Comparative study of Lowry and Bradford methods: interfering substances

The methods of Lowry and Bradford, commonly used for protein determination, were compared regarding the level of interference of some substances used for glucoamylase precipitation by ethanol. The method of Bradford suffers no interference while the method of Lowry showed protein concentration values 20% increased in the presence of ethanol and Tris. Despite these interferences, the Lowry method can evaluate more accurately the increase of purity during fractionation, due to its sensitivity to low molecular weight (below 6 kDa) proteins and peptides.     

Effects of Adrenalin on the Conversion Ratio of Tryptophan to Niacin in Rats

The administration of glycemia-affecting chemicals such as alloxan, streptozotocin, and 6-aminonicotinamide decreases the conversion ratio of tryptophan to niacin. Adrenalin is also known to increase the glucose level. For this reason, the effects of adrenalin on the conversion ratio were investigated. We found that the conversion ratio of tryptophan to niacin was reduced to half by the intraperitoneal injection of adrenalin at 75 μg/day/rat (body weight, about 250 g) every day for 7 days. Niacin decreases adrenalin-stimulated glycogenolysis via stimulating phosphodiesterase activity or depressing adenyl cyclase activity. Accordingly, in urgent need of energy, animals would have to decrease the concentration of niacin within the body.     

Identification of Gibberellins A4, A9, and A24 from Phaeosphaeria sp. L487 Cultured in a Chemically Defined Medium

Gibberellins A₄, A₉, and A₂₄ were isolated and identified from the new gibberellin-producing fungus, Phaeosphaeria sp. L487 (Loculoascomycetes), cultivated in a chemically defined medium; their yields from the culture filtrate were ca. 1. 7, 0. 3, and 0.4 μg/ml, respectively. Gibberellins A₄ and A₉ significantly stimulated the hypocotyl growth of Chinese cabbage seedlings at a very low concentration of less than 0.01 μg/ml.     

TiO2膜吸附固定糖化酶特性的研究

分别以醋酸纤维素TiO2膜(AC.TiO2膜)、羧甲基纤维TiO2膜(CMC.TiO2膜)和聚丙烯TiO2膜(PP.TiO2膜)为载体吸附固定糖化酶,并与醋酸纤维素、羧甲基纤维素和聚丙烯固定糖化酶的性能进行了比较,得出以AC.TiO2膜和PP.TiO2膜对糖化酶的吸附性能及稳定性能均较好,PP.TiO2膜固定的糖化酶使用8次后其剩余酶活仍能保持在72%.     

Continuous degradation of maltose by enzyme entrapment technology using calcium alginate beads as a matrix

Maltase from Bacillus licheniformis KIBGE-IB4 was immobilized within calcium alginate beads using entrapment technique. Immobilized maltase showed maximum immobilization yield with 4% sodium alginate and 0.2 M calcium chloride within 90.0 min of curing time. Entrapment increases the enzyme–substrate reaction time and temperature from 5.0 to 10.0 min and 45 °C to 50 °C, respectively as compared to its free counterpart. However, pH optima remained same for maltose hydrolysis. Diffusional limitation of substrate (maltose) caused a declined in V_max of immobilized enzyme from 8411.0 to 4919.0 U ml^?1 min^?1 whereas, K_m apparently increased from 1.71 to 3.17 mM ml^?1. Immobilization also increased the stability of free maltase against a broad temperature range and enzyme retained 45% and 32% activity at 55 °C and 60 °C, respectively after 90.0 min. Immobilized enzyme also exhibited recycling efficiency more than six cycles and retained 17% of its initial activity even after 6th cycles. Immobilized enzyme showed relatively better storage stability at 4 °C and 30 °C after 60.0 days as compared to free enzyme.     

