Glucose Measurement Using an Enzymatic Oscillatory Reaction

In biological systems, oscillatory reactions are often found. These reactions, so‐called biological oscillators, have a characteristic oscillation period ranging from seconds to years [1]. For the oscillation in which an enzyme is involved, the reaction has been studied both experimentally [2–5] and theoretically [6–10]. In many cases, temperature control, stirring, or continuous flow of the reactant is necessary to observe continuous oscillation. No trial has been made yet to control the oscillation period or waveform. Here, we report an enzymatic oscillation reaction using catalase and glucose oxidase in which the oscillation period and waveform can be changed by the addition of glucose. We achieved good reproducibility with an oscillation period and waveform change that was sufficient to be applied to the glucose quantification. The effect of coexisting chemicals such as ascorbic acid, urea, or acetamidophenol on the oscillation is examined.     

Enzymatic reactions in supercritical gases

The enzyme polyphenol oxidase has been found to be catalytically active in supercritical carbon dioxide and fluoroform: it readily oxidizesp-cresol andp-chlorophenol to their correspondingo-benzoquinones.     

Papain Catalyzed Oligomerization of α-Amino Acids. Synthesis and characterization of water-insoluble oligomers of L-methionine

Water-insoluble oligomers were synthesized from L -methionine ethyl ester with papain as the catalyst. L -Oligomethionine was obtained in yields of 50% when synthesis was carried out in highly concentrated citrate buffer at pH 5.5. Yields of up to 85% were obtained when the enzymatic synthesis proceeded in distilled water at pH 6.5, the pH being strictly maintained. The insoluble polymer was converted to highly water-soluble sulfoxide and sulfone derivatives, which consist mainly of an octamer with low amounts of heptamer or hexamer. Most of the carboxyl terminals still contained the ethyl ester group, only a minor part being present in the free acid form. The potential of the enzymatic approach for the synthesis of optically pure and monodisperse oligomers of α-amino acids is discussed.     

酶催化动力学光度法测定抗坏血酸

基于抗坏血酸对血红蛋白模拟酶催化体系的抑制作用,建立酶催化动力学光度法测定抗坏血酸的新方法。研究了体系的最佳条件及动力学行为,测定的线性范围为2.0×10-7—5.9×10-5mol/L,方法检出限为7.0×10-8mol/L。对6.0×10-6mol/L的抗坏血酸进行11次平行测定相对标准偏差为2.5%。此方法可用于药剂和蔬菜中抗坏血酸含量的测定。     

Analysis of lorazepam and its 30-glucuronide in human urine by capillary electrophoresis: evidence for the formation of two distinct diastereoisomeric glucuronides

Lorazepam (LOR) is a 3-hydroxy-1,4-benzodiazepine that is chiral and undergoes enantiomerization at room temperature. In humans, about 75% of the administered dose of LOR is excreted in the urine as its 30-glucuronide. CE-MS with negative ESI was used to confirm the presence of LOR-30-glucuronide in urines that stemmed from a healthy individual who ingested 1 or 2 mg LOR, whereas free LOR could be detected in extracts prepared from enzymatically hydrolyzed urines. As the 30-glucuronidation reaction occurs at the chiral center of the molecule, two diastereoisomers can theoretically be formed, molecules that can no longer interconvert. The stereoselective formation of LOR glucuronides in humans and in vitro was investigated. MEKC analysis of extracts of the nonhydrolyzed urines suggested the presence of the two different LOR glucuronides in the urine. The formation of the same two diastereoisomers was also observed in vitro employing incubations of LOR with human liver microsomes in the presence of uridine 5'-diphospho-glucuronic acid as coenzyme. The absence of other coenzymes excluded the formation of phase I or other phase II metabolites of LOR. Both results revealed a stereoselectivity, one diastereoisomer being formed in a higher amount than the other. After enzymatic hydrolysis using beta-glucuronidase, these peaks could not be detected any more. Instead, LOR was monitored. Analysis of the extracts prepared from enzymatically hydrolyzed urines by MEKC in the presence of 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-CD revealed the enantiomerization process of LOR (observation of two peaks of equal magnitude connected with a plateau zone). The data presented provide for the first time the evidence of the stereoselectivity of the LOR glucuronidation in humans.     

