Aqueous solution chemistry of dichloro[S-methylcysteine(N,S)]platinum(II) isomers and their hydrolysis products

Rate and equilibrium constants at 25 °C, pH ∼ 1, and ionic strength 0.10 for hydrolysis of the two non-equivalent chlorides of dichloro[S-methyl-l-cysteine(N,S)]platinum(II) isomers, denoted [PtCl₂(SmecysH)], and the resultant chloro-aqua species have been determined by NMR, potentiometric, and spectrophotometric methods. Though hydrolysis constants, K_h, for the two chlorides are similar (pK_h = 4-5), the rate of hydrolysis of the chloride trans to coordinated S, k_h = 3.4 × 10⁻³ s⁻¹, is 2-3 orders of magnitude faster than the k_h for the other chloride, 2.3 × 10⁻⁶ s⁻¹, and for the cancer drug cisplatin, cis-[PtCl₂(NH₃)₂], 5.2 × 10⁻⁵ s⁻¹. Relative rates of hydrolysis determined under three different experimental conditions (pH ∼ 1 in 0.10 M HNO₃, high pH in 0.10 M NaOH, and at low pH with Ag⁺ assistance) are consistent: the Cl trans to S is 100-1000 times more labile than the Cl cis to S. Potentiometric and NMR methods were also used to estimate pK_a values of all aqua species, which are comparable to values reported for corresponding aqua species derived from cisplatin.     

Formation and phosphodiesterolytic activity of lanthanide(III) N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)glycine hydroxo complexes

Potentiometric titrations of N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)glycine (bicine) in the presence of Ln(III) cations (Ln=La, Pr, Nd and Eu) in the pH range extended to ca. 9.5 reveal formation of two types of binuclear hydroxo complexes Ln₂(bic)₂(OH)₄ and Ln₂(bic)(OH)₄ ⁺ (bicH=bicine) in addition to previously reported mononuclear mono- and bis-complexes Ln(bic)²⁺ and Ln(bic)₂ ⁺, which predominate at pH below 8. ¹H NMR titrations of La(III)-bicine mixtures in D₂O show that the complex formation with bicine is slow in the NMR time scale and confirm formation of hydroxide rather than alkoxide complexes in basic solutions. Formation of a different type of hydroxide species under conditions of an excess of metal over ligand is confirmed by studying the absorption spectra of the Nd(III)-bicine system in the hypersensitive region. The binuclear hydroxide complexes are predominant species at pH above 9 and their stabilities increase in the order La < Pr ≈ Nd < Eu. They show fairly high catalytic activity in the hydrolysis of bis(4-nitrophenyl) phosphate (BNPP) at room temperature. Comparison of concentration and pH-dependences of the reaction rates with the species distribution diagrams shows that the catalytic hydrolysis of BNPP proceeds via a Michaelis-Menten type mechanism, which involves the Ln₂(bic)(OH)₄ ⁺ complex as the reactive species. The values of the catalytic rate constants and the Michaelis constants are in the range 0.002-0.004 s⁻¹ and 0.35-1.5 mM, respectively, for all lanthanides studied. The half-life for the hydrolysis of BNPP is reduced from 2000 years to ca. 10 min at 25 °C and pH 9.2 in the presence of 5 mM La(III) and 2.5 mM bicine.     

Tripodal amine catechol ligands: a fascinating class of chelators for aluminium(III)

