Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited

Satoshi Mitsuda

Takeshi Ishii

Yoshiki Takashima

Hideo Hirohara

Ryohei Komaki

Fujio Mukumoto

Takeaki Umemura

Takeshi Sugai

Kazuo Kumagai

Ayumu Inoue

Hiromichi Ohta

Marco Wieser

Noritada Matsuo

Tsuneyuki Nagase

Keisuke Watanabe

Yuko Kobayashi

Shigeyasu Nabeshima

Fumitaka Kishimoto

Shoichi Nishio

Kanji Nishizawa

Masako Sugimoto

Emiko Kawano

Chiaki Sugiki

Kazumi Sonoda

Yasutaka Ogami

Misao Miki

Jiro Akimaru

An isolated esterase gene coding for an esterase capable of causing asymmetric hydrolysis of an organic carboxylic acid ester of a cyclopentenolone of formula I:wherein Ris hydrogen or methyl, and Ris C-Calkyl, C-Calkenyl, C-Calkynyl, C-Chaloalkyl, a C-Caliphatic hydrocarbon moiety which may be optionally protected on the terminal hydroxyl group thereof, or a C-Cfatty acid residue which may be optionally protected on the terminal carboxyl group thereof, to produce the cyclopentenolone of formula I in (R)-form, and hybridizing to the base sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, is useful for the industrially favorable production of optically active cyclopentenolones of formula I which serve as the intermediates of drugs, agricultural chemicals or other active products.

Esterase gene and its use

DNA encoding a novel protein from SC-S423 capable of converting acetophenone to an optically active 1-phenylethlamine in the presence of a racemic mixture of sec-butylamine is provided, along with a vector and host cell comprising the same and a method of producing the same.

Protein capable of catalyzing transamination stereoselectively, gene encoding said protein and use thereof

A novel protein from SC-D423 capable of converting acetophenone to an optically active 1-phenylethylamine in the presence of a racemic mixture of sec-butylamine is provided.

A DNA fragment containing a gene concerned in biotin biosynthesis and derived from a microorganism belonging to the genus Sphingomonas, a plasmid containing said DNA fragment, and a biotin-producing transformant containing said plasmid. There is provided a technique for utilizing a gene concerned in biotin biosynthesis and derived from a microorganism belonging to the genus Sphingomonas, for breeding of a biotin-producing micro-organism by genetic engineering.

DNA fragments containing biotin biosynthetase gene and use of the same

An isolated esterase gene coding for an esterase capable of causing asymmetric hydrolysis of an organic carboxylic acid ester of a cyclopentenolone of formula I;

An industrially advantageous production method of an optically active alcohol useful for cosmetics and medical supplies or production intermediates thereof using an esterase having an ability to selectively hydrolyze an optically active sphingoid compound.

Production of optically active sphingoid compound

There is disclosed a process for producing a nucleoside derivative of the formula [I]: ##STR1## characterized by contacting 2',3',5'-O-triacylribonucleoside derivative of the formula [II]: ##STR2## with an ester hydrolase: (i) capable of regio-selectively deacylating the acyl group at 5'-O-position in the formula [II] above, and

Process for producing nucleoside derivatives

An isolated esterase gene coding for an esterase capable of causing asymmetric hydrolysis of an organic carboxylic acid ester of a cyclopentenolone of formula I: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 is hydrogen or methyl, and R.sub.2 is C.sub.1 -C.sub.10 alkyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.10 alkenyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.10 alkynyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 haloalkyl, a C.sub.5 -C.sub.9 aliphatic hydrocarbon moiety which may be optionally protected on the terminal hydroxyl group thereof, or a C.sub.5 -C.sub.9 fatty acid residue which may be optionally protected on the terminal carboxyl group thereof, to produce the cyclopentenolone of formula I in (R)-form, and hybridizing to the base sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, is useful for the industrially favorable production of optically active cyclopentenolones of formula I which serve as the intermediates of drugs, agricultural chemicals or other active products.

There is provided a method for improving optical purity of an amine compound of the formula I: ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 indicates a phenyl group which may be substituted or an aralkyl group having 7 to 10 carbon atoms which may be substituted, and R.sup.2 indicates an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, which is characterized by contacting a cutlture of a microorganism belonging to Arthrobacter having an ability to preferentially metabolize one optical isomer based on an asymmetric carbon atom to which an amino group bonds in the amine compound of the formula I or a treated product thereof with the amine compound of the formula I.

Method for improving optical purity of an amine compound

There is provided a process for production of carane-3,4-diol which includes contacting a culture of filamentous fungus having an ability to produce carane-3,4-diol from 3-carene or 3,4-epoxycarane, cells collected from the culture or treated cells with 3-carene or 3,4-epoxycarane, then recovering the resulting carane-3,4-diol.

Process for production of carane-3,4-diol

The present invention provides a process for production of amide compounds, which includes converting a nitrile compound into its corresponding amide compound by hydrating the nitrile compound in the presence of a cultured broth of bacterial cells, intact bacterial cells, disrupted bacterial cells or enzymes contained therein, or immobilized preparations obtainable by immobilizing intact bacterial cells, disrupted bacterial cells or enzymes contained therein, the bacterial cells being those of a biologically pure culture of a thermophilic microorganism having hydration activity to convert a nitrile compound into its corresponding amide compound, such as Bacillus smithii SC-J05-1 (FERM BP-4935).

Process for production of amide compounds using microorganism

There is disclosed a process for the production of biotin, in which a culture of a microorganism of the genus Sphingomonas, having an ability to produce biotin, is prepared in a medium, and biotin produced and accumulated in the medium is collected. Also disclosed are microorganisms of the genus Sphingomonas, having an ability to produce biotin, which are useful for this production process of the present invention.

Process for production of biotin using bacteria belonging to the genus

There is disclosed a process for production of amide compounds which includes converting a nitrile compound into an amide compound using a cultured broth of bacterial cells, or bacterial cells or materials obtainable by treating bacterial cells, the bacterial cells being cells of a microorganism Agrobacterium radiobacter FERM BP-3843, having activity to convert nitrile compounds into corresponding amide compounds.

Growing community of inventors

Takarazuka, Japan

Satoshi Mitsuda