Abstract: There is provided a process for industrial production of simple 3-carboxy-cis,cis-muconic acid and/or 3-carboxymuconolactone from low molecular mixtures derived from plant components such as vanillin, vanillic acid and protocatechuic acid, via a multistage enzyme reaction. A recombinant plasmid containing a vanillate demethylase gene (vanAB genes), benzaldehyde dehydrogenase gene (ligV gene) and protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase gene (pcaHG genes); transformants incorporating the plasmid; and a process for production of 3-carboxy-cis,cis-muconic acid and/or 3-carboxymuconolactone characterized by culturing the transformants in the presence of vanillin, vanillic acid, protocatechuic acid or a mixture of two or more thereof.

Abstract: The invention provides biodegradable polyesters, polyurethanes, comprising 3-carboxymuconolactone as a structural unit, 3-carboxymuconolactone esters and a process for their production. Polyesters comprising a repeating unit represented by the following formula (I): [wherein R represents a hydrocarbon-based divalent residue which, in the structure, optionally contains a heteroatom without an active hydrogen], polyurethanes comprising the polyester structure; 3-carboxymuconolactone esters; and a process for their production.

Abstract: The invention is related to a method for producing a steamed, exploded, and fermented dietary fiber, comprising the steps of: subjecting a hemicellulose-containing plant resource to a steam treatment followed by an explosion treatment (2.5 Mpa, 70 seconds); mixing wheat bran into this steamed and exploded material; adjusting water content of this mixture to about 50%; subsequently preparing koji with the use of a koji fungus; adding water to the koji thus obtained; mixing the steamed and exploded material into a koji dispersion wherein koji is dispersed into water; adjusting water content of this mixture to about 50%; subsequently fermenting the mixture. This method produces a useful material as a food material and a health supplement, by a simple process, with efficiency, and at a low cost.

Abstract: Industrial-scale fermentative production of 3-carboxy-cis,cis-muconic acid from terephthalic acid. Also, a protocatechuate 4,5-ring-cleaving enzyme gene-disrupted strain in which the gene coding for (a) the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1 or 3, or (b) the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1 or 3 which has a deletion, substitution, addition and/or insertion of one or more amino acids and exhibits protocatechuate 4,5-ring cleavage activity, present in the chromosomal DNA of microbial cells, has been disrupted; recombinant plasmids comprising the Tph gene and protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase gene; transformants obtained by introducing the recombinant plasmids into the disrupted strain; and a process for production of 3-carboxy-cis,cis-muconic acid and/or 3-carboxymuconolactone characterized by culturing the transformants in the presence of terephthalic acid.

Abstract: There is provided a process for industrial production of simple 3-carboxy-cis,cis-muconic acid and/or 3-carboxymuconolactone from low molecular mixtures derived from plant components such as vanillin, vanillic acid and protocatechuic acid, via a multistage enzyme reaction. A recombinant plasmid containing a vanillate demethylase gene (vanAB genes), benzaldehyde dehydrogenase gene (ligV gene) and protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase gene (pcaHG genes); transformants incorporating the plasmid; and a process for production of 3-carboxy-cis,cis-muconic acid and/or 3-carboxymuconolactone characterized by culturing the transformants in the presence of vanillin, vanillic acid, protocatechuic acid or a mixture of two or more thereof.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a method for producing a material which contains xylo-oligosaccharides being rich in xylobiose and xylotriose, an antioxidant active substance and a dietary fiber, and which is useful as a food material and a health supplement, by a simple process, with efficiency, and at a low cost. The method comprises the steps of: subjecting a hemicellulose-containing plant resource such as bagasse to a steam treatment followed by an explosion treatment (2.5 Mpa, 70 seconds); mixing wheat bran into this steamed and exploded material; adjusting water content of this mixture to about 50%; subsequently, preparing koji with the use of a koji fungus having a high xylanase activity obtained by conducting single spore isolation from Aspergillus sojae (NFRI1147); adding water to the koji thus obtained; mixing the steamed and exploded material into a koji dispersion wherein koji is dispersed in water; adjusting water content of this mixture to about 50%; and subsequently, fermenting the mixture.