Isonitrile derivatives of polyacrylamide as supports for the immobilization of biomolecules

Isonitrile derivatives of crosslinked polyacrylamide beads (Biogell P-100) were prepared by a two-step procedure: a. N-hydroxymethylation (methylolation) of amide groups on the polymer by treatment with formaldehyde; and b. Attachment of side chains, containing isonitrile functional groups by a displacement reaction involving 1-tosyloxy-3-isocyanopropane (p-CH₃-C₆H₄·SO₂·O·(CH₂)₃ NC) and alkoxide ions generated on methylolated polyacrylamide by treatment with a strong base in a polar aprotic solvent. The modified polyacrylamide beads were tested as support for the immobilization of proteins, and low mol wt ligands by four component condensation (4CC) reactions. Trypsin-polyacrylamide acting on N-benzoyl-L-arginine ethylester exhibited nonlinear Michaelis Menten kinetics and distorted pH activity profiles. The kinetic anomalies could be reduced by increasing the concentration of buffer. The data were consistent with a model assuming “buffer facilitated proton transport” in a diffusionally constrained system.     

Stabilization of fumarase activity ofBrevibacterium flavum cells by immobilization with k-carrageenan

Whole cells ofBrevibacterium flavum having fumarase activity were immobilized using K-carrageenan. The stabilities of fumarase activity in the immobilized cells against external factors, including heat, pH, organic solvents, and protein denaturing reagents, were compared with those of free cells and native enzyme. The stabilities of fumarase activity in immobillized cells against external factors were highest, and those of native enzyme were lowest. In the “gel-state,” K-carrageenan-immobilized cells showed a much higher stabilization effect for external factors than “sol-state” immobilized cells.     

Enzyme thermistors for process monitoring and control

In today’s biotechnology there is an increasing demand for appropriate analytical systems for process control. At present the most widely used control systems are based on measurements of pH, pO₂, and pCO₂. Such systems do not allow the direct measurement of substrates and products. To overcome this drawback sensors such as enzyme thermistors and enzyme electrodes have been designed and their development into industrial useful sensors for monitoring and controlling is the subject of active research.     

Determination of phenol and catechol concentrations with oxygen probes coated with immobilized enzymes or immobilized cells

The enzyme phenol 2-hydroxylase was immobilized on Sepharose and used in conjunction with an O₂ electrode for quantitating phenol. Similarly, catechol 1,2-oxygenase was used for quantitating catechol. A third probe was prepared by immobilization ofTrichosporon cutaneum cells rather than purified phenol 2-hydroxylase for phenol quantitation. The whole cell system gave results comparable to the immobilized enzyme system.     

Preparation and partial characterization of a soluble site-to-site directed enzyme complex composed of alcohol dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase

A soluble, bifunctional enzyme complex has been prepared by crosslinking lactate dehydrogenase and alcohol dehydrogenase with glutaraldehyde. The crosslinking was performed on a solid phase while the active sites of alcohol dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase were held adjacent to one another with the aid of a bis-NAD analog. Subsequently, the enzyme complex was released from the solid phase. The soluble enzyme complex was then purified by using NAD-Sepharose as an affinity adsorbent. Based on gel filtration experiments, the complex was estimated to consist of one of each dehydrogenase. By using a third enzyme, lipoamide dehydrogenase, which competes with lactate dehydrogenase for NADH produced by alcohol dehydrogenase, the effect of site-to-site orientation was studied. It was found that about 83% of the NADH produced by alcohol dehydrogenase was oxidized by site-to-site oriented lactate dehydrogenase compared to a figure of only about 61% obtained in an identical system of separate enzymes. This indicates that given two alternative routes, the preference for the one to lactate dehydrogenase over the one to lipoamide dehydrogenase is enhanced when lactate dehydrogenase and alcohol dehydrogenase are site-to-site oriented.     

