Assembly of graphene oxide‐formate dehydrogenase composites by nickel‐coordination with enhanced stability and reusability

Featuring unique planar structure, large surface area and biocompatibility, graphene oxide (GO) has been widely taken as an ideal scaffold for the immobilization of various enzymes. In this regard, nickel‐coordinated graphene oxide composites (GO‐Ni) were prepared as novel supporters for the immobilization of formate dehydrogenase. The catalytic activity, stability and morphology were studied. Compared with GO, the enzyme loading capacity of GO‐Ni was enhanced by 5.2‐fold, besides the immobilized enzyme GO‐Ni‐FDH exhibited better thermostability, storage stability and reuse stability than GO‐FDH. GO‐Ni‐FDH retained 40.9% of its initial activity after 3 h at 60°C, and retained 31.4% of its initial relative activity after 20 days’ storage at 4°C. After eight times usages, GO‐Ni‐FDH maintained 63.8% of its initial activity. Mechanism insights of the multiple interactions of enzyme with the GO‐Ni were studied, considering coordination bonds, hydrogen bonds, electrostatic forces, coordination bonds, and etc. A practical and simple immobilization strategy by metal ions coordination for multimeric dehydrogenase was developed.     

One-Pot Purification and Immobilization of Phenylalanine Dehydrogenase from Bacillus nanhaiensi by Functional Reduced Graphene Oxide

Marine Biotechnology - The one-pot immobilization of halophilic phenylalanine dehydrogenase from marine microorganism with metal ions modified reduced graphene oxide (CRGO) material was studied....     

Glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase encapsulated in silica‐based hydrogels for operation in a microreactor

The future of hydrogen as fuel strongly depends on the possibility to produce it in an economic and clean way. Hydrogen can be produced from carbohydrates and water under mild conditions by means of a multistep synthetic pathway (13 enzymes) with very high yield. Crossover inhibitions and different optimal conditions of involved enzymes hinder the use of one‐pot approach. Immobilization of enzymes in coupled individual reactors may avoid this problem. This work deals with the immobilization in silica‐based hydrogels of one key enzyme of this pathway: glucose 6‐phosphate dehydrogenase from Leuconostoc mesenteroides. The carriers were prepared with an ethylene glycol‐modified silane, two polymers (polyethylene oxide and Pluronic®) and amino groups created by 3‐aminopropyltriethoxysilane. These parameters influenced the enzymatic activity after immobilization. Gels prepared by addition of polyethylene oxide gave the best results and were used as monoliths in microreactors with two different geometries. The systems showed a high operational stability but a low effective enzyme activity. Enzyme leaching and a nonideal flow pattern may account for the low activity observed. This work is possibly the first one dealing with the immobilization of glucose 6‐phosphate dehydrogenase in silica‐based gels for its application in flow‐through microreactors.     

Recent advances in nano-carrier immobilized enzymes and their applications

Enzymes have been widely used because of their catalytic properties, and immobilization is a promising technique to improve their catalytic activity and stability. Due to their large specific surface areas, exceptional chemical, mechanical, thermal and cost effective characteristics, nanomaterials should be ideal carriers for the immobilization of enzymes. Enzymes immobilized on nano-carriers are more robust and stable, and can be recycled and reused. This review focuses on the nanomaterial immobilized enzymes and their applications. The introduction addresses the advantages of immobilized enzymes and the features of enzyme immobilization nanocarriers. The next section covers carbonaceous nanomaterials used in enzymes immobilization, with subsections on carbon nanotube, graphene, graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide. The third section treats metallic nanomaterials for enzymes immobilization, with subsections on metal (gold), metal oxide (titanium dioxide, zinc oxide) and metal hydroxide (layered double hydroxide) nanomaterials. Then, the next section summarizes the applications of nanomaterial immobilized enzymes. A concluding section discusses the challenges and prospects of nanomaterial immobilized enzymes.     

