Kikkoman Corporation

Noda Institute for Scientific Research

Genryou Umitsuki

Yasuji Koyama

Masayuki Machida

Takeharu Nakahara

Tsutomu Masuda

Motoaki Sano

Kotaro Ito

Tadashi Takahashi

Keietsu Abe

Yaichi Fukushima

Kenichiro Matsushima

Osamu Hatamoto

Misao Sugishita

Hiroe Sato

Toshifumi Matsuda

Akimitsu Tanaka

Hiroshi Maeda

Tomomi Ichikawa

Provided are a protein comprising the amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 2 and having prolidase activities, a prolidase gene coding for the protein, a prolidase gene comprising the nucleotide sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 1, recombinant DNA having the gene inserted into vector DNA, and a transformant or transductant comprising the recombinant DNA, and a method for producing prolidase using the transformant or transductant. The present invention can improve the prolidase through protein engineering. The present invention can be also used for improving microorganisms used in the production of enzymes for food processing and fermented foods.

Prolidase and its gene and method for producing prolidase

The present invention provides a koji mold having increased protease activity and peptidase activity relative to a parent strain, a method of breeding the koji mold, and a method of manufacturing a flavor enhancer using the koji mold. More specifically, the present invention provides ( ) a koji mold having increased protease activity and peptidase activity relative to a parent strain obtained by transformation using a protease gene and a peptidase gene, ( ) a method of breeding the above koji mold which comprises transforming a parent strain of koji mold using a protease gene and a peptidase gene, and then selecting a transformant having higher protease activity and peptidase activity relative to a parent strain, and ( ) a method of manufacturing a flavor enhancer which comprises allowing a culture product of the above koji mold to act on a protein.

Multiply transformed koji mold and a method of manufacturing a flavor enhancer using the same

There are disclosed a protein having an amino acid sequence represented by amino acid numbers 1 to 684 or 49 to 684 shown in SEQ ID NO:2, or a protein having a glutaminase activity in which one or more amino acids is/are deleted from, substituted by, inserted to or added to the amino acid sequence of the above protein; a gene containing DNA encoding the above protein or a gene encoding a protein which hybridizes with the DNA of the above gene under a stringent condition and has a glutaminase activity; a recombinant DNA containing the above gene; a transformant or a transductant containing the above recombinant DNA; and a process for producing glutaminase which comprises culturing the above transformant or the above transductant and collecting glutaminase from a culture medium.

Protein having glutaminase activity and gene encoding the same

The present invention relates to an Aspergillus sojae leucine aminopeptidase gene or variants thereof, a recombinant DNA including the gene or the variants, and a process for producing leucine aminopeptidase using the recombinant DNA.

Leucine aminopeptidase gene, recombinant DNA, and process for producing

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Chiba, Japan

Genryou Umitsuki