Process for producing alpha1,4-galactosyltransferase and galactose-containing complex carbohydrate

1. A process for producing a galactose-containing complex carbohydrate, which comprises:

allowing (i) a culture of a cell capable of producing a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, or a treated product of the culture as an enzyme source, (ii) uridine-5′-diphosphogalactose and (iii) an acceptor complex carbohydrate to be present in an aqueous medium to produce and accumulate the galactose-containing complex carbohydrate in the aqueous medium; and

recovering the galactose-containing complex carbohydrate from the aqueous medium,

wherein the treated product of the culture is selected from the group consisting of a concentrated product of the culture, a dried product of the culture, cells obtained by centrifuging the culture, a dried product of the cells, a freeze-dried product of the cells, a surfactant-treated product of the cells, an ultrasonic-treated product of the cells, a mechanically disrupted product of the cells, a solvent-treated product of the cells, an enzyme-treated product of the cells, a protein fraction of the cells, an immobilized product of the cells and an enzyme preparation obtained by extracting from the cells,

wherein the acceptor complex carbohydrate comprises an oligosaccharide having galactose in its non-reducing terminal.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the cell is a microorganism.

3. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the microorganism is Escherichia coli.

4. The process according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the oligosaccharide having galactose in the non-reducing terminal is selected from the group consisting of lactose, N-acetyllactosamine, lacto-N-tetraose, para-lacto-N-neohexaose and lacto-N-neotetraose.

5. A process for producing a galactose-containing complex carbohydrate, which comprises:

allowing (i) a culture of a cell which comprises a recombinant DNA comprising (a) a DNA comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, or (b) a DNA which hybridizes on a filter with a DNA comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 at 65° C. in the presence of 0.7-1.0 mol/l NaCl followed by washing the filter with 0.1× to 2×SSC solution at 65° C., and encodes a protein having α x 1,4-galactosyltransferase activity, or a treated product of the culture as an enzyme source, (ii) uridine-5′-diphosphogalactose and (iii) an acceptor complex carbohydrate to be present in an aqueous medium to produce and accumulate the galactose-containing complex carbohydrate in the aqueous medium; and

recovering the galactose-containing complex carbohydrate from the aqueous medium,

wherein the treated product of the culture is selected from the group consisting of a concentrated product of the culture, a dried product of the culture, cells obtained by centrifuging the culture, a dried product of the cells, a freeze-dried product of the cells, a surfactant-treated product of the cells, an ultrasonic-treated product of the cells, a mechanically disrupted product of the cells, a solvent-treated product of the cells, an enzyme-treated product of the cells, a protein fraction of the cells, an immobilized product of the cells and an enzyme preparation obtained by extracting from the cells, and

wherein the acceptor complex carbohydrate comprises an oligosaccharide having galactose in its non-reducing terminal.

6. The process according to claim 5 , wherein the cell is a microorganism.

7. The process according to claim 6 , wherein the microorganism is Escherichia coli.

8. The process according to any one of claims 5 to 7 , wherein the oligosaccharide having galactose in the non-reducing terminal is selected from the group consisting of lactose, N-acetyllactosamine, lacto-N-tetraose, para-lacto-N-neohexaose and lacto-N-neotetraose.