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Sample records for purification biochemical characterization

  1. INVESTIGATIONS ON BIOCHEMICAL PURIFICATION OF GROUND WATER FROM HYDROGEN SULFIDE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu. P. Sedlukho

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper considers problems and features of biochemical removal of hydrogen sulfide from ground water. The analysis of existing methods for purification of ground water from hydrogen sulfide has been given in the paper. The paper has established shortcomings of physical and chemical purification of ground water. While using aeration methods for removal of hydrogen sulfide formation of colloidal sulfur that gives muddiness and opalescence to water occurs due to partial chemical air oxidation. In addition to this violation of sulfide-carbonate equilibrium taking place in the process of aeration due to desorption of H2S and CO2, often leads to clogging of degasifier nozzles with formed CaCO3 that causes serious operational problems. Chemical methods require relatively large flow of complex reagent facilities, storage facilities and transportation costs.In terms of hydrogen sulfide ground water purification the greatest interest is given to the biochemical method. Factors deterring widespread application of the biochemical method is its insufficient previous investigation and necessity to execute special research in order to determine optimal process parameters while purifying groundwater of a particular water supply source. Biochemical methods for oxidation of sulfur compounds are based on natural biological processes that ensure natural sulfur cycle. S. Vinogradsky has established a two-stage mechanism for oxidation of hydrogen sulfide with sulfur bacteria (Beggiatoa. The first stage presupposes oxidation of hydrogen sulphide to elemental sulfur which is accumulating in the cytoplasm in the form of globules. During the second stage sulfur bacteria begin to oxidize intracellular sulfur to sulfuric acid due to shortage of hydrogen sulfide.The paper provides the results of technological tests of large-scale pilot plants for biochemical purification of groundwater from hydrogen sulfide in semi-industrial conditions. Dependences of water quality

  2. Partial purification and biochemical characterization of acid ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Mung bean (Vigna radiata) is one of the important crops of the North Eastern Region of India. In the present study, acid phosphatase enzyme was isolated and partially purified from germinated local mung bean seeds. The sequential partial purification process was performed using ammonium sulphate precipitation method.

  3. Purification and biochemical characterization of NpABCG5/NpPDR5, a plant pleiotropic drug resistance transporter expressed in Nicotiana tabacum BY-2 suspension cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toussaint, Frédéric; Pierman, Baptiste; Bertin, Aurélie; Lévy, Daniel; Boutry, Marc

    2017-05-04

    Pleiotropic drug resistance (PDR) transporters belong to the ABCG subfamily of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters and are involved in the transport of various molecules across plasma membranes. During evolution, PDR genes appeared independently in fungi and in plants from a duplication of a half-size ABC gene. The enzymatic properties of purified PDR transporters from yeast have been characterized. This is not the case for any plant PDR transporter, or, incidentally, for any purified plant ABC transporter. Yet, plant PDR transporters play important roles in plant physiology such as hormone signaling or resistance to pathogens or herbivores. Here, we describe the expression, purification, enzymatic characterization and 2D analysis by electron microscopy of NpABCG5/NpPDR5 from Nicotiana plumbaginifolia , which has been shown to be involved in the plant defense against herbivores. We constitutively expressed NpABCG5/NpPDR5, provided with a His-tag in a homologous system: suspension cells from Nicotiana tabacum (Bright Yellow 2 line). NpABCG5/NpPDR5 was targeted to the plasma membrane and was solubilized by dodecyl maltoside and purified by Ni-affinity chromatography. The ATP-hydrolyzing specific activity (27 nmol min -1  mg -1 ) was stimulated seven-fold in the presence of 0.1% asolectin. Electron microscopy analysis indicated that NpABCG5/NpPDR5 is monomeric and with dimensions shorter than those of known ABC transporters. Enzymatic data (optimal pH and sensitivity to inhibitors) confirmed that plant and fungal PDR transporters have different properties. These data also show that N. tabacum suspension cells are a convenient host for the purification and biochemical characterization of ABC transporters. © 2017 The Author(s); published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

  4. Purification and Biochemical Characterization of Three Myotoxins from Bothrops mattogrossensis Snake Venom with Toxicity against Leishmania and Tumor Cells

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    Andréa A. de Moura

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Bothrops mattogrossensis snake is widely distributed throughout eastern South America and is responsible for snakebites in this region. This paper reports the purification and biochemical characterization of three new phospholipases A2 (PLA2s, one of which is presumably an enzymatically active Asp49 and two are very likely enzymatically inactive Lys49 PLA2 homologues. The purification was obtained after two chromatographic steps on ion exchange and reverse phase column. The 2D SDS-PAGE analysis revealed that the proteins have pI values around 10, are each made of a single chain, and have molecular masses near 13 kDa, which was confirmed by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The N-terminal similarity analysis of the sequences showed that the proteins are highly homologous with other Lys49 and Asp49 PLA2s from Bothrops species. The PLA2s isolated were named BmatTX-I (Lys49 PLA2-like, BmatTX-II (Lys49 PLA2-like, and BmatTX-III (Asp49 PLA2. The PLA2s induced cytokine release from mouse neutrophils and showed cytotoxicity towards JURKAT (leukemia T and SK-BR-3 (breast adenocarcinoma cell lines and promastigote forms of Leishmania amazonensis. The structural and functional elucidation of snake venoms components may contribute to a better understanding of the mechanism of action of these proteins during envenomation and their potential pharmacological and therapeutic applications.

