Production, purification, and biochemical characterization of two β-glucosidases from Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

The filamentous fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum prudces ß-glucosidases in liquid culture with a variety of carbon sources, including cellulose (filter paper), xylan, barley straw, oat meal, and xylose. Analysis by native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) followed by an activity staining with the specific chromogenic substrate, 5-bromo 4-chloro 3-indolyl ß-1,4 glucoside (X-glu) showed that two extracellular β-glucosidases, designated as ß-glul1 and \-glu2, were in the filter paper culture filtrate. Only one enzyme designated as ß-glus was revealed by the same method in the xylose culture filtrate. ß-glu1 and ß-glu2 were purified to homogeneity. The purification procedure consist of a common step of anion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose CL6B, both high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) anion-exchange and gel filtration columns for ß-glu1 and only HPLC gel filtration for ß-glu2. ß-glu1 has a molecular mass of 196 kDa and 96.5 kDa, as estimated by gel filtration and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-PAGE, respectively, suggesting that the native enzyme may consist of two identical subunits. The same analysis showed that ß-glu2 is a monomeric protein with an apparent molecular mass of about 76.5 kDa. ß-glu1 and ß-glu2 hydrolyses PNPG1c and cellobiose, with apparent K _m values respectively for PNPGlc and cellobiose of 0.1 and 1.9 mM for ß-glu1 and 2.8 and 8 mM for ß-glu2. Both enzymes exhibit the same temperature and pH optima for PNPG1c hydrolysis (60°C and pH 5.0). ß-glu1 was stable over a pH range of 3–8 and kept 50% of its activity after 30 min of heating at 60°C without substrate. It was further characterized by studying the effect of some cations and various reagents on its activity.     

Benzimidazole condensed ring systems. 2. New synthesis of substituted 1-oxo-1H,5H-pyrido[1,2-a]benzimidazole-4-carbonitriles and related derivatives

The synthesis of some 3-substituted and 2,3-disubstituted-1-oxo-1H,5H-pyrido[1,2-a]benzimidazole-4-carbo-nitriles 5,6 by fusing 1H-benzimidazole-2-acetonitrile 1 with some β-keto esters 2,4 in the presence of ammonium acetate or with ethyl β-aminocrotonate 3 is described. The tricyclic compounds were converted to their N-5 methyl of N-5 ethyl derivatives 8,9. Vilsmeir-Haack formylation of 3-methyl-1-oxo-1H,5H-pyrido[1,2-a]-benzimidazole-4-carbonitrile 5a afforded its 2-formyl derivative 10. Chlorination of 5 and 6 with phosphorus oxychloride yielded the respective 1-chloropyrido[1,2-a]benzimidazole-4-carbonitriles 11,12 which were utilized to prepare the 1-azido, 1-amino, 1-piperidino and 1-methoxy derivatives of the ring system. Compound 11a exhibited strong in vitro activity against S. aureus. Four compounds were screened against P-388 lymphocytic leukemia in mice but were inactive.     

Conductance study of some transition and heavy metal complexes with 1,10-diaza-18-crown-6 in binary acetonitrile-dimethylsulfoxide mixtures

A conductance study of the interaction between cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, cadmium, and lead ions with 1,10-diaza-18-crown-6 in different acetonitrile-dimethylsulfoxide mixtures has been carried out at various temperatures. The formation constants of the resulting 11 complexes were determined from the molar conductance-mole ratio data and found to vary in the order Zn²⁺2+2+2+2+2+. The enthalpy and entropy of complexation reactions were determined from the temperature dependence of the formation constants. A linear relationship is observed between the log K_f of different complexes and mole fraction of acetonitrile in the solvent mixtures. The TS vs. H plot of all thermodynamic data obtained shows a fairly good linear correlation indicating the existence of an enthalpy-entropy compensation in the complexation reactions.     

Metalization of polymer beads via polymer‐supported hydrazines as reducing agents

A new method for depositing metal onto a polymer surface has been developed in which the metal coating of polymer beads is performed with hydrazine functions as reducing agents on the surface of the polymer itself. In this study, glycidyl methacrylate–methyl methacrylate–divinyl benzene terpolymer was prepared as spherical beads with a suspension polymerization methodology. Beads of the polymer sample (210–420‐μm fraction) containing 3.4 mmol g^?1 epoxy were treated with an excess of hydrazinium hydroxide to yield a polymer with 2.3 mmol g^?1 hydrazine functions. The hydrazine functions on the polymer surfaces were efficient in metal reductions. Therefore, the modified bead polymer samples, when soaked in aqueous ammonia solutions of Ni(II), Ag(I), and Cu(II) ions (0.1 M), were covered rapidly by the corresponding zero‐valent metal ions. Metal deposition took place almost quantitatively (ca. 4.5 mmol/g of the polymer) within 60 min of the contact times. The accumulations of metal were followed visually and occurred only on the polymer beads. There was no evidence that the reaction occurred within the solution. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 748–754, 2002; DOI 10.1002/pola.10158     

Conductance study of the thermodynamics of some transition and heavy metal cryptates in binary acetonitrile-dimethylsulfoxide mixtures

A conductance study of the interaction between Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺, Zn²⁺ and Pb²⁺ ions with cryptands C211, C221 and C222 in different acetonitrile-dimethylsulfoxide mixtures has been carried out at various temperatures. The formation constants of the resulting metal cryptates were determined from the molar conductance-mole ratio data. It was found that the stability of Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺ cryptates vary in the order C211>C221>C222, while for Cd²⁺ cryptates the stability order is C221>C222>C211. A linear relationship is observed between logK _f of different metal cryptates and the mole fraction of acetonitrile in the solvent mixture. The enthalpy and entropy of cryptate formation reactions were determined from the temperature dependence of the formation constants. The enthalpy and entropy changes are quite sensitive to the solvent composition and the resultingTS ⁰–H ⁰ plot shows a fairly good linear correlation, indicating the existence of an entropy-enthalpy compensation in the cryptate formation reactions. Supplementary Data relating to this article are deposited with the British Library as Supplementary Publication No. SUP 82181 (30 pages).