Enhanced remediation of chlorpyrifos by ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) and a chlorpyrifos degrading bacterial endophyte Mezorhizobium sp. HN3

For effective remediation of contaminants, plant-endophyte partnership is a promising field to be explored. Generally endophytic bacteria assist their host plant by withstanding the stress induced by the contaminants. The objective of this study was to explore the suitability of plant-bacterial partnership for chlorpyrifos (CP) remediation using ryegrass and a CP degrading endophyte, Mesorhizobium sp. HN3 which belongs to plant growth promoting rhizobia. The inoculated yfp-tagged Mesorhizobium sp. HN3 efficiently colonized in the rhizosphere, enhanced plant growth and degradation of CP and its metabolite 3,5,6 trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP). Significantly lower CP residues were observed in the roots and shoots of plants vegetated in inoculated soil which might be attributed to the efficient root colonization of HN3yfp. These results suggest the involvement of Mesorhizobium sp. HN3yfp in CP degradation inside the roots and rhizosphere of plants and further emphasize on the effectiveness of endophytic bacteria in stimulating the remediation of pesticide contaminants. This is the first report which demonstrates the efficacy of bacterial endophyte for degradation of CP residues taken up by the plant and enhanced remediation of chlorpyrifos contaminated soil.     

Biosurfactant production by Pseudomonas sp. and its role in aqueous phase partitioning and biodegradation of chlorpyrifos

Aim:  To study the effect of biosurfactant on aqueous phase solubility and biodegradation of chlorpyrifos.
Methods and Results:  A Pseudomonas sp. (ChlD), isolated from agricultural soil by enrichment culture technique in the presence of chlorpyrifos, was capable of producing biosurfactant (rhamnolipids) and degrading chlorpyrifos (0·01 g l⁻¹). The partially purified rhamnolipid biosurfactant preparation, having a CMC of 0·2 g l⁻¹, was evaluated for its ability to enhance aqueous phase partitioning and degradation of chlorpyrifos (0·01 g l⁻¹) by ChlD strain. The best degradation efficiency was observed at 0·1 g l⁻¹ supplement of biosurfactant, as validated by GC and HPLC studies.
Conclusion:  The addition of biosurfactant at 0·1 g l⁻¹ resulted in more than 98% degradation of chlorpyrifos when compared to 84% in the absence of biosurfactant after 120-h incubation.
Significance and Impact of the Study:  This first report, to the best of our knowledge, on enhanced degradation of chlorpyrifos in the presence of biosurfactant(s), would help in developing bioremediation protocols to counter accumulation of organophosphates to toxic/carcinogenic levels in environment.     

Thermospray liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry for the analysis of l-carnitine and its short-chain acyl derivatives

A method utilizing thermospray high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry for the separation and direct analysis of carnitine, acetylcarnitine, and propionylcarnitine is described. On-column analysis of mixtures of the acylcarnitines with their corresponding stable, isotope-labeled analogs at nanomolar concentrations has indicated that isotope dilution assays can be applied towards the analysis of carnitine and short-chain acylcarnitines present in biological samples.     

Metabolites and dead-end products from the microbial oxidation of quaternary ammonium alcohols

Methyl-triethanol-ammonium originates from the hydrolysis of the parent esterquat surfactant, which is used as softener in fabric care. The initial steps of the catabolism were investigated in cell-free extracts of the bacterial strain MM 1 able to grow with methyl-triethanol-ammonium as sole source of carbon, energy and nitrogen. The initial degradation of methyl-triethanol-ammonium is an enzymatically catalyzed reaction, located in the particulate fraction of strain MM 1. The oxygen dependent reaction occurred also in presence of phenazine methosulfate as an alternative electron acceptor. As soon as one ethanol group of methyl-triethanol-ammonium was oxidized to the aldehyde, cyclic hemiacetals were formed by intramolecular cyclization. The third ethanol group of methyl-triethanol-ammonium was oxidized to the aldehyde and the carboxylic acid sequentially. The structurally related compounds dimethyl-diethanol-ammonium and choline were oxidized as well, whereas (±)-2,3-dihydroxypropyl-trimethyl-ammonium was not converted at all. The structures of the metabolites were established by 1D and 2D ¹H, ¹³C and ¹⁴N NMR spectroscopy and by capillary electrophoresis mass spectrometry.     

