The role of mammalian autophagy in protein metabolism

Autophagy is in principle a non-selective degradation system within cells, which is conserved in all eukaryotic cells. Autophagy is usually suppressed at low levels but can be upregulated during periods of nutrient starvation, which facilitates cell survival. In addition to this fundamental role, basal autophagy was recently revealed to be important for constitutive turnover of intracellular proteins and organelles. Autophagy has been considered to be involved also in presentation of endogenous antigens, degradation of invasive bacteria, tumor suppression, cell death and development. This review will discuss the biological significance of autophagy, particularly focusing on its implications in protein metabolism in mammals.     

Partial molar adiabatic compressibilities of transfer of some amino acids from water to aqueous lactose solutions at different temperatures

Apparent molar adiabatic compressibilities (K_{?, s}) of glycine, L-alanine, L-valine, and L-leucine have been determined in aqueous and mixed aqueous solutions of lactose (2 to 6 mass%) at T = (293.15, 298.15, 303.15, and 308.15) K. From these data partial molar adiabatic compressibilities at infinite dilution (K_{?, s}⁰) have been evaluated to calculate corresponding transfer function. The transfer partial molar adiabatic compressibilities at infinite dilution (ΔK_{?, s}⁰) are found to be positive. The decrease in the magnitude of transfer partial molar adiabatic compressibilities from glycine to L-leucine indicates the dominance of hydrophobic-hydrophobic interactions between the increasing side chains of amino acids. Also, the contributions of NH₃⁺COO⁻ , and CH₂ groups have been calculated by the linear correlation of K_{?, s}⁰ with number of carbon atoms in the alkyl chain of amino acids.     

Ultrasound irradiation promoted enzymatic alcoholysis for synthesis of monoglyceryl phenolic acids in a solvent-free system

Monoglyceryl phenolic acids (MPAs) were known as the natural hydrophilic antioxidants which could be used in different fields such as food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic etc. A novel enzymatic route of MPAs synthesis by the alcoholysis of phenolic acid ethyl esters with glycerol under ultrasound irradiation in solvent free system was developed. Optimization of reaction parameters shows that a high conversion of above 97.4% can be obtained under the following conditions: phenolic acid ethyl esters to glycerol molar ratio of 1:10, with 6% catalyst (Novozym 435), at 60 °C and 200 rpm, with ultrasound input of 250 W, at 20 kHz frequency. Compared to the conventional stirring method, the activation energy for phenolic acid ethyl esters conversion was decreased from 65.0 kJ/mol to 32.1 kJ/mol under ultrasound promotion; the apparent kinetic constant (V_m/K_m) increased above 1.2-folds; the lipase amount decreased to 50%; the time required for the maximum conversion reduced up to 3-folds without damaging the lipase activity, which is the fastest report for enzymatic synthesis of MPAs.     

苯乙酮类化合物的碳谱研究

本文分析了九个被羟基和和（或）甲氧基取代的苯乙酮类化合物的碳谱数据，首次提出了理论计算这类化合物芳环碳化学位移的计算公式以及羟基和甲氧基的取代参数。羟基的取代参数分别为：３０．４（Ｚ），－１３．２（Ｚ）（Ｚｍ）和－７．８（Ｚｐ），甲氧基的取代参数分别为：３０．５（Ｚｉ），－１４．１（Ｚｏ），０．６（Ｚｍ）和－７．２（Ｚｐ）。计算公式分别为：δＣ１＝１３７．３＋ΣＺδＣ４＝１３３．０＋ΣＺresume     

二元羧酸的化学结构与其抑制草酸钙结晶能力研究

采用X射线衍射(XRD)、傅里叶红外光谱(FTIR)和扫描电镜(SEM)研究了相距3个C—C键长具有不同取代基的二元羧酸对草酸钙(CaOxa)晶体生长的影响。这些二元酸包括丁二酸、顺丁二烯酸、反丁二烯酸、苹果酸、天冬氨酸和酒石酸。它们均能抑制一水草酸钙(COM)晶体的聚集,减小COM比表面积,并诱导二水草酸钙(COD)生成,其能力随二元酸上取代的—OH或—NH₂基数量增加而增强。从二元羧酸化学结构讨论了其影响草酸钙结晶效果的分子机理,对COM生长具有最佳抑制效果的羧酸是含有HOOC—CH(R)—CH₂—COOH(ROH或NH₂)分子的化合物。实验结果可为临床上寻找新的防石药物提供参考。     

Experimental evidence of chiral crown ether complexation with aromatic amino acids

