Microwave-assisted acid hydrolysis of proteins combined with liquid chromatography MALDI MS/MS for protein identification

Simple and efficient digestion of proteins, particularly hydrophobic membrane proteins, is of significance for comprehensive proteome analysis using the bottom-up approach. We report a microwave-assisted acid hydrolysis (MAAH) method for rapid protein degradation for peptide mass mapping and tandem mass spectrometric analysis of peptides for protein identification. It uses 25% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) aqueous solution to dissolve or suspend proteins, followed by microwave irradiation for 10 min. This detergent-free method generates peptide mixtures that can be directly analyzed by liquid chromatography (LC) matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry (MS) without the need of extensive sample cleanup. LC-MALDI MS/MS analysis of the hydrolysate from 5 microg of a model transmembrane protein, bacteriorhodopsin, resulted in almost complete sequence coverage by the peptides detected, including the identification of two posttranslational modification sites. Cleavage of peptide bonds inside all seven transmembrane domains took place, generating peptides of sizes amenable to MS/MS to determine possible sequence errors or modifications within these domains. Cleavage specificity, such as glycine residue cleavage, was observed. Terminal peptides were found to be present in relatively high abundance in the hydrolysate, particularly when low concentrations of proteins were used for MAAH. It was shown that these peptides could still be detected from MAAH of bacteriorhodopsin at a protein concentration of 1 ng/microl or 37 fmol/microl. To evaluate the general applicability of this method, it was applied to identify proteins from a membrane protein enriched fraction of cell lysates of human breast cancer cell line MCF7. With one-dimensional LC-MALDI MS/MS, a total of 119 proteins, including 41 membrane-associated or membrane proteins containing one to 12 transmembrane domains, were identified by MS/MS database searching based on matches of at least two peptides to a protein.     

A comparative study of mid-infrared diffuse reflection (DR) and attenuated total reflection (ATR) spectroscopy for the detection of fungal infection on RWA2-corn

An investigation into the rapid detection of mycotoxin-producing fungi on corn by two mid-infrared spectroscopic techniques was undertaken. Corn samples from a single genotype (RWA2, blanks, and contaminated with Fusarium graminearum) were ground, sieved and, after appropriate sample preparation, subjected to mid-infrared spectroscopy using two different accessories (diffuse reflection and attenuated total reflection). The measured spectra were evaluated with principal component analysis (PCA) and the blank and contaminated samples were classified by cluster analysis. Reference data for fungal metabolites were obtained with conventional methods. After extraction and clean-up, each sample was analyzed for the toxin deoxynivalenol (DON) by gas chromatography with electron capture detection (GC-ECD) and ergosterol (a parameter for the total fungal biomass) by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). The concentration ranges for contaminated samples were 880–3600 g/kg for ergosterol and 300–2600 g/kg for DON. Classification efficiency was 100% for ATR spectra. DR spectra did not show as obvious a clustering of contaminated and blank samples. Results and trends were also observed in single spectra plots. Quantification using a PLS1 regression algorithm showed good correlation with DON reference data, but a rather high standard error of prediction (SEP) with 600 g/kg (DR) and 490 g/kg (ATR), respectively, for ergosterol. Comparing measurement procedures and results showed advantages for the ATR technique, mainly owing to its ease of use and the easier interpretation of results that were better with respect to classification and quantification.     

Fluorescence properties of some 2-(4-amino-substituted-3-nitrophenyl)-3-hydroxyquinolin-4(1H)-ones

2-(4-Amino-substituted-3-nitrophenyl)-3-hydroxyquinolin-4(1H)-ones have been studied to evaluate their fluorescence properties and possible use as molecular fluorescent probes. The amino group was substituted with various alkyl moieties possessing a suitable terminal functional group (such as hydroxy or amino group) that could serve to bind a 3-hydroxyquinolin-4(1H)-one (3HQ) fluorescence label to a biomolecule. Besides simple hydrocarbon chains, ligands containing ethylenoxy units as optimal spacers were also tested. The structure-fluorescence properties and theoretical applicability of the studied molecules are discussed.     

Cobalt(II) complexes with disubstituted 3-aminopyrazole derivative: Mononuclear Co(II) complex with in situ prepared formamidine ligand

In the reaction of Co(NO₃)₂ · 6H₂O with 4-acetyl-3-amino-5-methylpyrazole (aamp) two octahedral Co(II) complexes, [Co(aamp)₂(H₂O)₄](NO₃)₂, 1, and [Co(ampf)(MeOH)₂NO₃]NO₃ (ampf = N,N′-bis(4-acetyl-5-methylpyrazole-3-yl)formamidine), 2, were obtained, depending on the reaction conditions. The presence of water in the reaction system leads to incorporation of water molecules into the crystal lattice and 1 was formed. In an anhydrous environment, due to addition of CH(OEt)₃, the fusion of two aamp was induced through their NH₂-groups, incorporating the methine group of CH(OEt)₃. As a result, complex 2, containing an adenino-mimetic NNO pharmacophore ligand, was obtained. The crystal and molecular structure of both compounds was determined. The coordination of aamp in 1 was achieved through N2 of the pyrazole ring. On the contrary, in 2, an unusual coordination mode of pyrazole is found: one of the pyrazole moieties, due to steric hindrance, coordinates through the oxygen atom of the acetyl group instead of N2. The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis and electronic spectra. For 2 a comprehensive IR spectral analysis is given. The metal-ligand interactions in 2 are analyzed by quantum chemical computations. The desolvation mechanism of both compounds is discussed in detail.     

