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pH Dependence (ph + dependence)
Selected AbstractsIron(III) Chelation: Tuning of the pH Dependence by Mixed LigandsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 14 2003Anne-Marie Albrecht-Gary Abstract The iron(III) chelating properties of two heteropodands with 8-hydroxyquinoline and catechol binding groups were examined and compared to those of the corresponding homopodal analogues, O-TRENSOX and TRENCAMS. Like the parent homopodands, the two heteropodands are based on the TREN scaffold and the chelating units are connected by amide groups, TRENSOX2CAMS having two 8-hydroxyquinoline and one catechol arms and TRENSOXCAMS2 one 8-hydroxyquinoline and two catechol moieties. The aqueous coordination chemistry of these ligands was examined by potentiometric and spectrophotometric methods in combination with 1H NMR spectroscopy. The respective pFeIII values showed a cooperative effect of the mixed chelating units. Moreover, the pFeIII dependence on pH showed that the mixed ligands exhibit a higher complexing ability than the parent ligands over the pH range 5,9 which is of biological relevance. This result could be of great interest for medical applications. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2003) [source] Determination of physicochemical properties of tetrabromobisphenol AENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 12 2008Hidetoshi Kuramochi Abstract Aqueous solubility (Sw), 1-octanol/water partition coefficient (KOW), and vapor pressure of the nonionic form of 2,2,,6,6,-tetrabromo-4,4,-isopropylidenediphenol (tetrabromobisphenol A or TBBP-A) were measured. From this, enthalpies of solution and vaporization were estimated. Furthermore, enthalpy of fusion and melting point were measured to estimate subcooled liquid vapor pressure, the infinite dilution activity coefficient, and Henry's law constant. Since TBBP-A is expected to exit in both ionic and nonionic forms at near neutral pH, pH effects on physicochemical properties were also examined. Because of the ionization of TBBP-A, Sw increased by five orders of magnitude, while KOW decreased by eight orders of magnitude. Furthermore, an analytical model based on mass balance and dissociation of TBBP-A was applied to represent the pH dependence. [source] The effect of pH and ionic strength on the sorption of sulfachloropyridazine, tylosin, and oxytetracycline to soilENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 4 2006Thomas L. ter Laak Abstract Antimicrobial agents are the most heavily used pharmaceuticals in intensive husbandry. Their usual discharge pathway is application to agricultural land as constituents of animal manure, which is used as fertilizer. Many of these compounds undergo pH-dependent speciation and, therefore, might occur as charged species in the soil environment. Hence, pH and ionic strength of the soil suspension can affect the sorption behavior of these compounds to soil. Consequently, the soil sorption of three antimicrobial agents,sulfachloropyridazine (SCP), tylosin (TYL), and oxytetracycline (OTC),was investigated. Their respective sorption coefficients in two agricultural soils ranged from 1.5 to 1,800 L/kg. Sorption coefficients were greater under acidic conditions. Addition of an electrolyte to the solution led to decreased sorption of TYL and OTC by a factor of 3 to 20, but it did not influence the sorption of SCP. This behavior was analyzed by accounting for the pH-dependent speciation of TYL and OTC and considering the presence of OTC-calcium complexes. It appears that the decreased sorption of TYL and OTC with increasing ionic strength results from competition of the electrolyte cations with the positively charged TYL species and the positively charged OTC complexes. A model linking sorbate speciation with species-specific sorption coefficients can describe the pH dependence of the apparent sorption coefficients. This modeling approach is proposed for implementation in the assessment of sorption of ionizable compounds. [source] Acute toxicity of (chloro-)catechols and (chloro-)catechol-copper combinations in Escherichia coli corresponds to their membrane toxicity in vitroENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 2 2001Nina Schweigert Abstract (Chloro-)catechols are toxic for bacteria and higher organisms, but the mode of action is not yet clearly understood. We have compared the acute toxicity of different chlorinated catechols to Escherichia coli with membrane toxic effects, namely narcosis and uncoupling that we have determined in an in vitro assay. In vitro membrane toxicity was quantified by measuring the accelerated decay of the membrane potential of chromatophores isolated from Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Both acute and membrane toxicity increased with increasing degree of chlorination. Analysis of dose-response curves, pH dependence, and estimated membrane concentrations gave a consistent picture of the mechanisms of membrane toxicity: At pH 7, the higher-chlorinated catechols acted as uncouplers of oxidative and photophosphorylation, and the lower-chlorinated catechols and catechol acted as narcotics. In the case of 3,5-dichlorocatechol and 4-monochlorocatechol at pH 8.8, both mechanisms appeared to contribute to the overall toxicity. Copper exhibited a diverging effect on the toxicity of catechols and of (chloro-)catechols to E. coli. Whereas the presence of copper increased the toxicity of catechol and 4-monochlorocatechol, the