Thermogenic activity of Ca-ATPase from skeletal muscle heavy sarcoplasmic reticulum: The role of ryanodine Ca channel

The sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ ATPase 1 (SERCA 1) is able to handle the energy derived from ATP hydrolysis in such a way as to determine the parcel of energy that is used for Ca²⁺ transport and the fraction that is converted into heat. In this work we measured the heat production by SERCA 1 in the two sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) fractions: the light fraction (LSR), which is enriched in SERCA and the heavy fraction (HSR), which contains both the SERCA and the ryanodine Ca²⁺ channel. We verified that although HSR cleaved ATP at faster rate than LSR, the amount of heat released during ATP hydrolysis by HSR was smaller than that measured by LSR. Consequently, the amount of heat released per mol of ATP cleaved (ΔH^cal) by HSR was lower compared to LSR. In HSR, the addition of 5 mM Mg²⁺ or ruthenium red, conditions that close the ryanodine Ca²⁺ channel, promoted a decrease in the ATPase activity, but the amount of heat released during ATP hydrolysis remained practically the same. In this condition, the ΔH^cal values of ATP hydrolysis increased significantly. Neither Mg²⁺ nor ruthenium red had effect on LSR. Thus, we conclude that heat production by SERCA 1 depends on the region of SR in which the enzyme is inserted and that in HSR, the ΔH^cal of ATP hydrolysis by SERCA 1 depends on whether the ryanodine Ca²⁺ channel is opened or closed.     

六种白腐菌预处理对毛白杨木材酶水解效果的影响

通过化学分析和酶水解试验,研究了不同的白腐菌对毛白杨的预处理效果及不同组分的降解对酶水解的影响。毛白杨木片经6种白腐菌预处理30d后,各组分都发生了降解,其中半纤维素的损失最为显著,Trametes ochracea C6888引起半纤维素降解率高达47.19%,其次是纤维素和酸不溶木素的降解。在后续酶水解过程中,6种白腐菌处理后的样品显示出不同的水解模式,菌株Trametes ochracea C6888、T. pubescens C7571和T. versicolor C6915预处理效果最为显著,还原糖得率在整个酶水解过程中一直高于对照,其中T. ochracea C6888在水解96h后还原糖得率达到15.93%,比未处理样品提高了25%。分析酸不溶木素降解率及半纤维素降解率与还原糖得率的关系发现,不同菌株在作用同一种基质时,预处理效果差异显著,木质素和半纤维素的脱除都会影响木质纤维素的酶水解。     

球形赖氨酸芽孢杆菌(Lysinibacillus sphaericus)和嗜冷芽孢八叠球菌(Sporosarcina psychrophila)介导形成白云石晶体

【目的】白云石(Dolomite)是一种含有钙镁的碳酸盐矿物[CaMg(CO3)2],广泛存在于陆地和海洋等环境并常与油气埋藏共存。尽管白云石(或岩)的发现已经有三百多年的历史,但是对白云石的成因仍然没有定论,地质学上称之为"白云石之谜"。20世纪90年代Vasconcelos C.提出了"微生物白云石模型",为白云石成因的研究带来了新的思路。但是这一模型并不完善,白云石的形成与所介导的微生物生理状态以及环境参数之间的关系不明确。另外,所有报道的实验都是在地表压强条件下进行,无法表征自然界中白云石所处的高压环境。本研究中引入压力这一环境参数,结合菌株本身生理特性参数,综合考察多重因子对微生物介导形成白云岩的影响。【方法】利用球形赖氨酸芽孢杆菌(Lysinibacillus sphaericus)和嗜冷芽孢八叠球菌(Sporosarcina psychrophila)两株具有尿素水解活性的细菌作为生物材料,在不同的温度(15°C和30°C)压强(常压和20 MPa)氧气浓度(常压好氧条件和常压微氧条件)不同的尿素水解活性下进行生物矿化实验。通过SEM(扫描电子显微镜)和EDS(X射线能谱分析)相结合的方法观察沉淀物形貌和矿物成分构成。通过XRD(X射线衍射分析)定性测定碳酸盐矿物沉淀物的种类。【结果】球形赖氨酸芽孢杆菌和嗜冷芽孢八叠球菌在实验中所设计的所有矿化条件下都能够介导形成碳酸盐矿物沉淀。XRD和SEM检测均证实球形赖氨酸芽孢杆菌在30°C的20 MPa微氧条件下能够介导形成不规则菱面型和椭球型白云石。高压条件更有助于白云石的形成。除了白云石晶体,实验中还观察到有其他矿物(如方解石,碳氢镁石,钙镁碳酸石等)。【结论】实验证实球形赖氨酸芽孢杆菌和嗜冷芽孢八叠球菌具有矿化能力,特别是球形赖氨酸芽孢杆菌具有介导形成白云石的能力。微生物介导形成的碳酸盐矿物组分受到微生物的代谢活性以及温度、压力等生物矿化实验条件控制。这一研究结果帮助完善"微生物白云石模型",为解释白云石的深部成因提供数据支持。     

