The Scripps Research Institute

Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited

Nitto Denko Co. Ltd.

Takeshi Sugai

Chi-Huey Wong

Gwo-Jenn Shen

Satoshi Mitsuda

Takeshi Ishii

Hiromichi Ohta

Shuji Senda

Tetsuo Omata

Yutaka Nakazono

Eiichiro Fukusaki

Ken Hibino

Hiromichi Ota

strain KDO-37-2 (ATCC 49977) and KDO aldolase (EC 4.1.2.23) isolated therefrom are disclosed. The KDO aldolase is further disclosed to have a broad substrate specificity with respect to its reverse reaction, i.e. the condensation of aldoses with pyruvate to form a wide range of 2-keto-3-deoxy-onic acids, including 2-keto-3-deoxy-nonulosonic acid, 2-keto-3-deoxy-octulosonic acid, 2-keto-3-deoxy-heptulosonic acid, and 2-keto-3-deoxy-hexulosonic acid. In particular, 3-deoxy-D-manno-2-octulosonic acid (D-KDO), a vital component of lipopolysaccharides found in the bacterial outer membrane may be synthesized from D-arabinose and pyruvate in 67% yield. Additionally, protected forms of the KDO aldolase products, e.g. hexaacetyl 2-keto-3-deoxy-nonulosonic acid and pentaacetyl 2-keto-3-deoxy-octulosonic acid, may be decarboxylated to form the corresponding 2-deoxy-aldoses, e.g. 2-deoxy-octulose and 2-deoxy-heptulose respectively.

KDO aldolase and condensation reactions employed therewith

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

Aureobacterium barkeri strain KDO-37-2 (ATCC 49977) and KDO aldolase (EC 4.1.2.23) isolated therefrom are disclosed. The KDO aldolase is further disclosed to have a broad substrate specificity with respect to its reverse reaction, i.e. the condensation of aldoses with pyruvate to form a wide range of 2-keto-3-deoxy-onic acids, including 2-keto-3-deoxy-nonulosonic acid, 2-keto-3-deoxy-octulosonic acid, 2-keto-3-deoxy-heptulosonic acid, and 2-keto-3-deoxy-hexulosonic acid. In particular, 3-deoxy-D-manno-2-octulosonic acid (D-KDO), a vital component of lipopolysaccharides found in the bacterial outer membrane may be synthesized from D-arabinose and pyruvate in 67% yield. Additionally, protected forms of the KDO aldolase products, e.g. hexaacetyl 2-keto-3-deoxy-nonulosonic acid and pentaacetyl 2-keto-3-deoxy-octulosonic acid, may be decarboxylated to form the corresponding 2-deoxy-aldoses, e.g. 2-deoxy-octulose and 2-deoxy-heptulose respectively.

Biologically pure culture of aureobacterium barkeri KDO-37-2

Aureobacterium barkerei strain KDO-37-2 (ATCC 49977) and KDO aldolase (EC 4.1.2.23) isolated therefrom are disclosed. The KDO aldolase is further disclosed to have a broad substrate specificity with respect to its reverse reaction, i.e. the condensation of aldoses with pyruvate to form a wide range of 2-keto-3-deoxy-onic acids, including 2-keto-3-deoxy-nonulosonic acid, 2-keto-3-deoxy-octulosonic acid, 2-keto-3-deoxy-heptulosonic acid, and 2-keto-3-deoxy-hexulosonic acid. In particular, 3-deoxy-D-manno-2-octulosonic acid (D-KDO), a vital component of lipopolysaccharides found in the bacterial outer membrane may be synthesized from D-arabinose and pyruvate in 67% yield.

KDO aldolase

Aureobacterium barkerei strain KDO-37-2 (ATCC 49977) KDO aldolase (EC 4.1.2.23) isolated therefrom are disclosed. The DKDO aldolase is further disclosed to have a broad substrate specificity with respect to its reverse reaction, i.e. the condensation of aldoses with pyruvate to form a wide range of 2-keto-3-deoxy-onic acids, including 2-keto-3-deoxy-nonulosonic acid, 2-keto-3-deoxy-octulosonic acid, 2-keto-3-deoxy-heptulosonic acid, and 2-keto-3-deoxy-hexulosonic acid. In particular, 3-deoxy-D-manno-2-octulosonic acid (D-KDO), a vital component of lipopolysaccharides found in the bacterial outer membrane may be synthesized from D-arabinose and pyruvate in 67% yield. Additionally, protected forms of the KDO aldolase products, e.g. hexaacetyl 2-keto-3-deoxy-nonulosonic acid and pentaacetyl 2-keto-3-deoxy-octulosonic acid, may be decarboxylated to form the corresponding 2-deoxy-aldoses, e.g. 2-deoxy-octulose and 2-deoxy-heptulose respectively.

KDO Aldolase and condensation reactions employed therewith

This invention relates to methods for producing optically active hydroxyesters and also to methods for producing and purifying optically active five-membered ring lactones. More specifically, the invention provides methods for efficiently, safely, and selectively producing and purifying optically active (R)-hydroxyester (shown by formula 1) and optically active (S)-hydroxyester (shown by formula 2) in high state of purity at ordinary temperature. The invention also relates to application of the interconvertible optically active (R)-five-membered ring lacton (shown by formula 5). They are intermediates for synthesizing various medicines, agricultural chemicals, and biologically active substances, however especially useful for synthesizing pheromone of a noxious insect, Popillia japonica Newman. ##STR1## (Here, R.sub.1 denotes --C.tbd.C--R.sub.3 or --C.dbd.C--R.sub.3 ; R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 denote straight chain or branched alkyl groups containing 1 to 10 carbon atoms; R.sub.4 denotes alkyl groups, aralkyl groups, or haloalkyl groups containing 1 to 12 carbon atoms and the end group of R.sub.4 may be carboxyl groups; * denotes asymmetricrbon atoms.)

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Yokohama, Japan

Takeshi Sugai