c,T-dependence of the viscosity and the self-diffusion coefficients in some aqueous carbohydrate solutions

Self-diffusion coefficients for both components are reported for the highly concentrated aqueous solutions of some disaccharides and fructose as a function of temperature and concentration. These data are complemented by viscosity measurements. The disaccharides studied are sucrose, alpha,alpha-trehalose, allosucrose, and leucrose. Up to a sugar concentration of approximately 30% w/w the viscosity and the self diffusion coefficients of the four disaccharides are identical within experimental error for a given concentration and temperature. Water diffusion shows no differences in the four systems studied under these conditions. At higher concentrations significant differences are observed that become more pronounced with increasing temperature. Analysis of the data by the VTF equation yields the result that at a given concentration the self diffusion coefficients of the sugar Dc and the viscosity eta are described by identical ideal glass transition temperatures T0, while the diffusion of the water D(W) molecule decouples from these properties. T0(W) is always lower than T0(c,eta).     

Efficient conversion of d-glucose into d-sorbitol over MCM-41 supported Ru catalyst prepared by a formaldehyde reduction process

Ru/MCM-41 catalyst prepared by an impregnation-formaldehyde reduction method showed higher catalytic activity and sorbitol selectivity than other catalysts in the hydrogenation of glucose. SEM and XRD indicated the partial surface properties of Ru/MCM-41. Moreover, Ru dispersion and Ru surface area of Ru/MCM-41 were determined by pulse chemisorption, and the result further proved that Ru/MCM-41 had higher catalytic activity. A catalyst recycling experiment demonstrated that Ru/MCM-41 was a better catalyst and it could be reused three or four times. A speculated mechanism was proposed to illustrate the detailed process of d-glucose hydrogenation to produce sorbitol.     

Efficient conversion of d-glucose into d-sorbitol over MCM-41 supported Ru catalyst prepared by a formaldehyde reduction process

Ru/MCM-41 catalyst prepared by an impregnation–formaldehyde reduction method showed higher catalytic activity and sorbitol selectivity than other catalysts in the hydrogenation of glucose. SEM and XRD indicated the partial surface properties of Ru/MCM-41. Moreover, Ru dispersion and Ru surface area of Ru/MCM-41 were determined by pulse chemisorption, and the result further proved that Ru/MCM-41 had higher catalytic activity. A catalyst recycling experiment demonstrated that Ru/MCM-41 was a better catalyst and it could be reused three or four times. A speculated mechanism was proposed to illustrate the detailed process of d-glucose hydrogenation to produce sorbitol.     

Effects of pH and pore characters of mesoporous silicas on horseradish peroxidase immobilization

Effects of immobilization pH and pore characters of mesoporous silicas (MPSs), MCM-41, SBA-15, and MCF, were simultaneously investigated for the immobilization of horseradish peroxidase (HRP; EC 1.11.1.7). MCM-41 and SBA-15 were rod-like with respective average pore diameters of 32, and 54 Å, while that of MCF with spherical cell and frame structure was 148 Å. Moreover, the MPSs synthesized were of identical surface functional groups and similar contents of free silanol groups. At immobilization pH 6 and 8 almost 100% HRP loadings were obtained and insignificant leaching were observed for all types of supports at pH 6. However, MCF was found to give both the highest enzyme loading and leaching at pH 10. Maximum and minimum HRP activities were obtained at respective immobilization pH 8, and 6. Activities of immobilized HRP increased with support pore diameters in the order: MCM-41 < SBA-15 < MCF. HRP immobilized at pH 8 gave the highest storage stability (both at 4 °C and room temperature), and in opposition to pH 6. In addition, HRP immobilized in MCF was found to be the most stable under storage. The finding should be useful for the creation of biocatalysts and biosensors.     