Complexation constants based on potentiometric titrations and spectrophotometric measurements in an aqueous medium of 0.1 M KCl at 25 ± 1 °C for the complexes of Al(III) with multidentate tripodal polycatechol-amine ligands, cis,cis-1,3,5-tris[(2,3-dihydroxybenzylamino)aminomethyl]cyclohexane (TMACHCAT, L¹) and N¹,N³,N⁵-tris(2-(2,3-dihydroxybenzylamino)ethyl)cyclohexane-1,3,5-tricarboxamide (CYCOENCAT, L²) have been summarized in this paper. Both the ligands released six protons to form various monomeric complexes of the types AlLH₃, AlLH₂, AlLH and AlL (L = L¹ and L²). The first species AlLH₃ depicted at low pH for which a monocapped type geometry was suggested, where the ligands were coordinated through three catecholic oxygens at ortho. Other species are formed subsequently from the species AlLH₃ in steps upon deprotonation and coordination of the catecholic oxygens at meta to give encapsulated tris(catechol) type complexes. The probable structures of the metal complexes formed in solution were proposed through molecular modeling calculations. The pAl values calculated for AlL¹ and AlL² are appreciably higher than transferrin. The ligand L² showed higher affinity towards Al(III) than L¹ and desferrioxamine (DFO), the only approved drug for the treatment of aluminium intoxication.     

Effective heterogeneous hydrolysis of phosphodiester by pyridine-containing metallopolymers

The copper (II) complex of a simple pyridine- and amide-containing copolymer serves as an effective catalyst for heterogeneous hydrolysis of the prototypical phosphodiester substrate bis(p-nitrophenyl)phosphate at pH 8.0 and 25 °C. The catalysis has a first-order rate constant of k_cat = 8.3 × 10⁻⁶ s⁻¹, corresponding to a catalytic proficiency of 75-thousand folds relative to the uncatalyzed hydrolysis with a rate constant of k₀ = 1.1 × 10⁻¹⁰ s⁻¹ in aqueous buffer solution at pH 8.0. This observation suggests that polymers can be designed to include various functional groups feasible for effective metal-centered catalysis of phosphodiester hydrolysis.     

Bicarbonate-catalyzed hydrogen peroxide oxidation of cysteine and related thiols

The effect of bicarbonate on the rates of the H₂O₂ oxidation of cysteine, gluthathione, and N-acetylcysteine to the corresponding disulfides was investigated. The relative oxidation rates at pH 8 for the different thiols are inversely related to the pK_a values of the thiol groups, and the reactive nucleophiles are identified as the thiolate anions or their kinetic equivalents. The second-order rate constants at 25 °C for the reaction of the thiolate anions with hydrogen peroxide are 17 ± 2 M⁻¹ s⁻¹ for all three substrates. In the presence of bicarbonate (>25 mM), the observed rate of thiolate oxidation is increased by a factor of two or more, and the catalysis is proposed to be associated with the formation of peroxymonocarbonate from the equilibrium reaction of hydrogen peroxide with bicarbonate (via CO₂). The calculated second-order rate constants for the direct reaction of the three thiolate anions with peroxymonocarbonate fall within the range of 900-2000 M⁻¹ s⁻¹. Further oxidation of disulfides by peroxymonocarbonate results in the formation of thiosulfonate and sulfonate products. These results strongly suggest that peroxymonocarbonate should be considered as a reactive oxygen species in aerobic metabolism with relevance in thiol oxidations.     

Insights into heterogeneous phosphodiester hydrolysis using a simple hydrogel-based copper(II)-imidazole catalyst

A family of copolymer hydrogels containing different mass percentages of vinylimidazole, acrylamide and N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide were used to bind copper(II) ions. The resultant copper-loaded gels demonstrated spectroscopic features that indicated copper was bound in a distorted square planar geometry. The hydrolysis activity of these the most active of these systems towards bis(3-nitrophenyl)phosphate at pH 8 was 2.78 × 10⁻⁶ s⁻¹, five orders of magnitude greater than the uncatalyzed reaction. While these systems obey Michaelis-Menten kinetics, they also subject both competitive and non-competitive inhibition from excess substrate and excess hydroxide due to constraints based in the coordination geometry of the copper(II) active sites.     

