Establishing a Mathematical Equations and Improving the Production of <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-<Emphasis Type="Italic">tert</Emphasis>-Leucine by Uniform Design and Regression Analysis

l-tert-Leucine (l-Tle) and its derivatives are extensively used as crucial building blocks for chiral auxiliaries, pharmaceutically active ingredients, and ligands. Combining with formate dehydrogenase (FDH) for regenerating the expensive coenzyme NADH, leucine dehydrogenase (LeuDH) is continually used for synthesizing l-Tle from α-keto acid. A multilevel factorial experimental design was executed for research of this system. In this work, an efficient optimization method for improving the productivity of l-Tle was developed. And the mathematical model between different fermentation conditions and l-Tle yield was also determined in the form of the equation by using uniform design and regression analysis. The multivariate regression equation was conveniently implemented in water, with a space time yield of 505.9 g L^?1 day^?1 and an enantiomeric excess value of >99 %. These results demonstrated that this method might become an ideal protocol for industrial production of chiral compounds and unnatural amino acids such as chiral drug intermediates.     

Tyrosine alkyl esters as prodrug: the structure and intermolecular interactions of <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-tyrosine methyl ester compared to <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-tyrosine and its ethyl and <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-butyl esters

l-Tyrosine alkyl esters are used as prodrugs for l-tyrosine. Although prodrugs are often designed for their behavior in solution, understanding their solid-state properties is the first step in mastering drug delivery. The crystal structure of l-tyrosine methyl ester has been determined and compared to published structures of l-tyrosine and its ethyl and n-butyl esters. It is almost isostructural with the other esters: it crystallizes in the orthorhombic chiral space group P2₁2₁2₁, a = 5.7634(15) Å, b = 12.111(2) Å, c = 14.3713(19) Å, V = 1003.1(4) Å³ with Z′ = 1. Their main packing motif is a C(9) infinite hydrogen-bond chain, but the conformation of l-tyrosine methyl ester is different from the other two: eclipsed versus U-shaped, respectively. The published structure of the ethyl ester, which was incomplete, has been confirmed by X-ray powder diffraction data. Because l-tyrosine methyl ester is very stable (28 years stored at room temperature), and its hydrolysis rate is relatively low, it should be one of the better prodrugs among the alkyl esters of tyrosine.     

Enhancing <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-Lysine Production of Beet Molasses by Engineered <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> Using an In Situ Pretreatment Method

Reducing the viscosity of molasses environmentally and selectively removing the harmful ingredients for microbes are the keys to promoting the bioavailability of molasses. A simple and environmental in situ pretreatment method integrating surfactants and alkali was developed to reduce the viscosity of molasses prior to l-lysine production using Escherichia coli ZY0217. Adding activated carbon and modified orange peel based on the in situ pretreatment process effectively removed pigments and excessive zinc in the molasses and also significantly increased the cell growth and l-lysine yield from E. coli ZY0217. The experimental results showed that a mixture of secondary alkane sulfonate, an anionic surfactant, and HodagCB-6, a non-ionic surfactant, effectively reduced the viscosity of the molasses more so than any single surfactant. When the surfactant mixture was added at a concentration of 0.04 g/L to the molasses, the ω value was 0.4, and when ammonia was added at 0.6 %, the lowest viscosity of 705 mPa?·?s was obtained. Further, 91.5 % of the color and 86.68 % of the original levels of zinc were removed using an activated carbon and modified orange peel treatment on the molasses with the lowest viscosity, which further promoted cell growth and l-lysine production. In the fed-batch cultivation process, the l-lysine concentration achieved using a constant-speed feeding strategy was 45.89 g/L, with an l-lysine yield of 27.18 %, whereas the l-lysine yield from untreated molasses was only 10.13 %. The increase in l-lysine yield was related to the reduced viscosity and the detoxification of the molasses. Lastly, the pretreatment was found to significantly enhance the conversion of sugars in the molasses to l-lysine.     

