyclic depsipeptide synthetase activity. A cyclic depsipeptide synthetase gene according to the present invention comprises a nucleotide sequence encoding a cyclic depsipeptide synthetase. The present invention also provides a recombinant vector and a transformant for expressing the cyclic depsipeptide synthetase, and a mass production system for the cyclic depsipeptide. The present invention further provides a method for producing the cyclic depsipeptide synthetase.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2000Date of Patent: October 23, 2007Assignee: Meiji Seika Kaisha, Ltd.Inventors: Naoki Midoh, Kaoru Okakura, Koichi Miyamoto, Manabu Watanabe, Koji Yanai, Tetsuya Yasutake, Sato Aihara, Takafumi Futamura, Horst Kleinkauf, Takeshi Murakami
-
Patent number: 7256031Abstract: The invention is to provide a novel ?-glucosidase and a gene that codes for the enzyme, and to develop a technique of utilizing the ?-glucosidase or a composition that contains the enzyme for processing plants or plant-derived substances. According to the invention, there are provided a novel enzyme showing a ?-glucosidase activity and derived from filamentous fungi of the genus Acremonium, a gene that codes for the enzyme, a method of using the gene for expressing ?-glucosidase, an enzyme composition that contains ?-glucosidase, and a method of processing plants or plant-derived substances with the enzyme or the enzyme compositions.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2001Date of Patent: August 14, 2007Assignees: Meiji Seika Kaisha, Ltd., National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and TechnologyInventors: Tomoyuki Fukasawa, Chuhei Nojiri, Nobuo Matsuhashi, Koji Nishizawa, Kaoru Okakura, Takashi Yamanobe
-
Patent number: 7109018Abstract: An objective of the present invention is to provide a transformant altered so as to produce a secondary metabolite in which a benzene ring of the secondary product is modified at the para-position with a functional group containing a nitrogen atom.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2000Date of Patent: September 19, 2006Assignee: Meiji Seika Kaisha, Ltd.Inventors: Koji Yanai, Kaoru Okakura, Shohei Yasuda, Manabu Watanabe, Koichi Miyamoto, Naoki Midoh, Takeshi Murakami