Electrochemistry and electrocatalytic properties of heme proteins incorporated in lipopolysaccharide films

The electrochemical behavior of heme proteins such as hemoglobin (Hb), myoglobin (Mb), and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was studied in stable thin films composed of the proteins and a natural bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS). All three protein-LPS films exhibited a pair of well-defined, quasi-reversible cyclic voltammetric peaks in pH 6.0 phosphate buffers. Moreover, hydrogen peroxide and trichloroacetic acid could be reduced catalytically by the proteins entrapped in the films. Electrochemical parameters, such as the apparent Michaelis-Menten constant (K ^app _m) and formal potentials (E ⁰), were obtained. The positions of the Soret absorption band of the proteins suggested that the three proteins could keep their secondary structure in LPS films. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Binding of benzopurpurin 4B to poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone): A spectral study on the mechanism of dye binding

The binding mechanism of benzopurpurin 4B to poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) was studied by a spectrophotometric absorbance change method at pH 7.1 in 0.05 mol dm^–3 phosphate buffer. The results were analyzed by Scatchard, Hill, and Schwarz methods. The different shapes of the Scatchard plots indicated the varying degrees of cooperativity which depended on the percent saturation of binding sites. The Hill method elucidated the pairwise binding of the dye to polymer at the intermediate saturation and multimolecular binding both at the low and high saturations. The Schwarz method confirmed the interaction between bound dye molecules which led to cooperativity. The difference spectra of the polymer-dye complex evidenced the elucidated binding mechanism.     

乙酰二茂铁修饰碳糊电极测定废水中对氨基苯酚

利用线性扫描溶出伏安法研究了对氨基苯酚(PAP)在乙酰二茂铁修饰碳糊电极电化学行为。结果表明:在磷酸盐缓冲溶液(pH3.2)中,该修饰电极对PAP具有较好的催化活性,其峰电流与PAP浓度在7.0×10-7～3.0×10-5mol/L范围内呈线性关系,检出限为1.0×10-7mol/L(S/N=3)。利用该法测定了模拟水样中PAP的含量。     

Activity and Conformation of Yeast Alcohol Dehydrogenase (YADH) Entrapped in Reverse Micelles

Yeast alcohol dehydrogenase (YADH) solubilized in reverse micelles of aerosol OT (i.e., AOT or sodium bis (2-ethyl hexyl) sulfosuccinate) in isooctane has been shown to be catalytically more active than that in aqueous buffer under optimum conditions of pH, temperature, and water content in reverse micelles. Studies of the secondary structure conformational changes of the enzyme in reverse micelles have been made from circular dichroism spectroscopy. It has been seen that the conformation of YADH in reverse micelles is extremely sensitive to pH, temperature, and water content. A comparison has been made between the catalytic activity of the enzyme and the α-helix content in the conformation and it has been observed that the enzyme is most active at the maximum α-helix content. While the β-sheet content in the conformation of the entrapped enzyme was found to be dependent on the enzyme–micelle interface interaction, the α-helix and random coil conformations are governed by the degree of entrapment and the extent of rigidity provided by the micelle core to the enzyme structure.     

Properties of chicken liver phosphofructokinase-2.

Phosphofructokinase-2 was purified to homogeneity from chicken livers by homogenization, polyethylene glycol fractionation and column chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A-50 and Blue-Sepharose 4B. Some properties of the enzyme were as follows: (i) The saturation curve of the enzyme for fructose 6-phosphate showed hyperbolic and the Km of fructose 6-phosphate was affected by inorganic phosphate while Vmax was not; (ii) the binding of ATP to the enzyme was of negative cooperativity with a Hill coefficient of 0.56; (iii) the activity of the enzyme was completely lost in the presence of EDTA. The enzyme was activated by Mg2+ at low concentrations, but inhibited by Mg2+ at high concentrations; (iv) the enzyme was stable below 30 degrees C and easily lost its activity when the temperature was above 40 degrees C; (v) the activity of the enzyme was stable at the range of pH 7-9, increased at pH 9.0-9.5 and decreased when pH was over 9.5; (vi) the enzyme was sensitive to trypsin and ATP protected the enzyme against the proteolysis of trypsin.     

