Fluorescence and Photochemistry of Recombinant Phytochrome from the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis

Fluorescence and photochemical properties of phytochrome from the cyanobacterium Synechocystis were investigated in the temperature interval from 293 to 85 K. The apoprotein was obtained by overexpression in Escherichia coli and assembled to a holophytochrome with phycocyanobilin (PCB) and phytochromobilin (PφB), Syn(PCB)phy and Syn(PφB)phy, respectively. Its red-absorbing form, Pr, is characterized at 85 K by the emission and excitation maxima at 682 and 666 nm in Syn(PCB)phy and at 690 and 674 nm in Syn(PφB)phy. At room temperature, the spectra are blue shifted by 5–10 nm. The fluorescence intensity dropped down by ?15–20-fold upon warming from 85 to 293 K and activation energy of the fluorescence decay was estimated to be ca 5.4 and 4.9 kJ mol^?1 in Syn(PCB)phy and Syn(PφB)phy, respectively. Phototransformation of Pr upon red illumination was observed at temperatures above 160–170 K in Syn(PCB)phy and above 140–150 K in Syn(PφB)phy with a 2–3 nm shift of the emission spectrum to the blue and increase of the intensity of its shorter wavelength part. This was interpreted as a possible formation of the photoproduct of the meta-Ra type of the plant phytochrome. At ambient temperatures, the extent of the Pr phototransformation to the far-red-absorbing form, Pfr, was ca 0.7–0.75 and 0.85–0.9 for Syn(PCB)phy and Syn(PφB)phy, respectively. Fluorescence of Pfr and of the photoproduct similar to lumi-R was not observed. With respect to the photochemical parameters, Syn(PCB)phy and Syn(PφB)phy are similar to each other and also to a small fraction of phyA (phyA″) and to phyB. The latter were shown to have low photochemical activity at low temperatures in contrast to the major phyA pool (phyA″), which is distinguished by the high extent (ca 50%) of Pr photoransformation at 85 K. These photochemical features are interpreted in terms of different activation barriers for the photoreaction in the Pr excited state.     

Purification and Characterization of Recombinant Affinity Peptide-Tagged Oat Phytochrome A

Abstract— Full-length Avena sativa (oat) phytochrome A (ASPHYA) was expressed in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and purified to apparent homogeneity. Expression of an ASPHYA cDNA that encoded the full-length photoreceptor with a 15 amino acid'strep-tag'peptide at its C-terminus produced a single polypeptide with a molecular mass of 124 kDa. This strep-tagged polypeptide (ASPHYA-ST) bound tightly to streptavidin agarose and was selectively eluted using diaminobiotin, with a chromatographic efficiency of 45%. Incubation of ASPHYA-ST with phytochromobilin (PφB) and the unnatural chromophore precursors, phycocyanobilin (PCB) and phycoerythrobilin (PEB), produced covalent adducts that were similarly affinity purified. Both PφB and PCB adducts of ASPHYA-ST were photoactive-the PφB adduct displaying spectrophotometric properties nearly indistinguishable from those of the native photoreceptor, and the PCB adduct exhibiting blue-shifted absorption maxima. Although the PEB adduct of ASPHYA-ST was photochem-ically inactive, it was intensely fluorescent with an excitation maximum at 576 nm and emission maxima at 586 nm. The superimposability of its absorption and fluorescence excitation spectra established that a single bilipro-tein species was responsible for fluorescence from the adduct produced when ASPHYA-ST was incubated with PEB. Steric exclusion HPLC also confirmed that ASPHYA-ST and its three bilin adducts were homodimers, as has been established for phytochrome A isolated from natural sources. The ability to express and purify recombinant phytochromes with biochemical properties very similar to those of the native molecule should facilitate detailed structural analysis of this important class of photoreceptors.     