Immobilization of the restriction endonuclease PstI

PstI has been immobilized in agarose. A solution of low melting agarose containing 1,6-hexamethylenediamine and PstI formed a gel that was effective in the linearization of pBR322 DNA. The gel containing PstI could be treated with 1,5-bis(N-acetylamino-N-succinimidoxy carbonyl)pentane, a crosslinking agent, without affecting the enzyme activity. Polymerization of acrylamide in presence of PstI led to conisderably reduced enzyme activity, although EcoRI under identical conditions showed high activity. It was found that acetylation of amino groups in PstI, by reaction with hydroxysuccinimide acetate, led to total inactivation of the enzyme activity. This reaction showed the presence of reactive amino groups that were essential for the enzyme activity of PstI. Involvement of these amino groups in binding to activated Sepharose 4B, during covalent immobilization, was responsible for inactive enzyme preparations.     

Triphenylphosphane-functionalised amphiphilic copolymers: tailor-made support materials for the efficient and selective aqueous two-phase hydroformylation of 1-octene

Amphiphilic copolymers (random P1 and block P2) based on 2-oxazolines were synthesised with triphenylphosphane ligands covalently linked to the polymers by means of a metal-free synthesis route. The resulting macroligands were used in the aqueous two-phase hydroformylation of 1-octene. The influence of the polymer architecture (random and block copolymers) on activity and selectivity of the hydroformylation reaction was investigated and compared with that of nonfunctionalised copolymers (random P3 and block P4) and Rh(I)/triphenylphosphane trisulfonate as a water-soluble catalyst. The highest activities were observed for the random copolymer P1 (p=50 bar, T=100 degrees C, c=8 x 10(-4) mol L(-1)) with a turnover frequency (TOF) of 3700 h(-1), whereas the corresponding block copolymer P2 reached TOF numbers of 1630 h(-1). Additionally, both macroligands indicated efficient suppression of isomerisation and led to almost constant n/iso selectivities of about 3 after complete substrate conversion. Copolymers P3 and P4 showed, under identical reaction conditions, strong isomerisation after 40-60 % conversion (n/iso approximately 0.7) and maximum activities of 1560 h(-1) (P3) and 1330 h(-1) (P4) at a concentration of 5 x 10(-3) mol L(-1).     

Reasons for the high stability of fumarase activity ofBrevibacterium flavum cells immobilized with k-carrageenan gel

Whole cells ofBrevibacterium flavum having high fumarase activity were immobilized using K-carrageenan. The reason for the high stability of fumarase activity of immobilized cells was investigated. One of main reasons for stabilizing fumarase activity by immobilization using K-carrageenan against organic solvents such as ethanol and acetone was the lower concentration of these solvents in the carrageenan gel compared with that in outer bulk solution. The stabilization of fumarase activity in the immobilized cells against protein-denaturing reagents was found to be related to rheological properties of K-carrageenan gel. Another reason for stabilizing fumarase activity by immobilization with K-carrageenan was to protect the cells from lysis. When immobilized cells were freeze-thawed, their fumarase activity increased and operation stability decreased. Therefore, one reason for the high decay of fumarase activity caused by the freeze-thawing may be a change in the pore size of the K-carrageenan gel. Fumarase activity and the operational stability of immobilized cells was found to depend on gelling conditions. Therefore, the steric structure of the K-carrageenan gel may be related to the decay of fumarase activity.     

