Purification of a rat liver phenol sulphotransferase (P-STG) with the aid of guanidine hydrochloride treatment.

An isoenzyme of phenol sulphotransferase, designated P-STG, was purified 157-fold from male rat liver cytosol by diethylaminoethyl-cellulose (DEAE-cellulose) and agarose-hexane-adenosine-3',5'-bisphosphate affinity chromatography. The P-STG fraction obtained after DEAE-cellulose chromatography rapidly lost its activity during storage at 4 degrees C, however, the activity was recovered by the addition of 1.6 M guanidine hydrochloride (Gndn HCl) followed by dialysis. Gndn HCl also substantially improved the yield of P-STG in a subsequent purification step using affinity chromatography, while the specific activity of the purified P-STG was not changed by Gndn HCl treatment. It is possible that the Gndn HCl treatment caused P-STG recovery from an inactivated to an active form rather than reactivating it for increased activity. Purified P-STG is a homodimer with a native molecular mass of 67 kDa; the subunit molecular mass is 35 kDa. Immunoblot analysis carried out with antibodies raised against the purified enzyme indicated that male rat liver contains a higher level of the enzyme than female rat liver. This enzyme is also expressed in the kidney and the stomach. P-STG reaches maximum activity when 1-naphthol, 2-naphthol and 4-nitrophenol are used as substrates at pH 5.5. Using dopamine as a substrate the pH optimum is about 9.0. P-STG activity is markedly inhibited by the addition of sodium chloride to the reaction mixture.     

Effect of binding and conformation on fluorescence quenching in new 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein derivatives

[structure: see text] Symmetrical and unsymmetrical 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein (DCF) derivatives have been synthesized by means of Mannich reactions and an aromatic Claisen rearrangement. NMR and fluorescence spectroscopic studies reveal the correlation between the conformations, the photoinduced electron transfer mechanism, and fluorescent intensities of these DCF derivatives. Two quenching nitrogen atoms cooperatively and reversibly suppress the fluorescence of the chromophore.     

Effect of pH and small inorganic ions on binding of sulfadimethoxine and sulfaphenazole to human serum albumin measured by circular dichroism

The binding of sulfadimethoxine and sulfaphenazole to human serum albumin (HSA) has been shown by circular dichroism measurements to be dependent on the N-B transition. The secondary drug binding sites were found to be optically active in the B conformation form in HSA but optically inactive in the N form. Moreover, the drug-HSA interaction in Tris-HCl buffer seems to be more sensitive to the conformational change in HSA, compared with that in the phosphate buffer.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of fatty acid binding proteins in rat liver with fluorescence detection.

A highly sensitive, simple and reproducible method for the quantitative determination of fatty acid binding protein in rat liver by post-column high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection is presented. Fatty acid binding protein in rat liver cytosols is separated by gel-permeation column chromatography, which is followed by fluorescence detection. The detection makes use of the fluorescence enhancement observed when a fluorescent fatty acid probe, dansylundecanoic acid, binds to fatty acid binding protein. The method is rapid, simple to perform and highly sensitive. The method was applied to the determination of fatty acid binding protein in liver from control and hypolipidaemic drug treated rats.     

Effect of protein binding on the disposition of cephalexin and cefazolin in a simultaneous perfusion system of rat liver and kidney

The effect of protein binding on the disposition of cephalexin (CEX) and cofazolin (CEZ) was investigated in a simultaneous perfusion system of rat liver and kidney. In the present study, we used bovine serum albumin (BSA) or human serum albumin (HSA) as plasma protein to control the degree of perfusate protein binding of drugs. Total clearance (CLt) of CEX perfused with BSA (0.70 +/- 0.27 ml/min) was slightly smaller than that with HSA (0.89 +/- 0.08 ml/min), corresponding to the unbound fraction of the drug in the perfusate plasma. On the other hand, CLt of CEZ perfused with BSA (0.90 +/- 0.20 ml/min) was significantly larger than that with HSA (0.32 +/- 0.10 ml/min). The unbound fraction of CEZ to BSA (0.703 +/- 0.052) was much larger than that to HSA (0.253 +/- 0.017) and the clearance of the unbound drug did not differ significantly between two kinds of albumin perfusate (1.30 +/- 0.40 ml/min for BSA and 1.26 +/- 0.40 ml/min for HSA). These results suggest that plasma protein binding is an important factor determining the biliary clearance as well as the urinary clearance of drugs.     

