Extraction and electrospinning of gelatin from fish skin

Ultra-fine gelatin fibers were successfully fabricated by electrospinning from the solutions of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) skin-extracted gelatin in either acetic acid or formic acid aqueous solutions. The extracted gelatin contained 7.3% moisture, 89.4% protein, 0.3% lipid, and 0.4% ash contents (on the basis of wet weight), while the bloom gel strength, the shear viscosity, and the pH values were 328 g, 17.8 mPa s, and 5.0, respectively. Both the acid concentration and the concentration of the gelatin solutions strongly influenced the properties of the as-prepared solutions and the obtained gelatin fibers. At low acid concentrations (i.e., 15% (w/v) extracted gelatin solutions in 10 and 20% (v/v) acetic acid solvents or 10-60% (v/v) formic acid solvents), a combination between smooth and beaded fibers was observed. At low concentrations of the gelatin solutions in either 40% (v/v) acetic acid solvent or 80% (v/v) formic acid solvent (i.e., 5-11%, w/v), either discrete beads or beaded fibers were obtained, while, at higher concentrations (i.e., 14-29%, w/v), only smooth or a combination of smooth and beaded fibers were obtained. The average diameters of the obtained fibers, regardless of the types of the acid solvents used, ranged between 109 and 761 nm. Lastly, cross-linking of the obtained gelatin fiber mats with glutaraldehyde vapor caused slight shrinkage from their original dimension, and the cross-linked gelatin fiber mats became stiffer.     

Amino acid sequence determination of the ADP,ATP carrier from beef heart mitochondria. The sequence of the C-terminal acidolytic fragment

The primary structure of the C-terminal region (94 residues) of the ADP,ATP carrier of beef heart mitochondria is described. CNBr cleavage results in a large peptide (CB1) with Mr 22 000 and several small peptides (CB2 to CB8). Peptide separation was achieved by gel chromatography with 80% formic acid or with an ethanol/formic acid mixture. The amino acid sequence of the small CNBr peptides was determined by solid-phase techniques. Hydrolysis in formic acid cleaves the carrier protein into an Mr 23 000 fragment (A1) with the blocked N-terminus and an Mr 10 000 fragment (A2) starting with proline. The alignment of two CNBr fragments was possible by degradation of A2 by solid-phase methods for 34 steps. The remaining CNBr fragments were arranged by sequencing the tryptic peptides of citraconylated A2.     

Aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Galinsoga parviflora and Galinsoga ciliata. Investigations of caffeic acid derivatives and flavonoids by HPTLC and HPLC-DAD-MS methods

Galinsoga ciliata Raf. Blake like Galinsoga parviflora Cav., comes from the Andes region. The chemical composition, activity and use are similar for both species. Galinsoga species are used in folk medicine as anti-inflammatory agents and accelerators for wound healing. Extracts are applied topically onto the skin to treat dermatological diseases, eczemas, lichens and hard-healing-wounds, and also to treat snakebites. Orally they used to cure flu and colds.In the studies using HPTLC method, different stationary phases, including unmodified silica gel, silica gels modified with CN, NH₂, DIOL and RP18 groups were tried. The best separation of the tested compounds was achieved on silica gel plates, when as mobile phases mixtures – ethyl acetate–acetic acid–formic acid–water (100:11:11:26, v/v/v/v), ethyl acetate–methanol–formic acid–water (50:3:4:6, v/v/v/v) and ethyl acetate–methyl ethyl ketone–formic acid–water (30:9:3:3, v/v/v/v) – were used. Using reference substances, in the examined extracts the presence of flavonoids: patulitrin, quercimeritrin, quercitagetrin, and phenolic acids – caffeic and chlorogenic acids was found.HPLC analyses of extracts were carried out on a reversed-phase Zorbax SB column (150 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.9 μm). The mobile phase (A) was water/acetonitrile/formic acid (95:5:0.1, v/v/v) and the mobile phase (B) was acetonitrile/formic acid (100:0.1, v/v). A linear gradient system was used: 0–30 min, 1–30% B. Application of HPLC-DAD-MS method confirmed the results obtained by HPTLC method. Moreover, in the tested extracts the presence of caffeoylglucaric acids as dominating compounds was detected.     

