Real-time detection of<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps"> L</Emphasis>-glutamate released from C6 glioma cells using a modified enzyme-luminescence method

There is an increasing interest in new strategies to detect neurotransmitters released from nerve cells in real time for brain science, drug assessment, and so on. Previously we reported real-time monitoring of dopamine release from nerve model cells by enzyme-catalyzed luminescence measurement with tyramine oxidase and peroxidase. In the present study, the system was modified with glutamate oxidase instead of tyramine oxidase to detect L-glutamate sensitively (≈ 10 nM) and rapidly with high temporal resolution (<1 s). We applied this modified method successfully to perform real-time monitoring of L-glutamate release from brain model cell (C6 glioma cell) using a luminescence plate reader upon stimulation with high concentration of KCl (>10 mM) or 5-hydroxytryptamine (>1 μM). The measurement solution was not toxic and therefore the L-glutamate release from the cell was measured by the second stimulation after exchanging the measurement solution. We conclude that the developed monitoring system is suitable for real-time detection of dynamic L-glutamate release from nerve cells in vitro and will be suitable for application in assessment of drugs acting on the nervous system. Figure Enzyme luminescence detection of L-glutamate released from cells     

Enantioselective visualization of <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">D</Emphasis>-alanine in rat anterior pituitary gland: localization to ACTH-secreting cells

The cellular localization of D-alanine (D-Ala) in the rat pituitary gland, the tissue containing the highest amount of D-Ala, has been clarified for the first time by enantioselective visualization of D-Ala using our own established mouse monoclonal antibody against D-Ala. D-Ala immunopositive cells were present predominantly in the anterior lobe, while no intense staining was observed in the intermediate and posterior lobes. The anterior pituitary gland contains five types of cells secreting specific hormones (growth hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), gonadotropic hormone, prolactin, and thyroid-stimulating hormone), and the double staining results indicated that D-Ala is localized to the ACTH-secreting cells. The localization of D-Ala is clearly different from that of D-aspartic acid (D-Asp), which is observed in the prolactin cells. Considered together with our previous findings that D-Ala is localized to the insulin-secreting beta-cells in the pancreas, and both ACTH and insulin are typical regulatory hormones of blood glucose, D-Ala is suggested to have some functional relationships to blood glucose level regulation in mammals.     

Fluorescent sensing layer for the determination of<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps"> L</Emphasis>-malic acid in wine

An enzymatic method for determining L-malic acid in wine based on an L-malate sensing layer with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺), L-malate dehydrogenase (L-MDH) and diaphorase (DI), immobilized by sol-gel technology, was constructed and evaluated. The sol-gel glass was prepared with tetramethoxysilane (TMOS), water and HCl. L-MDH catalyzes the reaction between L-malate and NAD⁺, producing NADH, whose fluorescence (λ _exc = 340 nm, λ _em = 430 nm) could be directly related to the amount of L-malate. NADH is converted to NAD⁺ by applying hexacyanoferrate(III) as oxidant in the presence of DI. Some parameters affecting sol-gel encapsulation and the pH of the enzymatic reaction were studied. The sensing layer has a dynamic range of 0.1–1.0 g/L of L-malate and a long-term storage stability of 25 days. It exhibits acceptable reproducibility [s _r(%)≈10] and allows six regenerations. The content of L-malic acid was determined for different types of wine, and polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP) was used as a bleaching agent with red wine. The results obtained for the wine samples using the sensing layer are comparable to those obtained from a reference method based on UV-vis molecular absorption spectrometry, if the matrix effect is corrected for.     

Determination of serum <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">d</Emphasis>-lactic and <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-lactic acids in normal subjects and diabetic patients by column-switching HPLC with pre-column fluorescence derivatization

d-Lactic and l-lactic acids were simultaneously determined by means of a column-switching high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection. As a fluorescence reagent, 4-nitro-7-piperazino-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (NBD-PZ) was employed for the fluorescence derivatization of lactic acid. The proposed HPLC system adopted both octylsilica (Cadenza CD-C8) and amylose-based chiral columns (CHIRALPAK AD-RH), which proved to give a sufficient enantiomeric separation of the lactic acid derivatives with a separation factor () of 1.32 and a resolution (R_s) of 1.98. Moreover, the features of the first elution of d-lactic acid peak in the proposed HPLC were convenient for the determination of trace amount of serum d-lactic acid, which is known to increase under diabetes. Intra-day and inter-day accuracies were in the range of 90.5–101.2 and 89.0–100.7%, and the intra-day and inter-day precisions were 0.3–1.2 and 0.4–4.8%, respectively. The proposed method was applied to determine d-lactic and l-lactic acids in human serum of normal subjects and diabetic patients, showing that both d-lactic and l-lactic acid concentrations were significantly increased in the serum of diabetic patients (n=31) as compared with normal subjects (n=21). This fact was found for the first time owing to the development of the proposed HPLC method which is able to determine d-lactic and l-lactic acid simultaneously. Finally, serum d-lactic acid concentrations determined by the proposed HPLC method were compared with those from a reported enzymatic assay, and the smaller p value between normal subjects and diabetic patients was shown by the proposed HPLC method.     

