Abstract: The present invention has an object of providing a novel fructosyl peptide oxidase having superior physicochemical properties such as stability that is useful as an enzyme for clinical diagnosis, and an object of providing a method for producing the fructosyl peptide oxidase. A novel fructosyl peptide oxidase having physicochemical properties useful as an enzyme for clinical diagnosis, and a method for producing a novel fructosyl peptide oxidase are provided herein, the method comprising: culturing a microorganism capable of producing the oxidase in a medium; and collecting the oxidase from the culture. Furthermore, a fructosyl peptide oxidase gene coding for a novel fructosyl peptide oxidase, recombinant DNA wherein the gene is inserted into vector DNA, and a method for producing a novel fructosyl peptide oxidase are provided herein, the method comprising: culturing, in a medium, a transformant or a transductant including the gene; and collecting the novel fructosyl peptide oxidase from the culture.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing ?-glycated dipeptide, which comprises causing protease to act on N-terminal-glycated peptide or N-terminal-glycated protein. The present invention further relates to a method for determining the amount of ?-glycated dipeptide, which comprises causing a fructosyl peptide oxidase to act on the ?-glycated dipeptide obtained by the above method and then determining the amount of the thus generated hydrogen peroxide. According to the present invention, a method for producing ?-glycated dipeptide is provided, which enables the simple, rapid, and efficient production of ?-glycated dipeptide from glycated protein or glycated peptide. Furthermore, according to the present invention, a method for determining the amount of ?-glycated dipeptide is provided, which enables to determine the amount of ?-glycated dipeptide in a highly precise manner within a short time period.

Abstract: The present invention has an object of providing a novel fructosyl peptide oxidase having superior physicochemical properties such as stability that is useful as an enzyme for clinical diagnosis, and an object of providing a method for producing the fructosyl peptide oxidase. A novel fructosyl peptide oxidase having physicochemical properties useful as an enzyme for clinical diagnosis, and a method for producing a novel fructosyl peptide oxidase are provided herein, the method comprising: culturing a microorganism capable of producing the oxidase in a medium; and collecting the oxidase from the culture. Furthermore, a fructosyl peptide oxidase gene coding for a novel fructosyl peptide oxidase, recombinant DNA wherein the gene is inserted into vector DNA, and a method for producing a novel fructosyl peptide oxidase are provided herein, the method comprising: culturing, in a medium, a transformant or a transductant including the gene; and collecting the novel fructosyl peptide oxidase from the culture.

Abstract: The present invention has an object of providing a novel fructosyl peptide oxidase having superior physicochemical properties such as stability that is useful as an enzyme for clinical diagnosis, and an object of providing a method for producing the fructosyl peptide oxidase. A novel fructosyl peptide oxidase having physicochemical properties useful as an enzyme for clinical diagnosis, and a method for producing a novel fructosyl peptide oxidase are provided herein, the method comprising: culturing a microorganism capable of producing the oxidase in a medium; and collecting the oxidase from the culture. Furthermore, a fructosyl peptide oxidase gene coding for a novel fructosyl peptide oxidase, recombinant DNA wherein the gene is inserted into vector DNA, and a method for producing a novel fructosyl peptide oxidase are provided herein, the method comprising: culturing, in a medium, a transformant or a transductant including the gene; and collecting the novel fructosyl peptide oxidase from the culture.

Abstract: An isolated DNA molecule encoding modified sarcosine oxidases having optimal pH, high activity in the slightly acidic range and improved stability and a method for preparing the modified sarcosine oxidases is disclosed.

Abstract: A novel cholesterol oxidase having stability in the presence of surfactant and a gene encoding the novel cholesterol oxidase.

Abstract: (1) A modified sarcosine oxidase with improved stability in the acidic range compared to a wild-type sarcosine oxidase. (2) A sarcosine oxidase gene encoding a modified sarcosine oxidase of the following (a), (b), or (c): (a) protein composed of the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1 (b) protein composed of an amino acid sequence wherein one or some amino acid(s) are deleted, substituted, or added from the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, and which has sarcosine oxidase activity (c) protein composed of an amino acid sequence which shows 80% or more homology to the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, and which has sarcosine oxidase activity According to the present invention, sarcosine oxidases, in particular sarcosine oxidases which show optimal pH and high activity in the slightly acidic range and have improved stability can be prepared efficiently, thus making the invention industrially useful.

