Takara Shuzo Co., Inc.

Takara Bio Inc.

Mutsumi Sano

Ikunoshin Kato

Hiroyuki Izu

Tsuyoshi Miyamura

Makoto Ito

Masanori Mitta

Yoshiya Izumi

Yoko Kurome

Kiyozo Asada

Hideto Chono

Kimikazu Hashino

Mio Morishita

Akihiro Kondo

Hirofumi Yoshioka

Mitsuhiro Ueno

Kei Fujinaga

Toyohisa Kurita

Tomoe Egashira

Kumi Hayakawa

Yuka Takabatake

Brad K Bendiak

Haruko Konishi

A process for producing lysosphingolipids by using an enzyme capable of specifically hydrolyzing the acid amide bond between a sphingoid and a fatty acid in a sphingolipid, characterized in that the enzyme reaction is carried out in a two-phase system liquid reaction mixture containing at least an organic solvent forming an aqueous phase and a separation phase in the presence of, if desired, a surfactant.

Process for producing lysosphingolipids

A process for producing hydrazinomonosaccharide derivatives and use of hydrazines in determining the structures of aldose and ketose monosaccharides located at the reducing ends of saccharides.

Process for producing hydrazinomonosaccharide derivatives and use thereof

Improved methods for transferring a gene into target cells by using a retrovirus, wherein the gene transfer efficiency is improved and the target cells are efficiently transformed by binding the retrovirus to a functional substance which is immobilized on as carrier and having an activity of binding to retroviruses followed by washing; using an antibody capable of specifically recognizing cells, laminin or mannose-rich type sugar chain as a substance having an activity of binding to the target cells; pre-treating the target cells so as to inactivate transferrin receptor, or introducing a new functional group into the functional substance.

Gene transfer methods

An isolated DNA having a sequence encoding a polypeptide possessing lacto-N-biosidase activity or functionally equivalent variants thereof; and a method for producing a polypeptide possessing lacto-N-biosidase activity or functionally equivalent variants thereof using the isolated DNA by recombinant DNA technology.

Gene encoding lacto-N-biosidase

An isolated DNA having a sequence encoding a polypeptide possessing endoglycoceramidase activator activity or functionally equivalent variants thereof; and a method for producing a polypeptide possessing endoglycoceramidase activator activity or functionally equivalent variants thereof by gene recombinant technology.

Gene encoding endoglycoceramidase activator

An isolated DNA having a sequence encoding a polypeptide possessing endoglycoceramidase activity or functionally equivalent variants thereof, and a method for producing a polypeptide possessing endoglycoceramidase activity or functionally equivalent variants thereof by gene recombinant technology.

Gene encoding endoglycoceramidase

An isolated .alpha.-1,3/4-fucosidase gene is provided which codes for an .alpha.-1,3/4-fucosidase enzyme. The isolated gene codes for the fucosidase enzyme having the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID No. 1. The gene may have the DNA sequence shown in SEQ ID No. 2. A process for producing the fucosidase enzyme is also provided, which comprises cultivating a transformant into which a recombinant plasmid containing the .alpha.-1,3/4-fucosidase gene according to the invention has been introduced to produce the fucosidase enzyme encoded thereby, and harvesting the fucosidase enzyme from the culture.

.alpha.-1,3/4-fucosidase gene

A more exact, reliable, and simple method for determining the structure of a sugar chain, a kit to be used for this method, and novel oligosaccharides useful for the method as standard sugar chains are provided. The method for determining the structure of an N-acetyllactosamine type of sugar chain is characterized by determining the site of linkage and the mode of linkage of sugar residues at the non-reducing terminal side of a .beta.-N-acetylglucosamine residue linked to an .alpha.-mannose residue in M3 core by means of detecting the presence of the .beta.-N-acetylglucosamine residue after enzymatic or chemical treatment of the sugar chain. The kit for determining the structure of an N-acetyllactosamine type of sugar chain is characterized by containing at least one of the oligosaccharides represented by the chemical formula 1. The oligosaccharide is represented by the chemical formula 4.

Method for determining sugar chain structure

A method for the hydrolysis of only the lacto-N-biosidic (Gal.beta.1-3GlcNAc.beta.1-) linkages at the non-reducing termini of sugar compounds, characterized by the use of glycosidase that is specific for only the lacto-N-biosidic linkage in said sugar compounds. And disclosed is a reagent for use in hydrolysis of only the lacto-N-biosidic linkage at the non-reducing termini of sugar compounds.

Growing community of inventors

Otsu, Japan

Mutsumi Sano