Enrichment of phosphopeptides by Fe3+-immobilized mesoporous nanoparticles of MCM-41 for MALDI and nano-LC-MS/MS analysis

Fe3+-immobilized mesoporous molecular sieves MCM-41 with particle size of ca. 600 nm and pore size of ca. 3 nm is synthesized and applied to selectively trap and separate phosphopeptides from tryptic digest of proteins. For the capture of phosphopeptides, typically 10 microL of tryptic digest solution was first diluted to 1 mL by solution of ACN/0.1% TFA (50:50, v/v) and incubated with 10 microL of 0.1% acetic acid dispersed Fe3+-immobilized MCM-41 for 1 h under vibration. Fe3+-immobilized MCM-41 with trapped phosphopeptides was separated by centrifugation. The deposition was first washed with a volume of 300 microL of solution containing 100 mM NaCl in ACN/0.1% TFA (50:50, v/v) and followed by a volume of 300 microL of solution of 0.1% acetic acid to remove nonspecifically bound peptides. The nanoparticles with trapped phosphopeptides are mixed with 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,5-DHB) and deposited onto the target for analysis by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). It was found that phosphopeptides from tryptic digest of alpha-casein and beta-casein are effectively and specifically trapped on Fe3+-immobilized MCM-41 with few peptides nonspecifically adsorbed. After the extraction by Fe3+-immobilized MCM-41, the suppression to the detection of phosphopeptides caused by abundant nonphosphopeptides from tryptic digest is effectively eliminated, and the detection of phosphopeptides by MALDI is greatly enhanced with the value of signal-to-noise (S/N) increased by more than an order of magnitude. It is demonstrated that the mechanism of the adsorption of phosphopeptides on Fe3+-immobilized MCM-41 is based on the interaction between the Fe3+ and the phosphate group. Finally, Fe3+-immobilized MCM-41 is applied to extract phosphopeptides from tryptic digest of the lysate of mouse liver for phosphoproteome analysis by nano-LC-MS/MS.     

Molecular and physiological role of the trehalose-hydrolyzing alpha-glucosidase from Thermus thermophilus HB27

Trehalose supports the growth of Thermus thermophilus strain HB27, but the absence of obvious genes for the hydrolysis of this disaccharide in the genome led us to search for enzymes for such a purpose. We expressed a putative alpha-glucosidase gene (TTC0107), characterized the recombinant enzyme, and found that the preferred substrate was alpha,alpha-1,1-trehalose, a new feature among alpha-glucosidases. The enzyme could also hydrolyze the disaccharides kojibiose and sucrose (alpha-1,2 linkage), nigerose and turanose (alpha-1,3), leucrose (alpha-1,5), isomaltose and palatinose (alpha-1,6), and maltose (alpha-1,4) to a lesser extent. Trehalose was not, however, a substrate for the highly homologous alpha-glucosidase from T. thermophilus strain GK24. The reciprocal replacement of a peptide containing eight amino acids in the alpha-glucosidases from strains HB27 (LGEHNLPP) and GK24 (EPTAYHTL) reduced the ability of the former to hydrolyze trehalose and provided trehalose-hydrolytic activity to the latter, showing that LGEHNLPP is necessary for trehalose recognition. Furthermore, disruption of the alpha-glucosidase gene significantly affected the growth of T. thermophilus HB27 in minimal medium supplemented with trehalose, isomaltose, sucrose, or palatinose, to a lesser extent with maltose, but not with cellobiose (not a substrate for the alpha-glucosidase), indicating that the alpha-glucosidase is important for the assimilation of those four disaccharides but that it is also implicated in maltose catabolism.     

