Organic Solvent Tolerance of Escherichia coli Is Independent of OmpF Levels in the Membrane

The organic solvent tolerance of Escherichia coli was measured under conditions in which OmpF levels were controlled by various means as follows: alteration of NaCl concentration in the medium, transformation with a stress-responsive gene (marA, robA, or soxS), or disruption of the ompF gene. It was shown that solvent tolerance of E. coli did not depend upon OmpF levels in the membrane.     

Solvent effect on the stereoselective addition reaction of optically active amines to N-methylphenylalanine N-carboxyanhydride

The effect of solvent on stereoselectivity in the nucleophilic addition reaction of various optically active amines to N-methylphenylalanine N-carboxyanhydride has been investigated. In m-dimethoxybenzene as solvent, (S)-valine, (S)-leucine, and (S)-phenylalanine ethyl esters reacted preferentially with (R)-N-methylphenylalanine N-carboxyanhydride, but the stereoselectivity decreased considerably in nitrobenzene and dimethylacetamide as solvents. In the latter solvents, the dipolar interactions between an amine and an N-carboxyanhydride and the orientation of the substituent of N-carboxyanhydride were seriously affected, hence the stereoselectivity decreased. As a consequence, the enantiomer selection by the terminal amine of a growing chain in the nucleophilic addition-type polymerization of α-amino acid N-carboxyanhydride can be controlled by the choice of solvent. (S)-Proline ethyl ester and (S)-α-phenylethylamine reacted preferentially with (S)-N-methylphenylalanine N-carboxyanhydride in m-dimethoxybenzene, and this type of selectivity did not change in nitrobenzene. But in dimethylacetamide the stereoselectivity decreased. In the transition state of the reaction of these amines and N-methylphenylalanine N-carboxyanhydride dipolar interactions are operating, which should be destroyed by dimethylacetamide but may not be affected by nitrobenzene.     

Stereoselective esterification of dl-menthol by polyurethane-entrapped lipase in organic solvent

Stereospecific esterification of dl-menthol was studied by the use of immobilized lipase in an adequate water-saturated organic solvent system. Lipase from Candida cylindracea immobilized by entrapment with urethane prepolymers and 5-phenylvaleric acid as the acyl donor were chosen based on the stereoselectivity and the yield of l-menthyl ester. Water-saturated cyclohexane or isooctane was found to be the most suitable solvent system. Entrapment significantly enhanced the operational stability of lipase.     

Exploring the potential of some yeast strains in the stereoselective synthesis of aldol reaction products and its reduced 1,3-dialcohol derivatives

The behavior of two yeast strains has been studied under different conditions. Both microorganims catalyzed the aldol reaction between activated aldehydes and acetone when a large amount of the latter was present in the reaction medium producing, with moderate stereoselectivity, the aldol product with the R configuration. No reduction of any of the products present in the medium was detected. On the other hand, the carbonyl group of the racemic aldol was reduced to produce chiral 1,3-dialcohol derivatives when water was employed as the only solvent. In this case, the resolution of the racemic starting material was also possible with one of the biocatalysts, and the aldol was recovered with the S configuration. A complementary enantioselectivity was shown by both microorganisms in the generation of the new stereogenic center, which allowed access to 3 of the 4 possible diastereomeric diols with high enantiomerical purity.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of diastereoisomerically pure N,O-nucleosides

Several N,O-nucleosides have been synthesized in good yields by direct 1,3-dipolar cyclization methodology, in the absence of solvent. A remarkable cis stereoselectivity (de 98%) was observed by tuning the substituents on the nitrone moiety. A good number of these N,O-nucleosides have been evaluated for cytotoxic activity against selected cellular lines. Some of the tested compounds have proven to be potential antiproliferative drugs.     

