Microbial genes and enzymes in the degradation of chlorinated compounds

Microorganisms are well known for degrading numerous natural compounds. The synthesis of a multitude of chlorinated compounds by the chemical industry and their release into the natural environment have created major pollution problems. Part of the cause of such pollution is the inability of natural microorganisms to efficiently degrade synthetic chlorinated compounds. Microorganisms are, however, highly adaptable to changes in the environment and have consequently evolved the genes that specify the degradation of chlorinated compounds to varying degrees. Highly selective laboratory techniques have also enabled the isolation of microbial strains capable of utilizing normally recalcitrant highly chlorinated compounds as their sole source of carbon and energy. The evolution and role of microbial genes and enzymes, as well as their mode of regulation and genetic interrelationships, have therefore been the subjects of intense study. This review emphasizes the genetic organization and the regulation of gene expression, as well as evolutionary considerations, regarding the microbial degradation of chlorobenzoates, chlorocatechols, and chlorophenoxyacetic acids.     

Recent Developments in the In Situ XAFS and Related Work for the Characterization of Catalysts in Japan

This short review deals with some recent XAFS (X-ray absorption fine structure) applications to catalysts in Japan. The high transmission ability of X rays makes it possible to carry out in situ work on catalysts. First, in situ XAFS works under flow and high-pressure reaction conditions will be described. The time-resolved XAFS work will be another important topic because it can provide the possibility of observing the change of the reaction active site and the reaction intermediate. Finally, PTRF-XAFS will be described, which is a unique technique and provides three-dimensional local structures of highly dispersed surface species.     

Characteristics of the asymmetric mass distribution in proton-induced fission of actinides

To study the correlation between fragment mass distributions and shell structures of fission fragments, fragment mass and energy distributions in proton-induced fission of ²³²Th and uranium isotopes, ^233,235,238U, were precisely measured using a double-TOF method. It was found that the lighter side of the heavier wing of asymmetric mass distributions shifts to larger fragment mass number corresponding to the N/Z value of the fissioning nucleus. The results are explained qualitatively by the change of the most probable mass number of fission fragments of Z = 50 proton-shell.     

Outer-sphere electron-transfer reactions of co(III)–polymer complexes in relation to its polymer effects

The outer-sphere electron-transfer reactions between [Co(III)(NH₃)₅L] (CIO₄)₃ [L = polyethyleneimine (PEI), L = NH₃(Amm)] or cis-[Co(III)(en)₂L′Cl]Cl₂ [L′ = poly-N-vinyl-2-methylimidazole(PVI), poly-4-vinylpyridine (PVP), N-ethylimidazole (NEI), pyridine (Py)] and various Fe(II) were studied. In the reaction with Fe(II)-(phen)₃²⁺, the reactivity of Co(III)–PEI was smaller than that of Co(III)–Amm due to the larger electrostatic repulsion. On the other hand, the reactivity of Co(III)–PEI was larger by a factor of 80 in the reaction with Fe(II)(H₂O)₆²⁺. From the results of rapid-scanning spectroscopy, the higher reactivity of Co(III)–PEI is caused by the coordination of free ethyleneimine residues in the Co(III)–PEI to Fe(II)–ion. Further more, the hydrophobic interaction between heteroaromatic polymer ligands and Fe(II)-(phen)₃²⁺ brought about the higher reactivities of Co(III)–PVI and Co(III)–PVP. Three interactions caused by the essential properties of polymers are discussed in relation to conformational changes.     

Realizing a two-dimensional ordered array of ferritin molecules directly on a solid surface utilizing carbonaceous material affinity peptides

A two-dimensional hexagonally close-packed (2D-HCP) array of ferritin molecules with a nanoparticle core was fabricated directly on a carbonaceous solid substrate by genetically modifying the outer surface of the ferritin with carbonaceous materials-specific binding peptides. The displayed peptides endowed ferritins with a specific protein-substrate interaction and masked the strong nonspecific interaction. The specific interaction was weak enough to allow ferritins to be rearranged as well as an attractive protein-protein interaction that could be adjusted by selecting the buffer conditions. This method not only produced 2D-HCP arrays of ferritin but also 2D-ordered arrays of independent inorganic nanoparticles after protein elimination that can be applied to floating gate memories.     

Hydrolysis of cellulose by amorphous carbon bearing SO3H, COOH, and OH groups

The hydrolysis of cellulose into saccharides using a range of solid catalysts is investigated for potential application in the environmentally benign saccharification of cellulose. Crystalline pure cellulose is not hydrolyzed by conventional strong solid Br?nsted acid catalysts such as niobic acid, H-mordenite, Nafion and Amberlyst-15, whereas amorphous carbon bearing SO 3H, COOH, and OH function as an efficient catalyst for the reaction. The apparent activation energy for the hydrolysis of cellulose into glucose using the carbon catalyst is estimated to be 110 kJ mol (-1), smaller than that for sulfuric acid under optimal conditions (170 kJ mol (-1)). The carbon catalyst can be readily separated from the saccharide solution after reaction for reuse in the reaction without loss of activity. The catalytic performance of the carbon catalyst is attributed to the ability of the material to adsorb beta-1,4 glucan, which does not adsorb to other solid acids.     

Photochemistry of 5-nitro-1,2-benzisothiazole derivatives: effects of substituents, solvents and excitation wavelength

3-R-5-Nitro-1,2-benzisothiazole derivatives (1, R = substituents) in solution, undergo photochemical isomerization to produce 2-R-5-nitro-1,2-benzothiazole derivatives. Here, generalizations and limitations by the substituent, solvent, and excitation wavelength for the photoisomerization reaction of 5-nitro-1,2-benzisothiazoles are reported.     

Growth of giant two-dimensional crystal of protein molecules from a three-phase contact line

A novel method to fabricate a two-dimensional (2D) crystal of protein molecules has been developed. The method enables us to control both the position of nucleation and the direction of the crystal growth. The crystal obtained using a protein molecule, ferritin, was found to be composed of a number of densely packed single crystal domains with an unprecedentedly large size of approximately 100 microm(2). This method also reveals characteristic behavior of the spatiotemporal evolution of the crystal; for example, "fusion" of the crystal domains, which is never observed in an ordinary crystal composed of atoms or ions, was demonstrated. Our approach could have potential in fabricating extraordinarily large and highly ordered nanoparticle arrays of organic or inorganic materials.     

Blood flow and oxygen transfer rate of an outside blood flow membrane oxygenator

We evaluated effects of the number of tied hollow fibers of an outside blood flow membrane oxygenator with cross-wound hollow fibers on the blood flow pattern and oxygen transfer rate. The number of tied hollow fibers in a bundle was varied from one to six, and the blood flow pattern was observed by X-ray computed tomography. The oxygen transfer rate and blood pressure drop were measured by in vitro experiments using bovine blood. Uniform blood flow patterns were obtained for each number of tied hollow fibers. A decrease in the number of tied hollow fibers caused more effective contact of blood with the tied hollow fibers and oxygen transfer rate was enhanced, demonstrating that single hollow fiber was the most effective. Empirical equations were obtained based on these results and optimum structure parameters of the membrane oxygenator were determined by simulation analysis. Optimum membrane surface area and axial jacket length of the oxygenator were 3.0 m² and 320 mm, respectively, at a hollow fiber outside diameter of 250 μm.