L-Malate-sensing electrode based on malate dehydrogenase and NADH oxidase

An L-malate-sensing electrode was constructed from an oxygen electrode and a layer containing immobilized malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and NADH oxidase. MDH catalyses the dehydrogenation of L-malate by NAD⁺ and NADH oxidase catalyses the regeneration of NAD⁺ with the use of oxygen. The regeneration enables the L-malate oxidation to proceed efficiently even in a medium of neutral pH. At pH 8.0, L-malate in the concentration range 5 μM–1.5 mM can be measured. The relative standard deviation for the measurement is 1.2% (L-malate concentration, 0.2 mM; n=10). The present L-malate-sensing electrode is stable for 8 weeks. A two-electrode sensor system consisting of the L-malate-sensing electrode and an L-lactate-sensing electrode based on lactate oxidase was prepared and applied to the simultaneous determination of the two components in wines.     

Plant tissue-based membrane biosensor for l-ascorbic acid

Coupling of a slice of the mesocarp of squash (Cucurbita pepo) or cucumber (Cucumis sativus) to a Clark-type oxygen electrode allows 0.02–0.57 mmol l^?1l-ascorbic acid to be determined amperometrically. The method is based on monitoring the decrease in the curretn of oxygen at an applied potential of ?650 mV vs. Ag/AgCl; oxygen is consumed in the analyte oxidation catalyzed by ascorbate oxidase in the plant tissue. One tissue slice serves for 50–80 measurements at 30°C and pH 6. Spare slices can be stored for at least a year in aqueous 50% glycerol without substantial loss of enzyme activity. The biosensor is highly selective towards ascorbic acid with a response time of 70–90 s, the relative standard deviation being about 3%. Satisfactory results were obtained in the analysis of some fruit juices and vitamin tablets.     

Development of a disposable miniature l-lysine sensor

A hybrid l-lysine sensor consisting of an immobilized l-lysine decarboxylase and a miniature bacterial CO₂ sensor was fabricated using semiconductor techniques. The bacteria was immobilized in a calcium alginate gel in a miniature oxygen electrode cell together with the electrolyte. The enzyme was immobilized in a bovine serum albumin matrix on a gas-permeable membrane. The cell was formed on a silicon substrate by anisotropic etching and had a two-gold-electrode configuration. The response time of the l-lysine sensor was 1–3 min. The optimum pH was 6.0 and the optimum temperature was 33°C. The response to l-lysine concentration was linear from 25 to 400 μM. Reproducible responses were obtained by adding more than 1 μM pyridoxal-5′-phosphate. The sensor had excellent selectivity for l-lysine and a stable response for more than 25 repetitive operations.     

Enzymatic determination of l-lysine by flow-injection techniques

An enzymatic assay that is highly selective for l-lysine, based on flow-injection techniques combined with spectrophotometric detection, is presented. l-Lysine-α-oxidase (E.C. 1.4.3.14) from Trichoderma viride and horseradish peroxidase were used in a coupled enzyme assay. Peroxide produced in the first reaction was converted by peroxidase with phenol and 4-aminoantipyrine to a quinoneimine dye detectable at 500 nm. An analytical enzyme reactor filled with coimmobilized enzymes was incorporated in the flow-injection system. The assay has a measuring frequency of 30 samples h^?1 and a response time of less than 2 min. To adapt the assay to high concentrations of l-Lysine and to minimize interferences, the injected sample volume was reduced to 2 μ-l, resulting in a linearity range of 1–16 mM l-lysine with a sensitivity of 6–7 mV 1 mmol^?1, a limit of detection (3σ) of 1 mM and a reproducibility of 0.5% (repetitive injection of a 10 mM l-lysine sample). The enzyme cartridge is stable for several months and thousands of measurements.     

An enzyme electrode forl-lactate with a chemically-amplified response

An enzyme electrode with a chemically-amplified response forl-lactate is constructed from an oxygen electrode and a layer containing immobilized lactate oxidase, to oxidizel-lactate, and lactate dehydrogenase, to regenerate thel-lactate. Regeneration enables oxygen to be consumed beyond the stoichiometric limitation, which results in an electrode response amplified 2–250 times according to the variation in the layer properties such as the V_max and K_m values of the immobilized enzymes and the thickness of the layer. The detection limit is as low as 5 × 10^?9 M. An equation is derived to relate the rate of oxygen consumption in the layer to the experimental parameters; the equation successfully explains the experimental results.     

