Improvement of the electrophoretic protein profiles of Leguminosae gums extracts using gamanase and application to the evaluation of carob-guar mixtures

A quantitative assay for guar gum in carob gum, based on the extraction of proteins in acetonitrile-water (7:3), separation by capillary electrophoresis and multiple linear regression (MLR) using the areas of nine selected peaks as predictors, was improved by performing the extraction in the presence of gamanase. In the absence of the enzyme, peak migration times and areas depended on the guar content, which complicated peak identification and evaluation. Manual correction of the migration times by comparison with standard electropherograms obtained with pure carob and carob-guar mixtures was required; however, when the proteins were extracted under sonication at 60 °C for 30 min in the presence of gamanase, the migration times and peak areas did not vary with the composition of the carob-guar mixtures, and its reproducibility improved largely. These effects were attributed to the reduction of the viscosity of the extracts and the removal of the galactomannose interactions with the proteins and the capillary walls. Peak identification and evaluation were easily and directly performed on these electropherograms without further processing. An MLR model constructed with 36 carob-guar mixtures containing up to 20% guar, and by measuring the areas of 12 selected peaks and using eight of them as predictors, yielded a detection limit of 2.8% guar (α=β=0.05 criterion). A model of similar quality was obtained by partial least-squares (PLS) regression.     

Capillary isoelectric focusing-mass spectrometry for shotgun approach in proteomics

We report on capillary isoelectric focusing-mass spectrometry (CIEF-MS) of complex peptide mixtures in the absence of carrier ampholytes. Furthermore, the use of low concentrations of carrier ampholytes as mere spacers is investigated. Carrier ampholytes are complex mixtures of amphoteric compounds with high buffering capacity. Since all peptides are amphoteric compounds by themselves, the use of carrier ampholytes may be superfluous to establish a stable pH gradient in CIEF analysis of protein digests. Our research showed that when carrier ampholytes are omitted, the analyte ions are not focused at their isoelectric point. The analytes are charged, leading to electrophoretic mobility uncharacteristic for CIEF. The method was tested for a five-protein-mixture at 0.02 mg/mL per protein and 0.05 mg/mL per protein. At the lower concentration, the analytes were stacked during the focusing process in only a limited length of the capillary. Therefore, the higher concentration led to better separation efficiency. It was found that at low concentration (0.20%) the carrier ampholytes could work as spacers. Though it led to sensitivity losses of 15-45%, this was compensated by the higher separation efficiencies seen. The method was evaluated with an eight-protein-mixture, of which all could be identified after performing MS/MS.     

Synthesis, characterization and potential biomedical applications of N-succinimidyl ester functionalized, polypyrrole-coated polystyrene latex particles

N-Succinimidyl ester functionalized polypyrrole-coated polystyrene latex particles (PS_E-PPyNSE) were prepared by the in situ copolymerization of pyrrole and the active ester-functionalized pyrrole (pyrrole-NSE) in the presence of polystyrene latex particles. Polystyrene microspheres were prepared by emulsion polymerization (PS_E) leading to particles having a diameter of 450 nm. These PS_E particles were precoated with poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) prior to the in situ copolymerization of pyrrole and pyrrole-NSE. The initial comonomer concentration fractions were 25/75, 50/50 and 75/25 for pyrrole and pyrrole-NSE, respectively. The PPy-coated PS_E particles were characterized in terms of morphology, particle size, electrophoretic mobility and chemical composition. The study of morphology by means of scanning electron microscopy showed roughening of the underlying PS_E particles owing to the addition of PPyNSE, the overlayer thickness of which was estimated to be around 7 nm. Moreover, loading PPyNSE overlayers resulted in a shift of the electrophoretic mobility from –5.31 m cm/V s to a very small but positive value (0.082–0.112 m cm/V s). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and IR spectroscopy permitted the detection of pyrrole-NSE repeat units at the surface indicating that pyrrole and pyrrole-NSE did indeed copolymerize. The PS_E-PPyNSE particles were further evaluated as bioadsorbents of human serum albumin used as a test protein. For this study, PS_E-PPyNSE₅₀ particles, synthesized from a comonomer feed ratio of 50/50 in pyrrole/pyrrole-NSE, were used and were shown to attach efficiently human serum albumin macromolecules with a maximum amount of 0.2 mg m^–2.

一种测定蛋白质的分子吸收光谱分析新体系

使用四溴荧光素(TBFS)作为蛋白质的染色剂,建立了一种测定蛋白质的分子吸收光谱分析新体系———BSA 四溴荧光素,体系十分简单,BSA浓度在0.11～60.0μg·ml-1范围符合比耳定律;测定15.0μg·ml-1BSA溶液10次,求得相对标准偏差为1.26%,桑德尔灵敏度为0 094μg·cm-2。可直接用于血清样品中蛋白质的测定,测得质量控制血清样品中蛋白质质量为35.4±2.4mg,与标准值36.9mg吻合。回收率在97.0%～108.3%之间,结果满意。     

Protein fold recognition

Summary An important, yet seemingly unattainable, goal in structural molecular biology is to be able to predict the native three-dimensional structure of a protein entirely from its amino acid sequence. Prediction methods based on rigorous energy calculations have not yet been successful, and best results have been obtained from homology modelling and statistical secondary structure prediction. Homology modelling is limited to cases where significant sequence similarity is shared between a protein of known structure and the unknown. Secondary structure prediction methods are not only unreliable, but also do not offer any obvious route to the full tertiary structure. Recently, methods have been developed whereby entire protein folds are recognized from sequence, even where little or no sequence similarity is shared between the proteins under consideration. In this paper we review the current methods, including our own, and in particular offer a historical background to their development. In addition, we also discuss the future of these methods and outline the developments under investigation in our laboratory.     

