Abstract: A means of reducing bioburden in cyclic lipopeptide compound products by a simple operation without impairing their quality or function is provided. A method for reducing bioburden of a cyclic lipopeptide compound is characterized by irradiating a cyclic lipopeptide compound with a radiation beam. A method for producing a cyclic lipopeptide compound with reduced bioburden includes irradiating a cyclic lipopeptide compound with a radiation beam.

Abstract: A method for cultivating a plant includes applying allantoin to a plant; exposing the plant to a temperature of about 30° C. or more for at least about 60 minutes; and growing the plant in a cultivation medium.

Abstract: A method for cultivating a plant includes: applying allantoin to a grapevine; and growing the grapevine in a cultivation medium. Applying the allantoin may be performed at a veraison stage of the grapevine. Allantoin may be applied to a part of the grapevine that is above the cultivation medium at a dose of about 0.05 to 5 g per grapevine, and may be applied by spraying the allantoin on leaves or fruits of the grapevine at a dose of about 0.05 to 5 g per grapevine. The grapevine may be grown at a density of about 1,500 to 10,000 per hectare, and about 0.1 to 13 g/m2 of the allantoin may be applied.

Abstract: A method for cultivating a plant includes applying allantoin to a plant; exposing the plant to a temperature of about 30° C. or more for at least about 60 minutes; and growing the plant in a cultivation medium.

Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to provide a method for cultivating an alga having ability to produce alginic acid industrially and effectively and a method for producing an alginic acid-containing composition industrially advantageously. The method for cultivating an alga according to the present invention is characterized in comprising the step of cultivating the alga heterotrophically, wherein the alga belongs to the genus Parachlorella and has ability to produce alginic acid.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a process for efficiently producing an optically active alcohol including (R)-3-hydroxy-3-phenylpropanenitrile. One of the features of the present invention is a polypeptide having an activity of asymmetrically reducing 3-oxo-3-phenylpropanenitrile isolated from a microorganism belonging to the genus Candida to product (R)-3-hydroxy-3-phenylpropanenitrile, DNA encoding the polypeptide and a transformant of producing the polypeptide. Another feature of the present invention is a process for producing an optically active alcohol such as (R)-3-hydroxy-3-phenylpropanenitrile by reducing a carbonyl compound such as 3-oxo-3-phenylpropanenitrile by use of the polypeptide or the transformant.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for reducing the relative ratio of 3-hydroxy-3?,4?-didehydro- ?, ?-caroten-4-one (HDCO) to astaxanthin in a composition containing astaxanthin and HDCO by contacting the composition with an acidic medium having a pH of 3 or less and/or a basic medium having a pH of 9 or greater, and also relates to a method for producing an astaxanthin-containing composition which includes reducing the relative ratio of HDCO by the above method. By means of the method of the present invention, the relative ratio of HDCO, the biological function of which is not known, in an astaxanthin-containing composition can be easily reduced.