Abstract: (1) A modified sarcosine oxidase with improved stability in the acidic range compared to a wild-type sarcosine oxidase. (2) A sarcosine oxidase gene encoding a modified sarcosine oxidase of the following (a), (b), or (c): (a) protein composed of the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1 (b) protein composed of an amino acid sequence wherein one or some amino acid(s) are deleted, substituted, or added from the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, and which has sarcosine oxidase activity (c) protein composed of an amino acid sequence which shows 80% or more homology to the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, and which has sarcosine oxidase activity According to the present invention, sarcosine oxidases, in particular sarcosine oxidases which show optimal pH and high activity in the slightly acidic range and have improved stability can be prepared efficiently, thus making the invention industrially useful.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing ?-glycated dipeptide, which comprises causing protease to act on N-terminal-glycated peptide or N-terminal-glycated protein. The present invention further relates to a method for determining the amount of ?-glycated dipeptide, which comprises causing a fructosyl peptide oxidase to act on the ?-glycated dipeptide obtained by the above method and then determining the amount of the thus generated hydrogen peroxide. According to the present invention, a method for producing ?-glycated dipeptide is provided, which enables the simple, rapid, and efficient production of ?-glycated dipeptide from glycated protein or glycated peptide. Furthermore, according to the present invention, a method for determining the amount of ?-glycated dipeptide is provided, which enables to determine the amount of ?-glycated dipeptide in a highly precise manner within a short time period.

Abstract: A novel cholesterol oxidase having stability in the presence of surfactant and a gene encoding the novel cholesterol oxidase.

Abstract: A modified sarcosine oxidase having a lowered activity for N-ethylglycine. Such a modified oxidase may have the following physicochemical properties: (a) action: hydrolyzes 1 mol of sarcosine to produce 1 mol of glycine and 1 mol of formaldehyde; (b) substrate specificity: reactivity for N-ethylglycine is 70% or less compared with that of an unmodified protein; (c) optimal pH: around 8.0; (d) stable pH range: between 6.5 and 11.0; (e) optimal temperature: 55° C.; (f) thermostability: 55° C. or less; and (g) molecular weight: approximately 43,000 (SDS-PAGE). Genes, vectors and host cells encoding or expressing modified sarcosine oxidases. The modified sarcosine oxidases of the present invention can be used as reagents for measuring creatinine or creatine. The reagents containing the modified sarcosine oxidases used therein are hardly affected by N-ethylglycine, enabling more precise measurement than ever before.

Abstract: The present invention relates to: an isolated or synthesized gene, which encodes a protein comprising the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 2, an isolated or synthesized gene, which encodes a protein comprising an amino acid sequence comprising a deletion, substitution or addition of one or more amino acids with respect to the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 2 and being capable of regenerating luciferin, an isolated or synthesized gene, which hybridizes with the complementary strand sequence of a DNA comprising the nucleotide sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1 under stringent conditions and encodes a protein capable of regenerating luciferin, a recombinant DNA, which is characterized in that the above-described isolated or synthesized gene is inserted into a vector DNA, a transformant or transductant comprising the above-described recombinant DNA, and a process for producing a protein capable of regenerating luciferin, which is characterized in that the method comprises culturing t

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel fructosyl amino acid oxidase that is excellent in thermal stability. Moreover, the present invention provides a fructosyl amino acid oxidase gene encoding the novel fructosyl amino acid oxidase, a recombinant DNA in which the gene is inserted into a vector DNA, a transformant or transductant containing this gene, and a process for producing the novel fructosyl amino acid oxidase, which comprises culturing the transformant or transductant in a medium and collecting the novel fructosyl amino acid oxidase from the culture product.

Abstract: Based on a principle that is different to that of a conventional enzymatic method, the present invention provides a novel method for assaying a glycated protein by a simple procedure, within a short period of time, and with high accuracy, and a reagent kit for assaying used in the method. The method for assaying a glycated protein in a sample is realized by treating a glycated protein-containing sample with protease to liberate a glycated peptide, preferably an ?-glycated peptide, particularly preferably an ?-glycated dipeptide, from a glycated protein, allowing an oxidase to react with the liberated glycated peptide, and determining the produced hydrogen peroxide.

