Immobilization of lysine oxidase on a gold–platinum nanoparticles modified Au electrode for detection of lysine

A commercial lysine oxidase (LyOx) from Trichoderma viride was immobilized covalently onto gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) electrodeposited onto Au electrode using 3-aminopropyltriethoxy silane (3-APTES) and glutaraldehyde cross linking chemistry. A lysine biosensor was fabricated using LyOx/3-APTES/AuNPs-PtNPs/Au electrode as a working electrode, Ag/AgCl (3 M KCl) as standard electrode and Pt wire as auxiliary electrode connected through a potentiostat. The enzyme electrode was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The cumulative effect of AuNPs and PtNPs showed excellent electrocatalytic activity at low applied potential for detection of H₂O₂, a product of LyOx reaction. The sensor showed its optimum response within 4 s, when polarized at 0.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl in 0.1 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.5 at 30 °C. The linear range and detection limit of the sensor were 1.0–600 μM and 1.0 μM (S/N = 3), respectively. Biosensor measured lysine level in sera, milk and amino acid tablet, which correlated well with those by standard HPLC method. The enzyme electrode lost 50% of its initial activity after 200 uses over a period of 4 months.     

An amperometric uric acid biosensor based on multiwalled carbon nanotube-gold nanoparticle composite

An amperometric uric acid biosensor was fabricated by immobilizing uricase (EC 1.7.3.3) onto gold nanoparticle (AuNP)/multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) layer deposited on Au electrode via carbodiimide linkage. Determination of uric acid was performed by oxidation of enzymically generated H₂O₂ at 0.4 V. The sensor showed optimal response within 7 s at 40 °C in 50 mM Tris–HCl buffer (pH 7.5). The linear working range of the biosensor was 0.01–0.8 mM. The limit of detection (LOD) was 0.01 mM. The sensor measured uric acid levels in serum of healthy individuals and persons suffering from gout. The analytical recoveries of the added uric acid, 10 and 20 mg L^–1, were 98.0% and 96.5%, respectively. Within- and between-batch coefficients of variation were less than 5.6% and less than 4.7%, respectively. A good correlation (r = 0.998) was obtained between serum uric acid values by the standard enzymic colorimetric method and the current method. A number of serum substances had practically no interference. The sensor was used in more than 200 assays and had a storage life of 120 days at 4 °C.     

Fabrication of polyphenol biosensor based on laccase immobilized on copper nanoparticles/chitosan/multiwalled carbon nanotubes/polyaniline-modified gold electrode

A high-performance amperometric polyphenol biosensor was developed, based on covalent immobilization of Ganoderma sp. laccase onto copper nanoparticles (CuNP's)/chitosan (CHIT)/carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotube (cMWCNT)/polyaniline (PANI)-modified gold (Au) electrode. The CuNP's and cMWCNT had a synergistic electrocatalytic effect in the matrix of CHIT. The biosensor showed optimum response at pH 6.0 (0.1 M acetate buffer) and 35 °C, when operated at 50 mV s⁻¹. The biosensor exhibited excellent sensitivity (the detection limit was down to 0.156 μM for guaiacol), fast response time (less than 4 s) and wide linear range (from 1 to 500 μM). Analytical recovery of added guaiacol was 96.40-98.46%. Within batch and between batch coefficients of variation were <2.6% and <5.3%, respectively. The enzyme electrode was used 300 times over a period of 7 months, when stored at 4 °C.     

Purification and partial characterization of oxalate oxidase from leaves of forage Sorghum (Sorghum vulgare var. KH-105) seedlings

An oxalate oxidase was purified to apparent homogeneity from the leaves of 10-days old seedlings of forage Sorghum (Sorghum vulgare var. KH-105). The enzyme had a Mr of 124 kDa with two identical subunits, an optimum pH of 4.5, optimum temperature of 37 degrees C and activation energy (Ea) of 2.0338 Kcal/mol. The rate of reaction was linear up to 7 min. K(m) value for oxalate was 0.22 mM. The enzyme was stimulated by Cu2+ and inhibited by EDTA, NaCN, diethyldithiocarbamate, Na2SO4, but unaffected by NaCl at 0.1 mM concentration. Although the enzyme was stimulated by flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), UV and visible spectra of the enzyme did not match with that of a flavoprotein. The positive reaction of the enzyme with orcinol-H2SO4 reagent indicated its glycoprotein nature. The superiority of the purified enzyme over earlier reported oxalate oxidases for determination of urinary oxalate has been demonstrated.     

