Optimization of culture medium and conditions for penicillin acylase production by Streptomyces lavendulae ATCC 13664

The culture medium for Streptomyces lavendulae ATCC 13664 was optimized on a shake-flask scale by using a statistical factorial design for enhanced production of penicillin acylase. This extracellular enzyme recently has been reported to be a penicillin K acylase, presenting also high hydrolytic activity against penicillin V and other natural aliphatic penicillins such as penicillin K, penicillin F, and penicillin dihydroF. The factorial design indicated that the main factors that positively affect penicillin acylase production by S. lavendulae were the concentration of yeast extract and the presence of oligoelements in the fermentation medium, whereas the presence of olive oil in the medium had no effect on enzyme production. An initial concentration of 2.5% (w/v) yeast extract and 3 microg/mL of CuSO4 x 5H2O was found to be best for acylase production. In such optimized culture medium, fermentation of the microorganism yielded 289 IU/L of enzyme in 72 h when employing a volume medium/volume flask ratio of 0.4 and a 300-rpm shaking speed. The presence of copper, alone and in combination with other metals, stimulated biomass as well as penicillin acylase production. The time course of penicillin acylase production was also studied in the optimized medium and conditions. Enzyme production showed catabolite repression by different carbon sources such as glucose, lactose, citrate, glycerol, and glycine.     

Dynamics and energetics of the self-assembly of a hydrophobically modified polyelectrolyte: Naphthalene-labeled poly(acrylic acid)

Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence studies were performed on aqueous solutions of poly(acrylic acid) hydrophobically modified with two very different levels of naphthalene (Np). It is demonstrated that unique information on association phenomena involving hydrophobe-modifed polymers can be obtained from an extended fluorescence study by using data for a less-modified polymer as a reference. For the more highly modified polymer, the presence of excited-state (as well as ground-state) dimers in addition to monomer emission due to locally excited naphthalene gives evidence for hydrophobic association between naphthalene groups. This association becomes, as expected, much less important at higher pH due to the electrostatic repulsion between different chain segments. However, it is noted that even at high pH there is a significant self-association. The coexistence of static and dynamic quenching phenomena of the Np monomer label was also revealed in the time-resolved fluorescence data. The data are compatible with the existence of two types of monomers and one excimer and suggest that the essential contribution to the monomer emission comes from isolated chromophores, whereas excimer formation arises from both a dynamic route (excited Np chromophores able to produce a dynamic excimer) and a static route (excitation of ground-state Np dimers). At room temperature, the dissociative reaction, excimer-to-monomer, can be neglected, and thus the rate constant for excimer formation and decay could be obtained with and without considering the influence of preformed dimers. Temperature has shown to induce different behavior in the polymer photophysics. In the case of the less-labeled polymer, the decays were found to be single-exponential with the fluorescence lifetime decreasing with increasing temperature. From the temperature dependence of the steady-state fluorescence data, the activation energy for excimer formation and the binding energy of the excimer were evaluated at different pH values, through the Stevens-Ban-type plots of the excimer-to-monomer intensity ratio. With the time-resolved data, measured in the temperature range of 5-60 degrees C, it was possible to extract the intrinsic activation energies for excimer formation. The thermodynamic driving force for the intrapolymeric association was found to be dependent on a balance between hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions, which are dependent on the pH, temperature, and hydrophobic content of the polymer.     

Crystal structure oftrans-ethyl(1,5,6-trimethylbenzimidazole)-bis(dimethylglyoximato)cobalt(III). Relationships between structural and spectroscopic properties in compounds of the general formulae [Co(dmgH)2(R)(1,5,6-Me3Bzm)]

Summary The synthesis and x-ray crystal structure oftrans-[Co(dmgH)₂(Et)(1,5,6-Me₃Bzm)] where dmgH=dimethylglyoximate(–1), and 1,5,6-Me₃Bzm=1,5,6-trimethylbenzimidazole, is reported. The compound C₁₉H₂₆N₆O₄Co is monoclinic, space group P2₁/n;a=11.700(4);b=24.205(6);c=8.500(3) Å and =101.63(3)°. D(calcd) 1.299 g cm^–3; Z=4 and R=0.066 for 2359 independent reflections. Comparison of Co-N(axial ligand) bond lengths for compounds of general formulaetrans-[Co(dmgH)₂(R)(L)], with L=pyridine or 1,5,6-trimethylbenzimidazole and R=CH(CN)Cl, CH₂NO₂, Me, Et,i-Pr, cyclo-hexyl or adamantyl is made. The Co–N(1,5,6-Me₃Bzm) bond lengths of the trimethylbenzimidazole derivatives show a fairly linear relationship with the electronic parameter of the axial R group, derived from the¹³C-n.m.r. spectra of their pyridine analogues. The influence of steric effects on the properties of these Co^III compounds is discussed.     

