Abstract: The present invention provides a high production method of prenyl alcohol, which comprises culturing prenyl alcohol-producing cells in a medium with an increased sugar content in the presence of at least one member selected from the group consisting of a surfactant, a fat or oil, and a terpene to produce and accumulate prenyl alcohol in the cells; allowing the accumulated prenyl alcohol to be secreted from the cells; and then collecting prenyl alcohol. The present invention enables prenyl alcohol to be highly produced in and effectively secreted from prenyl alcohol-producing cells by culturing the cells in a medium with an increased sugar content in the presence of at least one member selected from the group consisting of a surfactant, a fat or oil, and a terpene.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing geranylgeraniol and analogous compounds thereof, which comprises culturing yeast cells (ascomycetes and deuteromycetes), bacterial cells, actinomycete cells or filamentous fungus cells, all of which are capable of producing geranylgeraniol and analogous compounds thereof, in a medium to produce and accumulate geranylgeraniol and analogous compounds thereof in the cells and/or in the extracellular environment; and then collecting these compounds. The present invention enables inexpensive mass production of geranylgeraniol and analogous compounds thereof by using microorganisms capable of producing geranylgeraniol, farnesol and/or nerolidol useful as biosynthetic intermediates of terpenes, carotenoids and/or steroids.

Abstract: A process for producing lipids containing arachidonic acid comprising culturing a microorganism in which ?3 desaturase activity has been decreased or is lacking at a temperature lower than the optimum growth temperature from the start of culturing or after culturing at the optimum growth temperature, said microorganism being obtained by the mutation treatment of a microorganism capable of producing arachidonic acid and belonging to the genus Mortierella and the like; and then recovering lipids containing arachidonic acid from the culture.

Abstract: An enone reductase characterized by a molecular mass of 61,300±5,000 Da; NADPH and NADH as co-factor; a temperature optimum of 55-60° C. at pH 7.4; a pH optimum of 4.5-8.5 and a substrate specificity on ?,?-unsaturated ketones, especially derived from a yeast and a process for the preparation of levodione from ketoisophorane.

Abstract: The present invention provides an industrially advantageous process for producing glyoxylic acid by a biochemical procedure using oxidase. In particular, the present invention provides novel (D)-2-hydroxy-acid oxidase acting on a 2-hycoxy acid to produce a corresponding 2-keto acid, and a process for producing glyoxylic acid in which the 2-hydroxy-acid oxidase, a culture solution of microorganisms capable of producing the enzyme, microorganism cells isolated from the culture solution, or a product of treatment of microorganism cells acts on glycolic acid to convert the glycolic acid to glyoxylic acid.

Abstract: An isolated enone reductase characterized by a molecular mass of 61300+/?5000 Da; NADPH and NADPH as co-factor; a temperature optimum of 55-60° C. at pH 7.4; a pH optimum of 4.5-8.5 and substrate specificity on ?,?-unsatured ketones; a process for producing it from a microorganism and a process for producing levodione from ketoisophorone using such reductase.

Abstract: The invention relates to a biotechnological method for producing trifluoro-3(R)-hydroxybutyric acid derivatives of the general formula (I), where R1 represents —OR2, where R2 is hydrogen, C1-10 alkyl, C1-10 alkenyl, C3-8 cy-cloalkyl, aryl, alkoxyalkyl or alkoxyalkoxyalkyl; —NR3R4, where R3 and R4 are the same or different and represent hydrogen, C1-10 alkyl, C1-10 alkenyl, C3-8 cycloalkyl or aryl; or —SR5, where R5 represents hydrogen, C1-10 alkyl, C1-10 alkenyl, aryl or C3-8 cycloalkyl, based on a trifluoroacetoacetic acid derivative of the general formula (II), where R1 has the meaning given above, by means of micro-organisms which are able to reduce a carbonyl function or by means of a cell-free enzyme extract of said micro-organisms.

Abstract: A process for producing an optical active &bgr;-amino alcohol, the method comprising the step of allowing at least one microorganism selected from the group consisting of microorganisms belonging to the genus Morganella and others, to act on an enantiomeric mixture of an &agr;-aminoketone or a salt thereof having the general formula (I): to produce an optical active &bgr;-amino alcohol with the desired optical activity having the general formula (II) described below in a high yield as well as in a highly selective manner:

Abstract: A protein, which is an aminoketone asymmetric reductase, having an effect of producing d-pseudoephedrine by acting on l-2-methylaminopropiophenone, and having the following physiochemical properties:

Abstract: The present invention discloses a process for efficiently producing, on an industrial scale, optically active (R)-2-chloro-1-(3′-chlorophenyl)ethanol which is useful as a raw material for the synthesis of medicines, agricultural chemicals, etc.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a process for producing lipid containing omega-9 highly unsaturated fatty acid by culturing in a medium a mutant strain obtained by mutation on a microorganism having the ability to produce arachidonic acid belonging to the genus Mortierella and so forth, in which &Dgr;12 desaturation activity is decreased or lost, but at least one of &Dgr;5 desaturation activity, &Dgr;6 desaturation activity and chain length elongation activity is elevated. Moreover, the present invention also discloses a process for producing omega-9 highly unsaturated fatty acid by collecting omega-9 highly unsaturated fatty acid from the culture or lipid described above.

