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Enzymatically
Terms modified by Enzymatically Selected AbstractsIntramolecular Opening of ,-Lactams with Amines as a Strategy Toward Enzymatically or Photochemically Triggered Activation of Lactenediyne ProdrugsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 7 2003Luca Banfi Abstract In order to develop a general strategy for selective activation of designed enediyne prodrugs belonging to the "lactenediyne" family, we studied the scope of intramolecular transamidation of simple monocyclic ,-lactams bearing a tethered amine. The effect of substituents, of reaction media, and of the type of tether, on the rate of transamidation is disclosed. The possibility of triggering the transamidation event under mild conditions by the action of suitable enzymes or UV light was demonstrated on model monocyclic ,-lactams. Finally, the strategy of intramolecular opening of the ,-lactam leading to a larger seven-membered ring was employed on a lactenediyne, demonstrating that ring enlargement could unleash the reactivity of the enediyne moiety. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2003) [source] Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry for the direct analysis of enzymatically digested kappa - iota - and hybrid iota/nu -carrageenans,RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY, Issue 16 2005Aristotelis Antonopoulos Enzymatically digested oligosaccharides of kappa -, iota - and hybrid iota/nu -carrageenans were analysed using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry in the negative-ion mode. nor -Harmane was used as matrix. Depending on the stock concentration and the laser intensity applied, the oligosaccharides exhibited losses of sulphate units (neutralised by the Na+ ion, and thus non-stable), leaving the primary backbone structure in most cases with only the deprotonated sulphate groups (carrying the negative charge, stable). This meant that kappa - and iota -oligosaccharides could not be easily distinguished from one another since they share the same primary backbone structure. However, for the hybrid iota/nu -oligosaccharides the primary backbone structure could be identified since the nu -carrageenan repeating unit differs from that of the kappa/iota -carrageenan unit. For all types of oligosaccharides, the results indicated cleavage of an anhydrogalactose unit from the non-reducing end. Specifically, for the hybrid oligosaccharides of iota/nu -carrageenans, this type of fragmentation means that the nu -carrageenan unit is not positioned on the non-reducing end of the hybrid oligosaccharides. Dehydration reactions, and exchange reactions of Na+ with K+ and Ca2+, were also observed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Glucosinolate Amperometric Bienzyme Biosensor Based on Carbon Nanotubes-Gold Nanoparticles Composite ElectrodesELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 13 2009V. Serafín Abstract A novel electrochemical biosensor design for glucosinolate determination involving bulk-incorporation of the enzymes glucose oxidase and myrosinase into a colloidal gold - multiwalled carbon nanotubes composite electrode using Teflon as binder is reported. Myrosinase catalyzes the hydrolysis of glucosinolate forming glucose, which is enzymatically oxidized. The generated hydrogen peroxide was electrochemically detected without mediator at the nanostructured composite electrode at E=+0.5,V vs. Ag/AgCl. Under the optimized conditions, the bienzyme MYR/GOx-Aucoll -MWCNT-Teflon exhibited improved analytical characteristics for the glucosinolate sinigrin with respect to a biosensor constructed without gold nanoparticles, i.e. a MYR/GOx-MWCNT-Teflon electrode, as well as with respect to other glucosinolate biosensor designs reported in the literature. The biosensor exhibits good repeatability of the amperometric measurements and good interassay reproducibility. Furthermore, the biosensor exhibited a high selectivity with respect to various potential interferents. The usefulness of the biosensor was evaluated by the determination of glucosinolate in Brussel sprout seeds. [source] Amperometric L -Lactate Biosensor Based on Gold NanoparticlesELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 7-8 2007Bikash, Kumar Jena Abstract A novel amperometric biosensor for the sensing of L -lactate is developed using L -lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and hydroxylamine enlarged gold nanoparticles (GNPs). LDH and GNPs have been integrated with the sol,gel 3-D silicate network derived from 3-(mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane (MPTS). The biosensing of L -lactate is based on the electrocatalytic determination of enzymatically generated NADH by GNPs of the integrated assembly. The GNPs on the network efficiently catalyze the oxidation of NADH at ,0.065,V, which is ca. 915,mV less positive than on the bulk Au electrode. The biosensor was characterized in terms of the effects of enzyme loading, solution pH, and cofactor concentration. The integrated biosensor was successfully utilized for the amperometric sensing of L -lactate and it shows excellent sensitivity with a detection limit of 100,nM. The common interfering electroactive compounds in the biological system do not interfere the amperometric measurement of L -lactate. This biosensor linearly responds to L -lactate in the range of 0,0.8,mM and the sensitivity of the electrode was 0.446,nA/nM. Excellent reproducibility, long time storage and operational stability have been achieved. [source] Xanthine Sensors Based on Anodic and Cathodic Detection of Enzymatically Generated Hydrogen PeroxideELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 6 2007Aminur Rahman Abstract A xanthine biosensor was fabricated by the covalent immobilization of xanthine oxidase (XO) onto a functionalized conducting polymer (Poly-5, 2,: 5,, 2,-terthiophine-3-carboxylic acid), poly-TTCA through the formation of amide bond between carboxylic acid groups of