What is claimed is:
1. A process for producing N-acetylneuraminic acid which comprises:
allowing (i) a culture of a microorganism having N-acetylneuraminic acid aldolase activity or N-acetylneuraminic acid synthetase activity, or a treated matter of the culture, (ii) a culture of a microorganism capable of producing pyruvic acid or a treated matter of the culture when a microorganism having N-acetylneuraminic acid aldolase activity is used in (i) above, or a culture of a microorganism capable of producing phosphoenolpyruvic acid or a treated matter of the culture when a microorganism having N-acetylneuraminic acid synthetase activity is used in (i) above, (iii) N-acetylmannosamine, and (iv) an energy source which is necessary for the formation of pyruvic acid or phosphoenolpyruvic acid to be present in an aqueous medium to form and accumulate N-acetylneuraminic acid in the aqueous medium; and recovering N-acetylneuraminic acid from the aqueous medium.
2. The process according to claim 1, wherein said N-acetylmannosamine is produced by allowing a culture of a microorganism having N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase activity or a treated matter of the culture and N-acetylglucosamine to be present in an aqueous medium to form and accumulate N-acetylmannosamine in the aqueous medium.
3. The process according to claim 2, wherein said microorganism having N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase activity carries a recombinant DNA composed of a DNA fragment comprising DNA encoding N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase and a vector.
4. The process according to claim 3, wherein said DNA encoding N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase is DNA derived from a microorganism belonging to the genus Synechocystis.
5. The process according to claim 3 or 4, wherein said DNA encoding N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase is selected from the group consisting of:
(a) DNA encoding a protein having the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 1; and
(b) DNA having the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2.
6. The process according to any of claims 1-5, wherein said microorganism having N-acetylneuraminic acid aldolase activity is a microorganism belonging to the genus Escherichia or Corynebacterium.
7. The process according to any of claims 1-6, wherein said microorganism having N-acetylneuraminic acid synthetase activity is a microorganism belonging to a genus selected from the group consisting of Escherichia, Neisseria and Streptococcus.
8. The process according to any of claims 1-7 wherein said microorganism capable of producing pyruvic acid is a microorganism belonging to a genus selected from the group consisting of Escherichia, Corynebacterium and Saccharomyces.
9. The process according to any of claims 1-8, wherein said microorganism capable of producing phosphoenolpyruvic acid is a microorganism belonging to a genus selected from the group consisting of Escherichia, Corynebacterium and Saccharomyces.
10. The process according to any of claims 6-9, wherein said microorganism belonging to the genus Escherichia is Escherichia coli.
11. The process according to claim 6, 8 or 9, wherein said microorganism belonging to the genus Corynebacterium is Corynebacterium ammoniagenes, Corynebacterium glutamicum or Corynebacterium acetoacidophilum.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A water-soluble glass composition comprising: 10 to 75 mole % P205,
Over 20 to 50 mole % alkali metal oxide,
up to 40 mole % Zn0 and,
up to 40 mole % Bi203, the mole ratio of zinc to bismuth in the composition is in the range from 1:100 to 100:1 and wherein the composition releases zinc and bismuth during a dishwashing cycle in an amount enough to ensure glassware corrosion protection.
2. (canceled)
3. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the composition comprises 25 to 40 mole %, of an alkali metal oxide.
4. (canceled)
5. A composition according to claim 3, wherein the alkali metal oxide is one or more of: Li20, Na20, K20.
6. A composition according claim 1, wherein the composition comprises less than 10 mole %, of an alkaline earth oxide.
7. A composition according to claim 6, wherein the alkaline earth oxide is calcium oxide (Ca0).
8. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the composition comprises a refining agent.
9. A composition according to claim 8, wherein the refining agent comprises less than 10 mole % of the composition.
10. A composition according to claim 8, wherein the refining agent is a sulphateoxide or antimony, arsenic, cerium, manganese or an admixture thereof.
11. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the composition comprises an oxide of an element from the group consisting of silicon, germanium, tin and lead.
12. A composition according to claim 11, wherein the amount of the silicon, germanium, tin or lead oxide is less than 10 mole %.
13. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the composition comprises an oxide of an element from the group consisting of gallium, aluminium and boron.
14. A composition according to claim 11, wherein the amount of the gallium, aluminium or boron oxide is preferably from 0.1 to 10 mole %.
15. A composition comprising:
from 41 to 54 mole % of P2O5,
from 20 to 30 mole % of alkali oxides,
up to 5 mole % of SO3,
from 15 to 25 mole % of ZnO,
from 0.2 to 1.5 mole % Bi203,
less than 3 mole % of alkaline-earth oxides, and,
from 0.3 to 3 mole % of oxides of elements selected from the group consisting of silicon, aluminium and boron.
16. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the composition is in the form of a shaped body.
17. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the composition is in a comminuted form.
18. (canceled)
19. (canceled)