Kinetics of phenolic polymerization catalyzed by peroxidase in organic media

Phenolic polymerization was carried out by enzymatic catalysis in organic media, and its kinetics was studied by using high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Phenols and aromatic amines with electron-withdrawing groups could hardly be polymerized by HRP catalysis, but phenols and aromatic amines with electron-donating groups could easily be polymerized. The reaction rate of either the para-substituted substrate or meta-substituted substrate was higher than that of ortho-substituted substrate. When ortho-position of hydroxy group of phenols was occupied by an electron-donating group and if another electron-donating group occupied para-position of hydroxy group, the reaction rate increased. Horseradish peroxidase and lactoperoxidase could easily catalyze the polymerization, but chloroperoxidase and laccase failed to yield polymers. Metallic ions such as Mn(2+), Fe(2+), or Fe(3+), and Cu(2+) could poison horseradish peroxidase to various extents, but ions such as Co(2+), Cd(2+), Zn(2+), and K(+) were not found to inhibit the reaction. (c) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

气相色谱-质谱定量检测水产品腐败菌群体感应DKPs信号分子

【目的】为了分析水产品腐败菌群体感应的新型信号分子二酮哌嗪(DKPs)化合物,建立一种简便、灵敏的气相色谱-质谱(GC-MS)定量检测方法。【方法】通过优化气相色谱和质谱条件、培养基和提取溶剂建立定量检测方法,确定Cyclo-(L-Pro-L-Gly)、Cyclo-(L-Pro-L-Leu)、Cyclo-(L-Leu-L-Leu)和Cyclo-(L-Pro-L-Phe)4种DKPs标准品的特征离子,并检测水产品腐败菌荧光假单胞菌(Pseudomonas fluorescens)和波罗的海希瓦氏菌(Shewanella baltica)中的DKPs。【结果】4种DKPs化合物在1-200 mg/L范围内线性良好,检测限为0.06、0.10、0.06和0.04 mg/L,定量限为0.16、0.18、0.14和0.12 mg/L,回收率为51.8%-88.5%,标准偏差为1.4%-8.3%。以LB培养基为细菌培养基,氯仿作为萃取溶剂,检测的DKPs含量较高。两种水产品腐败菌都检测到DKPs活性,主要种类为Cyclo-(L-Pro-L-Leu)和Cyclo-(L-Pro-L-Phe)。随着两种细菌的生长,培养上清中DKPs含量显著增加,在12 h达到最高。【结论】建立了检测细菌DKPs的GC-MS定量方法,具有较高精密度、准确度,能够准确定量分析4种DKPs的含量。为探究水产品特定腐败菌DKPs的调控机制奠定基础。     

Chemistry and liquid chromatography methods for the analyses of primary oxidation products of triacylglycerols

Abstract

Triacylglycerols (TAGs) are one of the major components of the cells in higher biological systems, which can act as an energy reservoir in the living cells. The unsaturated fatty acid moiety is the key site of oxidation and formation of oxidation compounds. The TAG free radical generates several primary oxidation compounds. These include hydroperoxides, hydroxides, epidioxides, hydroperoxy epidioxides, hydroxyl epidioxides, and epoxides. The presence of these oxidized TAGs in the cell increases the chances of several detrimental processes. For this purpose, several liquid chromatography (LC) methods were reported in their analyses. This review is therefore focused on the chemistry, oxidation, extraction, and the LC methods reported in the analyses of oxidized TAGs. The studies on thin-layer chromatography were mostly focused on the total oxidized TAGs separation and employ hexane as major solvent. High-performance LC (HPLC) methods were discussed in details along with their merits and demerits. It was found that most of the HPLC methods employed isocratic elution with methanol and acetonitrile as major solvents with an ultraviolet detector. The coupling of HPLC with mass spectrometry (MS) highly increases the efficiency of analysis as well as enables reliable structural elucidation. The use of MS was found to be helpful in studying the oxidation chemistry of TAGs and needs to be extended to the complex biological systems.     