  5. Purification and biochemical characterization of the haloalkaliphilic archaeon Natronococcus occultus extracellular serine protease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Studdert, C A; Herrera Seitz, M K; Plasencia, I

    2001-01-01

    A serine protease was purified from Natronococcus occultus stationary phase culture medium (328-fold, yield 19%) and characterized at the biochemical level. The enzyme has a native molecular mass of 130 kDa, has chymotrypsin-like activity, is stable and active in a broad pH range (5.5-12), is rat......A serine protease was purified from Natronococcus occultus stationary phase culture medium (328-fold, yield 19%) and characterized at the biochemical level. The enzyme has a native molecular mass of 130 kDa, has chymotrypsin-like activity, is stable and active in a broad pH range (5.......5-12), is rather thermophilic (optimal activity at 60 degrees C in 1-2 M NaCl) and is dependent on high salt concentrations for activity and stability (1-2 M NaCl or KCl). Polyclonal antibodies were raised against the purified protease. In Western blots, they presented no cross-reactivity with culture medium from...... other halobacteria nor with commercial proteases except subtilisin. The amino acid sequences of three tryptic peptides obtained from Natronococcus occultus protease did not show significant similarity to other known proteolytic enzymes. This fact, in addition to its high molecular mass suggests...

  6. Purification, Characterization and Antibacterial Mechanism of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Purpose: To carry out the extraction, purification and biological characterization, and assess the antibacterial activity of bacteriocin from Lactobacillus acidophilus XH1. Methods: Chloroform extraction method was used for bacteriocin extraction while characterization of bacteriocin was carried out by flat-dug well agar ...

  7. Purification and Biochemical Characterization of a Neutral Serine Protease from Trichoderma harzianum. Use in Antibacterial Peptide Production from a Fish By-Product Hydrolysate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aissaoui, Neyssene; Chobert, Jean-Marc; Haertlé, Thomas; Marzouki, M Nejib; Abidi, Ferid

    2017-06-01

    This study reports the purification and biochemical characterization of an extracellular neutral protease from the fungus Trichoderma harzianum. The protease (Th-Protease) was purified from the culture supernatant to homogeneity by a three-step procedure with 14.2% recovery and 9.06-fold increase in specific activity. The purified enzyme appeared as a single protein band after sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) with a molecular mass of about 20 kDa. The optimum pH and temperature for the proteolytic activity were pH 7.0 and 40 °C, respectively. The enzyme was then investigated for its potential application in the production of antibacterial peptides. Interestingly, Scorpaena notata viscera protein hydrolysate prepared using the purified serine protease (Th-Protease) showed remarkable in vitro antibacterial activities. A peptide with a high antibacterial activity was further purified by a three-step procedure, and its sequence was identified as FPIGMGHGSRPA. The result of this study offers a promising alternative to produce natural antibacterial peptides from fish protein hydrolysate.

  8. Recombinant expression, purification and biochemical characterization of kievitone hydratase from Nectria haematococca.

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    Matthias Engleder

    Full Text Available Kievitone hydratase catalyzes the addition of water to the double bond of the prenyl moiety of plant isoflavonoid kievitone and, thereby, forms the tertiary alcohol hydroxy-kievitone. In nature, this conversion is associated with a defense mechanism of fungal pathogens against phytoalexins generated by host plants after infection. As of today, a gene sequence coding for kievitone hydratase activity has only been identified and characterized in Fusarium solani f. sp. phaseoli. Here, we report on the identification of a putative kievitone hydratase sequence in Nectria haematococca (NhKHS, the teleomorph state of F. solani, based on in silico sequence analyses. After heterologous expression of the enzyme in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris, we have confirmed its kievitone hydration activity and have assessed its biochemical properties and substrate specificity. Purified recombinant NhKHS is obviously a homodimeric glycoprotein. Due to its good activity for the readily available chalcone derivative xanthohumol (XN, this compound was selected as a model substrate for biochemical studies. The optimal pH and temperature for hydratase activity were 6.0 and 35°C, respectively, and apparent Vmax and Km values for hydration of XN were 7.16 μmol min-1 mg-1 and 0.98 ± 0.13 mM, respectively. Due to its catalytic properties and apparent substrate promiscuity, NhKHS is a promising enzyme for the biocatalytic production of tertiary alcohols.

  9. Recombinant allergen Lol p II: expression, purification and characterization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tamborini, E; Brandazza, A; De Lalla, C; Musco, G; Siccardi, A G; Arosio, P; Sidoli, A

    1995-05-01

    Pollen from perennial rye grass (Lolium perenne) is a major cause of type I allergies worldwide. It contains complex mixtures of proteins, among which Lol p II is a major allergen. Previously, we have reported the cloning and sequencing of Lol p II and its expression in fusion with the heavy chain of human ferritin as carrier polypeptide (Sidoli et al., 1993, J. biol. Chem. 268, 21819-21825). Here, we describe the expression, purification and characterization of a recombinant Lol p II overproduced as a non-fusion protein in the periplasm of E. coli. The recombinant allergen was expressed in high yields and was easily purified in milligram amounts. It competed with the natural Lol p II for binding to specific IgE, and it induced allergic responses in skin prick tests, indicating to be immunologically analogous to the natural protein. Biochemical analyses indicate that recombinant Lol p II is a highly stable and soluble monomeric molecule which behaves like a small globular protein.

  10. Purification and Characterization of Thermostable Cellulase from ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Available online at http://www.tjpr.org ... Methods: Molecular community structure of the newly selected thermophilic bacterial ... Keywords: Thermostable cellulase, Sugarcane bagasse, Purification, Characterization, Hot spring ... Currently, one.