Direct electrochemistry and electrochemical catalysis of immobilized hemoglobin in an ethanol–water mixture

Hemoglobin (Hb) was immobilized on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) surface by konjac glucomannan (KGM). KGM hydrogel films on GCE have relatively high stabilities in aqueous–ethanol mixtures. The entrapped hemoglobin undergoes fast direct electron transfer reactions in aqueous–organic solvent mixtures. The peak current is bigger, the peak-to-peak separation smaller and the formal potential observed in the cyclic voltammogram is more negative for Hb–KGM/GCE in ethanol–PBS compared to Hb–KGM/GCE in PBS. The electrochemical properties of the Hb in aqueous–organic solution are almost unchanged from with those observed for the purely aqueous solution, suggesting that water pools in the KGM hydrogel play an important role in preventing changes in conformation and making proteins unreactive with polar organic solvents. The immobilized Hb was able to catalyze the reduction of nitric oxide, peroxides (hydrogen peroxide, cumene hydroperoxide, t-butyl hydroperoxide, 2-butanone peroxide), and the dehalogenation of haloethanes (hexachloroethane, pentachloroethane, tetrachloroethane, etc.). The stability and reproducibility of the modified electrode meant that it could be used to determine these substances.      

酶促水解法拆分布洛芬乙酯的工艺研究

以布洛芬乙酯为反应底物,探索了酶促水解法拆分布洛芬的工艺。以曲拉通X-100为表面活性剂,利用南极假丝酵母脂肪酶B（CAL-B）催化拆分外消旋布洛芬乙酯,并对表面活性剂含量、有机溶剂种类和添加量、酶量、缓冲溶液pH、温度及时间等反应条件进行了优化;得到的最佳反应条件为：在pH为9.0的缓冲溶液中,添加80 mg曲拉通X-100、50 μL二氯甲烷和15 mg CAL-B,于30℃下反应48 h;在该条件下,S-布洛芬乙酯的剩余率（C）为65%,布洛芬乙酯的对映体过量值（ees）为94%。     

复合酶耦合酶解酸处理后玉米秸秆的研究

以玉米秸秆为研究对象,经过2%硫酸预处理后,利用果胶酶、β-葡萄糖苷酶、纤维素酶三种酶协同酶解,以提高玉米秸秆的酶解产糖量。结果表明:当酶解时间为48h,果胶酶、β-葡萄糖苷酶、纤维素酶分别为45U/mL、30U/mL、60U/mL时,葡萄糖、木糖和酶水解得率分别为67.83%、3.25%、73.65%,相比纤维素酶单一酶解的葡萄糖、木糖和酶水解得率分别提高了65.04%、20.82%、65.06%。分步糖化发酵5天后,相比单一酶解发酵乙醇含量提高了72.5%。说明利用三种酶复合处理,能明显提高酶解产糖量。研究结果为玉米秸秆转化为可发酵糖技术的研究提供重要参考。     

Merging lithium carbenoid homologation and enzymatic reduction: A combinative approach to the HIV-protease inhibitor Nelfinavir

An effective stereocontrolled synthesis of the HIV protease inhibitor Nelfinavir is reported. Two transformations were identified crucial for achieving success: the formation of a densely functionalized α-chloroketone via the homologation of a Weinreb amide with chloromethyllithium (LiCH₂Cl), followed by its erythro selective reduction into the corresponding chiral chlorohydrin. A commercially available enzyme P2-C02 was particularly well suited for this purpose, affording the key alcohol (in an excellent 99% de), which was then smoothly converted into the active biologically active agent.     

Toward stereocontrolled, chemoenzymatic synthesis of unnatural peptides

An efficient, chemoenzymatic method for the multicomponent synthesis of unnatural tripeptides is presented. Development of a previously described procedure combines the diversity offered by multicomponent reactions with the selectivity of biocatalysts and allows the convenient introduction of varied amino acid moieties into the tripeptide scaffold, with control of the stereochemistry. Additionally, it allows the introduction of a methyl group to the amide nitrogen, leading to derivatives of N-methylated amino acids.