一株糖降解噬糖菌FZY0027的多糖水解活性及基因组分析

【目的】潮间带海水中分离获得一株具有水解多糖能力的菌株FZY0027,分析其对不同多糖的水解能力和基因组特征。【方法】通过形态观察、16S rRNA基因测序和基于Illumina NovaSeq和OxfordNanopore PromethION测序技术全基因组测序对菌株FZY0027进行鉴定。使用dbCAN、EasyCGTree、BRIG和Easyfig等生物信息学软件将菌株FZY0027和降解糖噬糖菌(Saccharophagus degradans) 2-40^T进行比较。使用3,5-二硝基水杨酸(3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid, DNS)法测定多糖水解活性。【结果】菌株FZY0027与S. degradans 2-40^T的16S rRNA基因序列相似度达到99.9%,初步鉴定为降解糖噬糖菌(S. degradans) FZY0027。该菌株在水解淀粉、木聚糖和甘露聚糖时产生的还原糖浓度最高,分别为2.28、1.75和1.10 mg/mL。菌株FZY0027基因组全长5 178 381 bp,共编码4 156个基因,G+C含量为45.8%。菌株FZY0027与S. degradans 2-40^T的平均核苷酸一致性(average nucleotide identity, ANI)、平均氨基酸一致性(average amino acid identity, AAI)和DNA-DNA分子杂交(digital DNA-DNA hybridization, dDDH)值分别为96.5%、96.7%和70.0%。经碳水化合物活性酶数据库注释获得303个基因,其中,菌株FZY0027和S. degradans 2-40^T分别有糖苷水解酶(glycoside hydrolases, GHs)结构域的基因137个和130个。菌株FZY0027具有多个参与淀粉、木聚糖等多糖水解的基因,这与菌株FZY0027对淀粉和木聚糖的水解能力强的结果一致。然而,与S. degradans 2-40^T相比,菌株FZY0027在实验条件下只能水解少数多糖,这可能需要特定的诱导条件才能充分发挥其多糖水解能力。【结论】菌株FZY0027是一株多能型多糖水解菌,具有潜在开发价值。     

A simple and rapid method for evaluation of Mark–Houwink–Sakurada constants of linear random coil polysaccharides using molecular weight and intrinsic viscosity determined by high performance size exclusion chromatography: application to guar galactomannan

A rapid method for establishing the constants in the Mark–Houwink–Sakurada equation, relating intrinsic viscosity and molecular weight (MW), of guar galactomannan is described. Following partial acid hydrolysis, the galactomannan was analyzed using high performance size exclusion chromatography employing viscosimetry and right angle light scattering detectors. In this way, a large number of samples of polysaccharides with a wide range of MW distributions were prepared, without need for isolation, and intrinsic viscosity and MW rapidly determined. The a and K values found for guar galactomannan were 0.72 and 5.13×10⁻⁴ ([η] in dl/g) respectively, in good agreement with previously published values.     

Alteration of lipase chain length specificity in the hydrolysis of esters by random mutagenesis

The feasibility of altering the chain length specificity of industrially important Rhizomucor miehei lipase was investigated by randomly mutating Phe94 in the protein groove which is responsible for accommodating the acyl chain of the substrate. The recombinant lipase was initially expressed in E. coli. Individual colonies were selected, grown, and the DNA sequence of the lipase gene determined. Fourteen of the 19 possible mutants were identified and each of these was transformed into Pichia pastoris which expresses the enzyme extracellularly. The yeast was grown and the supernatants assessed in several assays with long and short chain substrates. Based on this preliminary screen, one mutant, Phe94Gly, was selected and purified to homogeneity for further analysis. It was found that the substitution of phenylalanine 94 with glycine led to an enzyme which was about six times less active against resorufin ester but displayed 3-4 times higher activity with short chain substrates such as butyric acid esters. The observed alteration to the enzyme specificity was rationalised using the available 3D structure of the lipase.     