Macroporous Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogels with adjustable size "cut-off" for the efficient and reversible immobilization of biomacromolecules

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPA) hydrogels with varied degree of crosslinking (DC) were synthesized by using poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as an additive. A phase separated ("macroporous") morphology was formed when using PEG contents of > or = 20 wt.-%. Temperature-dependent degrees of swelling had been measured, and average mesh sizes of the swollen polymer network had been calculated. The loading of the hydrogels with labelled dextrans with various molar masses and bovine serum albumin (BSA)-via swelling of the shrunken gel in a cold solution-and their subsequent unloading-via immersion in hot water-were studied in detail. The loading efficiencies were close to zero for PNIPA prepared at PEG contents of < or = 10 wt.-%, and they increased sharply to about 100% for PNIPA prepared with PEG contents of > or = 20 wt.-%. A complete unloading was achieved as well. For macroporous PNIPA prepared at 40 wt.-% PEG content, the loading efficiency was a function of the DC, and the "cut-off" observed as a function of dextran or protein size correlated with the mesh size of the hydrogel. The function of these "smart" hydrogels can be explained by the temperature-induced "pumping" of the solution into the gel bulk via the permanent pores, along with an uptake into the adjacent hydrogel network. Those materials could be used as matrices for the efficient and reversible immobilization of (bio)macromolecules.     

Alternative synthesis of poly(hydroxymethylsiloxane) for lipase immobilization and use of the adsorbates as esterification biocatalysts

A medium molar mass poly(hydrogenomethyl- siloxane), Me₃Si(O-SiHMe)_nOSiMe₃, (PHMS), has been used for preparing poly(hydroxymethylsiloxane) supports (PHOMS) for lipase immobilization. The procedure involved the conversion of PHMS to the corresponding poly(alkoxymethylsiloxanes). Me₃Si(OSi(OR) Me/_nOSiMe₃ (PHMS), their alkaline hydrolysis to form poly(siloxanolates) which were then converted to PHOMS by neutralization. The effect of different catalysts and alcohols (methanol, ethanol, 2-propanol) on the course of poly(alkoxymethylsiloxanes) formation is reported. PHOMS supports were characterized by BET and Hg porosimetry, and the degree of their crosslinking was determined by solid-phase NMR. Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to assess surface polarity and determine lipase loading. The efficiency of lipase adsorbed on these supports was tested in the esterification of stearic acid with propanol in hexane. It was found that the activity of the adsorbates is controlled by their porosity. The addition of an inert addend (e.g. hydrotalcite) in the step of alkaline hydrolysis of poly(alkoxymethylsiloxanes) increases the adsorption efficiency of the supports as compared to PHOMS. The potential application of the biocatalysts, lipase-PHOMS adsorbates, was extended by their encapsulation into a RTV silicone rubber containing Si-substituted poly(imide) as a swelling modifier.     

New methodology for tosylation of hydroxylic supports as exemplified by the immobilization of micrococcal endonuclease on agarose

Improvement have been made in a simplified procedure we previously reported (J.Mol.Catal. (1986),38,227 for the activation of tosyl chloride of supports possessing primary hydroxyl groups. The method is simple, can be completed in less than 90 min, yields a broad range of activation degrees, and, since it involves no toxic reagents, may be used for preparing immobilized enzymes to be utilized in food manufacturing and processing. The immobilization ofStophylococcal Nuclease has been carried out by this method. The insolubilized derivatives are more active than the native enzyme in the hydrolysis of DNA. The thermal stability of nuclease derivatives is greater than that of the native enzyme. These derivatives remain active at 50°C, and the native enzyme, 39°C. The insolubilized nuclease is more stable against organic solvents such as, dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) or tetrahydroduran (THF) than the native enzyme.     

Radioimmunoassay of progesterone and estriol in plasma using antibodies immobilized onto protein A-sepharose CL-4B

Protein A-Sepharose CL-4B was used as a solid phase for antibodies in the radioimmunoassay of progesterone and estriol. The method was fast and easily standardizable. Immobilized antibodies had the same binding capacity as free antibodies and gave good correlation curves (r = 0.996 for progesterone andr = 0.989 for estriol). Sensitivity was 12.5 pg/tube for progesterone and 8.0 pg/tube for estriol. Comparison of progesterone radioimmunoassay with chemically immobilized antibody onto Sepharose CL-4B was also carried out.     

