Solvent-Enhanced Conformational Flexibility of Cyclic Tetrapeptides

Solvent and temperature can affect the structural properties of cyclic peptides by controlling their flexibility. Here, we investigate two cyclic peptides, featuring beta turns. Using temperature-dependent NMR and FT-IR, we observed a pronounced temperature effect on the conformation of the cyclic peptide D-1 in CHCl₃ but a much smaller effect in CH₃CN. Almost no effect was observed for its diastereomer L-1 within a similar temperature range and using the same solvents. With the aid of Replica Exchange Molecular Dynamics simulations and Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics calculations, we were able to explain this behavior based on the increased flexibility of D-1 (in CHCl₃) in terms of intramolecular hydrogen bonding. The largest temperature dependence is observed for D - 1 in CHCl₃, while the temperature effect is less pronounced for L-1 in CHCl₃ and for both peptides in CH₃CN. This work provides new insights into the role of the environment and temperature on the conformations of cyclic peptides.     

The Effect of Air Plasma Activated Liquid on Uropathogenic Bacteria

Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing - Urinary tract infections (UTI) are often caused by resistant uropathogenic bacteria and can lead to sepsis or chronic renal failure. Cold plasma activated...     

Free Massive Fermions¶Inside the Quantum Discrete sine-Gordon Model

We extend the notion of space shifts introduced in [FV3] for certain quantum light cone lattice equations of sine-Gordon type at root of unity (e.g. [FV1,FV2,BKP,BBR]). As a result, we obtain a compatibility equation for the roots of central elements within the algebra of observables (also called current algebra). The equation, which is obtained by exponentiating these roots, is exactly the evolution equation for the?“classical background” as described in [BBR]. As an application for the introduced constructions, we derive a one to one correspondence between a special case of the quantum light cone lattice equations of sine-Gordon type and free massive fermions on a lattice, as a special case of the lattice Thirring model constructed in [DV]. Received: 2 December 1996 / Accepted: 19 January 1999     

An Assessment of Mass Flows,Removal and Environmental Emissions of Bisphenols in a Sequencing Batch Reactor Wastewater Treatment Plant

This study analyzed 16 bisphenols (BPs) in wastewater and sludge samples collected from different stages at a municipal wastewater treatment plant based on sequencing batch reactor technology. It also describes developing an analytical method for determining BPs in the solid phase of activated sludge based on solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Obtained concentrations are converted into mass flows, and the biodegradation of BPs and adsorption to primary and secondary sludge are determined. Ten of the sixteen BPs were present in the influent with concentrations up to 434 ng L⁻¹ (BPS). Only five BPs with concentrations up to 79 ng L⁻¹ (BPA) were determined in the plant effluent, accounting for 8 % of the total BPs determined in the influent. Eleven per cent of the total BPs were adsorbed on primary and secondary sludge. Overall, BPs biodegradation efficiency was 81%. The highest daily emissions via effluent release (1.48 g day⁻¹) and sludge disposal (4.63 g day⁻¹) were for BPA, while total emissions reached 2 g day⁻¹ via effluent and 6 g day⁻¹ via sludge disposal. The data show that the concentrations of BPs in sludge are not negligible, and their environmental emissions should be monitored and further studied.     

Antifungal activity, toxicity and chemical composition of the essential oil of Coriandrum sativum L. fruits

The aims of this study were to test the antifungal activity, toxicity and chemical composition of essential oil from C. sativum L. fruits. The essential oil, obtained by hydro-distillation, was analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy. Linalool was the main constituent (58.22%). The oil was considered bioactive, showing an LC?? value of 23 μg/mL in the Artemia salina lethality test. The antifungal activity was evaluated against Microsporum canis and Candida spp. by the agar-well diffusion method and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) were established by the broth microdilution method. The essential oil induced growth inhibition zones of 28 ± 5.42 and 9.25 ± 0.5 for M. canis and Candida spp. respectively. The MICs and MFCs for M. canis strains ranged from 78 to 620 and 150 to 1,250 μg/mL, and the MICs and MFCs for Candida spp strains ranged from 310 to 620 and 620 to 1,250 μg/mL, respectively. C. sativum essential oil is active in vitro against M. canis and Candida spp. demonstrating good antifungal activity.     

Directed evolution of sortase A mutants with altered substrate selectivity profiles

The ligation of two polypeptides in a chemoselective manner by the bacterial transpeptidase sortase A has become a versatile tool for protein engineering approaches. When sortase-mediated ligation is used for protein semisynthesis, up to four mutations resulting from the strict requirement of the LPxTG sorting motif are introduced into the target protein. Here we report the directed evolution of a mutant sortase A that possesses broad substrate selectivity. A phage-display screen of a mutant sortase library that was randomized in the substrate recognition loop was used to isolate this mutant. The altered substrate selectivity represents a gain-of-function that was exploited for the traceless semisynthesis of histone H3. Our report is a decisive step toward a platform of engineered sortases with distinct ligation properties that will conceivably allow for more versatile assemblies of modified proteins in biotechnological approaches.     

Beyond Kozeny–Carman: Predicting the Permeability in Porous Media

Transport in Porous Media - Various processes such as heterogeneous reactions or biofilm growth alter a porous medium’s underlying geometric structure. This significantly affects its...