poly-TTCA and amine groups of enzyme. The immobilization of XO onto the conducting polymer (XO/poly-TTCA) was characterized using cyclic voltammetry, quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. The direct electron transfer of the immobilized XO at poly-TTCA was found to be quasireversible and the electron transfer rate constant was determined to be 0.73,s,1. The biosensor efficiently detected xanthine through oxidation at +0.35,V and reduction at ,0.25,V (versus Ag/AgCl) of enzymatically generated hydrogen peroxide. Various experimental parameters, such as pH, temperature, and applied potential were optimized. The linear dynamic ranges of anodic and cathodic detections of xanthine were between 5.0×10,6,1.0×10,4 M and 5.0×10,7 to 1.0×10,4,M, respectively. The detection limits were determined to be of 1.0×10,6,M and 9.0×10,8,M with anodic and cathodic processes, respectively. The applicability of the biosensor was tested by detecting xanthine in blood serum and urine real samples. [source] Development of Quantum Dots Modified Acetylcholinesterase Biosensor for the Detection of TrichlorfonELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 22 2006Xiao-Hua Li Abstract Poly (N -vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP)-capped CdS quantum dots (QCdS-PVP) was synthesized with CdCl2 and Na2S in the presence of PVP. QCdS-PVP has been used for the immobilization and stabilization of the acetylcholinesterase (AChE). The electrocatalytic activity of QCdS-PVP leads to a greatly improved electrochemical detection of the enzymatically generated thiocholine product, and higher sensitivity and stability. The GCE/QCdS-PVP/AChE biosensor was used for the detection of organophosphate pesticides (OPs), such as trichlorfon. The sensor performance, including pH and inhibition time, was optimized with respect to operating conditions. Under the optimal conditions, the biosensor was used to measure as low as 12 ppb trichlorfon with a 5-min inhibition time. [source] Glycoform characterization of erythropoietin combining glycan and intact protein analysis by capillary electrophoresis , electrospray , time-of-flight mass spectrometryELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 13 2006Elvira Balaguer Abstract Glycosylation of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) is a post-translational process that alters biological activity, solubility and lifetime of the glycoprotein in blood, and strongly depends on the type of cell and the cell culture conditions. A fast and simple method providing extensive carbohydrate information about the glycans present in rHuEPO and other glycoproteins is needed in order to improve current methods in drug development or product quality control. Here, an improved method for intact rHuEPO glycoform characterization by CZE-ESI-TOF MS has been developed using a novel capillary coating and compared to a previous study. Both methods allow a fast separation in combination with accurate mass characterization of the single protein isoforms. The novel dynamic coating provides a separation at an EOF close to zero, enabling better separation. This results in an improved mass spectrometric resolution and the detection of minor isoforms. In order to assign an unequivocal carbohydrate composition to every intact glycoform, a CZE-ESI-MS separation method for enzymatically released underivatized N -glycans has been developed. The TOF,MS allows the correct identification of the glycans due to its high mass accuracy and resolution. Therefore, glycan modifications such as acetylation, oxidation, sulfation and even the exchange of OH by NH2 are successfully characterized. Information of the protein-backbone molecular mass has been combined with results from peptide analysis (revealing information about O -glycosylation) and from the glycan analysis, including the detection of as yet undescribed glycans containing four antennae and five sialic acids. This allows an unequivocal assignment of an overall glycosylation composition to the molecular masses obtained for the intact rHuEPO glycoforms. [source] Analysis of oxycodol and noroxycodol stereoisomers in biological samples by capillary electrophoresisELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 10 2005Andrea Baldacci Abstract A capillary electrophoresis (CE) method for the separation of the diastereoisomers of 6-oxycodol (6OCOL) and nor-6-oxycodol (N6OCOL), the 6-keto-reduced metabolites of oxycodone (OCOD) and noroxycodone (NOCOD), respectively, is reported and employed to assess the stereoselectivity of these metabolic steps in vivo, in vitro, and in chemical synthesis. CE in an untreated fused-silica capillary with acidic buffers containing 2-hydroxypropyl-,-cyclodextrin, randomly sulfated ,-cyclodextrin, or single isomer heptakis(2,3-diacetyl-6-sulfato)-,-cyclodextrin (HDAS-,-CD) is shown to permit the simultaneous separation of the stereoisomers of 6OCOL and N6OCOL. A 100 mM phosphate buffer of pH 2.0 containing 2.05% w/v HDAS-,-CD provides a medium for rapid analysis and unambiguous identification of these stereoisomers in solid-phase extracts of (i) urines stemming from patients under pharmacotherapy with OCOD, (ii) incubations of OCOD and NOCOD with human liver cytosol and the human liver S9 fraction, and (iii) after chemical synthesis from OCOD and NOCOD using NaBH4. In all cases, ,-N6OCOL is shown to be the predominant stereoisomer of N6OCOL. For 6OCOL, the same is true for in vitro formation and for chemical synthesis. In urine, however, ,-6OCOL is observed to be excreted in a higher amount than ,-6OCOL. For the urinary ,-/,-isomer ratio of 6OCOL and N6OCOL, there are no differences between the data obtained for nonhydrolyzed and enzymatically hydrolyzed urines. The data document the stereoselectivity of the 6-keto-reduction of OCOD and NOCOD in man. [source] Characterization of glyco isoforms in plasmaderived human antithrombin by on-line capillary zone electrophoresis-electrospray ionization-quadrupole ion trap-mass spectrometry of