New methods for data analysis of isothermal titration calorimetry

Heat divided by ligand concentration vs. heat, similar to the Scatchard plot, was introduced to obtain the equilibrium constant (K) and the enthalpy of binding (DH) using isothermal titration calorimetry data. Values of K and DH obtained by this linear pseudo-Scatchard plot for a system with a set of independent binding sites (such as binding fluoride ions on urease and monosaccharide methyl a-D-mannopyranoside on concavalin A) were remarkably like that obtained from a normal fitting Wiseman method and other our technical methods. On applying this graphical method to study the binding of copper ion on myelin basic protein (MBP), a concave downward curve obtained was consistent with the positive cooperativity in the binding. A graphical fitting by simple method for determination of thermodynamic parameters was also introduced. This method is general, without any assumption and restriction made in previous method. This general method was applied to the product inhibition study of adenosine deaminase. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Using a new solvation model for thermodynamic study on the interaction of nickel with human growth hormone

Thermodynamics of the interaction between Ni²⁺ and human growth hormone (hGH) were determined at 27 °C in Nail solution by isothermal titration calorimetry. A new method to predict protein penetration and the effect of metal ions on the stability of proteins is introduced. The new solvation model was used to reproduce the enthalpies of Ni²⁺-hGH interaction over the whole range of Ni²⁺ concentrations. The solvation parameters recovered from the new equation, attributed to the structural change of hGH and its biological activity.     

Activity and structural changes of mushroom tyrosinase induced by n-alkyl sulfates

Catecholase activity and structural changes of mushroom tyrosinase (MT) were studied in the presence of some n-alkyl sulfate derivatives. Experiments showed that MT reached its optimal activity in the presence of 1.5, 0.6, and 0.2 mM of sodium n-octyl sulfate (SOS), sodium n-dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and sodium n-tetradecyl sulfate (STS), respectively. Native and incubated MT with the n-alkyl sulfates were also investigated from structural point of view by far-UV circular dichroism (CD) and intrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy. At the above mentioned concentrations of SOS, SDS, and STS no change in the secondary structure of MT was observed. However, changes in the tertiary structure of the enzyme due to the presence of n-alkyl sulfates were obvious. Results of this research indicate that n-alkyl sulfate with longer chain induces greater conformational changes in MT, hence, can activate it at lower concentrations.     

Effect of block lengths on the association behavior of poly(l-lactic acid)/poly(ethylene glycol) (PLA–PEG–PLA) micelles in aqueous solution

A series of poly(l-lactic acid)/poly(ethylene glycol) triblock copolymers with a PLA–PEG–PLA architecture were synthesized by a ring-opening polymerization (ROP) process. The copolymers were characterized by ¹H NMR and GPC. The total number average molecular weights were in the range of 4,700–50,000, whereas the degrees of polymerization of the PLA and PEG blocks varied from 15 to 359 and from 68 to 136, respectively. The self-association of these copolymers in aqueous environment was studied by emission fluorescence spectroscopy of anilinonaphthalene probe and the critical association concentration (CAC) of the copolymers was measured. It was found that the micellization process of these copolymers was mainly determined by the length of the hydrophobic LA block, while the length of the hydrophilic PEG block had little effect. Furthermore, the low CAC values of the copolymers suggest that the copolymers form stable supramolecular structures in aqueous solutions.     

Synthesis and characterization of a newly designed di-copper(II)-based complex and study of its artificial enzyme catalytic activity

A di-copper(II) complex of the formula [(dien)Cu(μ-1,6-DAH)Cu(dien)(NO₃)₂](NO₃)₂, where μ-1,6-DAH = 1,6-diaminohexane, has been synthesized and characterized by X-ray crystallography, X-ray powder diffraction, thermal gravimetric (TG) and differential thermal analyses, cyclic voltammetry, infrared, ultraviolet visible spectroscopies and elemental analysis methods. It was crystallized in a monoclinic system, space group P2₁/n, with a = 8.0297(8) Å, b = 12.4937(14) Å, c = 15.3786(15) Å, β = 102.739(8) Å and z = 2. Each copper(II) has a square-based pyramidal coordination geometry with four N atoms building the basal plane (three from dien and one from μ-1,6-DAH). TGA study of the complex revealed the compound to be stable up to 245 °C. Electrochemical behavior of complex and enzyme-like catalytic activity of this complex, as a potential functional model for the active site of tyrosinase, was studied extensively. Kinetic studies show that the complex has the maximum enzymatic activity at pH 8, temperature of 40 °C and ionic strength of 50 mM.     

Spectroscopic analysis of the interaction between Co3O4 nanoparticles and acid phosphatase

Monatshefte für Chemie - Chemical Monthly - In this study, the structure and stability of acid phosphatase in its interaction with Co3O4 nanoparticles are evaluated through absorbance, enzyme...     

Aspect-ratio dependent oscillatory thermocapillary convection in the floating half zone

The dependency of the critical Marangoni number on the geometrical aspect ratio of the floating half zone is essential to predict the onset of oscillatory thermocapillary convection.The experimental studies in the microgravity conditions on floating half zones of several centimeters in diameter have predicted that the critical Marangoni number increases with the increasing aspect ratio,and the terrestrial experimental studies have predicted the contradictory conclusion for floating half zones of several mil...     

Non-Gravitational Effects with Density-Matching in Evaluating the Influence of Sedimentation on Colloidal Coagulation

The method of density matching between the solid and liquid phases is often adopted to effectively eliminate the effect of sedimentation of suspensions in studies on dynamic behaviour of a colloidal system. However, the associated changes in the solvent composition may bring side effects to the properties investigated and therefore might lead to a faulty conclusion if the relevant correction is not made. To illustrate the importance of this side effect, we present an example of the sedimentation influence on the coagulation rate of suspensions of 2μm （diameter） polystyrene. The liquid mixtures, in the proper proportions of water （H2O）, deuterium oxide （D2O） and methanol （MeOH） as the liquid phase, density-matched and unmatched experiments are performed. Besides the influence of viscosity, the presence of methanol in solvent media, used to enhance the sedimentation effect, causes significant changes （reduction） in rapid coagulation rates compared to that in pure water. Without the relevant corrections for those non-gravitational factors it seems that gravitational sedimentation would retard the coagulation. The magnitude of the contribution from the non-gravitational factor is quantitatively determined, making the relevant correction possible. After necessary the influence of the sedimentation on coagulation rates at corrections for all factors, our experiments show that the initial stage of the coagulation is not observable.