A method and use of nisin-permeabilized microbial cells as whole-cell catalysts for reducing the amount of a target substrate in a sample to one of more product are provided. Specifically, a method of reducing the amount of lactose in a dairy sample using nisin-permeabilized lactic acid bacterial cell catalysts, which have been permeabilized by incubating with a nisin producing microbial cell and/or culture medium derived therof. Further provided is a nisin producing microbial cell, derived from parent strain Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis bv. diacetylactis SD96 (NCBI accession No. SRX6686433).

The presently claimed subject matter concerns methods and kits for identifying agents that reduce binding of a clostridial neurotoxin to synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2 (SV2).

The present invention relates to a sterile-filtered liquid lactase preparation and to a method of sterile filtering a liquid lactase preparation. At least 0.01% w/w of at least one salt having a monovalent cation is added in order to improve filterability. The system may further comprise a polyol stabilizer.

The present invention describes a intracellular produced lactase, which comprises less than 40 units arylsulfatase activity per NLU of lactase activity. The invention also provides a process comprising treating a substrate with an enzyme preparation, wherein the enzyme preparation is substantially free from arylsulfatase.

A recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) comprising an AAVhu68 capsid and a vector genome comprising a lysosomal beta-galactosidase gene (for example, galactosidase beta 1 gene, GBL1) is provided (i.e., rAAVhu68.GBL1). Also provided a composition containing an effective amount of rAAVhu68.GBL1 to ameliorate symptoms of GM1 gangliosidosis, including, e.g., increased average life span, decreased need for feeding tube, reduction in seizure incidence and frequency, reduction in progression towards neurocognitive decline and/or improvement in neurocognitive development.

The usefulness of β-galactosidases derived from Bacillus circulans is further enhanced. A modified β-galactosidase in which one or more amino acids selected from the group consisting of proline 182 (P182), tyrosine 187 (Y187), serine 188 (S188), tryptophan 405 (W405), alanine 406 (A406), glutamine 407 (Q407), tyrosine 449 (Y449), threonine 483 (T483), serine 512 (S512), serine 531 (S531), threonine 533 (T533), serine 534 (S534), asparagine 550 (N550), glutamine 551 (Q551), tryptophan 593 (W593), tyrosine 598 (Y598), proline 602 (P602), proline 604 (P604), tyrosine 609 (Y609), lysine 612 (K612), and tyrosine 615 (Y615), or an amino acid(s) corresponding thereto, has/have been substituted by other amino acid in a β-galactosidase consisting of the amino acid sequence of any of SEQ ID NOs. 1 to 4 or an amino acid sequence having 90% or more identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in any of SEQ ID NOs. 1 to 4.

The present invention provides novel methods for treating and preventing colorectal cancer in a subject by administering a composition comprising β-galactosidase, a bacterial culture capable of producing β-galactosidase, such as an S. thermophilus culture, or a fraction of the culture comprising β-galactosidase. A kit useful for such methods is also provided. In addition, the present invention provides a composition for treating or preventing colon cancer.

The invention discloses the application of a β-N-acetylhexosaminidase (HaHex74) from Haloferula sp. in the synthesis of human milk oligosaccharides. The invention provides the use of HaHex74 protein or related biological materials thereof in any one of the following: synthesizing human milk oligosaccharides; synthesizing Lacto-N-triose II and/or Lacto-N-neotetraose; the HaHex74 protein having the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID No. 2 is derived from Haloferula sp. The β-N-acetylhexosaminidase HaHex74 disclosed by the invention possesses high-level expression, excellent hydrolysis properties and transglycosylation activity, which may make it potentially useful in the production of human milk oligosaccharides.

A process for preparing a galacto-oligosaccharide product comprises exposing a permeate composition to one or more enzymes that convert one or more compounds in the permeate composition to one or more galacto-oligosaccharide compounds to provide a galacto-oligosaccharide solution, wherein at least about 10% of total sugar, by weight, in the galacto-oligosaccharide solution is in the form of the one or more galacto-oligosaccharide compounds, and concentrating at least a portion of the galacto-oligosaccharide solution to provide a galacto-oligosaccharide syrup. In an example, a galacto-oligosaccharide product, for example made by the process, comprises a dry or substantially dry powder including one or more dried compounds from a permeate composition and at least 20% by weight of one or more galacto-oligosaccharides, wherein the powder is free or substantially free from a drying agent.

The present invention relates to new improved peptide or dimeric peptides exhibiting betagalactosidase enzyme activity as well as improved methods for reducing the lactose content in compositions, such as dairy products.