Patent reports

The purpose of the Patent Reports section is to alert readers of Enzyme and Microbial Technology to recent research and development efforts of commercial significance through the patent literature. Although hundreds of patents on enzymes and microbes are issued yearly, and each patent should offer something novel, not obvious, and useful, only the more significant patents are highlighted. Patents describing general methodology and important breakthroughs are emphasized.

A patent contains a lot of information but its claims section provides the legal description of the exclusive rights granted to the inventor. In the Patent Reports section, only the most relevant information on a patent is given. This includes the following items: title of the invention, name(s) of the inventor(s), name of the assignee, patent number, and issuance date. In addition, other key information is provided. O. R. Zaborsky, Editor

Glucose Isomerase Immobilized Product and Process for Preparing Same T. Yoshioka, K. Teramoto, M. Shimamura Toray Industries lnc. U.S. 4,275,157, Jun 23, 1981 Enzymatically active product for use in isomerization of glucose into fructose, which comprises an organic polymeric material comprised of at least 50% by weight, based on the weight of the organic polymeric material, of a monovinyl aromatic compound in polymerized form, said polymerized monovinyl aromatic compound having a/3-aminopropionamidomethyl group as a side chain [82-0011

Process for the Manufacture of L-a-Glycerophosphate Oxidase H. Misaki, Y. Horiuchi, K. Matsuura, S. Harada Toyo Jozo Kabushiki Kaisha U.S. 4,275,161, Jun 23, 1981 Process for the manufacture of L-a-glycerophosphate oxidase, which comprises culturing L-a-glycerophosphate oxidase-producing microorganism selected from the group consisting of A ero co ccus viridans IFO- 12219 and Aerococcus viridans IFO-12317, in a nutrient culture medium, and separating the L-a-glycerophosphate oxidase thus produced from the cultured medium [82-005]

Method for the Production of L-Lysine O. Tosaka, E. Ono, M. Ishihara, H. Morioka, K. Takinami A/inomoto Company, Inc. U.S. 4,275,157, Jun 23, 1981 Method for producing L-lysine by fermentation which comprises culturing a mutant of the genus Brevibacterium or Corynebacterium in a culture medium until L-lysine is accumulated in the culture medium and recovering the L-lysine so accumulated, said mutant being sensitive to fluoropyruvic acid capable of producing L-lysine and being selected from the class consisting of Brevibacterium lactofermentum NRRL B-11471, Corynebacterium acetoglutamicum NRRL B-11473 and Brevibacterium flavum NRRL B-11475 [82-002] Manufacture of Fatty Acids Having Straight and Long Carbon Chains Using a Microorganism A. Taoka, S. Uchida Bio Research Center Company, Ltd U.S. 4,275,157, Jun 23, 1981 Production of mono- and di-carboxylic acids of the same carbon skeletal length from straight chain C10-C18 hydrocarbons by aerobically cultivating the hydrocarbons with a microorganism in a nutrient medium, at 25-35°C and pH 3 - 9 for 24 to 120 h, the improvement which comprises using as the microorganism Debaryomyces vanriji (BR-308), ATCC 20588 [82-003] Process for the Production of Xylose by Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Xylan J. Puls, M. Sinner, H. Dietrichs Profektierung Chemische Verfahrenstechnik GmbH U.S. 4,275,159, Jun 23, 1981 Process for the immobilization of purified xylanase, 13-xylosidase, and uronic acid-splitting enzymes on to carriers [ 82-004 ]