Abstract: The present invention provides an efficient method of producing an arylacylamidase. In an aspect, the present invention provides (a) a DNA comprising the base sequence shown in the sequence listing under SEQ ID NO:1, or (b) a DNA capable of hybridizing, under stringent conditions, with a DNA comprising the base sequence complementary to the base sequence shown in the sequence listing under SEQ ID NO:1 and coding for a polypeptide having arylacylamidase activity. In another aspect, the invention provides a polypeptide encoded by the DNA mentioned above and having arylacylamidase activity, a vector containing the DNA mentioned above, a transformant which is transformed using the DNA or the vector mentioned above, and a method for producing an arylacylamidase which comprises cultivating the transformant mentioned above and obtaining the arylacylamidase from the culture medium.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a process for efficiently producing an optically active alcohol including (R)-3-hydroxy-3-phenylpropanenitrile. One of the features of the present invention is a polypeptide having an activity of asymmetrically reducing 3-oxo-3-phenylpropanenitrile isolated from a microorganism belonging to the genus Candida to produce (R)-3-hydroxy-3-phenylpropanenitrile, DNA encoding the polypeptide and a transformant of producing the polypeptide. Another feature of the present invention is a process for producing an optically active alcohol such as (R)-3-hydroxy-3-phenylpropanenitrile by reducing a carbonyl compound such as 3-oxo-3-phenylpropanenitrile by use of the polypeptide or the transformant.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a polypeptide having an activity to asymmetrically reduce (3S)-1-chloro-3-tert-butoxycarbonylamino-4-phenyl-2-butanone to produce (2R,3S)-1-chloro-3-tert-butoxycarbonylamino-4-phenyl-2-butanol isolated from a microorganism belonging to the genus Ogataea, a DNA encoding the polypeptide and a transformant that produces the polypeptide. The present invention moreover relates to a method of producing (2R,3S)-1-chloro-3-tert-butoxycarbonylamino-4-phenyl-2-butanol utilizing the polypeptide or the transformant. Using the polypeptide or transformant of the present invention, optically active alcohols such as (2R,3S)-1-chloro-3-tert-butoxycarbonylamino-4-phenyl-2-butanol and the like can be produced efficiently.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a polypeptide having an activity to asymmetrically reduce (3S)-1-chloro-3-tert-butoxycarbonylamino-4-phenyl-2-butanone to produce (2R,3S)-1-chloro-3-tert-butoxycarbonylamino-4-phenyl-2-butanol isolated from a microorganism belonging to the genus Ogataea, a DNA encoding the polypeptide and a transformant that produces the polypeptide. The present invention moreover relates to a method of producing (2R,3S)-1-chloro-3-tert-butoxycarbonylamino-4-phenyl-2-butanol utilizing the polypeptide or the transformant. Using the polypeptide or transformant of the present invention, optically active alcohols such as (2R,3S)-1-chloro-3-tert-butoxycarbonylamino-4-phenyl-2-butanol and the like can be produced efficiently.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a polypeptide having an activity to asymmetrically reduce (3S)-1-chloro-3-tert-butoxycarbonylamino-4-phenyl-2-butanone to produce (2R,3S)-1-chloro-3-tert-butoxycarbonylamino-4-phenyl-2-butanol isolated from a microorganism belonging to the genus Ogataea, a DNA encoding the polypeptide and a transformant that produces the polypeptide. The present invention moreover relates to a method of producing (2R,3S)-1-chloro-3-tert-butoxycarbonylamino-4-phenyl-2-butanol utilizing the polypeptide or the transformant. Using the polypeptide or transformant of the present invention, optically active alcohols such as (2R,3S)-1-chloro-3-tert-butoxycarbonylamino-4-phenyl-2-butanol and the like can be produced efficiently.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel polypeptide efficiently forming (R)-N-benzyl-3-pyrrolidinol, a polynucleotide coding for said polypeptide, and use of the same. The present invention relates to a polypeptide having the physical and chemical properties (1) to (4): (1) activity acting on N-benzyl-3-pyrrolidinone with NADH or NADPH as a coenzyme, to form (R)-N-benzyl-3-pyrrolidinol; (2) optimum pH of 5.5 to 6.0 for activity ; (3) optimum temperature of 50° C. to 55° C. for activity ; (4) molecular weight of about 55,000 as determined by gel filtration analysis, and about 28,000 as determined by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis. The present invention also relates to a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, a polynucleotide coding for said polypeptide, and a transformant producing said polypeptide at high levels.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing optically active 2-(N-substituted aminomethyl)-3-hydroxybutyric acid esters wherein a 2-(N-substituted aminomethyl)-3-oxobutyric acid ester is treated with an enzyme source capable of stereoselectively reducing said ester to the corresponding optically active 2-(N-substituted aminomethyl)-3-hydroxybutyric acid ester having the (2S,3R) configuration. The present invention provides an efficient method for industrially producing optically active 2-(N-substituted aminomethyl)-3-hydroxybutyric acid esters, in particular such compounds having the (2S,3R) configuration, which are useful as intermediates for the production of medicinal compounds, among others.