Effect of polyvinylalcohols on the thermostability of lipase fromCandida rugosa

Lipase fromCandida rugosa was stabilized against thermal inactivation in the presence of polyvinylalcohols (PVA) of different molecular weights. The apparent rate constant of the lipase inactivation, k_d, at 49°C is 0.049/min and 0.022/min in the absence and in the presence of PVA (mol wt 22,000), respectively. The improvement of the lipase thermostability by adding PVA was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry. The presence of PVA had also an effect on the hydrolytic activity of the enzyme. Furthermore, lipase was modified by covalent linkage to PVA by means of an original procedure. With respect to the native enzyme, the modified lipase has a slightly lower specific activity, but it is more stable against heat denaturation (k _d 0.032/min at 49°C).     

La luminescence différée du styrène en solution vitreuse dans le méthylcyclohexane

The trapping of electrons and styrene cations and anions has been studied in a methylcyclohexane glass by the techniques of deferred luminescence. Radiothermoluminescence curves consist of two peaks, at 90 and 95°K, in this matrix. The second peak increases linearly with styrene concentration up to 2 × 10^?2M when it reaches a constant value, whereas the first peak increases from 10^?4 to 10^?3M and then decreases at higher concentrations and is not discernible at concentrations above 10^?2M. We propose two mechanisms which are qualitatively consistent with this behavior and are based essentially on the recombination of styrene cations with thermally detrapped electrons in the first peak and with anions in the second peak. Photothermoluminescence (i.e., thermoluminescence after photoionization with ultraviolet light) similarly consists of the 90 and 95°K peaks for a 10^?3M solution and of the 95° peak alone for a 10^?d M solution. Radiophotoluminescence excitation spectra at 77°K, corresponding to absorption spectra of trapped electrons and styrene anions, show that anions are the predominant negative species in 10^?2 molar solution, and trapped electrons in 10^?3 molar solution. Spectral analysis of radiothermoluminescenece shows the presence of two emission bands, one of which is identical with styrene fluorescence excited by the 254 Nm mercury line (λ_max = 292, 302, 307, and 317 Nm). The other band has three fairly poorly resolved maxima at 474, 486 and 496 nm and seems to correspond to the fluorescence of C₆H₅?H-CH₃ radicals formed during radiolysis.     

Chemical ionization mass spectrometry of bifunctional cyclopentanes and cyclohexanes. A correlation between stereochemistry and chemical ionization spectra

A correlation has been fround between the stereochemistry of 3-methoxyeyclopentyl and 3-methoxyccyelohexyl acetic acid esters and their methane or isobutane themical ionizaion spectra: only the cis compounds yield quasimolecular ions and the [MH? CH₃OH]⁺ ions are more abundant for the trans isomers. A similar situation occurs in the iow temperature methane chemical ionization spectra of the coresponding trimethylsilylethers.     

A refined study of the [111] magnetoelastic properties of terbium iron garnet: Relation to the cotton mouton birefringence

Accurate measurement of the ^{, 2} magnetostriction constant of a single crystal of TbIG has been performed from 90 K up to the Neel temperature. Both spontaneous and forced magnetostriction differ markedly from the one ion model predictions. Moreover, the forced magnetostriction modulus is much stronger below the compensation temperature than expected from extrapolating the high temperature variations. The spontaneous [111] linear magnetic birefringence and its field derivative exhibit thermal variations proportional respectively to those of the spontaneous and forced magnetostriction from 80 to 200 K.Loboratoire associé à l'Université Scientifique et Médicale de Grenoble.     

Effects in high-performance liquid chromatography of a high pH in the mobile phase on poly(methyloctylsiloxane) immobilized by gamma-radiation on titanium-grafted silica

Effects of high-pH environments on a stationary phase prepared by gamma-radiation immobilization of poly(methyloctylsiloxane) on titanium-grafted silica were investigated by HPLC testing with standard sample mixtures. The HPLC parameters indicate good stationary phase stability to 10000 column volumes each of mobile phases with pH of 7, 9 and 12. At pH 13, the efficiency decreases slowly, although reasonably good separations are still possible until increasing flow resistance no longer allows easy passage of the mobile phase.     

Chiral conformations induced by cyclodextrin

Studies of chiroptical properties need separation or at least enrichment of enantiomers. The separation is difficult with chiral conformers of molecules with very low barriers of internal rotation. However, in association with cyclodextrin, these labile molecules can exhibit a strong Cotton effect in solution: one chiral conformer is favoured by complexation. The cyclodextrins have the advantage to yield inclusion complex in solution as well as crystalline clathrates. Therefore, the absolute configuration of the guest can be obtained by determining the structure of the cyclodextrin. In this work, the first CD spectrum of 4-helicene is recorded and crystal structures of several clathrates of labile molecules are studied.     

