Abstract: For the first time, an O-specific polysaccharide antigen that is a Shigella Sonnei, phase I, exopolysaccharide has been produced and characterized, said exopolysaccharide being an authentic natural compound in the form of a bacterial capsular polysaccharide. The exopolysaccharide contains a non-toxic lipid component, namely non-hydroxylated fatty acids, and exhibits low pyrogenicity and high immunogenicity. Without using lipopolysaccharides as the source of production, an exopolysaccharide with a high degree of purity is produced from a liquid phase culture of S. sonnei bacteria by means of a workable industrial method with a high yield.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the cell-based production of bacterial nonulosonates and their biosynthetic precursors. Specifically, the present invention provides recombinant cells for the production of pseudaminic acid, legionaminic acid, UDP-2,4-diacetamido-2,4,6-trideoxy-?-L-altropyranose, and UDP-2,4-diacetamido-2,4,6-trideoxy-?-D-glucopyranose. Methods for producing the sugars are also provided.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the production of hyaluronic acid (HA) in Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli through plasmid vectors wherein the gene is under the control of strong promoter Pgrac, and a system for the selection of stable bacterial strains for the production of high levels of hyaluronic acid.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the synthesis of compounds of general formula (1A) and salts thereof wherein one of the R groups is an ?-sialyl moiety and the other is H, X1 represents a carbohydrate linker, A is a D-glucopyranosyl unit optionally substituted with fucosyl, R1 is a protecting group that is removable by hydrogenolysis, the integer m is 0 or 1, by a transsialidation reaction.

Abstract: The present invention provides a PEGylated and fatty acid grafted chitosan oligosaccharide comprising a structural unit represented by the following Formula (I) and a structural unit represented by the following Formula (II) and synthesize method, wherein the chitosan oligosaccharide has a molecular weight of less than 200,000 Da, and a degree of deacetylation of 70%-100%, and part of free amino groups of chitosan oligosaccharide chain are replaced by a fatty acid or PEG, where n refers to degree of polymerization of the PEG, and R is an alkyl group having 11-21 carbon atoms. The grafting ratio of fatty acids is 1%-50%, and the grafting ratio of PEG is 0.05%-50%. The present invention also comprise a pharmaceutical composition comprising the PEGylated and fatty acid grafted chitosan oligosaccharide as a carrier, and use of the PEGylated and fatty acid grafted chitosan oligosaccharide in preparation of a pharmaceutical composition.

Abstract: A method by which high-purity CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid (HPLC purity, 95% or higher), which has been difficult to obtain with any technique other than chromatography, can be easily obtained in satisfactory yield by a simple operation without the need of chromatography. The process, which is for producing high-purity CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid (CMP-NeuAc), is characterized by conducting a suitable combination of the following steps (1) to (4). Step 1: a step in which divalent cations are added to a solution containing CMP-NeuAc to thereby precipitate the phosphoric acid, pyrophosphoric acid, and nucleotide which coexist; Step 2: a step in which a phosphatase is added to a solution containing CMP-NeuAc to thereby convert the coexistent nucleotide into nucleoside; Step 3: a step in which an organic solvent is added to precipitate the CMP-NeuAc; and Step 4: a step in which the CMP-NeuAc precipitated is recovered.

Abstract: This invention provides cell culture compositions which produce significant quantities of high molecular weight hyaluronic acid. The cell cultures are obtained from cells of mole rats, such as naked mole rats and blind mole rats. The high molecular weight hyaluronic acid can be collected in the conditioned media of these cell cultures. These cell cultures provide a convenient source of large quantities of high molecular weight hyaluronic acid.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an isolated mutant eubacterium comprising at least one mutation resulting in a substitution of at least one amino acid in the beta-subunit of the RNA-polymerase encoded for by the rpoB-gene providing an altered production of a product of interest when said production of a product of interest is compared to the production of the same product in an isogenic wild type strain grown at identical conditions, wherein the substitution of at least one amino acid occurs at any of positions 469, 478, 482, 485, or 487 of SEQ ID NO:2, or at the equivalent positions in any eubacterial RNA-polymererase beta-subunit family member. Another aspect of the invention relates to a process for producing at least one product of interest in a mutant eubacterium and to a use of the mutant eubacterium according to the invention for producing at least one product of interest.