the intact glycoproteinsELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 13 2004Uwe M. Demelbauer Abstract The carbohydrate structures of five isoforms of ,-AT and two isoforms of ,-AT were determined by applying capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) on-line coupled to electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) using an ion-trap analyzer. For the AT preparations gained from a plasma pool at least semiquantitative information on the isoform-distributions could be gained. Unlike to the commonly used approaches starting from enzymatically treated glycoproteins, this approach deals with intact proteins. The high accuracy of the molecular mass determination obtained by the ion-trap analyzer allows one to calculate and ascertain the carbohydrate composition assuming no variations in the protein moiety of AT and to exclude or confirm the presence of the potential post-translational or other modifications. Therefore, the direct coupling of CZE with ESI-MS does not only represent a fast alternative technique to two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) but serves as a method which provides structural information complementary to that gained from peptide mapping methods. [source] Hydrogenase- and outer membrane c -type cytochrome-facilitated reduction of technetium(VII) by Shewanella oneidensis MR-1ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2008Matthew J. Marshall Summary Pertechnetate, 99Tc(VII)O4,, is a highly mobile radionuclide contaminant at US Department of Energy sites that can be enzymatically reduced by a range of anaerobic and facultatively anaerobic microorganisms, including Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, to poorly soluble Tc(IV)O2(s). In other microorganisms, Tc(VII)O4, reduction is generally considered to be catalysed by hydrogenase. Here, we provide evidence that although the NiFe hydrogenase of MR-1 was involved in the H2 -driven reduction of Tc(VII)O4,[presumably through a direct coupling of H2 oxidation and Tc(VII) reduction], the deletion of both hydrogenase genes did not completely eliminate the ability of MR-1 to reduce Tc(VII). With lactate as the electron donor, mutants lacking the outer membrane c -type cytochromes MtrC and OmcA or the proteins required for the maturation of c -type cytochromes were defective in reducing Tc(VII) to nanoparticulate TcO2·nH2O(s) relative to MR-1 or a NiFe hydrogenase mutant. In addition, reduced MtrC and OmcA were oxidized by Tc(VII)O4,, confirming the capacity for direct electron transfer from these OMCs to TcO4,. c -Type cytochrome-catalysed Tc(VII) reduction could be a potentially important mechanism in environments where organic electron donor concentrations are sufficient to allow this reaction to dominate. [source] Amplification of low quantity bacterial RNA for microarray studies: time-course analysis of Leptospirillum ferrooxidans under nitrogen-fixing conditions,ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 6 2006Mercedes Moreno-Paz Summary We have developed a method for the amplification of low quantity total bacterial RNA for DNA microarrays analysis. Current methods are based on the linear amplification by the in vitro transcription from the T7 promoter, similar to that used for eukaryotic mRNA amplification. For the incorporation of T7 promoter, the prokaryotic RNA must be enzymatically modified for the incorporation of a polyA tail at the 3, end to emulate the eukaryotic mRNA. The method we describe and validate herein avoids this step by the direct and random incorporation of the T7 promoter. From 500 ng of total bacterial RNA, we obtained 130,150 µg of antisense RNA, such products being good substrate for fluorescent labelling and DNA microarray analysis. The method was validated with bacterial samples from which it is very difficult to obtain sufficient amounts and quality of total RNA for global gene expression analysis. This is critical for low cell density growing microorganisms, environmental samples, or many extremophiles where the composition of the cultural media severely affects the RNA yield, like in the case of the acidophile and iron oxidizer Gram-negative bacterium Leptospirillum ferrooxidans. We further validated our amplification method in parallel experiments with non-amplified RNA by following the expression of the L. ferrooxidans nif regulon along the time-course of growth. [source] Storage stability study of margarines produced from enzymatically interesterified fats compared to margarines produced by conventional methods.EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF LIPID SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 7-8 2005Physical properties Abstract In this study, margarine hardstocks were produced from two enzymatically interesterified fats at conversion degrees of 80 and 100%, a chemically randomized fat and a physically mixed fat, respectively. These four hardstocks blended with 50% of sunflower oil were mainly used for the production of table margarines in a pilot plant. Storage stability studies were carried out at storage temperatures of 5 and 25,°C during 12,wk. Margarines from the enzymatically interesterified fats were compared to the margarines produced by conventional methods and to selected commercial products. The changes in the physical properties of margarines, including hardness, dropping point, crystal form, and sensory evaluation, were examined during storage. It was observed that margarine storage stability increased with increasing conversion degree. The color of margarines made from the enzymatically interesterified fats was more similar to that of the physically mixed fat than that of the margarine from the chemically randomized fat, which had less color. Crystal transformation was accelerated at high storage temperature. Crystal size was not only related to the types of crystals, but also to the driving force of temperature difference. A larger crystal size was observed at 5,°C than at 25,°C for the margarine