Preparation of nanoparticle colloids of methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-<Emphasis Type="Italic">b</Emphasis>-poly(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">D</Emphasis>,<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">L</Emphasis>-lactide): effects of surfactant and organic solvent

Nanoparticle colloids of methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(D,L-lactide) (MPEG-b-PDLL) diblock copolymer were prepared by a modified spontaneous emulsification solvent diffusion method using acetone/ethanol as the mixture organic solvents. The MPEG-b-PDLL was synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of D,L-lactide using stannous octoate and MPEG with molecular weight of 5,000 g/mol as the initiating system. The MPEG-b-PDLL obtained was an amorphous polymer with molecular weight of 73,600 g/mol. Influences of acetone/ethanol (v/v) ratios and Tween 80 surfactant concentrations on characteristics of the colloidal nanoparticles were investigated and discussed. Light-scattering analysis showed that average diameters of the surfactant-free colloidal nanoparticles were in the range of 86–124 nm. The nanoparticle sizes decreased as the ethanol ratio increased. The Tween 80 did not show the significant effect on the nanoparticle sizes. Scanning electron micrographs of dried nanoparticles that demonstrated the aggregation of most particles suggested they were the soft nanoparticles. However, the dried nanoparticle morphology can be observed from scanning electron microscopy as having a spherical shape and smooth surfaces.     

The electrochemical polymerization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">o</Emphasis>-phenylenediamine on <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-tyrosine functionalized glassy carbon electrode and its application

The polymerization of o-phenylenediamine (OPD) on l-tyrosine (Tyr) functionalized glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and its electro-catalytic oxidation towards ascorbic acid (AA) had been studied in this report. l-Tyrosine was first covalently grafted on GCE surface via electrochemical oxidation, which was followed by the electrochemical polymerization of OPD on the l-tyrosine functionalized GCE. Then, the poly(o-phenylenediamine)/l-tyrosine composite film modified GCE (POPD-Tyr/GCE) was obtained. X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscope (SEM), and electrochemical techniques have been used to characterize the grafting of l-tyrosine and the polymerization and morphology of OPD film on GCE surface. Due to the doping of the carboxylic functionalities in l-tyrosine molecules, the POPD film showed good redox activity in neutral medium, and thus, the POPD-Tyr/GCE exhibited excellent electrocatalytic response to AA in 0.1 mol l⁻¹ phosphate buffer solution (PBS, pH 6.8). The anode peak potential of AA shifted from 0.58 V at GCE to 0.35 V at POPD-Tyr/GCE with a greatly enhanced current response. A linear calibration graph was obtained over the AA concentration range of 2.5 × 10⁻⁴–1.5 × 10^–3 mol l⁻¹ with a correlation coefficient of 0.9998. The detection limit (3δ) for AA was 9.2 × 10⁻⁵ mol l⁻¹. The modified electrode showed good stability and reproducibility and had been used for the determination of AA content in vitamin C tablet with satisfactory results.     

Inclusion of nickel(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">II</Emphasis>) and copper(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">II</Emphasis>) complexes with aliphatic polyamines in cucurbit[8]uril

The inclusion compound of macrocyclic cavitand cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) with the nickel(II) complex containing the tetraazamacrocyclic ligand cyclam, {[Ni(cyclam)]@CB[8]}Cl₂··16H₂O (1), and the inclusion compounds of CB[8] with the copper(II) bis-ethylene-diamine complex, {trans-[Cu(en)₂(H₂O)₂]@CB[8]}Cl₂·{CB[8]}·42H₂O (2a) and {trans-[Cu(en)₂(H₂O)₂]@CB[8]}Cl₂·17H₂O (2b), were synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis, IR and ESR spectroscopy, and electrospray mass spectrometry. Guest—host inclusion compounds can be directly synthesized starting from a metal complex and cucurbit[8]uril, as was exemplified by the preparation of compounds 2a and 2b.__________Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 11, pp. 2414–2419, November, 2004.     