Abstract: The N-acetyl-D-galactosamine transferase protein of the present invention is characterized by transferring N-acetyl-D-galactosamine to N-acetyl-D-glucosamine with ?1,3 linkage, and it preferably has the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2 or 4. The canceration assay according to the present invention uses a nucleic acid for measurement which hybridizes under stringent conditions to the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 1 or 3 or a nucleotide sequence complementary to at least one of them.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for the preparation of carbamic acid (R)-1-aryl-2-tetrazolyl-ethyl esters, comprising the enantioselective enzyme reduction of a 1-aryl-2-tetrazolyl-ethyl ketone to form a (R)-1-aryl-2-tetrazolyl-ethyl alcohol and the carbamation of said alcohol.

Abstract: N-Acetyl-D-glucosamine can be produced by cultivating a fungus capable of producing N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, such as Trichoderma hamatum AB 10282 strain (FERM BP-10623) or Trichoderma harzianum AB10283 strain (FERM BP-10624), in a culture medium supplemented with a carbon source other than chitin and chitin oligosaccharide and a nitrogen source to produce and accumulate N-acetyl-D-glucosamine in the culture medium and then collecting N-acetyl-D-glucosamine from the culture medium.

Abstract: The invention relates to a compound of the general structure (I), where R is a hydrogen atom (H) or an unsubstituted, monosubstituted, or polysubstituted C1-C20 alkyl, wherein the alkyl can be straight, branched, cyclic, or partially unsaturated, or an unsubstituted, monosubstituted, or polysubstituted phenyl group.

Abstract: A vector of the present invention has DNA encoding a protein or a product having the same effect as the protein, the protein containing an amino acid sequence from amino acid numbers 47 to 802 in SEQ. ID. NO:2. Expression of the DNA gives human chondroitin synthase. By using human chondroitin synthase, it is possible to produce a saccharide chain having a repeating disaccharide unit of chondroitin. The DNA or part thereof may be used as a probe for hybridization for the human chondroitin synthase.

Abstract: The N-acetyl-D-galactosamine transferase protein of the present invention is characterized by transferring N-acetyl-D-galactosamine to N-acetyl-D-glucosamine with ?1,3 linkage, and it preferably has the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2 or 4. The canceration assay according to the present invention uses a nucleic acid for measurement which hybridizes under stringent conditions to the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 1 or 3 or a nucleotide sequence complementary to at least one of them.

Abstract: A vector of the present invention has DNA encoding a protein or a product having the same effect as the protein, the protein containing an amino acid sequence from amino acid numbers 47 to 802 in SEQ. ID. NO:2. Expression of the DNA gives human chondroitin synthase. By using human chondroitin synthase, it is possible to produce a saccharide chain having a repeating disaccharide unit of chondroitin. The DNA or part thereof may be used as a probe for hybridization for the human chondroitin synthase.

Abstract: The invention provides a copolymer of hyaluronic acid (HA) grafted with a dextran-tyramine (Dex-TA) conjugate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a composition which comprises: an oligosaccharide which is free of sialyloligosaccharide, and free sialic acid.

Abstract: The present invention provides a composition for improving sexual function comprising at least one compound as an active ingredient selected from the group consisting of arginine derivatives or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. The composition of the present invention does not act as a substrate for arginase, but increases the generation of nitric oxide in endothelial cells along with enhancing the expression of nitric oxide synthase and induces the increase of the content of cGMP related to an erection depending on the concentration, thus remarkably exhibiting the effects of improving sexual function.

Abstract: A mismatched end DNA ligase is provided, which ligates two single strands to each other at a high efficiency, even if the other two single strands are not compatible. In one embodiment, the polypeptides of the ligase are Ku, Cernunnos, and XRCC4/Ligase4 (XL). This association can ligate DNA ends with a 3? overhang to a recessed 5? end, to a blunt end, or to a compatible end. In another embodiment, the proteins are Ku, Cernunnos, XRCC4/Ligase4 (XL) and DNA-PK.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fusion protein comprising a bifunctional sialytransferase and a poly-sialytransferase and methods to use the fusion proteins for production of poly-sialylated end products, e.g. oligosaccharides and glycoproteins.

Abstract: The present invention generally provides compositions methods and composition relating to the diagnosis and/or treatment of cancers having a cell surface de-N-acetylated sialic acid antigen, e.g., an at least partially de-N-acetylated ganglioside and/or a de-N-acetylated sialic acid-modified cell surface protein.

Abstract: The invention provides compositions and methods for engineering bacteria to produce fucosylated oligosaccharides, and the use thereof in the prevention or treatment of infection.