果菠萝蛋白酶在有机溶剂微扰时的分子折叠与活力变化的研究

本文用荧光、紫外差示及CD光谱研究果菠萝蛋白酶经甲醇、乙醇、乙二醇微扰后的构象与活力变化情况.酶的荧光强度随有机溶剂浓度增大而增强,表明Tyr、Trp微环境发生明显变化。232nm和285nm处出现紫外差吸收正峰。前峰与酶分于折叠的变化有关,而后峰与Tyr、Trp微环境的变化相关.甲醇、乙醇微扰后,天然酶的208nm和225nmCD双负峰逐渐加强,而乙二醇微扰后,225nm负峰加强。208nm负峰减弱并红移直至完全消失,说明酶分子完全伸展.     

Selection and microencapsulation of an “NADH-oxidizing” bacterium and its use for NAD regeneration

An alternative approach to the regeneration of coenzymes is described here using immobilized microorganisms possessing “NADH-oxidase” function. Bacteria containing NADH-oxidase activity are immobilized by microencapsulation within artificial cells. In this form, the microencapsulated bacteria can recycle NADH back to NAD in the presence of molecular oxygen as an electron acceptor. The only byproduct of the recycling reaction is water. In order to perform the biological regeneration of NAD, the activity of NADH-oxidase was investigated in 13 strains of aerobic bacteria and yeast. The NADH-oxidizing bacteriaLeuconostoc mesenteroides exhibited the highest activity among the microorganisms tested. The permeabilized bacteria showed 10% of their initial activity after microencapsulation. Light and electron microscopy studies of bacteria loaded microcapsules have been done. Enzymatic properties of microcapsule-immobilized bacteria were investigated in comparison with those of the free enzyme complex.Leuconostoc mesenteroides, containing NADH-oxidase, has been microencapsulated together with 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3α-HSDH) for stereospecific steroid oxidation. In a batch reactor, 2 mg of NAD, with recycling, allowed the same substrate consumption as 4.4 mg of NAD without recycling. The microencapsulated system can be used repeatedly. The system is functional for 10 h, during which time each molecule of NAD has been used 7.6 times.     

Twentyfold increase in alkaline phosphatase activity by sequential reversible activation of the enzyme followed by coupling with a copolyme of ethylene and maleic anhydride

Alkaline phosphatase, APase, (EC 3.1.31) from calf intestine, after shifting the equilibrium by effector molecules towards the dimeric form of the enzyme, was coupled (ratio 1:2, protein: copolymer) to a copolymer of ethylene and maleic anhydride, EMA. The water-soluble APase-EMA was separated from APase and the unbound EMA by DEAE-cellulose ion exchange chromatography. The specific activity of the APase-EMA, compared to APase, increased 26-fold at pH 7.1 and 10-fold at pH 8.6. The pH optimum of APase-EMA was shifted down from pH 9.5 (native APase) to 8.6. This change could be interpreted in terms of polyelectrolyte theory. APase-EMA retained 50–70% of its optimum activity in the pH range 7–8, while APase retained only 5–15% of its optimum activity within the same pH range. Its isoelectric point, pI, was 4.2 (APase 6.0) and it migrated on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in a single band, anodic movement twice as fast as APase. Parallel with the kinetic measurements, the reactive-enzyme sedimentation method was used to measure S_20,w values. S_20,w values obtained for APase-EMA, activated APase, and APase dialyzed against wafer were 6.56S, 6.46S, and 5.17S, respectively. Molecular weights, M_r, were determined by equilibrium sedimentation: the values obtained were 180,000, 160,000, and 84,500. M_r values of APase-EMA and APase (native) estimated by Sepharose-4B gel filtrations were essentially the same. The above-mentioned values remained unchanged for APase-EMA after intensive dialysis against water, whereas for the activated APase, separation from the effector molecules caused the equilibrium to shift back to the monomeric, very slightly active enzyme with concomitant changes of S_20,w to 5.15 and M_r to 82,000.     