一种水体中有机污染物快速筛查与半定量的方法及其应用

采用液液萃取法富集水体中的有机污染物,以气相色谱-质谱和Compound composer软件进行筛查和半定量计算,同时以气相色谱-质谱法在选择离子模式下对Compound composer软件的半定量结果进行验证,结果表明除3-氨基苯酚、豆甾醇和β-谷甾醇外,其它物质的回收率在74％～102％之间,保留时间偏差为-0.158 ～0.049 min,对添加量为1.0μg目标物的水样半定量,结果偏差在-0.48～0.62 μg之间.在无标准样品的条件下,利用Compound composer软件及其自带含近千种化合物标准曲线的数据库,对江苏省南通、苏州和无锡三市的地表水环境样品进行监测,筛查其中主要的有机污染物,并进行半定量计算.三市地表水样中共检出47种有机污染物.2,6-二叔丁基-4-甲基苯酚为检出浓度最高的化合物,其浓度达140 μg·L-1,酞酸酯类和多环芳烃类物质普遍存在,其单体浓度范围分别为1.7～48μg·L-1和0.13 ～9.6 μg· L-1.依照GB3838-2002《地表水环境质量标准》,三市地表水体中酞酸酯类严重超标,水体中总有机物污染状况应引起关注.     

Codon Randomization for Rapid Exploration of Chemical Space in Thiopeptide Antibiotic Variants

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Highlights? Thiopeptide GE37468 expression was increased 30-fold above previous reports ? Codon randomization enabled rapid exploration of chemical space ? Thirteen thiopeptide analogs had activity against MRSA ? Identification of linear precursor peptides allowed insights into biosynthetic timing     

A Rapid and Simple Method for Preparing an Insoluble Substrate for Screening of Microbial Xylanase

Several types of enzymes, including cellulases and xylanases, are required to degrade hemicelluloses and cellulose, which are major components of lignocellulosic biomass. Such degradative processes can be used to produce various useful industrial biomaterials. Screening methods for detecting polysaccharide-degrading microorganisms include the use of dye-labeled substrates in growth medium and culture plate staining techniques. However, the preparation of screening plates, which typically involves chemical cross-linking to synthesize a dye-labeled substrate, is a complicated and time-consuming process. Moreover, such commercial substrates are very expensive, costing tenfold more than the natural xylan. Staining methods are also problematic because they may damage relevant microorganisms and are associated with contamination of colonies of desirable organisms with adjacent unwanted bacteria. In the present study, we describe a sonication method for the simple and rapid preparation of an insoluble substrate that can be used to screen for xylanase-expressing bacteria in microbial populations. Using this new method, we have successfully isolated a novel xylanase gene from a xylolytic microorganism termed Xyl02-KBRB and Xyl14-KBRB in the bovine rumen.     

Rapid In Vitro Screening of Polymers for Biocompatibility

A rapid in vitro screening protocol to guide selection and monitoring of polymers for implant or extracorporeal applications is described. There are four main procedures under the protocol: 1) and 2) measurement of physical property change over thermal and simulated biochemical stress, 3) infrared spectrophotometric assay of migratible species developed over simulated biochemical stress, and 4) cell culture sensitivity to those migratible species. In vivo biochemical stress was simulated and accelerated by exposing polymer specimens to a pseudoextracellular fluid (PECF) at 120°C for 62 hr.

Results from procedures 3) and 4) are presented. These show a good correlation between cell culture response and the total carbon-hydrogen bonds developed in the PSF over the exposure period. Correlation of these data with available clinical and animal implant experience is consistent and is discussed in detail. Infrared assays for a candidate polymer may be obtained at relatively low cost within 4 days and stand as a rational basis for rejection or retention for preclinical in vivo studies.     