Stereoselectivity in the nucleophilic addition-type polymerization of α-amino acid N-caboxyanhydride initiated by diastereomeric dipeptide amines

In order to investigate the effect of the chiral penultimate unit on the stereoselection of α-amino acid N-carboxyanhydride (NCA) by the terminal unit of a growing chain in the nucleophilic addition-type polymerization, the diastereomers of dipeptide amines, H-(R)-Phe-(S)-Phe-Mo and H-(S)-Phe-(S)-Phe-Mo, in which Mo represents a morpholine residue, were synthesized, and the stereoselectivity in their nucleophilic addition reactions to NCA was investigated and compared with that of a monopeptide amine H-(S)-Phe-OEt. In the reaction with Phe NCA in nitrobenzene, either of the dipeptide amines reacted preferentially with an enantiomer of NCAs having a configuration opposite to the N-terminal unit of the dipeptide amine. The preference of enantiomeric NCA and the extent of stereoselectivity were nearly the same as those found with H-(S)-PheOEt. The opposite-enantiomer selectivity of the dipeptide amines was also observed in the reaction with N-MePhe NCA, and the extent of stereoselectivity was found to increase very much in the reaction of H-(R)-PHe-(S)-Phe-Mo compared with that of H-(S)-Phe-OEt. Therefore, the enhancement of the stereoselectivity of the N-terminal unit by the penultimate unit was shown experimentally. On the other hand, the stereoselectivity of H-(S)-Phe-(S)-Phe-Mo was not very different from that of H-(S)-Phe-OEt. These results were obtained either in nitrobenze or in m-dimethoxybenzene. H-(S)-Phe-(S)-Phe-OEt tends to aggregate by an intermolecular hydrogen bond in aqueous and tetrahydrofuran solutions. Its pK_a value and nucleophilicity towards NCA were much lower than H-(R)-Phe-(S)-Phe-Mo, which was free from the aggregation under similar conditions. These experimental results suggest that the major product in the polymerization of (RS)-Phe NCA by amine should be an alternating copolymer. However, this prediction was not verified experimentally, and the important contributions from the aggregation and the molecular weight distribution of growing chains were suggested.     

核桃楸叶片中总黄酮的最佳提取工艺研究

利用超声波法对核桃楸叶片中总黄酮的提取工艺进行了研究,在单因素试验的基础上,采用正交试验法,确立最佳提取条件,考察乙醇浓度、提取温度、液料比和提取时间对核桃楸叶片总黄酮提取率的影响。结果表明：超声波法辅助提取核桃楸叶片总黄酮的最适工艺参数是浸提剂乙醇浓度为70%,提取温度为50℃,液料比为20：1,提取时间为20 min,且总黄酮提取率可达4.458%。     

Microwave-assisted enzymatic resolution of (R,S)-2-octanol in ionic liquid

Combination use of microwave irradiation (MW) as heating mode and ionic liquid (IL) as reaction medium in enzymatic resolution of (R,S)-2-octanol with vinyl acetate as the acyl donor through transesterification by Novozym 435 was investigated. A synergistic effect of MW and IL [EMIM][NTf2], which was screened as the best reaction medium for this reaction, on improving enzyme activity and enantioselectivity was observed. The activity and enantioselectivity of Novozym 435 in [EMIM][NTf2] under MW were much higher than that in solvent free system under conventional heating, in solvent free system under MW, and in [EMIM][NTf2] under conventional heating, respectively. A systematic screening and optimization of the reaction parameters in [EMIM][NTf2] under MW were performed. Under the optimum conditions, 50% yield of (S)-2-octanol with 99% enantiomeric excess was obtained in 6 h. Furthermore, increased thermal stability and reusability of Novozym 435 under the combination use of MW and IL condition were also observed.     

Optimizing conditions for cryopreservation of an insect cell line

A cell line (UM-BGE-2) derived from embryos of the cockroach Blattella germanica was frozen to ?196 °C under a variety of conditions and cell viability was assayed after warming. It was found that cell viability was affected by the cooling rate, the warming rate, the controlled cooling endpoint temperature, and the type and concentration of cryoprotectant. The best survival for cells suspended in Grace's tissue culture medium containing 1 M Me₂SO was obtained when cells were cooled at 1 °C/ min to at least ?90 °C before being placed in liquid nitrogen and warmed at more than 900 °C/min. Cultures initiated from these frozen cells produce typical growth curves and appear normal after several passages.     

