Two-stage Off-Gel isoelectric focusing: protein followed by peptide fractionation and application to proteome analysis of human plasma

This paper presents the recently introduced Off-Gel electrophoresis (OGE) technology as a versatile tool to reproducibly fractionate intact proteins and peptides into discrete liquid fractions. The coupling of two stages of OGE, i.e., the separation of intact proteins in a first-stage followed by fractionation of peptides derived from each protein fraction after proteolysis in a second stage, results in an array of 15 x 15 fractions that are directly amenable to additional peptide fractionation like reverse-phase liquid chromatography (RPC). The analysis of all second-stage peptide fractions from only the first-stage protein fraction representing pH 5.0 -5.15 by on-line reverse-phase LC-tandem mass spectrometry resulted in the identification of 53 proteins (337 peptides), of which 10 were on different immunoglobulin (Ig) chains, with an input of only 1.5 mg human blood plasma proteins. Increasing the protein load to approximately 12 mg increased the number of identified proteins in the same protein fraction to 73 proteins (449 peptides), of which 15 were Ig-related. Immunodepletion of six of the most abundant proteins (albumin, transferrin, haptoglobin, IgG, IgA, and alpha-1-antitrypsin) prior to first-stage OGE with an input of 1.5 mg of protein (equivalent to approximately 10 mg nondepleted plasma) resulted in the identification of 81 proteins (660 peptides), of which three were still Ig fragments. The pI-based separation of peptides appears to be nonuniform based on the theoretically determined pI values of identified peptides. This observation specifically accounts for the neutral zone (pI 5-8) and can be accounted for by the physicochemical properties of the peptides given by their amino acid composition. The power of OGE separation of proteins and peptides is discussed with a focus on the use of the knowledge about the pI of proteins and peptides that assist the validation of correct identifications together with the retention time of peptides on RPC.     

Biosensors designed for environmental and food quality control based on screen-printed graphite electrodes with different configurations

Graphite electrodes fabricated by screen-printing have been used as amperometric detectors in biosensors based on NAD(+)-dependent dehydrogenases, tyrosinase, or genetically modified acetylcholinesterases. The mono-enzyme sensors have been optimized as disposable or reusable devices for detection of a variety of substrates important in the food industry ( D-lactic acid, L-lactic acid, acetaldehyde) or in environmental pollution control (phenols and dithiocarbamate, carbamate and organophosphorus pesticides). The sensors were prepared in four configurations differing in enzyme confinement, enzyme immobilization and location of the immobilization agent in the biosensor assembly. Tests on real samples have been performed with the biosensors; D-lactic acid and acetaldehyde have been detected in wine and phenols in air.     

Biosensors based on highly sensitive acetylcholinesterases for enhanced carbamate insecticides detection

This paper presents the construction of amperometric biosensors for the highly sensitive detection of carbamate insecticides based on the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). This enzyme was immobilised by entrapment in an optimised sol-gel matrix on TCNQ-modified screen-printed electrodes. The enzyme activity was estimated by measuring the thiocholine produced by the enzymatic hydrolysis of the acetylthiocholine using TCNQ as mediator. Wild and genetically engineered AChEs from Drosophila melanogaster (Dm) were chosen for their high sensitivity towards insecticides, which substantially improves the LOD compared with cholinesterases from other sources. The wild type and three mutant enzymes were tested against three carbamate insecticides: carbaryl, carbofuran and pirimicard. The best LOD were obtained with the Y370A mutant for carbaryl (1 × 10⁻⁸ M), the E69W mutant for pirimicarb (2 × 10⁻⁸ M) and the I161V mutant for carbofuran (8 × 10⁻¹⁰ M). The biosensors were applied to the analysis of two potable water samples.     

Complexes of 3,3′-Oxybis[(diphenylphosphino)methylbenzene] with Ni(II), Pd(II), Pt(II), Rh(I), and Ag(I). How Important is Backbone Rigidity in the Formation of trans-Spanning Bidenatate Chelates??

The bidentate diphosphine ligand, 3,3′-oxybis[(dipenylphosphino)methylbenzene] ( 1 ) forms monomeric, trans-square-planar complexes MX₂( 1 ) (M = Ni, Pd, Pt; X = Cl^?, Br^? I^?, and, in part, N, NCS^?, CN^?, NO) as well as Pt(H)Cl( 1 ), Pt(H)Br( 1 ), and RhCl(CO)( 1 ). Polymeric species have been observed with substitutionally inert metal centres: trans-[PtCl₂( 1 )]₂ and cis-[PtCl₂( 1 )]_n (mean value of n ≈ 4–5) ³¹P-NMR, and selected IR and UV/VIS parameters are reported. Ligand 1 shows a marked preference for trans-spanning and monomeric chelate formation, despite its various degrees of freedom of internal rotation in the lignad backbone. The readily available ligand 1 as well as analogues with other donor atoms, therefore, appear useful in most potential applications of trans-spanning chelate ligands. The crystal structure of AgCl( 1 )·0.5 (CH₃)₂C?O·0.39 C₆H₁₂ (space group C2/c,a = 21.02 Å, b = 14.57 Å, c = 24.79 Å, β = 99.77°, V = 7531.4 ų, Z = 8) confirms the presence of three-coordinate Ag( I ), with a coordination intermediate between a trigonal-planar and a T-shaped geometry (P-Ag-P = 145.61(8)°).     

