The present invention relates to an improved variant of a D-psicose 3-epimerase and its uses.

A protein comprising a polypeptide sequence having at least 70% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:2 or SEQ ID NO:4. The protein has ketose 3-epimerase activity.

The present invention relates to a novel process for cyclizing geranyllinalool using the squalene-hopene cyclase from Zymomonas mobilis (Zm-SHC) or a cyclase with at least 80% sequence identity to the Zm-SHC, and cyclization products obtained in this process.

The invention relates to a yeast strain and to a method for microbial production of pentacyclic triterpenes and/or triterpenoids in yeast. More particularly, the invention relates to a modified yeast strain for production of pentacyclic triterpenoids comprising at least one copy of a gene for encoding an oxidosqualene cyclase, at least one copy of a gene for encoding an NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase and/or at least one copy of a gene for encoding a cytochrome P450 monooxygenase.

There are provided a highly safe epimerase usable in food industry, and a method for producing a ketose. The epimerase is a ketose 3-epimerase obtainable from a microorganism of the genus Arthrobacter, and having the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1 of the Sequence Listing, and (1) substrate specificity whereby a D- or L-ketose is epimerized at position 3 to produce a corresponding D- or L-ketose, and (2) the highest substrate specificity for D-fructose and D-psicose among D- and L-ketoses. The ketose 3-epimerase is also represented by SEQ ID NO: 3 or SEQ ID NO: 4 of the Sequence Listing, and epimerizes a D- or L-ketose at position 3 to produce a corresponding D- or L-ketose.

A polynucleotide sequence and a method for Ranibizumab cloning, expression and production having better yield and biologically active protein.