A method of producing chemicals includes providing fermentative cells; co-feeding any of galacturonate and galacturonate polymers with carbohydrates to the fermentative cells; and producing a chemical from the fermentative cells. The fermentative cells may include any of Clostridium acetobutylicum and Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum. The carbohydrates may include any of glucose, mannose, galactose, fructose, arabinose, xylose, sucrose, lactose, maltose, cellobiose, and starch. The method may include providing a substantially equal proportion of the any of galacturonate and galacturonate polymers and the carbohydrates for co-feeding to the fermentative cells. The method may include altering a proportion of the any of galacturonate and galacturonate polymers to the carbohydrates. The method may include modulating a production of the chemical by altering the proportion of the any of galacturonate and galacturonate polymers to the carbohydrates. The chemical may include any of acetate and butyrate.

A method of producing chemicals includes providing fermentative cells; co-feeding any of galacturonate and galacturonate polymers with carbohydrates to the fermentative cells; and producing a chemical from the fermentative cells. The fermentative cells may include any of Clostridium acetobutylicum and Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum. The carbohydrates may include any of glucose, mannose, galactose, fructose, arabinose, xylose, sucrose, lactose, maltose, cellobiose, and starch. The method may include providing a substantially equal proportion of the any of galacturonate and galacturonate polymers and the carbohydrates for co-feeding to the fermentative cells. The method may include altering a proportion of the any of galacturonate and galacturonate polymers to the carbohydrates. The method may include modulating a production of the chemical by altering the proportion of the any of galacturonate and galacturonate polymers to the carbohydrates. The chemical may include any of acetate and butyrate.

The present invention relates to 25 hitherto undescribed genes of B. licheniformis and gene products derived thereform and all sufficiently homologous nucleic acids and proteins thereof. They occur in five different metabolic pathways for the formation of odorous substances. The metabolic pathways in question are for the synthesis of: 1) isovalerian acid (as part of the catabolism of leucine), 2) 2-methylbutyric acid and/or isobutyric acid (as part of the catabolism of valine and/or isoleucine), 3) butanol and/or butyric acid (as part of the metabolism of butyric acid), 4) propyl acid (as part of the metabolism of propionate) and/or 5) cadaverine and/or putrescine (as parts of the catabolism of lysine and/or arginine). The identification of these genes allows biotechnological production methods to be developed that are improved to the extent that, to assist these nucleic acids, the formation of the odorous substances synthesised via these metabolic pathways can be reduced by deactivating the corresponding genes in the micro-organism used for the biotechnological production. In addition, these gene products are thus available for preparing reactions or for methods according to their respective biochemical properties.

The present invention relates to 25 hitherto undescribed genes of B. licheniformis and gene products derived thereform and all sufficiently homologous nucleic acids and proteins thereof. They occur in five different metabolic pathways for the formation of odorous substances. The metabolic pathways in question are for the synthesis of: 1) isovalerian acid (as part of the catabolism of leucine), 2) 2-methylbutyric acid and/or isobutyric acid (as part of the catabolism of valine and/or isoleucine), 3) butanol and/or butyric acid (as part of the metabolism of butyric acid), 4) propyl acid (as part of the metabolism of propionate) and/or 5) cadaverine and/or putrescine (as parts of the catabolism of lysine and/or arginine). The identification of these genes allows biotechnological production methods to be developed that are improved to the extent that, to assist these nucleic acids, the formation of the odorous substances synthesised via these metabolic pathways can be reduced by deactivating the corresponding genes in the micro-organism used for the biotechnological production. In addition, these gene products are thus available for preparing reactions or for methods according to their respective biochemical properties.

The invention relates to a method for the enzyme-catalysed hydrolysis of polyacrylic acid esters. According to the method, at least one polyacrylic acid ester is provided and incubated with at least one enzyme selected from enzymes (EC 3.1) acting on ester bindings, until the ester groups contained in the polyacrylic acid ester are partially or fully hydrolytically split, and optionally the modified polymer obtained thereby is isolated. The invention also relates to the enzymes used and mutants thereof, nucleic acids coding for the enzymes, vectors comprising the nucleic acids, micro-organisms comprising the vectors, and the use of the enzymes, the vectors or the micro-organisms for carrying out a method for the enzyme-catalysed hydrolysis of polyacrylic acid esters. The present application also relates to polymer reaction products that can be obtained by the method, and methods for producing esterases.

Provided is a method for producing a 3-phenylpropionic acid analogue compound represented by Formula (I), the method comprising a step of culturing lactic acid bacteria of genus Weissella using a culture medium that contains 3 mM or more of a cinnamic acid analogue compound represented by Formula (II), the lactic acid bacteria having properties (1a) to (3a) when inoculated to an MRS liquid culture medium containing 3 mM 4-hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamic acid and cultured at 37 C. for 24 hours under an anaerobic condition: (1a) a turbidity of 1.0 or more; (2a) a ratio of reduction to 3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)propionic acid of 80% or more; and (3a) a ratio of decarboxylation to 4-vinylguaiacol of less than 5%. Also provided are lactic acid bacteria having these properties. The above method and lactic acid bacteria allow a 3-Phenylpropionic acid analogue compound to be efficiently produced.

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Provided is a method for producing a 3-phenylpropionic acid analogue compound represented by Formula (I), the method comprising a step of culturing lactic acid bacteria of genus Weissella using a culture medium that contains 3 mM or more of a cinnamic acid analogue compound represented by Formula (II), the lactic acid bacteria having properties (1a) to (3a) when inoculated to an MRS liquid culture medium containing 3 mM 4-hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamic acid and cultured at 37 C. for 24 hours under an anaerobic condition: (1a) a turbidity of 1.0 or more; (2a) a ratio of reduction to 3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)propionic acid of 80% or more; and (3a) a ratio of decarboxylation to 4-vinylguaiacol of less than 5%. Also provided are lactic acid bacteria having these properties. The above method and lactic acid bacteria allow a 3-Phenylpropionic acid analogue compound to be efficiently produced.

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A method for producing a fermented liquid having an acidity of pH 3 to 4, including colloidal particles having a particle size not exceeding 50 nm and short-chain fatty acids. The method includes providing fermentation apparatus including a plurality set of temperature-controlled fermentation containers at each stage of the multi-stage fermentation process; using a soft water as a starter, a seed bacterial liquid comprising seven species of fermentation bacteria (International Accession No. NITE BP-02945 to NITE BP-02951) including spore-forming Clostridium bacteria, controlled under a low temperature condition, and three kinds of fermented media derived from natural materials, produced by individually fermenting respective first medium of dried soybeans, second medium of mixed medium of dried plants consisting Taiso, Kukoshi, and Ukon, and third material of honey material; and producing the fermented liquid by multi-stage fermentation process.

The present invention provides utilizations and methods to increase production of butyrate by a consortium of living bacteria. The invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions that comprise (i) at least one bacterial strain producing lactate, (ii) at least one bacterial strain consuming lactate, (iii) at least one bacterial strain producing butyrate and (iv) butyrate.

Disclosed are organisms comprising a highly expressed form of EC 1.2.3.1, and methods of their use including methods for efficient fermentation broth recycle, methods for improving bottoms recycle, methods for converting CO, CO.sub.2, and optionally H.sub.2 to ethanol and other oxygenated products, methods for preparing animal feed, and methods for preparing fertilizer.