The invention concerns a method for producing a compound of interest of the sterol biosynthesis pathway in a eukaryotic organism or a derivative of a compound of the sterol biosynthesis pathway in said eukaryotic organism, in particular a sterol. This method comprises a step for the in vitro culturing of cells of said eukaryotic organism modified to express or overexpress a defensin, in a culture medium suitable for the development of said cells and containing at least one element chosen from the transition metals, lead and selenium, at a concentration greater than or equal to the concentration of said element that is necessary for inducing the overproduction of said compound of interest by said cells.

Described in this application are enzymes (e.g., cucurbitadienol synthases (CDS), UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGT), C11 hydroxylases, epoxide hydrolases (EPH), squalene epoxidases, and/or cytochrome P450 reductases), host cells expressing the enzymes, and methods of producing mogrol precursors, mogrol, and/or mogrosides using such host cells.

Glucosyl steviol glycosides (GSG) compositions are prepared from steviol glycosides of Stevia rebaudiana. The GSG compositions can be used as sweeteners in various consumables including foods, beverages, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

Monk fruit extracts containing mogrol glycosides such as mogroside V may be treated with enzymes under specific reaction conditions to shift distribution of the Siamenoside I reaction product. Modified enzymes are also employed to shift Siamenoside I distribution to increase yield of Siamenoside I and reduce reaction contaminants. Methods of purifying bioconversion reaction product are also described. Siamenoside I obtained using these methods is a useful sweetener and flavor enhancer for food and beverage compositions and the like.

Monk fruit extracts containing mogrol glycosides such as mogroside V may be treated with enzymes under specific reaction conditions to shift distribution of the Siamenoside I reaction product. Modified enzymes are also employed to shift Siamenoside I distribution to increase yield of Siamenoside I and reduce reaction contaminants. Methods of purifying bioconversion reaction product are also described. Siamenoside I obtained using these methods is a useful sweetener and flavor enhancer for food and beverage compositions and the like.

A process for the enzymatic regeneration of the redox cofactors NAD.sup.+/NADH and NADP.sup.+/NADPH in a one-pot reaction, wherein, as a result of at least two further enzymatically catalyzed redox reactions proceeding in the same reaction batch (product-forming reactions), one of the two redox cofactors accumulates in its reduced form and, respectively, the other one in its oxidized form, characterized in that a) in the regeneration reaction which reconverts the reduced cofactor into its original oxidized form, oxygen or a compound of general formula R.sub.1C(O)COOH is reduced, and b) in the regeneration reaction which reconverts the oxidized cofactor into its original reduced form, a compound of general formula R.sub.2CH(OH)R.sub.3 is oxidized and wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 in the compounds have different meanings.

A process for the enzymatic regeneration of the redox cofactors NAD.sup.+/NADH and NADP.sup.+/NADPH in a one-pot reaction, wherein, as a result of at least two further enzymatically catalyzed redox reactions proceeding in the same reaction batch (product-forming reactions), one of the two redox cofactors accumulates in its reduced form and, respectively, the other one in its oxidized form, characterized in that a) in the regeneration reaction which reconverts the reduced cofactor into its original oxidized form, oxygen or a compound of general formula R.sub.1C(O)COOH is reduced, and b) in the regeneration reaction which reconverts the oxidized cofactor into its original reduced form, a compound of general formula R.sub.2CH(OH)R.sub.3 is oxidized and wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 in the compounds have different meanings.

Glucosyl stevia compositions are prepared from steviol glycosides of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni. The glucosylation was performed by cyclodextrin glucanotransferase using the starch as source of glucose residues. The compositions mainly comprise glucosyl derivatives with superior taste characteristics and can be used as sweetness enhancers, flavor enhancers and sweeteners in foods, beverages, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

Glucosyl stevia compositions are prepared from steviol glycosides of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni. The glucosylation was performed by cyclodextrin glucanotransferase using the starch as source of glucose residues. The compositions mainly comprise glucosyl derivatives with superior taste characteristics and can be used as sweetness enhancers, flavor enhancers and sweeteners in foods, beverages, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

The present disclosure provides engineered transaminase polypeptides for the production of amines, polynucleotides encoding the engineered transaminases, host cells capable of expressing the engineered transaminases, and methods of using the engineered transaminases to prepare compounds useful in the production of active pharmaceutical agents.