toxicity of 3,5-dichlorocatechol, 3,4,5-trichlorocatechol, and tetrachlorocatechol decreased. Again, the results obtained with in vitro assays agreed with the acute toxicity observed in E. coli: The presence of copper accelerated decay of the membrane potential of catechol and 4-monochlorocatechol; however, the effect was reversed by copper in experiments with 3,5-dichlorocatechol, 3,4,5-trichlorocatechol, and tetrachlorocatechol. We have proposed a mechanistic model to explain the diverging effects of copper on the uncoupling activities of the different catechols. [source] Total Synthesis without Protection: Three-Step Synthesis of Optically Active Clavicipitic Acids by a Biomimetic RouteEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 6 2004Yuusaku Yokoyama Abstract A three-step synthesis of a mixture of optically active cis - and trans -clavicipitic acids 6, which are ergot alkaloids, was achieved, starting from 4-bromoindole (7) and dl -serine (dl - 2). This short synthesis was made possible by omitting the protection and deprotection steps from the synthetic route. The key step was the spontaneous cyclization of 4-vinyltryptophan (10) formed from the Heck reaction of 4-bromotryptophan (8) with 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol (9) in aqueous media. During this investigation, we also found that the palladium-catalyzed reaction of 8 with 9 showed an interesting pH dependence; under strongly basic conditions, the Heck reaction occurred to give a C4 -vinylated product 10, whereas an N -allylated product 19b was formed under neutral or weakly basic conditions. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2004) [source] Partitioning of metals (Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn) in soils: concepts, methodologies, prediction and applications , a reviewEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 4 2009F. Degryse Summary Prediction of the fate of metals in soil requires knowledge of their solid,liquid partitioning. This paper reviews analytical methods and models for measuring or predicting the solid,liquid partitioning of metals in aerobic soils, and collates experimental data. The partitioning is often expressed with an empirical distribution coefficient or Kd, which gives the ratio of the concentration in the solid phase to that in the solution phase. The Kd value of a metal reflects the net effect of various reactions in the solid and liquid phases and varies by orders of magnitude among soils. The Kd value can be derived from the solid,liquid distribution of added metal or that of the soil-borne metal. Only part of the solid-phase metal is rapidly exchangeable with the solution phase. Various methods have been developed to quantify this ,labile' phase, and Kd values based on this phase often correlate better with soil properties than Kd values based on total concentration, and are more appropriate to express metal ion buffering in solute transport models. The in situ soil solution is the preferred solution phase for Kd determinations. Alternatively, water or dilute-salt extracts can be used, but these may underestimate in situ concentrations of dissolved metals because of dilution of metal-complexing ligands such as dissolved organic matter. Multi-surface models and empirical models have been proposed to predict metal partitioning from soil properties. Though soil pH is the most important soil property determining the retention of the free metal ion, Kd values based on total dissolved metal in solution may show little pH dependence for metal ions that have strong affinity for dissolved organic matter. The Kd coefficient is used as an equilibrium constant in risk assessment models. However, slow dissociation of metal complexes in solution and slow exchange of metals between labile and non-labile pools in the solid phase may invalidate this equilibrium assumption. [source] Substrate specificity and inhibition of brassinin hydrolases, detoxifying enzymes from the plant pathogens Leptosphaeria maculans and Alternaria brassicicolaFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 24 2009M. Soledade C. Pedras Blackleg (Leptosphaeria maculans and Leptosphaeria biglobosa) and black spot (Alternaria brassicicola) fungi are devastating plant pathogens known to detoxify the plant defence metabolite, brassinin. The significant roles of brassinin as a crucifer phytoalexin and as a biosynthetic precursor of several other plant defences make it important in plant fitness. Brassinin detoxifying enzymes produced by L. maculans and A. brassicicola catalyse the detoxification of brassinin by hydrolysis of its dithiocarbamate group to indolyl-3-methanamine. The purification and characterization of brassinin hydrolases produced by L. maculans (BHLmL2) and A. brassicicola (BHAb) were accomplished: native BHLmL2 was found to be a tetrameric protein with a molecular mass of 220 kDa, whereas native BHAb was found to be a dimeric protein of 120 kDa. Protein characterization using LC-MS/MS and sequence alignment analyses suggested that both enzymes belong to the family of amidases with the catalytic Ser/Ser/Lys triad. Furthermore, chemical modification of BHLmL2 and BHAb with selective reagents suggested that the amino acid serine was involved in the catalytic activity of both enzymes. The overall results indicated that BHs have new substrate specificities with a new catalytic activity that can be designated as dithiocarbamate hydrolase. Investigation of the effect of various phytoalexins