Classification and identification of bacteria using mass spectrometry-based proteomics

Timely classification and identification of bacteria is of vital importance in many areas of public health. Mass spectrometry-based methods provide an attractive alternative to well-established microbiologic procedures. Mass spectrometry methods can be characterized by the relatively high speed of acquiring taxonomically relevant information. Gel-free mass spectrometry proteomics techniques allow for rapid fingerprinting of bacterial proteins using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry or, for high-throughput sequencing of peptides from protease-digested cellular proteins, using mass analysis of fragments from collision-induced dissociation of peptide ions. The latter technique uses database searching of product ion mass spectra. A database contains a comprehensive list of protein sequences translated from protein-encoding open reading frames found in bacterial genomes. The results of such searches allow the assignment of experimental peptide sequences to matching theoretical bacterial proteomes. Phylogenetic profiles of sequenced peptides are then used to create a matrix of sequence-to-bacterium assignments, which are analyzed using numerical taxonomy tools. The results thereof reveal the relatedness between bacteria, and allow the taxonomic position of an investigated strain to be inferred.     

Ladderane lipid distribution in four genera of anammox bacteria

Intact ladderane phospholipids and core lipids were studied in four species of anaerobic ammonium oxidizing (anammox) bacteria, each representing one of the four known genera. Each species of anammox bacteria contained C(18) and C(20) ladderane fatty acids with either 3 or 5 linearly condensed cyclobutane rings and a ladderane monoether containing a C(20) alkyl moiety with 3 cyclobutane rings. The presence of ladderane lipids in all four anammox species is consistent with their putative physiological role to provide a dense membrane around the anammoxosome, the postulated site of anammox catabolism. In contrast to the core lipids, large variations were observed in the distribution of ladderane phospholipids, i.e. different combinations of hydrophobic tail (ladderane, straight chain and methyl branched fatty acid) types attached to the glycerol backbone sn-1 position, in combination with different types of polar headgroup (phosphocholine, phosphoethanolamine or phosphoglycerol) attached to the sn-3 position. Intact ladderane lipids made up a high percentage of the lipid content in the cells of "Candidatus Kuenenia stuttgartiensis", suggesting that ladderane lipids are also present in membranes other than the anammoxosome. Finally, all four investigated species contained a C(27) hopanoid ketone and bacteriohopanetetrol, which, indicates that hopanoids are anaerobically synthesised by anammox bacteria.     

Quantification of seminolipid by LC-ESI-MS/MS-multiple reaction monitoring: compensatory levels in Cgt mice

Seminolipid, also known as sulfogalactosylglycerolipid (SGG), plays important roles in male reproduction. Therefore, an accurate and sensitive method for SGG quantification in testes and sperm is needed. Here we compare SGG quantitation by the traditional colorimetric Azure A assay with LC-ESI-MS/MS using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). Inclusion of deuterated SGG as the internal standard endowed accuracy to the MRM method. The results showed reasonable agreement between the two procedures for purified samples, but for crude lipid extracts, the colorimetric assay significantly overestimated the SGG content. Using ESI-MS/MS MRM, C16:0-alkyl/C16:0-acyl SGG of Cgt^+/− mice was quantified to be 406.06 ± 23.63 μg/g testis and 0.13 ± 0.02 μg/million sperm, corresponding to 78% and 87% of the wild-type values, respectively. CGT (ceramide galactosyltransferase) is a critical enzyme in the SGG biosynthesis pathway. Cgt^−/− males depleted of SGG are infertile due to spermatogenesis arrest. However, Cgt^+/− males sire offspring. The higher than 50% expression level of SGG in Cgt^+/− animals, compared with the wild-type expression, might be partly due to compensatory translation of the active CGT enzyme. The results also indicated that 78% of SGG levels in Cgt^+/− mice were sufficient for normal spermatogenesis.     