脲、盐酸胍对碳氢链疏水作用的影响

本文测定了不同脲、盐酸胍浓度下,Triton X-100溶液的临界胶团浓度(cmc)和肌酸激酶分子在溶液中的暴露巯基数.通过计算脲、盐酸胍引起的Trito X-100胶团化过程中碳氢链的疏水能改变值,得到了评价脲、盐酸胍对碳氢链疏水作用影响的参数,盐酸胍降低碳氢链疏水能的能力是脲的3.5倍.实验结果还表明,盐酸胍引起肌酸激酶内坦巯基暴露的能力约为脲的3.2倍,这意味首在一定浓主工范围内脲、盐酸胍引起肌酸激酶变性的主要因素是它们降低了碳氢链的疏水作用.     

Configuration and conformation of alfentanil hydrochloride. Conformational study by NMR and theoretical calculations

The configurational and conformational structure of alfentanil hydrochloride (1) was studied by nuclear magnetic resonance and theoretical calculations. Compound 1 is best described by equilibrium between two stereoisomeric piperidinium rings with the N‐substituent always being in equatorial position. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectra demonstrate that, depending on the solvent, 1 adopts the conformation with an axial methoxymethylene group. Computations were crucial in determining the importance of the transannular attractive interaction between the positive charge at the piperidinium N‐atom and the methoxymethyl group in position 4. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fluorescence of the single tryptophan of cutinase: temperature and pH effect on protein conformation and dynamics

The cutinase from Fusarium solani pisi is an enzyme with a single L-tryptophan (Trp) involved in a hydrogen bond with an alanine (Ala) residue and located close to a cystine formed by a disulfide bridge between two cysteine (Cys) residues. The Cys strongly quenches the fluorescence of Trp by both static and dynamic quenching mechanisms. The Trp fluorescence intensity increases by about fourfold on protein melting because of the disruption of the Ala-Trp hydrogen bond that releases the Trp from the vicinity of the cystine residue. The Trp forms charge-transfer complexes with the disulfide bridge, which is disrupted by UV light irradiation of the protein. This results in a 10-fold increase of the Trp fluorescence quantum yield because of the suppression of the static quenching by the cystine residue. The Trp fluorescence anisotropy decays are similar to those in other proteins and were interpreted in terms of the wobbling-in-cone model. The long relaxation time is attributed to the Brownian rotational correlation time of the protein as a whole below the protein-melting temperature and to protein-backbone dynamics above it. The short relaxation time is related to the local motion of the Trp, whose mobility increases on protein denaturation.     

胍变及脲变α-淀粉酶的研究 Ⅰ.用高效疏水色谱法研究变性机理和复性效率

用疏水性强弱不同的两种色谱柱对７．０ｍｏｌ／Ｌ盐酸胍及８．０ｍｏｌ／Ｌ脲变性的α－淀粉酶变体和在疏水色谱介质表面上折叠的中间体进行了分离和复性。通过研究和比较发现,两者的变性机理和形成折叠中间体的个数以及复性效率均不相同。在用疏水性较弱的疏水色谱柱对脲变α－淀粉酶的折叠中间体进行分离时,得到了疏水性接近连续的、数目很多的中间体。用疏水性较强的疏水色谱柱对胍变α－淀粉酶进行复性的效果较好。还研究了柱温变化对其折叠、分离效果和复性效率的影响。     

Effect of pH on the binding of alkyl sulfates to gelatin

A surfactant-selective eletrode in which the membrane is an o-nitrotoluene phase containing a dissolved complex of cetyltrimethylammonium-dodecyl sulfate has been applied to investigations of the interaction between gelatin and alkyl sulfates as well as gelatin and alkyltrimethylammoniumions in dilute aqueous solutions.The binding isotherms were obtained by comparing emf-values obtained for surfactant in water to the electrode potentials in gelatin solutions plotted in terms of surfactant concentration.The binding of alkyl sulfates was measured as a function of pH at constant free surfactant concentration. At pH values 7 the degree of binding is indpendent of the pH of the solution. The level of binding of alkyl sulfates to gelatin increases strongly with increasing chain length of the alkyl sulfate. At pH values 6 the extent of binding increases steeply with decreasing pH. Octyl sulfate shows a very low level of binding even at low pH. Cationics show much weaker interactions with gelatin than anionic surfactants of comparable alkyl chain length.     