Complete nonorientable minimal surfaces in R3

We consider complete nonorientable minimal immersionsx(M)⊇R ³. Assuming the double coverN ofM has finite total curvature, we generalize an argument of Lopez/Ros to give a sufficient condition for the instability ofx(M) in terms of the total curvature ofM and the genus γ of . We apply this condition to prove that if the immersion is regular thenx(M) is unstable. We also consider the case where the immersion is finitely branched, and we classify the possibilities under the assumption the is hyperelliptic.     

Versatile palladium(II)-catalyzed Negishi coupling reactions with functionalized conjugated alkenyl chlorides

Under palladium catalysis, we found that organozincate reagents, generated in situ, by reaction of Grignard compounds with less than molar amounts of zinc chloride, in the presence of conjugated alkenyl chlorides, give rapidly and cleanly the corresponding coupling product in high yields. In this way, aryl as well as primary and secondary alkyl substituents have been introduced successfully. The selectivity of the reaction allows to prepare various functionalized conjugated enynes and dienes from chloroenyne and chlorodiene derivatives bearing a functional group.     

Importance of the Correlation between Width and Length in the Shape Analysis of Nanorods: Use of a 2D Size Plot To Probe Such a Correlation

Analysis of nanoparticle size through a simple 2D plot is proposed in order to extract the correlation between length and width in a collection or a mixture of anisotropic particles. Compared to the usual statistics on the length associated with a second and independent statistical analysis of the width, this simple plot easily points out the various types of nanoparticles and their (an)isotropy. For each class of nano‐objects, the relationship between width and length (i.e., the strong or weak correlations between these two parameters) may suggest information concerning the nucleation/growth processes. It allows one to follow the effect on the shape and size distribution of physical or chemical processes such as simple ripening. Various electron microscopy pictures from the literature or from the authors′ own syntheses are used as examples to demonstrate the efficiency and simplicity of the proposed 2D plot combined with a multivariate analysis.     

Automatic Electronic Tongue for On-Line Detection and Quantification of Organophosphorus and Carbamate Pesticides Using Enzymatic Screen Printed Biosensors

This work presents an automatic system, based on an electronic tongue, for resolution of mixtures of three pesticides. Inhibition detections were performed during the steady state of biosensors response. Three biosensors were built using two enzymes, electric eel (EE), genetically-modified Drosophila melanogaster (B131), and electric eel co-immobilized with drosophila melanogaster (BH). Calibrations curves for paraoxon, dichorlvos, and carbofuran were performed in the ranges 0.4–50.4 µM, 0.01–1.01 µM, 0.01–0.41 µM with LOD of 3.91 × 10^?8, 6.30 × 10^?11, and 5.84 × 10^?10, respectively. An artificial neural network (ANN) was used to model the combined response of three pesticides. A set of 19 mixtures were prepared in order to train the artificial neural network, the modeling was validated with a set of 6 spiked samples of river water. The error and recovery yields were found in consistent with expected values.     

Lipase from Carica papaya latex presents high enantioselectivity toward the resolution of prodrug (R,S)-2-bromophenylacetic acid octyl ester

Besides the well-known papain, lipolytic activity is another interesting enzymatic activity present in latex from Carica papaya. This lipolytic activity is strongly attached to the latex solid phase, resulting in a naturally immobilized biocatalyst. In this work we describe the kinetic resolution of (R,S)-2-bromophenylacetic acid octyl ester by Carica papaya crude latex and two partially purified latex fractions. Several parameters, such as substrate concentration and solvent effects were studied. The best results were obtained using decane as solvent with 50 mM of substrate and 50 mg/mL enzyme/reaction medium; under these conditions, a high enantioselectivity (E >200) was obtained with crude latex. A twofold increase of the initial rate maintaining E >200 was obtained using purified fractions without protease and without esterase. Lipase from Carica papaya latex is the most enantioselective wild-type enzyme ever described for the studied reaction.     

Liquid crystal polysiloxane networks as materials for molecular imprinting technology: memory of the mesomorphic organization

A novel approach to the synthesis of molecularly imprinted polymers via non-covalent linkages has been studied. It relies on the use of thermotropic side group liquid crystal polymer networks. The polysiloxane networks obtained after extraction of the template preserved the mesomorphic organization set up in the presence of the guest molecule. A first batch rebinding analysis was performed: this study revealed that the imprinted polymer has a much greater affinity for the template molecule than has the non-imprinted polymer, and a significant selectivity.