The invention provides a new method for identifying peptide antigens relevant to a non-autoimmune disease involving T cell activation as well as novel peptides identified therefrom. The isolated peptides of the invention are useful in the diagnosis, prevention and/or treatment of a cardiovascular disease, more specifically heart failure (HF). The invention further provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising at least one isolated peptide of the invention and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, vehicle, excipient and/or diluent. The pharmaceutical composition of the invention is suitable to be orally administered as a tolerizing vaccine.

The present invention relates to a hydantoinase having an amino acid sequence selected from (i) or (ii), with (i) amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NO: 6-20 and SEQ ID NO: 73-119 (ii) amino acid sequence wherein in the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 6-20 and SEQ ID NO: 73-119, 1 to 75 amino acid residues have been substituted, deleted, inserted and/or added, and wherein further the catalytic activity of the hydantoinase is higher by a factor of at least 1.2 than the catalytic activity of the hydantoinase having amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO: 1. The present invention further relates to a process for preparing amino acids, wherein said hydantoinase is used.

An enzymatic method for the production of an L-glufosinate P-alkyl ester can be performed. This method is characterized by reacting an L-glufosinate P-alkyl ester carbamoylate to give the corresponding L-glufosinate P-alkyl ester. This is catalyzed by a carbamoylase. The L-glufosinate P-alkyl ester carbamoylate employed may be obtained by a reaction from the corresponding L-glufosinate hydantoin P-alkyl ester. This is catalyzed by a hydantoinase, preferably an L-enantioselective hydantoinase. In a second aspect, an enzymatic method for enantioselective production of an L-glufosinate P-alkyl ester from a mixture M.sub.IIIA of L- and D-glufosinate P-alkyl ester hydantoins can be performed. The L-glufosinate P-alkyl ester obtained in the methods according to the first or second aspect of the invention may be saponified to give L-glufosinate.

The present invention relates to it hydantoinase having an amino acid sequence selected from (i) or (ii), with (i) amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NO: 6-20 and SEQ ID NO: 73-119 (ii) amino acid sequence wherein in the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 6-20 and SEQ ID NO: 73-119, 1 to 75 amino acid residues have been substituted, deleted, inserted and/or added, and wherein further the catalytic activity of the hydantoinase is higher by a factor of at least 1.2 than the catalytic activity of the hydantoinase having amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO: 1. The present invention further relates to a process for preparing amino acids, wherein said hydantoinase is used.

The present invention relates to a hydantoinase having an amino acid sequence selected from (i) or (ii), with (i) amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NO: 6-20 and SEQ ID NO: 73-119 (ii) amino acid sequence wherein in the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 6-20 and SEQ ID NO: 73-119, 1 to 75 amino acid residues have been substituted, deleted, inserted and/or added, and wherein further the catalytic activity of the hydantoinase is higher by a factor of at least 1.2 than the catalytic activity of the hydantoinase having amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO: 1, The present invention further relates to a process for preparing amino acids, wherein said hydantoinase is used.

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing glufosinate, comprising the step of enzymatically cleaving off a carbamoyl moiety of a carbamoyl amino acid compound.

A first enzymatic method for the production of an L-glufosinate P-ester includes reacting an L-glufosinate P-ester carbamoylate to give the corresponding L-glufosinate P-ester in the presence of a carbamoylase as a catalyzer. A second enzymatic method includes the enantioselective production of an L-glufosinate P-ester from a mixture M.sub.IIIA of L- and D-glufosinate P-ester hydantoins. The L-glufosinate P-ester obtained in the two methods may be saponified to give L-glufosinate.

A first enzymatic method for the production of an L-glufosinate P-ester includes reacting an L-glufosinate P-ester carbamoylate to give the corresponding L-glufosinate P-ester in the presence of a carbamoylase as a catalyzer. A second enzymatic method includes the enantioselective production of an L-glufosinate P-ester from a mixture M.sub.IIIA of L- and D-glufosinate P-ester hydantoins. The L-glufosinate P-ester obtained in the two methods may be saponified to give L-glufosinate.

An enzymatic method for the production of an L-glufosinate P-alkyl ester can be performed. This method is characterized by reacting an L-glufosinate P-alkyl ester carbamoylate to give the corresponding L-glufosinate P-alkyl ester. This is catalyzed by a carbamoylase. The L-glufosinate P-alkyl ester carbamoylate employed may be obtained by a reaction from the corresponding L-glufosinate hydantoin P-alkyl ester. This is catalyzed by a hydantoinase, preferably an L-enantioselective hydantoinase. In a second aspect, an enzymatic method for enantioselective production of an L-glufosinate P-alkyl ester from a mixture M.sub.IIIA of L- and D-glufosinate P-alkyl ester hydantoins can be performed. The L-glufosinate P-alkyl ester obtained in the methods according to the first or second aspect of the invention may be saponified to give L-glufosinate.