Effect of pH on the fluorescence and absorption spectra of hypericin in reverse micelles

The well-characterized, monodispersed nature of reverse micelles formed by sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate/heptane and their usefulness in approximating a membrane-like environment have been exploited to investigate the effect of pH and water pool size on the photophysical properties of hypericin (Hyp). Our measurements reveal two titratable groups of pKa approximately 1.5 and approximately 12.5. These are assigned to the HypH+/Hyp equilibrium (the deprotonation of a carbonyl group) and the Hyp-/Hyp2- equilibrium (the deprotonation of a peri hydroxyl group). The low-energy absorbance maxima of HypH+, of Hyp and Hyp- and of Hyp2- are 583, 594 and 613 nm, respectively. Neither at pH 13 nor at 1 M HCl is the system entirely in the Hyp2- or the HypH+ forms. Ours is the first study of Hyp in reverse micelles as well as the first time-resolved study of Hyp as a function of pH.     

Mass spectrometry and NMR analysis of ligand binding by human liver fatty acid binding protein

Human liver fatty acid binding protein (hL‐FABP) is the most abundant cytosolic protein in the liver. This protein plays important roles associated to partitioning of fatty acids (FAs) to specific metabolic pathways, nuclear signaling and protection against oxidative damage. The protein displays promiscuous binding properties and can bind two internal ligands, unlike FABPs from other tissues. Different topologies for the ligand located in the more accessible site have been reported, with either a ‘head‐in’ or ‘head‐out’ orientation of the carboxylate end. Electrospray‐ionization mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance titrations are employed here in order to investigate in further detail the binding properties of this system, the equilibria established in solution and the pH dependence of the complexes. The results are consistent with two binding sites with different affinity and a unique head‐out topology for the second molecule of either ligand. Competition experiments indicate a higher affinity for oleic acid relative to palmitic acid at each binding site. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of polyion conformation on dye binding. IV. Fluorescence of auramine O in relation to its binding to synthetic polyacids

The effect of polymer conformation, polymer concentration, and added salt concentration on the quantum yield ? of Auramine O (AuO) is discussed in connection with dialysis equilibrium data. The quantum yield per bound dye molecule (?/q) assumes different values which are related principally to solvation changes in the environment of the binding sites. Binding to globular compact a states results in high ?/q, whereas low ?/q (of the order of magnitude of ? of free AuO) are observed for the binding to expanded solvated b states. The quantum yield of bound AuO is therefore affected by the organic nature of the environment, but shows little or no relation to the amount of bound dye molecules.     

Effect of polyion conformation on dye binding. I. Fluorescence of acridine orange in the presence of synthetic polyacids

The interaction between polyelectrolytes and Acridine Orange (AO) has been investigated in the case of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), poly(methacrylic acid) (PMA), and a polycondensate between 1,3-benzene disulfonyl chloride and L -lysine (PLL) by visible absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. The influence of both polymer ionization and polymer/dye ratio (P/D) on the spectral behavior of the bound dye has been studied. The stacking tendency of AO is found lower in the presence of PLL under compact conformation (in an ionization range depending on the nature of the counterion) with correlated enhancement of the green fluorescence of the monomeric species of the bound dye. The disappearance of the green fluorescence and the dimerization of bound AO are directly related to the increased flexibility of polyion chains upon ionization. Some analogy is found between the behavior of bound AO in the presence of very compact PLL chains and that reported for AO in the presence of native DNA, which might be due to specific interactions responsible for a kind of “intercalation” of the monomeric bound dye.