Fluorometric determination of sugars using fluorescein-labeled concanavalin A–glycogen conjugates

The fluorescence of fluoresceinisothiocyanate-labeled concanavalin A (FITC-Con A) was quenched by forming an FITC-Con A–glycogen conjugate and dequenched upon addition of sugars to the conjugate solution due to disaggregation of the conjugate. However, fluorescence quenching was barely observed upon formation of FITC-Con A–dextran conjugate. The sugar-induced fluorescence response of the FITC-Con A–glycogen conjugate depended significantly on the type of sugar: methylated α-D-glucose and α-D-mannose both induced high and rapid responses, while the responses to D-mannose and D-glucose were moderate. In contrast, no response was observed in the presence of D-galactose due to a lack of affinity to Con A. Thus, it is apparent that D-glucose and other sugars can be detected via the fluorescence of the FITC-Con A–glycogen conjugate.      

Synthesis and studies of spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of dinuclear ruthenium(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">II</Emphasis>) and manganese(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">II</Emphasis>) complexes

New dinuclear ruthenium manganese complexes of general composition (bpy)₂Ru(L)MnCl_x(H₂O)₂ (L is 1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione, 3,3′-dicarboxy-2,2′-bipyridyl, or bis(pyrazolyl); x = 2 or 4) were synthesized by the reaction of (bpy)₂Ru(L) with MnCl₂ · 4H₂O. These compounds and the starting mononuclear ruthenium complexes were studied by spectrophotometric and electrochemical methods in MeCN. The position of the charge-transfer band Ru^II → L in the spectra depends on the donor-acceptor characteristics of the ligand L. For the dinuclear complex under study, the formal potentials of reversible one-electron oxidation of Ru^II are in the range of 0.9–1.2 V (vs. the standard hydrogen electrode), whereas oxidation of Mn^II occurs at more positive (by 0.1–0.2 V) potentials. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 10, pp. 2281–2285, October, 2005.     

Ionic mobility in the antimony(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">iii</Emphasis>) fluorochloride complexes

Ionic mobility in the NaSbClF₃ · H₂O, KSbClF₃, and NH₄SbClF₃ fluorochloride complexes was studied by ¹H and ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy in the temperature interval from 150 to 480 K. The types of ionic motions in the compounds were determined. Their physicochemical characteristics were compared with those of the earlier studied sodium, potassium, and ammonium tetrafluoroantimonates(iii). The replacement of one F atom by the Cl atom in MSbF₄ (M = Na, K, NH₄) changes both the structure of the Sb polyhedra forming the structure of the antimony(iii) fluorochloride complex and the character of ionic motions in the compounds. The ionic conductivity in the 324–436 K range was determined for NH₄SbClF₃: σ = 1.07 · 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ at T = 423 K. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 7, pp. 1353–1357, July, 2008.     

High Soluble Expression of <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">d</Emphasis>-Amino Acid Oxidase in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> Regulated by a Native Promoter

To express high-active soluble d-amino acid oxidase (DAAO), a constitutive plasmid that is regulated by a native hydantoinase promoter (P_Hase), was constructed. A d-amino acid oxidase gene (dao) was ligated with the P_Hase and cloned into pGEMKT to constitutively express protein of DAAO without the use of any inducer such as isopropyl β-d-1-thiogalactopyranoside which is poisonous to the cells and environment. The ribosome binding site region, host strain, and fermentation conditions were optimized to increase the expression level. When cultivated in a 5-m³ fermenter, the enzyme activity of JM105/pGEMKT-R-DAAO grown at 37 °C was found to be 32 U/mL and increase 16-fold over cells of BL21(DE3)/pET-DAAO grown at 28 °C. These results indicate the success of our approaches to overproducing DAAO in soluble form in Escherichia coli.     

Poly(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-lactide) networks with tailored water sorption

A poly(l-lactide) diol was obtained through ring opening polymerization of l-lactide, using 1,6 hexanediol and tin(II) 2 ethylhexanoate as a catalyst. In the second step, the poly(l-lactide) macromer (mLA) was obtained by the reaction of poly(l-lactide) diol with methacrylic anhydride. The effective incorporation of the polymerizable end groups was assessed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR). Besides, poly(l-lactide) networks (pmLA) were prepared by photopolymerization of mLA. Further, the macromer was copolymerized with 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate seeking to tailor the hydrophilicity of the system. A set of hydrophilic copolymer networks were obtained. The phase microstructure of the new system and the network architecture was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, infrared spectroscopy, dynamic mechanical spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, and water sorption studies.     

