Enzyme associated with equol synthesis

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide enzymes associated with equol synthesis, genes coding such enzymes, and a process for producing equol and its intermediates using the enzymes and genes. The present invention provides a dihydrodaidzein synthesizing enzyme, tetrahydrodaidzein synthesizing enzyme, equol synthesizing enzyme, and genes coding these enzymes. The present invention also provides a process for synthesizing dihydrodaidzein, tetrahydrodaidzein, and/or equol using these enzymes.

1 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . An isolated polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 80% amino acid identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 7, wherein said polypeptide has an activity of synthesizing tetrahydrodaidzein using dihydrodaidzein as a substrate, and wherein said polypeptide does not comprise the amino acid sequence of any of SEQ ID NOs: 7-9. 
     
     
         14 . A process for producing tetrahydrodaidzein, comprising having the isolated polypeptide of  claim 13  and NADPH and/or NADH act on dihydrodaidzein. 
     
     
         15 . The isolated polypeptide of  claim 13 , wherein said amino acid sequence has at least 85% amino acid sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 7. 
     
     
         16 . The isolated polypeptide of  claim 13 , wherein said amino acid sequence has at least 90% amino acid sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 7. 
     
     
         17 . The isolated polypeptide of  claim 13 , wherein said amino acid sequence has at least 95% amino acid sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 7. 
     
     
         18 . A polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 80% amino acid identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 7, wherein said polypeptide has an activity of synthesizing tetrahydrodaidzein using dihydrodaidzein as a substrate, and wherein said polypeptide is modified by adding polyethylene glycol or a sugar chain. 
     
     
         19 . The polypeptide of  claim 18 , wherein said amino acid sequence has at least 85% amino acid sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 7. 
     
     
         20 . The polypeptide of  claim 18 , wherein said amino acid sequence has at least 90% amino acid sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 7. 
     
     
         21 . The polypeptide of  claim 18 , wherein said amino acid sequence has at least 95% amino acid sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 7. 
     
     
         22 . A composition comprising:
 (1) a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 80% amino acid identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 7; and   (2) an efficient amount of an added preservative.   
     
     
         23 . The composition of  claim 22 , wherein said amino acid sequence has at least 85% amino acid sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 7. 
     
     
         24 . The composition of  claim 22 , wherein said amino acid sequence has at least 90% amino acid sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 7. 
     
     
         25 . The composition of  claim 22 , wherein said amino acid sequence has at least 95% amino acid sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 7.