Abstract: O-acetylserine, L-cysteine and sulphurous compounds derived therefrom may be produced using a bacterium belonging to the genus Escherichia which harbors a mutant feedback-resistant serine acetyltransferases in which the amino acid sequence corresponding to positions from 89 to 96 in a wild-type serine acetyltransferase is replaced with any one of the amino acid sequences shown in SEQ ID NOS: 4 to 9, and feedback inhibition by L-cysteine in the bacterium is desensitized.

Abstract: The invention provides a lighting apparatus which can reduce a layout space within a vehicle and can easily arrange a wiring. A translucent portion of a board lighting apparatus and a translucent portion of a console lighting apparatus are structured such as to serve as a decorative luminous portion and a lighting luminous portion. Since the board lighting apparatus is arranged in an upper side of a glove compartment, it is possible to apply decoration to a portion around the glove compartment and light a space at a time when the glove compartment is open. Since the console lighting apparatus is arranged in an upper side of the center console, it is possible to apply decoration to a portion around the center console and light an area around the feed of a passenger.

Abstract: A scuff plate of the invention is a scuff plate which has a luminous unit of which a side surface of side surfaces forms a luminous surface, a light source unit which emits light to the luminous unit, and a light guiding unit which is disposed in such a manner that a side surface thereof faces the luminous surface, wherein the light guiding unit has a luminous surface portion which expands in an intersecting direction relative to a front surface thereof. The scuff plate of the invention provides a scuff plate which has superior design properties without increasing the thickness of the whole thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for designing and preparing mutant transglutaminases on the basis of the three-dimensional structure of MTG derived from Streptoverticillium mobaraense (MTG), and the mutant MTG thus prepared. The present invention provides a method for modifying MTG on the basis of the three-dimensional structure, and transglutaminase having reactivity on the substrate improved by the method. In the present invention, the binding site of MTG for the substrate is extrapolated based on the three-dimensional structure obtained by X-ray crystal structure analysis of MTG crystals, and the mutant transglutaminases are designed and produced by replacing, inserting or deleting amino acid residues positioned at the substrate-binding site of the transglutaminase.

Abstract: A method for producing a protein having an antithrombotic activity, which comprises replacing, in a protein that has an amino acid sequence having a homology of not less than 30% to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 and forms a higher order structure composed of a first ? strand (?1), a first a helix (?1), a second ? helix (?2), a second ? strand (?2), a loop, a third ? strand (?3), a fourth ? strand (?4) and a fifth ? strand (?5) in this order from the amino terminus, at least one amino acid residue in a region from ?2 to ?2 and/or a region from ?3 to ?4 so that electric charge of the amino acid residue is changed towards positive direction.

Abstract: A storage structure, including: a main body portion including an opening portion and a cable outlet portion; a lid slidably mounted on the main body portion to open and close the opening portion, the lid including a cable introductory portion; and a flat plate-shaped cable including a first end at the cable outlet portion, a second end at the cable introductory portion, and a cable slack portion between the first and second ends, where the length of the cable slack portion between the cable outlet portion and the cable introductory portion is set to be equal to or more than the distance between the cable outlet portion and the cable introductory portion, both when the lid is positioned to open and to close the opening portion.

Abstract: There is provided a mutant nucleoside-5?-phosphate producing enzyme with improved nucleoside-5?-phosphate producing ability of a nucleoside-5?-phosphate producing enzyme that has transphosphorylation activity and/or phosphatase activity and has one Lys residue, two Arg residues and two His residues with distances between their C?'s within a particular ranges and a space around them allowing a binding of a nucleoside, of which mutation is designed by using the crystal structure of EB-AP.

Abstract: O-acetylserine, L-cysteine and sulphurous compounds derived therefrom may be produced using a bacterium belonging to the genus Escherichia which harbors a mutant feedback-resistant serine acetyltransferases in which the amino acid sequence corresponding to positions from 89 to 96 in a wild-type serine acetyltransferase is replaced with any one of the amino acid sequences shown in SEQ ID NOS: 4 to 9, and feedback inhibition by L-cysteine in the bacterium is desensitized.

