Abstract: A novel diglycosidase produced by a microorganism belonging to the genus Penicillium, having the following physicochemical properties: (1) action and substrate specificity: it acts on a disaccharide glycoside, releasing the disaccharide sugar and the aglycone thereof; (2) optimum pH: around 4.5; (3) pH stability: it is stable at pH 4.0 to 8.0 under the processing condition of 37° C. for 30 minutes, and retains its 80% or more of the activity even after processing at pH 4.0 or lower; (4) optimum temperature: around 60° C. in a sodium acetate-acetic acid buffer solution (pH 5.5); (5) thermal stability: it is stable at 50° C. or lower in a sodium acetate-acetic acid buffer solution (pH 5.5) and retains 45% of the activity even after processing at 60° C. for 40 minutes; (6) molecular weight: 40,000±5,000 Da based on SDS-PAGE measurement; and (7) isoelectric point (pI): about 4.3.

Abstract: A novel diglycosidase produced by a microorganism belonging to the genus Penicillium, having the following physicochemical properties: (1) action and substrate specificity: it acts on a disaccharide glycoside, releasing the disaccharide sugar and the aglycone thereof; (2) optimum pH: around 4.5; (3) pH stability: it is stable at pH 4.0 to 8.0 under the processing condition of 37° C. for 30 minutes, and retains its 80% or more of the activity even after processing at pH 4.0 or lower; (4) optimum temperature: around 60° C. in a sodium acetate-acetic acid buffer solution (pH 5.5); (5) thermal stability: it is stable at 50° C. or lower in a sodium acetate-acetic acid buffer solution (pH 5.5) and retains 45% of the activity even after processing at 60° C. for 40 minutes; (6) molecular weight: 40,000±5,000 Da based on SDS-PAGE measurement; and (7) isoelectric point (pI): about 4.3.

Abstract: A transformed microorganism prepared by inserting into a host microorganism with zinc tolerance a D-aminoacylase-producing gene which selectively produces D-aminoacylase alone between D-aminoacylase and L-aminoacylase. A process comprising culturing the transformed microorganism in a culture medium containing zinc ion and obtaining D-aminoacylase from the culture at a high efficiency.

Abstract: This invention provides an L-&agr;-glycerophosphate oxidase (GPO) having excellent properties such as stability, heat resistance and reactivity. A recombinant GPO obtained by replacing an amino acid of a specified position of an amino acid sequence deduced from the Enterococcus faecium No. 7044 GPO gene or DNA coding for the GPO with other amino acid has excellent thermal stability and reactivity. That is, the invention provides modified forms of the GPO having the amino acid sequence of Sequence No. 1 in the Sequence Listing, in which the 130-position leucine counting from the N-terminus of the GPO is replaced by other amino acid and/or the 225-position serine counting from the N-terminus of the GPO is replaced by other amino acid and/or the 298-position threonine counting from the N-terminus of the GPO is replaced by other amino acid and/or the 420-position aspartic acid counting from the N-terminus of the GPO is replaced by other amino acid.

Abstract: A DNA fragment containing a caffeine demethylase gene produced by a microorganism belonging to the genus Pseudomonas and capable of assimilating caffeine and a process for producing a 3-methyl-7-alkylxanthine comprising cultivating a novel bacterium strain of the genus Pseudomonas having been transformed with a recombinant DNA having integrated therein the above-mentioned DNA fragment in a nutrient culture medium containing a 1,3-dimethyl-7-alkylxanthine to produce a 3-methyl-7-alkylxanthine in the culture and recovering the produced 3-methyl-7-alkylxanthine from the culture are disclosed, as well as a process for producing 3-methyl-7-propylxanthine, comprising cultivating a microorganism capable of converting 1,3-dimethyl-7-propylxanthine to 3-methyl-7-propylxanthine or a mutant thereof in a nutrient culture medium containing 1,3-dimethyl-7-propylxanthine, to produce 3-methyl-7-propylxanthine in the culture and recovering the produced 3-methyl-7-propylxanthine from the culture.

Abstract: A recombinant DNA capable of being replicated in a bacterium of the genus Pseudomonas is disclosed. The DNA contains a wide host range plasmid vector having a gene that codes for lipase. A process for producing lipase by transforming a host bacterium with the recombinant DNA is also described.