Construction and application of an amperometric xanthine biosensor based on zinc oxide nanoparticles-polypyrrole composite film

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) were synthesized from zinc nitrate by simple and efficient method in aqueous media at 55°C without any requirement of calcinations step. A mixture of ZnO-NPs and pyrrole was eletropolymerized on Pt electrode to form a ZnO-NPs-polypyrrole (PPy) composite film. Xanthine oxidase (XOD) was immobilized onto this nanocomposite film through physiosorption. The ZnO-NPs/polypyrrole/Pt electrode was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), cyclic voltammetry (CV), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) before and after immobilization of XOD. The XOD/ZnO-NPs-PPy/Pt electrode as working electrode, Ag/AgCl as reference electrode and Pt wire as auxiliary electrode were connected through a potentiostat to construct a xanthine biosensor. The biosensor exhibited optimum response within 5s at pH 7.0, 35°C and linearity from 0.8 μM to 40 μM for xanthine with a detection limit 0.8 μM (S/E=3). Michaelis Menten constant (K(m)) for xanthine oxidase was 13.51 μM and I(max) 0.071 μA. The biosensor measured xanthine in fish meat and lost 40% of its initial activity after its 200 uses over 100 days, when stored at 4°C.     

Construction of amperometric uric acid biosensor based on uricase immobilized on PBNPs/cMWCNT/PANI/Au composite

A chitosan-glutaraldehyde crosslinked uricase was immobilized onto Prussian blue nanoparticles (PBNPs) absorbed onto carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotube (c-MWCNT) and polyaniline (PANI) layer, electrochemically deposited on the surface of Au electrode. The nanohybrid-uricase electrode was characterized by scanning electron microscopic (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and cyclic voltammetry. An amperometric uric acid biosensor was fabricated using uricase/c-MWCNT/PBNPs/Au electrode as working electrode, Ag/AgCl as standard and Pt wire as auxiliary electrode connected through a potentiostat. The biosensor showed optimum response within 4 s at pH 7.5 and 40 °C, when operated at 0.4 V vs. Ag/AgCl. The linear working range for uric acid was 0.005-0.8 mM, with a detection limit of 5 μM. The sensor was evaluated with 96% recovery of added uric acid in sera and 4.6 and 5.4% within and between batch of coefficient of variation respectively and a good correlation (r = 0.99) with standard enzymic colorimetric method. This sensor measured uric acid in real serum samples. The sensor lost only 37% of its initial activity after its 400 uses over a period of 7 months, when stored at 4 °C.     

DNA methylation changes associated with risk factors in tumors of the upper aerodigestive tract

Cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) are common forms of malignancy associated with tobacco and alcohol exposures, although human papillomavirus and nutritional deficiency are also important risk factors. While somatically acquired DNA methylation changes have been associated with UADT cancers, what triggers these events and precise epigenetic targets are poorly understood. In this study, we applied quantitative profiling of DNA methylation states in a panel of cancer-associated genes to a case-control study of UADT cancers. Our analyses revealed a high frequency of aberrant hypermethylation of several genes, including MYOD1, CHRNA3 and MTHFR in UADT tumors, whereas CDKN2A was moderately hypermethylated. Among differentially methylated genes, we identified a new gene (the nicotinic acetycholine receptor gene) as target of aberrant hypermethylation in UADT cancers, suggesting that epigenetic deregulation of nicotinic acetycholine receptors in non-neuronal tissues may promote the development of UADT cancers. Importantly, we found that sex and age is strongly associated with the methylation states, whereas tobacco smoking and alcohol intake may also influence the methylation levels in specific genes. This study identifies aberrant DNA methylation patterns in UADT cancers and suggests a potential mechanism by which environmental factors may deregulate key cellular genes involved in tumor suppression and contribute to UADT cancers.Key words: DNA methylation, upper aerodigestive tract, cancer, risk factors, biomarkers     

The role of the housefly, Musca domestica, in the spread of Aujeszky''s disease (pseudorabies)

Starved houseflies were held over a suspension of Aujeszky's virus (PRV-1) for 24-48 h. One group was rinsed in 70% ethanol to kill virus attached to the body surface. No virus was isolated from this group. For the other group the titre of virus decreased more rapidly on the body surface of flies than in the environment. Model experiments demonstrated that the Aujeszky's virus cannot survive in the body of the housefly but the body surface may be contaminated for a period of time depending on the initial viral titre. Experiments showed that susceptible pigs fed on flies contaminated with Aujeszky's virus may become infected. The quantity of virus (5 x 10(5) pfu ml-1) shed by a single housefly during biting and vomiting on the cornea or abraded skin proved to be sufficient to cause infection in susceptible pigs, rabbits and a lamb. It is possible that houseflies could play a role in transmission of infection within herds. Transmission between herds is much less likely.     

PURE: A webserver for the prediction of domains in unassigned regions in proteins

Background  

Protein domains are the structural and functional units of proteins. The ability to parse proteins into different domains is important for effective classification, understanding of protein structure, function, and evolution and is hence biologically relevant. Several computational methods are available to identify domains in the sequence. Domain finding algorithms often employ stringent thresholds to recognize sequence domains. Identification of additional domains can be tedious involving intense computation and manual intervention but can lead to better understanding of overall biological function. In this context, the problem of identifying new domains in the unassigned regions of a protein sequence assumes a crucial importance.     

Microsatellites as DNA markers in cultivated peanut (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Arachis hypogaea</Emphasis> L.)

Background  

Genomic research of cultivated peanut has lagged behind other crop species because of the paucity of polymorphic DNA markers found in this crop. It is necessary to identify additional DNA markers for further genetic research in peanut.