Patent ID: 6846656
Filing Date: 2005-01-25
Classification: C12P

Abstract:
1. A process for producing N-acetylneuraminic acid which comprises: providing, in an aqueous medium (i) a culture of a microorganism having N-acetylneuraminic acid aldolase activity or N-acetylneuraminic acid synthetase activity; (ii) a culture of a microorganism capable of producing pyruvic acid when a culture of a microorganism having N-acetylneuraminic acid aldolase activity is used in (i), or a culture of a microorganism capable of producing phosphoenolpyruvic acid when a culture of a microorganism having N-acetylneuraminic acid synthetase activity is used in (i); (iii) N-acetylmannosamine which is produced by allowing a culture of a microorganism harboring DNA encoding N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase isolated from a microorganism belonging to the genus allowing N-acetylneuraminic acid to form and accumulate in the aqueous medium; and recovering N-acetylneuraminic acid from the aqueous medium wherein said cultures are independently provided as cultures per se or treated matters thereof, wherein said treated matters are selected from the group consisting of concentrated culture, dried culture, cells obtained by centrifuging the culture, products obtained by treating the cells by drying, freeze-drying, ultrasonication, mechanical friction, protein fractionation and cell-immobilization, and an enzyme preparation obtained by extracting the cells, or a preparation obtained by treatment with enzymes, surfactant or solvent, and wherein said treated matter continues to have said enzyme activity.