Abstract: A method for producing a protein having an antithrombotic activity, which comprises replacing, in a protein that has an amino acid sequence having a homology of not.less than 30% to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 and forms a higher order structure composed of a first &bgr; strand (&bgr;1), a first a helix (&agr;1), a second &agr; helix (&agr;2), a second &bgr; strand (&bgr;2), a loop, a third &bgr; strand (&bgr;3), a fourth &bgr; strand (&bgr;4) and a fifth &bgr; strand (&bgr;5) in this order from the amino terminus, at least one amino acid residue in a region from &agr;2 to &bgr;2 and/or a region from &bgr;3 to &bgr;4 so that electric charge of the amino acid residue is changed towards positive direction.

Abstract: A method for producing a protein having an antithrombotic activity, which comprises replacing, in a protein that has an amino acid sequence having a homology of not less than 30% to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 and forms a higher order structure composed of a first &bgr; strand (&bgr;1), a first &agr; helix (&agr;1), a second &agr; helix (&agr;2), a second &bgr; strand (&bgr;2), a loop, a third &bgr; strand (&bgr;3), a fourth &bgr; strand (&bgr;4) and a fifth &bgr; strand (&bgr;5) in this order from the amino terminus, at least one amino acid residue in a region from &agr;2 to &bgr;2 and/or a region from &bgr;3 to &bgr;4 so that electric charge of the amino acid residue is changed towards positive direction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for designing and preparing mutant transglutaminases on the basis of the three-dimensional structure of MTG derived from Streptoverticillium mobaraense (MTG), and the mutant MTG thus prepared. The present invention provides a method for modifying MTG on the basis of the three-dimensional structure, and transglutaminase having reactivity on the substrate improved by the method. In the present invention, the binding site of MTG for the substrate is extrapolated based on the three-dimensional structure obtained by X-ray crystal structure analysis of MTG crystals, and the mutant transglutaminases are designed and produced by replacing, inserting or deleting amino acid residues positioned at the substrate-binding site of the transglutaminase.

Abstract: The present invention provides such a structure that a male-type terminal which in inserted to a female-type terminal to come in contact therewith comprises a resistor on at least a tip portion of a resistor and that at the time of insertion to the female-type terminal, a switching is made from the resistor to the conductor portion and, at the time of detachment from the female-type terminal, switching is made from the conductor portion to the resistor.

Abstract: The spore germination inhibitor of the invention is 6-carbamoyl-2-pyridine carboxylic acid which is produced by a microorganism of genus Bacillus, such as Bacillus subtilis, and can inhibit germination of sporogenous bacteria resulting in the prevention of spoilage and putrefaction of foods, particularly in combination with D-alanine.

Abstract: A method for producing a protein having an antithrombotic activity, which comprises replacing, in a protein that has an amino acid sequence having a homology of not less than 30% to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 and forms a higher order structure composed of a first &bgr; strand (&bgr;1), a first &agr; helix (&agr;1), a second &agr; helix (&agr;2), a second &bgr; strand (&bgr;2), a loop, a third &bgr; strand (&bgr;3), a fourth &bgr; strand (&bgr;4) and a fifth &bgr; strand (&bgr;5) in this order from the amino terminus, at least one amino acid residue in a region from &agr;2 to &bgr;2 and/or a region from &bgr;3 to &bgr;4 so that electric charge of the amino acid residue is changed towards positive direction.

Abstract: The present invention provides such a structure that a male-type terminal which in inserted to a female-type terminal to come in contact therewith comprises a resistor on at least a tip portion of a resistor and that at the time of insertion to the female-type terminal, a switching is made from the resistor to the conductor portion and, at the time of detachment from the female-type terminal, switching is made from the conductor portion to the resistor.

Abstract: The spore germination inhibitor of the invention is 6-carbamoyl-2-pyridine carboxylic acid which is produced by a microorganism of genus Bacillus, such as Bacillus subtilis, and can inhibit germination of sporogenous bacteria resulting in the prevention of spoilage and putrefaction of foods, particularly in combination with D-alanine.