High production of cold-tolerant chitinases on shrimp wastes in bench-top bioreactor by the Antarctic fungus Lecanicillium muscarium CCFEE 5003: Bioprocess optimization and characterization of two main enzymes

The Antarctic fungus Lecanicillium muscarium CCFEE-5003 was preliminary cultivated in shaken flasks to check its chitinase production on rough shrimp and crab wastes. Production on shrimp shells was much higher than that on crab shells (104.6 ± 9.3 and 48.6 ± 3.1 U/L, respectively). For possible industrial applications, bioprocess optimization was studied on shrimp shells in bioreactor using RSM to state best conditions of pH and substrate concentration. Optimization improved the production by 137% (243.6 ± 17.3). Two chitinolytic enzymes (CHI1 and CHI2) were purified and characterized. CHI1 (MW ca. 61 kDa) showed optima at pH 5.5 and 45 °C while CHI2 (MW ca. 25 kDa) optima were at pH 4.5 and 40 °C. Both enzymes maintained high activity levels at 5 °C and were inhibited by Fe⁺⁺, Hg⁺⁺ and Cu⁺⁺. CHI2 was strongly allosamidin-sensitive. Both proteins were N-acetyl-hexosaminidases (E.C. 3.2.1.52) but showed different roles in chitin hydrolysis: CHI1 could be defined as “chitobiase” while CHI2 revealed a main “eso-chitinase” activity.     

Effects of amines and aminoalcohols on bovine intestine alkaline phosphatase activity

Bovine intestine alkaline phosphatase (BIALP) is widely used as a signaling enzyme in sensitive assays such as enzyme immunoassay (EIA). In this study, we evaluated the effects of various aminoalcohols and amines on the activity of BIALP in the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl phosphate (pNPP) at pH 9.8, at 20 °C. The k_cat values at 0.05 M diethanolamine, 0.1 M triethanolamine, and 0.2 M N-methylethanolamine were 190 ± 10, 840 ± 30, and 500 ± 10 s⁻¹, respectively. The k_cat values increased with increasing concentrations of diethanolamine, triethanolamine, and N-methylethanolamine and reached 1240 ± 60, 1450 ± 30, and 2250 ± 80 s⁻¹, respectively, at 1.0 M. On the other hand, the k_cat values at 0.05-1.0 M ethanolamine, ethylamine, methylamine, and dimethylamine were in the range of 100-600 s⁻¹. These results indicate that diethanolamine, triethanolamine and N-methylethanolamine highly activate BIALP and might be suitable as a dilution buffer of BIALP in EIA. Interestingly, the K_m values increased with increasing concentrations of diethanolamine and N-methylethanolamine, but not triethanolamine: the K_m value at 1.0 M diethanolamine (0.83 ± 0.15 mM) was 12-fold higher than that at 0.05 M (0.07 ± 0.01 mM), and that at 1.0 M N-methylethanolamine (2.53 ± 0.20 mM) was 14-fold higher than that at 0.2 M (0.18 ± 0.02 mM), while that at 1.0 M triethanolamine (0.31 ± 0.01 mM) was similar as that at 0.2 M (0.25 ± 0.01 mM), suggesting that the mechanisms of BIALP activation are different between the aminoalcohols.     

Copper(II) complexes of Neobelliera Bullata Trypsin Modulating Oostatic Factor and its analogues

The stoichiometry, stability constants and solution structure of the complexes formed in the reaction of copper(II) with hexapeptide NPTNLH, i.e. the Neobelliera Bullata Trypsin Modulating Oostatic Factor (Neb-TMOF), and its analogues DPTNLH, Ac-NPTNLH and Ac-DPTNLH have been determined by potentiometric, UV-visible, CD and EPR spectroscopic methods. Upon raising pH for Ac-NPTNLH and Ac-DPTNLH peptides, copper(II) coordination starts from the imidazole nitrogen of the His⁶; afterwards three deprotonated amide nitrogens are progressively involved in metal ions coordination. In a wide pH range of 4.5-8.5 for the NPTNLH and DPTNLH ligands the CuL complex dominates with the imidazole nitrogen of His⁶ coordinated to form a macrochelate. The N-terminal amino group of the NPTNLH and DPTNLH peptides takes part in the coordination of the metal ion in the CuL, CuH₋₁L and CuH₋₂L complexes. However, at pH above 9 the CuH₋₃L complex with the {N_Im, 3N⁻} coordination mode is formed. For the CuH₋₂L complex the spectroscopic data clearly indicate the 4N {NH₂, CO or COO⁻, 2N⁻, N_Im} bonding mode with the axial coordination of the N-terminal amine group to the metal ion.     