made from the blend. Margarines produced from interesterified fats had better physical properties than the blend. Overall, the margarine produced from the enzymatically fully converted fat had physical properties similar to the margarine produced from the chemically interesterified fat. [source] Vitamin D and skin: new aspects for dermatologyEXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY, Issue 2004Bodo Lehmann Abstract:, It has been shown that epidermal keratinocytes have the capacity for the UVB-induced photochemical conversion of 7-dehydrocholesterol to vitamin D3, and also for the enzymatically controlled hydroxylation of the photolysis product. This metabolic loop results in the formation of the biologically active final product 1,,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,,25(OH)2D3, calcitriol). The epidermal synthesis of calcitriol is of fundamental relevance because calcitriol regulates important cellular functions in keratinocytes and immunocompetent cells. Because of their anti-proliferative and prodifferentiating effects, calcitriol and other vitamin D analogs are highly efficient in the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris. In addition, the known therapeutic effect of UVB light therapy in the treatment of psoriasis may, at least in part, be mediated via UVB-induced synthesis of calcitriol. Increasing evidence now indicates that cutaneous vitamin D synthesis is of great importance for the prevention of a broad variety of diseases, including various malignancies. It has been postulated that cancer mortality could be reduced via careful UV exposure or, more safely, via oral substitution with vitamin D. These new findings must be taken into account when establishing new sun protection guidelines for the prevention of skin cancer. In addition, better understanding of the metabolism of vitamin D in the skin has opened up new perspectives for the therapeutic application of vitamin D analogs, e.g. in inflammatory skin diseases. [source] Implication of the glutamine synthetase/glutamate synthase pathway in conditioning the amino acid metabolism in bundle sheath and mesophyll cells of maize leavesFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 12 2008Marie-Hélène Valadier We investigated the role of glutamine synthetases (cytosolic GS1 and chloroplast GS2) and glutamate synthases (ferredoxin-GOGAT and NADH-GOGAT) in the inorganic nitrogen assimilation and reassimilation into amino acids between bundle sheath cells and mesophyll cells for the remobilization of amino acids during the early phase of grain filling in Zea mays L. The plants responded to a light/dark cycle at the level of nitrate, ammonium and amino acids in the second leaf, upward from the primary ear, which acted as the source organ. The assimilation of ammonium issued from distinct pathways and amino acid synthesis were evaluated from the diurnal rhythms of the transcripts and the encoded enzyme activities of nitrate reductase, nitrite reductase, GS1, GS2, ferredoxin-GOGAT, NADH-GOGAT, NADH-glutamate dehydrogenase and asparagine synthetase. We discerned the specific role of the isoproteins of ferredoxin and ferredoxin:NADP+ oxidoreductase in providing ferredoxin-GOGAT with photoreduced or enzymatically reduced ferredoxin as the electron donor. The spatial distribution of ferredoxin-GOGAT supported its role in the nitrogen (re)assimilation and reallocation in bundle sheath cells and mesophyll cells of the source leaf. The diurnal nitrogen recycling within the plants took place via the specific amino acids in the phloem and xylem exudates. Taken together, we conclude that the GS1/ferredoxin-GOGAT cycle is the main pathway of inorganic nitrogen assimilation and recycling into glutamine and glutamate, and preconditions amino acid interconversion and remobilization. [source] The porcine trophoblastic interferon-,, secreted by a polarized epithelium, has specific structural and biochemical propertiesFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 11 2002Avrelija Cenci At the time of implantation in the maternal uterus, the trophectoderm of the pig blastocyst is the source of a massive secretion of interferon-gamma (IFN-,), together with lesser amounts of IFN-,, a unique species of type I IFN. This trophoblastic IFN-, (TrIFN-,) is an unprecedented example of IFN-, being produced spontaneously by an epithelium. We therefore studied some of its structural and biochemical properties, by comparison with pig IFN-, from other sources, either natural LeIFN-, (from adult leucocytes), or recombinant. Biologically active TrIFN-, is a dimeric molecule, of which monomers are mainly composed of a truncated polypeptide chain with two glycotypes, unlike LeIFN-, which is formed of at least two polypeptide chains and four glycotypes. TrIFN-, collected in the uterus lumen was enzymatically deglycosylated and analysed by mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF). The data revealed that the more abundant polypeptide has a mass of 14.74 kDa, corresponding to a C-terminal cleavage of 17 residues from the expected 143-residue long mature sequence. A minor polypeptide, with a mass of 12.63 kDa, corresponds to a C-terminal truncation of 36 amino acids. MALDI-TOF analysis of tryptic peptides from the glycosylated molecule(s) identifies a single branched carbohydrate motif, with six N -acetylgalactosamines, and no sialic acid. The only glycan microheterogeneity seems to reside in the number of l -fucose residues (one to three). The lack of the C-terminal cluster of basic residues, and the presence of nonsialylated glycans, result in a very low net charge of TrIFN-, molecule. However, the 17-residue truncation does not affect the antiproliferative activity of TrIFN-, on different cells, among which is a porcine uterine epithelial cell line. It is suggested that these specific properties might confer on TrIFN-, a particular ability to invade the uterine mucosa and exert biological functions beyond the endometrial epithelium. [source] Analysis