Bound coefactor/dual enzyme electrode system for l-alanine

A dual enzyme-bound coenzyme electrode system for quantifying l-alanine is described. Commercially available dextran-bound NAD was incorporated into an l-alanine dehydrogenase (E.C. 1.4.1.1)/l-lactate dehydrogenase (E.C. 1.1.1.27) enzyme system and held at the surface of a potentiometric ammonia gas sensor. Using this system, l-alanine calibration curves with a slope of 45 mV/decade and 10^?5 M detection limit were obtained with a sensor lifetime of at least 10 days. This system is potentially useful for the clinical determination of l-alanine in serum.     

1,1′-Dimethylferrocene Mediated L-Glutamate Electrodes Modified With Electropolymerized 1,3-Diaminobenzene Film

Abstract

A mediated L-glutamate biosensor was constructed by incorporating 1,1′-dimethylferrocene in electropolymerized 1,3-diaminobenzene and immobilizing L-glutamate oxidase on the electropolymerized film. Stabilizers (1% DEAE-dextran, 1% MgCl₂ and 10% sucrose) were added to the immobilized enzyme to improve the long-term storage stability. The electrode responded linearly to L-glutamate concentration between 0.1 and 2.0 mM and the response of the electrode did not interfere with electroactive species and oxygen. The useful lifetime of the sensor was at least 3 weeks. When stored in dry form at 28°C, the sensor with stabilizers was stable at least 6 months. The electrode was applied to determine L-glutamate in fermentation broth samples. Good correlations were achieved between results obtained with the sensor and by enzymatic analysis using glutamate dehydrogenase.     

Amperometric l-glutamate biosensor based on bacterial cell-surface displayed glutamate dehydrogenase

A novel l-glutamate biosensor was fabricated using bacteria surface-displayed glutamate dehydrogenase (Gldh-bacteria). Here the cofactor NADP⁺-specific dependent Gldh was expressed on the surface of Escherichia coli using N-terminal region of ice nucleation protein (INP) as the anchoring motif. The cell fractionation assay and SDS-PAGE analysis indicated that the majority of INP-Gldh fusion proteins were located on the surface of cells. The biosensor was fabricated by successively casting polyethyleneimine (PEI)-dispersed multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), Gldh-bacteria and Nafion onto the glassy carbon electrode (Nafion/Gldh-bacteria/PEI-MWNTs/GCE). The MWNTs could not only significantly lower the oxidation overpotential towards NAPDH, which was the product of NADP⁺ involving in the oxidation of glutamate by Gldh, but also enhanced the current response. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the current–time curve of the Nafion/Gldh-bacteria/PEI-MWNTs/GCE was performed at +0.52 V (vs. SCE) by amperometry varying glutamate concentration. The current response was linear with glutamate concentration in two ranges (10 μM–1 mM and 2–10 mM). The low limit of detection was estimated to be 2 μM glutamate (S/N = 3). Moreover, the proposed biosensor is stable, specific, reproducible and simple, which can be applied to real samples detection.     

A reliable l-lactate electrode with a new membrane for enzyme immobilization for amperometric assay of lactate

Lactate oxidase from Pediococcus species can be rapidly and simply immobilized on a commercially available pre-activated membrane fixed to an amperometric probe detecting hydrogen peroxide, to provide a very sensitive practical l-lactate sensor. At 25°C, in a phosphate buffer pH 7.1, the detection limit is 1.25 × 10^?7 M, calibration is linear between 2.5 × 10^?7 and 2.5 × 10^?4 M, the response time is <2 min, and the probe can be used for hundreds of assays over several weeks. With a microprocessor-based instrument including the same type of electrode, sample injections can be made at 90-s intervals, the response being displayed after only 30 s. High selectivity is achieved because the differential measurement system continuously subtracts currents at the chosen potential arising from the presence of electroactive species. Samples (20 μl) from sera and dairy products were successfully tested without pretreatment; a relative standard deviation between 1 and 3% was routinely obtained. Correlation of the data with data obtained by the conventional spectrophotometric method was excellent.     