Detection and quantification of (R) and (S)-dechloroethylifosfamide metabolites in plasma from children by enantioselective LC/MS/MS

Ifosfamide (IF), a potent chemotherapeutic agent for solid tumors, is known to cause high rates of nephrotoxicity in children with cancer, which is most likely due to the renal production of the metabolite chloroacetaldehyde. Using plasma samples obtained from pediatric oncology patients, we developed a simple nonderivatizing enantioselective liquid chromatography mass spectrometry method to detect the (R) and (S)-2- and 3-dechloroethylifosfamide metabolites. The (R) and (S)-enantiomers of the 2- and 3-DCEIF (N-3-dechlroethylifosfamide) were detectable in all 22 patients' samples with levels ranging from 9.9 to 238.7 ng/ml for (R)-2-DCEIF, 15.8 to 663.0 ng/ml for (S)-2-DCEIF, 20.8 to 852.8 ng/l for (R)-3-DCEIF and 28.0 to 862.0 ng/ml for (S)-3-DCEIF. In addition, the lower limit of quantification for this method is 1 ng/ml. Future studies should concentrate on (R) or (S) production of the 2-DCEIF and 3-DCEIF and subsequently chloroacetaldehyde formation with the aim of considering the administration of only the (R)-IF as its metabolism results in a lower production of chloroacetaldehyde.     

Rapid analysis of naphthalene and its metabolites in biological systems: Determination by high-performance liquid chromatography/fluorescence detection and by plasma desorption/chemical ionizations mass spectometry

A rapid procedure for the determination of naphthalene and its metabolites in bile of rainbow trout and mice is described. The integrated analytical techniques combine high-performance liquid chromatography/ultraviolet fluorescence detection and plasma desotption/chemical ionization mass spectrometry for identification and quantitation. After separation by reverse-phase liquid chromatography, naphthalene and its metablolites are detected and quantitated by ultraviolet fluoresence spectometry. Identification of two metabolites is confirmed by mass spectometry. A direct insertion probe tip for a conventional chemical ionization mass spectometer was modified to obtain spectra of thermally labile compounds. A spectrum of less than 100 ng of naphthyl glucuronide, a labile glucuronic acid conjugate of 1-naphthol, was obtained with this system.     

An analytical and structural database provides a strategy for sequencing O-glycans from microgram quantities of glycoproteins

A sensitive, rapid, quantitative strategy has been developed for O-glycan analysis. A structural database has been constructed that currently contains analytical parameters for more than 50 glycans, enabling identification of O-glycans at the subpicomole level. The database contains the structure, molecular weight, and both normal and reversed-phase HPLC elution positions for each glycan. These observed parameters reflect the mass, three-dimensional shape, and hydrophobicity of the glycans and, therefore, provide information relating to linkage and arm specificity as well as monosaccharide composition. Initially the database was constructed by analyzing glycans released by mild hydrazinolysis from bovine serum fetuin, synthetic glycopeptides, human glycophorin A, and serum IgA1. The structures of the fluorescently labeled sugars were determined from a combination of HPLC data, mass spectrometric composition and mass fragmentation data, and exoglycosidase digestions. This approach was then applied to human neutrophil gelatinase B and secretory IgA, where 18 and 25 O-glycans were identified, respectively, and the parameters of these glycans were added to the database. This approach provides a basis for the analysis of subpicomole quantities of O-glycans from normal levels of natural glycoproteins.     