Development of an Amperometric Biosensor Platform for the Combined Determination of <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-Malic,Fumaric, and <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-Aspartic Acid

Three amperometric biosensors have been developed for the detection of l-malic acid, fumaric acid, and l -aspartic acid, all based on the combination of a malate-specific dehydrogenase (MDH, EC 1.1.1.37) and diaphorase (DIA, EC 1.8.1.4). The stepwise expansion of the malate platform with the enzymes fumarate hydratase (FH, EC 4.2.1.2) and aspartate ammonia-lyase (ASPA, EC 4.3.1.1) resulted in multi-enzyme reaction cascades and, thus, augmentation of the substrate spectrum of the sensors. Electrochemical measurements were carried out in presence of the cofactor β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) and the redox mediator hexacyanoferrate (III) (HCFIII). The amperometric detection is mediated by oxidation of hexacyanoferrate (II) (HCFII) at an applied potential of + 0.3 V vs. Ag/AgCl. For each biosensor, optimum working conditions were defined by adjustment of cofactor concentrations, buffer pH, and immobilization procedure. Under these improved conditions, amperometric responses were linear up to 3.0 mM for l-malate and fumarate, respectively, with a corresponding sensitivity of 0.7 μA mM^?1 (l-malate biosensor) and 0.4 μA mM^?1 (fumarate biosensor). The l-aspartate detection system displayed a linear range of 1.0–10.0 mM with a sensitivity of 0.09 μA mM^?1. The sensor characteristics suggest that the developed platform provides a promising method for the detection and differentiation of the three substrates.     

The chemo- enzymatic synthesis of labeled <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-amino acids and some of their derivatives

This review compiles the combined chemical and enzymatic synthesis of aromatic l-amino acids (l-phenylalanine, l-tyrosine, l-DOPA, l-tryptophan, and their derivatives and precursors) specifically labeled with carbon and hydrogen isotopes, which were elaborated in our research group by the past 20 years. These compounds could be then employed to characterize the mechanisms of enzymatic reactions via kinetic and solvent isotope effects methods.     

Enhanced Inulin Saccharification by Self-Produced Inulinase from a Newly Isolated <Emphasis Type="Italic">Penicillium</Emphasis> sp. and its Application in <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">d</Emphasis>-Lactic Acid Production

In order to find an alternative for commercial inulinase, a strain XL01 identified as Penicillium sp. was screened for inulinase production. The broth after cultivated was centrifuged, filtered, and used as crude enzyme for the following saccharification. At pH 5.0 and 50 °C, the crude enzyme released 84.9 g/L fructose and 20.7 g/L glucose from 120 g/L inulin in 72 h. In addition, simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of chicory flour for d-lactic acid production was carried out using the self-produced crude inulinase and Lactobacillus bulgaricus CGMCC 1.6970. A high d-lactic acid titer and productivity of 122.0 g/L and 1.69 g/(L h) was achieved from 120 g/L chicory flour in 72 h. The simplicity for inulinase production and the high efficiency for d-lactic acid fermentation provide a perspective and profitable industrial biotechnology for utilization of the inulin-rich biomass.     

Enhancing the Production of <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">d</Emphasis>-Mannitol by an Artificial Mutant of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Penicillium</Emphasis> sp. T2-M10

d-Mannitol belongs to a linear polyol with six-carbon and has indispensable usage in medicine and industry. In order to obtain more efficient d-mannitol producer, this study has screened out a stable mutant Penicillium sp. T2-M10 that was isolated from the initial d-mannitol-produced strain Penicillium sp.T2-8 via UV irradiation as well as nitrosoguanidine (NTG) induction. The mutant had a considerable enhancement in yield of d-mannitol based on optimizing fermentation. The production condition was optimized as the PDB medium with 24 g/L glucose for 9 days. The results showed that the production of d-mannitol from the mutant strain T2-M10 increased 125% in contrast with the parental strain. Meanwhile, the fact that d-mannitol is the main product in the mutant simplified the process of purification. Our finding revealed the potential value of the mutant strain Penicillium sp. T2-M10 to be a d-mannitol-producing strain.     

Purification of Histidine-Tagged Membrane-Bound Catechol-<Emphasis Type="Italic">O</Emphasis>-Methyltransferase from Detergent-Solubilized <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pichia pastoris</Emphasis> Membranes

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is an enzyme involved in catecholamine catabolism that is key for the treatment of different neurologic disorders. Actually, there are still unmet needs concerning the development of more selective membrane-bound COMT (hMBCOMT) downstream strategies, envisaging their application in structural and bio-interaction studies. Therefore, in this work, recombinant hexahistidine-tagged hMBCOMT (hMBCOMT-His₆) was expressed from Pichia pastoris methanol-induced cultures in a catalytically active form (27.3 nmol h^?1 mg^?1 of protein) and successfully solubilized with n-dodecyl β-d-maltoside. Afterward, immobilized-metal affinity chromatography provided the required selectivity for the direct capture of hMBCOMT-His₆ from detergent-solubilized P. pastoris membranes, being the target enzyme recovered in a highly purified fraction. Also, despite the relatively low purification fold (1.53), the purity of the target enzyme assessed by SDS-PAGE is high and it is recovered with biological activity (67 nmol h^?1 mg^?1 of protein). Then, after a final polishing stage using Q-Sepharose, a pure and immunologically active enzyme fraction was obtained. Overall, the strategy herein reported may be applied to obtain pure hMBCOMT fractions, debottlenecking the implementation of bio-interaction studies and relieving the problems associated with hMBCOMT drug discovery pipeline. In a last analysis, these studies may lead to the establishment of new pharmacological therapies, thereby improving the prognosis of neurologic disorders.     

