A model explaining declining rate in hydrolysis of lignocellulose substrates with cellobiohydrolase I (cel7A) and endoglucanase I (cel7B) of Trichoderma reesei

It is commonly observed that the rate of enzymatic hydrolysis of solid cellulose substrates declines markedly with time. In this work the mechanism behind the rate reduction was investigated using two dominant cellulases of Trichoderma reesei: exoglucanase Cel7A (formerly known as CBHI) and endoglucanase Cel7B (formerly EGI). Hydrolysis of steam-pretreated spruce (SPS) was performed with Cel7A and Cel7B alone, and in reconstituted mixtures. Throughout the 48-h hydrolysis, soluble products, hydrolysis rates, and enzyme adsorption to the substrate were measured. The hydrolysis rate for both enzymes decreases rapidly with hydrolysis time. Both enzymes adsorbed rapidly to the substrate during hydrolysis. Cel7A and Cel7B cooperate synergistically, and synergism was approximately constant during the SPS hydrolysis. Thermal instability of the enzymes and product inhibition was not the main cause of reduced hydrolysis rates. Adding fresh substrate to substrate previously hydrolyzed for 24 h with Cel7A slightly increased the hydrolysis of SPS; however, the rate increased even more by adding fresh Cel7A. This suggests that enzymes become inactivated while adsorbed to the substrate and that unproductive binding is the main cause of hydrolysis rate reduction. The strongest increase in hydrolysis rate was achieved by adding Cel7B. An improved model is proposed that extends the standard endo-exo synergy model and explains the rapid decrease in hydrolysis rate. It appears that the processive action of Cel7A becomes hindered by obstacles in the lignocellulose substrate. Obstacles created by disordered cellulose chains can be removed by the endo activity of Cel7B, which explains some of the observed synergism between Cel7A and Cel7B. The improved model is supported by adsorption studies during hydrolysis.     

Effect of trace amounts of water on organic solvent transport through gamma-alumina membranes with varying pore sizes

The transport behavior of toluene and n-hexane in gamma-alumina membranes with different pore diameters was studied. It was shown that the permeability of water-lean hexane and toluene is in agreement with Darcy's law down to membrane pore diameters of 3.5 nm. The presence of molar water fractions of 5-8 x 10(-4) in these solvents led to a permeability decrease of the gamma-alumina layer by a factor of 2-4 depending on pore size. In general, a lower permeability was found for hexane than for toluene. Moreover, in the presence of water a minimum applied pressure of 0.5-1.5 bar was required to induce net liquid flow through the membrane. These phenomena were interpreted in terms of capillary condensation of water in membrane pores with a size below a certain critical diameter. This is thought to lead to substantial blocking of these pores for transport, so that the effective tortuosity of the membrane for transport of hydrophobic solvents increases.     

Polymer-assisted laser desorption/ionization analysis of small molecular weight compounds

The use of non-polar, small polymers as matrices for the analysis of low molecular weight compounds in polymer-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (PALDI-MS) is demonstrated. The matrices evaluated were either based on an oligothiophene or a benzodioxin backbone. Metallocenes, polycyclic hydrocarbons, a fluorosurfactant, and a subset of small organic compounds with various functionalities, served as model analytes. The mechanism of ionization charge transfer is discussed and ionization potentials for the matrices in the study have been estimated using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Some of the results are possibly contradictory to the generally accepted limiting conditions for gas-phase charge-transfer reactions. These results are interpreted in the light of energy pooling. Also a new mass calibration procedure for the low-mass region in positive ion mode is presented, and some aspects of the ionization/desorption process leading to radical cations are studied.     

Cellular Fucosylation Inhibitors Based on Fluorinated Fucose-1-phosphates**

Fucosylation of glycans impacts a myriad of physiological and pathological processes. Inhibition of fucose expression emerges as a potential therapeutic avenue for example in cancer, inflammation, and infection. In this study, we found that protected 2-fluorofucose 1-phosphate efficiently inhibits cellular fucosylation with a four to seven times higher potency than known inhibitor 2FF, independently of the anomeric stereochemistry. Nucleotide sugar analysis revealed that both the α- and β-GDP-2FF anomers are formed inside the cell. In conclusion, we developed A2FF1P and B2FF1P as potent new tools for studying the role of fucosylation in health and disease and they are potential therapeutic candidates.     