Δψ and ΔpH are equivalent driving forces for proton transport through isolated F0 complexes of ATP synthases

The membrane-embedded F₀ part of ATP synthases is responsible for ion translocation during ATP synthesis and hydrolysis. Here, we describe an in vitro system for measuring proton fluxes through F₀ complexes by fluorescence changes of the entrapped fluorophore pyranine. Starting from purified enzyme, the F₀ part was incorporated unidirectionally into phospholipid vesicles. This allowed analysis of proton transport in either synthesis or hydrolysis direction with Δψ or ΔpH as driving forces. The system displayed a high signal-to-noise ratio and can be accurately quantified. In contrast to ATP synthesis in the Escherichia coli F₁F₀ holoenzyme, no significant difference was observed in the efficiency of ΔpH or Δψ as driving forces for H⁺-transport through F₀. Transport rates showed linear dependency on the driving force. Proton transport in hydrolysis direction was about 2400 H⁺/(s × F₀) at Δψ of 120 mV, which is approximately twice as fast as in synthesis direction. The chloroplast enzyme was faster and catalyzed H⁺-transport at initial rates of 6300 H⁺/(s × F₀) under similar conditions. The new method is an ideal tool for detailed kinetic investigations of the ion transport mechanism of ATP synthases from various organisms.     

Comparison of hydrolysis and HPLC/MS/MS procedure with ELISA assay for the determination of S-phenylmercapturic acid as a biomarker of benzene exposure in human urine

The present study compared three methods for the determination of S-phenylmercapturic acid (S-PMA), a metabolite of benzene, in human urine: a HPLC/MS/MS technique with two different sample treatments (strong and partial hydrolysis) and a commercial assay based on anti-S-PMA monoclonal antibodies with chemiluminescence detection. Biological monitoring was done on 126 volunteers and the results were compared for the three methods and also with benzene exposure levels (range <3.0–592.5 μg/m³). The correlation between environmental monitoring data and S-PMA levels in non-smokers (n = 73) was highly significant (p < 0.0001, Student's t-test) for both HPLC/MS/MS methods (r = 0.65 both for strong acidic hydrolysis of the urine and hydrolysis at pH 2) but not for the immunoassay, which overestimated the S-PMA levels by about 8 μg/g creatinine (creat.). Therefore the immunoassay is only useful as a semiquantitative screening test, but quantitative results need to be confirmed by a more accurate method like HPLC/MS/MS. The HPLC/MS/MS procedure with strong acid hydrolysis led to a recovery of S-PMA about double that using pH 2 hydrolysis, giving more accurate results. The difference between the results with the two methods makes it difficult to compare the strong acidic hydrolysis data with the ACGIH BEI value of 25 μg/g creat. since the BEI^® documentation is based on data collected in pH conditions that were not always controlled, which may underestimate the true S-PMA concentration. Besides, as levels of benzene exposure were high, smoking was not considered a confounding factor. The BEI for S-PMA in end of shift urine samples could be reconsidered when sufficient data are available from studies where the analyses are carried out in comparable conditions of hydrolysis and monitoring only non-smoking subjects.     

