Abstract: The present invention aims at providing an excellent peptide-synthesizing protein and a method for efficiently producing a peptide. The peptide is synthesized by reacting an amine component and a carboxy component in the presence of at least one of proteins shown in the following (I) and (II). (I) The mutant protein having an amino acid sequence comprising one or more mutations from any of the mutations 1 to 68, and the mutations 239 to 290 and 324 to 377 in an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2.

Abstract: A connector includes two housings coupled with each other to hold a cable therebetween. One of the housings includes a cable receiving portion for receiving the cable, a restricting portion adjacent to the cable receiving portion, a first wall portion formed outside the restricting portion and defining a space between the first wall portion and the restricting portion, and a first engaging portion inwardly protruding from the first wall portion. Another of the housings includes a cable pressing portion for pressing the cable towards the cable receiving portion and the restricting portion, and a second wall portion formed adjacent to the cable pressing portion and inserted into the space. The second wall portion has a second engaging portion extending outward from the second wall portion. The first and the second engaging potions are engaged with each other to prevent the housings from separating from each other.

Abstract: The present invention provides a microorganism for producing a 2?-deoxyribonucleoside. In particular, the microorganism of the present invention is transformed with a gene encoding a ribonucleotide reductase and in which 2?-deoxyribonucleoside degradation activity is decreased or eliminated by disrupting a gene encoding a purine nucleoside phosphorylase on chromosomal DNA.

Abstract: A method for producing a dipeptide including the step of exposing a carboxy component and an amine component to an enzyme having an activity to hydrolyze amino acid ester. Such a hydrolase has been found among enzymes in bacteria. The method is useful for producing a peptide simply and inexpensively with a high yield without taking complicate synthetic methods.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide an excellent peptide-synthesizing protein and a method for efficiently producing a peptide. A peptide is synthesized by reacting an amine component and a carboxy component in the presence of at least one of proteins shown in the following (I) and (II): (I) The mutant protein having the amino acid sequence containing one or more mutations of the above mutations 1 to 38 in the amino acid sequence described in SEQ ID NO:2; and (II) The mutant protein having the amino acid sequence containing one or more mutations selected from the group consisting of substitution, deletion, insertion, addition and inversion at positions other than one or more mutation positions of the above mutation 1 to 38 in the mutant protein described in the above (I), and having a peptide-synthesizing activity.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a dipeptide from starting materials that are available at low costs through a route industrially advantageous and simple. Dipeptides are produced from amino acid esters and amino acids by using a culture of a microbe having an ability to produce a dipeptide from an amino acid ester and an amino acid, microbial cells separated from the culture, or treated microbial cell product.

Abstract: In a connector including an insulator and a contact held by the insulator, a fixing member is coupled to the insulator for fixing the insulator to an object. The fixing member includes a main body received in a receiving portion formed to the insulator. A leg mechanism extends from the main body for being fixed to the object. In addition, a first engaging mechanism extends from the main body and is engaged with the receiving portion in a first direction. On the other hand, the second engaging mechanism extends from the main body and is engaged with the insulator in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

Abstract: In a crimp contact to be connected to a cable having a conductive core wire and an insulating cladding portion covering the core wire, the crimp contact has a cladding crimping portion for crimping the cladding portion and a core wire crimping portion arranged adjacent to the cladding crimping portion for crimping the core wire. The core wire crimping portion has a base portion for receiving the core wire and a first core wire barrel extending from the base portion for crimping the core wire to cover an outside of the core wire. The first core wire barrel has a relatively longer length from the base portion at a part relatively far from the cladding crimping portion and a relatively shorter length from the base portion at another part relatively near to the cladding crimping portion.

Abstract: In a connector including an insulator and a contact held by the insulator, a fixing member is coupled to the insulator for fixing the insulator to an object. The fixing member includes a main body received in a receiving portion formed to the insulator. A leg mechanism extends from the main body for being fixed to the object. In addition, a first engaging mechanism extends from the main body and is engaged with the receiving portion in a first direction. On the other hand, the second engaging mechanism extends from the main body and is engaged with the insulator in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

Abstract: A 2?-deoxyribonucleoside is produced by culturing a microorganism, which is transformed with a gene encoding a ribonucleotide reductase and in which 2?-deoxyribonucleoside degradation activity is decreased or eliminated by disrupting a gene encoding a purine nucleoside phosphorylase on chromosomal DNA, in a medium in which the microorganism can grow to produce the 2?-deoxyribonucleoside.

