Purification and characterisation of a novel alkalophilic α-D-mannosidase from Pseudomonas fluorescens

An extracellular alkaline α-D-mannosidase in the cell culture of a marine bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens JK-02 was purified to homogeneity with a 30.7-fold by ammonium sulphate fractionation, anion-exchange chromatography and gel-filtration chromatography. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was estimated to be 50.5 kDa based on the sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The optimal pH and temperature of the purified enzyme were 8.5 and 30°C. The K_m and V_max values of the purified enzyme towards p-nitrophenyl-α-D-mannopyranoside were determined to be 77 µM and 0.23 µM min^?1mg^?1 of protein, respectively. The α-D-mannosidase showed higher substrate specificity to α-1,3-mannobiose than other isomeric substrates such as α-1,2- and α-1,6-mannobiose. In addition, molecular characterisation of this enzyme reveals that it belongs to a class II α-mannosidase from the glycosyl hydrolase family 38. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the alkalophilic α-1,3 D-mannosidase of Pseudomonas species, which has selective algal-lytic activity against Alexandrium tamarense, Akashiwo sanguine, Gymnodinium catenatum, Gymnodinium mikimotoi and Prorocentrum dentatum.     

Reverse-phase purification and silica gel thin-layer chromatography of porphyrin carboxylic acids

Thin-layer chromatography on silica gel 60 plates in the solvent N,N-dimethylformamide/methanol/ethylene glycol/glacial acetic acid/1-chlorobutane/chloroform (4/35/6/0.4/18/20 by volume) separates porphyrin carboxylic acids by the number of free carboxyl groups. Coproporphyrins I and III and isocoproporphyrin are separated in 30 min, other porphyrins in 15 min. The N,N-dimethylformamide and acetic acid in the solvent strongly increase porphyrin fluorescence on the plates. Fading and diffusion of the fluorescent patterns is prevented by storage of the plates in the cold and dark without oxygen and with desiccant. In a preliminary step, porphyrins are purified in high yields, concentrated, and deacidified rapidly (2 min) by reversephase chromatography on cartridges containing a C₁₈ spacer or on Amberlite XAD-2 columns. The methods are applied to urines of porphyria patients and for following porphyrin ester hydrolysis.     

Structural characteristics of the Streptomyces bacteriophage φC31

Abstract Some structural characteristics of the Streptomyces phage φC31 were analyzed. A simpler and at least 50 times more efficient method than those previously described for isolating the phage is reported. The phage is naked, showing a polyhedral head 53 nm wide, a long non-contractile tail 100 × 5 nm, a basal plate 15 nm in diameter with at least one pin, and a prominent knot between the head and the tail. Up to 17 polypeptides had been found in the virion. Four of them, of 51, 38.5, 29.5 and 28 kDa, make up around 84% of the total protein of the particle.     

Purification of Choline Acetyltransferase from the Locust Schistocerca gregaria and Production of Serum Antibodies to This Enzyme

Choline acetyltransferase (ChAT; EC 2.3.1.6) was purified from the heads of Schistocerca gregaria to a final specific activity of 1.61 mumol acetylcholine (ACh) formed min-1 mg-1 protein. The molecular mass of the enzyme as determined by gel filtration is 66,800 daltons. The final enzyme preparation showed one major band at 65,000 daltons on sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, which corresponds with the native molecular mass of the enzyme, a band at 56,000 daltons, and two bands at 40,500 and 38,000 daltons. Antibodies raised against ChAT in rabbit react only with the active band on native gel after Western blotting. They strongly react with the 65,000-dalton polypeptide band on Western blots of SDS gel separation of pure preparation of enzyme and with both the 65,000- and 56,000-dalton bands after SDS gel separation of crude extract.     

The Sodium Channel Has Four Domains Surrounding a Central Pore

The voltage-gated sodium channel generates the action potential. This 300-kDa protein has four homologous regions, which are also homologous to the voltage-sensitive tetrameric potassium channel. We isolated sodium channels fromElectrophorus electricuselectroplax by detergent solubilization and immunoaffinity chromatography and studied their structure by electron microscopy of negatively stained specimens. Different projections were aligned, classified, and averaged. In side view, the channel protein exhibits the shape of a truncated cone, 14 nm in height. One end has a diameter of 12 nm and is asymmetric, while the other is more symmetric and has a diameter of 7–10 nm. In top views, the sodium channel appears to consist of four domains of different size and to have a stain-filled pore in the center.     

Enzymology of l-tyrosine biosynthesis in corn (zea ma ys)

A newly found amino acid, denoted l-arogenate, has been identified as an intermediate in l-tyrosine biosynthesis in corn. Activity for prephena     

杨桃根水提取物化学成分及生物活性的研究

为探究杨桃根中具备降血糖功能的活性成分,采用色谱分离方法从其水提取物中分离得到9个化合物,应用波谱技术对它们的化学结构进行了鉴定,分别命名为prismaconnatoside(1),tarennanosides A(2),(+)-catechin(3),fernandoside(4),7a-[(β-glucopyranosyl) oxy]-lyoniresinol(5),(+)-lyoniresinol 3α-O-β-D-glucopyranoside(6),(-)-lyon-iresinol 3α-O-β-D-glucopyranoside(7),(-)-5’-methoxy-isolariciresinol 3α-O-β-D-glucopyranoside(8)和正辛烷(9)。其中化合物1,2,4,5均为首次从杨桃中分离得到,化合物3为首次从杨桃根中分离得到。对部分单体化合物进行了体外α-葡萄糖苷酶和DPP-IV酶抑制活性测试,化合物1具有较强的α-葡萄糖苷酶抑制活性。     

Formaldehyde dehydrogenase from the recombinant yeast Hansenula polymorpha: isolation and bioanalytic application

A recombinant yeast clone, a derivative of the recipient Hansenula polymorpha strain NCYC 495, was chosen as an NAD and glutathione-dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase overproducer. Optimal cultivation conditions for the highest yield of enzyme were established. A simple scheme for the isolation of formaldehyde dehydrogenase from the recombinant strain was proposed, and some characteristics of the purified enzyme were studied. An enzymatic method for formaldehyde assay based on formaldehyde dehydrogenase was developed and used for testing real samples.