Kikkoman Corporation

Hiroe Sato

Yasuji Koyama

Yaichi Fukushima

Keietsu Abe

Genryou Umitsuki

Yoshiki Hanya

Itsuo Sato

Misao Sugishita

Tadanobu Nakadai

Jack W Fell

Mitsuharu Fujii

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

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.

Species cryptococcus nodaensis, a process for producing salt-resistant

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Chiba, Japan

Hiroe Sato