Amino acid sequence of the proteolipid subunit of the proton-translocating ATPase complex from the thermophilic bacterium PS-3

The proteolipid subunit of the ATPase complex was identified in whole membranes of the thermophilic bacterium PS-3 by means of a covalent modification with the 14C-labelled inhibitor dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. The proteolipid could be purified from the membrane in free and carbodiimide-modified form by extraction with chloroform/methanol and subsequent carboxymethylcellulose chromatography in mixtures of chloroform/methanol/water. The complete amino acid sequence of the 72-residue polypeptide could be determined by automated solid-phase Edman degradation of the whole protein, and of fragments obtained after cleavage with cyanogen bromide and N-bromosuccinimide. Chemical cleavages and separations of the resulting fragments by gel chromatography were performed in 80% formic acid. The amino acid sequence shows a concentration of hydrophobic amino acids in two segments of about 25 residues at the amino-terminal and carboxy-terminal ends. The polar residues are clustered in the middle of the polypeptide chain. The bound [14C]dicyclohexylcarbodiimide label is recovered exclusively at position 56, which is occupied by a glutamyl residue. The proteolipid from PS-3 exhibits homology to the corresponding ATPase subunit from mitochondria. The carbodiimide-reactive glutamyl residue occurs at the position as in the mitochondrial proteins.     

Amino-acid sequence of human and bovine brain myelin proteolipid protein (lipophilin) is completely conserved

Proteolipid protein (PLP) was isolated from white matter of human brain by chloroform/methanol extraction and further purified by chromatography. Performic acid oxidation yielded a product homogeneous in NaDodSO4-polyacrylamide electrophoresis with a molecular mass of 30 kDa. The carboxymethylated PLP was chemically cleaved with cyanogen bromide into four fragments: CNBr I 22-24 kDa, CNBr II 5 kDa, CNBr III 1.4 kDa and CNBr IV 0.7 kDa. HBr/dimethylsulfoxide cleavage at tryptophan residues released four fragments: Trp I 14-16 kDa, Trp II 2.0 kDa, Trp III 5 kDa and Trp IV 7 kDa. Hydrophilic fragments were enriched in 50% formic acid (CNBr II, III, IV and Trp II and III), whereas hydrophobic peptides precipitated from this solvent were CNBr I, Trp I and IV. The fragments were separated by gel filtration with 90% formic acid as solvent and finally purified by gel permeation HPLC (Si 60 and Si 100) for automated liquid and solid-phase Edman degradation. Large fragments were further cleaved with different proteinases (trypsin, V8-proteinase, endoproteinase Lys-C and thermolysin). We used an improved strategy in the sequencing of the human proteolipid protein compared with our approach to the structural elucidation of bovine brain PLP. The amino-acid sequence of human PLP contains 276 residues, the same as found in bovine proteolipid protein. The two sequences proved to be identical. The possible importance of the conservative structure of this integral membrane protein is discussed.     

The primary structure of the Chloroflexus aurantiacus reaction-center polypeptides

The complete nucleotide sequence of two Chloroflexus aurantiacus reaction-center genes has been obtained. The amino acid sequence deduced from the first gene showed 40% similarity to the L subunit of the Rhodobacter sphaeroides reaction center. This L subunit was 310 amino acids long and had an approximate molecular mass of 35 kDa. The second gene began 17 bases downstream from the first gene. The amino acid sequence deduced from it (307 amino acids; 34950 Da) was 42% similar to the M subunit of the Rhodobacter sphaeroides reaction center. 20% of the deduced primary structure were confirmed through automated Edman degradation of cyanogen bromide peptide fragments or N-chlorosuccinimide peptide fragments isolated from the purified reaction-center complex or from the individual subunits. The peptides were isolated by preparative gel electrophoresis combined with molecular sieve chromatography in the presence of a mixture of formic acid, acetonitrile, 2-propanol and water. This method appeared to be applicable to the isolation of other hydrophobic proteins and their peptides.     

A high-yield method for the isolation of hydrophobic proteins and peptides from polyacrylamide gels for protein sequencing

A methodological approach is described which allows the isolation of hydrophobic and hydrophilic proteins and peptides in high yield. The technique consists of (1) preparative sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, (2) protein elution from polyacrylamide gels with an organic solvent mixture composed of formic acid/acetonitrile/isopropanol/H2O (50/25/15/10, v/v/v/v), and (3) purification of eluted proteins by size exclusion chromatography on a Superose 12 column using this organic solvent mixture as eluant. The efficiency of this technique was tested with radioactively labeled polypeptides. These proteins were reaction center from Chloroflexus aurantiacus, bacteriorhodopsin, halorhodopsin from Halobacterium halobium, bovine serum albumin, ovalbumin, alpha-chymotrypsinogen A, and cytochrome c. The elution recoveries from polyacrylamide gels were 77-95%; the final yield after chromatographic purification was still 67-76% (with one exception). Subsequent amino acid sequencing was possible without further sample treatment. The sensitivity of the method described was found to be at least 20-30 micrograms protein.     