Modification of the Microenvironment of Enzymes in Organic Solvents. Substitution of Water by Polar Solvents

Enzyme catalysis in water-immiscible organic solvents is strongly influenced by the amount of water present in the reaction mixture. Effects of substitution of part of the water by other polar solvents were studied. In an alcoholysis reaction catalyzed by chymotrypsin deposited on celite, it was possible to exchange half of the water by formamide, ethylene glycol or dimethyl sulfoxide with often increased initial reaction rate. Furthermore, these substitutions caused the suppression of the competing hydrolysis reaction. However, formamide caused enzyme inactivation, and ethylene glycol participated as a reactant in the alcoholysis to some extent, hence dimethyl sulfoxide was considered the best water substitute among the solvents tested. These effects were noted for chymotrypsin catalyzed alcoholysis in several water immiscible solvents and also for interesterification reactions catalyzed by Candida cylindracea lipase on celite. In the latter case a change in the stereoselectivity was observed. At a low water content a high stereoselectivity was observed; when the amount of polar solvent was increased, either by doubling the water content or adding an equal amount of DMSO, the stereoselectivity decreased.     

Fructose 2,6-Bisphosphate Changes in Rat Brain During Ischemia

Brain ischemia was produced by bilateral ligation of the common carotid arteries of spontaneously hypertensive rats. The concentrations of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate and other glycolytic intermediates as well as of pyridine and adenine nucleotides were measured in frozen brain samples. In contrast to the decrease reported in hepatocytes under anoxic conditions, the fructose 2,6-bisphosphate content was increased by 20-30% during the early stages of ischemia. Elevation in fructose 1,6-bisphosphate level and lactate formation followed the rise in fructose 2,6-bisphosphate content, a finding suggesting that this compound plays a key role in the compensatory acceleration of glycolysis under ischemic conditions in vivo.     

The interaction of poly(N5-(3-hydroxypropyl)-L-glutamine) with solvent components in water/dioxane mixtures.

The preferential binding of solvent components with a nonionic homopolypeptide, poly(N⁵-(3-hydroxypropyl)-L -glutamine), ([Gln((CH₂)₃OH)]_n), has been determined in water/dioxane mixtures using differential refractometry. The degree of preferential binding was calculated from the difference between the refractive index increments of [Gln((CH₂)₃OH)]_n obtained from experiments carried out under two conditions: experiments where the molality of dioxane was kept identical in both compartments of the differential cell, and experiments where the chemical potential was kept identical. The polypeptide was preferentially hydrated between 10 and 70 wt % of dioxane; the amount of preferential hydration per gram of the mixed solvent increases monotonically (with a plateau region between 40 and 60 wt %) with the dioxane concentration. A monotonic increase was also observed in the degree of helicity of the polypeptide. The absolute amounts of water and dioxane bound by [Gln((CH₂)₃OH)]_n were investigated in the frozen state by the method of nuclear magnetic resonance. Hydration was measured using a mixed solvent, water/dioxane-d₈; dioxane solvation was measured using a mixed solvent, dioxane/D₂O. The polypeptide binds about 0.35 g of water per g of the polymer in aqueous solution, and hydration decreases gradually with an increase in dioxane concentration. On the other hand, the amount of dioxane solvation increases to 0.04 g per g of the polymer in the dioxane concentration range between 0 and 20 wt %, and then levels off. The rapid increase in solvation is observed before the conformational transition from random coil to α-helix occurs in [Gln((CH₂)₃OH)]_n. The dependence of the preferential and absolute binding of solvent components to [Gln((CH₂)₃OH)]_n on dioxane concentration and the conformational change in the homopolypeptide suggest that addition of dioxane to aqueous solutions induces lowering of water activity and that the helical structure of the polypeptide is enhanced by the formation of intrachain hydrogen bonds. The validity of the frozen method is also discussed.     

Growth Characteristics, Bile Sensitivity, and Freeze Damage in Colonial Variants of Lactobacillus acidophilus

Rough (R) and smooth (S) colonial variants were isolated from a heterogeneous culture of Lactobacillus acidophilus RL8K. R and S types were stable upon repeated transfer on agar, but revertant colonies did appear after broth transfers. When propagated in commercial MRS broth, R and S cultures showed similar growth characteristics, and both cell types were insensitive to freezing and frozen storage at −20°C. Alternatively, during growth in scratch MRS broth, R cultures shifted to a reduced rate of growth during the late logarithmic phase. R cells grown under these conditions were susceptible to death by freezing and injury at −20°C. Microscopically, R cells were observed as long gram-positive rods with small nonstainable blebs protruding from the cell wall. In bile sensitivity studies of R and S cells plated on MRS agar plus oxgall, the S culture was resistant to 1% bile, whereas the R culture was sensitive to 0.6% bile. Differences in the bile resistance and freeze damage of R and S cells suggest that colonial and cellular morphologies are important considerations for the selection of Lactobacillus strains as dietary adjuncts and for the development of growth conditions for preparing frozen concentrated cultures from either cell type.     

