Cavitation mechanism in cyanobacterial growth inhibition by ultrasonic irradiation

To prevent cyanobacterial bloom in eutrophic water by ultrasonic method, ultrasonic irradiations with different parameters were tested to inhibit Spirulina platensis from growth. The experimental result based on cyanobacterial growth, chlorophyll a and photosynthetic activity showed that, the ultrasonic irradiation inhibited cyanobacterial proliferation effectively, furthermore the inhibition effectiveness increased in the order: 200 kHz>1.7 MHz>20 kHz and became saturated with the increased power. The inhibition mechanism can be mainly attributed to the mechanical damage to the cell structures caused by ultrasonic cavitation, which was confirmed by light microscopy and differential interference microscopy. The optimal frequency of 200 kHz in cavition and sonochemistry was also most effective in cyanobacterial growth inhibition. The higher frequency of 1.7 MHz is weaker than 20 kHz in cavitation, but has more effective inhibition because it is nearer to the resonance frequency of gas vesicle. The inhibition saturation with ultrasonic power was due to the ultrasonic attenuation induced by the acoustic shielding of bubbles enclosing the radiate surface of transducer.     

高分子微泡的研究——Ⅰ.二烯丙基二(十二烷基)季铵盐的合成与聚合

本文合成了二烯丙基二(十二烷基)溴化铵(DADD),用超声波分散其水溶液而形成微泡。用γ射线、偶氮二异丁睛(AIBN)、过硫酸铵(APS)引发使微泡发生聚合,井对所得的微泡进行表征。实验结果证明:用γ射线引发能使微泡双分子膜发生全部聚合、而用AIBN,APS引发则只能发生部分聚合,聚合后,微泡的形状(态),渗透性行为、相转变温度等都未发生变化,但其稳定性却提高了,用断裂电镜证实了本文所合成的微泡是单室的双分子膜微泡。     

Factors affecting physicochemical properties of liposomes prepared with hydrogenated purified egg yolk lecithins by the microencapsulation vesicle method

We examined hydrogenated purified egg yolk lecithins, having practical advantages over non-hydrogenated ones, as liposomal membrane materials. Liposomes were prepared by the microencapsulation vesicle (MCV) method in which liposomes are formed through two-step emulsification and dispersion. Three types of purified egg yolk lecithins with different iodine values were examined after being dissolved in one of three lipid solvents. The liposome size increased as the temperature during the second emulsification increased, being closer to the boiling temperature of the solvent. The preparation temperature in relation to the transition temperature of each lecithin was also a factor affecting liposome sizes. As for the encapsulation efficiencies of the model compound calcein in liposomes, they differed mainly depending on the solubility of each lecithin in a lipid solvent and it was more obvious in hydrogenated lecithins. A high preparation temperature resulted in lower encapsulation efficiencies, suggesting that leakage of encapsulated calcein was facilitated at high temperature in the MCV methods. There was a significant correlation between liposome sizes and encapsulation efficiencies in non-hydrogenated purified egg yolk lecithin but not in hydrogenated ones. When using hydrogenated purified egg yolk lecithins as liposomal membrane materials, it was suggested that a lipid solvent should be chosen so that a lecithin completely dissolves under the preparation condition in order to achieve a higher encapsulation efficiency. Smaller liposome particles were obtained when the second emulsification was performed at a lower temperature compared with the boiling point of the lipid solvent. These findings can be applied to control encapsulation efficiencies and particle sizes in each particular liposome preparation enclosing therapeutic agents.     

Using Toad Oocytes as an Ultrasensitive System for Estimating the Biological Activity of Trichosanthin

A sensitive bioassay for estimating the activity of Trichosanthin was developed by using intraoocyte microinjection as the technique and germinal vescicle breakdown as a marker. The GVBD inhibitory activity assay was million-fold more sensitive than the routinely used abortifacient activity assay. The detectable amount of Trichosanthin ranged from 0.5 to 100 pg. Since the least detectable dose was 0.5 pg, it made the assay suitable to analyse the microquantity of pure Trichosanthin used for studying the structure and function of the drug.     

Amino acid overproduction by analog resistant mutants of the nitrogen fixing cyanobacteriumAnabaena sp 287

Two amino acid analog resistant mutants of the cyanobacteriumAnabaena sp 287 were isolated after MNNG mutagenesis.Anabaena ST 16, a mutant resistant to the alanine analog D-α-aminobutyric acid andAnabaena ST 25, another mutant resistant to the histidine analog l,2,4-triazole-3-alanine, released alanine and histidine, respectively, into the medium upon immobilization in alginic acid during diazotrophic growth in fluidized bed reactors. The rates of amino acid production by the mutants were 4.3 μmol mg chl^-1 h^-1 of D-alanine byAnabaena ST 16 and 16.6 μnol mg chl^-1 h^-1 of L-histidine byAnabaena ST 25. Nitrogen fixation by the mutants was not affected by the extracellular amino acid concentration. While the radioactive carbon flow was followed, the parent strain retained 93% of fixed¹⁴C and released only 7% into the medium. On the other hand,Anabaena ST 16 released 13% andAnabaena ST 25 released 29% into the medium. These mutants are beneficial in the production of radioactive amino acids using diazotrophic photobiotechnology.     