Abstract: Techniques to glycosylation are described, and more particularly to the production of glycosylation structures that are resistant to enzymatic degradation, thereby modulating one or more of their biological properties or those of therapeutic moieties incorporating them, and in particular to reacting activated carbohydrate substrates containing fluorine, such as 3-fluoro sialic acid compounds, with sugar acceptors to produce covalent conjugates of the sugar acceptor and one or more of the sialic acid compounds.

Abstract: The N-acetyl-D-galactosamine transferase protein of the present invention is characterized by transferring N-acetyl-D-galactosamine to N-acetyl-D-glucosamine with ?1,3 linkage, and it preferably has the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2 or 4. The canceration assay according to the present invention uses a nucleic acid for measurement which hybridizes under stringent conditions to the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 1 or 3 or a nucleotide sequence complementary to at least one of them.

Abstract: A sialyltransferase having the following physico-chemical properties: (1) Activity: transfers sialic acid from a sialic acid donor selectively to a 3-hydroxyl group of a galactose residue contained in lactosylceramide as a sialic acid acceptor to produce ganglioside GM3; (2) Optimal Reaction pH: 6.0 to 7.0; and (3) Inhibition and Activation: the activity increases at least 1.5 times with 10 mM of Mn2+ as compared with the case in the absence thereof.

Abstract: A method for producing glucosamine with microorganism comprises of fermenting with a microorganism selected from the group consisting of Monascus pilosus and Aspergillus sp. in a novel low-cost medium, thereby enable it to produce glucosamine; wherein said medium is consisted of commercial Taiwan sugar, soy beam, rice bran and the like; wherein suitable condition for the fermentation is: 150˜300 rpm, pH 4˜pH 8, and 24° C.˜37° C.; wherein, after fermentation culturing, the fermentation liquor is filtered with suction to recover said microorganism biomass, said microorganism biomass is then subjected to steps of cell disruption, hydrochloric acid reaction, neutralization reaction and filtration, to obtain glucosamine produced by the microorganism.

Abstract: Compositions and methods are provided for converting chitin into N-acetylglucosamine, glucosamine and ethanol. The chitin may be used directly from the environment, for example, as occurs in invertebrate cuticles, fungal cells and/or algae. Mutant bacteria were created by knocking out or inactivating one or more genes preferably resulting in the chitin catabolic sensor maintaining an activated state. Methods are further provided for converting the N-acetylglucosamine into ethanol by means of a genetically engineered yeast strain which can be optionally co-cultivated with the Vibrionaceae to produce significant yields of ethanol.

Abstract: An innovative method is described for the production of chondroitin at high concentration, by fermentation of genetically mutated bacteria.

Abstract: The invention comprises a process for producing a chitosan derivative, and a product prepared thereby, by activating chitosan or a chitosan precursor chitin in alcohol that contains water from 0% to maximum of about 30% and preparing derivatives by reacting with a reagent to get derivatives that have various uses including an antimicrobial, or a microbiostatic, or an antitranspirant, or an antifungal, or a fruit preservative properties or as carrier of active molecules or functional groups etc. or a combination thereof. Illustrated derivatives include acid, succinic, enzymatically deacetylated, enzymatically hydrolysed by chitinolysis, sugar, formaldehyde, phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid and copper sulfate derivatives that are obtained by reaction individually or in a combination of consecutive reactions.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to, for example, an oligosaccharide having at an end thereof a 4-position halogenated galactose residue represented by formula (I): (wherein X represents a halogen atom, and R represents a monosaccharide, an oligosaccharide, or a carrier), a transferase inhibitor containing the oligosaccharide, and a method for inhibiting sugar chain elongation reaction in the presence of glycosyltransferase, the method including employing the inhibitor. The invention also provides a method for producing a 4-position halogenated galactose sugar nucleotide represented by formula (II): (wherein each of R1 to R3 represents a hydroxyl group, an acetyl group, a halogen atom, or a hydrogen atom; X represents a halogen atom; and M represents a hydrogen ion or a metal ion), wherein the method employs bacterium-derived galactokinase and bacterium-derived hexose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase.

Abstract: A method for producing glucosamine with microorganism comprises of fermenting with a microorganism selected from the group consisting of Monascus pilosus and Aspergillus sp. in a novel low-cost medium, thereby enable it to produce glucosamine; wherein said medium is consisted of commercial Taiwan sugar, soy beam, rice bran and the like; wherein suitable condition for the fermentation is: 150˜300 rpm, pH 4˜pH 8, and 24° C.˜37° C.; wherein, after fermentation culturing, the fermentation liquor is filtered with suction to recover said microorganism biomass, said microorganism biomass is then subjected to steps of cell disruption, hydrochloric acid reaction, neutralization reaction and filtration, to obtain glucosamine produced by the microorganism.