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Cellulase-Producing Microorganism B. J. GaUo U.S., Secretary of the Army U.S. 4,275,163, Jun 23, 1981 Biologically pure culture of Trichoderma reesei strain MCG77, said culture having the capability to synthesize cellulase enzymes, the synthesis of the cellulases being nonrepressed by glycerol, repressed by glucose but not subject to post-repression lag, and inducible by lactose, the lactose induction being potentiated by xylose, whereby maximum cellulose synthesis is elicited by the presence of lactose and xylose in combination in the culture medium, the organism being genetically haploid under laboratory culture conditions [82-006] Process for the Recovery of IntraceUular Enzyme G. T. McCollough, T. W. Esders, S. Y. Lynn Eastman Kodak Company U.S. 4,275,166, Jun 23, 1981 Method for the recovery of crea.tinine iminohydrolase enzyme produced by cells of an aerobic microorganism [82-007] Creatinine Iminohydrolase Free From Urease Activity C. T. Goodhue, T. W. Esders, P. S. Masurekar Eastman Kodak Company U.S. 4,276,377, Jun 30, 1981 Urease-free creatinine iminohydrolase enzyme preparation derived from an aerobic soil microorganism [82-008] Preparation of High Fructose Syrups From Sucrose R. E. Heady CPC International Inc. U.S. 4,276,379, Jun 30, 1981 Process for the production of a product containing ~ 55% fructose consisting essentially of subjecting sucrose to the action of a cell-free fructosyl transferase enzyme 0141-02291821010054-04 $03.00 © 1982 Butterworth & Co. (Publishers) Ltd

Patent reports derived from Pullularia pullulans capable of converting the sucrose to a mixture comprising glucose, fructose, and polysaccharides containing at least 66% by weight of fructosyl moieties wherein the fructosyl moieties are linked by (2-1)-/3 linkages, subjecting the mixture to the action of a glucose isomerase enzyme, and hydrolysing the polysaccharides in the mixture in the absence of active isomerase enzyme [82-009]

Production of L-Amino Acids H. Yukawa, K. Osumi, T. Nara, Y. Takayama Mitsubishi Petrochemical Co., Ltd U.S. 4,276,380, Jun 30, 1981 Process for producing L-valine which comprises aerobically culturing a bacterium of the strain Acinetobacter calcoaceticum YK-1011, which utilizes ethanol and has an ability to produce and accumulate L-valine, in a culture medium in which ethanol is the main carbon source to produce and accumulate L-valine and collecting the L-value [ 82-- 010 ] Preparation of Immobilized Enzymes of Microorganisms A. Sakimae, H. Onishi Mitsubishi Rayon Company, Ltd U.S. 4,276,381, Jun 30, 1981 Process for preparing immobilized enzymes or microorganisms, which comprises dispersing lumps of ice containing an enzyme or a microorganism in an organic solvent having a water-insoluble high-molecular weight substance dissolved therein at a temperature not higher than 0°C wherein the organic solvent dissolves at least 0.1% by weight of the water-insoluble high-molecular weight substance at a temperature of 0°C or lower, and then removing the organic solvent thereby entrapping the ice lumps in the water-insoluble high-molecular weight substance [82-011 ] Process for Preparing Citric Acid by Fermentation of Carbohydrates C. Rottigni, G. Cardini Euteco Impianti S.p.A. U.S. 4,278,764, Jul 14, 1981 Process for preparing citric acid from hydrolysed carbohydrates by submerged fermentation under aerobic conditions in a broth containing yeasts of the genus Candida under controlled temperature conditions and at a pH value of from 5 to 7 maintained by adding measured quantities of calcium hydroxide during the fermentation operation, in which the fermentation broth containing citric acid in the form of calcium citrate is discharged during or at the end of the fermentation operation to recover said citric acid, the improvement which comprises subjecting at least part of the fermentation broth thus discharged to centrifuging to separate calcium citrate from a liquid phase containing yeast cells, subjecting said liquid phase to a further centrifuging to separate said cells from a residual broth, and recycling the yeast cells thus recoverered for use in a further fermentation operation, thereby achieving by means of the use of said recycle cells an improvement in the yield and output of citric acid in said further fermentation operation [82-012] Process for Treating Cellulosic Materials and Obtaining Glucose Therefrom G. T. Tsao, M. R. Ladisch, C. M. Ladisch, T. Hsu Purdue Research Foundation U.S. 4,281,063, Jul 28, 1981 Process for providing a yield of glucose from a cellulosic material, said process comprising: (1) fractionating the cellulosic material into a solid cellulose- and lignin-containing fraction and a liquid fraction containing hemicellulose or Cs sugars derived therefrom;

(2) treating said solid cellulose- and lignin-containing fraction with a solvent for cellulose to dissolve the cellulose in said fraction and to form a lignin-containingresidue; (3) reprecipitating the dissolved cellulose; (4) hydrolysing the reprecipitated cellulose to yield glucose [ 8 2 - 0 1 3 ]