Ion-molecule reactions of gas-phase chromium oxyanions: CrxOyH z − + O2

Chromium oxyanions, Cr(x)O(y)H(z)(-), were generated in the gas-phase using a quadrupole ion trap secondary ion mass spectrometer (IT-SIMS), where they were reacted with O(2). Only CrO(2)(-) of the Cr(1)O(y)H(z)(-) envelope was observed to react with oxygen, producing primarily CrO(3)(-). The rate constant for the reaction of CrO(2)(-) with O(2) was approximately 38% of the Langevin collision constant at 310 K. CrO(3)(-), CrO(4)(-), and CrO(4)H(-) were unreactive with O(2) in the ion trap. In contrast, Cr(2)O(4)(-) was observed to react with O(2) producing CrO(3)(-) + CrO(3) via oxidative degradation at a rate that was approximately 15% efficient. The presence of background water facilitated the reaction of Cr(2)O(4)(-) + H(2)O to form Cr(2)O(5)H(2)(-); the hydrated product ion Cr(2)O(5)H(2)(-) reacted with O(2) to form Cr(2)O(6)(-) (with concurrent elimination of H(2)O) at a rate that was 6% efficient. Cr(2)O(5)(-) also reacted with O(2) to form Cr(2)O(7)(-) (4% efficient) and Cr(2)O(6)(-) + O (2% efficient); these reactions proceeded in parallel. By comparison, Cr(2)O(6)(-) was unreactive with O(2), and in fact, no further O(2) addition could be observed for any of the Cr(2)O(6)H(z)(-) anions. Generalizing, Cr(x)O(y)H(z)(-) species that have low coordinate, low oxidation state metal centers are susceptible to O(2) oxidation. However, when the metal coordination is >3, or when the formal oxidation state is > or =5, reactivity stops.     

Determination of trace elements in tree rings ofPinus by neutron activation analysis

The elemental composition of pine trees as a function of age was achieved by the tree-ring method. By using instrumental neutron activation analysis, trace elements were determined in individual rings ofPinus elliottii var.elliottii of 32, 14 and 9 years, from an implanted forest ofPinus sp., Buri, São Paulo, far away from industrial pollution. Different components of the system such as needles, pith, bark, soil and litter were also analyzed for 18 elements (As, Br, Ce, Co, Cs, Eu, Fe, Hf, K, La, Mn, Na, Rb, Sc, Sm, Yb, Zn, and Zr). Al, B, Ba, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, and P concentrations were determined by atomic absorption and/or emission spectrometry (AAS; ICP-AES). Some elements have showed similar radial distribution of the concentration for the three ages. Abrupt concentration changes in the pith and ring-bark boundary corresponding to the first and last growth rings were observed.     

Preparation of trout liver microsomes for iron speciation in P-450 enzymes by AE–FPLC with ICP–(ORS)MS detection

Cytochromes P-450 are members of a superfamily of hemoproteins involved in the oxidative metabolism of various physiological and xenobiotic compounds in eukaryotes and prokaryotes. The multiplicity of this group of enzymes has been widely studied by chromatographic techniques, mainly high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Because these enzymes are membrane-bound proteins, sample preparation for chromatographic separation of P-450 enzymes requires a solubilization step. The sample-preparation procedures are critical, because detergents affect not only the efficiency of protein solubilization but also their further chromatographic resolution. Trout liver microsomes have been taken here as a model sample to investigate iron speciation in cytochrome P-450. Trouts were treated intraperitoneally with -naphthoflavone, a potent inducer of some P-450 enzymes, and a microsomal suspension containing 7.4±0.1 nmol mL^–1 P-450 enzymes was obtained by ultracentrifugation. Lubrol PX was selected as detergent for solubilization, resulting in about 90% solubilization recovery. The solubilized cytochromes P-450 were further separated by AE–FPLC, with UV detection, or coupled to ICP–MS with an octapole reaction system, ICP–(ORS)MS (monitoring Fe signals at masses 54, 56, and 57). A sampling procedure and chromatographic conditions are developed and were successfully applied to iron speciation in trout liver P-450 enzymes. ICP–(ORS)MS detection of P-450 enzymes is Fe-specific and so will give accurate information on the prosthetic group of the protein, which can constitute an advantageous alternative to classical methods for detection of these hemoproteins.