Dual Fluorescence of 2-(4'-N,N-dimethylaminophenyl)pyrido

The spectral characteristics of 2-(4'-N,N-dimethylaminophenyl)-pyrido[3,4-d]imidazole (DMAPPI) have been studied in a TritonX-100 (TX-100)/n-hexanol/water reverse micelle in cyclohexane as a function of water (w(0)), surfactant, cosurfactant, pH, and trifluoroacetic acid. Under the neutral conditions, dual fluorescence (normal and twiste intramolecular charge transfer) is observed, even at w(0)=0, suggesting that the TICT state is stabilized by the hydrogen bonding from n-hexanol. These studies indicate that DMAPPI molecules are present near the interface of the water pool and the micellar phase toward the micellar side, and the changes observed in the spectral characteristics with change of w(0) are due to the formation of the reverse micelles and the alignment of cosurfactant around DMAPPI. Variation of pH in the range 3-10 has no effect on the spectral characteristics of DMAPPI, suggesting that the protons do not penetrate the reverse micelles, whereas the trifluoroacetic acid protonates DMAPPI to form monocations (MCs). At w(0)=0, MC2 and MC3 (see Scheme 1) are the MCs present both in the S(0) and S(1) states, whereas with an increase in w(0), the MC2 shifts toward MC1. Biprotonic phototautomerism is observed in MC1, which leads to the formation of MC2 in the S(1) state. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.     

Amperometric determination of ascorbic acid at a ferricyanide-doped Tosflex-modified electrode

Tosflex, a perfluoro-anionic exchange membrane, is not studied as much as Nafion for electroanalytical applications. In this study, electrocatalytic oxidation of ascorbic acid (AA) was demonstrated using a ferricyanide-doped Tosflex-modified electrode in pH 5 phosphate buffer solution. The modified electrode showed good stability over the studied pH range of 2–12. The electrocatalytic oxidation of AA on the modified electrode follows the surface-saturation kinetics in terms of Michaelis-Menten (MM) mechanism. The analytical estimations were performed amperometrically under hydrodynamic conditions at an applied potential of 300 mV versus Ag/AgCl. A linear response was observed in the range of 0–50 μM with a regression coefficient of 0.998.     

Study of atypical kinetic behaviour of cytochrome P450 2C9 isoform with diclofenac at low substrate concentrations by sweeping‐MEKC combination

In view of the fact that several studies have shown that diclofenac hydroxylation by cytochrome P450 2C9 deviated from Michaelis–Menten kinetics at low substrate concentrations, sweeping combined with MEKC was applied for the kinetic study of this pharmacologically important reaction. A 50 μm fused silica capillary (56 cm effective length) was used to carry out all separations. 70 mM SDS in 20 mM phosphate 20 mM tetraborate buffer, pH 8.6, was used as the BGE. Injection was accomplished by the application of 50 mbar (5 kPa) pressure to the sample vial for 52 s. Separation was performed at 22 kV (positive polarity), with a capillary temperature of 25°C and detection at 200 nm. The higher sensitivity of the sweeping‐MEKC combination compared with the simple MEKC method enabled this reaction to be fitted to a Hill kinetic model and confirmed the findings of other authors. A Michaelis constant of 2.91±0.10 μM, maximum reaction velocity of 9.16±0.16 nmol/min/nmol and Hill coefficient of 1.66±0.08 were determined. This value of Hill coefficient confirms the presence of a positive cooperativity at low diclofenac concentrations and supports the hypothesis of two substrates binding at or near the active site.     