on the activities of BHLmL2 and BHAb indicated that cyclobrassinin was a competitive inhibitor of both enzymes. On the basis of pH dependence, sequence analyses, chemical modifications of amino acid residues and identification of headspace volatiles, a chemical mechanism for hydrolysis of the dithiocarbamate group of brassinin catalysed by BHLmL2 and BHAb is proposed. The current information should facilitate the design of specific synthetic inhibitors of these enzymes for plant treatments against blackleg and black spot fungal infections. [source] The phosphate site of trehalose phosphorylase from Schizophyllum commune probed by site-directed mutagenesis and chemical rescue studiesFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 5 2008Christiane Goedl Schizophyllum commune,,,-trehalose phosphorylase utilizes a glycosyltransferase-like catalytic mechanism to convert its disaccharide substrate into ,- d -glucose 1-phosphate and ,- d -glucose. Recruitment of phosphate by the free enzyme induces ,,,-trehalose binding recognition and promotes the catalytic steps. Like the structurally related glycogen phosphorylase and other retaining glycosyltransferases of fold family GT-B, the trehalose phosphorylase contains an Arg507-XXXX-Lys512 consensus motif (where X is any amino acid) comprising key residues of its putative phosphate-binding sub-site. Loss of wild-type catalytic efficiency for reaction with phosphate (kcat/Km = 21 000 m,1·s,1) was dramatic (,107 -fold) in purified Arg507,Ala (R507A) and Lys512,Ala (K512A) enzymes, reflecting a corresponding change of comparable magnitude in kcat (Arg507) and Km (Lys512). External amine and guanidine derivatives selectively enhanced the activity of the K512A mutant and the R507A mutant respectively. Analysis of the pH dependence of chemical rescue of the K512A mutant by propargylamine suggested that unprotonated amine in combination with H2PO4,, the protonic form of phosphate presumably utilized in enzymatic catalysis, caused restoration of activity. Transition state-like inhibition of the wild-type enzyme A by vanadate in combination with ,,,-trehalose (Ki = 0.4 ,m) was completely disrupted in the R507A mutant but only weakened in the K512A mutant (Ki = 300 ,m). Phosphate (50 mm) enhanced the basal hydrolase activity of the K512A mutant toward ,,,-trehalose by 60% but caused its total suppression in wild-type and R507A enzymes. The results portray differential roles for the side chains of Lys512 and Arg507 in trehalose phosphorylase catalysis, reactant state binding of phosphate and selective stabilization of the transition state respectively. [source] Oxygen binding and its allosteric control in hemoglobin of the primitive branchiopod crustacean Triops cancriformisFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 13 2007Ralph Pirow Branchiopod crustaceans are endowed with extracellular, high-molecular-mass hemoglobins (Hbs), the functional and allosteric properties of which have largely remained obscure. The Hb of the phylogenetically ancient Triops cancriformis (Notostraca) revealed moderate oxygen affinity, cooperativity and pH dependence (Bohr effect) coefficients: P50 = 13.3 mmHg, n50 = 2.3, and , = ,0.18, at 20 °C and pH 7.44 in Tris buffer. The in vivo hemolymph pH was 7.52. Bivalent cations increased oxygen affinity, Mg2+ exerting a greater effect than Ca2+. Analysis of cooperative oxygen binding in terms of the nested Monod,Wyman,Changeux (MWC) model revealed an allosteric unit of four oxygen-binding sites and functional coupling of two to three allosteric units. The predicted 2 × 4 and 3 × 4 nested structures are in accord with stoichiometric models of the quarternary structure. The allosteric control mechanism of protons comprises a left shift of the upper asymptote of extended Hill plots which is ascribable to the displacement of the equilibrium between (at least) two high-affinity (relaxed) states, similar to that found in extracellular annelid and pulmonate molluscan Hbs. Remarkably, Mg2+ ions increased oxygen affinity solely by displacing the equilibrium between the tense and relaxed conformations towards the relaxed states, which accords with the original MWC concept, but appears to be unique among Hbs. This effect is distinctly different from those of ionic effectors (bivalent cations, protons and organic phosphates) on annelid, pulmonate and vertebrate Hbs, which involve changes in the oxygen affinity of the tense and/or relaxed conformations. [source] Conservation and dispersion of sequence and function in fungal TRK potassium transporters: focus on Candida albicansFEMS YEAST RESEARCH, Issue 2 2009Manuel Miranda Abstract TRK proteins , essential potassium (K+) transporters in fungi and bacteria, as well as in plants , are generally absent from animal cells, which makes them potential targets for selective drug action. Indeed, in the human pathogen Candida albicans, the single TRK isoform (CaTrk1p) has recently been demonstrated to be required for activity of histidine-rich salivary antimicrobial peptides (histatins). Background for a detailed molecular investigation of TRK-protein design and function is provided here in sequence analysis and quantitative functional comparison of CaTrk1p with its better-known homologues from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Among C. albicans strains (ATCC 10261, SC5314, WO-1), the DNA sequence is essentially devoid of single nucleotide polymorphisms in regions coding for evolutionarily conserved segments of the