Abstract: The present invention relates to: an isolated or synthesized gene, which encodes a protein comprising the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 2, an isolated or synthesized gene, which encodes a protein comprising an amino acid sequence comprising a deletion, substitution or addition of one or more amino acids with respect to the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 2 and being capable of regenerating luciferin, an isolated or synthesized gene, which hybridizes with the complementary strand sequence of a DNA comprising the nucleotide sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1 under stringent conditions and encodes a protein capable of regenerating luciferin, a recombinant DNA, which is characterized in that the above-described isolated or synthesized gene is inserted into a vector DNA, a transformant or transductant comprising the above-described recombinant DNA, and a process for producing a protein capable of regenerating luciferin, which is characterized in that the method comprises culturin

Abstract: The present invention has an object of providing a novel fructosyl peptide oxidase having superior physicochemical properties such as stability that is useful as an enzyme for clinical diagnosis, and an object of providing a method for producing the fructosyl peptide oxidase. A novel fructosyl peptide oxidase having physicochemical properties useful as an enzyme for clinical diagnosis, and a method for producing a novel fructosyl peptide oxidase are provided herein, the method comprising: culturing a microorganism capable of producing the oxidase in a medium; and collecting the oxidase from the culture. Furthermore, a fructosyl peptide oxidase gene coding for a novel fructosyl peptide oxidase, recombinant DNA wherein the gene is inserted into vector DNA, and a method for producing a novel fructosyl peptide oxidase are provided herein, the method comprising: culturing, in a medium, a transformant or a transductant including the gene; and collecting the novel fructosyl peptide oxidase from the culture.

Abstract: A modified sarcosine oxidase having a lowered activity for N-ethylglycine. Such a modified oxidase may have the following physicochemical properties: (a) action: hydrolyzes 1 mol of sarcosine to produce 1 mol of glycine and 1 mol of formaldehyde; (b) substrate specificity: reactivity for N-ethylglycine is 70% or less compared with that of an unmodified protein; (c) optimal pH: around 8.0; (d) stable pH range: between 6.5 and 11.0; (e) optimal temperature: 55° C.; (f) thermostability: 55° C. or less; and (g) molecular weight: approximately 43,000 (SDS-PAGE). Genes, vectors and host cells encoding or expressing modified sarcosine oxidases. The modified sarcosine oxidases of the present invention can be used as reagents for measuring creatinine or creatine. The reagents containing the modified sarcosine oxidases used therein are hardly affected by N-ethylglycine, enabling more precise measurement than ever before.

Abstract: The present invention has an object of providing a novel fructosyl peptide oxidase having superior physicochemical properties such as stability that is useful as an enzyme for clinical diagnosis, and an object of providing a method for producing the fructosyl peptide oxidase. A novel fructosyl peptide oxidase having physicochemical properties useful as an enzyme for clinical diagnosis, and a method for producing a novel fructosyl peptide oxidase are provided herein, the method comprising: culturing a microorganism capable of producing the oxidase in a medium; and collecting the oxidase from the culture. Furthermore, a fructosyl peptide oxidase gene coding for a novel fructosyl peptide oxidase, recombinant DNA wherein the gene is inserted into vector DNA, and a method for producing a novel fructosyl peptide oxidase are provided herein, the method comprising: culturing, in a medium, a transformant or a transductant including the gene; and collecting the novel fructosyl peptide oxidase from the culture.

Abstract: (1) A modified sarcosine oxidase with improved stability in the acidic range compared to a wild-type sarcosine oxidase. (2) A sarcosine oxidase gene encoding a modified sarcosine oxidase of the following (a), (b), or (c): (a) protein composed of the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1 (b) protein composed of an amino acid sequence wherein one or some amino acid(s) are deleted, substituted, or added from the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, and which has sarcosine oxidase activity (c) protein composed of an amino acid sequence which shows 80% or more homology to the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, and which has sarcosine oxidase activity According to the present invention, sarcosine oxidases, in particular sarcosine oxidases which show optimal pH and high activity in the slightly acidic range and have improved stability can be prepared efficiently, thus making the invention industrially useful.

Abstract: A gene encoding a protein which is capable of regenerating luciferin by acting on oxyluciferin and D-cysteine and thus regenerating luciferin; the above gene originating in a luminous organism; a protein encoded by the above gene; and a process for producing a protein capable of regenerating luciferin characterized by comprising culturing a transformant or a transductant having the above gene transferred therein and collecting the protein capable of regenerating luciferin from the culture. Thus, the protein capable of regenerating luciferin can be efficiently produced, which brings about a great industrial advantage.