Abstract: There is provided methods for producing a hydrogel comprising conjugates of a hydrogel forming agent and a flavonoid including a method for producing a hydrogel that is capable of adhesion of cells and which comprises enzymatically cross-linked conjugates of a hydrogel forming agent and a flavonoid. There is also provided a method for producing a hydrogel comprising conjugates of a hydrogel forming agent and a flavonoid without the addition of an exogenous peroxide or peroxidase or without the addition of an exogenous peroxide. Hydrogels produced by such methods and methods of using the hydrogels are also described herein.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for producing a hyaluronic acid, comprising: (a) cultivating a Bacillus host cell under conditions suitable for production of the hyaluronic acid, wherein the Bacillus host cell comprises a nucleic acid construct comprising a hyaluronan synthase encoding sequence operably linked to a promoter sequence foreign to the hyaluronan synthase encoding sequence; and (b) recovering the hyaluronic acid from the cultivation medium. The present invention also relates to an isolated nucleic acid sequence encoding a hyaluronan synthase operon comprising a hyaluronan synthase gene and a UDP-glucose 6-dehydrogenase gene, and optionally one or more genes selected from the group consisting of a UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase gene, UDP-N-acetylglucosamine pyrophosphorylase gene, and glucose-6-phosphate isomerase gene.

Abstract: Processes for preparing pimecrolimus starting from ascomycin, exploiting the selectivity characteristics of the purified enzymatic systems particularly regarding the selective functionalization of the hydroxyl groups present in position 24 and 33 of ascomycin. Such method represents the first example of chemoenzymatic synthesis for preparing pimecrolimus.

Abstract: Methods for producing quadrivalent meningococcal meningitis polysaccharide and conjugate vaccines for serotypes A, C, Y and W-135 disclosed. Neisseria meningitidis fastidious medium was designed to maximize the yield of capsular polysaccharides and generate minimal cellular biomass and endotoxin in a short duration of fermentation. The crude polysaccharides are isolated, purified, and mechanically depolymerized by sonication. These purified polysaccharides were found in human clinical trials to be safe and immunogenic against meningococcal disease caused by N. meningitidis A, C, Y and W-135 serogroups in sub-Saharan Africa. In the preferred embodiment, the polysaccharides are conjugated to carrier proteins of diphtheria or tetanus toxiod to an average molecular size of 5100 to 9900 Daltons and provide broad spectrum protection to humans of all ages. Accelerated polysaccharide production and the efficacy of the resulting vaccine are demonstrated.

Abstract: Provided are a method for producing a fraction containing more than 50% of CH represented by the general formula (1), which comprises at least the step of allowing a glucuronic acid donor, an N-acetylgalactosamine donor, a saccharide receptor, a chondroitin polymerase derived from the Escherichia coli K4 strain, and Mn2+ at a final concentration of 0.02 to 100 mM to coexist, and performing a reaction thereof under conditions of 20 to 40° C. and pH 6 to 8 for 0.5 minutes to 4 hours, and a method for producing a fraction containing more than 50% of CH represented by the general formula (2), which comprises at least the step of performing the reaction under same conditions for 10 hours or longer, which enable industrial scale production of a CH fraction of a controlled even number saccharide and odd number saccharide content ratio by a simple procedure at a low cost.

Abstract: The sialic acid-like sugar legionaminic acid is found as a virulence-associated surface glyco-conjugate in Legionella pneumophila and Campylobacter coli. In this work, we have purified and biochemically characterized eleven candidate biosynthetic enzymes from C. jejuni, thereby fully reconstituting the biosynthesis of legionaminic acid and its CMP-activated form, starting from fructose-6-P. This pathway involves unique GDP-linked intermediates and provides a facile means for the efficient large-scale synthesis of an important sialic acid mimic and novel precursors.

