Electron-transfer mechanisms in amperometric biosensors

The function of amperometric biosensors is related to electron-transfer processes between the active site of an (immobilized) enzyme and an electrode surface which is poised to an appropriate working potential. Problems and specific features of architectures for amperometric biosensors using different electron-transfer pathways such as mediated electron transfer, electron-hopping in redox polymers, electron transfer using mediator-modified enzymes and carbon-paste electrodes, direct electron transfer by means of self-assembled monolayers or via conducting-polymer chains are discussed.     

Preparation and partial characterization of a soluble site-to-site directed enzyme complex composed of alcohol dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase

A soluble, bifunctional enzyme complex has been prepared by crosslinking lactate dehydrogenase and alcohol dehydrogenase with glutaraldehyde. The crosslinking was performed on a solid phase while the active sites of alcohol dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase were held adjacent to one another with the aid of a bis-NAD analog. Subsequently, the enzyme complex was released from the solid phase. The soluble enzyme complex was then purified by using NAD-Sepharose as an affinity adsorbent. Based on gel filtration experiments, the complex was estimated to consist of one of each dehydrogenase. By using a third enzyme, lipoamide dehydrogenase, which competes with lactate dehydrogenase for NADH produced by alcohol dehydrogenase, the effect of site-to-site orientation was studied. It was found that about 83% of the NADH produced by alcohol dehydrogenase was oxidized by site-to-site oriented lactate dehydrogenase compared to a figure of only about 61% obtained in an identical system of separate enzymes. This indicates that given two alternative routes, the preference for the one to lactate dehydrogenase over the one to lipoamide dehydrogenase is enhanced when lactate dehydrogenase and alcohol dehydrogenase are site-to-site oriented.     

Immobilized plant cells

Plant cells have been immobilized in alginate, where they have been shown to retain their biological activity. Such systems can be utilized for bioconversions.     

Production of α-keto acids Part I. Immobilized cells ofTrigonopsis variabilis containing D-amino acid oxidase

Whole cells ofTrigonopsis variabilis were immobilized by entrapment in Ca²⁺-alginate and used for the production of α-keto acids from the corresponding D-amino acids. The D-amino acid oxidase within the immobilized cells has a broad substrate specificity. Hydrogen peroxide formed in the enzymatic reaction was efficiently hydrolyzed by manganese oxide co-immobilized with the cells. The amino acid oxidase activity was assayed with a new method based on reversed-phase HPLC. Oxygen requirements, bead size, concentration of cells in the beads, flow rate, and other factors were investigated in a “ trickle-bed ” reactor.     

Molecular imprinting of the endogenous neuropeptide Leu5-enkephalin and some derivatives thereof

We have undertaken the molecular imprinting of Leu⁵-enkephalin, and derivatives related to this endogenous neuropeptide, in highly cross-linked methacrylic acid/ethylene dimethacrylate copolymers. The underivatized enkephalin peptide yielded polymers with poor recognition abilities, since the imprinting of this compound had to be performed using dimethyl sulfoxide, which was found to interfere with the imprint inducement, as the solvent of polymerisation. In order to circumvent this problem, the amino- and carboxy-protected derivatives Boc-Leu⁵-enkephalin and Leu⁵-enkephalin anilide, which are soluble in apolar solvents, were investigated as alternative imprint molecules. Both compounds led to polymers which are highly specific for the imprint species. The anilide derivative was shown to be a good substitute for the free peptide since the resultant polymers showed efficient recognition of the parent enkephalin structure.