Process for the production of dipeptides by a dipeptide-synthesizing enzyme

1. A process for producing a dipeptide which comprises the steps of:

obtaining an isolated protein having dipeptide-synthesizing activity according to any of the following [1] to [3]: [1] a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, [2] a protein consisting of an amino acid sequence wherein at most twenty amino acid residues are deleted, substituted or added as compared to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, or [3] a protein consisting of an amino acid sequence which has 90% or more homology to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1;

combining the isolated protein and one or more kinds of amino acids in an aqueous medium, wherein said one or more kinds of amino acids are selected from the group consisting of L-amino acids, glycine and β-alanine, at least one of said amino acids being an L-amino acid;

allowing the dipeptide to form and accumulate in the medium; and

recovering the dipeptide from the medium, wherein

said dipeptide consists of two members independently selected from the group consisting of L-amino acids, glycine and β-alanine, at least one of said two members being said L-amino acid.

2. A process for producing a dipeptide which comprises the steps of:

obtaining an isolated transformed cell transformed with exogenous recombinant DNA encoding a protein having dipeptide-synthesizing activity according to any of the following [1] to [3]: [1] a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, [2] a protein consisting of an amino acid sequence wherein at most twenty amino acid residues are deleted, substituted or added as compared to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, or [3] a protein consisting of an amino acid sequence which has 90% or more homology to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1;

combining a culture of the transformant or a treated matter of the culture, said treated matter retaining said protein having said dipeptide-synthesizing activity, and one or more kinds of amino acids in an aqueous medium, wherein said one or more kinds of amino acids are selected from the group consisting of L-amino acids, glycine and β-alanine, at least one of said amino acids being an L-amino acid;

allowing the dipeptide to form and accumulate in the medium; and

recovering the dipeptide from the medium, wherein

the treated matter of the culture is a concentrated culture, a dried culture, cells obtained by centrifuging or filtering the culture, dried cells, freeze-dried cells, surfactant-treated cells, solvent-treated cells, enzyme-treated cells, immobilized cells, ultrasonicated cells, cells treated with mechanical friction or enzyme extracts obtained therefrom, and

said dipeptide consists of two members independently selected from the group consisting of L-amino acids, glycine and β-alanine, at least one of said two members being said L-amino acid.

3. The process according to claim 2 , wherein said DNA has the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:10.

4. The process according to claim 2 , wherein said DNA hybridizes with the full complementary sequence of SEQ ID NO:10 in a solution comprising 50% formamide, 5×SSC, 50 mM sodium phosphate, (pH 7.6), 5×Denhardt's solution, 10% dextran sulfate and 20 μg/l denatured salmon sperm DNA at 42° C. overnight followed by washing with 0.2×SSC at 65° C., and which encodes a protein having dipeptide-synthesizing activity.

5. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the transformant is a microorganism belonging to the genus Escherichia.

6. The process according to any one of claim 1 to 4 or 5 , wherein said one or more kinds of amino acids are:

(i) a combination of L-Ala and an amino acid selected from the group consisting of L-Ala, L-Gln, L-Glu, Gly, L-Val, L-Leu, L-Ile, L-Pro, L-Phe, L-Trp, L-Met, L-Ser, L-Thr, L-Cys, L-Asn, L-Tyr, L-Lys, L-Arg, L-His, L-Asp and β-Ala;

(ii) a combination of L-Gln and an amino acid selected from the group consisting of Gly, L-Val, L-Ile, L-Phe, L-Met, L-Ser, L-Thr, L-Cys and L-His;

(iii) a combination of L-Glu and an amino acid selected from the group consisting of L-Phe, L-Met, L-Ser, L-Cys and L-His;

(iv) a combination of Gly and an amino acid selected from the group consisting of L-Phe, L-Met, L-Ser, L-Cys and L-His;

(v) a combination of L-Val and an amino acid selected from the group consisting of L-Phe, L-Met, L-Ser, L-Cys, L-Asn and L-His;

(vi) a combination of L-Leu and an amino acid selected from the group consisting of L-Phe, L-Met, L-Ser, L-Cys and L-His;

(vii) a combination of L-Ile and an amino acid selected from the group consisting of L-Phe, L-Met, L-Ser, L-Cys and L-His;

(viii) a combination of L-Pro and an amino acid selected from the group consisting of L-Phe, L-Met, L-Ser, L-Cys and L-His;

(ix) a combination of L-Phe and an amino acid selected from the group consisting of L-Phe, L-Trp, L-Met, L-Ser, L-Thr, L-Cys, L-Asn, L-Lys, L-Arg, L-His, L-Asp and β-Ala;

(x) a combination of L-Trp and L-Cys;

(xi) a combination of L-Met and an amino acid selected from the group consisting of L-Met, L-Ser, L-Thr, L-Cys, L-Asn, L-Lys, L-Arg, L-His, L-Asp and β-Ala;

(xii) a combination of L-Ser and an amino acid selected from the group consisting of L-Met, L-Ser, L-Thr, L-Cys, L-Asn, L-Lys, L-Arg, L-His and β-Ala;

(xiii) a combination of L-Thr and an amino acid selected from the group consisting of L-Cys, L-His and β-Ala;

(xiv) a combination of L-Cys and an amino acid selected from the group consisting of L-Cys, L-Asn, L-Lys, L-Arg, L-His, L-Asp and β-Ala;

(xv) a combination of L-Asn and L-His;

(xvi) a combination of L-Lys and L-His;

(xvii) a combination of L-Arg and L-His; and

(xviii) a combination of L-His and an amino acid selected from the group consisting of L-His, L-Asp and β-Ala.