Decavanadate is responsible for vanadate-induced two-dimensional crystals in sarcoplasmic reticulum

Two-dimensional protein crystals of the calcium pump protein of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) from fast skeletal muscle were induced using Na₃VO₃ as first described by Dux and Martonosi. These crystals exhibit repeat rows 11 nm apart which contain discrete units with 7 nm repeats. Four different methods of sample preparation for electron microscopy, i.e., negative staining, freezedrying, freeze-fracturing, and thin-sectioning electron microscopy, each give complimentary repeat units. The SR-membrane crystals exhibit surface structure by the freeze-drying technique and row-like structures on the normally smooth outer face of normal SR. The formation of the membrane crystals is dependent on the pH and concentration of the vanadate. Only conditions favoring the presence of decavanadate yield crystals. At low concentrations and neutral pH, decavanadate is unstable and with time converts to smaller oligomers and the monomer. The presence of membrane crystals was correlated with the life span of the decavanadate. Membrane crystals were obtained in the SR membrane from fast twitch muscle from light and heavy SR, referable to longitudinal and terminal cisternae as well as from reconstituted SR. Canine cardiac SR did not crystallize under these conditions.Abbreviations Tris (tris[hydroxymethyl])aminomethane - TES (N-tris[hydroxymethyl]methyl-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid), 2-(2-hydroxy-1-bis[hydroxymethyl]ethyl)aminoethanesulfonic acid - SR sarcoplasmic reticulum - CPP calcium pump protein Dedicated to the memory of Prof. David E. Green, friend, mentor, and colleague.     

Preparation and application of freeze-dried platelets

Clinical platelet infusion is primarily used to prevent or stop bleeding, but can also have a role in treating infections or promoting wound healing. The demand for platelets has increased in recent years. However, as platelets can only be stored for short periods, there is a substantial loss due to the products reaching their expiry date. Platelet lyophilization is a particularly valuable and important research field. The purpose of studying the freeze-drying preservation of platelets is to realize the long-term preservation of platelets at room temperature. It is very possible to prepare qualified freeze-dried platelets. However, there are still problems that have not been solved in the process of platelet lyophilization. This review mainly summarizes research progress in the preparation and application of freeze-dried platelets.     

Influence of culture conditions on production and freeze-drying tolerance of Paecilomyces fumosoroseus blastospores

With the goal of developing a defined medium for the production of desiccation-tolerant blastospores of the bioinsecticidal fungus Paecilomyces fumosoroseus, we evaluated the impact of various media components such as amino acids, carbohydrates, trace metals and vitamins on hyphal growth and sporulation of P. fumosoroseus cultures and on the freeze-drying tolerance of blastospores produced under these conditions. A comparison of 13 amino acids as sole nitrogen sources showed that glutamate, aspartate, glycine and arginine supported biomass accumulations (12–16 mg ml⁻¹) and blastospore yields (6–11 × 10⁸ blastospores ml⁻¹) comparable to our standard production medium which contains casamino acids as the nitrogen source. Using glutamate as the sole nitrogen source, tests with various carbohydrates showed that P. fumosoroseus grew best on glucose (18.8 mg biomass ml⁻¹) but produced similar blastospore concentrations (7.3–11.0 × 10⁸) when grown with glucose, glycerol, fructose or sucrose. P. fumosoroseus cultures grown in media with sodium citrate or galactose as the sole carbohydrate produced lower blastospore concentrations but more-desiccation-tolerant spores. Zinc was the only trace metal tested that was required for optimal growth and sporulation. In a defined medium with glutamate as the nitrogen source, vitamins were unnecessary for P. fumosoroseus growth or sporulation. When blastospores were freeze-dried in the absence of a suspension medium, residual glucose (>2.5% w/v) was required for enhanced spore survival. Thus, a defined medium containing basal salts, glucose, glutamate and zinc can be used to produce optimal concentrations of desiccation-tolerant blastospores of P. fumosoroseus. Received 27 October 1998/ Accepted in revised form 06 May 1999     