Novel method for aroma recovery from the bioconversion of lutein to β-ionone by Trichosporon asahii using a mesoporous silicate material

In this work, we report on the synthesis and ability of the mesoporous material MCM-41 to adsorb the norisoprenoid β-ionone. This compound, with a violet aroma note, can be produced from lutein by the yeast Trichosporon asahii through a bioconversion process. We found that β-ionone inhibited the yeast growth and constrained aroma formation. Growth inhibition was overcome using silicate MCM-41 as sorbent device in a fermentation system that allowed product removal from the culture medium by headspace manipulation. Compared to a commercial silica gel, the mesoporous material exhibited a 4.5-fold higher β-ionone adsorption. Contrasting to cultures without the sorbent device, the presence of MCM-41 allowed a marked increase (14-fold) in β-ionone production. Our results suggested that confinement of the norisoprenoid into the sorbent material bypassed its toxicity which allowed a better β-ionone production. This study represents the first report on the use of MCM-41 to recover an aroma produced by fermentation and therefore, a novel application for a mesoporous material.     

Synthesis of functionalized polyethylenimine-grafted mesoporous silica spheres and the effect of side arms on lipase immobilization and application

In the present study, silicate mesoporous materials (MCM-41), MCM-41-grafted polyethylenimine (MCM-41@PEI), and succinated PEI containing amine, amide, and acid groups were successfully synthesized and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Thermomyces lanuginosa lipase (TLL) was then immobilized onto MCM-41 and polymer-grafted MCM-41 by physical adsorption. Besides, for enzyme immobilization via covalent bonding, glutaraldehyde (GLU), and hexamethylene diisocyanate (HMDI) were used as the bridges for binding the enzyme to supports. The best result was obtained with the immobilized lipase on MCM-41@PEI-GLU. In the study of the enzyme reusability, it was shown that about 83% of the initial activity could be retained after 12 cycles of uses. The immobilized lipase on the selected support was also applied for the synthesis of ethyl valerate. Following 24 h incubation in n-hexane and solvent free media, the esterification percentages were 79% and 67%, respectively.     

Computer modelling studies on the modes of binding of some of theα-glycosidically linked disaccharides to concanavalin A

The possible modes of binding of kojibiose, nigerose, maltose and ManPα(1 → 2)Man to concanavalin A have been investigated using computer modelling studies. While α12 linked disaccharides bind to concanavalin A in two modes,i.e. by placing the reducing as well as non-reducing sugar units in the sugar binding site, nigerose or maltose can bind only in one mode,i.e. by placing the non-reducing sugar unit in the binding site. Though, both the sugar residues in α 12 linked disaccharides can reach the binding site, the preference is high for the non-reducing unit. When the non-reducing residue, in any of these disaccharides, enters the binding site, the allowed orientations and the possible hydrogen bonds with the protein seem to be independent of the glycosidic linkage. However, the number of hydrogen bonds the outward sugar residue forms with the protein are dependent on the type of linkage. Atleast one of the hydroxyl groups adjacent to the glycosidic linkage on the outward sugar residue is involved in the formation of a hydrogen bond with the protein suggesting the presence of an extended binding site. The orientation of the reducing sugar residue in the extended binding site is dependent on the linkage. Its orientation in nigerose is flipped when compared to that found in kojibiose or maltose leading to different non-covalent interactions with the protein which affect their binding affinities.     

槲皮素在介孔分子筛孔道中的组装与缓释研究

采用后组装法将非水溶性的治疗冠心病药物槲皮素组装进入MCM-41介孔分子筛的孔道中,药物组装率达37%[m(药物)/m(药物总量)],用XRD,扫描电镜和IR对药物组装体进行了表征;通过测定组装体在体外模拟人工小肠液中的溶出速率,表明制得了槲皮素/MCM-41缓释体系。     

A high-sensitivity electrochemical immunosensor based on mobile crystalline material-41-polyvinyl alcohol nanocomposite and colloidal gold nanoparticles

A novel competitive immunosensor was developed as a model system using anti-human serum albumin (HSA)-conjugated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as an electrochemical label and mobile crystalline material-41 (MCM-41)–polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) mesoporous nanocomposite as an immobilization platform. However, no attempt has yet been made to use the MCM-41 as the supporting electrolyte for the electrosynthesis of nonconducting polymer nanocomposite. This hybrid membrane was evaluated extensively by using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) to determine its physicochemical and electrochemical properties in immunosensor application. FESEM revealed an appropriate and stable attachment between HSA and MCM-41 and also a dense layer deposition of MCM-41–HSA–PVA film onto the electrode surfaces. DPV was developed for quantitative determination of antigen in biological samples. A decrease in DPV responses was observed with increasing concentrations of HSA in standard and real samples. In optimal conditions, this immunosensor based on MCM-41–PVA nanocomposite film could detect HSA in a high linear range (0.5–200 μg ml^?1) with a low detection limit of 1 ng ml^?1. The proposed method showed acceptable reproducibility, stability, and reliability and could also be applied to detect the other antigens.     