  11. Novel high-performance purification protocol of recombinant CNBP suitable for biochemical and biophysical characterization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Challier, Emilse; Lisa, María-Natalia; Nerli, Bibiana B; Calcaterra, Nora B; Armas, Pablo

    2014-01-01

    Cellular nucleic acid binding protein (CNBP) is a highly conserved multi-zinc knuckle protein that enhances c-MYC expression, is related to certain human muscular diseases and is required for proper rostral head development. CNBP binds to single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and RNA and acts as nucleic acid chaperone. Despite the advances made concerning CNBP biological roles, a full knowledge about the structure-function relationship has not yet been achieved, likely due to difficulty in obtaining pure and tag-free CNBP. Here, we report a fast, simple, reproducible, and high-performance expression and purification protocol that provides recombinant tag-free CNBP from Escherichia coli cultures. We determined that tag-free CNBP binds its molecular targets with higher affinity than tagged-CNBP. Furthermore, fluorescence spectroscopy revealed the presence of a unique and conserved tryptophan, which is exposed to the solvent and involved, directly or indirectly, in nucleic acid binding. Size-exclusion HPLC revealed that CNBP forms homodimers independently of nucleic acid binding and coexist with monomers as non-interconvertible forms or in slow equilibrium. Circular dichroism spectroscopy showed that CNBP has a secondary structure dominated by random-coil and β-sheet coincident with the sequence-predicted repetitive zinc knuckles motifs, which folding is required for CNBP structural stability and biochemical activity. CNBP structural stability increased in the presence of single-stranded nucleic acid targets similar to other unstructured nucleic acid chaperones. Altogether, data suggest that CNBP is a flexible protein with interspersed structured zinc knuckles, and acquires a more rigid structure upon nucleic acid binding. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Biochemical characterization of the maltokinase from Mycobacterium bovis BCG

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    Lamosa Pedro

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Maltose-1-phosphate was detected in Mycobacterium bovis BCG extracts in the 1960's but a maltose-1-phosphate synthetase (maltokinase, Mak was only much later purified from Actinoplanes missouriensis, allowing the identification of the mak gene. Recently, this metabolite was proposed to be the intermediate in a pathway linking trehalose with the synthesis of glycogen in M. smegmatis. Although the M. tuberculosis H37Rv mak gene (Rv0127 was considered essential for growth, no mycobacterial Mak has, to date, been characterized. Results The sequence of the Mak from M. bovis BCG was identical to that from M. tuberculosis strains (99-100% amino acid identity. The enzyme was dependent on maltose and ATP, although GTP and UTP could be used to produce maltose-1-phosphate, which we identified by TLC and characterized by NMR. The Km for maltose was 2.52 ± 0.40 mM and 0.74 ± 0.12 mM for ATP; the Vmax was 21.05 ± 0.89 μmol/min.mg-1. Divalent cations were required for activity and Mg2+ was the best activator. The enzyme was a monomer in solution, had maximal activity at 60°C, between pH 7 and 9 (at 37°C and was unstable on ice and upon freeze/thawing. The addition of 50 mM NaCl markedly enhanced Mak stability. Conclusions The unknown role of maltokinases in mycobacterial metabolism and the lack of biochemical data led us to express the mak gene from M. bovis BCG for biochemical characterization. This is the first mycobacterial Mak to be characterized and its properties represent essential knowledge towards deeper understanding of mycobacterial physiology. Since Mak may be a potential drug target in M. tuberculosis, its high-level production and purification in bioactive form provide important tools for further functional and structural studies.

  13. Purification and characterization of the chitosanase from Aeromonas ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Purification and characterization of the chitosanase from Aeromonas sp. HG08. Y Sun, J Zhang, S Wang. Abstract. In this work, the characterization of a chitosanase-producing bacterium isolated from soil was reported and this strain was grouped under the genus Aeromonas by virtue of its morphological, physiological ...

  14. PURIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF POLY-HYDROXYBUTYRATE (PHB IN CUPRIAVIDUS NECATOR

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    Sergio Leon De Rooy

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Purification and characterization of biodegradable plastic namely Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB in Cupriavidus necator have been carried out. C. necator was grown on a Ramsay medium with fixed substrate conditions and optimized for time. Stepwise purification of PHB was carried out, by using hydrogen peroxide and chloroform. The effect of temperature, time, and hydrogen peroxide concentration on the purification were also evaluated. The extracted PHB was studied with XRD, FTIR and 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR to determine its structure and purity. Yield and crystallinity were also studied with HPLC and XRD, respectively. The results of the research showed that higher concentrations of hydrogen peroxide gave better yields, whereas higher temperatures and longer lysis times led to different results. Higher crystallinity was observed when purification temperatures were elevated, but higher hydrogen peroxide concentration and longer extraction time gave varying crystallinity. The highest yield ca 66.10 % DCW was reached by purification using H2O2 20 %, at 100 oC for 2 h. The results of   TGA analysis indicated that the purity of the PHB obtained was about 75 % and by using DSC, it was found that the PHB showed good thermal properties.   Keywords:  PHB, recovery, hydrogen peroxide, characterization

  15. Purification, characterization of phytase enzyme from Lactobacillus ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Purification, characterization of phytase enzyme from Lactobacillus plantarum bacteria and determination of its kinetic properties. ... Many of the cereal grains, legumes and oilseeds store phosphorus in phytate form. Phytases can be produced by plants, animals and microorganisms. However, the ones with microbial origin ...

  16. Expression, purification and characterization of the interferon ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    2012-01-19

    Jan 19, 2012 ... utilizing a single-step affinity purification with an appreciable yield of the highly purified protein. Recombinant RNase L was characterized by SDS-PAGE, immunoblotting and MALDI-TOF analysis. A semi-quantitative agarose-gel-based ribonuclease assay was developed for measuring its 2-5A-dependent ...