A structural transition in duplex DNA induced by ethylene glycol

The twist energy parameter ( E T) that governs the supercoiling free energy, and the linking difference (Delta l) are measured for p30delta DNA in solutions containing 0-40 w/v % ethylene glycol (EG). A plot of E T vs -ln a w, where a w is the water activity, displays the full (reverse) sigmoidal profile of a discrete structural transition. A general theory for the effect of added osmolyte on a cooperative structural transition between two duplex states, 1 right arrow over left arrow 2, is formulated in terms of parameters applicable to individual base-pair subunits. The resulting fraction of base pairs in the 2-state ( f 2 (0)) is incorporated into expressions for the effective torsion and bending elastic constants, the effective twist energy parameter ( E T (eff)), and the change in intrinsic twist (delta l 0). Fitting the expression for E T (eff) to the measured E T values yields reasonably unambiguous estimates of E T 1 and E T 2 , the midpoint value (ln a w) 1/2, and the midpoint slope ( partial differential E T/ partial differential ln a w) 1/2, but does not yield unambiguous estimates of the equilibrium constant ( K 0), the difference in DNA-water preferential interaction coefficient (DeltaGamma), or the inverse cooperativity parameter ( J). Fitting a noncooperative model (assumed J = 1.0) to the data yields K 0 = 0.067 and DeltaGamma = -30.0 per base pair (bp). Essentially equivalent fits are provided by models with a wide range of correlated J, DeltaGamma, and K 0 values. Other results favor DeltaGamma in the range -1.0 to 0, which then requires K 0 > or = 0.914, and a cooperativity parameter, 1/ J > or = 30.0 bp. The measured delta l 0 and circular dichroism (CD) at 272 nm are found to be compatible with curves predicted using the same f 2 (0) values that best-fit the E T data. At least 7-10% of the base pairs are inferred to exist in the 2-state in 0.1 M NaCl in the complete absence of added osmolyte. Compared with the 1-state, the 2-state has a approximately 2.0- to 2.1-fold greater torsion elastic constant, a approximately 0.70-fold smaller bending elastic constant, a approximately 0.91-fold smaller E T value, a approximately 0.2% lower intrinsic twist, a somewhat lower CD near both 272 and 245 nm, and less water and/or more EG in its neighborhood. However, the relative change in preferential interaction coefficient associated with the transition is likely rather slight.     

Removal of p-aminophenol and p-nitrophenol from aqueous solution through adsorption on bismuth,lead, and manganese ferrocyanides and their relevance to environmental issues

Removal of p-aminophenol (PAP) and p-nitrophenol (PNP) from aqueous solution have been studied through adsorption on bismuth, lead and manganese ferrocyanides (125 μm British Sieve Standard mesh size) at pH range 1.0–10.0 and room temperature (27 ± 1°C). The progress of adsorption was followed spectrophotometrically by measuring the absorbance of PAP and PNP solutions at their corresponding λ_max = 220 and 330 nm, respectively. At neutral pH, PNP was found to more adsorbed than PAP on all three metal ferrocyanides studied. Manganese ferrocyanide and bismuth ferrocyanide were found to have maximum and minimum adsorption, respectively for both adsorbents. The adsorption followed the Langmuir type of adsorption in the concentration range of 10^?4 to 10^?5 mol/L of PAP and PNP solutions.     

Theoretical studies on electronic structure and magnetic properties of mixed‐valence uteroferrin active site

The electronic structure and magnetic interaction of the active site of pig purple acid phosphatase (PAP, uteroferrin) were investigated using pure DFT (UBLYP) and hybrid DFT methods (UB3LYP and UB2LYP). Uteroferrin catalyzes the hydrolysis of a phosphate ester under acidic conditions and contains a binuclear iron center. The mammalian PAPs are expected to be targets for drug design of osteoporosis. Their active sites are typical examples of the Fe(II)‐Fe(III) mixed‐valence system. We studied double exchange interaction of the mixed‐valence system, using the potential energy difference between the Fe(II)‐Fe(III) and the Fe(III)‐Fe(II) states. The pathway of the antiferromagnetic coupling between Fe(III) and Fe(II) were also discussed by using chemical indices, which are evaluated by the occupation numbers of singly occupied natural orbitals. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2010     

Microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography in suppressed electroosmotic flow environment. Separation of fat-soluble vitamins

Microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography (MEEKC) was carried out in a pH 2.5 phosphate buffer to effectively suppress the electroosmotic flow (EOF). With 66.6% (w/w) 25 mM phosphate buffer pH 2.5, 20.0% (w/w) 2-propanol, 6.6% (w/w) 1-butanol, 6.0% (w/w) sodium lauryl sulphate (SDS), and 0.8% (w/w) n-octane as the separation medium, the fat-soluble vitamins A palmitate, E acetate, and D3 were baseline separated within 11 min. With strongly suppressed EOF, the polarity of the separation voltage was reversed (positive electrode at the outlet); the n-octane micro droplets surrounded by negatively charged SDS molecules migrated towards the detector. The aqueous part of the microemulsion was modified with 20% (w/w) 2-propanol to improve partition between the n-octane phase and the surrounding aqueous medium. The fat-soluble vitamins were separated in order of decreasing hydrophobicity with a high migration time stability (repeatable within 0.1% RSD). Excellent accuracy and precision were obtained when the system was applied for the determination of vitamin E acetate in commercial vitamin tablets; quantitative data corresponded to 97.0% of label claim, intra-day results varied within 1.72% RSD (n=6), and inter-day results varied within 3.22% RSD (n=5).     