篮状菌Talaromyces leycettanus JCM12802来源的高温葡萄糖淀粉酶性质与结构

葡萄糖淀粉酶作为淀粉糖化的关键用酶之一,广泛应用于食品、医药和发酵工业等行业。由于整个制糖过程都是在高温下完成的,因此对葡萄糖淀粉酶的反应温度和热稳定性有较高要求。本研究从嗜热篮状菌Talaromyces leycettanus JCM12802中克隆到一个糖苷水解酶第15家族(GH15)葡萄糖淀粉酶基因(Tlga15A)并在毕赤酵母GS115中实现异源表达。重组葡萄糖淀粉酶TlGA的最适pH为4.5,在75℃下表现出最高酶活。TlGA热稳定性好,65℃条件下处理1 h剩余70%以上酶活力;70℃处理30min后仍有43%酶活力。TlGA有较强的离子抗性和宽泛的底物特异性,TlGA水解可溶性淀粉、支链淀粉、糖原、糊精和普鲁兰的比活力分别为(255.6±15.3) U/mg、(342.3±24.7) U/mg、(185.4±12.5) U/mg、(423.3±29.3) U/mg和(65.7±8.1) U/mg。从葡萄糖淀粉酶TlGA的一级结构、二级结构和三级结构3个层面对其进行比较分析,发现一级结构中较少的Gly组成和三级结构中较低的非极性基团溶剂可及表面积可能是维持葡萄糖淀粉酶TlGA温度稳定性的主要原因。综合其性质特点和对结构的分析,葡萄糖淀粉酶TlGA在工业葡萄糖生产中有较大应用潜力。     

Synthesis of phosphate derivatives related to the glycosidase inhibitor salacinol

The syntheses of polyhydroxylated imino- and anhydro thio-alditol compounds related to the naturally occurring glycosidase inhibitor, salacinol, containing a phosphate group in the side chain are described. The compounds lack hydroxyl groups on the acyclic side chain and are prototypes of the exact salacinol analogue. The synthetic strategy relies on the Mitsunobu reaction of N- and S-hydroxyalkyl derivatives of 2,3,5-tri-O-benzyl-1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-D-arabinitol and 1,4-anhydro-2,3,5-tri-O-benzyl-1-thio-D-arabinitol with dibenzyl phosphate to yield the corresponding protected heteroalditol phosphates. Screening of these compounds against recombinant human maltase glucoamylase (MGA), a critical intestinal glucosidase involved in the processing of oligosaccharides of glucose into glucose itself, shows that they are not effective inhibitors of MGA and demonstrates the importance of the hydroxyl and/or sulfate substituents present on the side chain for effective inhibition. The attempted synthesis of the exact analogue of salacinol by opening of cyclic phosphates is also described.     

Pretreatment of starch raw materials and their enzymatic hydrolysis by immobilized glucoamylase

The pretreatment of starch raw materials such as sweet potato, potato and cassava has been carried out using various types of crusher, viz juice mixer, homogenizer and high-speed planetary mill. The effect of pretreatment of the materials on their enzymatic hydrolysis was studied. High-speed planetary mill treatment was the most effective and comparable with heat treatment (pasting). Various crushing times were used to examine the effect of crushing by mill treatment on the enzymatic hydrolysis. In the enzymatic hydrolysis of cassava, the use of both cellulase [1,4-(1,3; 1,4)-β-d-glucan 4-glucanohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.4] and glucoamylase [1,4-α-d-glucan glucohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.3] enhanced the d-glucose yield. The immobilization of glucoamylase was studied by radiation polymerization of hydrophilic monomers at low temperature, and it was found that enzymatic activity of the immobilized glucoamylase particles varied with monomer concentration and particle size. Starchy raw materials pretreated with the mill can be efficiently hydrolysed by immobilized glucoamylase.     

α淀粉酶和糖化酶在酿酒酵母中的表达和分泌

将地衣芽孢杆菌α-淀粉酶基因及黑曲霉糖化酶cDNA重组进大肠杆菌-酵母穿梭质粒,转化酿酒酵母,构建能分解淀粉的酵母工程菌。酶活力测定和酶学性质分析的结果显示:在酵母MF-α1因子及磷酸甘油酸激酶基因的启动子和终止信号的调控下,α-淀粉酶和糖化酶基因在酵母中获得高表达并向胞外分泌这两种酶。构建的酵母工程菌在含10％淀粉的培养基中6天内能水解97％的淀粉,重组质粒能在酵母中较稳定地存在。