LC-MS对奥马珠单抗与其生物类似物CMAB007的分析与结构特征

哮喘是当今世界威胁公共健康的最主要的慢性肺部疾病,作为治疗中重度和难治性哮喘的特效药奥马珠单抗治疗费用相对昂贵,生物类似药CMAB007的研制可以降低治疗费用。本研究用质谱分析一种奥马珠单抗生物类似药CMAB007与原研药的一致性,分别从氨基酸分析、肽图、N/C端序列,还原质谱,寡糖含量,N糖分析等层面对CMAB007和奥马珠单抗进行了系统的比对研究,为进一步临床研究打下基础。结果表明CMAB007和奥马珠单抗氨基酸序列一致,赖氨酸剪切也基本一致,带唾液酸修饰糖形和带核心岩藻糖形比例相近,高甘露糖形比例差异不大,CMAB007略低于奥马珠单抗。因此CMAB007满足生物类似药在结构比对上一致性的要求,有望成为国内首先上市的重组抗人Ig E单克隆抗体药物。     

Rapid measurement of plasma free fatty acid concentration and isotopic enrichment using LC/MS

Measurements of plasma free fatty acids (FFA) concentration and isotopic enrichment are commonly used to evaluate FFA metabolism. Until now, gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS) was the best method to measure isotopic enrichment in the methyl derivatives of ¹³C-labeled fatty acids. Although IRMS is excellent for analyzing enrichment, it requires time-consuming derivatization steps and is not optimal for measuring FFA concentrations. We developed a new, rapid, and reliable method for simultaneous quantification of ¹³C-labeled fatty acids in plasma using high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS). This method involves a very quick Dole extraction procedure and direct injection of the samples on the HPLC system. After chromatographic separation, the samples are directed to the mass spectrometer for electrospray ionization (ESI) and analysis in the negative mode using single ion monitoring. By employing equipment with two columns connected parallel to a mass spectrometer, we can double the throughput to the mass spectrometer, reducing the analysis time per sample to 5 min. Palmitate flux measured using this approach agreed well with the GC/C/IRMS method. This HPLC/MS method provides accurate and precise measures of FFA concentration and enrichment.     

Possible Evidence of Contamination by Catechins in Deconjugation Enzymes from Helix pomatia and Abalone entrails

β-Glucuronidase and sulfatase are the major deconjugating enzymes used in the cleavage of the glucuronate and sulfate moieties, respectively, from certain conjugated food factors including polyphenols. In the present study, we found that compounds having the same molecular weights as catechins were present in Helix pomatia- and/or Abalone entrails-derived β-glucuronidase and sulfatase by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with multiple reaction monitoring methods. On the other hand, the same molecular weights as catechins were undetectable in Escherichia coli-derived β-glucuronidase and Aerobacter aerogenes-derived sulfatase. By high performance liquid chromatography, enzyme-derived catechins were not detected because of approximately 1,000-fold lower sensitivity as compared to LC-MS/MS. These results suggest that the catechins in these enzymes might be attributed to the diets of the organisms as the enzyme sources.     

Isolation and characterization of a tetrasialoganglioside from mouse brain, containing 9-O-acetyl,N-acetylneuraminic acid

A new ganglioside, containing an alkali-labile linkage, was extracted from mouse brain and purified. It represents 3.6% of total lipid-bound sialic acid in the tissue and was obtained in pure form with a yield of about 35%. It contains sphingosine, glucose, galactose, N-acetylgalactosamine and sialic acid in the molar ratio 1:1:2:1:4 and, upon exhaustive sialidase treatment gives the monosialoganglioside GM1. Partial acid hydrolysis, methylation analysis, gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and chromium trioxide oxidation studies showed its basic neutral glycosphingolipid core to be ganglio-N-tetraose-ceramide. Three of the four sialic acid residues are N-acetylneuraminic acid and one, as shown by gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, is 9-O-acetyl,N-acetylneuraminic acid, which contains the alkali labile linkage. 9-O-acetyl,N-acetylneuraminic acid is -ketosidically linked to position 8 of the N-acetylneuraminic acid residue bound to position 3 of the internal galactose. The other two N-acetylneuraminic acid residues form a disialosyl residue linked to position 3 of external galactose. The complete structure of the studied ganglioside is as follows: NeuAc2–8NeuAc2–3Galβ1–3GalNAcβ1–4(9-O-Ac-NeuAca2–8NeuAc2-1′-N-acylsphingosine, and it can be considered as a derivative of the tetrasialoganglioside GQ1b.