An easy access to a 3,6-branched mannopentaoside bearing one terminal [1-<Superscript>13</Superscript>C]-labeled <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">D</Emphasis>-mannopyranose residue

Methyl 2,4-di-O-benzoyl-α-D-mannopyranoside was used as a key intermediate in the synthesis of 3,6-branched mannopentaoside bearing one terminal D-[1-¹³C]mannopyranose residue, viz., methyl 6-O-[3,6-di-O-(α-D-mannopyranosyl)-α-D-mannopyranosyl)-3-O-{α -D-[1-¹³C]mannopyranosyl}-α-D-mannopyranoside. Dedicated to Academician N. K. Kochetkov on the occasion of his 90th birthday. __________ Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 1250–1255, May, 2005.     

Estimation of the specific content and nature of sorption sites of iron(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">III</Emphasis>) and zirconium(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">IV</Emphasis>) oxyhydroxides

The sorption of anions H₂PO₄ ⁻, HPO₄ ²⁻, PO₄ ³⁻, [Fe(CN)₆]³⁻, and [Fe(CN)₆]⁴⁻ from aqueous solutions on the surface of Fe^III and Zr^IV oxyhydroxide hydrogels freshly precipitated at pH 4–13 was studied. The region of sorbate concentrations was from 0.00025 to 0.06 mol L⁻¹. The plots of the anion uptakes vs. their equilibrium concentrations are represented by isotherms of the first type, which are well described by the Langmuir equation if the quantity of the amount adsorbed is expressed as mol-site g⁻¹. The maximum uptakes and constants of the Langmuir equation were calculated. The phosphate anions occupy the same number of sorption sites on the sorbents precipitated at different pH. The average specific content of sorption sites for the ferro- and zirconogels in the metastability period is independent of the pH of their precipitation, being 3.1·10⁻³ and 3.2·10⁻³ mol-site g⁻¹, respectively. The [Fe(CN)₆]³⁻ and [Fe(CN)₆]⁴⁻ anions are sorbed only on the positively charged sites of the hydrogels and occupy not more than 2·10 mol-site g⁻¹ in the studied interval of pH of precipitation. __________ Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 8, pp. 1736—1741, August, 2005.     

Evaluation of two proteomics technologies used to screen the membrane proteomes of wild-type <Emphasis Type="Italic">Corynebacterium glutamicum</Emphasis> and an <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">L</Emphasis>-lysine-producing strain

The membrane proteomes of a wild-type Corynebacterium glutamicum and an L-lysine-producing strain were quantitatively analyzed by two complementary proteomics techniques—anion exchange chromatography AIEC/SDS-PAGE and 16BAC-PAGE/SDS-PAGE—and the results were compared. Although both techniques allow for the fast screening of differences in protein abundance, AIEC/SDS-PAGE was superior to 16BAC-PAGE/SDS-PAGE with respect to protein separation, it was more suitable for relative protein quantification, and allowed more differentially regulated proteins to be detected (the succinate dehydrogenase complex, an ABC-type cobalamin/Fe³⁺ siderophore transport system, the maltose binding protein, and a subunit of the cytochrome bc-aa₃ supercomplex were upregulated, while a periplasmic component of an ABC-type transporter and an iron-regulated ABC-type transporter were downregulated in the producer). The results indicate the important role of tricarboxylic acid cycle enzymes as well as the adaptation of transport processes in L-lysine-producing cells. Since the only genetic differences between the wild type and the L-lysine producer occur between four central metabolic enzymes in the cytoplasm, our study illustrates the complex effects of metabolic engineering on cell physiology and the power of the new AIEC/SDS-PAGE proteomics approach to detect these effects.      

Mono-and bis(5-<Emphasis Type="Italic">O</Emphasis>-nitro-1,4:3,6-dianhydro-<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">D</Emphasis>-sorbit-2-yl) phosphates: synthesis and reactions with hydroxy-and amino-containing compounds

The reaction of 1,4:3,6-dianhydro-D-sorbitol 5-nitrate with POCl₃ afforded mono-and bis(5-O-nitro-1,4:3,6-dianhydro-D-sorbit-2-yl) phosphorochloridates, whose hydrolysis resulted in phosphoric acid mono-and diesters. The subsequent treatment of these compounds with bases gave sodium and cyclohexylammonium salts. The reactions of phosphorochloridates with phenol, pentaerythritol dibromohydrin, and ethylenimine in the presence of organic bases afford mixed phosphates and phosphoramidates. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 10, pp. 2026–2032, October, 2007.     

