Two-state irreversible thermal denaturation of anionic peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) peroxidase

Detailed differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), steady-state tryptophan fluorescence and far-UV circular dichroism (CD) studies, together with enzymatic assays, were carried out to monitor the thermal stability of anionic peanut peroxidase (aPrx) at pH 3.0. The spectral parameters were seen to be good complements to the highly sensitive but integral method of DSC. Thus, changes in far-UV CD corresponded to changes in the overall secondary structure of the enzyme, while changes in intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence emission corresponded to changes in the tertiary structure of the enzyme. The results, supported with data concerning changes in enzymatic activity with temperature, show that thermally induced transitions for aPrx are irreversible and strongly dependent upon the scan rate, suggesting that denaturation is under kinetic control. It is shown that the process of aPrx denaturation can be interpreted with sufficient accuracy in terms of the simple kinetic scheme, , where k is a first-order kinetic constant that changes with temperature, as given by the Arrhenius equation; N is the native state, and D is the denatured state. On the basis of this model, the parameters of the Arrhenius equation were calculated.     

Progress on phthalocyanine-conjugated Ag and Au nanoparticles: Synthesis,characterization, and photo-physicochemical properties

Phthalocyanine (Pc) complexes are an important class of dyes with numerous (e.g., biological, photophysical, and analytical) applications. Among the methods used to improve the properties of these complexes, one should mention the introduction of different substituents, variation of the central metal ion, ligand exchange, and conjugation to nanomaterials (e.g., carbon-based nanomaterials and metal nanoparticles (NPs)). This work briefly reviews Pc complex conjugation to Ag and Au NPs, highlights the different NP shapes, and discusses the diversity of conjugation approaches. Moreover, the use of UV–Vis spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, dynamic light scattering and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to characterize Pc-NP hybrids is summarized. The effect of conjugation on Pc photo-physicochemical properties (fluorescence, singlet oxygen generation, triplet state formation, and optical limiting behavior) is discussed, and future perspectives for the synthesis and applications of new hybrids are provided.     

Nitration Reaction Catalyzed by Horseradish Peroxidase in the Presence of H2O2 and NaNO2

The enzymatic nitration of phenol and m-cresol catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase was studied in the presence of H2O2 and NaNO2. The results showed that the nitration products of phenol were 2-nitro and 4-nitrophenols. There was also a small amount of by-products of hydroquinone and catechol. The influences of various reaction parameters, including pH, organic solvent type, and concentrations of NaNO2 and H2O2, on the nitration products were investigated. The yields of 4-nitrophenol and 2-nitrophenol were 14% and 12%, respectively. The nitration products of m-cresol were 4-nitro-m-cresol and 6-nitro-m-cresol, and the yields of 4-nitro-m-cresol and 6-nitro-m-cresol were 19% and 30%, respectively.     

Determination of oxidized and reduced glutathione, by capillary zone electrophoresis, in Brassica juncea plants treated with copper and cadmium

A rapid method of capillary zone electrophoresis is described to determine the oxidized (GSSG) and reduced (GSH) form of glutathione in plant tissue. In order to separate both analytes in a fused-silica capillary, the pH and composition of the electrolyte solution were optimized. The electrolyte composition was 100 mmol/L, borate 25 mmol/L Tris, and 0.2% w/v metaphosphoric acid (MPA), pH 8.2. Some instrumental conditions used to run the samples were hydrostatic injection for 30 s, 30 kV applied voltage, and UV detection (185 nm) at 25 degrees C. Linearity and useful range obtained for the calibration curves were optimum, with correlation coefficients about 0.999 in the 0-120 micromol/L range. The migration time was highly reproducible, less than 5 min being afforded to run a sample. Electrolyte buffer and samples required a careful pH control for optimal separation of both analytes. This aspect constitutes a critical analytical step when acids are used in the procedure for sample preparation. Simultaneous analysis of GSH and GSSG may provide a useful tool for comparative studies of plants in order to select those species with a potential capacity for detoxification from toxic elements or those appearing promising from phytoremediation for these elements.     