Abstract: A novel enzyme which is useful in the optical resolution of D,L-pantolactone via D-selective asymmetric hydrolysis and a gene encoding the the same are provided. The invention discloses the gene coding for a natural D-pantolactone hydrolase (for example, one originating in Fusarium oxysporum) or proteins having an activity substantially equivalent thereto; host cells transformed with DNA containing a nucleotide sequence coding for said protein, processes for producing said protein via using said host cells and uses of said proteins and host cells.

Abstract: A process for controlling the mycelial morphology of a microorganism belonging to the genus Mortierella during culturing and a process for producing unsaturated fatty acids and a lipid containing them by using a culture medium for culturing a microorganism in which phosphate ions, potassium ions, sodium ions, magnesium ions, and calcium ions in the culture medium are in the range of 5 to 60 mM, 5 to 60 mM, 2 to 50 mM, 0.5 to 9 mM, and 0.5 to 12 mM, respectively, characterized in that the microorganism belonging to the genus Mortierella is cultured in a culture medium containing phosphate ions in the range of 5 to 60 mM, potassium ions in the range of 5 to 60 mM, sodium ions in the range of 2 to 50 mM, magnesium ions in the range of 0.5 to 9 mM, and calcium ions in the range of 0.

Abstract: A process for producing an optical active &bgr;-amino alcohol, the method comprising the step of allowing at least one microorganism selected from the group consisting of microorganisms belonging to the genus Morganella and others, to act on an enantiomeric mixture of an &agr;-aminoketone or a salt thereof having the general formula (I): 1

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method of preparing 2-deoxyribose 5-phosphate by reacting glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and acetaldehyde in the presence of either a microorganism itself which contains 2-deoxyribose-5-phosphate aldolase but substantially no phosphatase or the enzyme derived from the microorganism. The present invention also discloses a method of preparing 2-deoxyribose 5-phosphate by reacting dihydroxyacetone phosphate and acetaldehyde in the presence of either a microorganism itself which contains 2-deoxyribose-5-phosphate aldolase and triose-phosphate isomerase but substantially no phosphatase or the enzymes derived from the microorganism.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to genetic material useful for the preparation of actinol, such as an isolated DNA including a nucleotide sequence coding for an enzyme having levodione reductase activity, a polypeptide encoded by such a DNA, recombinant organisms, and the like. These genetic materials may originate from Corynebacterium, Cellulomonas, Planococcus, Arthrobacter, and the like. The present invention also provides a process for the production of actinol.

Abstract: A process for preparing lipids which contain docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and/or docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) is disclosed. The process includes the steps of cultivating in a medium a microorganism which belongs to the genus Ulkenia having the ability to produce DHA and/or DPA and recovering the lipids from the culture. The process may further include the step of separating DHA and/or DPA from the lipids.

Abstract: A process for the production of dihomo-&ggr;-linolenic acid comprising the steps of culturing a microorganism having an ability to produce araquidonic acid and having a reduced or lost &Dgr;5 desaturase activity to produce dihomo-&ggr;-linolenic acid or a lipid containing dihomo-&ggr;-linolenic acid, and recovering the dihomo-&ggr;-linolenic acid.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to genetic material useful for the preparation of actinol, such as an isolated DNA including a nucleotide sequence coding for an enzyme having levodione reductase activity, a polypeptide encoded by such a DNA, recombinant organisms, and the like. These genetic materials may originate from Corynebacterium, Cellulomonas, Planococcus, Arthrobacter, and the like. The present invention also provides a process for the production of actinol.

Abstract: A novel enzyme which is useful in the optical resolution of D,L-pantolactone via D-selective asymmetric hydrolysis and a gene encoding the the same are provided. The invention discloses the gene coding for a natural D-pantolactone hydrolase (for example, one originating in Fusarium oxysporum) or proteins having an activity substantially equivalent thereto; host cells transformed with DNA containing a nucleotide sequence coding for said protein, processes for producing said protein via using said host cells and uses of said proteins and host cells.