Ajinomoto Co., Ltd.

Takashi Utagawa

Hideaki Yamada

Yasuhisa Asano

Yasuhiro Mihara

Yoshihiro Usuda

Akihiro Yamazaki

Shigeru Yamanaka

Fumihiro Yoshinaga

Hisashi Kawasaki

Koji Mitsugi

Takeshi Miyoshi

Megumi Shimaoka

Hirokazu Morisawa

Tadao Kobayashi

The present invention relates to a process for producing 5&prime;-inosinic acid or 5&prime;-guanylic acid for use in seasonings or the like from inosine or guanosine or a precursor thereof using an adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-regenerating microorganism containing a DNA encoding a protein that has the activity of forming 5&prime;-inosinic acid or 5&prime;-guanylic acid from inosine or guanosine. Further, the present invention relates to a novel protein having the inosine-guanosine kinase activity, a gene encoding said protein, a recombinant DNA containing said gene, and a microorganism which is transformed with said recombinant DNA.

Process for producing nucleic acids

A method for producing nucleoside-5&prime;-phosphate esters inexpensively and in high yields by phosphorylating a nucleoside with a phosphate group donor using an acid phosphatase having an increased affinity for the nucleoside and/or an increased temperature stability at a pH of pH 3.0 to 5.5, to produce a nucleoside-5&prime;-phosphate ester. Mutant acid phosphatases having increased affinity for nucleosides and/or an enhanced temperature stability are also provided.

Method for producing nucleoside-5&prime;-phosphate ester

A method for producing nucleoside-5&prime;-phosphate esters inexpensively and in high yields by phosphorylating a nucleoside with a phospahte group donor using an acid phosphatase having an increased affinity for the nucleoside and/or an increased temperature stability at a pH of pH 3.0 to 5.5, to produce a nucleoside-5&prime;-phosphate ester. Mutant acid phosphatases having increased affinity for nucleosides and/or an enhanced temperature stability are also provided.

A method for producing nucleoside-5'-phosphate esters inexpensively and in high yields by phosphorylating a nucleoside with a phospahte group donor using an acid phosphatase having an increased affinity for the nucleoside and/or an increased temperature stability at a pH of pH 3.0 to 5.5, to produce a nucleoside-5'-phosphate ester. Mutant acid phosphatases having increased affinity for nucleosides and/or an enhanced temperature stability are also provided.

Method for producing nucleoside-5'-phosphate ester

The production of a 1-.beta.-D-ribofuranosyl-1,2,4-triazole of the formula ##STR1## wherein R is hydroxy, amino, or alkoxy, is carried out by reacting a 1,2,4 triazole of formula ##STR2## wherein R is hydroxy, amino, or alkoxy group, with a greater than equimolar amount of a ribofuranosyl group donor in the presence of a nucleoside phosphorylase preparation at a temperature in the range from 40.degree. to 65.degree. C. for more than 10 minutes, and recovering a 1-.beta.-D-ribofuranosyl-1,2,4-triazole from the reaction solution. The temperature is preferably from 55.degree. to 65.degree. C. and the time is preferably 10 minutes to 20 hours. An elevated temperature higher than the usual enzyme reaction temperature isused to prevent undesirable enzymatic reactions.

Production of 1-.beta.-D-ribofuranosyl-1,2,4-triazole

Purine-arabinosides and a method for making purine-arabinosides are disclosed. The method comprises contacting an arabinose donor and a purine source in the presence of an effective amount of enzyme produced by a bacterium and capable of transarabinosylation from the arabinose donor to the purine source, whereby a 9-(.beta.-D-arabinofuranosyl)-purine is produced.

Growing community of inventors

Kawasaki, Japan

Takashi Utagawa