Kinetic Analysis of Multi Enzyme Systems: A Case Study of the Closed System of Creatine Kinase, Hexokinase and Glucose 6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase

This paper describes a general methodology to handle closed multi enzyme systems using mixture of symbolic (which depends on the Gröbner Basis technique) and numerical computation methods. The applicability of the proposed method has been examined for the closed three-enzyme system of rabbit heart creatine kinase (EC 2.7.3.2), yeast hexokinase (EC 2.7.1.1) and human erythrocyte glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.49) using experimental data.     

Synthesis of Dioxa-Cages as a New Probe for the Stereochemistry of the Bisadducts of p-Quinone with Cyclopentadiene and Cyclohexadiene

The synthesis of dioxa-cages via iodine-induced cyclization reaction can be used as a new method for the determination of the stereochemistry of the bisadducts of p-quinone with cyclopentadiene and cyclohexadiene. The bisadducts 2 and 8 were converted into the dioxa-cages 13a and 13b via a three-step sequence, respectively. The stereochemistry of 13a and 13b was determined on the basis of NOE experiments.     

Preparation of highly sensitive sensors based on polystyrene microspheres for the detection and removal of Hg2+ ions

Detection and the simultaneous removal of mercury ions are of vital importance. In this study, fluorescent monomers, small molecular sensors, were first synthesized using 4‐bromo‐naphthalic anhydride as precursor. These double bond bearing sensors were then grafted to polystyrene (PS) microspheres through dispersion polymerization. The sensors still retained their detecting ability when they were anchored on the surfaces of PS microspheres. Upon the addition of Hg²⁺ ions to the PS microspheres, both the color and the fluorescence intensity changed, which could be employed to detect Hg²⁺ ions. The absorption capacity of the two kinds of PS microspheres reached 0.557 mg g^?1 and 0.628 mg g^?1 respectively. The PS microspheres still remain their fluorescence and absorption even used for five times. These polymeric highly sensitive chemosensors may see their applications in purification of polluted environments. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013 , 51, 4592–4600     

Reactive rubbers as toughening agents for thermoset polyester resins. Molecular analysis by FTIR and fracture behavior of the resulting blends

A reactive rubber obtained by isocyanation of hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene was used as toughening agent for an unsaturated polyester resin. Both the isocyanation and the successive reaction between the modified rubber and the polyester were investigated by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Fracture measurements at high and low strain rate were carried out on the cured materials to test their toughness. The failure mechanisms were established by morphological analysis of fractured surfaces, performed by scanning electron microscopy. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Improving the Enzymatic Cascade of Reactions for the Reduction of CO2 to CH3OH in Water: From Enzymes Immobilization Strategies to Cofactor Regeneration and Cofactor Suppression

The need to decrease the concentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere has led to the search for strategies to reuse such molecule as a building block for chemicals and materials or a source of carbon for fuels. The enzymatic cascade of reactions that produce the reduction of CO₂ to methanol seems to be a very attractive way of reusing CO₂; however, it is still far away from a potential industrial application. In this review, a summary was made of all the advances that have been made in research on such a process, particularly on two salient points: enzyme immobilization and cofactor regeneration. A brief overview of the process is initially given, with a focus on the enzymes and the cofactor, followed by a discussion of all the advances that have been made in research, on the two salient points reported above. In particular, the enzymatic regeneration of NADH is compared to the chemical, electrochemical, and photochemical conversion of NAD⁺ into NADH. The enzymatic regeneration, while being the most used, has several drawbacks in the cost and life of enzymes that suggest attempting alternative solutions. The reduction in the amount of NADH used (by converting CO₂ electrochemically into formate) or even the substitution of NADH with less expensive mimetic molecules is discussed in the text. Such an approach is part of the attempt made to take stock of the situation and identify the points on which work still needs to be conducted to reach an exploitation level of the entire process.