Chemically modified graphite electrode with immobilized enzyme as a potentiometric sensor for some l-amino acids

A chemically modified electrode with immobilized enzyme was constructed by covalent attachment of l-amino acid oxidase (E.C. 1.4.3.2) to a graphite rod via chemical modification of the electrode surface. Logarithmic response with concentration of selected l-amino acids was observed in the 10^-2–10^-5 M range. The electrodes displayed slopes of 24–29 mV/decade over the tested concentration range for l-phenylalanine, l-methionine, and l-leucine. The electrode slope degraded by 33% after 78 days under the defined storage conditions. Interaction of hydrogen peroxide with surface groups generated during cyanuric chloride modification appears to be the major contributor to the potentiometric response. Cations change the electrode potential but have essentially no effect on the electrode slope. A plausible model describing the mechanism of response is presented.     

Mediated amperometric biosensors for d-galactose,glycolate and l-amino acids based on a ferrocene-modified carbon paste electrode

Direct-current cyclic voltammetry is used to investigate the suitability of a ferrocene derivative as a mediator with galactose, glycolate and l-amino acid oxidases. The three enzymes coupled catalytically to ferrocene monocarboxylic acid exhibiting homogeneous second-order rate constants in the range 0.4 × 10⁵ to 8.5 × 10⁵ l mol^?1 s^?1. Enzyme electrodes which responded to d-galactose, glycolate or l-amino acids were constructed. The appropriate oxidase was retained behind a dialysis membrane at a carbon paste electrode containing the poorly soluble derivative 1,1′-dimethylferrocene. All the electrodes responded rapidly to millimolar concentrations of their respective substrates producing 95% of the steady-state current response in <2 min. This general method of biosensor construction should be widely applicable to oxidases and other oxidoreductase enzymes.     

Determination of glutamate pyruvate transaminase activity in clinical specimens using a biosensor composed of immobilized l-glutamate oxidase in a photo-crosslinkable polymer membrane on a palladium-deposited screen-printed carbon electrode

The determination of glutamate pyruvate activity (GPT) is of particular clinical importance. A portable GPT sensor for both diagnostic and home-care purpose is highly expected. A highly sensitive and stable l-glutamate sensor was fabricated for the rapid detection of the GPT activity in serum. The sensor is composed of immobilized l-glutamate oxidase in a photo-crosslinkable polymer (PVA-SbQ) membrane on a palladium-deposited screen-printed carbon electrode. The sensor exhibited high sensitivity (detection limit of 50 nM for monosodium glutamate), remarkable long-term stability in storage (5 months in the dry dark state and 1 month in buffer solution) and good reproducibility (R.S.D.=2.6%, n=100). The electrode-to-electrode reproducibility was found to depend on the composition of the polymeric matrix. The optimal substrate composition for the detection of GPT activity was 1 mM α-ketoglutarate and 100 mM l-alanine. The GPT activity in serum can be determined within 3 min. The response of the sensor to GPT activity is linear over the range of 8-250 U/l. Good correlation between the sensor and the Sigma GPT assay kit was achieved (R²=0.9958). The sensor is potentially applicable to a home-care purpose when a portable measuring device is adapted.     

Synthesis and proposed conformations of l-prolyl-l-leucyl-β-alanine alkylamides

The synthesis of H-Pro-Leu-β-Ala-NH₂, H-Pro-Leu-β-Ala-NHCH₃ and H-Pro-Leu-β-Ala-N(CH₃)₂ is described. On the basis of IR and ¹H NMR spectral data, a 7-membered ring including the NH of β-alanine with the CO of proline should be assigned for the H-Pro-Leu-β-Ala-N(CH₃)₂. Consequently, the plausible conformations for H-Pro-Leu-β-Ala-NH₂ and H-Pro-Leu-β-Ala-NHCH₃ derive from the formation of an 11-membered ring, between the trans amide proton and the CO of Pro, or from the formation of an 8-membered ring, between this carboxamide proton and the CO of Leu, plus the aforementioned 7-membered ring.     