  17. Teaching Protein Purification and Characterization Techniques: A Student-Initiated, Project-Oriented Biochemistry Laboratory Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacDonald, Gina

    2008-01-01

    This report describes a biochemistry laboratory that is completely project-oriented. Upper-level biology and chemistry majors work in teams to purify a protein of their choice. After the student groups have completed literature searches, ordered reagents, and made buffers they continue to learn basic protein purification and biochemical techniques…

  18. Purification and characterization of protease from Bacillus cereus ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    chitti

    2013-09-16

    Sep 16, 2013 ... Purification and characterization of protease from. Bacillus cereus SU12 isolated from oyster. Saccostrea cucullata. S. Umayaparvathi*, S. Meenakshi, M. Arumugam and T. Balasubramanian. Centre of Advanced Study in Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, Annamalai University, Parangipettai - 608.

  19. Expression, purification and functional characterization of human equilibrative nucleoside transporter subtype-1 (hENT1) protein from Sf9 insect cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rehan, Shahid; Jaakola, Veli-Pekka

    2015-10-01

    Human equilibrative nucleoside transporter-1 (hENT1) is the major plasma membrane transporter involved in transportation of natural nucleosides as well as nucleoside analog drugs, used in anti-cancer and anti-viral therapies. Despite extensive biochemical and pharmacological studies, little is known about the structure-function relationship of this protein. The major obstacles to purification include a low endogenous expression level, the lack of an efficient expression and purification protocol, and the hydrophobic nature of the protein. Here, we report protein expression, purification and functional characterization of hENT1 from Sf9 insect cells. hENT1 expressed by Sf9 cells is functionally active as demonstrated by saturation binding with a Kd of 1.2±0.2nM and Bmax of 110±5pmol/mg for [(3)H]nitrobenzylmercaptopurine ribonucleoside ([(3)H]NBMPR). We also demonstrate purification of hENT1 using FLAG antibody affinity resin in lauryl maltose neopentyl glycol detergent with a Kd of 4.3±0.7nM. The yield of hENT1 from Sf9 cells was ∼0.5mg active transporter per liter of culture. The purified protein is functionally active, stable, homogenous and appropriate for further biophysical and structural studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Purification and characterization of a novel trypsin-like protease from green-seeded chickpea (Cicer arientum).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shamsi, Tooba Naz; Parveen, Romana; Sen, Priyankar; Fatima, Sadaf

    2017-05-28

    The present study describes the purification and physicochemical and biochemical characterization of trypsin-like protease from green-seeded chickpea (Cicer arientum). The crude extract of chickpea trypsin (CpT) was obtained by homogenization followed by differential ammonium sulfate precipitation. The CpT was purified by ion-exchange chromatography on diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) column, pre-equilibrated with 20 mM tris-CaCl 2 buffer (pH 8.2) with a flow rate of 0.5 mL min -1 . The molecular weight and purity of ∼23 kDa of CpT were determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Activity of protease was determined using Nα-benzoyl-DL-arginine-p-nitroanilide as chromogenic substrate and CpT purified showed a specific inhibitor activity of 26978.7697 U mg -1 , fold purity of 9.8, and the yield of 70.2%. The characterization was performed for thermal stability, pH profile, and effect of various inhibitors on enzymatic activity. The protein isolated showed stability in the neutral to mild alkaline pH range and thermostability up to 50°C. CpT confirmed its serine nature as it was appreciably inhibited by serine protease inhibitors (maximum 6%), whereas metalloprotease inhibitors barely affected the activity of the enzyme (85%). To the best of our knowledge, it is first reported on purification of protease with trypsin-like properties, from this source.

  1. Purification and biochemical characterization of asclepain c I from the latex of Asclepias curassavica L.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liggieri, Constanza; Arribére, M Cecilia; Trejo, Sebastián A; Canals, Francesc; Avilés, Francesc X; Priolo, Nora S

    2004-08-01

    In this work we report the isolation, purification and characterization of a new protease from latex of Asclepias curassavica L. Crude extract (CE) was obtained by gathering latex on 0.1 M citric-phosphate buffer with EDTA and cysteine with subsequent ultracentrifugation. Proteolytic assays were made on casein or azocasein as substrates. Caseinolytic activity was completely inhibited by E-64. Stability at different temperatures, optimum pH and ionic strength were evaluated by measuring the residual caseinolytic activity at different times after the incubation. CE showed the highest caseinolytic activity at pH 8.5 in the presence of 12 mM cysteine. CE was purified by cation exchange chromatography (FPLC). Two active fractions, homogeneous by SDS-PAGE, were isolated. The major purified protease (asclepain cI) showed a molecular mass of 23.2 kDa by mass spectrometry and a pI higher than 9.3. The N-terminal sequence showed a high similarity with those of other plant cysteine proteinases. When assayed on N-alpha-CBZ-aminoacid-p-nitrophenyl esters, the enzyme showed higher preference for the glutamine derivative. Determinations of kinetic parameter (km and Kcat) were performed with PFLNA.

  2. Partial purification and characterization of endo-β-1,4- mannanases ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    STORAGESEVER

    2008-07-04

    Jul 4, 2008 ... Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/AJB. ISSN 1684–5315 © 2008 Academic ... In the current study we report on the purification and characterization of endo-1 ... MATERIALS AND METHODS. Fungal isolates.

