Controlling the water content of never dried and reswollen bacterial cellulose by the addition of water-soluble polymers to the culture medium

For the modification of medically useful biomaterials from bacterially synthesized cellulose, fleeces of Acetobacter xylinum have been produced in the presence of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0% (m/v) carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), methylcellulose (MC), and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), respectively, in the Hestrin-Schramm culture medium. The incorporation of the water-soluble polymers into cellulose and their influence on the structure, crystal modifications, and material properties are described. With IR and solid-state ¹³C NMR spectroscopy of the fleeces, the presence of the cellulose ethers and an increase in the amorphous parts of the cellulose modifications (NMR results) have been detected. The incorporation is represented by a higher product yield, too. As demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy, a porelike cellulose network structure forms in the presence of CMC and MC. This modified structure increases the water retention ability (expressed as the water content), the ion absorption capacity, and the remaining nitrogen-containing residues from the culture medium or bacteria cells. The water content of bacterial cellulose (BC) in the never dried state and the freeze-dried, reswollen state can be controlled by the CMC concentration in the culture solution. The freeze-dried, reswollen BC-CMC (2.0%) contains 96% water after centrifugation, whereas standard BC has only 73%. About 98% water is included in a BC-MC composite in the wet state, and about 93% is included in the reswollen state synthesized in the presence of 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0% MC. These biomaterial composites can be stored in the dried state and reswollen before use, reaching a higher water absorption than pure, never dried BC. The copper ion capacity of BC-CMC composites increases proportionally with the added amount of CMC. BC-CMC (0.5%) can absorb 3 times more copper ions than original BC. In the case of 0.5 and 1.0% PVA additions to the culture solution, this polymer cannot be detected in the cellulose fleeces after they are washed. Nevertheless the presence of PVA in the culture medium effects a decreased product yield, a retention of nitrogen-containing residues in the material during purification, a reduced water absorption ability, and a slightly higher copper ion capacity in comparison with original BC. The water content of freeze-dried, reswollen BC-PVA (0.5%) is only 62%. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 463–470, 2004     

Theoretical and numerical analysis on multispectral bioluminescence tomography

Recently, molecular imaging has been rapidly developed to studyphysiological and pathological processes in vivo at the cellularand molecular levels. Among molecular imaging modalities, opticalimaging has attracted a major attention for its unique advantages.In this paper, we establish a mathematical framework for multispectralbioluminescence tomography (BLT) that allows simultaneous studiesof multiple optical reporters. We show solution existence, uniquenessand continuous dependence on data as well as the limiting behaviourswhen the regularization parameter approaches zero or when thepenalty parameter approaches infinity. Then, we propose twonumerical schemes for multispectral BLT and derive error estimatesfor the corresponding solutions.     

Fluorescence anisotropy decay study of self-association of bacterial luciferase intermediates

The fluorescence dynamics parameters of the fluorescent transient flavin-luciferase species from the typesVibrio fischeri andPhotobacterium leiognathi are presented. The fluorescence anisotropy decay is a single exponential function for both types. The correlation time is 70 ns for theP. leiognathi fluorescent transient intermediate (2°C, aqueous buffer, pH 7.0), consistent with the rotational correlation time of the luciferase macromolecule (77 kD) to which the flavin fluorophore is rigidly attached. In contrast, for theV. fischeri species the observed correlation time for the anisotropy decay function is 133 ns. This suggests that protein self-association occurs in theV. fischeri case and this is confirmed by filtration, where the fluorescent transient fromV. fischeri does not pass through a 100,000 molecular weight cutoff membrane, whereas theP. leiognathi species does. The filtration method also demonstrates self-association in the luciferase peroxyflavin and photoflavin fromV. fischeri. A monomer-dimer equilibrium also explains the previously reported high correlation times for theV. harveyi luciferase-flavin species. It is proposed that the self-association competes with the lumazine protein interaction in the bioluminescence reaction.     

Synthesis and Preliminary Anti‐bacterial Activity of Some 4‐Substituted‐N1‐2‐pyridylsulfanilamide Derivatives

2‐Amino‐4‐ethoxycarbonylpyridine 1 was used as a starting material in the synthesis of some 4‐substituted‐N¹‐2‐pyridylsulfanilamide derivatives to evaluate their antimicrobial activity. The obtained compounds were of no particular effect against the tested organisms except for a noticeable inhibition of B. subtilis, which was of varying extents but remained clearly significant.     

Catecholamine release from cultured bovine adrenal medullary chromaffin cells in the presence of 60-Hz magnetic fields

Effects of powerline frequency (50/60 Hz) electric and magnetic fields on the central nervous system may involve altered neurotransmitter release. This possibility was addressed by determining whether 60-Hz linearly polarized sinusoidal magnetic fields (MFs) alter the release of catecholamines from cultured bovine adrenal chromaffin cells, a well-characterized model of neural-type cells. Dishes of cells were placed in the center of each of two four-coil Merritt exposure systems that were enclosed within mu-metal chambers in matched incubators for simultaneous sham and MF exposure. Following 15-min MF exposure of the cells to flux densities of 0.01, 0.1, 1.0 or 2 mT, norepinephrine and epinephrine release were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with electrochemical detection. No significant differences in the release of either norepinephrine or epinephrine were detected between sham-exposed cells and cells exposed to MFs in either the absence or presence of Bay K-8644 (2 microM) or dimethylphenylpiperazinium (DMPP, 10 microM). Consistent with these null findings is the lack of effect of MF exposure on calcium influx. We conclude that catecholamine release from chromaffin cells is not sensitive to 60-Hz MFs at magnetic flux densities in the 0.01-2 mT range.     