protein, meaning the four intramembranal [membrane,pore,membrane (MPM)] segments thought to be involved directly with the conduction of K+ ions. Among 48 fungal (ascomycete) TRK homologues now described by complete sequences, clades (but not the detailed order within clades) appear conserved for all four MPM segments, independently assessed. The primary function of TRK proteins, ,active' transport of K+ ions, is quantitatively conserved between C. albicans and S. cerevisiae. However, the secondary function, chloride efflux channeling, is present but poorly conserved between the two species, being highly variant with respect to activation velocity, amplitude, flickering (channel-like) behavior, pH dependence, and inhibitor sensitivity. [source] Titration and Assignment of Residues that Regulate the Enantioselectivity of Phenylacetone MonooxygenaseADVANCED SYNTHESIS & CATALYSIS (PREVIOUSLY: JOURNAL FUER PRAKTISCHE CHEMIE), Issue 8-9 2007Francesca Zambianchi Abstract Phenylacetone monooxygense (PAMO) from Thermobifida fusca was employed for the asymmetric oxidation of thioanisole (sulfooxidation) and of racemic 2-phenylpropionaldehyde (Baeyer,Villiger oxidation). A pH dependence of enantioselectivity was observed in both cases. Two different residues, with pKa values of 7.8±0.2 and 9.2±0.2, appeared to be responsible for the pH effects on PAMO enantioselectivity. The protonation of Arg337 and the FAD:C4a-hydroperoxide/FAD:C4a-peroxide equilibrium were identified as the major factors responsible for the fine-tuning of PAMO enantioselectivity in Baeyer,Villiger oxidation and sulfooxidation, respectively. [source] Purification and characterization of tannin acyl hydrolase from Aspergillus niger MTCC 2425JOURNAL OF BASIC MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 6 2003Rita Bhardwaj The present investigation was carried out for increasing the yield of tannase of Aspergillus niger and the physico-chemical characterization of this enzyme. Homogenization and detergent pretreatments did not have any remarkable effect on the extraction of enzyme protein. However, extraction of fungal pigments and proteins was observed to have high pH dependence, and maximum enzyme extraction was obtained at pH 5.5. The two-step purification protocol gave 51-fold purified enzyme with a yield of 20%. The total tannase activity was made up of nearly equal activity of esterase and depsidase. Sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of purified tannase protein indicated it to be made up of two polypeptides of molecular weight 102 and 83 kDa. Based on the Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) of tannase for three substrates tested, tannic acid was the best substrate with Km of 2.8 × 10,4M, followed by methyl gallate and propyl gallate. The inhibition was maximum for CaCl2 (58%) whereas EDTA had no modulatory effect on tannase activity. The inhibitor binding constant (KI) of CaCl2 was 5.9 × 10,4M and the inhibition was of noncompetitive type. [source] Sorption of copper by a highly mineralized peat in batch and packed-bed systemsJOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 2 2010Marta Izquierdo Abstract BACKGROUND: The performance of peat for copper sorption was investigated in batch and fixed-bed experiments. The effect of pH was evaluated in batch experiments and the experimental data were fitted to an equilibrium model including pH dependence. Hydrodynamic axial dispersion was estimated by tracing experiments using LiCl as a tracer. Six fixed-bed experiments were carried out at copper concentrations between 1 and 60 mg dm,3 and the adsorption isotherm in dynamic mode was obtained. A mass transport model including convection,dispersion and sorption processes was applied for breakthrough curve modelling. RESULTS: Maximum uptake capacities in batch mode were 22.0, 36.4, and 43.7 mg g,1 for pH values of 4.0, 5.0, and 6.0, respectively. Uptake capacities in continuous flow systems varied from 36.5 to 43.4 mg g,1 for copper concentrations between 1 and 60 mg dm,3. Dynamic and batch isotherms showed different shapes but a similar maximum uptake capacity. Sorbent regeneration was successfully performed with HCl. A potential relationship between dispersion coefficient and velocity was obtained with dispersion coefficients between 5.00 × 10,8 and 2.95 × 10,6 m2 s,1 for water velocities ranging between 0.56 × 10,4 and 5.03 × 10,4 m s,1. The mass transport model predicted both the breakpoints and the shape of the breakthrough curves. CONCLUSIONS: High retention capacities indicate that peat can be used as an effective sorbent for the treatment of wastewater containing copper ions. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Stability and hydrolysis kinetics of spirosuccinimide type inhibitors of aldose reductase in aqueous solution and retardation of their hydrolysis by the target enzymeJOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, Issue 4 2008Masuo Kurono Abstract The stability and the hydrolysis kinetics of spirosuccinimide type aldose reductase (AR) inhibitors, SX-3030 (racemate) and its optical enantiomers (R - and S -isomers), were investigated in aqueous solution. The hydrolysis followed pseudo-first-order kinetics and showed significant pH dependence. Maximum solution stability was observed below pH 2.4, whereas the hydrolysis was gradually catalyzed by hydroxide ion at neutral to alkaline pH while the compounds exhibiting moderate pH-independent stability at acidic to neutral conditions (pH 4,7) to enable oral