Catalytic activity of acetylcholinesterase immobilized on mesoporous molecular sieves

MCM-41 and FSM-16 were used for enzyme immobilization on account of their good physical and chemical properties. In this work, the catalytic activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) immobilized on these materials was investigated, using neostigmina as AChE inhibitor. The results show that AChE was adsorbed on MCM-41 and on FSM-16-TIPB. AChE immobilized on the latter material maintained 70% of its activity and the material did not hydrolyze ACh (as MCM-41) by itself. Therefore, FSM-16-TIPB was the best material, considering also that when neostigmine was applied to AChE immobilized on FSM-16-TIPB, the activity of AChE decreased as occurs in its free from. Hence, this model could be useful in the evaluation of different kinds of AChE inhibitors, allowing the recycling of enzymes and making possible several assays and thereby, lowering cost.     

Factors affecting alpha,-1,2 glucooligosaccharide synthesis by Leuconostoc mesenteroides NRRL B-1299 dextransucrase

The optimization of alpha-1,2 glucooligosaccharide (GOS) synthesis from maltose and sucrose by Leuconostoc mesenteroides NRRL B-1299 dextransucrase was achieved using experimental design and consecutive analysis of the key parameters. An increase of the pH of the reaction from 5.4 to 6.7 and of the temperature from 25 to 40 degrees C significantly favored alpha-1,2 GOS synthesis, thanks to a significant decrease of the side reactions, i.e., dextran and leucrose synthesis. These positive effects were not sufficient to compensate for the decrease of enzyme stability caused by the use of high pH and temperature. However, the critical parameters were the sucrose to maltose concentration ratio (S/M) and the total sugar concentration (TSC). Alpha1,2 GOS synthesis was favored at high S/M ratios. But using these conditions also led to an increase of side reactions which could be modulated by choosing the appropriate TSC. Finally, with S/M = 4 and TSC = 45% w/v, dextran and leucrose productions were limited and the final alpha-1,2 GOS yield reached 56.7%, the total GOS yield being 88%.     

Ctenophore kairomones and modified aminosugar disaccharides alter the shadow response in a larval crab

Zoea larvae of the estuarine crab Rhithropanopeus harrisii (Gould)descend in the water column upon sudden decreases in irradiance,which serves as a shadow response for the avoidance of zooplanktonpredators such as ctenophores. This study tested the hypothesesthat (i) kairomones from either the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyior the fish Fundulus heteroclitus increase the shadow-responsesensitivity by reducing the minimum decrease in irradiance necessaryto evoke the response (i.e. threshold); and (ii) a similar increasein shadow-response sensitivity as occurs with ctenophore kairomonesis also induced by the external mucus of ctenophores and modifiedaminosugar disaccharide hydrolysis products of acidic mucopolysaccharides.Light-adapted R. harrisii Stage I zoea were conditioned to chemicaltreatments for 3 h, and their photoresponses were tested inan apparatus that mimicked the underwater angular light distribution.In clean sea water, the shadow response was induced by a 50%reduction in irradiance (threshold). The threshold decreasedto 30% in sea water with fish kairomones and 9% in sea waterwith ctenophore kairomones. A minimum concentration of 1.0 gwet weight ctenophore mucus l^-1 was required to reduce the shadow-responsethreshold. Chondroitin sulfate A disaccharides had an effectsimilar to kairomones and mucus in reducing the threshold, withthe greatest effect at a concentration of 10^-6 M. Tests withother disaccharides indicated that only acetylamine-containingaminosugars were effective. The test hypotheses were supported;predator kairomones, ctenophore external mucus, and purifiedaminosugar disaccharides having acetylamine functionality reducedthe threshold decrease in irradiance needed to evoke shadowresponses in crab larvae.     

