Patents by Inventor Yoshiya Gunji

Yoshiya Gunji has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8383363
    Abstract: L-amino acids are produced by culturing a microorganism which has an ability to produce the L-amino acid, but has been modified so that expression of the ybjE gene has been enhanced. The L-amino acid is collected from the culture medium or from the microorganism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Takuji Ueda, Yuta Nakai, Yoshiya Gunji, Rie Takikawa, Yuji Joe
  • Patent number: 8017363
    Abstract: A method for production of L-lysine is provided which includes the steps of cultivating a methanol-utilizing bacterium in a culture medium to produce and accumulate L-lysine in the culture medium and collecting the L-lysine from the culture medium, wherein the methanol-utilizing bacterium contains DNA encoding dihydrodipicolinate synthetase which is desensitized to feedback inhibition by L-lysine and DNA encoding a LysE protein that can enhance the excretion of L-lysine out of the methanol-utilizing bacterium, and the bacterium is modified so as to increase the intracellular activities of diaminopimelic acid dehydrogenase, diaminopimelic acid decarboxylase, dihydrodipicolinic acid reductase and aspartate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshiya Gunji, Hisashi Yasueda, Reiko Hirai, Seiko Hirano
  • Patent number: 7993885
    Abstract: A DNA encoding a variant of a protein having a loop region and six hydrophobic helixes which is involved in excretion of L-lysine to outside of a cell is described, wherein the DNA encodes a mutant protein which does not contain the loop region that is present in the wild-type protein. The mutant protein facilitates excretion of L-lysine, L-arginine, or both to the outside of the cell of a methanol assimilating bacterium when the DNA is introduced into the bacterium. Specifically, lysE24 is introduced into a methanol assimilating bacterium such as Methylophilus bacteria which results in improved L-amino acid productivity, especially production of L-lysine and L-arginine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshiya Gunji, Hisashi Yasueda
  • Publication number: 20100190216
    Abstract: A method for production of L-lysine is provided which includes the steps of cultivating a methanol-utilizing bacterium in a culture medium to produce and accumulate L-lysine in the culture medium and collecting the L-lysine from the culture medium, wherein the methanol-utilizing bacterium contains DNA encoding dihydrodipicolinate synthetase which is desensitized to feedback inhibition by L-lysine and DNA encoding a LysE protein that can enhance the excretion of L-lysine out of the methanol-utilizing bacterium, and the bacterium is modified so as to increase the intracellular activities of diaminopimelic acid dehydrogenase, diaminopimelic acid decarboxylase, dihydrodipicolinic acid reductase and aspartate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2008
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Inventors: Yoshiya Gunji, Hisashi Yasueda, Reiko Hirai, Seiko Hirano
  • Patent number: 7629142
    Abstract: L-amino acids are produced by culturing a microorganism which has an ability to produce the L-amino acid, but has been modified so that expression of the ybjE gene has been enhanced. The L-amino acid is collected from the culture medium or from the microorganism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Takuji Ueda, Yuta Nakai, Yoshiya Gunji, Rie Takikawa, Yuji Joe
  • Patent number: 7439038
    Abstract: A DNA encoding for a mutant of LysE protein, or a homologous protein thereof, of a coryneform bacterium, wherein the mutant, when introduced into a methanol-assimilating bacterium imparts resistance to L-lysine analogue. The DNA encoding for a mutant of LysE protein, or a homologous protein thereof, is introduced into a methanol-assimilating bacterium to improve L-lysine and L-arginine productivity of the methanol-assimilating bacterium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshiya Gunji, Hisashi Yasueda
  • Publication number: 20080199919
    Abstract: A DNA encoding a variant of a protein having a loop region and six hydrophobic helixes which is involved in excretion of L-lysine to outside of a cell is described, wherein the DNA encodes a mutant protein which does not contain the loop region that is present in the wild-type protein. The mutant protein facilitates excretion of L-lysine, L-arginine, or both to the outside of the cell of a methanol assimilating bacterium when the DNA is introduced into the bacterium. Specifically, lysE24 is introduced into a methanol assimilating bacterium such as Methylophilus bacteria which results in improved L-amino acid productivity, especially production of L-lysine and L-arginine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2006