Abstract: A biosynthetic method for producing glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine is disclosed. Such a method includes the fermentation of a genetically modified microorganism to produce glucosamine and/or N-acetylglucosamine. Also disclosed are genetically modified microorganisms that are useful for producing glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine. In addition, methods of recovering N-acetylglucosamine that has been produced by a fermentation process, including methods that result in N-acetylglucosamine of high purity, are described. Also disclosed is a method to produce glucosamine from N-acetylglucosamine.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for in vitro producing an indole derivative in a one-pot reaction. The method for producing a rhamnosylated indolocarbazole compound includes the steps of transforming a plasmid carrying a gene encoding N-glycosyltransferase into a bacterial strain; expressing the gene encoding N-glycosyltransferase in the bacterial strain; lysing the bacterial strain to obtain a crude enzyme extract; and adding TDP-glucose, an indolocarbazole aglycone and a metal ion in the crude enzyme extract for performing an enzymatic reaction to form the rhamnosylated indolocarbazole compound. Alternatively, the method for producing an indole-3-carboxaldehyde analog includes the steps of transforming a plasmid carrying a gene encoding NokA of Nocardiopsis sp.

Abstract: The instant invention provides highly pure Polysialic acid and process for preparation thereof.

Abstract: A biosynthetic method for producing glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine is disclosed. Such a method includes the fermentation of a genetically modified microorganism to produce glucosamine and/or N-acetylglucosamine. Also disclosed are genetically modified microorganisms that are useful for producing glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine. In addition, methods of recovering N-acetylglucosamine that has been produced by a fermentation process, including methods that result in N-acetylglucosamine of high purity, are described. Also disclosed is a method to produce glucosamine from N-acetylglucosamine.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods for determining potency of RNAi agents. Such methods include, but are not limited to, cell-based and cell-free assays that measure binding of an RNAi agent with Ago2 or that measure Ago2 activity in the presence of such RNAi agents. Also provided are assays that determine potency of RNAi agents by assessing their ability to compete with other RNAi agents, including control RNAi agents, for binding and/or activation of Ago2.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for producing a hyaluronic acid, comprising: (a) cultivating a Bacillus host cell under conditions suitable for production of the hyaluronic acid, wherein the Bacillus host cell comprises a nucleic acid construct comprising a hyaluronan synthase encoding sequence operably linked to a promoter sequence foreign to the hyaluronan synthase encoding sequence; and (b) recovering the hyaluronic acid from the cultivation medium. The present invention also relates to an isolated nucleic acid sequence encoding a hyaluronan synthase operon comprising a hyaluronan synthase gene and a UDP-glucose 6-dehydrogenase gene, and optionally one or more genes selected from the group consisting of a UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase gene, UDP-N-acetylglucosamine pyrophosphorylase gene, and glucose-6-phosphate isomerase gene.

Abstract: The invention relates to novel molecules and libraries thereof as well as methods for their production. Methods of producing the novel molecules include the cleaving of starting molecules into molecular subunits and the assembly of the subunits into novel recombined molecules.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a recombinant Bacillus host cell containing a recombinant vector including a nucleic acid segment having a coding region segment encoding enzymatically active hyaluronan synthase (HAS). The recombinant Bacillus host cell is utilized in a method for producing hyaluronic acid (HA).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel N-acetylglucosamine-2-epimerase and a method for preparing CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid, more specifically, relates to a N-acetylglucosamine-2-epimerase derived from Bacteroides fragilis NCTC 9343, and a method for preparing CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid using said N-acetylglucosamine-2-epimerase. According to the present invention, CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid can be produced economically in a large amount through a one-step reaction using cytidine monophosphate and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine which are inexpensive substrates.

Abstract: A vector of the present invention has DNA encoding a protein or a product having the same effect as the protein, the protein containing an amino acid sequence from amino acid numbers 47 to 802 in SEQ. ID. NO:2. Expression of the DNA gives human chondroitin synthase. By using human chondroitin synthase, it is possible to produce a saccharide chain having a repeating disaccharide unit of chondroitin. The DNA or part thereof may be used as a probe for hybridization for the human chondroitin synthase.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a microorganism of the Corynebacterium genus that produces N-acetyl glucosamine which retains the activity of 6-phophate acetyltransferase and a method for producing N-acetyl glucosamine or glucosamine using the same.

Abstract: The invention relates to the field of recombinant DNA technology for the production of chondroitin, including the production of chondroitin sulfate via a combination of recombinant bacterial fermentation and post-fermentation sulfation.

Abstract: It is intended to provide a simple method for producing hyaluronic acid at a high yield. Further, it is also intended to provide a method for producing hyaluronic acid in a short period of time. The invention provides a method for producing hyaluronic acid including a step of culturing a microorganism having the capability to produce hyaluronic acid and a step of adding glutamine and arginine to a culture medium during late logarithmic growth phase of the microorganism.