of the thyrotropin-releasing hormone-degrading ectoenzyme by site-directed mutagenesis of cysteine residuesFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 9 2000Cys68 is involved in disulfide-linked dimerization Thyrotropin-releasing hormone-degrading ectoenzyme is a member of the M1 family of Zn-dependent aminopeptidases and catalyzes the degradation of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH; Glp-His-Pro-NH2). Cloning of the cDNA of this enzyme and biochemical studies revealed that the large extracellular domain of the enzyme with the catalytically active site contains nine cysteine residues that are highly conserved among species. To investigate the functional role of these cysteines in TRH-DE we used a site-directed mutagenesis approach and replaced individually each cysteine by a serine residue. The results revealed that the proteolytically truncated and enzymatically fully active enzyme consists of two identical subunits that are associated noncovalently by protein,protein interactions but not via interchain S-S bridges. The eight cysteines contained within this region are all important for the structure of the individual subunit and the enzymatic activity, which is dramatically reduced in all mutant enzymes. This is even true for the four cysteines that are clustered within the C-terminal domain remote from the Zn-binding consensus sequence HEICH. In contrast, Cys68, which resides within the stalk region seven residues from the end of the hydrophobic membrane-spanning domain, can be replaced by serine without a significant change in the enzymatic activity. Interestingly, this residue is involved in the formation of an interchain disulfide bridge. Covalent dimerization of the subunits, however, does not seem to be essential for efficient biosynthesis, enzymatic activity and trafficking to the cell surface. [source] Effects of singlet oxygen on membrane sterols in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiaeFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 6 2000Till Böcking Photodynamic treatment of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae with the singlet oxygen sensitizer toluidine blue and visible light leads to rapid oxidation of ergosterol and accumulation of oxidized ergosterol derivatives in the plasma membrane. The predominant oxidation product accumulated was identified as 5,,6,-epoxy-(22E)-ergosta-8,22-dien-3,,7,-diol (8-DED). 9(11)-dehydroergosterol (DHE) was identified as a minor oxidation product. In heat inactivated cells ergosterol is photooxidized to ergosterol epidioxide (EEP) and DHE. Disrupted cell preparations of S. cerevisiae convert EEP to 8-DED, and this activity is abolished in a boiled control indicating the presence of a membrane associated enzyme with an EEP isomerase activity. Yeast selectively mobilizes ergosterol from the intracellular sterol ester pool to replenish the level of free ergosterol in the plasma membrane during singlet oxygen oxidation. The following reaction pathway is proposed: singlet oxygen-mediated oxidation of ergosterol leads to mainly the formation of EEP, which is enzymatically rearranged to 8-DED. Ergosterol 7-hydroperoxide, a known minor product of the reaction of singlet oxygen with ergosterol, is formed at a much lower rate and decomposes to give DHE. Changes of physical properties of the plasma membrane are induced by depletion of ergosterol and accumulation of polar derivatives. Subsequent permeation of photosensitizer through the plasma membrane into the cell leads to events including impairment of mitochondrial function and cell inactivation. [source] Cloning of the guanylate kinase homologues AGK-1 and AGK-2 from Arabidopsis thaliana and characterization of AGK-1FEBS JOURNAL, Issue 2 2000Vinod Kumar Guanylate kinase is an essential enzyme for nucleotide metabolism, phosphorylating GMP to GDP or dGMP to dGDP. The low molecular mass cytosolic forms of guanylate kinase are implicated primarily in the regulation of the supply of guanine nucleotides to cell signalling pathways. The high molecular mass and membrane-associated forms of guanylate kinase homologues, notably found in neuronal tissues, are assigned roles in cell junction organization and transmembrane regulation. Here, we describe the first plant guanylate kinase-encoding genes, AGK1 and AGK2, from Arabidopsis thaliana. The nucleotide sequences of their genomic and cDNA clones predict proteins that carry N-terminal and C-terminal extensions of the guanylate kinase-like domain. The amino acid sequences of this domain share 46,52% identity with guanylate kinases from yeast, Escherichia coli, human, mouse and Caenorhabditis elegans. Arabidopsis guanylate kinases (AGKs) exhibit a high degree of conservation of active site residues and sequence motifs in common with other nucleoside monophosphate kinases, which suggests overall structural similarity of the plant proteins. Although bacterially expressed AGK-1 is enzymatically much less active than yeast guanylate kinase, its kinase domain is shown to complement yeast GUK1 recessive lethal mutations. AGKs are expressed ubiquitously in plant tissues with highest transcriptional activity detected in roots. The identification of AGKs provides new perspectives for understanding the role of guanylate kinases in plant cell signalling pathways. [source] Enzymatic activation of sulfur for incorporation into biomolecules in prokaryotesFEMS MICROBIOLOGY REVIEWS, Issue 6 2006Dorothea Kessler Abstract Sulfur is a functionally important element of living matter. Incorporation into biomolecules occurs by two basic strategies. Sulfide is added to an activated acceptor in the biosynthesis of cysteine, from which methionine, coenzyme A and a number of biologically important thiols can be constructed. By contrast, the biosyntheses of iron sulfur clusters, cofactors such as thiamin, molybdopterin, biotin and lipoic acid, and the thio modification of tRNA require an activated sulfur species termed persulfidic sulfur (R-S-SH) instead of sulfide. Persulfidic sulfur is produced enzymatically with the IscS protein, the SufS protein and rhodanese being the most prominent biocatalysts. This review gives an overview of sulfur incorporation into biomolecules in prokaryotes with a special emphasis on the properties and the enzymatic generation of persulfidic sulfur as well as its use in biosynthetic pathways. [source] Poly(,-caprolactone)-Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes and Their Biodegradation Properties,ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 6 2006H.