An amperometric lactate biosensor based on lactate dehydrogenase immobilized onto graphene oxide nanoparticles‐modified pencil graphite electrode

A novel amperometric lactate biosensor was developed based on immobilization of lactate dehydrogenase onto graphene oxide nanoparticles‐decorated pencil graphite electrode. The enzyme electrode was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and cyclic voltammetry at different stages of its construction. The biosensor showed optimum response within 5 s at pH 7.3 (0.1 M sodium phosphate buffer) and 35°C, when operated at 0.7 V. The biosensor exhibited excellent sensitivity (detection limit as low as 0.1 μM), fast response time (5 s), and wider linear range (5–50 mM). Analytical recovery of added lactic acid in serum was between 95.81–97.87% and within‐batch and between‐batch coefficients of variation were 5.04 and 5.40%, respectively. There was a good correlation between serum lactate values obtained by standard colorimetric method and the present biosensor (r = 0.99). The biosensor measured lactate levels in sera of apparently healthy subjects and persons suffering from lactate acidosis and other biological materials (milk, curd, yogurt, beer, white wine, and red wine). The enzyme electrode lost 25% of its initial activity after 60 days of its regular uses, when stored dry at 4°C.     

Isolation and Properties of an α-Amylase Inhibitor (0.53) from Wheat (Triticum aestivum)

A droplet gel-entrapping method used for enzyme immobilization was improved to simplify the procedure and to increase the enzyme stability. This immobilization technique is suitable for coupled enzyme reactions requiring cofactors. Leucine dehydrogenase (LeuDH) and formate dehydrogenase (FDH) were freeze-dried with bovine serum albumin, dextrin and stabilizers. The freeze-dried enzyme powder was suspended in a methylcellosolve solution containing polyethyleneglycol(#4000)diacrylate, N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide and 2-hydroxyethylacrylate, and the suspension was gelled with initiators. The gel was cut up and the pieces were washed in a buffer to remove the methylcellosolve and the dextrin inside. The maximum conversion ratio for a LeuDH-FDH gel column was determined to be 99.8% by means of the recycling reaction. On longterm operation at 30 °C for leucine production, the initial conversion ratio (7.2%) gradually decreased to 6.6% over the first 10 days. However, the conversion ratio remained almost constant after the 10th day. The effects of flow rate, temperature, pH, and the concentrations of formate, α- ketoisocaproate, ammonium and NAD on the leucine productivity with the gel column were also investigated.     

Reversible immobilization of tyrosinase onto polyethyleneimine-grafted and Cu(II) chelated poly(HEMA-co-GMA) reactive membranes

The present study describes the preparation of poly(HEMA-co-GMA) reactive membranes that were grafted with polyethylenimine (PEI) following UV photo-polymerization. The immobilization of tyrosinase was carried out via multi-point ionic interactions based on ---NH₂ groups of PEI and Cu(II) ions. Tyrosinase is a copper-dependent enzyme, which should show a binding affinity for the chelated Cu(II) ions on the membrane surfaces. The tyrosinase immobilization was positively correlated with the input enzyme amount in the immobilization medium. The maximum tyrosinase immobilization capacities of the poly(HEMA-co-GMA)–PEI and poly(HEMA-co-GMA)–PEI–Cu(II) membranes were 19.3 and 24.6 mg/m², respectively. The enzyme activity when assessed at various pH and temperatures gave broader range for immobilized preparations when compared to free enzyme. The poly(HEMA-co-GMA)–PEI–Cu(II) tyrosinase membranes retained 82% of their initial activity at the end of 120 h of continuous reaction. Moreover, upon storage for 3 months the activity of the immobilized membranes retained 46% of their initial levels. After deactivation of the enzyme, the poly(HEMA-co-GMA)–PEI membrane was easily regenerated, re-chelated with the Cu(II) ions and reloaded with the enzyme for repeated use. The mild immobilization conditions, easy and rapid membrane preparation, one-step enzyme adsorption at substantially higher levels and membrane reusability are the beneficial properties of such systems and offers promising potential in several biochemical processes.     