Enzymes in the cavity of hollow silica nanoparticles

Due to limitations of the existing preparative methods of hollow nanoparticles by either heating at high temperature (>600 degrees C) or by using strong acid, alkali, or an organic solvent, it was not possible up till now to encapsulate any sensitive organic molecule like enzyme or others inside the cavity of hollow nanoparticles. We have demonstrated a much softer method of preparing hollow silica nanoparticles with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) inside the cavity by synthesizing HRP-doped core-shell silica-coated silver chloride nanoparticles and finally leaching out silver chloride with dilute ammonia at low temperatures. TEM pictures showed the hollow cavity inside the nanoparticles. The enzyme entrapped in these particles was active. The turnover number of HRP entrapped into these hollow particles and dispersed in aqueous buffer (pH 7.2) (k(cat) = 2.56 x 10(6) s(-1)) was found to be less than that of free enzyme in aqueous buffer (k(cat) = 6.133 x 10(7) s(-1)) but higher than that of HRP entrapped in solid-core silica nanoparticles and dispersed in aqueous buffer (k(cat) = 1.05 x 10(5) s(-1)). The result showed that hollow nanoparticles could be prepared using soft chemical methods and sensitive chemicals like active enzyme could be entrapped in the cavities and it retains its activity.     

Fluorescent behavior of B-phycoerythrin in microemulsions of aerosol OT/water/isooctane

Taking advantage of its unusual fluorescent properties, the incorporation of B-phycoerythrin (B-PE) in aerosol OT (AOT, sodium bis-(2-ethylhexyl) sulphosuccinate)/water/isooctane microemulsions was investigated by following their steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence as a function of the water-to-surfactant molar ratio, w(0). The fluorescent intensity at 575 nm increased continuously with increasing water content, saturating at a w(0) around 35 and staying practically constant at w(0)> or =40. The steady-state anisotropy showed an initial increase with increasing water content until w(0)=23 and then decreased strongly, staying practically constant when w(0)> or =40. The values of the fluorescent parameters, anisotropy and fluorescent intensity, were unchanged when the water content of the system increased in the range between w(0)=40 to 50. This implies the effective incorporation of B-PE in the microemulsion droplets with w(0)> or =40, as well as the equilibrium of the dispersion at these water/surfactant ratios, since higher water content does not affect the main surrounding microenvironment of the protein. The overall incorporation in the microemulsion droplets caused minor spectroscopic changes with respect to biliprotein in aqueous solution of 20 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 7.0, such as a blue absorption shift of 3 nm and an emission shift of 1.5 nm, as well as a slight increase in excitation anisotropy spectrum mainly caused by a decrease in protein mobility. Therefore, there are no important interactions between the chromophores and the AOT sulfonate head groups. Emission intensity decays followed complex kinetics in both aqueous and dispersion media. The stability with time and temperature of the biliprotein in the microemulsion was higher than in the aqueous solution. All the results can be explained in terms of B-PE inclusion in the water droplets of AOT microemulsions where the protein has similar configuration and conformation to that in aqueous solution but with the chromophores more protected.     

Purification and determination of human prostate specific antigen in the serum

A human prostate specific antigen (PA) has been purified from an extract of prostatic tissue obtained during operation for benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). The antigen, which can be demonstrated a single component by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), has an apparent molecular weight of about 34,000 and has lower mobility for the positive pole than prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP). Double antibody radioimmunoassay (RIA) for PA in serum was developed with the antiserum raised in rabbit against partially purified PA. In normal serum of 30 controls the concentration were studied by the RIA. The normal upper limit of the serum PA levels in assay was set at 2.5 ng/ml. Elevated levels were observed in serum from 19 out of 21 untreated patients with prostatic carcinoma and 9 out of 23 patients with BPH, but latter less than 10 ng/ml. The results indicate that the PA is a potentially useful marker as well as PAP for prostatic cancer.     