Conformational changes induced by ATP-hydrolysis in an ABC transporter: a molecular dynamics study of the Sav1866 exporter

ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC) transporters are ubiquitous membrane proteins that use energy from ATP binding or/and hydrolysis to actively transport allocrites across membranes. In this study, we identify ATP-hydrolysis induced conformational changes in a complete ABC exporter (Sav1866) from Staphylococcus aureaus, using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. By performing MD simulations on the ATP and ADP+IP bound states, we identify the conformational consequences of hydrolysis, showing that the major rearrangements are not restricted to the NBDs, but extend to the transmembrane domains (TMDs) external regions. For the first time, to our knowledge, we see, within the context of a complete transporter, NBD dimer opening in the ADP+IP state in contrast with all ATP-bound states. This opening results from the dissociation of the ABC signature motif from the nucleotide. In addition, in both states, we observe the opening of a gate entrance in the intracellular loop region leading to the exposure of the TMDs internal cavity to the cytoplasm. To see if this opening was large enough to allow allocrite transport, the adiabatic energy profile for doxorubicin passage was determined. For both states, this profile, although an approximation, is overall downhill from the cytoplasmatic to the extracellular side, and the local energy barriers along the TMDs are relatively small, evidencing the exporter nature of Sav1866. The major difference between states is an energy barrier located in the cytoplasmic gate region, which becomes reduced upon hydrolysis, suggesting that allocrite passage is facilitated, and evidencing a possible molecular mechanism for the active transport in these proteins.     

Studies of the Heterogeneity of a Candida cylindracea (rugosa) Lipase: Monitoring of Esterolytic Activity and Enantioselectivity by Chiral Liquid Chromatography

A method for the determination of lipase activity in terms of rate and enantioselectivity of hydrolysis of a chiral ester substrate has been developed. When this method was applied to fractions, isolated from preparative, column chromatographic separations (anion-exchange, molecular sieve) of the lipase, significant differences in enantioselectivity (E) was found between the fractions. The highest enantioselectivity was found in the first main peak obtained on DEAE-Sepharose chromatography, meaning that the enzyme with the highest isoelectric point shows the highest esterolytic enantioselectivity.

The experimental results are discussed in the light of some earlier reported results and with respect to the possible existence of subunit aggregates and isoenzymes.     

The effect of delignification of forest biomass on enzymatic hydrolysis

The effect of delignification methods on enzymatic hydrolysis of forest biomass was investigated using softwood and hardwood that were pretreated at an alkaline condition followed by sodium chlorite or ozone delignification. Both delignifications improved enzymatic hydrolysis especially for softwood, while pretreatment alone was found effective for hardwood. High enzymatic conversion was achieved by sodium chlorite delignification when the lignin content was reduced to 15%, which is corresponding to 0.30-0.35 g/g accessible pore volume, and further delignification showed a marginal effect. Sample crystallinity index increased with lignin removal, but it did not show a correlation with the overall carbohydrate conversion of enzymatic hydrolysis.     

The potential of enzyme recycling during the hydrolysis of a mixed softwood feedstock

Despite recent improvement in cellulase enzymes properties, the high cost associated with the hydrolysis step remains a major impediment to the commercialization of full-scale lignocellulose-to-ethanol bioconversion process. As part of a research effort to develop a commercial process for bioconversion of softwood residues, we have examined the potential for recycling enzymes during the hydrolysis of mixed softwood substrate pretreated by organosolv process. We have used response surface methodology to determine the optimal temperature, pH, ionic strength, and surfactant (Tween 80) concentration for maximizing the recovery of bound protein and enzyme activity from the residual substrates after hydrolysis. Data analysis showed that the temperature, pH and surfactant concentration were the major factors governing enzyme desorption from residual substrate. The optimized conditions were temperature 44.4 °C, pH 5.3 and 0.5% Tween 80. The optimal conditions significantly increased the hydrolysis yield by 25% after three rounds of hydrolysis. This bound enzyme desorption combining with free enzyme re-adsorption is a potential method to recover cellulase enzymes and reduce the cost of enzymatic hydrolysis.