administration. A pK of 3.7 was obtained from the pH-rate profile, but this kinetically derived pK is approximately 2 pH units below the pK of the parent compounds, suggesting the presence of an acidic intermediate involved in the hydrolysis process. These findings, together with structural analysis, support the notion that the hydrolysis would proceed via nucleophilic attack of a water molecule or hydroxide ion on the scissile carbonyl bond of the succinimide ring to form a succinamic acid intermediate that has a ,-keto acid structure, followed by decarboxylation to give a racemized succinimide ring-opened product. On the other hand, the interconversion of the R - and S -isomers did not occur during hydrolysis; however, the hydrolysis of the R -isomer was markedly suppressed by the target enzyme AR whereas that of the S -isomer was not, indicating a high degree of complementarity of interacting surfaces between the R -isomer and the enzyme. The results in the present study could provide useful clues for facilitating the appropriate stabilization strategies as well as for evaluating the pharmacological effects on target tissues in vivo, and suggested that the R -isomer may be a suitable candidate as AR inhibitor. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 97:1468,1483, 2008 [source] High-throughput determination of the free fraction of drugs strongly bound to plasma proteinsJOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, Issue 4 2004Joachim Schuhmacher Abstract Quantification of protein binding of new chemical entities is an important early screening step during drug discovery and is of fundamental interest for the estimation of safety margins during drug development. In this publication, we describe the development of a new high-throughput assay for the determination of the free drug fraction in plasma (fu). The new technique is an enhancement of the previously published erythrocytes partition method. It is based on the distribution of drugs between plasma water, plasma proteins, and solid-supported lipid membranes (Transil®). The execution of protein binding studies by partitioning is dramatically simplified by substituting erythrocytes with commercially available Transil® beads, and makes the method particularly suitable for high-throughput studies. Eight Bayer compounds from different compound classes covering a wide range of lipophilicities (log P,=,1.9,5.6) and fu values (0.018,35%) were selected for validation of the assay. The results obtained by the new method and by either the erythrocytes partitioning technique or more conventional methods (ultrafiltration and equilibrium dialysis) are identical, confirming that the new method produces valid results even for drugs that are strongly bound to plasma proteins. Precision and accuracy of the data in the cases of very low and high fu values are comparable, indicating that the method is especially suited for highly lipophilic drugs that tend to adsorb to surfaces compared with other methods, like ultrafiltration or equilibrium dialysis, that may produce biased data. The method is also useful for the determination of binding parameters and the pH dependence of fu. In summary, this assay is well suited for high-throughput determination of protein binding during drug discovery and for extended protein binding studies during drug development. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 93: 816,830, 2004 [source] Chemical synthesis and electric properties of the conducting copolymer of aniline and o -aminophenolJOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE (IN TWO SECTIONS), Issue 23 2007Jing Zhang Abstract A copolymer, poly(aniline- co-o -aminophenol), was prepared chemically by using ammonium peroxydisulfate as an oxidant. The monomer concentration ratio of o -aminophenol to aniline strongly influences the copolymerization rate and properties of the copolymer. The optimum composition of a mixture for the chemical copolymerization consisted of 0.3 M aniline, 0.021 M o -aminophenol, 0.42 M ammonium peroxydisulfate, and 2 M H2SO4. The result of cyclic voltammograms in a potential region of ,0.20 to 0.80 V (vs.SCE) indicates that the electrochemical activity of the copolymer prepared under the optimum condition is similar to that of polyaniline in more acid solutions. However, the copolymer still holds the good electrochemical activity until pH 11.0. Therefore, the pH dependence of the electrochemical property of the copolymer is improved, compared with poly(aniline- co-o -aminophenol) prepared electrochemically, and is much better than that of polyaniline. The spectra of IR and 1H NMR confirm that o -aminophenol units are included in the copolymer chain, which play a key role in extending the usable pH region of the copolymer. The visible spectra of the copolymers show that a high concentration ratio of o -aminophenol to aniline in a mixture inhibits the chain growth. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 5573,5582, 2007 [source] Surface-enhanced resonance Raman spectroscopy of rifamycins on silver nanoparticles: insight into their adsorption mechanismsJOURNAL OF RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY, Issue 9 2006Barry D. Howes Abstract Three widely used antibiotics from the rifamycin family, rifamycin SV sodium salt, rifampicin and rifaximin, have been characterized by resonance Raman (RR) and surface-enhanced resonance Raman spectroscopy (SERRS). SERRS spectra were recorded using aqueous silver colloidal dispersions prepared with two reducing agents, sodium borohydride and hydroxylamine hydrochloride, for a range of pH values to identify the SERRS-active substrate surface most suitable for each of the three antibiotics. Rifampicin was found to give intense SERRS signals only for the borohydride-reduced colloid and only at pH < 7.7, whereas the hydroxylamine HCl-reduced colloid was the best substrate for rifaximin, giving considerably more intense SERRS spectra than the borohydride colloid. SERRS spectra of rifaximin were observed only at pH < 7.0. It is proposed that the marked pH dependence of the SERRS enhancement results from a transition from an anionic to a neutral zwitterionic state. SERRS spectra of rifamycin SV were not observed for any experimental conditions. The antibiotics display remarkably contrasting SERRS behaviour, reflecting differences in the nature of the substituent groups on the chromophore ring. A vibrational assignment of the RR spectra and detailed comparison between the RR and SERRS data have given insight into the mechanism of adsorption of the antibiotics onto the Ag surface. Rifampicin and rifaximin adsorb adopting an approximately similar vertical orientation of the chromophore ring with respect to the surface; however, rifampicin adsorbs by direct chemical interaction with the Ag whereas rifaximin does not form a direct bond with the Ag surface. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Theoretical Defect Energetics in Calcium Phosphate BioceramicsJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 1 2010Katsuyuki Matsunaga Vacancies, impurities, and foreign ions dissolving in calcium phosphate bioceramics play an important role in the biological properties of the materials. However, little is known about the thermodynamic stability of the defects. In this regard, point defects in hydroxyapatite (HAp) and octacalcium phosphate (OCP) were calculated in a first-principles manner, and the chemical-potential dependence of the defect formation energies was revealed. In particular, because calcium phosphates are usually subjected to an aqueous solution, a methodology to evaluate ionic chemical potentials under chemical equilibrium of the solid,aqueous solution was introduced. In the present article, recent results based on such a methodology (the solution pH dependence of Ca/P molar ratio of HAp and the ion-exchange ability with foreign cations in HAp and OCP) were reviewed. [source] Effect of Polycarboxylate Blocks on the Amidase Activity of Trypsin through Complexation with PEG/Polycarboxylate Block IonomersMACROMOLECULAR BIOSCIENCE, Issue 3 2007Atsushi Harada Abstract The amidase reaction of trypsin, which is a member of the serine proteinase family, is accelerated by its complexation with block ionomers containing a polycarboxylate block, such as PEG-PAA, PEG-PGA, or PEG-PMA. PEG-PAA and PEG-PGA had similar effects, causing an increase in the kcat value and a shift in the pH profile to a lower pH region. On the other hand, PEG-PMA showed not only an increase in the kcat value, but also a decrease in the activation energy; however, there was no shift in the pH dependence of the initial reaction rate. Such differences might be induced by the difference in pKa values of the polycarboxylate block in block ionomers. [source] Cation/proton antiporter complements of bacteria: why so large and diverse?MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2009Terry A. Krulwich Summary Most bacterial genomes have five to nine distinct genes predicted to encode transporters that exchange cytoplasmic Na+ and/or K+ for H+ from outside the cell, i.e. monovalent cation/proton antiporters. By contrast, pathogens that live primarily inside host cells usually possess zero to one such antiporter while other stress-exposed bacteria exhibit even higher numbers. The monovalent cation/proton antiporters encoded by these diverse genes fall into at least eight different transporter protein families based on sequence similarity. They enable bacteria to meet challenges of high or fluctuating pH, salt, temperature or osmolarity, but we lack explanations for why so many antiporters are needed and for the value added by specific antiporter types in specific settings. In this issue of Molecular Microbiology, analyses of the pH dependence of cytoplasmic [Na+], [K+], pH and transmembrane electrical potential in the ,poly extremophile'Natranaerobius thermophilus are the context for assessment of the catalytic properties of 12 predicted monovalent cation/proton antiporters in the genome of this thermophilic haloalkaliphile. The results provide a profile of adaptations of the poly extremophilic anaerobe, including a proposed role of cytoplasmic buffering capacity. They also provide new perspectives on two large monovalent cation/proton antiporter families, the NhaC and the cation/proton antiporter-3 antiporter families. [source] The Photoreaction of the Photoactive Yellow Protein Domain in the Light Sensor Histidine Kinase Ppr is Influenced by the C-terminal Domains,PHOTOCHEMISTRY & PHOTOBIOLOGY, Issue 4 2008Hironari Kamikubo To study the role of the C-terminal domains in the photocycle of a light sensor histidine kinase (Ppr) having a photoactive yellow protein (PYP) domain as the photosensor domain, we analyzed the photocycles of the PYP domain of Ppr (Ppr-PYP) and full-length Ppr. The gene fragment for Ppr-PYP was expressed in Escherichia coli, and it was chemically reconstituted with p- coumaric acid; the full-length gene of Ppr was coexpressed