Degussa Aktiengesellschaft

Evonik Degussa Gmbh

California Institute of Technology

Dpx Holdings B.v.

Oliver May

Karlheinz Drauz

Stefan Buchholz

Frances H Arnold

Hans-Peter Krimmer

Kai Rossen

Andreas Bommarius

Michael Schwarm

Andreas Sebastian Bommarius

Helmut Schwab

Jürgen Eck

Patrick Lorenz

Dietmar Reichert

Josef Altenbuchner

Robert J Turner

Christoph Syldatk

Ingo Klement

Harald Trauthwein

Harald Gröger

Harald Pichler

Harald Groeger

Kai Doderer

Renate Schulze

Claudia Rollmann

Martin Kietzmann

Ian Fotheringham

Rudolf Gijsbertus Marie Luiten

Mirela Ivancic

Martin Siemann-Herzberg

Markus Werner

Nicolas Orologas

Francoise Chamouleau

The present invention relates to a recombinantstrain characterized in that the organisms contains a gene coding for a protein having esterase activity. Suchis suitable for the preparation of a protein with esterase activity, whereby the expression takes place without coexpression of GroEL and/or GroES from a plasmid. The expression of glutathione reductase and/or thioredoxin reductase may be abolished by mutation. Furthermore, the ability of the organism to grow under oxygen-rich conditions has been restored by mutation. The expression of the gene of the protein with esterase activity is unaccompanied by the expression of an additional gene encoding a heat shock chaperone protein.

Preparation of an esterase

mutants which can be used for the synthesis of D-amino acids, and to such a process. The mutants are distinguished by deficiencies in particular enzymes which break down D-amino acids and include those which produce D-amino acids via the carbamoylase/hydantoinase route.

Mutants for the preparation of D-amino acids

A process for the preparation of an enantiomerically enriched amine, is performed by a) cleaving a racemic mixture of a reaction product of i) a chiral amine and ii) an acyl donor, in the presence of a hydrolase, to obtain a mixture of an enantiomerically enriched amide and an enantiomerically enriched amine; or b) reacting an amine with an acyl donor, in the presence of a hydrolase, to obtain a mixture of an enantiomerically enriched amide and an enantiomerically enriched amine; and c) separating the enantiomerically enriched amide from the enantiomerically enriched amine, wherein the acyl donor is a sulphonylacetic acid ester. The process (1) leads to high enantioselectivities, and (2) high reactivities, (3) is based on an acyl donor accessible in a simple manner, (4) is suitable for a large number of very different substrates and/or (5) is suitable for carrying out at high substrate concentrations.

Preparation of enantiomerically enriched amines and amides by enzymatic resolution using a sulfonylacetic acid ester as acyl donor

The invention relates to novel polypeptides which have the biological activity of an NAD- or NADP-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase. The invention furthermore relates to nucleic acids encoding said polypeptides, to nonhuman hosts or host cells and to reaction systems which may be used for preparing desired products. The polypeptides of the invention are preferably used in the preparation, starting from aldehydes or ketones, of primary and enantiomerically pure secondary alcohols which may serve as intermediates for medicaments. Alternatively, the polypeptides of the invention may also be employed in the reverse reaction, i.e. the oxidation of alcohols with the formation of aldehydes or ketones.

Alcohol dehydrogenases

The present invention relates to a screening process for hydantoin racemases and to novel hydantoin racemases, to the nucleic acid sequences coding therefor and to a proces for mutagenesis. Hydantoin racemases are of interest in connection with the production of enantiomerically enriched amino acids from racemic hydantoins.

Screening process for hydantoin racemases

Process for the preparation of allysine acetal

The present invention relates to a new D-carbamoylase and the gene sequences which code for this from the organism DSM 20117. Plasmids, vectors, microorganisms, particular primers and specific possible uses of the enzymes according to the invention are also mentioned. The invention moreover describes a new process for the discovery of enzymes which can be employed in a process for the preparation of D-amino acids starting from 5&prime;-substituted hydantoins.

Arthrobacter D-carbamoylase and methods of preparing enantiomerically enriched D-amino acids

Hydantoinase enzymes which are mutants of a previously isolated hydantoinase having the amino acid SEQ. ID. NO. 2. The mutants include amino acid substitutions at positions 95, 154, 180, 251 and/or 255 of the wild type hydantoinase (SEQ. ID. NO. 2). The mutant hydantoinases, like the parent hydantoinase, are used in the production of optically pure amino acids.

Hydantoinase variants with improved properties and their use for the production of amino acids

Growing community of inventors

Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany

Oliver May