Experimental investigation of hysteretic stiffness related effects in contact-type nonlinearity

Nonlinear Dynamics - The paper presents experimental works related to contact nonlinearities. The research is focused on effects derived from hysteresis stiffness characteristics and vibro-impacts...     

An adaptive trust region method and its convergence

In this paper, a new trust region subproblem is proposed. The trust radius in the new subproblem adjusts itself adaptively. As a result, an adaptive trust region method is constructed based on the new trust region subproblem. The local and global convergence results of the adaptive trust region method are proved. Numerical results indicate that the new method is very efficient.     

Geometric Hermite interpolation by spatial Pythagorean-hodograph cubics

It is shown that, depending upon the orientation of the end tangents t₀,t₁ relative to the end point displacement vector p=p₁–p₀, the problem of G¹ Hermite interpolation by PH cubic segments may admit zero, one, or two distinct solutions. For cases where two interpolants exist, the bending energy may be used to select among them. In cases where no solution exists, we determine the minimal adjustment of one end tangent that permits a spatial PH cubic Hermite interpolant. The problem of assigning tangents to a sequence of points p₀,...,p_n in R³, compatible with a G¹ piecewise-PH-cubic spline interpolating those points, is also briefly addressed. The performance of these methods, in terms of overall smoothness and shape-preservation properties of the resulting curves, is illustrated by a selection of computed examples.     

Spectral Properties and Solubilization Location of 2'-Ethylhexyl 4-(N,N-Dimethylamino)benzoate in Micelles

在阳离子、非离子和阴离子表面活性剂胶束溶液中,研究了4-(N,N-二甲氨基)苯甲酸2'-乙基己基酯(EHDMAB)的双重荧光和紫外吸收．当EHDMAB增溶在不同的胶束溶液中,紫外吸收增强,在离子型胶束溶液中,可观察到具有较长波长的EHDMAB分子内扭转电荷转移(TICT)荧光,相反,在非离子型胶束溶液中,可观察到具有较短波长TICT荧光,特别是位于阳离子胶束Stern层中的吡啶阳离子可强烈猝灭EHDMAB分子的双重荧光,所吸收的紫外辐射主要通过TICT荧光和非辐射去活化衰减．按照EHDMAB分子TICT荧光在有机溶剂中的极性依赖性,EHDMAB分子的4-(N,N-二甲氨基)在离子型胶束和非离子型胶束中处于不同的极性环境;根据EHDMAB和表面活性剂分子的结构和大小分析,EHDMAB分子的4-(N,N-二甲氨基)应朝向胶束的极性头基团,而2'-乙基己基链则朝向疏水性的胶束内核．动态荧光猝灭测量为EHDMAB分子在不同胶束中的位置进一步提供了佐证．     

Studies on adhesion characteristics and corrosion behaviour of vinyltriethoxysilane/epoxy coating protective system on aluminium

The corrosion stability of vinyltriethoxysilane/epoxy coating protective system on aluminium is strongly related to the strength of bonds forming at the metal/organic coating interface. This article is a study of adhesion, composition, electrochemical and transport properties of epoxy coatings electrodeposited on bare aluminium and aluminium pretreated by vinyltriethoxysilane (VTES) during exposure to 3% NaCl. The VTES film was deposited on aluminium surface from 2% vinyltriethoxysilane solution during 30 s. From the values of adhesion strength (pull-off test), time dependence of pore resistance and coating capacitance of epoxy coating (impedance measurements) and diffusion coefficient of water through epoxy coating (gravimetric liquid sorption measurements), the influence of VTES sublayer on the corrosion stability of the electrodeposited epoxy coating was shown.The work discusses the role of the VTES pretreatment in the enhanced adhesion and corrosion stability of epoxy cataphoretic coating. The electrochemical results showed that the aluminium pretreatment by VTES film improved barrier properties of epoxy coating (greater pore resistance and lower coating capacitance). The lower value of diffusion coefficient of water through epoxy coating indicates the lower porosity, while the smaller adhesion reduction points to better adhesion of epoxy coating on aluminium pretreated by VTES film. The composition of the deposited coatings investigated by XPS enabled the clarification of the bonding mechanism.