囊泡表面分子间通讯交流体系的构建: 利用受体的分子识别行为调控酶的活性

在人工双层膜囊泡表面, 构建了一个通过人工受体的分子识别行为控制酶反应活性的超分子体系. 体系以生物体细胞信号转导系统为模拟原型, 由作为受体的烷基胺、被受体识别的信号分子吡哆醛衍生物、乳酸脱氢酶、受体和酶之间的媒介物Cu^2＋以及作为体系载体的合成肽脂囊泡五个成分构成．通过UV-vis光谱法及动态光散射测定对体系进行了评价, 结果表明: 随着受体疏水参数增大, 其对信号分子的识别能力增强, 二者呈良好的线性关系; 通过信号分子与囊泡表面静电相互作用的研究表明信号分子具有选择性; 媒介物与信号分子–受体可形成化学计量比为1∶2的配合物, 其形成能力比媒介物与酶的结合能力更强．作为结论, 体系中烷基胺受体对磷酸吡哆醛信号分子的识别有效控制了处于囊泡表面的乳酸脱氢酶的活性．     

Bola型阴离子表面活性剂与溴化十二烷基三乙铵混合体系的表面性质与聚集行为

研究了具有简单结构的bola型阴离子表面活性剂二十酸二钠（C_(20)Na_2)与 阳离子型普通表面活性剂溴化十二烷基三乙铵（C_(12)Et_3）混合体系的表面性质 ，发现混合体系的cmc和γ_(cmc)比C_(12)Et_3单一体系未有显著降低。以负染色 ，FF-TEM，动态光散射（DLS）及粘度方法研究了混合体系的聚集行为，发现混合 体系中同时形成球形囊泡和管状聚集体，提出了产生这种聚集行为的机制。     

海藻酸-磷脂微囊复合水凝胶的制备、表征及毒理学分析

采用薄膜分散法合成磷脂微囊,根据胶粒的双电层理论,通过在微囊中加入氯化锰、氯化钙和氯化镁电解质溶液,使微囊处于相对稳定的状态.研究发现加入氯化锰和氯化钙溶液,微囊胶体的粒径没有明显的变化,但加入一定浓度氯化镁溶液,其粒径明显变大.为了进一步增加磷脂微囊稳定性,将氯化锰、氯化钙、氯化镁磷脂微囊胶体分别与海藻酸钠(SA)溶液混合.结果表明,氯化镁与SA几乎不能形成水凝胶,氯化钙与SA形成水凝胶能力强于氯化锰.微囊胶体溶液中的磷脂酰丝氨酸(PS)可以与Ca~(2+)和Mg~(2+)键合形成PS-Ca~(2+)和PS-Mg~(2+),但不能与Mn~(2+)键合形成PS-Mn~(2+).对氯化钙磷脂微囊与海藻酸钠合成的复合水凝胶的形貌、溶胀率及细胞毒性进行了表征,结果表明,氯化钙与SA形成的水凝胶可以捕获胶体中磷脂微囊,且形貌规整,结构稳定,无细胞毒性.     

Complexation of gadolinium(III) ions on top of nanometre-sized magnetoliposomes

The complex of diethylenetriaminepentaacetate (DTPA) with the paramagnetic gadolinium ion [Gd(III)] is a well-known blood pool contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). To obtain MRI pictures from other anatomical structures, for instance from tissues containing cells with phagocytic activity, larger colloidal complexes have to be constructed. Therefore, in view of modifying the physiological behaviour, the DTPA chelate was first hydrophobized by covalently linking it to phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), and the resulting conjugate was then incorporated into nanometre-sized, sonicated phospholipid vesicles. Qualitative information on the affinity of the PE–DTPA derivative for Gd(III) ions was derived from competition experiments using the dye Arsenazo. Furthermore, it was found that only the membranotropic adducts residing in the outer shell of the vesicle bilayer are accessible to the lanthanide ion. The vesicular particulate was also used as a vehicle to transport PE–DTPA into the coating of so-called magnetoliposomes which consist of nanometre-sized iron oxide cores onto which a phospholipid bilayer is strongly chemisorbed. After loading the resulting structures with Gd(III), this new type of magnetoliposome may offer unique potentialities as a novel bi-label MRI contrast medium.     

Monofluoroalkene-Isostere as a 19F NMR Label for the Peptide Backbone: Synthesis and Evaluation in Membrane-Bound PGLa and (KIGAKI)3

Solid-state ¹⁹F NMR is a powerful method to study the interactions of biologically active peptides with membranes. So far, in labelled peptides, the ¹⁹F-reporter group has always been installed on the side chain of an amino acid. Given the fact that monofluoroalkenes are non-hydrolyzable peptide bond mimics, we have synthesized a monofluoroalkene-based dipeptide isostere, Val-Ψ[(Z)-CF=CH]-Gly, and inserted it in the sequence of two well-studied antimicrobial peptides: PGLa and (KIGAKI)₃ are representatives of an α-helix and a β-sheet. The conformations and biological activities of these labeled peptides were studied to assess the suitability of monofluoroalkenes for ¹⁹F NMR structure analysis.