Efficient Regioselective Synthesis of the Crotonyl Polydatin Prodrug by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Thermomyces lanuginosus</Emphasis> Lipase: a Kinetics Study in Eco-friendly 2-Methyltetrahydrofuran

Bio-based solvents have recently been discussed as sustainable green and promising alternatives to conventional organic media for enzymatic processes. In this paper, highly regioselective synthesis of the 6″-O-crotonyl-polydatin catalyzed by Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase (TLL) in biomass-derived 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF) was successfully performed for the first time. The results indicated that TLL lipase displayed significantly improved catalytic performance in 2-MeTHF than in other traditional solvents. Under the optimal conditions, the initial reaction rate, 6″-regioselectivity, and maximum substrate conversion were as high as 12.38 mM h^?1, 100 %, and 100 %, respectively. Moreover, further investigations on the operational stability, kinetic parameters like V _max, K _m, V _max/K _m, and E _a revealed that 2-MeTHF exhibited excellent biocompatibility and rendered the greener process of the enzymatic acylation.     

Conducting materials prepared by the oxidation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-phenylenediamine with <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-benzoquinone

p-Phenylenediamine was oxidized with p-benzoquinone in the aqueous solutions of methanesulfonic acid (MSA). The conductivity of the products increased with increasing concentration of MSA from 1.5?×?10^?12 S cm^?1 in 0.1 M MSA up to 3.4?×?10^?4 S cm^?1 in 5 M MSA. The low-molecular-weight products are basically composed of one p-benzoquinone and two p-phenylenediamine molecules. Their molecular structure is discussed on the basis of mass, Fourier-transform infrared, Raman, NMR and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopies. The formation of 2,5-di(p-phenylenediamine)-p-benzoquinone protonated with methanesulfonic acid best complies with the information provided by spectroscopic techniques. Its conversion to hydroquinone tautomer explains the formation of unpaired spins observed by EPR and their potential contribution to the conduction.     

Thermodynamics of the Protonation of an Analogue of Glyphosate, <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-(phosphonomethyl)-<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-proline,in Aqueous Solutions

N-(phosphonomethyl)-l-proline is an analogue of glyphosate. The protonation for N-(phosphonomethyl)-l-proline was studied by potentiometry, calorimetry, ³¹P NMR spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations to further understand the protonation process of glyphosate. The results confirmed that the order of successive protonation sites of totally deprotonated N-(phosphonomethyl)-l-proline are a phosphonate oxygen, amino nitrogen, and finally the carboxylate oxygen. The results can improve the understanding of the biological activity of these types of molecules in solution.     

Production and Biotechnological Application of Extracellular Alkalophilic Lipase from Marine Macroalga-Associated <Emphasis Type="Italic">Shewanella algae</Emphasis> to Produce Enriched C<Subscript>20-22</Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Concentrate

An extracellular alkalophilic lipase was partially purified from heterotrophic Shewanella algae (KX 272637) associated with marine macroalgae Padina gymnospora. The enzyme possessed a molecular mass of 20 kD, and was purified 60-fold with a specific activity of 36.33 U/mg. The enzyme exhibited V_max and K_m of 1000 mM/mg/min and 157 mM, respectively, with an optimum activity at 55 °C and pH 10.0. The catalytic activity of the enzyme was improved by Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ ions, and the enzyme showed a good tolerance towards organic solvents, such as methanol, isopropanol, and ethanol. The purified lipase hydrolyzed the refined liver oil from leafscale gulper shark Centrophorus squamosus, yielding a total C_20-22 n-3 PUFA concentration of 34.99% with EPA + DHA accounting the major share (34% TFA), after 3 h of hydrolysis. This study recognized the industrial applicability of the thermostable and alkalophilic lipase from marine macroalga-associated bacterium Shewanella algae to produce enriched C_20-22 n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrate.     

