Preferential selection of Cys‐constrained peptides from a random phage‐displayed library by anti‐glucitollysine antibodies

Phage‐displayed peptides recognized by two monoclonal antibodies against glucitollysine were selected. The most prominent feature of the peptide panel was the presence of paired Cys in most of them (21/24 peptides). The availability of a wide variety of peptides having differently spaced paired Cys, as well as truly linear Cys‐free peptides, gave the opportunity to explore the role of disulfide bridges in phage selection. Some Cys‐containing peptides came from a Cys‐flanked cyclic 9‐mer library, but most of them (18/21) were derived from a totally random 12‐mer library, and hence the presence of Cys was dictated by the selector antibodies. Motifs shared by several peptides (potentially involved in binding) often contained or were flanked by Cys residues. Binding of all Cys‐containing phage‐displayed peptides was abolished/decreased after a reducing treatment. Screening a random peptide library (without invariant Cys residues) is powerful enough to clearly reveal the need, preferences, and diversity of Cys‐mediated structural constraints for recognition. Copyright © 2008 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A process for bioconversion of cephalosporin C by Rhodotorula gracilis D-amino acid oxidase

Summary A process for the production (in a stirred tank reactor) of glutaryl-7-ACA from cephalosporin C using immobilized D-amino acid oxidase is described. Results so obtained under optimal conditions (1.2 mg coupled enzyme/L, pH 8.5, 2 mM cephalosporin C) point to a system which shows high conversion efficiency and a remarkable operational stability. No exogenous H₂O₂ is requested to shift the reaction equilibrium toward glutaryl-7-ACA production, nor any side product is detected. The immobilized system productivity was 54 g/day/mg of enzyme. This process represents the first reported case of a reactor successfully developed with a DAAO for bioconversion of cephalosporin C.