Bioelectrochemical transformation of nicotinic acid into 6-hydroxynicotinic acid on Pseudomonas fluorescens TN5-immobilized column electrolytic flow system

Pseudomonas fluorescens TN5 catalyzes the hydroxylation of nicotinic acid (NA) into 6-hydroxynicotinic acid (6HNA), an important compound as a starting material for the synthesis of a new type of pesticides. Under aerobic conditions, however, 6HNA is metabolized in the P. fluorescens cells. The use of Fe(CN)₆³⁻ as an extracellular electron acceptor enhances the biotransformation of NA into 6HNA and completely suppresses the subsequent oxidation of 6HNA. The function of the P. fluorescens cell was combined with the electrode process by immobilizing the P. fluorescens cells on the carbon fiber electrode surface in the column, where Fe(CN)₆³⁻ was used as an electron transfer mediator. Continuous-flow electrolysis of NA in the presence of Fe(CN)₆³⁻ at the P. fluorescens-immobilized column electrode realized the accelerated and complete transformation of NA into 6HNA without any by-product.     

恶臭假单胞菌NA-1菌体培养转化和静息细胞转化联合工艺生产6-羟基烟酸研究

现有微生物羟基化烟酸采用的是静息细胞转化工艺。但研究揭示,恶臭假单胞菌NA-1(Pseudomonas putidaNA-1)在培养过程中不降解发酵液中由诱导剂烟酸转化形成的6-羟基烟酸,这是由于烟酸的存在抑制了羟基烟酸降解酶的作用,而不是因为细胞停止生长不利用羟基烟酸的缘故。因而尝试利用菌体诱导培养过程进行烟酸转化生产,建立了一种新的生产工艺,即菌体培养转化和静息细胞转化联合工艺。该工艺在恶臭假单胞菌NA-1培养过程中持续补充烟酸以维持1%(W/V)浓度,使烟酸被生长细胞转化为羟基化烟酸并在发酵液中线性积累,而不被进一步降解;培养转化结束后,发酵液中的静息细胞依然拥有很高的羟基化酶活力,能够再次用于转化反应。该联合转化工艺与传统的静息细胞转化工艺相比,不仅节约了诱导剂烟酸,而且6-羟基烟酸的产量提高了65%。     

A high throughput mechanical screening device for cartilage tissue engineering

Articular cartilage enables efficient and near-frictionless load transmission, but suffers from poor inherent healing capacity. As such, cartilage tissue engineering strategies have focused on mimicking both compositional and mechanical properties of native tissue in order to provide effective repair materials for the treatment of damaged or degenerated joint surfaces. However, given the large number design parameters available (e.g. cell sources, scaffold designs, and growth factors), it is difficult to conduct combinatorial experiments of engineered cartilage. This is particularly exacerbated when mechanical properties are a primary outcome, given the long time required for testing of individual samples. High throughput screening is utilized widely in the pharmaceutical industry to rapidly and cost-effectively assess the effects of thousands of compounds for therapeutic discovery. Here we adapted this approach to develop a high throughput mechanical screening (HTMS) system capable of measuring the mechanical properties of up to 48 materials simultaneously. The HTMS device was validated by testing various biomaterials and engineered cartilage constructs and by comparing the HTMS results to those derived from conventional single sample compression tests. Further evaluation showed that the HTMS system was capable of distinguishing and identifying ‘hits’, or factors that influence the degree of tissue maturation. Future iterations of this device will focus on reducing data variability, increasing force sensitivity and range, as well as scaling-up to even larger (96-well) formats. This HTMS device provides a novel tool for cartilage tissue engineering, freeing experimental design from the limitations of mechanical testing throughput.     

全细胞高通量筛选a-氨基酸酯水解酶突变体的方法

【目的】建立高效敏感的高通量筛选方法,用于筛选头孢克洛合成活性提高或热稳定性提高的a-氨基酸酯水解酶。【方法】根据头孢克洛在碱性条件下水解生成的衍生物在340 nm处有特征吸收峰的原理,制作出标准曲线。采用全细胞96孔板紫外分光光度法高通量测定a-氨基酸酯水解酶突变体的头孢克洛合成活性。【结果】头孢克洛含量与△A340?405在0.1?0.6×10?3 mol/L浓度范围内有良好的线性关系, 服从朗伯-比尔定律, 平均回收率为99.8%?101.3％。一轮定点饱和突变产生的2 300个克隆经该方法的筛选, 获得3株kcat提高40%以上, 4株半失活温度较野生型提高5 °C以上的突变体酶。【结论】该方法准确可靠,每天筛选量可达到2 000个反应, 达到高通量筛选要求。     

Microplate filtration assay for nicotinamide release from NAD using a boronic acid resin

We describe a microplate-based assay for NAD-dependent Class III histone deacetylases (also known as SIRTs) that measures the enzyme-catalyzed release of nicotinamide from radiolabeled NAD, using a boronic acid resin to selectively capture the NAD. This method avoids the need for fluorogenic or radiolabeled peptides or separation of the reaction products using solvent extraction. The protocol reported here is rapid and uses commercially available materials. The use of a simple microplate filtration device allows for the simultaneous processing of 96 samples, facilitating enzyme kinetic analyses and inhibition studies. Furthermore, monitoring nicotinamide release rather than peptide deacetylation obviates the need for chemical modification of protein and peptide substrates. This assay is applicable to SIRTs and other enzymes that cleave nicotinamide from NAD.     