Biosynthesis of an amphiphilic silk-like polymer

An amphiphilic silk-like protein polymer was efficiently produced in the yeast Pichia pastoris. The secreted product was fully intact and was purified by solubilization in formic acid and subsequent precipitation of denatured host proteins upon dilution with water. In aqueous alkaline solution, the negatively charged acidic polymer assumed extended helical (silk III-like) and unordered conformations. Upon subsequent drying, it assumed a conformation rich in beta-turns. In water at low pH, the uncharged polymer aggregated and the solution became turbid. Concentrated solutions in 70% (v/v) formic acid slowly formed gels. Replacement of the formic acid-water mixture with methanol and subsequent drying resulted in beta-sheets, which stacked into fibril-like structures. The novel polymer instantaneously lowered the air-water interfacial tension under neutral to alkaline conditions and reversed the polarity of hydrophobic and hydrophilic solid surfaces upon adsorption.     

Electrophoresis of DNA in ultrathin planar-format linear polyacrylamide

Linear or un-cross-linked polyacrylamides have been employed successfully in the field of capillary electrophoresis for the separation of nucleic acids. Typical acrylamide concentrations for those applications range from 3% to 14% (wt/vol), with consistencies ranging from virtually liquid to moderately viscous. Due to the absence of cross-links, and the relatively fluid nature of linear polyacrylamide at typically employed concentrations, its use in planar (slab) gel electrophoresis has been overlooked. We describe herein the application of ultrathin (100 μm) high-viscosity slabs of linear polyacrylamide to planar electrophoresis of nucleic acid fragments. The approach we describe is rapid and yields high-resolution separations of nucleic acid fragments in linear polyacrylamide supports. The mobilities of DNA fragments of various lengths in a range of concentrations of linear polymer are compared with those observed for conventional cross-linked gels. The reptative migration of larger DNA fragments in linear polymers is predictable from the models derived from work with cross-linked acrylamide and agarose. The migration of smaller fragments, however, is not entirely predicted by the Ogston model. The relative mobilities observed for very small DNA fragments are approximately half those predicted by the Ogston regimen.     

Unusual Temperature‐Induced Retention Behavior of Constrained β‐Amino Acid Enantiomers on the Zwitterionic Chiral Stationary Phases ZWIX(+) and ZWIX(–)

The effects of temperature on the chiral recognition of cyclic β‐amino acid enantiomers on zwitterionic [Chiralpak ZWIX(+) and ZWIX(–)] chiral stationary phases were investigated. Experiments were performed at different mobile phase compositions and under 10°C column temperature increments in the temperature range 10–50°C. Apparent thermodynamic parameters and T_iso values were calculated from plots of ln k and ln α versus 1/T, respectively. Unusual temperature behavior was observed, especially on the ZWIX(–) column, where the application of MeOH/MeCN (50/50 v/v) containing 25 mM triethylamine and 50 mM formic acid as mobile phase led to nonlinear van't Hoff plots and increasing retention time with increasing temperature. On both columns, both enthalpically and entropically driven separations were observed. Chirality 26:385–393, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Alzheimer''s β-Amyloid Protein Is Covalently Modified when Dissolved in Formic Acid

beta-Amyloid protein is a major protein component of neuritic plaques in the brain of Alzheimer's disease patients. A major advance in understanding the molecular biology of Alzheimer's disease came with the purification and sequencing of this protein. Because beta-amyloid protein is very insoluble, extreme conditions such as 88% formic acid were commonly used to dissolve its fibrils. We now report that 88% formic acid covalently modifies beta-amyloid protein fragments, probably by the formation of a formate ester to a serine in the protein. The t1/2 of the formylation is approximately 3.5 h, and the t1/2 for hydrolysis of the formylated peptide is much longer, being 9.9 h in water and 66 h in HPLC eluant. This suggests that if formic acid is used in the purification of beta-amyloid protein or peptide fragments of this protein, it is likely that some formylated peptide will be present in subsequent studies. Although unrecognized modification of a protein is inherently undesirable, it is uncertain what effects this formylation will have on ensuing studies. Certainly, investigations into the immunologic, physical, and physiologic properties of beta-amyloid protein could be influenced.     

