Abstract: There is provided a process for industrial production of simple 3-carboxy-cis,cis-muconic acid and/or 3-carboxymuconolactone from low molecular mixtures derived from plant components such as vanillin, vanillic acid and protocatechuic acid, via a multistage enzyme reaction. A recombinant plasmid containing a vanillate demethylase gene (vanAB genes), benzaldehyde dehydrogenase gene (ligV gene) and protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase gene (pcaHG genes); transformants incorporating the plasmid; and a process for production of 3-carboxy-cis,cis-muconic acid and/or 3-carboxymuconolactone characterized by culturing the transformants in the presence of vanillin, vanillic acid, protocatechuic acid or a mixture of two or more thereof.

Abstract: A polyester containing a biomass-derived material in a repeating unit structure and having all of sufficient mechanical strength, easy mold processability into a molded product such as fiber or film, and biodegradability, is provided. A PDC-L-lactic acid copolyester represented by the following formula: —[R1—PDC]x—[OCH(CH3)CO]1-x—??(I) [wherein PDC is a dicarboxylic acid residue represented by the following formula (II): R1 is selected from —O(CH2)nO—, —O(CH2CH2O)m— and —O[CH(CH3)CH2O]m—, where n represents an integer of 3 to 6 and m represents an integer of 1 to 4; and is 0.005?x?0.2 when n?4 or m?2, and is 0.005?x?0.4 in other cases]; and a molded product containing the PDC-L-lactic acid copolyester.