Intermolecular/interionic interactions in l-leucine-, l-asparagine-, and glycylglycine-aqueous electrolyte systems

Ultrasonic velocity and density values have been measured for ternary systems (amino acid/di-peptide + salt + water): l-leucine/l-asparagine/glycylglycine each in 1.5 M aqueous solutions of NaCl or NaNO₃ or KNO₃ used as solvents for several concentrations of amino acids/di-peptide at different temperatures in the range of 298.15-323.15 K. The ultrasonic velocity values have been found to increase with increase in amino acids/di-peptide concentration and temperature in all the systems. The increase in ultrasonic velocity with increase in concentration has been discussed in terms of electrostatic interactions occurring between terminal groups of zwitterions (NH₄⁺ and COO⁻) and Na⁺, K⁺, Cl⁻, NO₃⁻ ions. The interactions of water dipoles with cations/anions and with zwitterions have also been taken into consideration. It has been observed that the ion-zwitterion and ion-dipole attractive forces are stronger than those of ion-hydrophobic repulsive forces. These interactions comprehensively introduce the cohesion into solutions under investigation. The cohesive forces are further enhanced on successive increases in solute concentration. Using ultrasonic velocity and density data, the parameters such as isentropic compressibility (κ_s), change (Δκ_s) and relative change (Δκ_s/κ₀) in isentropic compressibility, specific acoustic impedance (Z) and relative association (RA) have been computed. The isentropic compressibility values decrease with increase in the concentration of solutes as well as with temperature. The decrease in κ_s values with increase in concentration of l-leucine, l-asparagine and glycylglycine in 1.5 M aqueous solutions of NaCl, NaNO₃ and KNO₃ have been explained in terms of an increase in the number of incompressible molecules/zwitterions in solutions and the formation of compact zwitterions-water dipole and zwitterions-ions structures in solutions. The decrease in κ_s values with increase in temperature has been attributed to the corresponding decrease of κ_relax. (relaxational part of compressibility)_, which is dominant over the corresponding increase of κ_∞ (instantaneous part of compressibility). The trends of variations of Δκ_s, Δκ_s/κ₀, Z and RA with change of concentration and temperature have also been interpreted in terms of various intermolecular/interionic interactions existing in the systems.     

Immobilization of bromelain onto porous copoly(γ-methyl-l-glutamate/l-leucine) beads

Water-insoluble bromelain was prepared by immobilizing bromelain onto the surface of porous copoly(γ-methyl-l-glutamate/l-leucine) (ML) beads with and without spacer. The mode of the immobilization between bromelain and porous copolypeptide ML beads was covalent fixation. The relative activity and the stability of the immobilized bromelain was investigated. The retained activity of the bromelain covalently immobilized by the azide method was found to be excellent toward a small ester substrate, N-benzyl-l-arginine ethyl ester, but rather low toward casein, a high molecular weight substrate. The values of the Michaelis constant K_m and the maximum reaction velocity V_m for free and immobilized bromelain on the porous copolypeptide ML beads were estimated. Apparent K_m was larger for immobilized bromelain than for the free one, while V_m was smaller for the immobilized bromelain. The thermal stability of the covalently immobilized bromelain was higher than that of the free bromelain. The initial enzymatic activity of the immobilized bromelain remained approximately unchanged with storage time, when the batch enzyme reaction was performed repeatedly, indicating the excellent durability.     

Enatioselective quantitative separation of d- and l-thyroxine by molecularly imprinted micro-solid phase extraction silver fiber coupled with complementary molecularly imprinted polymer-sensor

Thyroxine is a known disease biomarker which demands a highly sensitive and selective technique to measure ultratrace level with enantiodifferentiation of its optical isomers (d- and l-), in real samples. In this work, an approach of hyphenation between molecularly imprinted micro-solid phase extraction and a complementary molecularly imprinted polymer-sensor was adopted for enantioseparation, preconcentration, and analysis of d- and l-thyroxine. In both techniques, the same imprinted polymer, coated on a vinyl functionalized self-assembled monolayer modified silver wire, was used as the respective extraction fiber as well as sensor material. This combination enabled enhanced preconcentration of test analyte substantially so as to achieve the stringent limit [limit of detection: 0.0084 ng mL⁻¹, RSD = 0.81%, S/N = 3 (d-thyroxine); 0.0087 ng mL⁻¹, RSD = 0.63%, S/N = 3 (l-thyroxine)] of clinical detection of thyroid-related diseases, without any problems of non-specific false-positive contribution and cross-reactivity.     

