Ezaki Glico Co., Ltd.

Sanwa Cornstarch Co., Ltd.

Sanwa Kosan Kabushiki Kaisha

National Food Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Kazutoshi Fujii

Takeshi Takaha

Michiyo Yanase

Hiroki Takata

Shigetaka Okada

Takashi Kuriki

Yoshinobu Terada

Hiroyasu Nakamura

Kenichi Kudo

Tadayuki Imanaka

Kiyoshi Hayashi

Shinichi Kitamura

Mariko Yoshioka

Nobuo Shiraishi

Sachiko Machida

Michihiro Sunako

Junichi Takahara

Koji Odan

Mamoru Wada

Masae Iiboshi

Taleshi Takaha

Hiroki; Takata

The present application discloses a molded article, and a process for preparing a molded article consisting essentially of (i) high molecular weight linear &#x3b1;-1,4-glucan and (ii) low molecular weight linear &#x3b1;-1,4-glucan, wherein the process comprises the step of: adding the low molecular weight linear &#x3b1;-1,4-glucan to a solution comprising the high molecular weight linear &#x3b1;-1,4-glucan to gel the solution, wherein the low molecular weight linear &#x3b1;-1,4-glucan has a degree of polymerization of greater than or equal to 180 and less than 620, and has a molecular weight distribution of not greater than 1.25 and, the high molecular weight linear &#x3b1;-1,4-glucan has a degree of polymerization of greater than or equal to 620 and less than 37000, and has a molecular weight distribution of not greater than 1.25.

Molded object comprising &#x3b1;-1,4-glucans and/or modifications thereof and process for producing the same

A sucrose phosphorylase (SP) having improved thermostability obtained by modifying a natural SP and a method for producing the SP having improved thermostability is provided. This SP having improved thermostability has an amino acid residue which is different from that of the natural sucrose phosphorylase, in at least one position selected from the group consisting of a position corresponding to position 14, a position corresponding to position 29 and a position corresponding to position 44 in motif sequence 1; a position corresponding to position 7, a position corresponding to position 19, a position corresponding to position 23 and a position corresponding to position 34 in motif sequence 2; and a position corresponding to position 19 in motif sequence 3, and wherein the enzyme activity of the SP having improved thermostability at 37&#xb0; C., after heating the SP having improved thermostability in 20 mM Tris buffer (pH 7.0) at 55&#xb0; C. for 20 minutes, is 20% or more of enzyme activity of the SP having improved thermostability at 37&#xb0; C. before heating.

Method for improving the thermostability of sucrose phosphorylase (SP)

The present invention provides a biodegradable article formed from enzyme-synthesized amylose using phosphorylase, wherein the enzyme-synthesized amylose is composed of glucose monomers exclusively bonded by &#x3b1;-1,4-glucosidic likage and has a weight average molecular weight of not less than 100 kDa, preferable not less than 600 kDa. The enzyme-synthesized amylose employed in the present invention has a molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn) of not more than 1.25 and can be chemically modified if desired. The biodegradable article of the present invention can be produced by (a) the enzyme-synthesized amylose and/or its modified one, or a combination of the amylose (a) and another polymer material (b).

Biodegradable articles obtained from enzymatically synthesized amylose

An &#x3b1;-glucan phosphorylase having improved thermostability, which obtained by modifying natural &#x3b1;-glucan phosphorylase, and a method for producing this &#x3b1;-glucan phosphorylase having improved thermostability are provided. The natural &#x3b1;-glucan phosphorylase is derived from a plant, this &#x3b1;-glucan phosphorylase having improved thermostability has an amino acid residue which is different from that of the natural &#x3b1;-glucan phosphorylase in at least one position selected from the group consisting of a position corresponding to position 4 in a motif sequence 1L or 1H, a position corresponding to position 4 in a motif sequence 2, and a position corresponding to position 7 in a motif sequence 3L or 3H, and wherein the enzyme activity of &#x3b1;-glucan phosphorylase having improved thermostability at 37&#xb0; C., after heating in a 20 mM citrate buffer (pH 6.7) at 60&#xb0; C. for 10 minutes, is 20% or more of the enzyme activity of the &#x3b1;-glucan phosphorylase having improved thermostability at 37&#xb0; C., before heating.

Method of heat-stabilizing &#x3b1;-glucan phosphorylase (GP)

An &#x3b1;-glucan phosphorylase having improved thermostability, which obtained by modifying natural &#x3b1;-glucan phosphorylase, and a method for producing this &#x3b1;-glucan phosphorylase having improved thermostability are provided. The natural &#x3b1;-glucan phosphorylase is derived from a plant, this &#x3b1;-glucan phosphorylase having improved thermostability has an amino acid residue which is different from that of the natural &#x3b1;-glucan phosphorylase in at least one position selected from the group consisting of a position corresponding to positionin a motif sequenceL orH, a position corresponding to positionin a motif sequence, and a position corresponding to positionin a motif sequenceL orH, and wherein the enzyme activity of &#x3b1;-glucan phosphorylase having improved thermostability at 37&#xb0; C., after heating in a 20 mM citrate buffer (pH 6.7) at 60&#xb0; C. for 10 minutes, is 20% or more of the enzyme activity of the &#x3b1;-glucan phosphorylase having improved thermostability at 37&#xb0; C., before heating.

Method of heat-stabilizing &#x3b1;-glucan phosphorylase(GP)

A first method for producing glucan comprises the step of allowing a reaction solution containing sucrose, a primer, inorganic phosphate or glucose-1-phosphate, sucrose phosphorylase, and glucan phosphorylase to react to produce glucans. The maximum value of the sucrose-phosphate ratio of the reaction solution from the start of the reaction to the end of the reaction is no more than about 17. A second method for producing glucan comprises the step of allowing a reaction solution containing sucrose, a primer, inorganic phosphate or glucose-1-phosphate, sucrose phosphorylase, and glucan phosphorylase to react to produce glucans. The reaction is conducted at a temperature of about 40 C to about 70 C.

Production method and preparation method of glucans

A method for activating a denatured protein, includes the steps of: adding a detergent to the denatured protein to allow a protein-detergent complex to be formed; and adding high-molecular weight amylose to the protein-detergent complex so that the high-molecular weight amylose removes the detergent.

Method for activating denatured protein

Glucan with a degree of polymerization of 50 or more includes an inner branched cyclic structure portion and an outer branched structure portion, and methods for producing the same.

Glucan having cyclic structure and method for producing the same

The present invention provides glucans and derivatives thereof which are useful as raw materials in the starch processing industries, food and drink compositions, food additive compositions, and starch substitutes for biodegradable plastics, and processes for preparing the same. Particularly, it provides glucans and derivatives thereof having excellent properties such as higher solubility in water than conventional starches, lower viscosity and the glucans are not subject to retrogradation which is observed in conventional starches, and which are capable of preventing the retrogradation of starches.

Process for preparing glucans having a cyclic structure

Glucans having a cycle structure, and processes for preparing the same

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Kazutoshi Fujii