Patents by Inventor Osamu Kurahashi

Osamu Kurahashi 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).

  • Publication number: 20140045219
    Abstract: In a method for producing a target substance utilizing a microorganism comprising culturing the microorganism in a medium to produce and accumulate the target substance in the medium and collecting the target substance, microorganism is employed, which is a mutant strain or a genetic recombinant strain constructed from a parent strain of the microorganism having a respiratory chain pathway of high energy efficiency and a respiratory chain pathway of low energy efficiency as respiratory chain pathways, and having either one or both of the following characteristics: (A) the respiratory chain pathway of high energy efficiency is enhanced, (B) the respiratory chain pathway of low energy efficiency is deficient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: AJINOMOTO CO., INC.
    Inventors: Yuta Nakai, Kazuo Nakanishi, Yoshio Kawahara, Hisao Ito, Osamu Kurahashi
  • Patent number: 8586334
    Abstract: In a method for producing a target substance utilizing a microorganism comprising culturing the microorganism in a medium to produce and cause accumulation of the target substance in the medium and collecting the target substance, there is used, as the microorganism, a mutant strain or a genetic recombinant strain constructed from a parent strain of the microorganism having a respiratory chain pathway of high energy efficiency and a respiratory chain pathway of low energy efficiency as respiratory chain pathways, and having either one or both of the following characteristics: (A) the respiratory chain pathway of high energy efficiency is enhanced, (B) the respiratory chain pathway of low energy efficiency is deficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Yuta Nakai, Kazuo Nakanishi, Yoshio Kawahara, Hisao Ito, Osamu Kurahashi
  • Patent number: 8017362
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing L-methionine by culturing a microorganism in a medium to produce and accumulate L-methionine in the medium, and collecting the L-methionine from the medium, where the microorganism is deficient in a repressor of L-methionine biosynthesis system and has L-methionine productivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Usuda, Osamu Kurahashi
  • Patent number: 7776566
    Abstract: A microorganism which has a gene encoding an enzyme in which feedback inhibition is desensitized by substitution of one or two amino acids in PRPP amidotransferase encoded by purF of Escherichia coli, a gene encoding a protein which is an inactivated repressor of purine nucleotide biosynthesis encoded by purR, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated purine nucleoside phosphorylase encoded by deoD, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated succinyl-AMP synthase encoded by purA, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated 6-phosphogluconate dehydrase encoded by edd, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated phosphoglucose isomerase encoded by pgi and like is bred and a purine nucleoside is produced by culturing the microorganism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Matsui, Hisashi Kawasaki, Megumi Shimaoka, Yasuhiro Takenaka, Osamu Kurahashi
  • Publication number: 20100041108
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing L-methionine by culturing a microorganism in a medium to produce and accumulate L-methionine in the medium, and collecting the L-methionine from the medium, where the microorganism is deficient in a repressor of L-methionine biosynthesis system and has L-methionine productivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Publication date: February 18, 2010
    Applicant: AJINOMOTO CO., INC.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro USUDA, Osamu Kurahashi
  • Patent number: 7611873
    Abstract: L-Methionine is produced by culturing a microorganism which is deficient in repressor of L-methionine biosynthesis system and/or enhanced intracellular homoserine transsuccinylase activity is cultured in a medium so that L-methionine should be produced and accumulated in the medium, and collecting the L-methionine from the medium. The microorganism preferably further exhibits reduced intracellular S-adenosylmethionine synthetase activity, L-threonine auxotrophy, enhanced intracellular cystathionine ?-synthase activity and enhanced intracellular aspartokinase-homoserine dehydrogenase II activity. The present invention enables breeding of L-methionine-producing bacteria, and L-methionine production by fermentation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Usuda, Osamu Kurahashi
  • Patent number: 7608432
    Abstract: A microorganism which has a gene encoding an enzyme in which feedback inhibition is desensitized by substitution of one or two amino acids in PRPP amidotransferase encoded by purF of Escherichia coli, a gene encoding a protein which is an inactivated repressor of purine nucleotide biosynthesis encoded by purR, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated purine nucleoside phosphorylase encoded by deoD, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated succinyl-AMP synthase encoded by purA, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated 6-phosphogluconate dehydrase encoded by edd, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated phosphoglucose isomerase encoded by pgi and like is bred and a purine nucleoside is produced by culturing the microorganism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Matsui, Hisashi Kawasaki, Megumi Shimaoka, Yasuhiro Takenaka, Osamu Kurahashi
  • Patent number: 7608437