Downstream reaction of cisplatin with methionine-containing peptides: pH-dependent competition between hydrolytic cleavage and macrochelation

The pH- and time-dependent reactions of the antitumor drug cisplatin, cis-[PtCl₂(NH₃)₂], with the methionine-containing peptides Ac-Met-Gly-OH, Ac-Met-Pro-OH, Ac-Met-Pro-Gly-Gly-OH and Ac-Gly-Met-Pro-Gly-Gly-OH (Gly = glycyl, Met = d-methionyl, Pro = L-prolyl) at 313 K have been investigated by high performance liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance. As a result of the strong trans influence of the methionyl S_M atom, initial Pt-S_M binding at pH > 5 is followed by a rapid formation of tridentate machrochelates for the N-acetylated peptides. The site trans to S_M is occupied by a carboxylate O atom in the case of the κ³S_M,N_M,O_G/P macrochelates of the dipeptides and by the C-terminal glycylamide N_G2 atom for the κ³S_M,O_M,N_G2 macrochelate of Ac-Met-Pro-Gly-Gly-OH. Cisplatin simultaneously mediates the rapid hydrolytic cleavage of the Met-X (X = Gly, Pro) amide bond for both dipeptides over the whole range 2.8 ? pH ? 10.0. The released amino acids X react with the resulting κ²S_M, N_M chelate of N-acetylmethionine to afford mixed κS_M:κ²N_x,O_x complexes of the type cis-[Pt(NH₃)(Ac-Met-OH-κS)(H-X-O-κ²N_x,O_x)]⁺ as final products at pH < 5 for X = Gly and pH < 8 for X = Pro. In contrast to the dipeptides, hydrolytic cleavage of the Met-Pro amide bond in Ac-Met-Pro-Gly-Gly-OH at pH > 5 is significantly inhibited by the presence of high concentrations of the macrochelate [Pt(NH₃)(Ac-Met-Pro-Gly-Gly)-κ³S_M,O_M,N_G2]⁺. Downstream hydrolysis of the Met-Gly amide bond is competitive with upstream Ac-Gly cleavage for Ac-Gly-Met-Pro-Gly-Gly-OH at pH < 4.5.     

Inhibitory effects of tannin on human salivary alpha-amylase

Here, we first report on the effectiveness and specificity of tannin inhibition of 2-chloro-4-nitrophenyl-4-O-β-d-galactopyranosylmaltoside hydrolysis that is catalyzed by human salivary α-amylase (HSA). Tannin was gallotannin in which quinic acid was esterified with 2-7 units of gallic acid. A number of studies establish that polyphenols—like tannins—may prevent oral diseases, e.g., dental caries. Kinetic analyses confirmed that the inhibition of hydrolysis is a mixed non-competitive type and only one molecule of tannin binds to the active site or the secondary site of the enzyme. Since Dixon plots were linear, product formation could be excluded from the enzyme-substrate-inhibitor complex (ESI). Kinetic constants calculated from secondary plots and non-linear regression are almost identical, thereby confirming the suggested model. Kinetic constants (K_EI=9.03 μg mL⁻¹, K_ESI=47.84 μg mL⁻¹) show that tannin is as an effective inhibitor of HSA as acarbose and indicate a higher stability for the enzyme-inhibitor complex than ESI.     

β-Galactosidase from Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1: biochemical characterization and formation of prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides

Recombinant β-galactosidase from Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1, homologously over-expressed in L. plantarum, was purified to apparent homogeneity using p-aminobenzyl 1-thio-β-d-galactopyranoside affinity chromatography and subsequently characterized. The enzyme is a heterodimer of the LacLM-family type, consisting of a small subunit of 35 kDa and a large subunit of 72 kDa. The optimum pH for hydrolysis of its preferred substrates o-nitrophenyl-β-d-galactopyranoside (oNPG) and lactose is 7.5 and 7.0, and optimum temperature for these reactions is 55 and 60 °C, respectively. The enzyme is most stable in the pH range of 6.5-8.0. The K_m, k_cat and k_cat/K_m values for oNPG and lactose are 0.9 mM, 92 s⁻¹, 130 mM⁻¹ s⁻¹ and 29 mM, 98 s⁻¹, 3.3 mM⁻¹ s⁻¹, respectively. The L. plantarum β-galactosidase possesses a high transgalactosylation activity and was used for the synthesis of prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS). The resulting GOS mixture was analyzed in detail, and major components were identified by using high performance anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) as well as capillary electrophoresis. The maximal GOS yield was 41% (w/w) of total sugars at 85% lactose conversion (600 mM initial lactose concentration). The enzyme showed a strong preference for the formation of β-(1→6) linkages in its transgalactosylation mode, while β-(1→3)-linked products were formed to a lesser extent, comprising ∼80% and 9%, respectively, of the newly formed glycosidic linkages in the oligosaccharide mixture at maximum GOS formation. The main individual products formed were β-d-Galp-(1→6)-d-Lac, accounting for 34% of total GOS, and β-d-Galp-(1→6)-d-Glc, making up 29% of total GOS.     

The use of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to assay for urease from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Canavalia ensiformis

A novel assay method was investigated for urease (EC 3.5.1.5) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Canavalia ensiformis by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. This enzyme catalyzed the hydrolysis of urea in phosphate buffer in deuterium oxide (²H₂O). The intensities of the bicarbonate bands maxima at 1625 and 1365 cm⁻¹ and of the amide I band at 1605 cm⁻¹ were measured as a function of time to study the kinetics of urea hydrolysis. The extinction coefficients ε of urea and bicarbonate were determined to be 0.72, 0.48, and 0.56 mM⁻¹ cm⁻¹ at 1625, 1605, and 1365 cm⁻¹, respectively. The initial velocity is proportional to the enzyme concentration by using the ureases from both C.ensiformis and P. aeruginosa. The kinetic constants (V_max, K_m, and K_cat) determined by Lineweaver-Burk plot were 532.2  U mg⁻¹ protein, 6.4 mM, and 806.36 s⁻¹, respectively. These data are in agreement with the results obtained by a spectrophotometric method using a linked assay based on glutamate dehydrogenase in aqueous media. Therefore, this spectroscopic method is highly suited to assay for urease activity and its kinetic parameters by using either cell-free extracts or purified enzyme preparations with an additional advantage of performing a real-time measurement of urease activity.     

Nitrilotris(methylenephosphonates) in aqueous solution and solid state - dilatometric, potentiometric and NMR investigations

Dissociation and alkali complex formation equilibria of nitrilotris(methylenephosphonic acid) (NTMP, H₆L) have been studied by dilatometric, potentiometric and ³¹P NMR-controlled titrations. Dilatometry indicated the formation of alkali complexes ML (M=Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs) at high pH with a stability decreasing from Li to Cs. An efficient combination of potentiometric and NMR methods confirmed two types of alkali metal complexes MHL and ML. Stability constants for the equilibria following M⁺ + HL⁵⁻ ? MHL⁴⁻ and M⁺ + L⁶⁻ ? ML⁵⁻, respectively, were determined: logK_NaHL=1.08(0.07), logK_KHL=0.86(0.08), logK_NaL=2.24(0.03). Systematic errors are introduced by using alkali metal hydroxides as titrants for routine potentiometric determinations of dissociation constants pK_a5^app and pK_a6^app. Correction formulae were derived to convert actual dissociation constants pK_a into apparent dissociation constants pK_a^app (or vice versa). The actual dissociation constants were found: pK_a5(H₂L⁴⁻ ? H⁺ + HL⁵⁻)=7.47(0.03) and pK_a6(HL⁵⁻ ? H⁺ + L⁶⁻)=14.1(0.1). The anisotropy of ³¹P chemical shifts of salts M_nH_6 − nL (M=Li, Na, n=0-5) is more sensitive towards titration (n) than isotropic solution state chemical shifts.     

