The present invention relates to a field of genetically modified fungal cells and converting galacturonic acid to meso-galactaric acid, more precisely to a method of producing meso-galactaric acid. The invention further relates to recombinant fungal cells having a specific combination of modifications including but not limited to expression of uronate dehydrogenase enzyme, reduced D-galacturonic acid reductase activity, and furthermore reduced meso-galactaric acid catabolism, as well as uses and methods related thereto.

Provided are an aspergillus oryzae BLCY-006 strain and an application thereof in the preparation of a galactooligosaccharide. The strain produces β-galactosidase, and the enzyme activity can reach 300 U/ml after culturing and fermentation, which is more than 50% higher than traditional β-galactosidase activity. The enzyme also has lactose and glucose resistance properties.

The invention relates to an unspecific peroxygenase of the Agrocybe aegerita fungus, obtained by means of directed molecular evolution to facilitate the functional expression thereof in an active, soluble and stable form. The peroxygenase described in the invention shows a significant improvement in the functional expression thereof, improved monooxygenase activity and reduced peroxidase activity, in relation to the monooxygenase and peroxidase activities showed by the unspecific wild-type peroxygenase of A. aegerita. The peroxygenase of the invention is useful in chemical processes, including industrial transformations such as the selective oxyfunctionalisation of carbon-hydrogen bonds of various organic compounds.

A method of producing a microbial fermentation broth includes fermenting at least two of plum, dandelion, pine needle, and thistle to prepare each fermentation stock solution, mixing the fermentation stock solutions and fermenting the mixed fermentation stock solutions a to prepare a fermentation mixture, mixing the fermentation mixture with coffee meal and fermenting the mixed fermentation mixture with the coffee meal to prepare a coffee meal fermented solution, and aging the coffee meal fermented solution.

The present invention relates to novel Aspergillus oryzae CJ 1354, isolated and identified from Korean traditional meju, exhibiting high enzymatic activities in rice as a substrate, a method for preparing a rice hot pepper paste having an improved flavor using the same, and a rice hot pepper paste prepared by the method. Specifically, the method comprises a process in which rice milled to have a certain whiteness is treated with high-pressure steam having a pressure of 2.0-4.0 kgf/cm.sup.2 in a steaming step to control the viscosity and water content of the steamed rice to thereby prevent agglomeration from occurring during transfer of the steamed rice. Also, in the method, novel Aspergillus oryzae CJ 1354 is used in a step of making rice koji.

The present invention provides a method for producing an alkaline phosphatase (ALP), the method including a step of: culturing an Aspergillus transformant capable of producing the ALP.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an organism having an ergothioneine productivity that is capable of easily producing ergothioneine within a short period of time at a high yield, as compared with a conventional technology, and, therefore, enables ergothioneine production on an industrial scale. This purpose can be achieved by a transformed fungus into which a gene encoding enzyme (1) or genes encoding enzymes (1) and (2) have been inserted and in which the inserted gene(s) are overexpressed. (1) an enzyme catalyzing a reaction of synthesizing hercynyl cysteine sulfoxide from histidine and cysteine in the presence of S-adenosyl methionine, iron (II) and oxygen. (2) An enzyme catalyzing a reaction of synthesizing ergothioneine from hercynyl cysteine sulfoxide using pyridoxal 5-phosphate as a coenzyme.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an organism having an ergothioneine productivity that is capable of easily producing ergothioneine within a short period of time at a high yield, as compared with a conventional technology, and, therefore, enables ergothioneine production on an industrial scale. This purpose can be achieved by a transformed fungus into which a gene encoding enzyme (1) or genes encoding enzymes (1) and (2) have been inserted and in which the inserted gene(s) are overexpressed. (1) an enzyme catalyzing a reaction of synthesizing hercynyl cysteine sulfoxide from histidine and cysteine in the presence of S-adenosyl methionine, iron (II) and oxygen. (2) An enzyme catalyzing a reaction of synthesizing ergothioneine from hercynyl cysteine sulfoxide using pyridoxal 5-phosphate as a coenzyme.

Recombinant Aspergillus genetically modified to increase expression of g8846, renamed herein as aconitic acid exporter (aexA), are provided, which in some examples are also genetically inactivated for an endogenous cis-aconitic acid decarboxylase (cadA) gene. Such recombinant Aspergillus produce more aconitic acid as compared to native Aspergillus. Also provided are methods of using such recombinant Aspergillus to increase production of aconitic acid and other organic acids, such as citric acid, itaconic acid, and 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP).

Provided is a mutant filamentous fungus, which lacks expression of -1,3-glucan, and is deficient in at least part of a GAG biosynthetic cluster. Also provided is a method of producing a substance, including the steps of: culturing the filamentous fungus to allow the filamentous fungus to produce a substance; and collecting the resulting substance.