with tyrosine ammonia-lyase and p -coumaric acid ligase for biosynthesis in cells. The light/dark difference spectra of Ppr-PYP were pH sensitive. They were represented as a linear combination of two independent difference spectra analogous to the PYPL/dark and PYPM/dark difference spectra of PYP from Halorhodospira halophila, suggesting that the pH dependence of the difference spectra is explained by the equilibrium shift between the PYPL - and PYPM -like intermediates. The light/dark difference spectrum of Ppr showed the equilibrium shift toward PYPL compared with that of Ppr-PYP. Kinetic measurements of the photocycles of Ppr and Ppr-PYP revealed that the C-terminal domains accelerate the recovery of the dark state. These observations suggest an interaction between the C-terminal domains and the PYP domain during the photocycle, by which light signals captured by the PYP domain are transferred to the C-terminal domains. [source] Rhodopsin Regeneration is Accelerated via Noncovalent 11- cis Retinal,Opsin Complex,A Role of Retinal Binding Pocket of Opsin,PHOTOCHEMISTRY & PHOTOBIOLOGY, Issue 4 2008Hiroyuki Matsumoto The regeneration of bovine rhodopsin from its apoprotein opsin and the prosthetic group 11- cis retinal involves the formation of a retinylidene Schiff base with the , -amino group of the active lysine residue of opsin. The pH dependence of a Schiff base formation in solution follows a typical bell-shaped profile because of the pH dependence of the formation and the following dehydration of a 1-aminoethanol intermediate. Unexpectedly, however, we find that the formation of rhodopsin from 11- cis retinal and opsin does not depend on pH over a wide pH range. These results are interpreted by the Matsumoto and Yoshizawa (Nature258 [1975] 523) model of rhodopsin regeneration in which the 11- cis retinal chromophore binds first to opsin through the , -ionone ring, followed by the slow formation of the retinylidene Schiff base in a restricted space. We find the second-order rate constant of the rhodopsin formation is 6100 ± 300 mol,1 s,1 at 25°C over the pH range 5,10. The second-order rate constant is much greater than that of a model Schiff base in solution by a factor of more than 107. A previous report by Pajares and Rando (J Biol Chem264 [1989] 6804) suggests that the lysyl ,-NH2 group of opsin is protonated when the , -ionone ring binding site is unoccupied. The acceleration of the Schiff base formation in rhodopsin is explained by stabilization of the deprotonated form of the lysyl ,-NH2 group which might be induced when the , -ionone ring binding site is occupied through the noncovalent binding of 11- cis retinal to opsin at the initial stage of rhodopsin regeneration, followed by the proximity and orientation effect rendered by the formation of noncovalent 11- cis retinal,opsin complex. [source] Effect of Digitonin on the Rhodopsin Meta I-Meta II Equilibrium,PHOTOCHEMISTRY & PHOTOBIOLOGY, Issue 4 2005Istvan Szundi ABSTRACT Absorbance difference spectra were recorded from 10 ,s to 540 ms after photoexcitation of sonicated suspensions of hypotonically washed bovine rod outer segments with varying amounts of the detergent digitonin added (0 to 2%) at 20°C. Metarhodopsin I480 and metarhodopsin II displayed the expected anomalous pH dependence at pH 6 and 8 (i.e. opposite to that expected from direct protonation of the chromophore Schiff base). However, increasing levels of digitonin eliminated the pH dependence of the equilibrium, and at 2% digitonin the pH 6 and pH 8 data were both similar to the data collected at pH 8 without digitonin. Addition of 0.5% azolectin restored approximately 50% of the anomalous pH dependence at pH 6 in the 2% digitonin sample. The possibility that digitonin induced large-scale aggregation of rhodopsin in the disk membrane that could be reversed by azolectin was tested using time-resolved linear dichroism. Those results showed that even 0.3% digitonin disrupted the membrane, and no large aggregates were detectable under any conditions. Thus, digitonin reduces the activity of a component of the disk membrane required for metarhodopsin II formation, and that deficiency can be compensated for by azolectin. [source] The Effect of pH on the Topography of Porphyrins in Lipid Membranes,PHOTOCHEMISTRY & PHOTOBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2005Irena Bronshtein ABSTRACT The effect of the acidity of the environment on the topography and photophysics of sensitizer molecules in homogeneous solutions, and when embedded in a lipid microenvironment, was studied. Four hematoporphyrin (HP) analogs were studied, which have chemical "spacers" of varying lengths between the chromophoric tetrapyrrole and the carboxylate moiety. These derivatives have essentially the same chemical attributes and reactivity as the parent compound, HP IX, which is used in clinical procedures of photodynamic therapy. The binding constants of these HP derivatives to membrane model systems increase with the length of carboxylate chain in the pH range 3.0,6.6. This effect of chain length is attributed to an increase in the hydrophobicity of the molecule on elongation of the alkyl chains. A strong pH dependence of the quenching efficiency of the porphyrins' fluorescence by iodide ions was observed in aqueous solution and is attributed to a unique electrostatic interaction between the fluorophore and the quencher. The quenching efficiency in liposomes, relative to the quenching in buffer, as a function of pH, shows that