In vitro and in vivo studies of the dermally absorbed Cu(II) complexes of N5O2 donor ligands - Potential anti-inflammatory drugs

Copper complexes of N,N′-di(aminoethylene)-2,6-pyridinedicarbonylamine and bis-(N,N-dimethylethyl)-2,6-pyridinedicarboxamide have been studied by glass electrode potentiometry, NMR, UV and IR spectroscopy as potential anti-inflammatory agents for the alleviation of inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis. The protonation and formation constants with Cu(II), Zn(II) and Ca(II), determined at 25 °C and an ionic strength of 0.15 mol dm⁻³ were used to calculate the copper plasma mobilizing index of the ligands. Spectroscopic studies suggested that metal ion complexation promotes deprotonation and coordination of the amide nitrogens resulting in overall tetragonal distorted copper complexes. Bio-distribution and dermal absorption studies showed the complexes to have relatively long biological half-lives with 50% of the injected dose remaining in the body 24 h after administration.     

Purification and characterization of YxeI, a penicillin acylase from Bacillus subtilis

The paper reports the purification and characterization of the first penicillin acylase from Bacillus subtilis. YxeI, the protein annotated as hypothetical, coded by the gene yxeI in the open reading frame between iol and hut operons in B. subtilis was cloned and expressed in Eshcherichia coli, purified and characterized. The purified protein showed measurable penicillin acylase activity with penicillin V. The enzyme was a homotetramer of 148 kDa. The apparent K_m of the enzyme for penicillin V and the synthetic substrate 2-nitro-5-(phenoxyacetamido)-benzoic acid was 40 mM and 0.63 mM, respectively, and the association constants were 8.93 × 10² M⁻¹ and 2.51 × 10⁵ M⁻¹, respectively. It was inhibited by cephalosporins and conjugated bile salts, substrates of the closely related bile acid hydrolases. It had good sequence homology with other penicillin V acylases and conjugated bile acid hydrolases, members of the Ntn hydrolase family. The N-terminal nucleophile was a cysteine which is revealed by a simple removal of N-formyl-methionine. The activity of the protein was affected by high temperature, acidic pH and the presence of the denaturant guanidine hydrochloride.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel guar gum hydrogels and their use as Cu sorbents

To prepare novel hydrogels for use in water technologies, guar gum was subjected to acid hydrolysis. The depolymerized guar gum obtained there from and the native guar gum were oxidized to their respective polycarboxylic forms using NO_x as oxidant. All these polymers were crosslinked with N,N-methylenebisacrylamide, and were used as Cu²⁺ sorbents. The candidate hydrogel exhibiting the highest uptake was used further to investigate the effect of external stimuli on sorption. The sorption on hydrogels was fast as the highest sorption was observed after 2 h at 40 °C and 20 ppm of Cu²⁺ ions. The hydrogel prepared from the oxidized guar gum afforded the maximum sorption capacity of 125.893 mg g⁻¹. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms, and pseudo second order kinetics matches the experimental data. The evidence of sorption was obtained by characterizing Cu²⁺-loaded hydrogels by FTIR spectroscopy.     

The interaction of europium(III) ion with nucleotides

Apparent composite stability constants have been determined at pH 7.0 and 8.0 for the interaction of Eu(III) with ADP and ATP in 0.1 M N-ethylmorpholine buffer at 20°C. The values were obtained using a competitive spectrophotometric technique with 8-hydroxyquinoline as the competing ligand and experiments were performed in the presence of relatively low concentration of europium so as to avoid precipitation of hydrolysed species of the metal ion. The data have been used, together with an assumed hydrolysis constant for europium of 10^?8 M, to calculate that the stability constant for the Eu-ADP⁰ complex is about 10⁶ M^?1. The results were not sufficiently accurate to determine the stability constant of the Eu(OH)-ADP^? complex.Values are also reported for the stability constants and molar extinction coefficients of the complexes formed by the reaction of europium and magnesium with 8-hydroxyquinoline.