Cloning, Expression, and Characterization of a Novel Methylglyoxal Synthase from Thermus sp. Strain GH5

A gene encoding methylglyoxal synthase from Thermus sp. GH5 (TMGS) was cloned, sequenced, overexpressed, and purified by Q-Sepharose. The TMGS gene was composed of 399 bp which encoded a polypeptide of 132 amino acids with a molecular mass of 14.3 kDa. The K _m and k _cat values of TMGS were 0.56 mM and 325 (s^?1), respectively. The enzyme exhibited its optimum activity at pH?6 and 75?°C. Comparing the amino acid sequences and Hill coefficients of Escherichia coli MGS and TMGS revealed that the loss of Arg 150 in TMGS has caused a decrease in the cooperativity between the enzyme subunits in the presence of phosphate as an allosteric inhibitor. Gel filtration experiments showed that TMGS is a hexameric enzyme, and its quaternary structure did not change in the presence of phosphate.     

A ph study of calcium phosphate seeded precipitation

The formation of calcium phosphate phases over a range of pH has been investigated at 37°C using a constant composition method. At a controlled ionic strength of 0.10 mole/liter, and Ca/P = 1.333 the precipitation of octacalcium phosphate appears to be limited to a pH range of 6 to 7. At pH 5, dicalcium phosphate dihydrate is formed at all supersaturations whereas at pH 5.5, it occurs only at high supersaturation; octacalcium phosphate precipitating at low supersaturation. At higher pH (7.4 and 8.0), the results point to the formation of a hydroxyapatite-like material.     

Stabilization of proteases by entrapment in a new composite hydrogel

A new one-step procedure for entrapping proteases into a polymeric composite calcium alginate-poly(N-vinyl caproladam) hydrogel was developed that provided 75–90% retention of the activity of entrapped enzymes compared to soluble ones. Properties of entrapped carboxypeptidase B, trypsin, and thrombin were investigated. The immobilized enzymes were active within a wide pH range. The temperature optima of entrapped trypsin and carboxypeptidase B were approx 25°C higher than that of the soluble enzymes, and the resistance to heating was also increased. The effects of various polar and nonpolar organic solvents on the entrapped proteases were investigated. The immobilized enzymes retained their activity within a wide concentration range (up to 90%) of organic solvents. Gel-entrapped trypsin and carboxypeptidase (CPB) were successfully used for obtaining human insulin from recombinant proinsulin. The developed stabilization method can be used to catalyze various reactions proceeding within wide pH and temperature ranges.     

单十二烷基磷酸酯辅助共轭亚油酸的囊泡化研究

以共轭亚油酸(CLA)为模型脂肪酸,与安全、温和的阴离子表面活性剂单十二烷基磷酸酯(MLP)进行复配,动态激光光散射和透射电镜表征结果表明,CLA在中性至弱酸性环境中仍然能够囊泡化.通过pH滴定曲线研究了CLA和MLP 2种分子的荷电物种随pH值的变化规律,据此分析各物种间的相互作用,并推断经MLP辅助CLA能够在中性至弱酸性环境中囊泡化的动因是CLA-MLP间的氢键或离子-偶极作用.     

云芝漆酶在N,N'-亚甲基双丙烯酰胺（BIS）交联聚甲基丙烯酸基元上的固定及其修饰玻碳电极电化学行为

以N,N′-亚甲基双丙烯酰胺（BIS）交联聚甲基丙烯酸作为固定漆酶的载体,以共价偶联法固定云芝漆酶并测定了固定基元的酶固定量和固定漆酶的比活力。 还研究了固定漆酶热稳定性、重复使用性以及固定漆酶催化2,6-二甲氧基苯酚（DMP）氧化的酶动力学参数。 实验结果表明,这种交联聚合物基元通过共价偶联法固定漆酶的量和固定漆酶的比活力分别可达26.37 mg/g和1.202 U/mg;在交联聚合物基元上固定的漆酶在50 ℃下放置2 h后仍然保持初始活力的83％,重复使用10次后仍保持初始活力的80％以上;交联聚合物固定漆酶催化DMP氧化的表观速率常数k_cat可达1090 min^-1,以固定漆酶的BIS交联聚甲基丙烯酸功能化碳纳米管修饰的玻碳电极在pH=4.4磷酸盐缓冲液中氧还原发生在+724 mV(vs.SCE)。