Process for Producing Lipids Having A High Linoleic Acid Content O. Suzuki, Y. Jigami, S. Nakasato, T. Hashimoto Agency o f Industrial Science and Technology U.S. 4,281,064, Jul 28, 1981 Process for producing lipids comprising the steps of: (1) cultivating a fungus of the Pellicularia genus aerobically in a liquid containing 2 0 - 8 0 g/1 of a carbon source selected from the group consisting of glucose, sucrose, starch, molasses, and cellulose, a nitrogen source in the range of 1/5 to 1/100 of the amount of carbon sources, and an inorganic salt; (2) separating lipids having a high linoleic acid content from the resulting culture [82-014] Fermentation Process for Production of Xanthan W. C. Wernau Pfizer, Inc. U.S. 4,282,321, Aug 4, 1981 Batch process for producing Xanthomonas biopolymer comprising the steps of aerobically propagating a microorganism of the genus Xanthomonas in an aqueous nutrient medium containing a source of assimilable carbon to form an inoculum, introducing said inoculum into an aqueous medium substantially free of a suitable carbon source, initially feeding at an exponentially increasing rate a source of assimilable carbon into said inoculated medium under aerobic conditions for 0 to 24 h, then continuing feeding at a substantially constant rate until a total carbohydrate consumption equivalent to up to about 7% w/v glucose is achieved and recovering the product [82-015 ] Method for Producing Iodine S. L. Neidleman, J. Geigert Cetus Corporation U.S. 4,282,324, Aug 4, 1981 Method for producing iodine, comprising, providing, in the absence of iodine acceptor substrates, a reaction mixture of water, a halogenating enzyme, an oxidizing agent, a water-immiscible organic solvent, and a source of ionic iodide, buffering said reaction mixture to maintain it at a pH of between about 2 to 8, and recovering the molecular iodine continuously in said organic solvent as it is formed by said reaction mixture [82-016] Microbial Lipase, Process for its Preparation and Microbiologically Pure Culture Thereof Y. Kokusho, H. Machinda, S. Iwasaki Meito Sangyo Kabushiki Kaisha U.S. 4, 283,494, Aug 11, 1981 Microbial lipase which has: (1) optimal pH for activity of ~ 9 -+ 0.5; (2) optimal temperature for activity of ~ 4 0 ° C to ~ 4 8 ° C ; (3) lipase activity to be activated by bile salts; (4) cholesterol esterase activity; (5) molecular weight of ~ 3 0 x 104 to ~ 4 0 x 104 [82-017] Preparation and Use of Glucose Isomerase C. K. Lee R. J. Reynolds and Tobacco Company U.S. 4,283,496, Aug 11, 1981 Biologically pure culture of a mutant strain of the microorganism Flavobacterium arborescens having the identifying characteristics of Flavobacterium arborescens ATCC 4358,

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Patent reports said strain being capable of producing substantial quantities of glucose isomerase activity when cultivated in a nutrient medium containing sources of carbon, nitrogen and inorganic salts with lactose as the sole carbon source [82-0181