An image-based assay for high throughput screening of Giardia lamblia

Giardia lamblia is a protozoan parasite that causes widespread gastrointestinal illness. Drugs to treat giardiasis are limited, but efforts to discover new anti-giardial compounds are constrained by the lack of a facile system for cell culture and inhibitor testing. We achieved robust and reproducible growth of G. lamblia in 384-well tissue culture plates in a modified TYI-S-33 medium. A high throughput assay for the screening of potential anti-giardial compounds was developed utilizing the WB strain of G. lamblia and automated optical detection of parasites after growth with tested inhibitors. We screened a library of 1600 known bioactive molecules and identified 12 compounds that inhibited growth of G. lamblia at low- or sub-micromolar concentrations. Our high throughput assay should facilitate evaluation of available chemical libraries for novel drugs to treat giardiasis.     

Substrate independent ATPase activity may complicate high throughput screening

Inorganic phosphate release, [Pi], is often measured in an enzymatic reaction in a high throughput setting. Based on the published mechanism, we designed a protocol for our screening for inhibitors of SAICAR synthetase (PurC), and we found a gradual increase in [Pi] in positive control samples over the course of the day. Further investigation indicated that hydrolysis of ATP catalyzed by PurC, rather than substrate-related phosphate release, was responsible for a partial contribution to the signals in the control samples. Thus substrate-independent ATPase activity may complicate high throughput screening.     

睾酮丛毛单胞菌JA1菌株羟基化烟酸产生6-羟基烟酸的发酵产酶条件研究

睾酮丛毛单胞菌Comamonas testosteroni JA1是一株具有氰基吡啶羟基化酶活性的菌株,研究表明它还具有很高的烟酸羟基化酶的活性,是未报道过的具有烟酸羟基化酶活性的新菌种。该菌最适生长和产酶的碳源为1%葡萄糖、氮源为1%蛋白胨、诱导物为1%烟酸,此外,它的发酵条件优越,在温度25~37℃、初始pH6.5~7.0、装液量(100mL锥形瓶)10mL~40mL范围内,产酶能力均保持很高水平,很具有工业化生产应用的前景。     

Virtual screening of carboxylic acid reductases for biocatalytic synthesis of 6-aminocaproic acid and 1,6-hexamethylenediamine

The key precursors for nylon synthesis, that is, 6-aminocaproic acid (6-ACA) and 1,6-hexamethylenediamine (HMD), are produced from petroleum-based feedstocks. A sustainable biocatalytic alternative method from bio-based adipic acid has been demonstrated recently. However, the low efficiency and specificity of carboxylic acid reductases (CARs) used in the process hampers its further application. Herein, we describe a highly accurate protein structure prediction-based virtual screening method for the discovery of new CARs, which relies on near attack conformation frequency and the Rosetta Energy Score. Through virtual screening and functional detection, five new CARs were selected, each with a broad substrate scope and the highest activities toward various di- and ω-aminated carboxylic acids. Compared with the reported CARs, KiCAR was highly specific with regard to adipic acid without detectable activity to 6-ACA, indicating a potential for 6-ACA biosynthesis. In addition, MabCAR3 had a lower K_m with regard to 6-ACA than the previously validated CAR MAB4714, resulting in twice conversion in the enzymatic cascade synthesis of HMD. The present work highlights the use of structure-based virtual screening for the rapid discovery of pertinent new biocatalysts.     

Adaptation to high throughput batch chromatography enhances multivariate screening

High throughput process development offers unique approaches to explore complex process design spaces with relatively low material consumption. Batch chromatography is one technique that can be used to screen chromatographic conditions in a 96‐well plate. Typical batch chromatography workflows examine variations in buffer conditions or comparison of multiple resins in a given process, as opposed to the assessment of protein loading conditions in combination with other factors. A modification to the batch chromatography paradigm is described here where experimental planning, programming, and a staggered loading approach increase the multivariate space that can be explored with a liquid handling system. The iterative batch chromatography (IBC) approach is described, which treats every well in a 96‐well plate as an individual experiment, wherein protein loading conditions can be varied alongside other factors such as wash and elution buffer conditions. As all of these factors are explored in the same experiment, the interactions between them are characterized and the number of follow‐up confirmatory experiments is reduced. This in turn improves statistical power and throughput. Two examples of the IBC method are shown and the impact of the load conditions are assessed in combination with the other factors explored.