Synthesis,Characterization, Photophysics and Photochemistry of Pyrylogen Electron Transfer Sensitizers

A series of new dicationic sensitizers that are hybrids of pyrylium salts and viologens has been synthesized. The electrochemical and photophysical properties of these “pyrylogen” sensitizers are reported in sufficient detail to allow rationale design of new photoinduced electron transfer reactions. The range of their reduction potentials (+0.37–+0.05 V vs SCE) coupled with their range of singlet (48–63 kcal mol^?1) and triplet (48–57 kcal mol^?1) energies demonstrate that they are potent oxidizing agents in both their singlet and triplet excited states, thermodynamically capable of oxidizing substrates with oxidation potentials as high as 3.1 eV. The pyrylogens are synthesized in three steps from readily available starting materials in modest overall 11.4–22.3% yields. These sensitizers have the added advantages that: (1) their radical cations do not react on the CV timescale with oxygen bypassing the need to run reactions under nitrogen or argon and (2) have long wavelength absorptions between 413 and 523 nm well out of the range where competitive absorbance by most substrates would cause a problem. These new sensitizers do react with water requiring special precautions to operate in a dry reaction environment.     

Rapid Fluorometric Screening of Antibiotics in Seafood

Simple and rapid fluorometric screening methods have been developed based on the competitive binding between the target and an intercalating fluorophore dye to double-stranded-DNA (dsDNA). In this study, the long-wavelength fluorescente dye TOTO-3 was employed as the indicator. Compounds that interact with dsDNA will affect the binding of TOTO-3 to the nucleic acid thereby changing the fluorescence intensity. The analyte concentration is indirectly determined by the decrease in fluorescence intensity. A fiber optic fluorescence screening system was developed for rapid and convenient sample processing. Lambda DNA (48.5 kb) was chosen as a suitable sensing nucleic acid material. Detection of sulfathiazole and chloramphenicol in shrimps using this method was studied in the range of 0.5–25 ng mL⁻¹ of sulfathiazole and of 1–50 ng mL⁻¹ of chloramphenicol. Detection limits of 0.5 ng mL⁻¹ of sulfathiazole and 1 ng mL⁻¹ of chloramphenicol were achieved. This approach is useful as a routine test in the monitoring of antibiotics in the environment or aquaculture products. The easy operation and the rapid and sensitive detection make this a potential high-throughput screening method.     

Structural and Vibrational Characterization of the Chromophore Binding Site of Bacterial Phytochrome Agp1

Agp1 is a prototypical bacterial phytochrome from Agrobacterium fabrum harboring a biliverdin cofactor which reversibly photoconverts between a red‐light‐absorbing (Pr) and a far‐red‐light‐absorbing (Pfr) states. The reaction mechanism involves the isomerization of the bilin‐chromophore followed by large structural changes of the protein matrix that are coupled to protonation dynamics at the chromophore binding site. Histidines His250 and His280 participate in this process. Although the three‐dimensional structure of Agp1 has been solved at high resolution, the precise position of hydrogen atoms and protonation pattern in the chromophore binding pocket has not been investigated yet. Here, we present protonated structure models of Agp1 in the Pr state involving appropriately placed hydrogen atoms that were generated by hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics‐ and electrostatic calculations and validated against experimental structural‐ and spectroscopic data. Although the effect of histidine protonation on the vibrational spectra is weak, our results favor charge neutral H250 and H280 both protonated at Nε. However, a neutral H250 with a proton at Nε and a cationic H280 may also be possible. Furthermore, the present QM/MM calculations of IR and Raman spectra of Agp1 containing isotope‐labeled BV provide a detailed vibrational assignment of the biliverdin modes in the fingerprint region.     

用HPLC-MS-MS快速分析和鉴定三尖杉植物内生真菌发酵液中的Brefeldin A

采用HPLC-MS-MS联用技术．分析了C56和C65两株具有抗肿瘤活性的三尖杉植物内生真菌发酵液抽提物,首次报道了这两株真菌都能产生Brefelkin A(BFA)。采用ESI-MS总离子流跟踪分析HPLC的洗脱液,并用低能量的CID-MS-MS(碰撞诱导裂解方式)进一步确定目标离子峰为BFA分子离子峰．这为植物内生真菌发酵液中的有效成分的早期鉴别奠定了基础。     

Rapid Screening and Identification of Brefeldin A in Endophytic Fungi Using HPLC-MS/MS