Heat and Acid-Stable Alpha-Amylase Enzymes and Processes for Producing the Same M. Tamuri, M. Kanno, Y. Ishii CPC International lnc. U.S. 4,284,722, Aug 18, 1981 Heat and acid-stable c~-amylase enzyme derived from a Bacillus stearothermophilus microorganism and having a pH optimum between 4.0 and 5.2 characterized as (1) capable of retaining at least ~70% of its initial c~-amylase activity when held at 90°C and at a pH of 6.0 for 10 rain in the absence of added calcium ion; (2) capable of retaining at least ~50% of its initial a-amylase activity when held at 90°C at a pH of 6.0 for 60 rain in the absence of added calcium ion; and (3) capable of retaining at least ~-50% of its initial c~-amylase activity when held at 80°C and at a pH of 4.5 for 10min in the presence of 5 mM of calcium ion [82--019] Preparation of Epoxides and Glycols from Gaseous Alkenes S. L. Neidleman, W. F. Amon, J. Geigert Cetus Corporation U.S. 4,284,723, Aug 18, 1981 Method for the manufacture of epoxides or glycols from a gaseous olefin selected from the group consisting of ethylene, propylene, isobutylene, butene-1, cis-butene-2, trans-butene-2, allene, and 1,3-butadiene, said method comprising providing in a reactor, a reaction mixture of a halogenating enzyme, an oxidizing agent, and a halide ion source, passing the gaseous olefin continuously through said reaction mixture to convert said olefin to a halohydrin, and converting said halohydrin to an epoxide enzymatically [82-0201 Polysaccharide and Bacterial Fermentation Process for its Preparation K. S. Kang, G. T. Veeder, III, D. D. Richey Merck & Co., Inc. U.S. 4,286,059, Aug 25, 1981 Process for preparing Heteropolysaccharide 10, the heteropolysaccharide containing ~ 3% protein and ~97% carbohydrate, the carbohydrate portion of which contains ~19% of a uronic acid, ~39% glucose, ~29% galactose and ~13% fucose, said heteropolysaccharide being compatible with Methylene Blue chloride dye, that comprises cultivating under submerged aerobic conditions at a temperature of ~28 to ~ 35°C a heteropolysaccharide producing strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae or a heteropolysaccharide producing mutant thereof in an aqueous nutrient medium containing as a source of carbon hydrolysed starch having a dextrose equivalent of ~ 2 0 - 3 5 , a source of nitrogen, a source of magnesium and a source of phosphorus, until substantial viscosity has been imparted to said medium, and recovering the heteropolysaccharide [82-021 ] Method for Continuous Culturing of Microbes R. A. Messing, R. A. Oppermann, L. B. Simpson, M. M. Takeguchi Corning Glass Works U.S. 4,286,061, Aug 25, 1981 Method for the continuous culturing of microbes in a plug-flow reactor which comprises the steps of: (1) supplying medium to microbes immobilized on a porous inorganic support at a rate sufficient to maintain such microbes substantially in a logarithmic growth state and (2) removing microbe-containing effluent from the immobilized microbes at a rate equal to the medium supply

56 Enzyme Microb. Technol., 1982, Vol 4, January

rate, wherein the microbes are selected from the group consisting of bacteria, yeasts and fungus-like organisms; such reactor is operated continuously in a substantially plug-flow mode; the immobilized microbes are substantially covered by said medium; and such porous inorganic support has a controlled porosity such that at least 70% of the pores, on a pore size distribution basis, have a pore diameter, (a) in the case of bacteria, at least as large as the smallest major dimension of the microbes but less than about five times the largest major dimension of the microbes; (b) in the case of yeasts, at least as large as the smallest dimension of the microbes but less than about four times the largest dimension of the microbes; (c) in the case of fungus-like organisms, at least as large as the smallest major dimension of the microbes but less than about 16 times the largest major dimension of the microbes [82-022]

Method for Producing Thrombolytic Preparation T. Suyama Green Cross Corporation U.S. 4,286,063, Aug 25, 1981 Method for producing a thrombolytic preparation from a fresh urine or a crude urokinase solution which consists essentially of (1) adsorbing urokinase on a selected adsorbent, (2) eluting and recovering the adsorbed urokinase, (3) heat-treating the recovered urokinase solution at a temperature of 50 to 70°C for 8 to 12h and (4) subjecting the heat-treated solution to dialysis, the improvement comprising carrying out the heat-treatment step at pH 6 to 8 and carrying out the dialysis step at pH 5.5 to 12 to recover urokinase having a molecular weight of 54 000 + 10 000 [82-023] Production of Ethanol B. I. Dahlberg, L. J. Ehnstrom, C. R. Keim Alfa-Laval AB U.S. 4,287,303, Sep 1, 1981 Method of producing ethanol from a carbohydratecontaining substrate mixed with non-fermentable solids, said method including the steps of continuously separating said substrate and solids into a flow rich in said solids and a substrate flow free from said solids, passing said substrate flow to a fermenter to produce ethanol by fermentation of said carbohydrate in the presence of yeast, withdrawing continuously from the fermenter a discharge stream of fermentation liquor containing yeast and ethanol, centrifugally separating said discharge stream continuously into at least a yeast concentrate flow and a yeast-free ethanolcontaining flow, recirculating said yeast concentrate flow to the fermenter, and continuously separating said yeastfree flow into an ethanol-enriched flow and a residual flow, the improvement which comprises contacting at least part of said residual flow with said flow rich in solids to form a mixture, continuously separating said mixture in a plurality of separators into solids from which remaining substrate has been substantially removed and a flow enriched in substrate, and returning said flow enriched in substrate to the fermenter [82-0241 Fermentable Sugar from the Hydrolysis of Starch Derived from Dry Milled Corn W. C. Muller, F. D. Miller National Distillers and Chemical Corp., U.S. 4,287,304, Sep 1, 1981 Process for converting the starch fraction derived from whole dry milled corn to a sterile aqueous solution of fermentable sugar, said starch containing water-soluble protein and oil and one or more water-soluble components selected from the group consisting of sugar, lipid, protein, vitamin and mineral, which comprises:

Patent reports (1) liquefying an aqueous slurry of the starch by hydrolysis to provide sterile aqueous partial starch hydrolysate slurry containing the water-soluble protein and oil and the water-soluble components in substantially unaltered condition; (2) separating the slurry resulting from liquefying step (1) into an aqueous sterile slurry of partial starch hydrolysate containing ~ part of the water-soluble components and an aqueous slurry of water-insoluble protein and oil containing the remaining part of the water-soluble components; (3) saccharifying the relatively thin aqueous slurry of partial starch hydrolysate to provide a sterile aqueous solution of fermentable sugar [82-025] Microorganism Immobilization A. L. Compere, W. L. Griffith

U.S., Department of Energy U.S. 4,287,305, Sep 1, 1981 Process for producing an aggregate support material coated with a crosslinked coating, said coating having live, metabolically active microorganisms attached thereto, comprising the steps of: (1) contacting a particle of aggregate material with a water-dispersible gelatin; (2) crosslinking said gelatin by reacting it with a glutaraldehyde to provide a crosslinked coating on said particle of aggregate material; (3) then contacting said coated particle with live microorganisms; (4) then incubating said microorganisms in contact with said crosslinked coating to provide a coating having metabolically active microorganisms attached thereto, said microorganisms having continued growth and reproductive functions [82-026] Microbiological Process for Removing Oleaginous Material from Wastewater and Microbiological Combination Capable of Same P. W. Spraker

Sybron Corporation U.S. 4,288,545, Sep 8, 1981

Process for removing oleaginous materials of animal origin or containing such of animal origin from wastewater comprising treating, under aerobic conditions, wastewater containing said oleaginous material with a microbial combination of: (1) a microorganism of the strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa SGRR2 (ATCC-31480); and (2) at least one of: (a) a microorganism of the genus Bacillus and (b) a microorganism of the genus Pseudomonas other than said strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa SGRR2 [82-027] Process for Isomerizing Glucose to Fructose S. P. Barrett, W. J. Nelson

Standard Brands Inc. U.S. 4,288,548, Sep 8, 198l Process for enzymatically isomerizing glucose in an ion exchange refined glucose-containing liquor to fructose comprising treating said refined liquor with an ion exchange material in the bisulphite/sulphite form and contacting the treated liquor with immobilized glucose isomerase under glucose isomerizing conditions to convert a portion of the glucose to fructose [82-028] Immobilized Intracellular Enzymes S. M. Gestrelius

Novo Industri A/S U.S.4,288,552, Sep 8, 1981 Process for immobilization of an intracellular, glutaraldehyde sensitive enzyme, which process comprises reacting in an aqueous medium microbial cell material containing therein an intracellular glutaraldehyde-sensitive enzyme with glutaraldehyde in the presence of a branched poly(alkalene imine) added to the medium before or simultaneously with the glutaraldehyde, said poly(alkalene imine) having primary amino groups on the poly(alkalene imine) molecule at a ratio of primary amine equivalents to aldehyde equivalents in the range of from 0.01 : 1 to 10 : 1, and thereafter recovering the resulting immobilized enzyme containing microbial cell preparation [82-029]

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