Enzymatic assay with detection by enhanced luminol chemiluminescence in a reversed micellar system: determination of l-amino acids and glucose

A detection system for hydrogen peroxide, i.e., luminol chemiluminescence (CL) in a hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) reversed micellar system, was coupled to enzyme reactions. The use of CTAB reversed micellar medium allows one to conduct both the oxidase enzymatic and CL detection reactions simultaneously at mild pH (l-amino acid system, pH 8.7; glucose system, pH 8.5) in the absence of any co-oxidant or catalyst. Based on this result, simple and unique determinations of l-amino acids and glucose as substrates were developed. The calibration graph for a representative amino acid, l-phenylalanine, was linear in the concentration range 4.0×10^?6?200×10^?6M with a relative standard deviation of 5.78% (five determinations). The method established for l-phenylalanine was also applicable for the assay of fourteen other l-amino acids. The calibration graph for glucose was linear in the concentration range 5.4×10^??540×10^?6M with a relative standard deviation of 4.27% (eight determinations). This method was compared with a standard spectrophotometric method (hexokinase) and successfully applied to the determination of glucose in human serum.     

Flow-injection determination of d-mannitol with immobilized mannitol dehydrogenase

A flow-injection system is described for the determination of d-mannitol. Mannitol dehydrogenase is immobilized on poly(vinyl alcohol) beads and packed in a column (5 cm × 4 mm i.d.). The NADH formed is detected fluorimetrically. The response is linear between 5 × 10^?7 and 1 × 10^?4 M mannitol and the detection limit is 1 × 10^?7 M. The throughput is 30 samples per hour. The reactor is stable for at least 8 weeks.     

Regio- and stereoselective syntheses of l-pentose derivatives from l-arabinose

Novel l-arabinose, l-ribose, 2-deoxy-l-ribose and 2-fluoro-2-deoxy-l-arabinose derivatives were synthesized from readily available l-arabinose. Different synthetic routes to methyl 3,5-di-O-acylated-l-arabino(ribo)furanosides as valued intermediates for the preparation of C-2 functionalized l-pentoses were investigated via regioselective transformations of 1,2-di-O-acetyl-3,5-di-O-pivaloyl-l-arabinofuranose, and selective acylation of methyl l-arabinofuranoside with 4-chlorobenzoyl or pivaloyl chloride. Short three-five-step syntheses of methyl 2-deoxy-α-l-ribofuranoside, its 3,5-di-O-acyl derivatives, valuable precursors for preparation of antiviral 2′-deoxy-l-nucleosides, were accomplished via simple and efficient reduction of methyl 2-O-mesyl-l-arabinofuranoside with L-Selectride or tandem reaction involving a complex hydride 2-deoxygenation/acylation of intermediate 2-deoxysugar. A new synthesis of 2′-deoxy-2′-fluoro-β-l-arabinofuranosyl thymine (l-FMAU) was performed using a mild fluorination of protected l-ribofuranoside and a novel sequence of conversions for the preparation of 2-deoxy-2-fluoro-l-arabinofuranoside derivatives.     

Vibrational analysis of l-alanine and deuterated analogs

Raman spectra of the polycrystalline l-alanine analogs CH₃CH(NH⁺₃)COO^?, CH₃CH(ND⁺₃)-COO^?, CD₃CD(NH⁺₃)COO^?, and CD₃CD(ND⁺₃)COO^? have been obtained. A normal coordinate analysis is carried out based on the experimental frequencies of the four isotopic analogs and a 34 parameter valence-type force field defined in terms of local symmetry coordinates. The final refinement, in which five stretching force constants are constrained to fixed values obtained from bond length data, results in an average error of 7 cm^?1 (0.9%) for the observed frequencies of the four isotopically substituted molecules. Band assignments are given in terms of the potential energy distribution for local symmetry coordinates. For non-deuterated l-alanine, the vibrations above 1420 cm^?1 and below 950 cm^?1 may be described as localized group vibrations. By contrast, the eight modes in the middle frequency range, viz. the three skeletal stretching, the COO^? symmetric stretching, one NH⁺₃ rocking, the symmetric CH₃ deformation, and the two methyne CH deformation vibrations, are very strongly coupled to one another. Some decoupling appears to take place in the perdeutero molecule, and all but five modes can be described as localized group vibrations.