Characterization of a thermally stable and organic solvent-adaptative NAD+ -dependent formate dehydrogenase from Bacillus sp. F1

Aims: To characterize a robust NAD⁺‐dependent formate dehydrogenase firstly obtained from a nonmethylotroph, Bacillus sp. F1. Methods and Results: The Bacillus sp. F1 NAD⁺‐dependent formate dehydrogenase (BacFDH) gene was cloned by TAIL‐PCR and heterologous expressed in Escherichia coli. BacFDH was stable at temperatures below 55°C, and the half‐life at 60°C was determined as 52·9 min. This enzyme also showed a broad pH stability and retained more than 80% of the activities after incubating in buffers with different pH ranging from 4·5 to 10·5 for 1 h. The activity of BacFDH was significantly enhanced by some metal ions. Moreover, BacFDH exhibited high tolerance to 20% dimethyl sulfoxide, 60% acetone, 10% methanol, 20% ethanol, 60% isopropanol and 20% n‐hexane. Like other FDHs, BacFDH displayed strict substrate specificity for formate. Conclusion: We isolated a robust formate dehydrogenase, designated as BacFDH, which showed excellent thermal stability, organic solvent stability and a broad pH stability. Significance and Impact of the Study: The multi‐aspect stability makes BacFDH a competitive candidate for coenzyme regeneration in practical applications of chiral chemicals and pharmaceuticals synthesis with a relatively low cost, especially for the catalysis performed in extreme pH conditions and organic solvents.     

Multiscale Graphene‐Based Materials for Applications in Sodium Ion Batteries

Scrupulous design and smart hybridization of bespoke electrode materials are of great importance for the advancement of sodium ion batteries (SIBs). Graphene‐based nanocomposites are regarded as one of the most promising electrode materials for SIBs due to the outstanding physicochemical properties of graphene and positive synergetic effects between graphene and the introduced active phase. In this review, the recent progress in graphene‐based electrode materials for SIBs with an emphasis on the electrode design principle, different preparation methods, and mechanism, characterization, synergistic effects, and their detailed electrochemical performance is summarized. General design rules for fabrication of advanced SIB materials are also proposed. Additionally, the merits and drawbacks of different fabrication methods for graphene‐based materials are briefly discussed and summarized. Furthermore, multiscale forms of graphene are evaluated to optimize electrochemical performance of SIBs, ranging from 0D graphene quantum dots, 2D vertical graphene and reduced graphene oxide sheets, to 3D graphene aerogel and graphene foam networks. To conclude, the challenges and future perspectives on the development of graphene‐based materials for SIBs are also presented.     

Coupled reactions on bioparticles: Stereoselective reduction with cofactor regeneration on PhaC inclusion bodies

Chiral alcohols are important building blocks for specialty chemicals and pharmaceuticals. The production of chiral alcohols from ketones can be carried out stereo selectively with alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs). To establish a process for cost‐effective enzyme immobilization on solid phase for application in ketone reduction, we used an established enzyme pair consisting of ADH from Rhodococcus erythropolis and formate dehydrogenase (FDH) from Candida boidinii for NADH cofactor regeneration and co‐immobilized them on modified poly‐p‐hydroxybutyrate synthase (PhaC)‐inclusion bodies that were recombinantly produced in Escherichia coli cells. After separate production of genetically engineered and recombinantly produced enzymes and particles, cell lysates were combined and enzymes endowed with a Kcoil were captured on the surface of the Ecoil presenting particles due to coiled‐coil interaction. Enzyme‐loaded particles could be easily purified by centrifugation. Total conversion of 4'‐chloroacetophenone to (S)‐4‐chloro‐α‐methylbenzyl alcohol could be accomplished using enzyme‐loaded particles, catalytic amounts of NAD⁺ and formate as substrates for FDH. Chiral GC‐MS analysis revealed that immobilized ADH retained enantioselectivity with 99 % enantiomeric excess. In conclusion, this strategy may become a cost‐effective alternative to coupled reactions using purified enzymes.     