Construction and evaluation of nagR-nagAa::lux fusion strains in biosensing for salicylic acid derivatives

The NagR protein is a response regulatory protein found in the bacterium Ralstonia sp. U2 that is involved in sensing for salicylic acid and the subsequent induction of the operaon just upstream of its gene. The genes encoded for in this operon are involved in the degradation of salicylic acid. Escherichia coli strain RFM443 carrying a fusion of the Photorhabdus luminesscens luxCDABE operon with the nagR gene and upstream region of the nagAa gene was constructed and characterized with respect to its optimum temperature, its response time and kinetics, and its ability to deterctnumerous benzoic acid derivatives. Although capable of detecting 0.5 mM salicylic acid at any temperature between 28 and 40°C, this E. coli strain, labeled DNT5, showed its greatest relative activity at 30°C, i.e., the temperature at which the largest induction was seen. Furthermore, experiments done with numerous benzoic acid derivatives found the NagR protein to be responsive to only a few of the compounds tested, including salicylic acid and 3-methyl salicylic acid and 3-methyl saliyclic acid, and acetyl salicylic acid was the strongest inducer. The lower limits of detection for these compounds with E. coli strain DNT5 were also established, wit the native inducer, salicylic acid, giving the most sensitive response and detectable down to a concentration of about 2 μM. A second lux fusion plasmid was also constructed and transformed into an NahR background, Pseudomonas putida KCTC1768. Within this strain, NAGK-1768, the supplemental activity of the NahR protein on the nagAn promoter, was shown to extend both the range of chemicals detected and the sensitivity.     

发光分析

本文是《分析试验室》定期评述中“发光分析”课题的第四篇评述文章，它评述在１９９５年１月～１９９６年１２月间我国发光分析的发展概况，内容包括：荧光，磷光，化学发光和生物发光分析等方面，引用文献３５４篇。     

Norvancomycin-capped silver nanoparticles: Synthesis and antibacterial activities against E. coli

The synthesis of norvancomycin (NVan)-capped silver nanoparticles (Ag@NVan) and their notable in vitro antibacterial activities against E. coli, a Gram-negative bacterial strain (GNB), are reported here. Mercaptoacetic acid-stabilized spherical silver nanoparticles with a diameter of 16±4 nm are prepared by a simple chemical reaction. The formation process of the silver nanoparticles is investigated by UV-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). NVan is then grafted to the terminal carboxyl of the mercaptoacetic acid in the presence of N-(3-Dimethylaminopropyl)-N′-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride (EDAC). The TEM images of single bacteria treated with Ag@NVan show that plenty of Ag@NVan aggregate in the cell wall of E. coli. A possible antibacterial mechanism is proposed that silver nanoparticles may help destroy the stability of the outer membrane of E. coli, which makes NVan easier to bind to the nether part of the peptidoglycan structure. The antibacterial activities of silver nanoparticles on their own, together with the rigid polyvalent interaction between Ag@NVan and cell wall, enables Ag@NVan to be an effective inhibitor of GNB. This kind of bionanocomposites might be used as novel bactericidal materials and we also provide an effective synthesis method for preparing functional bioconjugated nanoparticles here. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 50373036) and Fok Ying Tung Education Foundation (Grant No. J20040212)     

Effect of Groundwater Composition on Arsenic Detection by Bacterial Biosensors

A luminescent bacterial biosensor was used to quantify bioavailable arsenic in artificial groundwater. Its light production above the background emission was proportional to the arsenite concentration in the toxicologically relevant range of 0 to 0.5 μM. Effects of the inorganic solutes phosphate, Fe(II) and silicate on the biosensor signal were studied. Phosphate at a concentration of 0.25 g L⁻¹ phosphate slightly stimulated the light emission, but much less than toxicologically relevant concentrations of the much stronger inducer arsenite. No effect of phosphate was oberved in the presence of arsenite. Freshly prepared sodium silicate solution at a concentration of 10 mg L⁻¹ Si reduced the arsenite-induced light production by roughly 37%, which can be explained by transient polymerization leading to sequestration of some arsenic. After three days of incubation, silicate did not have this effect anymore, probably because depolymerization occurred. In the presence of 0.4 mg L⁻¹ Fe(II), the arsenite-induced light emission was reduced by up to 90%, probably due to iron oxidation followed by arsenite adsorption on the less soluble Fe(III) possibly along with some oxidation to the stronger adsorbing As(V). Addition of 100 μM EDTA was capable of releasing all arsenic from the precipitate and to transform it into the biologically measurable, dissolved state. The biosensor also proved valuable for monitoring the effectiveness of an arsenic removal procedure based on water filtration through a mixture of sand and iron granules.     

人工光合作用反应中心的研究进展

本文对几种人工光合作用反应中心系统,做一个简单的综述,其中包括叶绿素和细菌叶绿素二聚体,卟啉二聚体,卟啉-苯醌共价键络合物以及其他合成中心。