A vegetalizing inducing factor isolation and chemical properties

A vegetalizing factor which induces the formation of endodermal and mesodermal organs in amphibian gastrula ectoderm was purified from chicken embryos. Preparative sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide electrophoresis and gel permeation chromatography on Sephadex with different eluants were employed. In buffer containing 6 M urea the molecular weight of the factor was estimated to about 28 000–30 000. In buffer containing sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) the factor partially dissociates to smaller polypeptide chains. Because an equilibrium between molecules of different size is established, SDS-containing buffers are not suitable preparative purposes. In 50%–70% formic acid the factor completely dissociates into smaller peptide chains (M_r about 13 000–15 000). Furthermore, very little adsorption of the factor to the gel matrices or glass surfaces is observed in formic acid. The final purification can be achieved by high-performance gel permeation chromatography with glycerolpropyltreated silica gel as column packing and 50% formic acid as eluant.     

New strategy for the characterization of amino acids by thin-layer electrophoresis and thin-layer chromatography using acidic mobile phases

Rapid, easy, and reliable identification procedures for the common amino acids (1- to 10-nmol amounts) based upon an association of low-voltage electrophoresis (1.04 formic acid) and chromatography (propanol or isopropanol/formic acid/water, 75/5/20, v/v) on a cellulose thin layer and the use of a well-adapted mixture of structural analogs of amino acids are described. Applications of these procedures are also given.     

Chemical cleavage of polyomavirus major structural protein VP1: identification of cleavage products and evidence that the receptor moiety resides in the carboxy-terminal region

As a first step toward identifying the various functional regions of the polyomavirus major capsid protein VP1, we used recently developed methods for the chemical cleavage of proteins and the available polyomavirus sequence data to devise a scheme to produce large, identifiable peptides and generate a cleavage map of VP1. Formic acid (75%) was found to cleave VP1 at only two sites, producing three peptides of apparent molecular weights of 29,000, 16,000, and 2,000. The order of peptides in intact VP1 was determined by recleavage of partial products and was found to be 29,000, 16,000, and 2,000. Two-dimensional peptide mapping studies of 125I-labeled VP1 formic acid peptides established that the limit products of formic acid digestion contained mutually exclusive sets of labeled peptides when either trypsin or chymotrypsin was used and that together the formic acid peptides contained all of the 125I-labeled tryptic and chymotryptic peptides found in VP1. Iodosobenzoic acid (IBA) digestion produced four peptides separable by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, with apparent molecular weights of 12,000, 8,000, 7,000, and 5,000. The approximate positions of the IBA peptides in the VP1 sequence were determined by cleavage of formic acid fragments with IBA. The number of peptides produced, their respective sizes, and their order in the intact VP1 molecule agree with predictions made from available sequence data, both for formic acid cleavage and IBA cleavage. In addition, the numbers of 125I-labeled tryptic peptides produced from digestion of VP1 formic acid peptides also agree with predictions made from the sequence information. These data establish with reasonable certainty that the peptides produced by formic acid cleavage and IBA cleavage of VP1 are indeed those predicted. Antibodies raised against spontaneously produced, previously undefined polypeptides resulting from degradation of VP1 reacted exclusively with the formic acid peptides derived from the C-terminal portion of VP1. These antibodies inhibited hemagglutination and neutralized polyomavirus virions. We interpret this to mean that at least some of the antigenic determinants of the receptor moiety reside in this portion of the VP1 sequence.     

Optimization of the method of cyanogen bromide mapping of polypeptides separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

Two highly efficient methods of CNBr-peptide mapping of polypeptides divided by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis are described. The first is elaborated on the basis of peptide mapping of collagen proposed by G. Barsh et al. The following three modifications diminish wasting the material essential for the method. 1. CNBr treatment takes place in the absence of CNBr solution outside the gel, excluding the peptides elution from the gel fragments in the process of mapping. 2. After CNBr treatment the solution of CNBr is substituted by the samples buffer before electrophoresis by means of drying and subsequent addition of minimal volumes of the buffer. The latter procedures substitute the gel washing out by the buffer solution. 3. The step of washing the gel fragments by the 70% strong solution of formic acid before CNBr treatment is excluded. The second method of CNBr-peptide mapping is notable for extracting peptides from the gel fragments in the process of CNBr-treatment and permits obtaining of the high quality peptide electrophoregrams.     