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Inventors: Yoshiya Gunji, Hisashi Yasueda
  • Patent number: 7335506
    Abstract: A DNA encoding a variant of a protein, the protein having a loop region and six hydrophobic helices and involved in secretion of L-lysine to the outside of a cell, wherein the DNA encodes a variant of a protein not containing the loop region and facilitates secretion of L-lysine, L-arginine or both of these L-amino acids to the outside of a methanol-assimilating bacterium when the DNA is introduced into the bacterium, specifically lysE24, is introduced into a Methylobacillus bacteria to improve L-amino acid productivity, especially L-lysine and L-arginine productivities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshiya Gunji, Hisashi Yasueda
  • Publication number: 20080038825
    Abstract: An L-amino acid is produced by culturing a Methylophilus bacterium which can grow by using methanol as the main carbon source and has L-amino acid-producing ability, for example, a Methylophilus bacterium in which dihydrodipicolinate synthase activity and aspartokinase activity are enhanced by transformation of cells with a DNA coding for dihydrodipicolinate synthase that is desensitized to feedback inhibition by L-lysine and a DNA coding for aspartokinase that is desensitized to feedback inhibition by L-lysine, or a Methylophilus bacterium which is casamino acid auxotrophic, in a medium containing methanol as a main carbon source, to produce and accumulate an L-amino acid in culture, and collecting the L-amino acid from the culture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2007
    Publication date: February 14, 2008
    Inventors: Yoshiya Gunji, Hisashi Yasueda, Shinichi Sugimoto, Nobuharu Tsujimoto, Megumi Shimaoka, Yuri Miyata, Manami Oba
  • Patent number: 7252978
    Abstract: L-Arginine is produced by culturing a microorganism which has L-arginine producing ability and has been modified so that expression of lysE gene should be enhanced, such a microorganism further modified so that an arginine repressor should not function normally, or such a microorganism further modified so that intracellular activity of an enzyme in L-arginine biosynthetic pathway should be enhanced in a medium to produce and accumulate L-arginine in the medium and collecting the L-arginine from the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Mikiko Yamaguchi, Hisao Ito, Yoshiya Gunji, Hisashi Yasueda
  • Patent number: 7223572
    Abstract: An L-amino acid is produced by culturing a Methylophilus bacterium which can grow by using methanol as a main carbon source and has L-amino acid-producing ability, for example, a Methylophilus bacterium in which dihydrodipicolinate synthase activity and aspartokinase activity are enhanced by transformation through introduction into cells, of a DNA coding for dihydrodipicolinate synthase that does not suffer feedback inhibition by L-lysine and a DNA coding for aspartokinase that does not suffer feedback inhibition by L-lysine, or a Methylophilus bacterium made to be casamino acid auxotrophic, in a medium containing methanol as a main carbon source, to produce and accumulate an L-amino acid in culture, and collecting the L-amino acid from the culture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshiya Gunji, Hisashi Yasueda, Shinichi Sugimoto, Nobuharu Tsujimoto, Megumi Shimaoka, Yuri Miyata, Manami Oba
  • Patent number: 7217543
    Abstract: The present invention describes a method for producing an L-amino acid comprising culturing a microorganism having an ability to produce an L-amino acid in a medium, whereby the L-amino acid accumulates in the medium, and collecting the L-amino acid from the medium, whereby said microorganism comprises a methanol-utilizing bacterium having the Entner-Doudoroff pathway in which 6-phosphogluconate dehydratase activity and/or 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate aldolase activity is enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshiya Gunji, Hisashi Yasueda
  • Patent number: 7169587
    Abstract: A DNA encoding a variant of a protein, having a loop region and six hydrophobic helixes and involved in excretion of L-lysine to outside of a cell, wherein the DNA encodes a mutant protein not containing the loop region that is contained in a wild-type protein and facilitates excretion of L-lysine, L-arginine or both of these L-amino acids to outside of a cell of a methanol assimilating bacterium when the DNA is introduced into the bacterium, specifically lysE24, is introduced into a methanol assimilating bacterium such as Methylophilus bacteria to improve L-amino acid productivity, especially L-lysine and L-arginine productivities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshiya Gunji, Hisashi Yasueda
  • Publication number: 20060019355