Heat and mass transfer scale-up issues during freeze drying: II. Control and characterization of the degree of supercooling

This study aims to investigate the effect of the ice nucleation temperature on the primary drying process using an ice fog technique for temperature-controlled nucleation. In order to facilitate scale up of the freeze-drying process, this research seeks to find a correlation of the product resistance and the degree of supercooling with the specific surface area of the product. Freeze-drying experiments were performed using 5% wt/vol solutions of sucrose, dextran, hydroxyethyl starch (HES), and mannitol. Temperature-controlled nucleation was achieved using the ice fog technique where cold nitrogen gas was introduced into the chamber to form an “ice fog”, there-by facilitating nucleation of samples at the temperature of interest. Manometric temperature measurement (MTM) was used during primary drying to evaluate the product resistance as a function of cake thickness. Specific surface areas (SSA) of the freeze-dried cakes were determined. The ice fog technique was refined to successfully control the ice nucleation temperature of solutions within 1°C. A significant increase in product resistance was produced by a decrease in nucleation temperature. The SSA was found to increase with decreasing nucleation temperature, and the product resistance increased with increasing SSA. The ice fog technique can be refined into a viable method for nucleation temperature control. The SSA of the product correlates well with the degree of supercooling and with the resistance of the product to mass transfer (ie, flow of water vapor through the dry layer). Using this correlation and SSA measurements, one could predict scaleup drying differences and accordingly alter the freeze-drying process so as to bring about equivalence of product temperature history during lyophilization.     

Use of alginate and cryo-protective sugars to improve the viability of lactic acid bacteria after freezing and freeze-drying

Summary In the present paper, the effect of cryo-protective sugars on the survival rate of different strains of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subspbulgaricus, Streptococcus salivarius subsp.thermophilus), after freezing or freeze-drying procedures, was compared. The cells were incubated at 4 °C in 32% final concentration sugar solutions (trehalose, maltose, sucrose, glucose and lactose), and viability was evaluated by the enumeration of colony-forming units. All sugars tested showed a protective effect on cell viability as compared to isotonic solution, especially after freeze-drying procedures (log c.f.u./ml ranging between 1.16 and 2.08, P < 0.001). Furthermore, the resistance to different stress agents (lysozyme, pepsin, bile salts) was estimated. Trehalose was the most effective sugar in preserving bacterial viability [% (log c.f.u. trehalose/log c.f.u. isotonic solution) ranging between 124 and 175, P < 0.001] although each strain showed a different sensitivity. Finally, the protective effect of immobilization of LAB in Ca-alginate beads was compared to that exercised by trehalose. The immobilization induced a good survival rate but lower as compared to the trehalose effect, mainly after freeze-drying in the presence of the selective agents [% (log c.f.u. alginate/log c.f.u. trehalose ranging between 81.1 and 94.5, P < 0.0001]. The protective effect of trehalose was evident in particular for Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus in presence of lysozyme. Therefore, because of its chemical inertness and low cost, trehalose could be easily utilized as excellent bacterial preservative, both to improve the viability of starter cultures and to obtain probiotic formulations more resistant to a variety of stressful conditions.     

S-腺苷-L-蛋氨酸(SAM)稳定性盐产品制备的研究

研究了S-腺苷-L-蛋氨酸(SAM)盐产品的制备方法,确定了甲醇沉淀结晶SAM硫酸盐的最优条件,进一步优化了脱色精制SAM双盐产品的方法。破胞液经超滤后,过D152树脂以硫酸溶液洗脱,可得到纯度(色谱纯)在98%以上的SAM硫酸盐产品,以对甲苯磺酸溶液溶解SAM硫酸盐后脱色精制得到SAM硫酸对甲苯磺酸双盐。     