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a process for efficiently producing an optically active alcohol including (R)-3-hydroxy-3-phenylpropanenitrile. One of the features of the present invention is a polypeptide having an activity of asymmetrically reducing 3-oxo-3-phenylpropanenitrile isolated from a microorganism belonging to the genus Candida to produce (R)-3-hydroxy-3-phenylpropanenitrile, DNA encoding the polypeptide and a transformant of producing the polypeptide. Another feature of the present invention is a process for producing an optically active alcohol such as (R)-3-hydroxy-3-phenylpropanenitrile by reducing a carbonyl compound such as 3-oxo-3-phenylpropanenitrile by use of the polypeptide or the transformant.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a polypeptide having an activity to asymmetrically reduce (3S)-1-chloro-3-tert-butoxycarbonylamino-4-phenyl-2-butanone to produce (2R,3S)-1-chloro-3-tert-butoxycarbonylamino-4-phenyl-2-butanol isolated from a microorganism belonging to the genus Ogataea, a DNA encoding the polypeptide and a transformant that produces the polypeptide. The present invention moreover relates to a method of producing (2R,3S)-1-chloro-3-tert-butoxycarbonylamino-4-phenyl-2-butanol utilizing the polypeptide or the transformant. Using the polypeptide or transformant of the present invention, optically active alcohols such as (2R,3S)-1-chloro-3-tert-butoxycarbonylamino-4-phenyl-2-butanol and the like can be produced efficiently.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel polypeptide forming (R)-2-chloro-1-(3?-chlorophenyl)ethanol, a polynucleotide coding for said polypeptide, and use of the same. The present invention relates to a polypeptide having the following physical and chemical properties (1) to (4): (1) activity: acting on 2-chloro-1-(3?-chlorophenyl)ethanone with NADPH or NADH as a coenzyme, to form (R)-2-chloro-1-(31-chlorophenyl)ethanol; (2) optimum pH for activity: 5.0 to 6.0; (3) optimum temperature for activity: 40° C. to 50° C.; (4) molecular weight: about 40,000 as determined by gel filtration analysis, about 30,000 as determined by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis. The present invention also relates to a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence shown under SEQ ID NO:1 in the sequence listing, a polynucleotide coding for said polypeptide, and a transformant producing said polypeptide at high levels.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing an optically active 2-allylcarboxylic acid derivative, which is useful as a pharmaceutical intermediate, from readily available and inexpensive starting materials by the process which can be practiced on a commercial scale in a simple and easy manner, and certain 2-allylcarboxamide derivatives, which are novel and important intermediates in that process. An N-allylcarboxamide derivative undergoes rearrangement reaction diastereoselectively in the presence of a base to give a 2-allylcarboxamide derivative, the resulting derivative is subjected to a carbamation reaction and solvolysis to give an optically active 2-allylcarboxylic acid ester, and then the ester obtained is stereoselectively hydrolyzed using an enzyme to produce 2-allylcarboxylic acid having a high optical purity. In addition, the present invention provides a 2-allylcarboxamide derivative compound which is a novel intermediate in the process of the present invention.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel polypeptide efficiently forming (R)-N-benzyl-3-pyrrolidinol, a polynucleotide coding for said polypeptide, and use of the same. The present invention relates to a polypeptide having the following physical and chemical properties (1) to (4): (1) activity: acting on N-benzyl-3-pyrrolidinone with NADH or NADPH as a coenzyme, to form (R)-N-benzyl-3-pyrrolidinol; (2) optimum pH for activity: 5.5 to 6.0; (3) optimum temperature for activity: 50° C. to 55° C.; (4) molecular weight: about 55,000 as determined by gel filtration analysis, about 28,000 as determined by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis. The present invention also relates to a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence shown under SEQ ID NO:1 in the sequence listing, a polynucleotide coding for said polypeptide, and a transformant producing said polypeptide at high levels.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel polypeptide efficiently forming (R)-N-benzyl-3-pyrrolidinol, a polynucleotide coding for said polypeptide, and use of the same. The present invention relates to a polypeptide having the following physical and chemical properties (1) to (4): (1) activity: acting on N-benzyl-3-pyrrolidinone with NADH or NADPH as a coenzyme, to form (R)-N-benzyl-3-pyrrolidinol; (2) optimum pH for activity: 5.5 to 6.0; (3) optimum temperature for activity: 50° C. to 55° C.; (4) molecular weight: about 55,000 as determined by gel filtration analysis, about 28,000 as determined by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis. The present invention also relates to a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence shown under SEQ ID NO:1 in the sequence listing, a polynucleotide coding for said polypeptide, and a transformant producing said polypeptide at high levels.