Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to breed a koji mold, which has improved capability of producing a variety of industrially applicable enzymes, without using the genetic recombination technology. By mutagenizing a strain belonging to the genus Aspergillus, a strain having a duplication of a large-scale genome region of 900 kb or more and is able to produce a variety of enzymes required in manufacturing soy sauce, for example, protease, etc. was obtained. This strain enables efficient production of various foods such as soy sauce.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lactic acid bacterium which can produce ?-aminobutyric acid (GABA) even under a coexisting condition of lactic acid and common salt in a medium at time of commencement of culturing, and a method for producing a culture mixture comprising GABA. Specifically, a culture mixture comprising GABA can be obtained by isolating from unrefined soy a lactic acid bacterium, Lactobacillus rennini which can produce GABA even under a coexisting condition of lactic acid and common salt in a medium at time of commencement of culturing, and culturing the lactic acid bacterium after inoculating it into a medium containing L-glutamic acid and/or salts thereof.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to breed a koji mold, which has improved capability of producing a variety of industrially applicable enzymes, without using the genetic recombination technology. By mutagenizing a strain belonging to the genus Aspergillus, a strain having a duplication of a large-scale genome region of 900 kb or more and is able to produce a variety of enzymes required in manufacturing soy sauce, for example, protease, etc. was obtained. This strain enables efficient production of various foods such as soy sauce.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lactic acid bacterium which can produce ?-aminobutyric acid (GABA) even under a coexisting condition of lactic acid and common salt in a medium at time of commencement of culturing, and a method for producing a culture mixture comprising GABA. Specifically, a culture mixture comprising GABA can be obtained by isolating from unrefined soy a lactic acid bacterium, Lactobacillus rennini which can produce GABA even under a coexisting condition of lactic acid and common salt in a medium at time of commencement of culturing, and culturing the lactic acid bacterium after inoculating it into a medium containing L-glutamic acid and/or salts thereof.

Abstract: A microorganism belonging to the genus Cryptococcus having the ability to produce glutaminase excellent in salt resistance and thermostability. Further, this microorganism can be used to produce the salt-resistant thermostable glutaminase, and by use of this glutaminase, glutamic acid-rich and good tasting protein hydrolysates (e.g. flavoring foods such as soy sauce, miso etc.) are produced efficiently in a simple operation. Specifically, said microorganism is the new species Cryptococcus nodaensis having assimilability of +, -, -and - toward lactose, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, D-glucosamine and arbtin as carbon sources, respectively.