Continuous synthesis process of hexagonal nanoplates of P6m ordered mesoporous silica

Hexagonally ordered mesoporous silica coined COK-12 was synthesized in a continuous process by combining streams of sodium silicate and citric acid/sodium citrate buffered solution of (ethylene oxide)(20)-(propylene oxide)(70)-(ethylene oxide)(20) triblock copolymer (Pluronic P123) from separate reservoirs. COK-12 precipitated spontaneously upon combining both streams at nearly neutral pH and ambient temperature. Stable intermediates of the COK-12 formation process could be prepared by limiting sodium silicate addition. Investigation of these intermediates using small-angle X-ray scattering revealed COK-12 formed via an assembly process departing from spherical uncharged core-shell P123-silica micelles. The sterical stabilization of these micelles decreased upon accumulation of silicate oligomers in their shell. Aggregation of the spherical micelles led to cylindrical micelles, which aligned and adopted the final hexagonal organization. This unprecedentedly fast formation of P6m ordered mesoporous silica was caused by two factors in the synthesis medium: the neutral pH favoring uncharged silicate oligomers and the high salt concentration promoting hydrophobic interactions with surfactant micelles leading to silica accumulation in the PEO shell. The easy continuous synthesis process is convenient for large-scale production. The platelet particle morphology with short and identical internal channels will be advantageous for many applications such as pore replication, nanotube or fiber growth, catalytic functionalization, drug delivery, film and sensor development, and in nano dyes as well as for investigation of pore diffusion phenomena.     

SULFOPHTHALOCYANINES FOR PHOTODYNAMIC INACTIVATION OF VIRUSES IN BLOOD PRODUCTS: EFFECT OF STRUCTURAL MODIFICATIONS

Abstract— Transmission of infectious diseases through blood transfusions is well known. Ultraviolet irradiation, solvents and detergents provide a means of sterilizing noncellular blood components. However these harsh methods are not applicable to cellular blood products. Recently, attempts have been made to sterilize biological fluids using photodynamic treatment and phthalocyanine (Pc) dyes have been advanced as photosensitizers for this purpose. We have evaluated a series of water-soluble Pc, chelated with different central metal ions, substituted to different degrees with sulfonato and r-butyl groups, for their effectiveness to reduce virus infectivity in red blood cell suspensions. Vaccinia virus cytopathogenicity was determined by endpoint serial dilutions in the CV-1 cell line. Anti-viral activity increased with the central metal ion in the following order: Ga(III) < Al(III) < Zn(II), and varied inversely with the degree of sulfonation. Furthermore, addition of a t -butyl group onto the trisulfonated dyes (PcS₃[ t -Bul) resulted in a 5–40-fold increase in anti-viral potency, suggesting that amphiphilicity enhances the photodynamic activity of the dye. Strong anti-viral photosensitizing properties cannot be the sole selection criterion. Of equal importance is the preservation of blood component integrity. Accordingly, the photohemolytic activity of the dyes was evaluated using the rate of hemolysis as a parameter and a toxicity index was defined. Among the most active dyes, the AlPcS₃( t -Bu) complex exhibited the most favorable anti-viral properties combined with a low toxicity index. Our results suggest that trisulfophthalocyanines, bearing an additional t -butyl group to enhance amphiphilicity, are particularly promising dyes for photodynamic blood sterilization.     