-L. Zeng Abstract Biodegradable poly(,-caprolactone) (PCL) has been covalently grafted onto the surfaces of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) by the "grafting from" approach based on in-situ ring-opening polymerization of ,-caprolactone. The grafted PCL content can be controlled easily by adjusting the feed ratio of monomer to MWNT-supported macroinitiators (MWNT-OH). The resulting products have been characterized with Fourier-transform IR (FTIR), NMR, and Raman spectroscopies, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). After PCL was coated onto MWNT surfaces, core/shell structures with nanotubes as the "hard" core and the hairy polymer layer as the "soft" shell are formed, especially for MWNTs coated with a high density of polymer chains. Such a polymer shell promises good solubility/dispersibility of the MWNT,PCL nanohybrids in low-boiling-point organic solvents such as chloroform and tetrahydrofuran. Biodegradation experiments have shown that the PCL grafted onto MWNTs can be completely enzymatically degraded within 4,days in a phosphate buffer solution in the presence of pseudomonas (PS) lipase, and the carbon nanotubes retain their tubelike morphologies, as observed by SEM and TEM. The results present possible applications for these biocompatible PCL-functionalized CNTs in bionanomaterials, biomedicine, and artificial bones. [source] An Improved Preparation of D -Glyceraldehyde 3-Phosphate and Its Use in the Synthesis of 1-Deoxy- D -xylulose 5-PhosphateHELVETICA CHIMICA ACTA, Issue 9 2010Heng Li Abstract D -Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (=D -GAP; 2) was prepared by an improved chemical method (Scheme,2), and it was then employed to synthesize 1-deoxy- D -xylulose 5-phosphate (=DXP; 3) which is enzymatically one of the key intermediates in the MEP (4) terpenoid biosynthetic pathway (Scheme,1). The recombinant DXP synthase of Rhodobacter capsulatus was used to catalyze the condensation of D -glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (2) and pyruvate (=2-oxopropanoate; 1) to produce the sugar phosphate 3 (Scheme,2). The simple two-step chemoenzymatic route described affords DXP (3) with more than 70% overall yield and higher than 95% purity. The procedure may also be used for the synthesis of isotope-labeled DXP (3) by using isotope-labeled pyruvate. [source] Oxidative damage is increased in human liver tissue adjacent to hepatocellular carcinomaHEPATOLOGY, Issue 6 2004Christoph Jüngst Accumulation of genetic alterations in hepatocarcinogenesis is closely associated with chronic inflammatory liver disease. 8-oxo-2,-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG), the major promutagenic DNA adduct caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS), leads to G:C , T:A transversions. These lesions can be enzymatically repaired mainly by human MutT homolog 1 (hMTH1), human 8-oxo-guanine DNA glycosylase (hOGG1) and human MutY homolog (hMYH). The aim of this study was to evaluate the extent of oxidative damage and its dependence on the cellular antioxidative capacity and the expression of specific DNA repair enzymes in tumor (tu) and corresponding adjacent nontumor (ntu) liver tissue of 23 patients with histologically confirmed hepatocellular carcinoma. 8-oxo-dG levels, as detected by high-pressure liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection, were significantly (P = .003) elevated in ntu tissue (median, 129 fmol/,g DNA) as compared to tu tissue (median, 52 fmol/,g DNA), and were closely associated with inflammatory infiltration. In ntu tissue, the hepatic iron concentration and malondialdehyde levels were significantly (P = .001) higher as compared to tu tissue. Glutathione content, glutathione peroxidase activity and manganese superoxide dismutase messenger RNA (mRNA) expression did not show statistical differences between ntu and tu tissue. Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction revealed in tu tissue significantly (P = .014) higher hMTH1 mRNA expression compared to ntu tissue. In contrast, hMYH mRNA expression was significantly (P < .05) higher in ntu tissue. No difference in hOGG1 mRNA expression was seen between tu and ntu. In conclusion, these data suggest that ROS generated by chronic inflammation contribute to human hepatocarcinogenesis. The role of DNA repair enzymes appears to be of reactive rather than causative manner. (HEPATOLOGY 2004;39:1663,1672.) [source] Study of the anti-lactic acid bacteria compounds in table olivesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, Issue 7 2009Eduardo Medina Summary The analysis and formation of anti-lactic acid bacteria compounds in olive brines was performed for the main worldwide olive varieties intended for table olives. The results demonstrated that the growth of lactic acid bacteria in the brines of olives non-treated with NaOH is, in some way, variety dependant. Likewise, the most active antimicrobial compound, the dialdehydic form of decarboxymethyl elenolic acid linked to hydroxytyrosol, was not detected in fresh fruits but it was formed during brining from the hydrolysis of oleuropein and this reaction was enzymatically catalysed. Thus, the inactivation of the enzyme by heating the olives produced (i) an accumulation of oleuropein in olives and brines, (ii) the inhibition of the formation of antimicrobials and (iii) the growth of Lactobacillus pentosus in olive brines. These results provide tools for a full