  3. Gel-Based Purification and Biochemical Study of Laccase Isozymes from Ganoderma sp. and Its Role in Enhanced Cotton Callogenesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Krishna K. Sharma

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Basidiomycetous fungi, Ganoderma lucidum MDU-7 and Ganoderma sp. kk-02 secreted multiple laccase isozymes under diverse growth condition. Aromatic compounds and metal salts were also found to regulate the differential expression of laccase isozymes from both the Ganoderma sp. Laccase isozymes induced in the presence of copper from G. lucidum MDU-7 were purified by gel-based (native-PAGE purification method. The purity of laccase isozymes was checked by zymogram and SDS-PAGE. The SDS-PAGE of purified proteins confirmed the multimeric nature of laccase isozymes. The molecular mass of isozymes was found to be in the range of 40–66 kDa. Further, the purified laccase isozymes and their peptides were confirmed with the help of MALDI-TOF peptide fingerprinting. The biochemical characterization of laccase isozymes viz. Glac L2, Glac L3, Glac L4, and Glac L5 have shown the optimum temperature in the range of 30°–45°C and pH 3.0. The Km values of all the laccase isozymes determined for guaiacol were (96–281 μM, ABTS (15–83 μM and O-tolidine (78–724 μM. Further, laccase isozymes from G. lucidum whole genome were studied using bioinformatics tools. The molecular modeling and docking of laccase isozymes with different substrates showed a significant binding affinity, which further validates our experimental results. Interestingly, copper induced laccase of 40 U/ml in culture medium was found to significantly induce cotton callogenesis. Interestingly, all the laccase isozymes were found to have an antioxidative role and therefore capable in free radicals scavenging during callogenesis. This is the first detailed study on the biochemical characterization of all the laccase isozymes purified by a gel-based novel method.

  4. Preparation and Characterization of Zeolite Membrane for Bioethanol Purification

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    Aprilina Purbasari

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available The use of bioethanol as an alternative fuel with a purity of more than 99.5% wt has prompted research on bioethanol purification. One of the promising methods used for bioethanol purification is pervaporation membrane. This research is aimed to prepare and characterize zeolite membranes for pervaporation membrane. The membrane preparation consisted of two stages, namely support preparation and zeolite deposition on the support. In support preparation, α- alumina and kaolin with specific composition (50:30; 40:40; 50:30 was mixed with additives and water. After pugging and aging process, the mixture became paste and extruded into tubular shape. The tube was then calcined at temperature of 1250 °C for 3 hours. After that, zeolite 4A was deposited on the tubes using clear solution made of 10 %wt zeolite and 90 %wt water and heated at temperature of 80 °C for 3 hours. Furthermore, the resulting zeolite membranes was washed with deionized water for 5 minutes and dried in oven at temperature of 100 °C for 24 hours. Characterization of zeolite membranes included mechanical strength test, XRD, and SEM. In the mechanical strength test, the membrane sample with α- alumina:kaolin = 50:30 (membrane A has the highest mechanical strength of 46.65 N/mm2. Result of XRD analysis for the membrane A indicated that mullite and corundum phases were formed, which mullite phase was more dominant. Meanwhile the result of SEM analysis shows that zeolite crystals have been formed and covered the pores support, but the deposition of zeolite has not been optimal yet. The performance examination for bioethanol purification showed that the membrane could increase the purity of bioethanol from 95% to 98.5% wt. © 2013 BCREC UNDIP. All rights reservedReceived: 23rd October 2012; Revised: 15th February 2013; Accepted: 16th February 2013[How to Cite: Purbasari, A., Istirokhatun, T., Devi, A.M., Mahsunnah, L. , Susanto, H. (2013. Preparation and Characterization of Zeolite

  5. Robotic high-throughput purification of affinity-tagged recombinant proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiesler, Simone C; Weinzierl, Robert O J

    2015-01-01

    Affinity purification of recombinant proteins has become the method of choice to obtain good quantities and qualities of proteins for a variety of downstream biochemical applications. While manual or FPLC-assisted purification techniques are generally time-consuming and labor-intensive, the advent of high-throughput technologies and liquid handling robotics has simplified and accelerated this process significantly. Additionally, without the human factor as a potential source of error, automated purification protocols allow for the generation of large numbers of proteins simultaneously and under directly comparable conditions. The delivered material is ideal for activity comparisons of different variants of the same protein. Here, we present our strategy for the simultaneous purification of up to 24 affinity-tagged proteins for activity measurements in biochemical assays. The protocol described is suitable for the scale typically required in individual research laboratories.

  6. Flavourzyme, an Enzyme Preparation with Industrial Relevance: Automated Nine-Step Purification and Partial Characterization of Eight Enzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merz, Michael; Eisele, Thomas; Berends, Pieter; Appel, Daniel; Rabe, Swen; Blank, Imre; Stressler, Timo; Fischer, Lutz

    2015-06-17

    Flavourzyme is sold as a peptidase preparation from Aspergillus oryzae. The enzyme preparation is widely and diversely used for protein hydrolysis in industrial and research applications. However, detailed information about the composition of this mixture is still missing due to the complexity. The present study identified eight key enzymes by mass spectrometry and partially by activity staining on native polyacrylamide gels or gel zymography. The eight enzymes identified were two aminopeptidases, two dipeptidyl peptidases, three endopeptidases, and one α-amylase from the A. oryzae strain ATCC 42149/RIB 40 (yellow koji mold). Various specific marker substrates for these Flavourzyme enzymes were ascertained. An automated, time-saving nine-step protocol for the purification of all eight enzymes within 7 h was designed. Finally, the purified Flavourzyme enzymes were biochemically characterized with regard to pH and temperature profiles and molecular sizes.

