Abstract: A method of producing a substance includes synthesizing a molecule at least by mixing substrates, a synthase, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a polyphosphate kinase 2, and a polyphosphoric acid mixture. The polyphosphoric acid mixture includes 50% or more of polyphosphoric acid with a degree of polymerization of not less than 15. Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) is generated from the ATP during the synthesis. The synthesis is coupled with an ATP regeneration reaction in which the ATP is regenerated by the polyphosphate kinase 2 from the ADP and the polyphosphoric acid.

Abstract: An enzyme protein that allows production of an optically active ?-hydroxyamino acid, specifically a monooxygenase having two kinds of hetero (different) subunits. Also, systems and methods using the monooxygenases.

Abstract: A polypeptide includes a mutant sequence of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: The mutant sequence includes one or more amino acid substitutions in the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 at positions 13, 17, 20, 23, 39, 70, 78, 101, 113, 125, 126, 136, 138, 149, 152, 154, 155, 197, 200, 215, 226, 227, 230, 239, 241, 246, 249, 254, 260, 262, 263, 270, 278, 299, 305, 307, and 310. The mutant sequence may further include one or more amino acid substitutions, additions, insertions, or deletions. The mutant sequence, excluding the substituted residue(s), may have a sequence identity of 80% or more with the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to modify a wild-type enzyme that is less reactive in the presence of an organic solvent to provide altered carbonyl reductases having better reactivity in the presence of the organic solvent than the wild-type enzyme, and/or to provide transformants producing such reductases. The present inventors have found altered carbonyl reductases having better reactivity in the presence of an organic solvent than the wild-type enzyme, from among a mutant enzyme library prepared by randomly mutating the wild-type enzyme gene, thereby arriving at completion of the present invention.

Abstract: The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a method for producing glutathione and a precursor thereof, ?-glutamylcysteine, at a high yield. As a means for solving the problem, the method for producing glutathione according to the present invention includes step A? of reacting L-cysteine and L-glutamic acid under a low-oxygen atmosphere to produce ?-glutamylcysteine and step B? of reacting ?-glutamylcysteine and glycine under a low-oxygen atmosphere to produce glutathione.

Abstract: The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a method for producing oxidized glutathione, GSSG and a precursor thereof, i.e., oxidized ?-glutamylcysteine, by a simple process. As a means for solving the problem, the method for producing GSSG according to the present invention comprises step A? of reacting L-cystine and L-glutamic acid to produce oxidized ?-glutamylcysteine and step B? of reacting oxidized ?-glutamylcysteine and glycine to produce GSSG.

Abstract: The invention relates to a glucose dehydrogenase showing an NADP/NAD activity ratio, namely the value obtained by dividing the enzyme activity value obtained by using NADP as a coenzyme by the enzyme activity value obtained by using NAD as a coenzyme, of not lower than 300, to a gene coding therefor, and to a transformant harboring that gene. The enzyme of the invention is very high in NADP specificity and can be suitably used, for example, for NADPH production, for coenzyme regeneration in enzymatic reduction reactions, and in biosensors for glucose concentration measurements.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a means for producing an optically active tropic acid that is a compound useful as a synthetic raw material or an intermediate for pharmaceutical products and the like. The present invention provides a novel polypeptide having activity to (R)-selectively hydrolyze a racemic tropic acid amide, DNA encoding the polypeptide, a vector containing the DNA, a transformant prepared by transformation with the vector, and a method for producing an optically active carboxylic acid amide and an optically active carboxylic acid using them.

Abstract: A method for inexpensively and efficiently producing an optically active amino compound useful as an intermediate for pharmaceutical preparations, agricultural chemicals, or the like, from a ketone compound is provided. Specifically, a polypeptide exhibiting higher activity for glutamic acid as an amino donor than that for L-alanine, and, having novel transaminase activity for generating (S)-1-benzyl-3-pyrrolidinone with high optical purity of 93% or more, a gene encoding the same, and a transformant expressing the gene at a high level are also provided herein.

Abstract: A method for efficiently producing an optically active amino compound useful as an intermediate for pharmaceutical preparations, agricultural chemicals, or the like, from a ketone compound is provided. Specifically, a polypeptide having high resistance to a water-soluble organic solvent and novel transaminase activity for generating (S)-1-benzyl-3-pyrrolidinone with high optical purity of 93% or more, a gene encoding the same, and a transformant expressing the gene at a high level are also provided herein.

Abstract: The invention relates to a glucose dehydrogenase showing an NADP/NAD activity ratio, namely the value obtained by dividing the enzyme activity value obtained by using NADP as a coenzyme by the enzyme activity value obtained by using NAD as a coenzyme, of not lower than 300, to a gene coding therefor, and to a transformant harboring that gene. The enzyme of the invention is very high in NADP specificity and can be suitably used, for example, for NADPH production, for coenzyme regeneration in enzymatic reduction reactions, and in biosensors for glucose concentration measurements.