Synthesis of 2-deoxy-D-arabino/lyxo-hexopyranosyl disaccharides

Synthesis of 2-deoxy-D-arabino/lyxo-hexopyranosyl disaccharides is reported. In these, the disaccharides contain 2-deoxy-arabino-hexopyranosyl and 2-deoxy-lyxo-hexopyranosyl sugars as either the reducing or the non-reducing or both the sugar units of the disaccharides. The activated 2-deoxy-1-thioglycosides served as the common precursors to prepare the 2-deoxy disaccharides with the above configurations.     

The Immunohistochemical Expression of MCM-3, -5, and -7 Proteins in the Uterine Fibroids

Uterine fibroids are the most common mesenchymal uterine neoplasms; their prevalence is estimated in 40%–60% of women under 35 and in 70%–80% of women over 50 years of age. The current research aims to focus on the etiopathogenesis of uterine fibroids, the factors that affect their growth, and markers with diagnostic and prognostic properties. The MCM (minichromosome maintenance) protein family consists of peptides whose primary function is participation in the molecular mechanism of creating replication forks while regulating DNA synthesis. The aim of this work was to determine the proliferative potential of uterine fibroid cells based on the expression of the Ki-67 antigen and the MCMs—i.e., MCM-3, MCM-5, and MCM-7. In addition, the expression of estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PgR) receptors was evaluated and correlated with the expression of the abovementioned observations. Ultimately, received results were analyzed in terms of clinical and pathological data. Materials and methods: In forty-four cases of uterine fibroids, immunohistochemical reactions were performed. A tissue microarray (TMA) technique was utilized and analyzed cases were assessed in triplicate. Immunohistochemistry was performed using antibodies against Ki-67 antigen, ER, PgR, MCM-3, MCM-5, and MCM-8 on an automated staining platform. Reactions were digitalized by a histologic scanner and quantified utilizing dedicated software for nuclear analysis. Assessment was based on quantification expression of the three histiospots, each representing one case in TMA. Results: In the study group (uterine fibroids), statistically significant stronger expression of all the investigated MCMs was observed, as compared to the control group. In addition, moderate and strong positive correlations were found between all tested proliferative markers. The expression of the MCM-7 protein also correlated positively with ER and PgR. With regard to clinical and pathological data, there was a negative correlation between the expression of MCMs and the number of both pregnancies and births. Significant reductions in MCM-5 and MCM-7 expression were observed in the group of women receiving oral hormonal contraceptives, while smoking women showed an increase in MCM-7, ER, and PgR. Conclusions: Uterine fibroid cells have greater proliferative potential, as evaluated by expression of the Ki-67 antigen and MCMs, than unaltered myometrial cells of the uterine corpus. The expression of MCM-7 was found to have strong or moderate correlations in all assessed relations. In the context of the clinical data, as well evident proliferative potential of MCMs, further studies are strongly recommended.     

Hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate unsaturated disaccharides analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography and fluorimetric detection with dansylhydrazine

A system capable of resolving all the known unsaturated nonsulfated, mono- and disulfated disaccharides derived from chondroitin sulfate samples, dermatan sulfate, and hyaluronic acid after their derivatization with dansylhydrazine and separation by HPLC and fluorimetric detection is reported. This method was found superior to others in that unsaturated disaccharides can be separated with good resolution in about 50 min in an isocratic solvent with a sensitivity greater than about 50 pmol (approx 20-30 ng) and linearity from 50 to 500 pmol. The system was applied to the analysis of various chondroitin sulfate samples, including highly sulfated species and dermatan sulfate, and also to a defructosylated polysaccharide with a chondroitin backbone purified from Escherichia coli U1-41. Excellent agreement was obtained with traditional compositional analysis performed by anion-exchange HPLC separation and UV absorption at 230 nm.     