Towards cell‐free isobutanol production: Development of a novel immobilized enzyme system

Producing fuels and chemical intermediates with cell cultures is severely limited by low product concentrations (≤0.2%(v/v)) due to feedback inhibition, cell instability, and lack of economical product recovery processes. We have developed an alternate simplified production scheme based on a cell‐free immobilized enzyme system. Two immobilized enzymes (keto‐acid decarboxylase (KdcA) and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH)) and one enzyme in solution (formate dehydrogenase (FDH) for NADH recycle) produced isobutanol titers 8 to 20 times higher than the highest reported titers with S. cerevisiae on a mol/mol basis. These high conversion rates and low protein leaching were achieved by covalent immobilization of enzymes (ADH) and enzyme fusions (fKdcA) on methacrylate resin. The new enzyme system without in situ removal of isobutanol achieved a 55% conversion of ketoisovaleric acid to isobutanol at a concentration of 0.135 (mole isobutanol produced for each mole ketoisovaleric acid consumed). Further increasing titer will require continuous removal of the isobutanol using an in situ recovery system. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 32:66–73, 2016     

Reduced graphene oxide/PAMAM-silver nanoparticles nanocomposite modified electrode for direct electrochemistry of glucose oxidase and glucose sensing

Reduced graphene oxide/PAMAM-silver nanoparticles nanocomposite (RGO-PAMAM-Ag) was synthesized by self-assembly of carboxyl-terminated PAMAM dendrimer (PAMAM-G3.5) on graphene oxide (GO) as growing template, and in-situ reduction of both AgNO(3) and GO under microwave irradiation. The RGO-PAMAM-Ag nanocomposite was used as a novel immobilization matrix for glucose oxidase (GOD) and exhibited excellent direct electron transfer properties for GOD with the rate constant (K(s)) of 8.59 s(-1). The fabricated glucose biosensor based on GOD electrode modified with RGO-PAMAM-Ag nanocomposite displayed satisfactory analytical performance including high sensitivity (75.72 μA mM(-1) cm(-2)), low detection limit (4.5 μM), an acceptable linear range from 0.032 mM to 1.89 mM, and also preventing the interference of some interfering species usually coexisting with glucose in human blood at the work potential of -0.25 V. These results indicated that RGO-PAMAM-Ag nanocomposite is a promising candidate material for high-performance glucose biosensors.     

Creation of 3D Textured Graphene/Si Schottky Junction Photocathode for Enhanced Photo‐Electrochemical Efficiency and Stability

This work presents a novel photo‐electrochemical architecture based on the 3D pyramid‐like graphene/p‐Si Schottky junctions. Overcoming the conventional transfer technique by which only planar graphene/Si Schottky junctions are currently available, this work demonstrates the 3D pyramid‐like graphene/p‐Si Schottky junction photocathode, which greatly enhances light harvesting efficiency and exhibits promising photo‐electrochemical performance for hydrogen generation. The formation of 3D pyramid‐like graphene/p‐Si Schottky junctions exhibits enhanced electrochemical activity and promotes charge separation efficiency compared with the bare pyramid Si surface without graphene. The inherent chemical inertness of graphene significantly improves the operational stability of 3D graphene/p‐Si Schottky junction photo‐electrochemical cells. The 3D pyramid‐like graphene/p‐Si Schottky junction photocathode delivers an onset potential of 0.41 V and a saturated photocurrent density of ?32.5 mA cm^?2 at 0 V (vs RHE) with excellent stability comparable to values reported for textured or nanostructured p‐Si photocathodes coated with ultrathin oxide layers by the conventional atomic layer deposition technique. These results suggest that the formation of graphene/Si Schottky junctions with a 3D architecture is a promising approach to improve the performance and durability of Si‐based photo‐electrochemical systems for water splitting or solar‐to‐fuel conversion.     

A simple electrochemical approach to fabricate a glucose biosensor based on graphene-glucose oxidase biocomposite

We report a simple electrochemical approach for the immobilization of glucose oxidase (GOx) on reduced graphene oxide (RGO). The immobilization of GOx was achieved in a single step without any cross linking agents or modifiers. A simple solution phase approach was used to prepare exfoliated graphene oxide (GO), followed by electrochemical reduction to get RGO-GOx biocomposite. The direct electrochemistry of GOx was revealed at the RGO-GOx modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The electrocatalytic and electroanalytical applications of the proposed film were studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and amperometry. It is notable that the glucose determination has been achieved in mediator-free conditions. RGO-GOx film showed very good stability, reproducibility and high selectivity. The developed biosensor exhibits excellent catalytic activity towards glucose over a wide linear range of 0.1-27mM with a sensitivity of 1.85μAmM(-1)cm(-2). The facile and easy electrochemical approach used for the preparation of RGO-GOx may open up new horizons in the production of cost-effective biosensors and biofuel cells.     