The complexation of L ‐ and D ‐enantiomers of phenylglycine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan with D ‐mannonaphto‐crown‐6‐ether in methanol solution was studied by NMR and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) at 298.15 K. The total heat effects attributed to the binding phenomena were measured in the range of 1.8 to 7.7 mJ, and the complexation was found stereo‐specific. The binding topologies were estimated basing on ¹H 2D‐ROESY experiments. The analysis of Job plots obtained from ¹H NMR‐monitored titrations proved the coexistence of 1:1 and 1:2 (crown ether:amino acids) complexes, which thermodynamic parameters, K_s, ΔG, ΔH°, and TΔS were determined with the aid of ITC. The 1:1 complexes were found enthalpically stabilized, generally by electrostatic interactions between the charged NH group of amino acid and crown ether macrocyclic moiety, while the binding of the second amino acid molecule was driven entropically due to solvatophobic effect. Strong enthalpy–entropy compensation points towards the uniform binding mode of all complexes studied. The mode of complex formation was found solvent dependent. For phenylalanine guest studied in various solvent systems, in contrast to the aqueous media, the noticeable chiral recognition is observed in methanol solution, and the complex stoichiometry (1:2 ether:Phe) differs from the 2:1 one, determined previously for the same host‐guest system in water (J. Thermal. Anal. Cal. 2006; 83: 575–578). Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Theoretical study of14N pure quadrupole resonance in amino acids

The theoretical hybridization model of Vega is adapted to the tetrahedral environment around the nitrogen nucleus in eleven amino acids to estimate the orbital occupation numbers using the experimental values of the quadrupole coupling constant and asymmetry parameter of¹⁴N quadrupole resonance and the results are discussed.     

红外光谱结合二维相关分析研究堆肥过程腐殖酸演化规律

堆肥材料中腐殖酸的组成和结构直接影响堆肥产品品质和腐熟度。为研究堆肥腐殖酸的组成和形成过程,进行了生活垃圾堆肥并提取了不同堆肥阶段样品中的胡敏酸和富里酸,采用红外光谱和二维相关分析,探讨了堆肥过程胡敏酸、富里酸的组成、结构及随时间演化规律。红外光谱结果显示,堆肥胡敏酸组成复杂,在2 917～2 924,2 844～2 852,2 549,1 662,1 566,1 454,1 398,1 351,990～1 063,839,711 cm-1均出现了吸收峰;相对于胡敏酸,堆肥富里酸结构简单,仅在1 725,1 637,990 cm-1出现了吸收峰。上述吸收峰的出现表明堆肥胡敏酸和富里酸均含有木质素来源的苯环和糖类结构,但胡敏酸还含有丰富的脂族和蛋白类结构,这些在富里酸中含量较低;堆肥过程糖类、脂类、蛋白类及木质素结构均发生了降解,但是在胡敏酸和富里酸中它们的降解优先顺序不同。二维相关光谱分析结果表明,胡敏酸中降解先后顺序为脂肪类—蛋白类—多糖类和木质素,而富里酸中为蛋白质—多糖和脂肪类,降解过程均生成了羧酸、酮类和酯类结构,其中羧酸类物质一部分在堆肥中形成了碳酸盐。研究结果表明,红外光谱结合二维相关分析不仅可以获得堆肥腐殖酸官能团组成,还可以揭示堆肥过程这些官能团降解顺序,确定堆肥腐殖酸合成机制和动力学过程。     

Effects of pressure and temperature on the solubility of monosodium L-glutamate monohydrate in water

Abstract

The solubility of monosodium L-glutamate monohydrate (MSG.H₂O) in water was measured at pressures in the range of 0.10-300MPa and 298.15K. The density of MSG solution at high concentrations and heat of solution at saturated concentration were also measured at atmospheric pressure. The solubility, m_s, increased with increasing pressure and the pressure coefficient, Θ_p, [?(? In m_s,? p)_T] at 0.10 MPa was (2.0 ± 0.1) × 10-¹⁰Pa-1. It agrees well with (2.1 ±0.2)× 10-¹⁰ Pa-¹ thermodynamically estimated using the partial molar volume, the activity coefficient of the solute in solution, and the molar volume of the crystal. The excellent agreement at 0.10MPa gives us confidence in the solubility data at higher pressures. The heat of solution data and other pertinent values were used to calculate the temperature coefficient of solubility, Θ_T [? (? In m_s/?(1/T))_p], by a thermodynamic equality. The resulting Θ_T compares well with the data directly measured by Ogawa.     

Specificity of Cyanine Dye L-21 Aggregation in Solutions with Nucleic Acids

Optical spectroscopy experiments were used to study the features of cyanine dye 3,3′-dimethyl-9-(2-thienyl)-thiacarbocyanine iodide (L-21) aggregation in binary solutions DMF:Tris–HCl buffer (pH = 8) containing nucleic acids (DNA or RNA). The appearance of absorption and luminescence bands associated with J-aggregates and dimers that are formed within the minor groove of DNA has been observed. The model of L-21 J-aggregate structure is proposed. It has been found that dimers are the building blocks of L-21 J-aggregates. Disorientation in dimers caused by the minor groove curvature is reason of observation of Davydov splitting in absorption spectrum of L-21 J-aggregates. In the solution containing DNA the absorption and luminescence bands of L-21 J-aggregates exhibit the specific properties that allows the dye L-21 to be used as a fluorescent probe for DNA detection.