Abstract: The invention relates to a glucose dehydrogenase showing an NADP/NAD activity ratio, namely the value obtained by dividing the enzyme activity value obtained by using NADP as a coenzyme by the enzyme activity value obtained by using NAD as a coenzyme, of not lower than 300, to a gene coding therefor, and to a transformant harboring that gene. The enzyme of the invention is very high in NADP specificity and can be suitably used, for example, for NADPH production, for coenzyme regeneration in enzymatic reduction reactions, and in biosensors for glucose concentration measurements.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel amino acid dehydrogenase, DNA encoding the enzyme, and a transformant having the DNA introduced therein. The present invention also relates to a process for producing an L-amino acid, 2-oxo acid or D-amino acid, which includes allowing the amino acid dehydrogenase or a microorganism or transformant capable of producing the enzyme to act on a substrate compound. The amino acid dehydrogenase has good reactivity even with an amino acid or a 2-oxo acid each having a bulky side chain such as an aromatic-ring-containing group, which acids are poorly reactive with conventional amino acid dehydrogenases. The amino acid dehydrogenase enables the inexpensive and highly efficient production of a useful optically active amino acid.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to modify a wild-type enzyme that is less reactive in the presence of an organic solvent to provide altered carbonyl reductases having better reactivity in the presence of the organic solvent than the wild-type enzyme, and/or to provide transformants producing such reductases. The present inventors have found altered carbonyl reductases having better reactivity in the presence of an organic solvent than the wild-type enzyme, from among a mutant enzyme library prepared by randomly mutating the wild-type enzyme gene, thereby arriving at completion of the present invention.

Abstract: Provided is a method for efficiently producing from a ketone compound an optically active amino compound useful as an intermediate of a drug, an agricultural chemical, or the like. Provided are: a polypeptide having aminotransferase activity that is increased in stereoselectivity, heat resistance, and resistance to amine compounds compared to the wild type enzyme by means of modifying an aminotransferase derived from Pseudomonas fluorescens; a gene encoding the polypeptide; and a transformant that expresses the gene at a high level.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a means for producing an optically active tropic acid that is a compound useful as a synthetic raw material or an intermediate for pharmaceutical products and the like. The present invention provides a novel polypeptide having activity to (R)-selectively hydrolyze a racemic tropic acid amide, DNA encoding the polypeptide, a vector containing the DNA, a transformant prepared by transformation with the vector, and a method for producing an optically active carboxylic acid amide and an optically active carboxylic acid using them.

Abstract: The present invention provides a low-cost, efficient method for producing a glycolipid biosurfactant, in particular, lactonic sophorose lipids. This method is characterized by culturing a microorganism capable of producing the biosurfactant under limited oxygen supply. The present invention enables preferential production of lactonic sophorose lipids and facilitates recovery of the lactonic sophorose lipids in a solid form. Further, the present invention enables production of high purity acidic sophorose lipids by hydrolyzing high purity lactonic sophorose lipids produced by the above method. The present invention also provides lactonic sophorose lipids that possess strong antibacterial and antifungal activities, and an antibacterial and/or antifungal agent containing the sophorose lipids.

Abstract: Provided is a method for efficiently producing from a ketone compound an optically active amino compound useful as an intermediate of a drug, an agricultural chemical, or the like. Provided are: a polypeptide having aminotransferase activity that is increased in stereoselectivity, heat resistance, and resistance to amine compounds compared to the wild type enzyme by means of modifying an aminotransferase derived from Pseudomonas fluorescens; a gene encoding the polypeptide; and a transformant that expresses the gene at a high level.

Abstract: A method for efficiently producing an optically active amino compound useful as an intermediate for pharmaceutical preparations, agricultural chemicals, or the like, from a ketone compound is provided. Specifically, a polypeptide having high resistance to a water-soluble organic solvent and novel transaminase activity for generating (S)-1-benzyl-3-pyrrolidinone with high optical purity of 93% or more, a gene encoding the same, and a transformant expressing the gene at a high level are also provided herein.

Abstract: A method for inexpensively and efficiently producing an optically active amino compound useful as an intermediate for pharmaceutical preparations, agricultural chemicals, or the like, from a ketone compound is provided. Specifically, a polypeptide exhibiting higher activity for glutamic acid as an amino donor than that for L-alanine, and, having novel transaminase activity for generating (S)-1-benzyl-3-pyrrolidinone with high optical purity of 93% or more, a gene encoding the same, and a transformant expressing the gene at a high level are also provided herein.