Synthesis of Colloidal Suspensions of Zeolite ZSM-2

Discrete colloidal particles of zeolite ZSM-2 with crystal sizes less than 100 nm, in the form of aqueous suspensions, have been synthesized in tetramethylammonium (TMA)-aluminosilicate solutions in the presence of either lithium or a combination of lithium and sodium hydroxide. The well-crystallized ZSM-2 has a specific surface area of 781 m²/g after purification and removal of the organic base by calcination. Synthesis times (t) are as short as 3 < t < 12 h and in certain cases, less than 3 h, less than those previously reported in the literature. Prolonged hydrothermal treatment of sols in the presence of sodium cations (>12 h) results in the phase transformation of ZSM-2 to the nitrogeneous edingtonite zeolite (Li,Na)-E. The synthesis of nitrogeneous (Li,Na)-E is also favored by a high TMA content in conjunction with sodium, whereas synthesis of zeolite N-A is favored by a high sodium content. Furthermore, it is shown that colloidal suspensions of TMA sodalite with crystal sizes less than 40 nm are synthesized in the absence of alkali cations.     

Nanoscale patterning of organosilane molecular thin films from the gas phase and its applications: fabrication of multifunctional surfaces and large area molecular templates for site-selective material deposition

A simple methodology to fabricate micrometer- and nanometer-scale patterned surfaces with multiple chemical functionalities is presented. Patterns with lateral dimensions down to 110 nm were made. The fabrication process involves multistep gas-phase patterning of amine, thiol, alkyl, and fluorinated alkyl-functional organosilane molecules using PDMS molds as shadow masks. Also, a combination process of channel diffused plasma etching of organosilane molecular thin films in combination with masked gas-phase deposition to fabricate multilength scale, multifunctional surfaces is demonstrated.     

Determining the absolute configuration of two marine compounds using vibrational chiroptical spectroscopy

Chiroptical techniques are increasingly employed for assigning the absolute configuration of chiral molecules through comparison of experimental spectra with theoretical predictions. For assignment of natural products, electronic chiroptical spectroscopies such as electronic circular dichroism (ECD) are routinely applied. However, the sensitivity of electronic spectral parameters to experimental conditions and the theoretical methods employed can lead to incorrect assignments. Vibrational chiroptical methods (vibrational circular dichroism, VCD, and Raman optical activity, ROA) provide more reliable assignments, although they, in particular ROA, have been little explored for assignments of natural products. In this study, the ECD, VCD, and ROA chiroptical spectroscopies are evaluated for the assignment of the absolute configuration of a highly flexible natural compound with two stereocenters and an asymmetrically substituted double bond, the marine antibiotic Synoxazolidinone A (SynOxA), recently isolated from the sub-Arctic ascidian Synoicum pulmonaria. Conformationally averaged nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), ECD, Raman, ROA, infrared (IR) and VCD spectral parameters are computed for the eight possible stereoisomers of SynOxA and compared to experimental results. In contrast to previously reported results, the stereochemical assignment of SynOxA based on ECD spectral bands is found to be unreliable. On the other hand, ROA spectra allow for a reliable determination of the configuration at the double bond and the ring stereocenter. However, ROA is not able to resolve the chlorine-substituted stereogenic center on the guanidinium side chain of SynOxA. Application of the third chiroptical method, VCD, indicates unique spectral features for all eight SynOxA isomers in the theoretical spectra. Although the experimental VCD is weak and restricted by the limited amount of sample, it allows for a tentative assignment of the elusive chlorine-substituted stereocenter. VCD chiroptical analysis of a SynOxA derivative with three stereocenters, SynOxC, results in the same absolute configuration as for SynOxA. Despite the experimental challenges, the results convincingly prove that the assignment of absolute configuration based on vibrational chiroptical methods is more reliable than for ECD.     

Cyto-mechanoresponsive polyelectrolyte multilayer films

Cell adhesion processes take place through mechanotransduction mechanisms where stretching of proteins results in biological responses. In this work, we present the first cyto-mechanoresponsive surface that mimics such behavior by becoming cell-adhesive through exhibition of arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) adhesion peptides under stretching. This mechanoresponsive surface is based on polyelectrolyte multilayer films built on a silicone sheet and where RGD-grafted polyelectrolytes are embedded under antifouling phosphorylcholine-grafted polyelectrolytes. The stretching of this film induces an increase in fibroblast cell viability and adhesion.