Kikkoman Corporation

Naoki Kajiyama

Eiichi Nakano

Kozo Hirokawa

Keiko Kurosawa

Hiroki Tatsumi

Keisuke Furukawa

Ryoichi Sakaue

Tsutomu Masuda

Ayumi Arai

Yasuji Koyama

Masaru Suzuki

Seiji Murakami

Tatsuya Sakakibara

Teruo Watarai

Naoki Eisaki

The present invention has an object of providing a novel fructosyl peptide oxidase having superior physicochemical properties such as stability that is useful as an enzyme for clinical diagnosis, and an object of providing a method for producing the fructosyl peptide oxidase. A novel fructosyl peptide oxidase having physicochemical properties useful as an enzyme for clinical diagnosis, and a method for producing a novel fructosyl peptide oxidase are provided herein, the method comprising: culturing a microorganism capable of producing the oxidase in a medium; and collecting the oxidase from the culture. Furthermore, a fructosyl peptide oxidase gene coding for a novel fructosyl peptide oxidase, recombinant DNA wherein the gene is inserted into vector DNA, and a method for producing a novel fructosyl peptide oxidase are provided herein, the method comprising: culturing, in a medium, a transformant or a transductant including the gene; and collecting the novel fructosyl peptide oxidase from the culture.

Fructosyl peptide oxidase

An isolated DNA molecule encoding modified sarcosine oxidases having optimal pH, high activity in the slightly acidic range and improved stability and a method for preparing the modified sarcosine oxidases is disclosed.

Modified sarcosine oxidases, genes and recombinant DNAs thereof, and methods for preparing the same

A novel cholesterol oxidase having stability in the presence of surfactant and a gene encoding the novel cholesterol oxidase.

Cholesterol oxidase stable in the presence of surfactant

(1) A modified sarcosine oxidase with improved stability in the acidic range compared to a wild-type sarcosine oxidase. (2) A sarcosine oxidase gene encoding a modified sarcosine oxidase of the following (a), (b), or (c): According to the present invention, sarcosine oxidases, in particular sarcosine oxidases which show optimal pH and high activity in the slightly acidic range and have improved stability can be prepared efficiently, thus making the invention industrially useful.

A modified sarcosine oxidase having a lowered activity for N-ethylglycine. Such a modified oxidase may have the following physicochemical properties:

Modified sarcosine oxidases, modified sarcosine oxidase genes, and methods for preparing the modified sarcosine oxidases

The present invention relates to: an isolated or synthesized gene, which encodes a protein comprising the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 2, an isolated or synthesized gene, which encodes a protein comprising an amino acid sequence comprising a deletion, substitution or addition of one or more amino acids with respect to the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 2 and being capable of regenerating luciferin, an isolated or synthesized gene, which hybridizes with the complementary strand sequence of a DNA comprising the nucleotide sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1 under stringent conditions and encodes a protein capable of regenerating luciferin, a recombinant DNA, which is characterized in that the above-described isolated or synthesized gene is inserted into a vector DNA, a transformant or transductant comprising the above-described recombinant DNA, and a process for producing a protein capable of regenerating luciferin, which is characterized in that the method comprises culturing the above-described transformant or transductant in a medium and collecting therefrom the protein capable of regenerating luciferin.

Genes encoding proteins capable of regenerating luciferin, recombinant DNA and process for producing protein capable of regenerating luciferin

The present invention provides a novel fructosyl amino acid oxidase that is excellent in thermal stability. Moreover, the present invention provides a fructosyl amino acid oxidase gene encoding the novel fructosyl amino acid oxidase, a recombinant DNA in which the gene is inserted into a vector DNA, a transformant or transductant containing this gene, and a process for producing the novel fructosyl amino acid oxidase, which comprises culturing the transformant or transductant in a medium and collecting the novel fructosyl amino acid oxidase from the culture product.

Fructosyl amino acid oxidase

Based on a principle that is different to that of a conventional enzymatic method, the present invention provides a novel method for assaying a glycated protein by a simple procedure, within a short period of time, and with high accuracy, and a reagent kit for assaying used in the method. The method for assaying a glycated protein in a sample is realized by treating a glycated protein-containing sample with protease to liberate a glycated peptide, preferably an &#x3b1;-glycated peptide, particularly preferably an &#x3b1;-glycated dipeptide, from a glycated protein, allowing an oxidase to react with the liberated glycated peptide, and determining the produced hydrogen peroxide.

Method for assaying glycated protein

Gene encoding protein capable of regenerating luciferin, recombinant DNA and process for producing protein capable of regenerating luciferin

A gene encoding a protein which is capable of regenerating luciferin by acting on oxyluciferin and D-cysteine and thus regenerating luciferin; the above gene originating in a luminous organism; a protein encoded by the above gene; and a process for producing a protein capable of regenerating luciferin characterized by comprising culturing a transformant or a transductant having the above gene transferred therein and collecting the protein capable of regenerating luciferin from the culture. Thus, the protein capable of regenerating luciferin can be efficiently produced, which brings about a great industrial advantage.

Gene encoding protein capable of regenerating luciferin, novel recombinant DNA, and process for producing protein capable of regenerating luciferin

The present invention relates to luminescent playthings such as candles, table lights, pen lights, illumination, illuminating playthings for camp, illuminating playthings for night fishing, fish-gathering lamps, safety candles, neon lights, luminescent inks, luminescent pens, luminescent coatings or luminescent writing implements, in which a soft light of an indescribable tone of color not obtainable from flames of conventional candles is emitted via seawater, lake and marsh water, river water, ground water, tap water or mineral drinking water by utilizing 3 components of luciferin, luciferase and ATP or 4 components of these components plus a metal salt, out of components necessary for bioluminescence in fireflies.

Luminescent tool, its auxiliary member and method of preserving bioluminescent composition used in the tool and the auxiliary member

Method and reagent for quantitating D-cysteine

According to the present invention, there can be provided a bioluminescent protein, luciferase excellent in thermostability etc. and with high catalytic efficiency.

Mutant-type bioluminescent protein, and process for producing the

A purified protein having a molecular weight of 40 kD by SDS-PAGE that produces firefly luciferin when combined with D-cysteine and firefly oxyluciferin and isolated from firefly species is provided, as well as methods of making and using the protein for the continuous regeneration of of firefly luciferin.

Growing community of inventors

Chiba, Japan

Naoki Kajiyama