Electron paramagnetic resonance analyses of biotransformation reactions with cytochrome P-450 immobilized on mesoporous molecular sieves

Mobil Crystalline Material (MCM-41) can be used for the immobilization of enzymes and the investigation of electron transfer in biological systems. Electron transfer between MCM-41 with aluminum (Al-MCM-41) and cytochrome P-450 (CYP2B4) was observed using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). When CYP2B4 was immobilized by adsorption, it catalyzed the conversion of aniline to p-aminophenol. The electron transfer was evidenced when the signal with a g value (also called g-factor or spectroscopic manifestation of the magnetic moment) of 1.98 increased at the same time that the signal with a g value 2.24 decreased due to the addition of NADPH to CYP2B4 immobilized on Al-MCM-41, indicating that Fe^III was reduced to Fe^II. Therefore, it is possible that Al-MCM-41 participates in the electron transfer process in biological systems.     

Cationic vanadyl porphyrin-encapsulated mesoporous Al/V-MCM-41 as heterogeneous catalysts for the oxidation of alkenes

The water soluble oxovanadium(IV) porphyrin, [meso-tetrakis (4-trimethylammoniophenyl) porphyrinato]oxovanadium(IV) tetrachloride (VOTAPP) has been encapsulated into mesoporous MCM-41 containing different amount of aluminium or vanadium. The VOTAPP encapsulated in mesoporous MCM-41 was confirmed by nitrogen adsorption isotherm and DRUV-Vis spectroscopy. The materials were also analyzed by FTIR, low-angle XRD, and scanning electron microscopy. These studies confirm that the encapsulation procedure used here not only retains the mesoporous structure, but also causes no significant demetallation, metal ion exchange or any chemical changes in VOTAPP. The catalytic activities of all the materials were tested in the epoxidation of cyclohexene and styrene using iodosylbenzene (PhIO) as oxidant and acetonitrile as solvent. The heterogeneous VOTAPP mainly produces allylic oxidation product and little epoxide with cyclohexene, whereas both epoxide and allylic oxidation product with styrene. The porphyrin loading was found to increase with increasing Al or V content, which in turn increases the catalytic activity of the heterogeneous systems. The catalytic properties of the encapsulated complexes were compared with that of the corresponding homogeneous catalyst VOTAPP, unsupported molecular sieves and VOTAPP supported onto pure Si-MCM-41. In the oxidation reactions with PhIO, the unsupported Al-MCM-41 was totally inactive, whereas V-MCM-41 shows a lower activity. However, increased activity was observed when VOTAPP was supported on Al/V-MCM-41. The supported catalysts were recycled for three times. The stability was studied by using FTIR and UV-Vis spectroscopy.     

Alternansucrase acceptor products

The regioselectivity of alternansucrase (EC 2.4.1.140) differs from dextransucrase (EC 2.4.1.5) in ways that can be useful for the synthesis of novel oligosaccharide structures. For example, it has been recently shown that the major oligosaccharides produced when maltose is the acceptor include one trisaccharide structure, two tetrasaccharides, one pentasaccharide, two hexasaccharides, one heptasaccharide, and at least two octasaccharides, containing no adjacent α-(1→3) linkages and no more than two consecutive α-(1→6) linkages. This may shed some light on how the enzyme works to produce the alternating structure. Another characteristic of alternansucrase that distinguishes it from dextransucrase is its greater ability to use leucrose as an acceptor. Leucrose, produced by glucosyl transfer to fructose released from the initial sucrose substrate, represents a very poor substrate for Leuconostoc mesenteroides NRRL B-512F dextransucrase. Alternansucrase, however, continues to transfer glucosyl units to leucrose, resulting in some unusual glucosyl-fructose oligosaccharides.