Improvement of culture conditions forl-proline production by a recombinant strain ofSerratia marcescens

Serratia marcescens SP511 was previously reported to be anl-proline-producing strain that harbors a recombinant plasmid carrying the mutant type of the proline operon. This strain produced 65 g/L ofl-proline in a medium containing 22% sucrose and urea after 5 d of incubation under the conventional culture conditions. We searched for more suitable culture conditions for more abundantl-proline production by SP511. To improve the supply of a nitrogen source to cells, ammonium was used instead of urea and fed to a culture under control of the pH of the medium. The concentrations of MgSO₄ and K₂HPO₄ were increased, and in addition, sucrose was continuously added to the culture at a final concentration of 32%. Under these conditions, the cell amount was increased twofold over that under the previous conditions andl-proline production reached a maximum of more than 100 g/L after 4 d of incubation.     

Standard molar enthalpy of formation of CH<Subscript>3</Subscript>(CH<Subscript>3</Subscript>SCH<Subscript>2</Subscript>)SO,methyl methylthiomethyl sulfoxide

Summary The standard molar enthalpy of formation of methyl methylthiomethyl sulfoxide, CH₃(CH₃SCH₂)SO, at T=298.15 K in the liquid state was determined to be -199.4±1.5 kJ mol^-1 by means of oxygen rotating-bomb combustion calorimetry.     

The application of multivariate analysis to the radioallergosorbent test (RAST)

Multivariate statistical analyses using principal component analyses (PCA) and Mahalanobis' method were applied to the quality control of radioallergosorbent test (RAST). Mites and foods allergen were analyzed by PCA method, and foods allergen were analyzed by Mahalanobis' method. The vast differences in the distribution on titers among the mites and the foods were observed. To evaluate the results of a test and the quality of kits for test statistically, it should be better to use multivariate analyses such as PCA or Mahalanobis' method.     

Direct and quantitative monitoring of catalytic organic reactions under heterogeneous conditions using direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry

This new method overcomes problems of conventional analytical methodologies such as light scattering and sampling reproducibility issues. We used this method for mechanistic studies of catalytic reactions under heterogeneous conditions. Direct-type hydroxymethylation reactions and Mukaiyama-type hydroxymethylation reactions both catalyzed by a scandium–bipyridine ligand complex under micellar conditions were employed as examples of heterogeneous reactions. For direct-type hydroxymethylation reactions, initial reaction rate assays revealed first-order dependency on both substrate and catalyst. On the other hand, Mukaiyama-type hydroxymethylation reactions showed first-order rate dependency on substrate, zero-order on catalyst and saturation kinetics on formaldehyde.

A direct and quantitative method for monitoring heterogeneous organic reactions has been developed by using direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-MS) with an isotope-labeled reaction product as an internal standard.     

Development of a chemical vapor sensor using piezoelectric quartz crystals with coated unusual lipids

Piezoelectric quartz crystal sensors were developed using lipids with various properties for highly sensitive detection of chemical vapors. Lipids with varying lengths of alkyl chains were coated onto 10 MHz AT-cut quartz crystal resonators and the response of these modified crystals to chemical vapors were measured. It was shown that hydrophilic compounds, such as ethanol and methanol, could be recognized efficiently by lipids having shorter alkyl chains, whereas lipids with longer alkyl chains showed affinity to more hydrophobic vapors, such as toluene, hexane and cyclohexane. Frequency changes caused by adsorption of alcohols could be enhanced when cholesterol was co-immobilized in the lipid layer. To confirm the assumption that the sensor-response might be affected by the properties of lipids derived from acyl chains, we have examined the effects of two types of newly synthesized unusual lipids on sensor response. When lipids having one triple bond each at different positions on their alkyl chains were coated onto quartz crystals separately, lower responses were observed compared to responses obtained for a sensor with immobilized, saturated phosphatidylcholine. Lipids containing -branched acyl chains, however, showed good affinity for organic vapors, and sensor responses improved 4–5-fold. Moreover, these sensors were shown to have sensitivity of the same order as the humans' sense of smell (10⁻⁵–10⁻⁶ w/w in liquid paraffin) when measured using standard odorants (isovaleric acid, skatole, etc.) for an olfactometry established in Japan.     

