Cosmo Research Institute

Other

Cosmo Oil Co., Ltd.

Yasushi Hotta

Tohru Tanaka

Seiji Nishikawa

Yoshihiro Katayama

Keitaro Watanabe

Kiyotaka Shigehara

Eiji Masai

Masao Fukuda

Makoto Konnai

Kiyoshi Takahashi

Tomomi Kaminaga

Kikuo Watanabe

Nobuya Miyachi

Kiyoshi Yokota

Yasutomo Takeuchi

Ryuji Yoshida

Hitoshi Kuramochi

Polypeptides having &agr;-hydroxy-&ggr;-carboxymuconic acid-&egr;-semialdehyde dehydrogenase activity

Microorganisms producing 5-aminolevulinic acid which show a 5-aminolevulinic acid synthetase activity of 2 to 7 (nmol/min/mg protein) under aerobic culture conditions with a dissolved oxygen concentration of 0.70 to 6.60 ppm; a process for producing 5-aminolevulinic acid characterized by culturing one or more microorganisms and harvesting 5-aminolevulinic acid from the obtained culture; a process for producing 5-aminolevulinic acid characterized by culturing 5-aminolevulinic acid-producing microorganisms in a medium containing 5 to 500 &mgr;M of iron components; and a method for culturing 5-aminolevulinic acid-producing microorganisms.

Microorganisms producing 5-aminolevulinic acid and processes for producing 5-aminolevulinic acid by using the same

Gene encoding an alpha-hydroxy-gamma-carboxymuconic acid-epsilon-semialdehyde dehydrogenase

A polyamide having repeating units represented by formula (1), wherein R represents a divalent hydrocarbon residue optionally having in the structure a heteroatom having no active hydrogen. The polyamide has a high refractive index, is biodegradable, and is useful as a material for fibers and plastics.

Polyamide and process for producing the same

A polyester having repeating units represented by formula (1):

Polyester and process for producing the same

A microorganism that produces 5-aminolevulinic acid, wherein the microorganism has a 5-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase variant having a reduced inhibitor constant for a 5-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase inhibitor. A microorganism that produces 5-aminolevulinic acid, wherein the microorganism is a photosynthetic bacterium that produces 5-aminolevulinic acid without light irradiation. A process for producing 5-aminolevulinic acid comprising the step of culturing a microorganism that produces 5-aminolevulinic acid in a culture medium under at least one condition selected from the group consisting of (a) less than 1 ppm of dissolved oxygen concentration in the culture medium, (b) from -180 to 50 mV of oxidation-reduction potential in the culture medium, and (c from 5.times.10.sup.-9 to (KrM-2.times.10.sup.-8) (mol of O.sub.2 /ml.multidot.min.cndot.cell) of cellular respiration rate, wherein KrM represents the maximum cellular respiration rate when oxygen is supplied in an excess quantity.

5-aminolevulinic acid producing microorganism and process for producing

A microorganism that produces 5-aminolevulinic acid, wherein the microorganism has a 5-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase variant having a reduced inhibitor constant for a 5-aminolevulinic acid dehydratate inhibitor. A microorganism that produces 5-aminolevulinic acid, wherein the microorganism is a photosynthetic bacterium that produces 5-aminolevulinic acid without light irradiation. A progess for producing 5-aminolevulinic acid comprising the step of culturing a microorganism that produces 5-aminolevulinic acid in a culture medium under at least one condition selected from the group consisting of (a) less than 1 ppm of dissolved oxygen concentration in the culture medium, (b) from -180 to 50 mV of oxidation-reduction potential in the culture medium, and (c) from 5.times.10.sup.-9 to (KrM-2.times.10.sup.-8) (mol of O.sub.2 /ml.multidot.min.multidot.cell) of cellular respiration rate, wherein KrM represents the maximum cellular respiration rate when oxygen is supplied in an excess quantity.

A method for improving plant salt-tolerance is described, which comprises treating a plant with an active ingredient comprising at least one compound selected from the group consisting of 5-aminolevulinic acid, a derivative of 5-aminolevulinic acid, a salt of 5-aminolevulinic acid, a salt of derivatives of 5-aminolevulinic acid, and hemins. Furthermore, a salt-tolerant plant is described, wherein the plant is treated with the above-described active ingredient. Moreover, a method for causing recovery of a salt-damaged plant is described, comprising administering the above-described active ingredient to a salt-damaged plant.

Method for improving plant salt-tolerance

Methods for reducing nitrate nitrogen and oxalic acid contents in plants, each of which comprises applying 5-aminolevulinic acid, a salt thereof or a mixture thereof. Nitrate nitrogen and oxalic acid contents in plants having high nitrate nitrogen and oxalic acid contents can be reduced effectively and easily.

Methods for reducing nitrate nitrogen and oxalic acids contents nin

A method for improving pigmentation of the rind of anthocyanin-containing apples comprising treating fruit-bearing apple trees or apples before or after harvesting with an effective amount of an agent which comprises 5-aminolevulinic acid, a salt thereof or a mixture thereof as an active component.

Method for improving pigmentation of rind of apple

A method for treating plants with a plant growth promoter comprising 5-aminolevulinic acid or a salt thereof as an active ingredient. This treatment method is effective in enhancing the photosynthetic activity of a plant, enhancing its ability to absorb CO.sub.2, suppressing its respiration, increasing its chlorophyll content and promoting its growth. As a result, the treatment greatly contributes to the promotion of rooting, the reduction of lodging, an increase in yield, an improvement in cold resistance, maintenance of freshness, an improvement and maintenance of green color, the growth of good seedlings, the promotion of organs, an increase in tillers, a shortening of the time required for growth, a relief of chemical damage and an increase in the rooting ratio in, for example, cutting.

Growing community of inventors

Saitama, Japan

Yasushi Hotta