冻结速率对血小板冷冻干燥保存的影响

冷冻干燥法是使血小板能够长期保存的一种理想方法。冻结过程对血小板的冻干保存至关重要。采用梯度降温、搁板预冷、液氮冻结等三种冻结方式,研究了冻结速率对血小板冷冻干燥保存恢复率的影响。实验结果表明用搁板预冷的方式冻结并干燥的血小板复水后的恢复率最高,达到(93.0.2)%,此时的冻结速度约为10℃/min。扫描电镜照片显示冻干复水后的血小板保持了完整的细胞结构,但与新鲜血小板相比略呈球形。冻干复水后的血小板对1U/ml凝血酶的最大聚集率接近于新鲜血小板,但聚集速度比新鲜血小板慢。     

A model for longevity prediction of freeze-dried tobamoviruses

An accelerated storage test was carried out on freeze-dried samples of five variants of tomato mosaic virus – from leaf material, plant sap and purified preparation with and without protectant, at 28, 37 and 45 °C. A model for longevity prediction of lyophilized tobamoviruses was developed. The preservation of tomato mosaic virus decreased to 10% after 0.7–2.8 years in unprotected variants and after 7.5–11 years in protected samples under real storage conditions. Experimental data have confirmed the predicted values.     

Pituitary Secretory Granule Topography: Influence of Different Electron Microscopic Preparation Procedures on the Surface of Epon Sections

Human, rat and mouse pituitary tissues have been examined electron microscopically in transmission (TEM), scanning-transmission (STEM) and scanning (SEM) modes for the surface appearance of the secretory granules in tissue sections. Cryofixed and cryosectioned tissue showed only slightly protruding granule profiles which had a smooth surface. Cryofixed, freeze-dried and Epon embedded pituitaries, on the other hand, demonstrated swollen and furrowed surfaces over the granules after contact with water. This topography could also be seen after glutaraldehyde fixation but less after post-fixation in OsO₄. The surface alterations in the sections of pituitary secretory granules are thought to be due to differences in the homogeneity of the resin infiltration, leaving resin-free openings where water can enter. It also seems probable that the Epon resin is more influenced by water than has been previously assumed, based on the findings of efficient elimination of osmium from the granules after incubation of tissue sections in water for only 10 min.     

The analysis of metabolites in rainbow trout white muscle: a comparison of different sampling and processing methods

We have investigated the effects of different sampling and processing methods on metabolite concentrations [glycogen (Gly), glucose (Glu), lactate (Lac), pyruvate (Pyr), ammonia (Amm), creatine phosphate (PCr), creatine (Cr), and adenosine triphosphate (ATP)] measured in white muscle of rainbow trout at rest and immediately after exhaustive exercise. When samples were taken from resting fish by rapid needle biopsy (without anaesthesia), direct freezing of the needles in liquid N₂ yielded lower Lac and Glu levels than if the muscle cores were quickly blown out into liquid N₂. However, killing of the fish by an overdose of MS-222 followed by freeze-clamping of excised muscle was superior to the biopsy method in preserving high levels of PCr and Gly (91 and 62% higher, respectively). In parallel, the MS-222 method also yielded lower levels of Amm (80%) and Lac (47%). Samples freeze-clamped by the MS-222 method were used to evaluate three methods of subsequent processing for enzymatic analysis of metabolites: classic glass homogenization (GH) in 8% perchloric acid (PCA) c. mortar and pestle (MP) pulverization or freeze-drying (FD) prior to PCA extraction. For all metabolites, GH and MP methods produced similar values. However, the FD technique yielded 20% higher PCr levels which represented over 80% phosphorylation of the total Cr pool at rest, the highest ever reported via enzymatic analysis. Glu was also higher by FD, bul Gly, Lac, and ATP were not affected. Indeed ATP was relatively stable throughout all sampling and processing procedures. MP, GH, MP&GH combination, and high speed motor driven grinding techniques all yielded similar Amm levels in resting muscle. However, tests demonstrated that even brief thawing of tissue greatly elevated Amm, while FD resulted in artificially low Amm values due to evaporative losses during lyophilization. Overall, muscle sampling by freeze-clamping on trout killed by MS-222 overdose, followed by FD prior to PCA extraction, appears to be the best combination for the measurement of all white muscle metabolites except Amm, for which MP or GH are preferable.