Bioanalytical methods applied to endocrine disrupting polychlorinated biphenyls, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans. A review

The usual methods for determining polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) are generally expensive and time consuming. This fact has favored the development of faster and cheaper techniques, based on immunoassays and bioassays. This paper reviews these bioanalytical methods and their analytical importance at the present moment.     

Oxidation of dibenzothiophene catalyzed by heme-containing enzymes encapsulated in sol-gel glass

We have encapsulated several hemoproteins in the sol-gel glass to catalyze the oxidation reaction of dibenzothiophene (model for organic sulfur compounds in coal) with hydrogen peroxide. In addition to cytochrome c and myoglobin, which have previously been encapsulated in sol-gel glasses, two other hemoproteins, horseradish peroxidase and bovine blood hemoglobin, have now been successfully immobilized in sol-gel media with the retention of their spectroscopic properties. All four hemoproteins studied also demonstrate similar catalytic activities toward the oxidation of dibenzothiophene as compared with the results obtained with the proteins in solution. In the case of encapsulated cytochrome c, the more water-soluble S-oxide was obtained with much higher selectivity over the less water-soluble sulfone (S-oxide/sulfone = 7.1) as compared to what was obtained in the aqueous/organic medium (S-oxide/sulfone = 2.3). Because of the advantage of easy separation of the encapsulated proteins from the liquid reaction mixture, it is clear from these studies that the immobilization of active hemoproteins in the solid glass media could serve as more practical biocatalysts.     

THE MORPHOLOGICAL SIMILARITY AND SYMMETRY OF NEURONES IN THE LEECH Whitmania pigra

Using the method of intracellular injection of horseradish peroxidase, the arborizations of several neurones with different functions in the segmental ganglia of the leech Whitmania pigra are investigated. Comparison is made in each kind of neurones in order to verify their typical pattern. Results show that the morphology of the axonal arbors of identified neurones has an accurate similarity within and among the individuals of the leech, and the axonal arborizations of the bilaterally identified neurones in the same ganglion have a stable symmetry. The possible reasons of the formation and its functional significance of the symmetrical nervous system are discussed.     

氯化血红素的催化显色反应及分析应用

本文研究了以氯化血红素替代辣根过氧化物酶催化过氧化氢与4-氨基安替比林和苯酚的催化显色反应条件,拟订了测定过氧化氢的高灵敏催化分光光度法,做了多种离子对测定过氧化氢的干扰实验。并通过与葡萄糖氧化酶联用,拟订了水介质和血清中葡萄糖的分光光度测定方法,试用于测定血清样品中的葡萄糖含量得到了较满意的结果。     

辣根过氧化物酶对心肌线粒体过氧化损伤的保护作用

以黄嘌呤氧化酶／次黄嘌呤自由基诱生系统建立了稳定的离体心肌线粒体的损伤模型，并应用此模型研究辣根过氧化物酶对心肌线粒体自由基氧化损伤的保护作用，结果表明，辣根过氧化物酶能抑制心肌线粒体中氧自由基的形成，降低膜脂的过氧水平，保护了线粒体膜酶活性，有效地防止自由基对线粒体结构和功能的损伤。     

Enzymatic oxidation of tert-butylcatechol in the presence of sulfhydryl compounds: Application to the amperometric detection of penicillamine

The high sensitivity that can be attained using an enzymatic system and mediated by 4-tert-butylcatechol (4-TBC) has been verified by on-line interfacing of a rotating biosensor and continuous flow/stopped-flow/continuous-flow processing. Horseradish peroxidase, HRP, [EC 1.11.1.7], immobilized on a rotating disk, in presence of hydrogen peroxide catalyzed the oxidation of 4-TBC, whose back electrochemical reduction was detected on glassy carbon electrode surface at −150 mV. Thus, when penicillamine (PA) was added to the solution, these thiol-containing compounds participate in Michael type addition reactions with 4-TBC to form the corresponding thioquinone derivatives, decreasing the peak current obtained proportionally to the increase of its concentration. The highest response for PA was obtained around pH 7. This method could be used to determine PA concentration in the range 0.02-80 μM (r = 0.998). The determination of PA was possible with a limit of detection of 7 nM, in the processing of as many as 50 samples per hour. The HRP-rotating biosensor was successfully applied to the determination of PA in pharmaceutical formulations.