The plant pathogen Pectobacterium atrosepticum contains a functional formate hydrogenlyase‐2 complex

Pectobacterium atrosepticum SCRI1043 is a phytopathogenic Gram‐negative enterobacterium. Genomic analysis has identified that genes required for both respiration and fermentation are expressed under anaerobic conditions. One set of anaerobically expressed genes is predicted to encode an important but poorly understood membrane‐bound enzyme termed formate hydrogenlyase‐2 (FHL‐2), which has fascinating evolutionary links to the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase (Complex I). In this work, molecular genetic and biochemical approaches were taken to establish that FHL‐2 is fully functional in P. atrosepticum and is the major source of molecular hydrogen gas generated by this bacterium. The FHL‐2 complex was shown to comprise a rare example of an active [NiFe]‐hydrogenase‐4 (Hyd‐4) isoenzyme, itself linked to an unusual selenium‐free formate dehydrogenase in the final complex. In addition, further genetic dissection of the genes encoding the predicted membrane arm of FHL‐2 established surprisingly that the majority of genes encoding this domain are not required for physiological hydrogen production activity. Overall, this study presents P. atrosepticum as a new model bacterial system for understanding anaerobic formate and hydrogen metabolism in general, and FHL‐2 function and structure in particular.     

Aptamer-graphene oxide for highly sensitive dual electrochemical detection of Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase

A 90 mer ssDNA aptamer (P38) enriched against Plasmodium falciparum lactate dehydrogenase (PfLDH) through SELEX process was immobilized over glassy carbon electrode (GCE) using graphene oxide (GO) as an immobilization matrix, and the modified electrode was investigated for detection of PfLDH. The GO was synthesized from powdered pencil graphite and characterized by XRD based on the increased interlayer distance between graphitic layers from 0.345 nm for graphite to 0.829 nm for GO. The immobilization of P38 on GO was confirmed by I_D/I_G intensity ratio in Raman spectra where, the ratio were 0.67, 0.915, and 1.35 for graphite, GO and P38-GO, respectively. The formation of the P38 layer over GO-GCE was evident from an increase in the surface height in AFM analysis of the electrode from ∼3.5 nm for GO-GCE to ∼27 nm for P38-GO-GCE. The developed aptasensor when challenged with the target, a detection of as low as 0.5 fM of PfLDH was demonstrated. The specificity of the aptasensor was confirmed through a voltametric measurement at 0.65 V of the reduced co-factor generated from the PfLDH catalysis. Studies on interference from some common proteins, storage stability, repeatability and analysis of real samples demonstrated the practical application potential of the aptasensor.     

Formation of electrochemically reduced graphene oxide on melamine electrografted layers and its application toward the determination of methylxanthines

The current study describes the electrografting of 2,4-diamino-1,3,5-triazine (AT) groups at the surfaces of glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and indium tin oxide (ITO) through in situ diazotization of melamine. The presence of AT groups at the surface of the electrode was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Furthermore, graphene oxide (GO) was self-assembled on AT grafted GCE. The oxygen functional groups present on the surface of GO were electrochemically reduced to form an electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (ERGO) on AT grafted electrode surface. Raman spectra show the characteristic D and G bands at 1340 and 1605 cm⁻¹, respectively, which confirms the successful attachment of GO on AT grafted surface, and the ratio of D and G bands was increased after the electrochemical reduction of GO. EIS shows that the electron transfer reaction of [Fe(CN)₆]^3−/4− was higher at the ERGO modified electrode than at bare, AT grafted, and GO modified GCEs. The electrocatalytic activity of ERGO was investigated toward the oxidation of methylxanthines. It shows excellent electrocatalytic activity toward these methylxanthines by not only shifting their oxidation potentials toward less positive potentials but also enhancing their oxidation currents.     