使用疏水作用色谱研究蛋白质的构象变化

研究了高效疏水作用液相色谱中(HIC)色谱条件改变对蛋白质构象的影响。发现固定相配体的疏水性、温度及流动相中盐的阴离子、阳离子和pH值都影响蛋白质的构象。     

Single cell manipulation, analytics, and label-free protein detection in microfluidic devices for systems nanobiology

Single cell analytics for proteomic analysis is considered a key method in the framework of systems nanobiology which allows a novel proteomics without being subjected to ensemble-averaging, cell-cycle, or cell-population effects. We are currently developing a single cell analytical method for protein fingerprinting combining a structured microfluidic device with latest optical laser technology for single cell manipulation (trapping and steering), free-solution electrophoretical protein separation, and (label-free) protein detection. In this paper we report on first results of this novel analytical device focusing on three main issues. First, single biological cells were trapped, injected, steered, and deposited by means of optical tweezers in a poly(dimethylsiloxane) microfluidic device and consecutively lysed with SDS at a predefined position. Second, separation and detection of fluorescent dyes, amino acids, and proteins were achieved with LIF detection in the visible (VIS) (488 nm) as well as in the deep UV (266 nm) spectral range for label-free, native protein detection. Minute concentrations of 100 fM injected fluorescein could be detected in the VIS and a first protein separation and label-free detection could be achieved in the UV spectral range. Third, first analytical experiments with single Sf9 insect cells (Spodoptera frugiperda) in a tailored microfluidic device exhibiting distinct electropherograms of a green fluorescent protein-construct proved the validity of the concept. Thus, the presented microfluidic concept allows novel and fascinating single cell experiments for systems nanobiology in the future.     

牛血清白蛋白在NVP/HEMA无规共聚物水凝胶上的吸附研究

合成了不同含水量的N-乙烯吡咯烷酮(NVP)／甲基丙烯酸-β-羟乙酯(HEMA)共聚物水凝胶．研究了温度、pH值，蛋白质初浓度及离子强度等因素对牛血清白蛋白吸附性能的影响．采用紫外分光光度法测定BSA的吸附量．结果表明，蛋白质初浓度越高．温度越高，离子强度越大；蛋白质内部更多的疏水性氧基酸残基暴露于外部．吸附量增加：在等电点pH=4．7附近蛋白质沉积量最大．     

球状蛋白质分子中氨基酸紧密接触对性质的研究

采用CSU软件 (Contactsofstructuralunits) ,对 61种球状蛋白质分子中氨基酸紧密接触对 (Residue residuecontact)进行了研究 .重点研究了不同氨基酸在形成远程紧密接触对 (Long rangecontact)和近程紧密接触对 (Short rangecontact)时的不同能力 .发现氨基酸Leu,Val,Ile,Met,Phe,Tyr,Cys,Trp(疏性氨基酸 ,H)比较容易形成远程紧密接触对 ,氨基酸Glu,Gln ,Asp ,Asn,Lys,Ser,Arg,Pro(亲水氨基酸 ,P)比较难形成远程紧密接触对 ,而氨基酸Ala,Gly,Thr,His(中性氨基酸 ,N)在形成远程紧密接触对时能力一般 .它们平均每个氨基酸可形成 6 0 3 ,3 64和 4 43个远程紧密接触对 .同时它们在形成近程紧密接触对时能力非常接近 ,平均每个氨基酸可形成的近程紧密接触对数目在 2 3 4～ 2 85变化 ,差别非常小 .亲水氨基酸 (P) ,中性氨基酸 (N)和疏水性氨基酸 (H)在蛋白质分子结构稳定性上起着不同的作用     

Influence of high pressure treatment on rheological and other properties of egg white

Abstract

The paper deals with the influence of high pressure treatment of fresh egg white on its properties and protein composition (individual amino-acids predicted as a function of pressure and time levels). The rheological properties are changed by high pressure from Newtonian to non-Newtonian behaviour, with increasing apparent viscosity as the pressure and time increased. The pH, whipping ability, foam stability, gel strength of heat induced gels after treatment and the whole protein content, were also predicted.

The results showed that the foam stability is increased with increasing pressure and time of processing. The foam volume is also increased with pressure. The pH did not change with pressure or time of processing. Composition of proteins as indicated by individual amino-acids did not exhibit statistically important changes. Gel strength of heat induced gels prepared from previously pressured liquid whites showed no important change of values with pressure or time of treatment. The modulus of elasticity showed a decrease for samples pressured to 400 MPa for 5 up to 15 minutes.