Overproduction,Purification and Characterization of Adenylate Deaminase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aspergillus oryzae</Emphasis>

Adenylate deaminase (AMPD, EC 3.5.4.6) is an aminohydrolase that widely used in the food and medicine industries. In this study, the gene encoding Aspergillus oryzae AMPD was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Induction with 0.75 mM isopropyl β-d-l-thiogalactopyranoside resulted in an enzyme activity of 1773.9 U/mL. Recombinant AMPD was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity using nickel affinity chromatography, and its molecular weight was calculated as 78.6 kDa. Purified AMPD exhibited maximal activity at 35 °C, pH 6.0 and 30 mM K⁺, with apparent K _m and V _max values of 2.7 × 10^?4 M and 77.5 μmol/mg/min under these conditions. HPLC revealed that recombinant AMPD could effectively catalyse the synthesis of inosine-5′-monophosphate (IMP) with minimal by-products, indicating high specificity and suggesting that it could prove useful for IMP production.     

Physical and Covalent Immobilization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lipase</Emphasis> onto Amine Groups Bearing Thiol-Ene Photocured Coatings

In this study, amine groups containing thiol-ene photocurable coating material for lipase immobilization were prepared. Lipase (EC 3.1.1.3) from Candida rugosa was immobilized onto the photocured coatings by physical adsorption and glutaraldehyde-activated covalent bonding methods, respectively. The catalytic efficiency of the immobilized and free enzymes was determined for the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl palmitate and also for the synthesis of p-nitrophenyl linoleate. The storage stability and the reusability of the immobilized enzyme and the effect of temperature and pH on the catalytic activities were also investigated. The optimum pH for free lipase and physically immobilized lipase was determined as 7.0, while it was found as 7.5 for the covalent immobilization. After immobilization, the optimum temperature increased from 37 °C (free lipase) to 50–55 °C. In the end of 15 repeated cycles, covalently bounded enzyme retained 60 and 70 % of its initial activities for hydrolytic and synthetic assays, respectively. While the physically bounded enzyme retained only 56 % of its hydrolytic activity and 67 % of its synthetic activity in the same cycle period. In the case of hydrolysis V _max values slightly decreased after immobilization. For synthetic assay, the V _max value for the covalently immobilized lipase was found as same as free lipase while it decreased dramatically for the physically immobilized lipase. Physically immobilized enzyme was found to be superior over covalent bonding in terms of enzyme loading capacity and optimum temperature and exhibited comparable re-use values and storage stability. Thus, a fast, easy, and less laborious method for lipase immobilization was developed.     

Synthesis and X-ray study of 6<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>-chromeno[3,4-<Emphasis Type="Italic">e</Emphasis>][1,3,4]triazolo[2,3-<Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis>]pyrimidine

2-Dimethylamino methylenechromanone 1 reacted with 4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-amine in acetic acid to give only one isolated product which was identified by X-ray study as 6H-chromeno[3,4-e][1,3,4]triazolo[2,3-a]-pyrimidine. The molecular structure of 3, C₁₂H₈N₄O, was determined to be monoclinic, P2₁/c, a = 16.3875(5), b = 8.8378(3), c = 13.8392(5) Å, β = 101.190(1)°, V = 1966.22(11) ų, Z = 8.     

Bioactive compounds from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Smilax excelsa</Emphasis> L.

Phytochemical investigation of EtOAc extract of Smilax excelsa has led to isolation and structure elucidation of five compounds. The structures of these compounds are established by different spectroscopic techniques including 1D and 2D-NMR, HRMS and ECD spectroscopy. The compounds were: solanesol (1), violasterol A (2), trans-resveratrol (3), 5-O-caffeoylshikimic acid (4) and 6-O-caffeoyl-β-d-fructofuranosyl-(2-1)-α-d-glucopyranoside (5). The configuration of compound 2 was established by electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectroscopy. Meanwhile the cytotoxicity and antibacterial activity of the compounds were evaluated by MTT and MIC assays. Compounds 1 and 2 showed promising inhibition on MCF-7 cell line with IC₅₀ of 161.6 and 190.0 µM, respectively. Also compounds 2 and 3 illustrated activity against Staphylococcus aureus with MIC values of 142.5 and 136.9 µM, respectively.     