Biological reduction of graphene oxide using plant leaf extracts

Two‐dimensional graphene has attracted significant attention due to its unique mechanical, electrical, thermal, and optical properties. Most commonly employed methods to chemically reduce graphene oxide to graphene use hydrazine or its derivatives as the reducing agent. However, they are highly hazardous and explosive. Various phytochemicals obtained from different natural sources such as leaves and peels of a plant are used as reducing agents in the preparation of different gold, silver, copper, and platinum nanoparticles. In this study, seven plant leaf extracts (Cherry, Magnolia, Platanus, Persimmon, Pine, Maple, and Ginkgo) were compared for their abilities to reduce graphene oxide. The optimized reaction conditions for the reduction of graphene oxide were determined as follows. Type of plant: Cherry (Prunus serrulata), reaction time: 12 h, composition of the reaction mixture: 16.7% v/v of plant leaf extract in total suspension, and temperature: 95°C. The degree of reduction caused by Cherry leaf extract was analyzed by elemental analysis and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The reduction of graphene oxide was also confirmed by ultraviolet‐visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform‐infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 30:463–469, 2014     

Regulation of formate dehydrogenase activity in Methanococcus thermolithotrophicus.

Methanococcus thermolithotrophicus can use either H2 or formate as the electron donor for methanogenesis from CO2. Resuspended-cell experiments revealed that the ability to use H2 as the source of electrons for methanogenesis was constitutive; cells grown on formate or H2-CO2 were equally capable of H2-CO2 methanogenesis. The ability to metabolize formate at high rates was observed only in cells previously grown on formate. Two such strains were distinguished: strain F and strain HF. Strain F was repeatedly grown exclusively on formate for over 3 years; this strain showed a constitutive capacity to metabolize formate to methane, even after subsequent repeated transfers to medium containing only H2-CO2. Strain HF could only metabolize formate to methane when grown in the presence of formate with no H2 present; this strain was recently derived from another strain (H) that had been exclusively grown on H2-CO2 and which upon initial transfer to formate medium could only metabolize formate to methane at a very slow rate. Initial adaptation of strain H to growth on formate was preceded by a long lag. The specific activities of hydrogenase and formate dehydrogenase in cell extracts derived from these different strains confirmed these findings. Similar levels of hydrogenase were observed in all strains, independent of the presence of H2 in the growth medium medium. High levels of formate dehydrogenase were also constitutive in strain F. Only low formate dehydrogenase activities were observed in strain H. High levels of formate dehydrogenase were observed in strain HF only when these cells were grown with formate in the absence of H2. In all strains the two- to threefold fluctuations of both hydrogenase and formate dehydrogenase cell-free activities were observed during growth, with peak activities reached in the middle of the exponential phase.     

A physiological study of formate dehydrogenase,formate oxidase and hydrogenlyase fromEscherichia coli K-12

Escherichia coli was grown under various culture conditions. Variations in the levels of formate dehydrogenase which reacts with methylene blue (MB) or phenazine methosulfate (PMS) (N enzyme), formate dehydrogenase which reacts with benzyl viologen (BV) (H enzyme), formate oxidase and hydrogenlyase were analyzed. It was observed that formate dehydrogenase N and formate oxidase were induced by nitrate and repressed by oxygen. Synthesis of formate dehydrogenase H and hydrogenlyase was induced by formate and repressed by nitrate and oxygen. Selenite was required for the biosynthesis of formate dehydrogenase H and hydrogenlyase. Activity of both formate oxidase and hydrogenlyase was inhibited by azide and KCN but not by N-heptyl hydroxyquinoline-N-oxide (HOQNO); on the other hand, formate oxidase was extremely sensitive to HOQNO. Data were obtained which suggest that cytochromes are not involved in hydrogen formation from formate. Part of this work was carried out when the senior author was visiting Research Biologist in the Laboratory of Dr. J. A. de Mosss at the University of California, San Diego. Thanks are given to Dr. De Moss for his hospitality and advise and to Dr. Warren Butler of the University of California, San Diego for making available his spectrophotometer to carry out cytochrome analyses. Most of this work was sustained by a grant from the Research Corporation, Brown Hazen Fund and the financial help of the C.O.F.A.A. from the Instituto Politécnico Nacional.