    Abstract: A method of producing coryneform bacteria having an improved amino acid or nucleic acid-productivity comprises the steps of introducing a mutation in a promoter sequence of amino acid- or nucleic acid-biosynthesizing genes on a chromosome of a coryneform bacterium so that it is close to a consensus sequence or introducing a change in the promoter sequence of amino acid- or nucleic acid-biosynthesizing genes on the chromosome of a coryneform bacterium by gene recombination so that it is close to a consensus sequence, obtaining mutants of the coryneform amino acid- or nucleic acid-producing microorganism, culturing the mutants and select a mutant capable of producing the intended amino acid or nucleic acid in a large amount. This method allows one of skill in the art to construct a mutant capable of enriching or controlling the expression of an intended gene without using a plasmid and to promote production of amino acids in a high yield, by the recombination or mutation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Yoko Asakura, Jun Nakamura, Sohei Kanno, Mikiko Suga, Eiichiro Kimura, Hisao Ito, Kazuhiko Matsui, Tsuyoshi Ohsumi, Tsuyoshi Nakamatsu, Osamu Kurahashi
  • Patent number: 7601519
    Abstract: A microorganism which has a gene encoding an enzyme in which feedback inhibition is desensitized by substitution of one or two amino acids in PRPP amidotransferase encoded by purF of Escherichia coli, a gene encoding a protein which is an inactivated repressor of purine nucleotide biosynthesis encoded by purR, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated purine nucleoside phosphorylase encoded by deoD, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated succinyl-AMP synthase encoded by purA, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated 6-phosphogluconate dehydrase encoded by edd, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated phosphoglucose isomerase encoded by pgi and like is bred and a purine nucleoside is produced by culturing the microorganism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Matsui, Hisashi Kawasaki, Megumi Shimaoka, Yasuhiro Takenaka, Osamu Kurahashi
  • Patent number: 7435560
    Abstract: A microorganism which has a gene encoding an enzyme in which feedback inhibition is desensitized by substitution of one or two amino acids in PRPP amidotransferase encoded by purF of Escherichia coli, a gene encoding a protein which is an inactivated repressor of purine nucleotide biosynthesis encoded by purR, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated purine nucleoside phosphorylase encoded by deoD, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated succinyl-AMP synthase encoded by purA, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated 6-phosphogluconate dehydrase encoded by edd, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated phosphoglucose isomerase encoded by pgi and like is bred and a purine nucleoside is produced by culturing the microorganism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Matsui, Hisashi Kawasaki, Megumi Shimaoka, Yasuhiro Takenaka, Osamu Kurahashi
  • Patent number: 7419810
    Abstract: L-Arginine is produced by culturing a coryneform bacterium in which an arginine repressor involved in L-arginine biosynthesis is deleted by disrupting a gene coding for the repressor, and which has L-arginine producing ability in a medium to produce and accumulate L-arginine in the medium, and collecting the L-arginine from the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Mikiko Suga, Yoko Asakura, Yukiko Mori, Hisao Ito, Osamu Kurahashi
  • Publication number: 20080044863
    Abstract: A microorganism which has a gene encoding an enzyme in which feedback inhibition is desensitized by substitution of one or two amino acids in PRPP amidotransferase encoded by purF of Escherichia coli, a gene encoding a protein which is an inactivated repressor of purine nucleotide biosynthesis encoded by purR, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated purine nucleoside phosphorylase encoded by deoD, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated succinyl-AMP synthase encoded by purA, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated 6-phosphogluconate dehydrase encoded by edd, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated phosphoglucose isomerase encoded by pgi and like is bred and a purine nucleoside is produced by culturing the microorganism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2007
    Publication date: February 21, 2008
    Applicant: AJINOMOTO CO. INC
    Inventors: Hiroshi MATSUI, Hisashi Kawasaki, Megumi Shimaoka, Yasuhiro Takenaka, Osamu Kurahashi
  • Publication number: 20080038781
    Abstract: A microorganism which has a gene encoding an enzyme in which feedback inhibition is desensitized by substitution of one or two amino acids in PRPP amidotransferase encoded by purF of Escherichia coli, a gene encoding a protein which is an inactivated repressor of purine nucleotide biosynthesis encoded by purR, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated purine nucleoside phosphorylase encoded by deoD, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated succinyl-AMP synthase encoded by purA, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated 6-phosphogluconate dehydrase encoded by edd, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated phosphoglucose isomerase encoded by pgi and like is bred and a purine nucleoside is produced by culturing the microorganism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2007
    Publication date: February 14, 2008
    Applicant: AJINOMOTO CO. INC
    Inventors: Hiroshi MATSUI, Hisashi Kawasaki, Megumi Shimaoka, Yasuhiro Takenaka, Osamu Kurahashi
  • Patent number: 7297521