Transient alterations of creatine, creatine phosphate, N-acetylaspartate and high-energy phosphates after mild traumatic brain injury in the rat

In this study, the concentrations of creatine (Cr), creatine phosphate (CrP), N-acetylaspartate (NAA), ATP, ADP and phosphatidylcholine (PC) were measured at different time intervals after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in whole brain homogenates of rats. Anaesthetized animals underwent to the closed-head impact acceleration “weight-drop” model (450 g delivered from 1 m height = mild traumatic brain injury) and were killed at 2, 6, 24, 48 and 120 h after the insult (n = 6 for each time point). Sham-operated rats (n = 6) were used as controls. Compounds of interest were synchronously measured by HPLC in organic solvent deproteinized whole brain homogenates. A reversible decrease of all metabolites but PC was observed, with minimal values recorded at 24 h post-injury (minimum of CrP = 48 h after impact). In particular, Cr and NAA showed a decrease of 44.5 and 29.5%, respectively, at this time point. When measuring NAA in relation to other metabolites, as it is commonly carried out in “in vivo” ¹H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-MRS), an increase in the NAA/Cr ratio and a decrease in the NAA/PC ratio was observed. Besides confirming a transient alteration of NAA homeostasis and ATP imbalance, our results clearly show significant changes in the cerebral concentration of Cr and CrP after mTBI. This suggests a careful use of the NAA/Cr ratio to measure NAA by ¹H-MRS in conditions of altered cerebral energy metabolism. Viceversa, the NAA/PC ratio appears to be a better indicator of actual NAA levels during energy metabolism impairment. Furthermore, our data suggest that, under pathological conditions affecting the brain energetic, the Cr–CrP system is not a suitable tool to buffer possible ATP depletion in the brain, thus supporting the growing indications for alternative roles of cerebral Cr.     

Synergistic extraction using sweep-floc coagulation and acidification of rhamnolipid produced from industrial lignocellulosic hydrolysate in a bioreactor using sequential (fill-and-draw) approach

Sequential fill-and-draw fermentation strategy provides an approach to increase the productivity by replenishing nutrients and minimizing the toxic effects of by-products. In the present work, the same strategy was adopted using lignocellulosic industrial rice-straw C₆ hydrolysate stream to produce rhamnolipids from Achromobacter sp. (PS1) in a 6 L bioreactor with a working-volume of 2 L. The production results showed overall rhamnolipid production of 22.03 g/L in 15 days observed at par with 19.35 g/L obtained under shake flask conditions in 18 days. At each sequential feed (2 % sugars), a rise in dissolved oxygen (D.O) concentration was observed in the range between 60–53 % which declined to 47–39 % with consecutive depletion in sugar concentration under no D.O control. For maximum extraction of rhamnolipids from culture broth, the synergistic effect of sweep floc-coagulation using FeCl₃ at 0.4 % (w/v) followed by its acidification and solvent extraction was adopted which resulted in maximum recovery of 97.5 % compared to 89.05 % recovery obtained in simply acidification followed by solvent extraction. The characterization of partially purified biosurfactant using tandem-MS revealed six-congeners, Rha-C₁₀-C₁₀ and Rha-Rha-C₁₀-C₁₀ being the most abundant. Oil recovery of 92.21 % from motor-oil impregnated sand using crude rhamnolipid further added the value to the biosurfactant.     

Stereoselective reduction of cobalt(III) complexes by bacteria

A strain of Enterobacter cloacae, isolated from soil, reduces racemic abdtriglycinatocobalt(III), triglycinatocobalt(III), stereoselectively under anaerobic conditions. Washed suspensions of cells, grown anaerobically in the absence of triglycinatocobalt(III) initially reduce the L-enantiomer stereospecifically under argon yielding a labile Co(II) chelate. An approximately 5-fold increase in the rate of reduction of the complex occurs using cells disrupted by 2-phenylethanol; decomposition now proceeds with a slight preference for the D-enantiomer. Reduction of triglycinatocobalt(III) under argon by cell-free extracts, prepared by sonication, exhibits similar stereoselectivities to cells disrupted by 2-phenylethanol. However, extracts contain a factor capable of reducing D-triglycinatocobalt(III) with high stereoselectivity under molecular hydrogen. The behaviour of Enterobacter cloacae is compared with that of Aerobacter aerogenes, Proteus vulgaris, Escherichia anaerogenes and Serratia marcescens. Stereoselective effects are also observed in the bacterial reduction of other cobalt(III) complexes.     