Enantiomeric separation of baclofen by capillary electrophoresis tandem mass spectrometry with sulfobutylether-beta-cyclodextrin as chiral selector in partial filling mode

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) coupled to tandem mass spectrometry was applied to the chiral separation of baclofen using sulfobutylether-beta-cyclodextrin chiral selector in partial filling counter current mode. On-line UV detection was simultaneously used. Method optimization was performed by studying the effect of cyclodextrin and BGE concentration as well as sheath liquid composition on analyte migration time and enantiomeric resolution. The cyclodextrin showed stereoselective complexation towards baclofen enantiomers, allowing chiral resolution at low concentration. The CE capillary protrusion from the ESI needle relevantly affected the chiral resolution and the analyte migration time. Complete enantiomeric separation was obtained by using 0.25 M formic acid BGE containing 1.75 mM of chiral selector and water/methanol (30:70, v/v) 3% formic acid as sheath liquid. The method exhibited a LOD of 0.1 microg/mL (racemic concentration) in MS3 product ion scan mode of detection and was applied to the analysis of racemic baclofen in pharmaceutical formulations.     

Continuous ethanol fermentation using immobilized yeast cells

Growing cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae immobilized in calcium alginate gel beads were employed in fluidizedbed reactors for continuous ethanol fermentation from cane molasses and other sugar sources. Some improvements were made in order to avoid microbial contamination and keep cell viability for stable long run operations. Notably, entrapment of sterol and unsaturated fatty acid into immobilized gel beads enhanced ethanol productivity more than 50 g ethanol/L gel h and prolonged life stability for more than one-half year. Cell concentration in the carrier was estimated over 250 g dry cell/L gel. A pilot plant with a total column volume of 4 kL was constructed and has been operated since 1982. As a result, it was confirmed that 8-10%(v/v)ethanol-containing broth was continuously produced from nonsterilized diluted cane molasses for over one-half year. The productivity of ethanol was calculated as 0.6 kL ethanol/kL reactor volume day with a 95% conversion yield versus the maximum theoretical yield for the case of 8.5% (v/v) ethanol broth.     

Reverse-phase HPLC of DNA restriction fragments and ribooligonucleotides on uncoated Kel-F powder.

Uncoated Kel-F powder offers some unique features as a support for reverse-phase HPLC of oligonucleotides and DNA restriction fragments. Compounds are eluted from the column by a gradient of acetonitrile (0 tto 18% v/v) in 0.1 M aqueous triethylammonium acetate. In contrast to RPC-5 chromatography, oligonucleotides are not eluted by aqueous salt solutions alone, and the separation of restriction fragments depends only on the chainlength. The packing material is cheap, easy to pack, chemically inert, and does not bleed, so that separations are highly reproducible. The DNA loading capacity for Kel-F is presently inferior to RPC-5, but recovery of microgram amounts of material is typically better than 50%.     

Production of VL and CL fragments from human Bence-Jones ϰ chains

The peptic digest of a Bence-Jones ? chain dimer in 4.5% formic acid yields two large fragments. These have been separated on Ultrogel AcA 54 in 1% NH₄HCO₃. Amino acid analysis, SDS gel electrophoresis and dansyl N-terminal analysis indicate that the larger fragment is the C_L dimer and the smaller one is V_L. Similar results have been obtained from a second ? chain.     

Clostripain-catalyzed re-formation of a peptide bond in a cytochrome C fragment complex

Enzymatically-catalyzed condensation of cytochrome c fragments, ferrous heme fragment (1-38) and apofragment (39-104), has allowed the back-conversion of cytochrome c complex to native cytochrome c. The conversion was accomplished in 90% (v/v) glycerol, a solvent which has been shown to decrease the ionization of the terminal alpha-carboxyl group liberated during hydrolysis of a peptide bond. The effect on the pK is probably the main reason the thermodynamic obstacle to re-synthesis is minimized. A 30% conversion to cytochrome c was obtained. The cytochrome c product was distinguished from the non-covalent complex and separated fragments by molecular weight analysis with sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, by elution from Sephadex G-50 and sulfopropyl-Sephadex in the presence of denaturant, by amino acid analysis of the product purified under complex-dissociation conditions, and by spectral analysis of the absorption bands of the heme. This method provides an opportunity to study the covalent rather than the complex form of cytochrome c analogs.