porphyrins in the neutral form penetrate deeper inside the lipid bilayer and are less exposed to external quenching than when negatively charged at the carboxylic moiety. This vertical displacement in the membrane is also evidenced in the effect of pH on the photosensitized oxidation efficiency of a membrane-bound chemical target. Increasing the pH causes a significant decrease in the sensitization efficiency in liposomes. This trend is attributed to the vertical localization, and protonation of the carboxylic groups on lowering the pH leads to sinking of the sensitizer into the lipid bilayer and to a consequent generation of singlet oxygen at a deeper point. This increases the dwell time of singlet oxygen within the bilayer, which results in greater photodamage to a membrane-residing singlet oxygen target. [source] pH-Dependent Spectral Properties of HpIX, TPPS2a, mTHPP and mTHPC,PHOTOCHEMISTRY & PHOTOBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2001Beata, underlíková ABSTRACT Lower extracellular pH in tumors as compared to normal tissues has been proposed to be a factor contributing to the tumor selective uptake of several photosensitizers. Therefore, the pH dependence of absorption and fluorescence spectral properties of four different drugs relevant for photodynamic therapy (hematoporphyrin IX [HpIX], disulfonated meso -tetraphenylporphine [TPPS2a], meso -tetra(3-hydroxyphenyl)porphine [mTHPP] and meso -tetra(3-hydroxyphenyl)chlorin [mTHPC]) has been examined. Spectral analysis of the dyes dissolved in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) indicates pH-dependent modification in the physiologically important region (6.0,8.0) only in the case of HpIX. This modification is probably related to the protonation of carboxylic groups. Spectral changes of HpIX in PBS observed at acidic pH values <5, as well as those of the rest of the drugs (inflection points of titration curves occurred at about 5.1, 3.8 and 2.4 for TPPS2a, mTHPP and mTHPC, respectively), are likely to be due to the protonation of imino nitrogens. The tumor localizing properties of mTHPP and mTHPC reported in the literature appear to be due to factors other than pH-dependent changes in the lipophilicity of the drugs. [source] Folding kinetics and thermodynamics of Pseudomonas syringae effector protein AvrPto provide insight into translocation via the type III secretion systemPROTEIN SCIENCE, Issue 7 2008Jennifer E. Dawson Abstract In order to infect their hosts, many Gram-negative bacteria translocate agents of infection, called effector proteins, through the type III secretion system (TTSS) into the host cytoplasm. This process is thought to require at least partial unfolding of these agents, raising the question of how an effector protein might unfold to enable its translocation and then refold once it reaches the host cytoplasm. AvrPto is a well-studied effector protein of Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato. The presence of a readily observed unfolded population of AvrPto in aqueous solution and the lack of a known secretion chaperone make it ideal for studying the kinetic and thermodynamic characteristics that facilitate translocation. Application of Nzz exchange spectroscopy revealed a global, two-state folding equilibrium with 16% unfolded population, a folding rate of 1.8 s,1, and an unfolding rate of 0.33 s,1 at pH 6.1. TrAvrPto stability increases with increasing pH, with only 2% unfolded population observed at pH 7.0. The R1 relaxation of TrAvrPto, which is sensitive to both the global anisotropy of folded TrAvrPto and slow exchange between folded and unfolded conformations, provided independent verification of the global kinetic rate constants. Given the acidic apoplast in which the pathogen resides and the more basic host cytoplasm, these results offer an intriguing mechanism by which the pH dependence of stability and slow folding kinetics of AvrPto would allow efficient translocation of the unfolded form through the TTSS and refolding into its functional folded form once inside the host. [source] A New Amperometric Biosensor Based on HRP/Nano-Au/L -Cysteine/Poly(o -Aminobenzoic acid)-Membrane-Modified Platinum Electrode for the Determination of Hydrogen PeroxideCHINESE JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY, Issue 11 2006Ming-Yu Tang Abstract The third generation amperometric biosensor for the determination of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has been described. For the fabrication of biosensor, o -aminobenzoic acid (oABA) was first electropolymerized on the surface of platinum (Pt) electrode as an electrostatic repulsion layer to reject interferences. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) absorbed by nano-scaled particulate gold (nano-Au) was immobilized on the electrode modified with polymerized o -aminobenzoic acid (poABA) with L -cysteine as a linker to prepare a biosensor for the detection of H2O2. Amperometric detection of H2O2 was realized at a potential of +20 mV versus SCE. The resulting biosensor exhibited fast response, excellent reproducibility and sensibility, expanded linear range and low interferences. Temperature and pH dependence and stability of the sensor were investigated. The optimal sensor gave a linear response in the range of 2.99×10,6 to 3.55×10,3 mol·L,1 to H2O2 with a sensibility of 0.0177 A·L,1·mol,1 and a detection limit (S/N=3) of 4.3×10,7 mol·L,1. The biosensor demonstrated a 95% response within less than 10 s. [source] | ||||||||||||||||