Molecular structure of glucopyranosylamide lipid and nanotube morphology

A series of glucopyranosylamide lipids, N-(X-octadecenoyl)-beta-D-glucopyranosylamine [X = 13-cis (1), 11-cis (2), 9-cis (3), 6-cis (4), and 9-cis,12-cis (5)] and their saturated homologue N-octadecanoyl-beta-d-glucopyranosylamine (6), which differ in the position of a cis double bond in the C18 hydrocarbon chains, have been synthesized. The effect of the cis double bond position on the chiral self-assembly of each glycolipid has been examined by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, UV, and circular dichroism (CD). The 11-cis derivative 2 was observed to self-assemble in water to form a uniform hollow cylinder structure with about 200-nm outer diameters in >98% yields. The obtained nanotubes from 2 showed the narrowest distribution of outer diameters and also gave a negative CD band around 234-236 nm, showing the largest CD intensity among the glycolipids investigated. Thus, we found that the position of a cis double bond significantly influences the homogeneity of the outer diameters as well as growth behavior of the self-assembled nanotube structures. Chiral molecular packing driven by a possible bending structure of the unsaturated glycolipids is playing a critical role in determining tubular morphology through molecular self-assembly.     

Application of microcalorimetry to the formulation study

Isothermal microcalorimetry was used to evaluate excipient compatibility of solid dosage form. Oxybutynin hydrochloride and cefaclor were used as model drugs for compatibility test with excipients. The calorimetric data for compatibility test were compared with those of HPLC data. Evaluation of compatibility between drug and excipient of solid dosage form might be possible to use isothermal microcalorimetry instead of conventional method. By using microcalorimetric method, the evaluation of the compatibility between drug and excipient could be successfully performed with a simple operation in a short time. The application of the isothermal microcalorimetry would be useful for the screening test of the drug compatibility with excipients.     

Diastereoselective imino-aldol condensation of chiral 3-(p-Tolylsulfinyl)-2-furaldimine and ester enolates

(Ss)-3-(p-Tolylsufinyl)-2-furaldimine was synthesized, and condensation of the chiral furaldimine with lithium ester enolates has been examined. The product distribution of the reaction is dependent upon reaction conditions and on the kind of the substituent placed on the esters. Disubstituted ester enolate resulted in the exclusive formation of (4R)-beta-lactam, while unsubstituted, tert-butyl ester enolate preferentially gave (3R)-beta-amino ester. With the monosubstituted ester enolates, the condensation afforded (4R)-beta-lactams and/or (3R)-beta-amino esters as major products. This method has been applied to an efficient route to chiral furyl beta-lactams.     

Thermal decompositions of formates. Part VI. Thermal dehydration reaction of copper(II) formate dihydrate

The thermal dehydration reactions of two kinds of copper(II) formate dihydrate, which differ in origin and preparation history, have been investigated by means of TG, DTA and DSC. The kinetics of isothermal dehydration were studied by weight loss, and the difference in kinetic behavior between these two samples was related to the difference in origin and preparation history. On the whole, the dehydration mechanisms of these two samples were found to be phase boundary controlled contracting interface reactions.     

Thermal decomposition of formates. Part VIII. Thermal dehydration of Dy(III), Ho(III), Er(III), Tm(III), Yb(III) and Lu(III) formate dihydrates

The thermal dehydration of some rare earth metal formate dihydrates were studied by means of thermogravimetry, differential thermal analysis and differential scanning calorimetry.The dehydration took place successively as a one step reaction for all of the formate dihydrates examined. The reaction order of dehydration was found to be $\text{2}\text{3}$ for all of the salts examined, which indicated that the rate of dehydration was controlled by a chemical process at a phase boundary.The values of the activation energy, frequency factor and the enthalpy change of dehydration for all of the dihydrates were 108–142 kJ mole^?1, 10¹⁶–10¹⁷ min^?1 and 109–147 kJ mole^?1, respectively.Both the temperature at which the dehydration occurred and the enthalpy change increased as the reciprocal of the radius of the metallic ion increased.