Temperature- and pressure-responsive properties of <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>- and<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps"> dl</Emphasis>-forms of poly(<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-(1-hydroxymethyl)propylmethacrylamide) in aqueous solutions

The structural transition of the l- and dl forms of poly(N-(1- hydroxymethyl)propylmethacrylamide (PHMPMA) in aqueous solution was studied by measuring the pressure dependence of the apparent scattering intensity, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and circular dichroism (CD). The thermodynamic implications of the results are discussed in relation to the chiral structure of the side chain, and differences in the thermal and barometric transitions. T-P diagrams of the transition showed characteristic ellipsoid features. Antagonism of the temperature and pressure effects was observed only for P(dl-HMPMA). For P(l-HMPMA), the transition temperature (T _tr) decreased with increasing pressure, and the highest T _tr was observed at atmospheric pressure (0.1 MPa). For both polymers, the highest P _trs were observed at the lowest temperatures. The l polymer showed a specific negative peak in its CD spectrum at around 220 nm in the lower temperature region and the temperature dependence was reproduced by a single-step transition, with the midpoint corresponding to the T _tr obtained from the scattering measurements. Coupled with the results from the DSC, the different behavior between the P(l-HMPMA) and P(dl-HMPMA) could be explained in terms of the chain states before and after the transition. The cooperative factors derived from the DSC measurement revealed that about 4 to 5 polymers of the present size were necessary to perform a thermal transition for P(l-HMPMA), and that P(dl-HMPMA) underwent its transition as an almost single molecular event.This revised version was published online in June 2005 with correction to the article category.     

Presence and origin of large amounts of d-proline in the urine of mutant mice lacking d-amino acid oxidase activity

Using a column-switching HPLC system combining a micro-ODS column and a chiral column, the amounts of d-proline (d-Pro) have been determined in 18 tissues, plasma and urine of mice. To avoid the enzymatic degradation of d-amino acids in vivo, a mutant mouse strain lacking d-amino acid oxidase activity (ddY/DAO⁻ mouse) was used. In the brain, relatively large amounts of d-Pro were observed in the anterior pituitary, posterior pituitary and pineal glands. In the peripheral tissues, the amounts of d-Pro were high in the pancreas and kidney. Above all, it is surprising that the ddY/DAO⁻ mice excreted large amounts of d-Pro in their urine (433 nmol/mL, 20 times that of l-Pro). The origin of d-Pro has also been investigated. By comparing germ-free mice and gnotobiotic mice, intestinal bacteria were shown to have no effect on the urinary d-Pro amount. Concerning the dietary origin, a notable amount of d-Pro was still excreted in the urine after starvation for 4 days, suggesting that some of the d-Pro is produced in the mice. Age-dependent changes in the urinary d-Pro amount have also been investigated from the postnatal 1st month up to 12 months, and ddY/DAO⁻ mice were found to excrete large amounts of d-Pro in the urine constantly throughout their lives. Kenji Hamase is Associate Professor in the Department of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Kyushu University. His current research interests focus on the development of analytical methods for d-amino acids and the study of their physiological functions and diagnostic values. He received the Japanese Society for Analytical Chemistry Award for Young Scientists in 2003, and the PSJ Award for Young Scientists in 2006.     

A new steroidal glycoside phrygioside A and its aglycone from the starfish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hippasteria phrygiana</Emphasis>

Three polyhydroxylated steroids were isolated from the Far-Eastern starfish Hippasteria phrygiana collected from the Sea of Okhotsk and were characterized as a new glycoside phrygioside A, viz., sodium (20R, 24S)-3,4,7,8,15,24-hexahydroxy-24-O-[3-O-methyl--D-xylopyranosyl-(12)--L-arabinofuranosyl]-5-cholestan-6-yl sulfate, its aglycone, and the already known marthasterone sulfate.__________Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 11, pp. 2526–2529, November, 2004.     

Hexanuclear methanediolate bridged iron(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">III</Emphasis>) complex

The hexanuclear complex [Fe₆(O)₂(CH₂O₂) (OOCCMe₃)₁₂ (THF)₂]·THF was synthesized. The characteristic feature of this complex is the presence of the methanedithiolate bridge.__________Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 3, pp. 795–797, March, 2005.