Crosslinked penicillin acylase aggregates for synthesis of β-lactam antibiotics in organic medium

Crosslinked enzyme aggregates (CLEAs) of a partially purified penicillin acylase from a recombinant Escherichia coli strain have been produced as a novel type of biocatalysts well endowed to perform in organic media. Different protein precipitants were studied and glutaraldehyde was used as the crosslinking agent. Precipitation curves were obtained for all precipitants to determine the concentrations at which all the protein precipitated out of the solution. The effect of the glutaraldehyde-to-protein ratio was studied with respect to process recovery and the specific activity and stability of the biocatalyst. Recovery of penicillin acylase activity was moderately high, about 50%; major losses of enzyme activity were produced at the precipitation step. Specific activities of all CLEAs were very high, which is one of the advantages of using nonsupported biocatalysts. Ammonium sulfate and tert-butyl alcohol were the best precipitants at a glutaraldehyde-protein mass ratio of 2 and were selected to perform the kinetically controlled synthesis of ampicillin in 60% (v/v) ethylene glycol medium. At comparable conversion yields, volumetric and specific antibiotic productivity were much higher for CLEAs than for carrier-bound penicillin acylases.     

超临界流体化学热力学

本文简要介绍了超临界流体的基本概念和性质，评述了化学热力学在超临界萃取、超临界态化学反应、超临界流体制备材料等方面的作用和研究进展，讨论了二氧化碳-离子液体两相体系的热力学行为。     

Solubility of Anthracene in Binary Alcohol + Butyl Acetate Solvent Mixtures at 298.2 K

Abstract

Experimental solubilities are reported for anthracene dissolved in six binary alcohol + butyl acetate solvent mixtures at 25° C. The alcohol cosolvents studied were 1-propanol, 2-propanol, 1-butanol, 2-butanol, 2-methyl-1-propanol and 3-methyl-1-butanol. Results of these measurements are used to test a mathematical representation based upon the combined Nearly Ideal Binary Solvent (NIBS)/Redlich-Kister equation. For the six systems studied, the Combined NIBS/Redlich-Kister equation was found to mathematically describe the experimental data, with overall average absolute deviations between measured and calculated values being approximately\pm 0.6%.     

Solubility of anthracene in binary alkane + ethanol solvent mixtures at 298.15 K

Experimental solubilities are reported for anthracene in six binary alkane?+?ethanol solvent mixtures at 298.15?K. The alkane solvents studied were hexane, heptane, octane, cyclohexane, methylcyclohexane and 2,2,4-trimethylpentane. Results of these measurements were used to test a mathematical representation based on the combined nearly ideal binary solvent (NIBS)/Redlich–Kister equation. For the six systems studied, the combined NIBS/Redlich–Kister equation was found to accurately describe the experimental data, with an average absolute deviation between measured and back-calculated values being approximately ±0.5%.     

超临界流体的共溶剂效应和混合流体研究进展

共溶剂的出现极大地拓展了超临界流体的应用范围，推动了超临界流体科学与技术的发展。本文从相行为和分子间相互作用热力学的角度，对相行为测定、量热技术、光谱技术和分子模拟等在超临界流体中共溶剂效应的研究作了综述，主要介绍超临界流体中共溶剂的作用机理和混合流体在临界点附近热力学性质研究，并对其未来发展方向进行了展望。     

Solubility of Anthracene in Binary Alkane+2-Methyl-2-Propanol Solvent Mixtures at 298.2 K

Abstract

Experimental solubilities are reported for anthracene dissolved in four binary alkane + 2-methyl-2-propanol solvent mixtures at 25°C. The alkane cosolvents studied were n-heptane, cyclohexane, methylcyclohexane and 2,2,4-trimethylpentane. Results of these measurements are used to test two mathematical representations based upon the combined Nearly Ideal Binary Solvent (NIBS)/Redlich-Kister and Modified Wilson equations. For the four systems studied, the Combined NIBS/Redlich-Kister equation was found to provide the better mathematical representation of the experimental data, with overall average absolute deviations between measured and calculated values being approximately ±0.5%. Slightly larger deviations were noted in the case of the Modified Wilson equation.     

Optimization of yield in kinetically controlled synthesis of ampicillin with immobilized penicillin acylase in organic media

Immobilized penicillin acylase is a moderately priced versatile enzyme, that is able to catalyze the synthesis of derived penicillins and cephalosporins from the corresponding β-lactam nuclei and proper side-chain precursors. Kinetically controlled synthesis is a better strategy when product yield is a key issue. Yield should increase at reduced water activity by depressing the competing hydrolytic reactions in favor of synthesis; therefore, organic cosolvents can be a suitable reaction media for synthesis. Using response surface methodology and product yield as objective function, temperature and pH were optimized in the kinetically controlled synthesis of ampicillin using previously screened cosolvents and reaction conditions. Optimum pH was 6.0 for ethylene glycol (EG) and glycerol (GL) and 6.6 for 1–2 propanediol (PD); optimum temperature was 30°C for GL and for EG and PD was in the lower extreme of the range studied, optimum lying below 26°C. Maximum molar yields predicted by the model were 58,51, and 46% for EG, GL, and PD, respectively, which were experimentally validated. Highest yield in aqueous buffer was always <40%. Molar yields about 60% compare favorably with values reported for the kinetically and thermodynamically controlled synthesis of ampicillin and other derived penicillins.     

Pressure—A Gateway to Fundamental Insights into Protein Solvation,Dynamics, and Function

Now that the centennial anniversary of the first report on pressure denaturation of proteins by Nobel Laureate P. W. Bridgman can be celebrated, this Review on the application of high pressure as a key variable for studying the energetics and interactions of proteins appears. We demonstrate that combined temperature–pressure‐dependent studies help delineate the free‐energy landscape of proteins and elucidate which features are essential in determining their stability. Pressure perturbation also serves as an important tool to explore fluctuations in proteins and reveal their conformational substates. From shaping the free‐energy landscape of proteins themselves to that of their interactions, conformational fluctuations not only dictate a plethora of biological processes, but are also implicated in a number of debilitating diseases. Finally, the advantages of using pressure to explore biomolecular assemblies and modulate enzymatic reactions are discussed.     

Toward Extreme Biophysics: Deciphering the Infrared Response of Biomolecular Solutions at High Pressures

Biophysics under extreme conditions is the fundamental platform for scrutinizing life in unusual habitats, such as those in the deep sea or continental subsurfaces, but also for putative extraterrestrial organisms. Therefore, an important thermodynamic variable to explore is pressure. It is shown that the combination of infrared spectroscopy with simulation is an exquisite approach for unraveling the intricate pressure response of the solvation pattern of TMAO in water, which is expected to be transferable to biomolecules in their native solvent. Pressure‐enhanced hydrogen bonding was found for TMAO in water. TMAO is a molecule known to stabilize proteins against pressure‐induced denaturation in deep‐sea organisms.