    Abstract: A DNA fragment which encodes a polypeptide defined in the following (a) or (b), and a polypeptide defined in the following (c) or (d): (a) a polypeptide which has at least the amino acid sequence of the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 in SEQ ID NO: 2 shown in Sequence Listing, (b) a polypeptide which has at least the amino acid sequence of the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 in SEQ ID NO: 2 shown in Sequence Listing including substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of one or several amino acids, and can constitute a protein having a carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity with a large subunit of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3, (c) a polypeptide which has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 shown in Sequence Listing, (d) a polypeptide which has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 shown in Sequence Listing including substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of one or several amino acids, and can constitute a protein having a car
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Yoko Kuwabara, Kenichi Hashiguchi, Tsuyoshi Nakamatsu, Osamu Kurahashi, Yukiko Mori, Hisao Ito
  • Patent number: 7262035
    Abstract: L-Glutamine is produced by culturing a coryneform bacterium which has L-glutamine producing ability and has been modified so that its intracellular glutamine synthetase activity should be enhanced, preferably which has been further modified so that its intracellular glutamate dehydrogenase activity should be enhanced, in a medium to produce and accumulate L-glutamine in the medium and collecting the L-glutamine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Nakamura, Hiroshi Izui, Kayo Moriguchi, Hiroki Kawashima, Tsuyoshi Nakamatsu, Osamu Kurahashi
  • Publication number: 20070166799
    Abstract: A microorganism which has a gene encoding an enzyme in which feedback inhibition is desensitized by substitution of one or two amino acids in PRPP amidotransferase encoded by purF of Escherichia coli, a gene encoding a protein which is an inactivated repressor of purine nucleotide biosynthesis encoded by purR, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated purine nucleoside phosphorylase encoded by deoD, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated succinyl-AMP synthase encoded by purA, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated 6-phosphogluconate dehydrase encoded by edd, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated phosphoglucose isomerase encoded by pgi and like is bred and a purine nucleoside is produced by culturing the microorganism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2007
    Publication date: July 19, 2007
    Applicant: AJINOMOTO CO. INC
    Inventors: Hiroshi Matsui, Hisashi Kawasaki, Megumi Shimaoka, Yasuhiro Takenaka, Osamu Kurahashi
  • Patent number: 7244569
    Abstract: A plasmid isolatable from Corynebacterium thermoaminogenes, which comprises a gene coding for a Rep protein having the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 8 or an amino acid sequence having homology of 90% or more to the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 8, and has a size of about 4.4 kb or about 6 kb, or a derivative thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Yumi Matsuzaki, Eiichiro Kimura, Tsuyoshi Nakamatsu, Osamu Kurahashi, Yoshio Kawahara, Shinichi Sugimoto
  • Publication number: 20070161090
    Abstract: A microorganism which has a gene encoding an enzyme in which feedback inhibition is desensitized by substitution of one or two amino acids in PRPP amidotransferase encoded by purF of Escherichia coli, a gene encoding a protein which is an inactivated repressor of purine nucleotide biosynthesis encoded by purR, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated purine nucleoside phosphorylase encoded by deoD, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated succinyl-AMP synthase encoded by purA, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated 6-phosphogluconate dehydrase encoded by edd, a gene encoding an enzyme which is inactivated phosphoglucose isomerase encoded by pgi and like is bred and a purine nucleoside is produced by culturing the microorganism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2007
    Publication date: July 12, 2007
    Applicant: AJINOMOTO CO., INC
    Inventors: Hiroshi MATSUI, Hisashi Kawasaki, Megumi Shimaoka, Yasuhiro Takenaka, Osamu Kurahashi
  • Publication number: 20070092953
    Abstract: L-Glutamine is produced by culturing a coryneform bacterium which has L-glutamine producing ability and has been modified so that its intracellular glutamine synthetase activity should be enhanced, preferably which has been further modified so that its intracellular glutamate dehydrogenase activity should be enhanced, in a medium to produce and accumulate L-glutamine in the medium and collecting the L-glutamine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2006
    Publication date: April 26, 2007
    Applicant: AJINOMOTO CO. INC
    Inventors: Jun Nakamura, Hiroshi Izui, Kayo Moriguchi, Hiroki Kawashima, Tsuyoshi Nakamatsu, Osamu Kurahashi
  • Patent number: 7183403
    Abstract: A plurality of primer sets are designed based on a region where conservation at the amino acid level is observed among various microorganisms for known gene sequences corresponding to a gene coding for an enzyme of the L-amino acid biosynthetic pathway derived from Corynebacterium thermoaminogenes, preferably an enzyme that functions at a higher temperature compared with that of Corynebacterium glutamicum. PCR is performed by using the primers and chromosomal DNA of Corynebacterium thermoaminogenes as a template. The primers with which an amplification fragment has been obtained are used as primers for screening to select a clone containing a target DNA fragment from a plasmid library of chromosomal DNA of Corynebacterium thermoaminogenes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Seiko Hirano, Eiichiro Kimura, Tsuyoshi Osumi, Kazuhiko Matsui, Yoshio Kawahara, Gen Nonaka, Yumi Matsuzaki, Naoki Akiyoshi, Kanae Nakamura, Osamu Kurahashi, Tsuyoshi Nakamatsu, Shinichi Sugimoto