understanding of the growth or inhibition of lactic acid bacteria during fermentation of table olives. [source] Computational studies of electron-transfer processes in old yellow enzymeINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF QUANTUM CHEMISTRY, Issue 6 2001Ginger M. Chateauneuf Abstract Old Yellow Enzyme (OYE) is a flavoenzyme that was first isolated from brewer's bottom yeast. Homologues have been identified in other strains of yeast, bacteria, and plants. In plants, the OYE homologue functions enzymatically in the synthesis of plant hormones, but the biological function of OYE in yeast is still unknown. Flavin mononucleotide (FMN) is the cofactor that is noncovalently bound in the enzyme. OYE binds several phenolic ligands that serve as models for reactive biological substrates. These complexes have broad long-wavelength absorption bands, which have been ascribed to charge-transfer interactions, with the phenolate anion acting as the electron donor and the FMN as the acceptor [Abramovitz, A. S.; Massey, V. J Bio Chem 1976, 251, 5327,5336]. The computational characterization of these electronic transitions in the active site will help in understanding the biological processes in the enzyme. It was found that at several levels of computational methods, and through computationally mutating relevant amino acids, a charge-transfer process is occurring. This result agrees with previous experimental work and is consistent with all ultraviolet,visible spectrophotometric data. The preliminary results for the computational studies of these electron-transfer processes will be presented. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2001 [source] Preparative Enzymatic Synthesis of the Acylglucuronide of Mycophenolic AcidADVANCED SYNTHESIS & CATALYSIS (PREVIOUSLY: JOURNAL FUER PRAKTISCHE CHEMIE), Issue 6-7 2003Matthias Kittelmann Abstract The acylglucuronide (3) of mycophenolic acid (1) was enzymatically synthesised on a preparative scale (450,mg substrate) under optimised reaction conditions with 51% conversion. By screening 9 liver homogenates from 8 vertebrate species, it was shown that only with liver homogenate from horse as the catalyst were the acyl- (3) and the O -glucuronide (2) were formed in a ca. 1,:,1 ratio. With homogenates from other sources, the O -glucuronide (2) was produced in high excess. By optimising the concentration of the co-substrate UDP-glucuronic acid and the reaction temperature, the conversion to the acylglucuronide (3) was increased from initially 34 to 55% and the ratio of acyl- (3) to O -glucuronide (2) from 1.5,:,1 to 3.9,:,1. The reaction was also performed continuously in an enzyme membrane reactor, however, with lower conversion yield and therefore, higher specific UDP-glucuronic acid consumption. [source] Use of chitosan for removal of bisphenol A and bisphenol derivatives through tyrosinase-catalyzed quinone oxidationJOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 2 2010Mizuho Suzuki Abstract In this study, the availability of chitosan was systematically investigated for removal of bisphenol A (BPA, 2,2-bis(hydroxyphenyl)propane) through the tyrosinase-catalyzed quinone oxidation and subsequent quinone adsorption on chitosan beads. In particular, the process parameters, such as the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-to-BPA ratio, pH value, temperature, and tyrosinase dose, were discussed in detail for the enzymatic quinone oxidation. Tyrosinase-catalyzed quinone oxidation of BPA was effectively enhanced by adding H2O2 and the optimum conditions for BPA at 0.3 mM were determined to be pH 7.0 and 40°C in the presence of H2O2 at 0.3 mM ([H2O2]/[BPA] = 1.0). Removal of BPA from aqueous solutions was accomplished by adsorption of enzymatically generated quinone derivatives on chitosan beads. The use of chitosan in the form of beads was found to be more effective because heterogeneous removal of BPA with chitosan beads was much faster than homogeneous removal of BPA with chitosan solutions, and the removal efficiency was enhanced by increasing the amount of chitosan beads dispersed in the BPA solutions and BPA was completely removed by quinone adsorption in the presence of chitosan beads more than 0.10 cm3/cm3. In addition, a variety of bisphenol derivatives were completely or effectively removed by the procedure constructed in this study, although the enzyme dose or the amount of chitosan beads was further increased as necessary for some of the bisphenol derivatives used. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010 [source] Application of chitosan solutions gelled by melB tyrosinase to water-resistant adhesivesJOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 4 2008Kazunori Yamada Abstract An investigation was undertaken on the application of dilute chitosan solutions gelled by melB tyrosinase-catalyzed reaction with 3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamine (dopamine). The tyrosinase-catalyzed reaction with dopamine conferred water-resistant adhesive properties to the semi-dilute chitosan solutions. The viscosity of the chitosan solutions highly increased by the tyrosinase-catalyzed quinone conversion and the subsequent nonenzymatic reactions of o -quinones with amino groups of the chitosan chains. The viscosity of chitosan solutions highly increased in shorter reaction times by addition of melB tyrosinase. Therefore, in this study, the gelation of a chitosan solution was carried out without poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), which was added for the gelation of chitosan solutions using mushroom tyrosinase. The highly viscous, gel-like modified chitosan materials were allowed to spread onto the surfaces of the glass slides, which were tightly lapped together and were held under water. Tensile shear adhesive strength of over 400 kPa was observed for the modified chitosan samples. An increase in either amino group concentration of the chitosan solutions or molecular mass of the chitosan samples used effectively led to an increase in adhesive strength of the glass slides. Adhesive strength obtained by chitosan materials gelled enzymatically was higher than that obtained by a chitosan gel prepared with glutaraldehyde as a chemical crosslinking agent. In addition, the use of melB tyrosinase led to a sharp increase in adhesive strength in shorter reaction times without other additives such as PEG. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008 [source] Electrospinning of cellulose-based nanofibersJOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 3 2007Audrey Frenot Abstract Cellulose derivatives of carboxymethyl cellulose sodium salt (CMC), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), methylcellulose (MC), and enzymatically treated cellulose have been electrospun, and the microstructure of the resulting nanofibers has been analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Before electrospinning, the solutions were characterized by viscometry and surface tension measurements, and the results were correlated with spinnability. Four different CMC derivatives, varying in molecular weight (Mw), degree of substitution (DS), and substitution pattern, have been electrospun in mixtures with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), and nanofibers of various characteristics have formed. The CMC-based nanostructures, i.e., the nonwoven sheet and individual nanofibers, proved to be independent of Mw and DS but largely dependent on the substitution pattern. The nonwoven sheets varied in homogeneity, and beads appeared on the individual fibers. Depending on the chemical nature of the CMC, the extraction of PEO resulted in pure CMC nanostructures of varying appearance, indicating that the distribution of PEO and CMC in the nanofibers also varied. Two different HPMC derivatives, varying in DS, were electrospun into nanofibers. Homogeneous nonwoven sheets based on nanofibers of similar appearance are formed, independent of the substitution content of the HPMC sample. Preliminary fibers were obtained from enzymatically treated cellulose in a solvent system based on lithium chloride dissolved in dimethyl acetamide (LiCl: DMAc). © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 1473,1482, 2007 [source] Improvement of the catalytic performance of lignin peroxidase in reversed micellesJOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 1 2008Jing Lan Abstract BACKGROUND: Anionic surfactant sodium bis (2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) had an inhibiting effect on lignin peroxidase (LiP). To improve the catalytic activity of LiP in an AOT reversed micelle in isooctane, nonionic surfactant polyoxyethylene lauryl ether (Brij30) was incorporated into the interfacial membrane. H2O2 played dual roles in the LiP-catalyzed oxidation of substrates. To obtain a sustainable high activity of LiP, a coupled enzymatic reaction, i.e. the glucose oxidase (GOD)-catalyzed oxidation of glucose was used as an H2O2 source. RESULTS: Owing to modification of the charge density of the interfacial membrane, the activity of LiP in an optimized AOT/Brij30 reversed micellar medium (,B (the molar percentage of Brij30) = 0.53, ,0 ([H2O]/([AOT] + [Brij30]) = 23, pH = 4.8) was 40 times that in a single AOT reversed micelle. Due to the controlled release of H2O2, the concentration of H2O2 in the mixed reversed micellar medium was maintained at a moderately high level throughout, which made the LiP-catalyzed oxidation of substrates proceed at a higher conversion rate than counterparts in which H2O2 was supplied externally in one batch at the beginning of the reaction. Decolourization of two waterless-soluble aromatic dyes (pyrogallol red and bromopyrogallol red) using LiP coupled with GOD in the medium also demonstrated that a higher decolourization percentage was obtained if H2O2 was supplied enzymatically. CONCLUSION: The proposed measures (both physicochemical and biochemical) were very effective, giving significant improvement in the catalytic performance of LiP in a single AOT reversed micelle in isooctane, which helped to degrade or transform hydrophobic aromatic compounds with LiP in reversed micelles more efficiently. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Enhanced ethanol production from enzymatically treated steam-exploded rice straw using extractive fermentationJOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 8 2001Yoshitoshi Nakamura Abstract Alcohol fermentation of an enzymatic hydrolyzate of exploded rice straw was studied experimentally. Rice straw was treated under variable conditions, such as steam pressure and steaming time. The exploded rice straw was separated into water-soluble material, methanol-soluble lignin, Klason lignin, and a mixture of cellulose and a low molecular weight substance. The effects of steam explosion on the characteristics of the exploded rice straw were clarified from the point of view of the amounts of extractive components. Steam explosion was found to be effective for the delignification of rice straw and for increasing its susceptibility to enzyme hydrolysis and alcohol fermentation. The polysaccharides (cellulose and hemicellulose) in the rice straw treated at a steam pressure of 3.5,MPa with a steaming time of 2,min were hydrolyzed almost completely into monosaccharides, (ie glucose and xylose) by a mixture of Trichoderma viride cellulase (Meicelase) and Aspergillus aculeatus cellulase (Acucelase). The enzymatic hydrolyzate of exploded rice straw was converted into ethanol efficiently by Pichia stipitis and the ethanol yield from sugar was about 86%(w/w) of the theoretical value. The ethanol concentration in a membrane bioreactor coupled with a pervaporation system reached 50,gdm,3 and was about five times higher than that in the culture broth. The energy efficiency (ratio of combustion energy of ethanol produced to energy for steam explosion) reached a maximum value at a pressure of 3.5,MPa for 2,min. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||