Improvement on <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">d</Emphasis>-xylose to Xylitol Biotransformation by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Candida guilliermondii</Emphasis> Using Cells Permeabilized with Triton X-100 and Selected Process Conditions

Cells of Candida guilliermondii permeabilized with Triton X-100 were able to efficiently produce xylitol from a medium composed only by d-xylose and MgCl₂·6H₂O in potassium phosphate buffer, at 35 °C and pH 6.5. Under these conditions, the results were similar to those obtained when cofactor and co-substrate or nutrients were added to the medium (about 95 % d-xylose was assimilated producing 42 g/L of xylitol, corresponding to 0.80 g/g yield and 2.65 g/L h volumetric productivity). Furthermore, the permeabilized cells kept the d-xylose assimilation in about 90 % and the xylitol production in approx. 40 g/L during three bioconversion cycles of 16 h each. These values are highly relevant when compared to others reported in the literature using enzyme technology and fermentative process, thereby demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed method. The present study reveals that the use of permeabilized cells is an interesting alternative to obtain high xylitol productivity using low cost medium formulation. This approach may allow the future development of xylitol production from xylose present in lignocellulosic biomass, with additional potential for implementation in biorefinery strategies.     

A Novel 2-Keto-<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">d</Emphasis>-Gluconic Acid High-Producing Strain <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arthrobacter globiformis</Emphasis> JUIM02

2-Keto-d-gluconic acid (2KGA) is mainly used for industrial production of erythorbic acid, a food antioxidant. In this study, a 2KGA producing strain JUIM02 was firstly identified as Arthrobacter globiformis by morphological observation and 16S rDNA sequencing. The 2KGA synthetic capacity of A. globiformis JUIM02 was evaluated by both fermentation and bioconversion, with 180 g/L dextrose monohydrate as substrates, in shake flasks and 5 L fermenters. For fermentation, 2KGA titer, yield, molar yield, and productivity of JUIM02 reached 159.05 g/L, 0.97 g/g, 90.18%, and 6.63 g/L/h in 24 h. For non-sterile and buffer-free bioconversion by free resting cells (~?3.2 g/L dry cell weight) of JUIM02, these data were 172.96 g/L, 1.06 g/g, 98.07%, and 5.41 g/L/h in 32 h. Moreover, JUIM02 resting cells could be repeatedly used. Resting cells stored at 4 °C within 30 days showed stable bioconversion capacity, with 2KGA titers ≥?171.50 g/L, yields ≥?1.04 g/g, and molar yields ≥?97.24%. The 2KGA synthetic pathway in A. globiformis, which was rarely reported, was also speculated similar to Pseudomonas and verified preliminarily. In conclusion, A. globiformis JUIM02 is a promising 2KGA industrial-producing strain suitable for various production methods and a suitable object for 2KGA metabolism research of A. globiformis.     

Capillary Electrophoresis-Based Enzyme Assay for Nicotinamide <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-Methyltransferase

A capillary electrophoresis method was developed for the determination of the activity of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase. Separation of the substrate nicotinamide and the product N-methylnicotinamide as well as the cofactor S-(5′-adenosyl)-l-methionine and its metabolite S-(5′-adenosyl)-l-homocysteine were achieved in a 50/60.5 cm fused-silica capillary using 100 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 3.0 as electrolyte and an applied voltage of 25 kV. Analyte detection was carried out at 193 nm. Using lidocaine as internal standard the method was validated for nicotinamide and N-methylnicotinamide with regard to range, limit of detection, limit of quantitation, repeatability, intermediate precision and accuracy. The assay was applied to the determination of the Michaelis–Menten kinetic parameters of the enzyme.     

Study of the growth of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Enterococcus faecalis</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> and their mixtures by microcalorimetry

In a majority of environments, microbes live as interacting communities. Microbial communities are composed of a mix of microbes with often unknown functions. Polymicrobial diseases represent the clinical and pathological manifestations induced by the presence of multiple infectious agents. These diseases are difficult to diagnose and treat and usually are more severe than monomicrobial infections. The interaction relationship between Enterococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli was researched using a Calvet calorimeter. Three mixtures of both bacteria were prepared in the following proportions: 20 + 80 % (0.2 mL E. faecalis + 0.8 mL E. coli), 50 + 50 % (0.5 mL E. faecalis + 0.5 mL E. coli) and 80 + 20 % (0.8 mL E. faecalis + 0.2 mL E. coli). Experiments were carried out at concentration of 10⁶ CFU mL^?1 and a constant temperature of 309.65 K. The differences in shape of graph of E. faecalis, E. coli and their mixtures were compared. Also, the thermokinetic parameters such as detection time (t _d), growth constant (k), generation time (G) and the amount of heat released (Q) were calculated.