Comparison of the retention behaviour of phenol derivatives on porous graphitized and octadecylsilica columns

Summary The retention of 22 ring-substituted phenol derivatives on porous graphitized carbon (PGC) (eluents: acetonitrile — water and methanol — water mixtures) and on octadecylsilica (ODS) (eluents: methanol — 0.025 M KH₂PO₄ mixtures) was determined, and the relationship between retention and physicochemical parameters were evaluated by principal component analysis followed by two-dimensional nonlinear mapping and by cluster analysis as well as by canonical correlation analysis. Calculations proved that marked differences can be detected between the retention characteristics of PGC and ODS columns, and the electronic parameters of phenol derivatives have the highest impact on their retention. The comparison of various multivariate mathematical-statistical methods indicated that principal component analysis followed by two dimensional non-linear mapping is the most appropriate method for the evaluation of large data matrices in RP-HPLC.     

Oscillating autoxidation reaction of p-xylene in the liquid phase, catalyzed by metal oxides

Oscillatory reaction was observed during liquid-phase oxidation of p-xylene in the presence of certain transition metal oxides as catalysts. Experimental conditions under which oscillations occur and parameters influencing this behavior are described.

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, , , . - .

     

The additivity principle in pyrolysis—gas chromatography of brown coal

Pyrolysis—gas chromatography of brown coal exhibits additive properties and it is therefore possible to construct the pyrogram of the original coal from the individual pyrograms of the bitumen, humic acids, lignin and humin fractions. The contents of phenols in the pyrograms are typical for all of the above classes except bitumen and are in agreement with the contents of the individual groups in the original coal. The results suggest that the separation does not bring about significant chemical changes in individual brown coal fractions.     

Synchronization of signal sampling with liquid pulsation in systems with peristaltic pumps

Method and electronic circuitry are described for synchronization of analytical signal sampling with pulsation of liquid flow in systems with a peristaltic pump. The technique is illustrated for cathodic stripping voltammetry of manganese.     

Acidity and activity of H-mordenite in m-xylene isomerization

The dependence of the activity of H-mordenites prepared from a natural mordenite on the nature and strength of the acid groups present was studied. The superior catalytic activity and stability of the H(Ag)–MOR zeolite compared with other H-forms is explained on the basis of NH₃ adsorption and IR measurements.

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H-, . H(Ag)–MOP H- NH₃ .

     

Maßanalytische Bestimmung von Merkapto-Benzthiazol im Wärmeaustauscher eines Reaktors

Zusammenfassung Eine volumetrische Methode zur Bestimmung geringer Mengen Merkapto-Benzthiazol in der Kühlflüssigkeit von Reaktoren wurde ausgearbeitet. Es wird in ammoniakalischem Medium mit ammoniakalisehem Silbernitrat titriert. Das Merkapto-Benzthiazol bildet mit Silberionen einen weißen, flockigen Niederschlag. Der Endpunkt der Titration wird mit Hilfe der Dead-stop-Indikation bestimmt. Er wird durch eine sprunghafte Stromstärkeerhöhung (Pt-Pt-Elektrode, 500 mV und 10^–7 A Empfindlichkeit des Galvanometers) angezeigt. Die Methode wird durch Triäthanolamin, Glykol, geringe Mengen von Chlorid und Phosphat nicht gestört.

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Summary A volumetric method has been developed for determining slight amounts of mercapto-benzthiazol in the cooling liquid of reactors. It is titrated in ammoniacal medium with ammoniacal silver nitrate. The mercapto-benzthiazol yields a colorless flocculent precipitate with silver ions. The endpoint of the titration is found by the dead stop indication. It is signalled by a sudden jump in the current strength (Pt-Pt-electrode, 500 mV and 10^–7 amp sensitivity of the galvanometer). The method is not impaired by triethanolamine, glycol, slight amounts of chloride, nor by phosphate.

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Résumé On a mis au point une méthode volumétrique pour le dosage de faibles quantités de mercaptobenzothiazole dans le liquide de refroidissement des réacteurs. On titre en milieu ammoniacal par le nitrate d'argent ammoniacal. Le mercaptobenzothiazole forme un précipité blanc, floconneux avec les ions argent. On détermine le point d'équivalence du titrage par la méthode du «dead stop end point». Il se trouve signalé par une augmentation brusque de l'intensité (électrodes Pt-Pt, 500 mv et 10^–7 A de sensibilité du galvanomètre). La triéthanolamine, le glycol, de petites quantités de chlorures et de phosphates, ne gênent pas.

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Vorgetragen beim Symposium für analytische Chemie in Graz, 29. September bis 1. Oktober 1965.     

Pattern of separatrices and intrinsic reaction coordinates for degenerate thermal rearrangements

A structurally stable model of the standard adiabatic gradient field of the potential energy surface for certain pericyclic reactions is derived.These reactions are not subjected to the principles of orbital isomerism or to the Woodward-Hoffmann rules.Use is made of a principle established by Ariel Fernández and Oktay Sinanolu which precludes direct meta-IRC connections between transition states.It is shown that Jahn-Teller isomers of the singlet biradicals involved in the process are not interconvertible since the biradical configuration is not a transition state but a critical point with Hessian matrix with two negative eigenvalues.The topological features of the PES obtained by combinatorial methods are in full agreement with earlier results obtained from MINDO calculations.