High-sensitivity analyses of metabolites in biological samples by capillary electrophoresis using dynamic pH junction-sweeping

Emerging fields of biochemical research, such as metabolomics, present challenges to current separation technologies because of the large number of metabolites present in a cell and their often low (submicromolar) concentration. Although capillary electrophoresis (CE) holds great promise as the method of choice for high-resolution separations of biological samples, it suffers from poor concentration sensitivity, especially with the use of UV detection. In CE, sweeping and dynamic pH junction represent two complementary on-line focusing techniques that have been used for sensitivity enhancement of hydrophobic and weakly acidic analytes, respectively. However, the application of either the sweeping or dynamic pH junction technique alone might, in some cases, be less effective for the analysis of certain sample mixtures. Recent work in the development of a hyphenated dynamic pH junction-sweeping technique is presented as an effective on-line method of preconcentration suitable for both hydrophilic (anionic) and hydrophobic (neutral) analytes. Sensitive analyses of flavin metabolites by CE with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection is demonstrated in various biological matrixes, including cell extracts of Bacillus subtilis, pooled human plasma, as well as heat-deproteinized flavoenzymes. Enhanced analyte band narrowing and improved sensitivity is achieved for flavins using dynamic pH junction-sweeping compared to either sweeping or dynamic pH junction alone. This results in over a 1200-fold improvement in sensitivity relative to conventional injection methods, giving a limit of detection (LOD, defined as S/N = 3) of about 4.0 x 10(-12) M. Strategies for sensitive and more comprehensive analyses of other cell metabolites, including nucleotides, coenzymes, and steroids, are also discussed when using on-line focusing techniques in conjunction with multiplexed CE and UV detection.     

Production and purification of CGTase of alkalophylicBacillus isolated from Brazilian soil

Alkalophylic bacilli that produce cyclodextringlycosyltransferase (CGTase) were isolated from Brazilian soil, with a scheme of two plating steps. In the first step, the bacterial isolate forms a halo in the cultivation medium that contains γ-cyclodextrin (CD) complexing dyes. The CGTase of an isolate was purified 157-fold by biospecific affinity chromatography, with β-CD showing a mol wt of 77,580 Daltons. It produces a γ- to β-CD ratio of 0.156 and a small amount of α-CD, using maltodextrin 10% as substrate, at 50°C, pH 8.0 and 22 h reaction time, reaching 21.4% conversion of the substrate to cyclodextrins. In the second screening step, the isolates chosen give larger halos with β-CD complexing dyes, and smaller halos with β-CD complexing dyes, leading to a 30% improvement in γ-CD selectivity, although at lower total yield for cyclodextrins (11.5%).     

LC/ESI‐MS/MS characterisation of lipopeptide biosurfactants produced by the Bacillus licheniformis V9T14 strain

Lipopeptide biosurfactants produced by the Bacillus licheniformis V9T14 strain showed an interesting anti‐adhesion activity against biofilm formation of human pathogenic bacterial strains. The chemical characterisation of the crude extract of V9T14 strain was first developed through electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS) and ESI‐MS/MS direct infusions: two sets of molecular ion species belonging to the fengycin and surfactin families were revealed and their structures defined, interpreting their product ion spectra. The LC/ESI‐MS analysis of the crude extract allowed to separate in different chromatogram ranges the homologues and the isoforms of the two lipopeptide families. The extract was then fractionated by silica gel chromatography in two main fractions, I and II. The purified biosurfactants were analysed through a new, rapid and suitable LC/ESI‐MS/MS method, which allowed characterising the composition and the structures of the produced lipopeptides. LC/ESI‐MS/MS analysis of fraction I showed the presence of C₁₃, C₁₄ and C₁₅ surfactin homologues, whose structures were confirmed by the product ion spectra of the sodiated molecules [M + Na]⁺ at m/z 1030, 1044 and 1058. LC/ESI‐MS/MS analysis of fraction II confirmed the presence of two main fengycin isoforms, with the protonated molecules [M + H]⁺ at m/z 1478 and 1506 corresponding to C₁₇ fengycin A and C₁₇ fengycin B, respectively. Other homologues (C₁₄ to C₁₆) were revealed and confirmed as belonging to fengycin A or B according to the retention times and the product ions generated, although with the same nominal mass. Finally, a relative percentage content of each homologue for both lipopeptides families in the whole extract was proposed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

脱氧核糖核酸在硬脂酸铝离子膜上固定杂交及BAR基因片段检测

将石墨粉、固体石蜡和硬脂酸按一定比例混合制得表面富含羧基的碳糊电极,然后在电极表面组装荷正电的铝离子膜。在硬脂酸铝离子膜上进行DNA探针的固定和与目标基因的杂交。以亚甲蓝为杂交指示剂,用循环伏安法优化了DNA的固定和杂交条件。应用该电化学生物传感器以微分脉冲伏安法对转基因玉米外源BAR基因片段进行了检测,结果令人满意。     

碱性蛋白酶高产菌株的选育

以利福平抗性及牛奶平板上产生的透明水解圈的大小作为选择标记，用钴60对本实验室筛选获得的碱性蛋白酶高产菌株地衣芽孢杆菌C6进行诱变处理，筛选获得了一株酶产量大幅度提高的菌株L106，经发酵条件优化，其产酶活性稳定在19000U／mL左右，是出发菌株的1．9倍．与出发菌株相比，该菌的发酵周期也有所缩短，而产酶的最适温度和最适pH保持不变，并保持了芽孢形成较少的优良特性，具有良好的实际应用潜力。     

Isolation and identification of bacteria responsible for simultaneous anaerobic ammonium and sulfate removal

Sulfate-dependent anaerobic ammonium oxidation is a novel biological reaction,in which ammonium is oxidized with sulfate as the electron acceptor under anoxic conditions.Ammonium and sulfate are cosmopolitan chemical species which are an integral part of the global nitrogen and sulfur cycles.A detailed exploration of sulfate-dependent anaerobic ammonium oxidation is quite practical.In this work,a bacterial strain named ASR has been isolated from an anaerobic ammonia and sulfate removing reactor working unde...     

Synthesis of Strontium Carbonate by the Induction of Microbiology

Spherical strontium carbonate was synthesized by the induction of microbial bacillus pasteurii at ambient temperature with strontium chloride and urea as the raw materials. The phase composition, particle size and morphology of the product were studied by XRD and SEM. The results indicated that the strontium carbonate synthesized by the induction of microbial bacillus pasteurii was of good dispersion and uniform particle size. The spherical strontium carbonate particles obtained by adding different control agents were constructed by numerous flakes or olive-shaped nano-particles. The products were orthorhombic according to their XRD patterns.     

新疆吐鲁番盆地的嗜热细菌

从新疆吐鲁番盆地分离出十二株嗜热(生长温度为:25℃～73℃,最适温度为:45℃～60℃)、革兰氏阳性芽孢杆菌,经鉴定为Bacillus spp。