    Abstract: L-amino acids are produced by culturing a microorganism which has an ability to produce the L-amino acid, but has been modified so that expression of the ybjE gene has been enhanced. The L-amino acid is collected from the culture medium or from the microorganism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2005
    Publication date: January 26, 2006
    Inventors: Takuji Ueda, Yuta Nakai, Yoshiya Gunji, Rie Takikawa, Yuji Joe
  • Publication number: 20050176121
    Abstract: The present invention describes a recombinant of a microorganism that does not inherently utilize an alkane, and an alcohol, whereby the recombinant has acquired an ability to convert the alkane into the alcohol due to transformation with a DNA encoding a methane oxygenase. The present invention describes a method for producing alcohol by culturing the recombinant, and allowing the obtained culture, cells isolated from the culture or processed product of the cells to exist with the alkane to produce the alcohol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2004
    Publication date: August 11, 2005
    Inventors: Ryo Takeshita, Hisashi Yasueda, Yoshiya Gunji
  • Publication number: 20050003495
    Abstract: A DNA encoding a variant of a protein, the protein having a loop region and six hydrophobic helixes and involved in secretion of L-lysine to the outside of a cell, wherein the DNA encodes a variant of a protein not containing the loop region and facilitates secretion of L-lysine, L-arginine or both of these L-amino acids to the outside of a cell of a methanol-assimilating bacterium when the DNA is introduced into the bacterium, specifically lysE24, is introduced into a Methylobacillus bacteria to improve L-amino acid productivity, especially L-lysine and L-arginine productivities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2003
    Publication date: January 6, 2005
    Inventors: Yoshiya Gunji, Hisashi Yasueda
  • Publication number: 20040146974
    Abstract: A DNA encoding for a mutant of LysE protein, or a homologous protein thereof, of a coryneform bacterium, wherein the mutant, when introduced into a methanol-assimilating bacterium imparts resistance to L-lysine analogue. The DNA encoding for a mutant of LysE protein, or a homologous protein thereof, is introduced into a methanol-assimilating bacterium to improve L-lysine and L-arginine productivity of the methanol-assimilating bacterium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2003
    Publication date: July 29, 2004
    Inventors: Yoshiya Gunji, Hisashi Yasueda
  • Publication number: 20040142435
    Abstract: The present invention describes a method for producing an L-amino acid comprising culturing a microorganism having an ability to produce an L-amino acid in a medium, whereby the L-amino acid accumulates in the medium, and collecting the L-amino acid from the medium, whereby said microorganism comprises a methanol-utilizing bacterium having the Entner-Doudoroff pathway in which 6-phosphogluconate dehydratase activity and/or 2-keto-3-dexoy-6-phosphogluconate aldolase activity is enhanced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2003
    Publication date: July 22, 2004
    Inventors: Yoshiya Gunji, Hisashi Yasueda
  • Publication number: 20030124687
    Abstract: A DNA encoding a variant of a protein, having a loop region and six hydrophobic helixes and involved in excretion of L-lysine to outside of a cell, wherein the DNA encodes a mutant protein not containing the loop region that is contained in a wild-type protein and facilitates excretion of L-lysine, L-arginine or both of these L-amino acids to outside of a cell of a methanol assimilating bacterium when the DNA is introduced into the bacterium, specifically lysE24, is introduced into a methanol assimilating bacterium such as Methylophilus bacteria to improve L-amino acid productivity, especially L-lysine and L-arginine productivities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2002
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Applicant: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshiya Gunji, Hisashi Yasueda
  • Publication number: 20030113899
    Abstract: L-Arginine is produced by culturing a microorganism which has L-arginine producing ability and has been modified so that expression of lysE gene should be enhanced, such a microorganism further modified so that an arginine repressor should not function normally, or such a microorganism further modified so that intracellular activity of an enzyme in L-arginine biosynthetic pathway should be enhanced in a medium to produce and accumulate L-arginine in the medium and collecting the L-arginine from the medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2002
    Publication date: June 19, 2003
    Applicant: AJINOMOTO CO., INC.
    Inventors: Mikiko Yamaguchi, Hisao Ito, Yoshiya Gunji, Hisashi Yasueda