  7. Purification, biochemical, and structural characterization of a novel fibrinolytic enzyme from Mucor subtilissimus UCP 1262.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nascimento, Thiago Pajeú; Sales, Amanda Emmanuelle; Porto, Tatiana Souza; Costa, Romero Marcos Pedrosa Brandão; Breydo, Leonid; Uversky, Vladimir N; Porto, Ana Lúcia Figueiredo; Converti, Attilio

    2017-08-01

    Fibrinolytic proteases are enzymes that degrade fibrin. They provide a promising alternative to existing drugs for thrombolytic therapy. A protease isolated from the filamentous fungus Mucor subtilissimus UCP 1262 was purified in three steps by ammonium sulfate fractionation, ion exchange, and molecular exclusion chromatographies, and characterized biochemically and structurally. The purified protease exhibited a molecular mass of 20 kDa, an apparent isoelectric point of 4.94 and a secondary structure composed mainly of α-helices. Selectivity for N-succinyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-Phe-p-nitroanilide as substrate suggests that this enzyme is a chymotrypsin-like serine protease, whose activity was enhanced by the addition of Cu 2+ , Mg 2+ , and Fe 2+ . The enzyme showed a fibrinolytic activity of 22.53 U/mL at 40 °C and its contact with polyethylene glycol did not lead to any significant alteration of its secondary structure. This protein represents an important example of a novel fibrinolytic enzyme with potential use in the treatment of thromboembolic disorders such as strokes, pulmonary emboli, and deep vein thrombosis.

  8. Purification and characterization of a milk-clotting protease from ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Crude enzymatic extract obtained from five fermentations (300 g of wheat bran) was characterized by a clotting activity of 0.34 ± 0.08 UP/ml with a strength ratio of 1/1: 200. The comparative study of the summaries from 2 purification protocols showed that it is possible to recover 6% of the initial proteins with a 44.54% activity ...

  9. Purification of Sarcocystis neurona sporocysts from opossum (Didelphis virginiana) using potassium bromide discontinuous density gradient centrifugation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elsheikha, Hany M; Murphy, Alice J; Fitzgerald, Scott D; Mansfield, Linda S; Massey, Jeffrey P; Saeed, Mahdi A

    2003-06-01

    This report describes a new, inexpensive procedure for the rapid and efficient purification of Sarcocystis neurona sporocysts from opossum small intestine. S. neurona sporocysts were purified using a discontinuous potassium bromide density gradient. The procedure provides a source of sporocyst wall and sporozoites required for reliable biochemical characterization and for immunological studies directed at characterizing antigens responsible for immunological responses by the host. The examined isolates were identified as S. neurona using random amplified polymorphic DNA primers and restriction endonuclease digestion assays. This method allows the collection of large numbers of highly purified S. neurona sporocysts without loss of sporocyst viability as indicated by propidium iodide permeability and cell culture infectivity assays. In addition, this technique might also be used for sporocyst purification of other Sarcocystis spp.

  10. Biochemical and kinetic characterization of geranylgeraniol 18 ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Suchart

    2015-07-22

    Jul 22, 2015 ... biochemical characterization of GGOH 18-hydroxylase activity in the microsomal fraction from C. .... method as previously described (Chanama et al., 2009). Briefly, 30 g of frozen ..... Catalytic properties of the plant cytochrome.

  11. Partial Purification and Characterization of Extracellular Protease ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Nigerian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences ... Purification of the enzyme by gel filtration chromatography on Sephadex G75 following ammonium sulphate precipitation gave 2.26 fold increase in purification with specific activity of 46.13 units/mg protein while purification on Sephadex CM50 resulted in reduced ...

  12. Purification and Characterization of Fibrinolytic Proteases from Mushroom Volvariela volvaceae Extract.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Willy Praira

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Purification and Characterization of Fibrinolytic Proteases from Mushroom Volvariela volvaceae Extract. Ediblestraw mushroom (V. volvaceae has been known used for improvement of blood circulation due to its fibrinolyticcontent. The objective of the study is to purify and characterize fibrinolytic protease from straw mushroom extract.Purification were performed through several steps, i.e. precipitation using ammonium sulphate 75%, dialyzed membran(cut-off 10 kDa, and ion-exchange chromatography using DEAE Sepharose. The active fraction of DEAE-Sepharosecontains two purified protein bands with molecular weight of 12.9 and 15.8 kDa. The active fraction has specificactivity of 0.383 U/mg with 2.7 fold higher purification compared to its crude extract. Both crude and purified enzymeshad optimum activity at temperature of 50 ºC and pH 7 in 10 minutes of incubation. Fibrin zymographic profiledemonstrated that the enzyme hydrolyzed fibrin, as well as casein, indicating their potent fibrinolytic activity. Theenzyme was strongly inhibited by phenilmethylsulphonyl fluoride and N-p-tosil-L-lysinchloromethyl keton. Thissuggested that it was a serine protease. In summary, these results showed that crude and purified protease of strawmushroom (V. volvaceae has fibrinolytic activities that can be applied for alternative thrombolytic therapy.

  13. Purification and characterization of a thylakoid protein kinase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coughlan, S.J.; Hind, G.

    1986-01-01

    Control of state transitions in the thylakoid by reversible phosphorylation of the light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b protein complex of photosystem II (LHC-II) is modulated by a kinase. The kinase catalyzing this phosphorylation is associated with the thylakoid membrane, and is regulated by the redox state of the plastoquinone pool. The isolation and partial purification from spinach thylakoids of two protein kinases (CPK1, CPK2) of apparent molecular masses 25 kDa and 38 kDa has been reported. Neither enzyme utilizes isolated LHC-II as a substrate. The partial purification of a third protein kinase (LHCK) which can utilize both lysine-rich histones (IIIs and Vs) and isolated LHC-II as substrate has now been purified to homogeneity and characterized by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis as a 64 kDa peptide. From a comparison of the two isolation procedures we have concluded that CPK1 is indeed a protein kinase, but has a lower specific activity than that of LHCK. 8 refs., 4 figs

  14. The Monitoring and Affinity Purification of Proteins Using Dual Tags with Tetracysteine Motifs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giannone, Richard J.; Liu, Yie; Wang, Yisong