Abstract: A method for producing a dipeptide including the step of exposing a carboxy component and an amine component to an enzyme having an activity to hydrolyze amino acid ester. Such a hydrolase has been found among enzymes in bacteria. The method is useful for producing a peptide simply and inexpensively with a high yield without taking complicate synthetic methods.

Abstract: This invention provides a transcription factor that has functions of regulating the expression of a sulfur-assimilatory gene of koji mold during culture, and a gene encoding the same. This invention also relates to a protein comprising the amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 3, and a gene encoding the amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 3 or comprising the nucleotide sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 2.

Abstract: A method for producing an ?-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine-?-ester (also named ?-L-(?-o-substituted aspartyl)-L-phenylalanine), which is an intermediate of an ?-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine-?-methyl ester (also named ?-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester; product name: aspartame), easily, at high yield and inexpensively without going through a complex synthesis method is provided. Further, an easy, inexpensive and high-yield production method for an ?-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine-?-methyl ester is provided. ?-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine-?-methyl ester is produced from a L-aspartic acid-?,?-diester and L-phenylalanine using an enzyme or enzyme-containing substance that has an ability to catalyze a reaction in which L-phenylalanine performs no nucleophilic attack on a ?-ester site of L-aspartic acid-?,?-diester but performs a nucleophilic attack on an ?-ester site thereof.

Abstract: In a crimp contact to be connected to a cable having a conductive core wire and an insulating cladding portion covering the core wire, the crimp contact has a cladding crimping portion for crimping the cladding portion and a core wire crimping portion arranged adjacent to the cladding crimping portion for crimping the core wire. The core wire crimping portion has a base portion for receiving the core wire and a first core wire barrel extending from the base portion for crimping the core wire to cover an outside of the core wire. The first core wire barrel has a relatively longer length from the base portion at a part relatively far from the cladding crimping portion and a relatively shorter length from the base portion at another part relatively near to the cladding crimping portion.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a method that allows the production of peptides that are equal to or longer than tripeptides easily, inexpensively and at high yield without going through a complex synthesis method. The inventors of the present invention have found a novel enzyme that efficiently produces a peptide from bacteria belonging to the genus Empedobacter or the genus Sphingobacterium. In the present invention, this enzyme is allowed to act on a carboxy component and an amine component to produce peptides that are equal to or longer than tripeptides.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel enzyme that allows peptide to be produced easily, inexpensively and at high yield without going through a complex synthesis method. More particularly, the present invention provides a novel enzyme that catalyzes a peptide-producing reaction from a carboxy component and an amine component, a microbe that produces the enzyme, and a method for inexpensive production of peptides using this enzyme or microbe. The novel enzyme that efficiently produces peptide was discovered from a newly discovered microbe belonging to the genus Empedobacter, and a method was found that allows peptides to be produced inexpensively and easily.

Abstract: DNA and recombinant DNA that encode a peptide-forming enzyme, a method for producing a peptide-forming enzyme, and a method for producing a dipeptide are disclosed. A method for producing a dipeptide includes producing a dipeptide from a carboxy component and an amine component by using a culture of a microbe belonging to the genus Sphingobacterium and having the ability to form the dipeptide from the carboxy component and the amine component, a microbial cell separated from the culture, treated microbial cell product of the microbe or a peptide-forming enzyme derived from the microbe.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel enzyme that allows peptide to be produced easily, inexpensively and at high yield without going through a complex synthesis method. More particularly, the present invention provides a novel enzyme that catalyzes a peptide-producing reaction from a carboxy component and an amine component, a microbe that produces the enzyme, and a method for inexpensive production of peptides using this enzyme or microbe. The novel enzyme that efficiently produces peptide was discovered from a newly discovered microbe belonging to the genus Empedobacter, and a method was found that allows peptides to be produced inexpensively and easily.

Abstract: A method is disclosed that allows the production of peptides having three or more amino acid residues easily, inexpensively and at high yield without going through a complex synthesis method. A novel enzyme that efficiently produces a peptide from bacteria belonging to the genus Empedobacter or the genus Sphingobacterium is provided. The enzyme acts on a carboxy component and an amine component to form peptides having three or more amino acid residues by acting on a carboxy component and an amine component.

Abstract: DNA and recombinant DNA that encode a peptide-forming enzyme, a method for producing a peptide-forming enzyme, and a method for producing a dipeptide are disclosed. A method for producing a dipeptide includes producing a dipeptide from a carboxy component and an amine component by using a culture of a microbe belonging to the genus Sphingobacterium and having the ability to form the dipeptide from the carboxy component and the amine component, a microbial cell separated from the culture, treated microbial cell product of the microbe or a peptide-forming enzyme derived from the microbe.