Brefeldin A (BFA; C₁₆H₂₄O₄, MW 280), a naturally occurring macrolide, exhibits diverse biological activities, such as antibiotic, antiviral, cytostatic, antimitotic, and antitumor effects. Owing to the wide activities of BFA, there is a need to develop a method for rapid identification of BFA in crude microbial extracts. In this paper, a method has been established and validated for screening and identification of individual as well as total BFA by high-performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography/electrospray mass spectrometry in fungal raw materials. Translated from Journal of Instrumental Analysis, 2005, 24(1) (in Chinese)     

Polyaromatic Scavenger Reagents (PAHSR): A New Methodology for Rapid Purification in Solution-Phase Combinatorial Synthesis

A new method of purification of solution-phase combinatorial libraries has been developed. Development of a chemically inert polyaromatic anchor with a reactive "scavenger reagent" (PAHSR) allows unreacted reagents and impurities to be removed from a reaction by absorption of the PAHSR to charcoal and simple filtration.     

Methods for Rapid Screening of Biologically Active Compounds Present in Plant-Based Extracts

In recent years, there has been an increased interest in products of natural origin. The extraction procedure of bioactive compounds from plant matrices is a crucial step in the development of useful new bioproducts for everyday life. The utilisation of analyses enabling the rapid identification of the presence of a given group of compounds can be helpful in the early stages of the development of new products in order to save time and reduce costs. Within this article, we have presented a comparison of different, accessible methods for the identification of various bioactive compounds, e.g., saponins, carboxylic acids, oils and fats, proteins and amino acids, steroids, and alkaloids in plant-based extracts. Additionally, the multielemental composition of extracts was also examined. The applied methods allowed for confirmation of the presence of biologically active compounds in bio-products obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction. At a later stage, these procedures should be supplemented by advanced analytical techniques in order to determine the plant chemicals’ content qualitatively and quantitatively.     

快速测定植物油胆固醇含量在地沟油筛查中的应用

采用皂化气相色谱氢火焰离子检测器法测试了多个植物油样品,发现胆固醇峰被干扰比较严重,很难得出植物油与地沟油胆固醇含量的界定值。采用SPE进行样品前处理,对SPE处理条件进行优化,得出优化条件为称样量0.25 g ,20 mL 0.6%乙醚-正己烷(V/V)作为淋洗液,20 mL 15%乙醚-正己烷(V/V)作为洗脱液。用SPE气相色谱氢火焰离子检测器法分析了84个植物油样品和13个地沟油样品中胆固醇含量,测定结果表明,植物油胆固醇含量与地沟油胆固醇含量有明显区别,所有植物油胆固醇含量都小于50μg/g,13个地沟油样中11个样胆固醇含量大于50μg/g。因此,采用上述植物油胆固醇测定方法,胆固醇含量超过50μg/g可判定为疑似地沟油,反之不成立。本方法在0~760 mg/L浓度范围内相关系数R2=0.9999,方法检出限为6. 0μg/g,两个浓度水平(17.7和695 mg/L)的相对标准偏差分别为1.6%和1.5%,回收率为103%。     

Rapid Screening and Isolation of a Fungus for Sitosterol to Androstenedione Biotransformation

Androstenedione (AD) is a steroid intermediate used in the pharmaceutical industry for the production of several important anabolic drugs. An important route for producing AD is by the microbial transformation of sterols. Microbes capable of efficiently transforming sterols to AD are few and newer strains need to be isolated. Conventional procedures for screening and isolation are time consuming. A new procedure was used for screening and isolation of fungal microorganisms capable of biotransformation of sitosterol to androstenedione. In this procedure, Basic Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) and Position-Specific Iterative BLAST were employed to obtain a parent set of candidate microorganisms. The parent set was reduced using heuristics and constraints to obtain a manageable number of microorganisms that may be tested experimentally. For this work, screening of the entire NCBI database yielded a parent set containing 64 microorganisms. Among these, only two microorganisms, Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus nidulans FGSC A4, qualified to the experimental stage. Sitosterol biotransformation experiments were carried out using A. oryzae and the production of AD in culture medium was confirmed.