    Identification and characterization of protein-protein interaction networks is essential for the elucidation of biochemical mechanisms and cellular function. Affinity purification in combination with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) has emerged as a very powerful tactic for the identification of specific protein-protein interactions. In this chapter, we describe a comprehensive methodology that uses our recently developed dual-tag affinity purification system for the enrichment and identification of mammalian protein complexes. The protocol covers a series of separate but sequentially related techniques focused on the facile monitoring and purification of a dual-tagged protein of interest and its interacting partners via a system built with tetracysteine motifs and various combinations of affinity tags. Using human telomeric repeat binding factor 2 (TRF2) as an example, we demonstrate the power of the system in terms of bait protein recovery after dual-tag affinity purification, detection of bait protein subcellular localization and expression, and successful identification of known and potentially novel TRF2 interacting proteins. Although the protocol described here has been optimized for the identification and characterization of TRF2-associated proteins, it is, in principle, applicable to the study of any other mammalian protein complexes that may be of interest to the research community.

  15. Purification and characterization of novel bi-functional GH3 family β-xylosidase/β-glucosidase from Aspergillus niger ADH-11.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, Harshvadan; Kumar, Adepu Kiran; Shah, Amita

    2018-04-01

    β-Xylosidase plays an important role in xylan degradation by relieving the end product inhibition of endo-xylanase caused by xylo-oligosaccharides. β-Xylosidase has a wide range of applications in food, feed, paper and pulp, pharmaceutical industries and in bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass. Hence, in the present study focused on purification, biochemical characterization and partial sequencing of purified β-xylosidase from xylanolytic strain Aspergillus niger ADH-11. Acetone precipitation followed by GPC using Sephacryl S-200 yielded 20.59-fold purified β-xylosidase with 58.30% recovery. SDS-PAGE analysis of purified β-xylosidase relieved a monomeric subunit with a molecular weight 120.48kDa. Kinetic parameters of purified β-xylosidase viz Km, Vmax, Kcat and catalytic efficiency were assessed. Purified β-xylosidase was additionally active on p-nitrophenyl-β-d-glucopyranoside substrate also. Moreover, peptide mass fingerprinting analysis support our biochemical studies and showed that the purified protein is a novel β-xylosidase with β-glucosidase activity and belongs to the bi-functional GH3 superfamily. Besides, tolerance of purified β-xylosidase towards glucose and xylose was also assessed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of the human mismatch repair protein MutSβ

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tseng, Quincy; Orans, Jillian; Hast, Michael A.; Iyer, Ravi R.; Changela, Anita; Modrich, Paul L.; Beese, Lorena S.

    2011-01-01

    Human MutSβ is a 232 kDa heterodimer (MSH2–MSH3) involved in the lesion-recognition step of mismatch repair. Here, the overexpression, purification, biochemical characterization and cocrystallization of MutSβ with a duplex DNA substrate are reported. MutSβ is a eukaryotic mismatch repair protein that preferentially targets extrahelical unpaired nucleotides and shares partial functional redundancy with MutSα (MSH2–MSH6). Although mismatch recognition by MutSα has been shown to involve a conserved Phe-X-Glu motif, little is known about the lesion-binding mechanism of MutSβ. Combined MSH3/MSH6 deficiency triggers a strong predisposition to cancer in mice and defects in msh2 and msh6 account for roughly half of hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer mutations. These three MutS homologs are also believed to play a role in trinucleotide repeat instability, which is a hallmark of many neurodegenerative disorders. The baculovirus overexpression and purification of recombinant human MutSβ and three truncation mutants are presented here. Binding assays with heteroduplex DNA were carried out for biochemical characterization. Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of the protein bound to a heteroduplex DNA substrate are also reported

  17. Morphological and biochemical characterization of the membranous hepatitis C virus replication compartment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paul, David; Hoppe, Simone; Saher, Gesine; Krijnse-Locker, Jacomine; Bartenschlager, Ralf

    2013-10-01

    Like all other positive-strand RNA viruses, hepatitis C virus (HCV) induces rearrangements of intracellular membranes that are thought to serve as a scaffold for the assembly of the viral replicase machinery. The most prominent membranous structures present in HCV-infected cells are double-membrane vesicles (DMVs). However, their composition and role in the HCV replication cycle are poorly understood. To gain further insights into the biochemcial properties of HCV-induced membrane alterations, we generated a functional replicon containing a hemagglutinin (HA) affinity tag in nonstructural protein 4B (NS4B), the supposed scaffold protein of the viral replication complex. By using HA-specific affinity purification we isolated NS4B-containing membranes from stable replicon cells. Complementing biochemical and electron microscopy analyses of purified membranes revealed predominantly DMVs, which contained viral proteins NS3 and NS5A as well as enzymatically active viral replicase capable of de novo synthesis of HCV RNA. In addition to viral factors, co-opted cellular proteins, such as vesicle-associated membrane protein-associated protein A (VAP-A) and VAP-B, that are crucial for viral RNA replication, as well as cholesterol, a major structural lipid of detergent-resistant membranes, are highly enriched in DMVs. Here we describe the first isolation and biochemical characterization of HCV-induced DMVs. The results obtained underline their central role in the HCV replication cycle and suggest that DMVs are sites of viral RNA replication. The experimental approach described here is a powerful tool to more precisely define the molecular composition of membranous replication factories induced by other positive-strand RNA viruses, such as picorna-, arteri- and coronaviruses.

  18. Biochemical characterization of cholesterol-reducing Eubacterium.

    OpenAIRE

    Mott, G E; Brinkley, A W; Mersinger, C L

    1980-01-01

    We characterized two isolates of cholesterol-reducing Eubacterium by conducting conventional biochemical tests and by testing various sterols and glycerolipids as potential growth factors. In media containing cholesterol and plasmenylethanolamine, the tests for nitrate reduction, indole production, and gelatin and starch hydrolyses were negative, and no acid was produced from any of 22 carbohydrates. Both isolates hydrolyzed esculin to esculetin, indicating beta-glycosidase activity. In addit...

