Purification of a rat liver phenol sulphotransferase (P-STG) with the aid of guanidine hydrochloride treatment.

An isoenzyme of phenol sulphotransferase, designated P-STG, was purified 157-fold from male rat liver cytosol by diethylaminoethyl-cellulose (DEAE-cellulose) and agarose-hexane-adenosine-3',5'-bisphosphate affinity chromatography. The P-STG fraction obtained after DEAE-cellulose chromatography rapidly lost its activity during storage at 4 degrees C, however, the activity was recovered by the addition of 1.6 M guanidine hydrochloride (Gndn HCl) followed by dialysis. Gndn HCl also substantially improved the yield of P-STG in a subsequent purification step using affinity chromatography, while the specific activity of the purified P-STG was not changed by Gndn HCl treatment. It is possible that the Gndn HCl treatment caused P-STG recovery from an inactivated to an active form rather than reactivating it for increased activity. Purified P-STG is a homodimer with a native molecular mass of 67 kDa; the subunit molecular mass is 35 kDa. Immunoblot analysis carried out with antibodies raised against the purified enzyme indicated that male rat liver contains a higher level of the enzyme than female rat liver. This enzyme is also expressed in the kidney and the stomach. P-STG reaches maximum activity when 1-naphthol, 2-naphthol and 4-nitrophenol are used as substrates at pH 5.5. Using dopamine as a substrate the pH optimum is about 9.0. P-STG activity is markedly inhibited by the addition of sodium chloride to the reaction mixture.     

Synthesis of allenes via palladium-catalyzed hydrogen-transfer reactions: propargylic amines as an allenyl anion equivalent

Synthesis of allenes has been achieved by using palladium-catalyzed hydrogen-transfer reactions. Various propargylic amines, which were readily prepapred from iodobenzenes and propargylic amines by Sonogashira coupling reaction, underwent the hydrogen-transfer reaction in the presence of Pd2dba3.CHCl3/(C6F5)3P catalyst at 100 degrees C in dioxane for 24 h, giving the corresponding allenes in 43-99% yields. Various propargylic alcohols containing a propargylic aminomethyl group, synthesized by the addition of lithium acetylides of N,N-diisopropylprop-2-ynylamine to aldehydes and a ketone, also underwent the hydrogen-transfer reaction in the presence of Pd2dba3.CHCl3 catalyst and (C6F5)3P at 80 degrees C in dioxane, giving the corresponding allenes in 56-92% yields. In the current transformation, propargylic amines can be handled as an allenyl anion equivalent and introduced into various electrophiles to be transformed into allenes under palladium-catalyzed conditions.     

Synthesis of ene-allenes via palladium-catalyzed hydride-transfer reaction of propargylic amines under mild conditions

The palladium-catalyzed allene transformation reaction from propargylic amines proceeded in the presence of Pd₂(dba)₃·CHCl₃ (5 mol %) and (C₆F₅)₂PC₂H₄P(C₆F₅)₂ (10 mol %) in CHCl₃ at room temperature to give the corresponding allenes in good to high yields. Dicyclohexyl groups substituted on the nitrogen of propargylic amines were found to be effective for the current transformation and the conjugated ene-allenes 4 were synthesized from the corresponding propargylic amines 3 under mild conditions.     

Saccharification and alcohol fermentation in starch solution of steam-exploded potato

Steam explosion pretreatment of potato for the efficient production of alcohol was experimentally studied. The amount of water-soluble starch increased with the increase of steam pressure, but the amounts of methanol-soluble material and Klason lignin remained insignificant, regardless of steam pressure. The potatoes exploded at high pressure were hydrolyzed into a low molecular liquid starch, and then easily converted into ethanol by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation using mixed microorganisms: an amylolytic microorganism,Aspergillus awamori, and a fermentation microorganism,Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The maximal ethanol concentration was 4.2 g/L in a batch culture at 15 g/L starch concentration, and 3.6 g/L in a continuous culture fed the same starch concentration. In the fed-batch culture, the maximal ethanol concentration increased more than twofold, compared to the batch culture.     

Determination of traces of heavy metals in positively charged inorganic colloids in fresh waters

Summary Determination of Traces of Heavy Metals in Positively Charged Inorganic Colloids in Fresh Waters After removal of suspended particulate matter by centrifugation followed by filtration through 0.4-m membrane filters, humic substances and other negatively charged species are sorbed on a small column of macroreticular weak-base anion exchanger DEAE-Sephadex A-25 at fast flow rates. Positively charged inorganic colloids pass through the column and are collected on a 0.015-m membrane filter, which is then ultrasonically treated with 1M nitric acid for the determination of copper, lead and cadmium by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry with a static mercury drop electrode. Up to O.2g 1^–1 of the heavy metals are found in positively charged inorganic colloids in river, pond and tap waters.     

Controlled synthesis of hydroxyapatite-supported palladium complexes as highly efficient heterogeneous catalysts

Achieving precise control of active species on solid surfaces is one of the most important goals in the development of highly functionalized heterogeneous catalysts. The treatment of hydroxyapatites with PdCl(2)(PhCN)(2) gives two new types of hydroxyapatite-bound Pd complexes. Using the stoichiometric hydroxyapatite, Ca(10)(PO(4))(6)(OH)(2), we found that monomeric PdCl(2) species can be grafted on its surface, which are easily transformed into Pd(0) particles with narrow size distribution in the presence of alcohols. Such metallic Pd species can effectively promote alcohol oxidation using molecular oxygen and are shown to give a remarkably high TON of up to 236 000. Another monomeric Pd(II) phosphate complex can be generated at a Ca-deficient site of the nonstoichiometric hydroxyapatite, Ca(9)(HPO(4))(PO(4))(5)(OH), affording a catalyst with Pd(II) structure and high activity for the Heck and Suzuki reactions. To the best of our knowledge, the PdHAP are one of the most active heterogeneous catalysts for both alcohol oxidation under an atmospheric O(2)() pressure and the Heck reaction reported to date. These Pd catalysts are recyclable in the above organic reactions. Our approach to catalyst preparation based on the control of Ca/P ratios of hydroxyapatites represents a particularly attractive method for the nanoscale design of catalysts.     

Retention behavior of aromatic hydrocarbons and dansylamino acids in reversed-phase liquid chromatography with cation-exchange-induced stationary phases

The retention behavior of aromatic hydrocarbons and dansylamino acids on cation-exchangers modified with alkylammonium ions has been examined by microcolumn liquid chromatography. Several parameters affected the retention of analytes, involving concentration of the modifier in the mobile phase, its alkyl chain length and mobile phase composition. Stationary phases modified with a reagent having longer alkyl chains achieved better column efficiency.