Kaneka Corporation

Kenichi Nishi

Satomi Takahashi

Junzo Hasegawa

Kazuyoshi Yajima

Yasuhiro Ikenaka

Hirokazu Nanba

Makoto Ueda

Hideyuki Matsuda

Satohiro Yanagisawa

Makoto Kawamukai

Naoto Noro

Disclosed are a novel hydantoin racemase and a process for producing an optically active N-carbamylamino acid or an optically active amino acid using the hydantoin racemase. A novel hydantoin racemase isolated and purified fromsp. Strain KNK519HR; a gene encoding the hydantoin racemase; a recombinant plasmid having the gene introduced therein; a transformant having the hydantoin racemase gene introduced therein; and a process for producing an optically active N-carbamylamino acid or an optically active amino acid characterized in that a 5-substituted hydantoin compound is treated in the presence of hydantoinase and N-carbamylamino acid amidohydrolase as well as the hydantoin racemase.

5-Substituted hydantoin racemase, DNA encoding the same, recombinant DNA, transformed cell, and process for production of optically active N-carbamylamino acid or optically active amino acid

A gene of decaprenyl diphosphate synthase, which is the key gene participating in the biosynthesis of coenzyme Q was isolated from a bacterium belonging to the family Rhizobiaceae. By transferring this gene into a microorganism such as and expressing therein, coenzyme Q can be effectively produced.

Process for producing coenzyme Q10

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Takasago, Japan

Kenichi Nishi