Effect of hypertonicity on survival of unprotected human cultured cells following freezing and thawing

An investigation was carried out on the post-thaw survival of unprotected human heteroploid EUE cells, either maintained in isotonic medium (0.137 M NaCl) or adapted to hypertonicity (0.356 M NaCl) and frozen in medium with an increased concentration of NaCl. A fivefold increase in the survival fraction of the adapted cells in comparison with the unadapted ones was observed when cells were frozen in isotonic medium. When cells were frozen in hypertonic medium (0.356 M NaCl), the two cell types exhibit comparable survival values. The results are discussed, with special attention to cell defense mechanisms against freezing injury.     

Field assessment in Cameroon of a reader of POC-CCA lateral flow strips for the quantification of Schistosoma mansoni circulating cathodic antigen in urine

BackgroundDetermining Schistosoma mansoni infection rate and intensity is challenging due to the low sensitivity of the Kato-Katz (KK) test that underestimates the true disease prevalence. Circulating cathodic antigen (CCA) excreted in urine is constantly produced by adult worms and has been used as the basis of a simple, non-invasive point of care test (POC-CCA) for Schistosoma mansoni infections. Although the abundance of CCA in urine is proportional to worm burden, the POC-CCA test is marketed as a qualitative test, making it difficult to investigate the wide range of infection intensities. This study was designed to compare the prevalence and intensity of S. mansoni by KK and POC-CCA and quantify, on fresh and frozen (<-20°C) urine samples, CCA using the visual scores and the ESEquant LR3 reader.MethodologyStool and urine samples were collected from 759 school-aged children. The prevalence and intensity of S. mansoni were determined using KK and POC-CCA. The degree of the positivity of POC-CCA was estimated by quantifying CCA on fresh and frozen urine samples using visual scores and strip reader. The prevalence, the infection intensity as well the relative amounts of CCA were compared.ResultsThe S. mansoni infection rates inferred from POC-CCA and KK were 40.7% and 9.4% respectively. Good correlations were observed between infection intensities recorded by; i) the reader and visual scoring system on fresh (Rho = 0.89) and frozen samples (Rho = 0.97), ii) the reader on fresh urine samples and KK (epg) (Rho = 0.44). Nevertheless, 238 POC-CCA positive children were negative for KK, and sixteen of them had high levels of CCA. The correlation between results from the reader on fresh and frozen samples was good (Rho = 0.85). On frozen samples, CCA was not detected in 55 samples that were positive in fresh urine samples.ConclusionThis study confirmed the low sensitivity of KK and the high capacity of POC-CCA to provide reliable data on the prevalence and intensity of S. mansoni infections. The lateral flow reader enabled accurate quantification of CCA under field conditions on fresh and frozen urine samples with less time and effort than KK.     

Kinetically controlled Ferrier rearrangement of 3-O-mesyl-d-glycal derivatives

The Ferrier rearrangement, which is widely used in carbohydrate chemistry, is generally performed under acidic conditions to give an α anomer with high stereoselectivity. We have found that 3-O-mesyl-d-glycals 2-4 were smoothly reacted with alcohols in the presence of triethylamine. The present reaction was shown to proceed under kinetic control to give ∼1.3:1.0 mixture of α and β anomers, indicating that a kinetic anomeric effect does not operate.     

Continuous solvent production from whey permeate using cells of Clostridium acetobutylicum immobilized by adsorption onto bonechar

Cells of Clostridium acetobutylicum were immobilized by adsorption onto bonechar and used in a packed bed reactor for the continuous production of solvents from whey permeate. A maximum solvent productivity of 4.1 g l⁻¹ h⁻¹, representing a yield of 0.23 g solvent/g lactose utilized, was observed at a dilution rate of 1.0 h⁻¹. The reactor was operated under stable conditions for 61 days. High concentrations of lactose in the whey permeate favored solventogenesis, while low concentrations favored acidogenesis.