  19. Purification and functional characterization of nine human Aquaporins produced in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the purpose of biophysical characterization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Per Amstrup; Gourdon, Pontus Emanuel; Gotfryd, Kamil

    2017-01-01

    investigated the capacity of S. cerevisiae to deliver high yields of prime quality human AQPs, focusing on poorly characterized members including some previously shown to be difficult to isolate. Exploiting GFP labeled forms we comprehensively optimized production and purification procedures resulting...... in satisfactory yields of all nine AQP targets. We applied the obtained knowledge to successfully upscale purification of histidine tagged human AQP10 produced in large bioreactors. Glycosylation analysis revealed that AQP7 and 12 were O-glycosylated, AQP10 was N-glycosylated while the other AQPs were...... not glycosylated. We furthermore performed functional characterization and found that AQP 2, 6 and 8 allowed flux of water whereas AQP3, 7, 9, 10, 11 and 12 also facilitated a glycerol flux. In conclusion, our S. cerevisiae platform emerges as a powerful tool for isolation of functional, difficult-to-express human...

  20. Affinity purification and partial characterization of the zonulin/zonula occludens toxin (Zot) receptor from human brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, R; Wang, W; Uzzau, S; Vigorito, R; Zielke, H R; Fasano, A

    2000-01-01

    The intercellular tight junctions (TJs) of endothelial cells represent the limiting structure for the permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Although the BBB has been recognized as being the interface between the bloodstream and the brain, little is known about its regulation. Zonulin and its prokaryotic analogue, zonula occludens toxin (Zot) elaborated by Vibrio cholerae, both modulate intercellular TJs by binding to a specific surface receptor with subsequent activation of an intracellular signaling pathway involving phospholipase C and protein kinase C activation and actin polymerization. Affinity column purification revealed that human brain plasma membrane preparations contain two Zot binding proteins of approximately 55 and approximately 45 kDa. Structural and kinetic studies, including saturation and competitive assays, identified the 55-kDa protein as tubulin, whereas the 45-kDa protein represents the zonulin/Zot receptor. Biochemical characterization provided evidence that this receptor is a glycoprotein containing multiple sialic acid residues. Comparison of the N-terminal sequence of the zonulin/Zot receptor with other protein sequences by BLAST analysis revealed a striking similarity with MRP-8, a 14-kDa member of the S-100 family of calcium binding proteins. The discovery and characterization of this receptor from human brain may significantly contribute to our knowledge on the pathophysiological regulation of the BBB.

  1. Partial purification and characterization of xylanase produced from aspergillus niger using wheat bran

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmad, Z.; Butt, M.S.

    2013-01-01

    In present exploration, purification and characterization of xylanase was carried out to find its optimum conditions for maximum functionality. The xylanase (EC 3.2.1.8) synthesized by Aspergillus niger in submerged fermentation was partially purified and characterized for different parameters like temperature, pH and heat stability. The molecular mass determined through SDS-PAGE was found 30 kDa. The specific activity of the enzyme was raised from 41.85 to 613.13 with 48.63% yield just in a two step partial purification comprising ammonium sulphate precipitation and Sephadex gel filteration column chromatography. The partially purified enzyme was found to be optimally active at 60 degree C and 7.5 pH. Conclusively, for the application of xylanase in food, feed or paper manufacturing processes, it is necessary to consider its optimum pH and temperature. (author)

  2. Biochemical and functional characterization of an albumin protein belonging to the hemopexin superfamily from Lens culinaris seeds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scarafoni, Alessio; Gualtieri, Elisa; Barbiroli, Alberto; Carpen, Aristodemo; Negri, Armando; Duranti, Marcello

    2011-09-14

    The present paper reports the purification and biochemical characterization of an albumin identified in mature lentil seeds with high sequence similarity to pea PA2. These proteins are found in many edible seeds and are considered potentially detrimental for human health due to the potential allergenicity and lectin-like activity. Thus, the description of their possible presence in food and the assessment of the molecular properties are relevant. The M(r), pI, and N-terminal sequence of this protein have been determined. The work included the study of (i) the binding properties to hemine to assess the presence of hemopexin structural domains and (ii) the binding properties of the protein to thiamin. In addition, the structural changes induced by heating have been evaluated by means of spectroscopic techniques. Denaturation temperature has also been determined. The present work provides new insights about the structural molecular features and the ligand-binding properties and dynamics of this kind of seed albumin.

  3. Purification and biochemical characterization of Mur ligases from Staphylococcus aureus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patin, Delphine; Boniface, Audrey; Kovač, Andreja; Hervé, Mireille; Dementin, Sébastien; Barreteau, Hélène; Mengin-Lecreulx, Dominique; Blanot, Didier

    2010-12-01

    The Mur ligases (MurC, MurD, MurE and MurF) catalyze the stepwise synthesis of the UDP-N-acetylmuramoyl-pentapeptide precursor of peptidoglycan. The murC, murD, murE and murF genes from Staphylococcus aureus, a major pathogen, were cloned and the corresponding proteins were overproduced in Escherichia coli and purified as His(6)-tagged forms. Their biochemical properties were investigated and compared to those of the E. coli enzymes. Staphylococcal MurC accepted L-Ala, L-Ser and Gly as substrates, as the E. coli enzyme does, with a strong preference for L-Ala. S. aureus MurE was very specific for L-lysine and in particular did not accept meso-diaminopimelic acid as a substrate. This mirrors the E. coli MurE specificity, for which meso-diaminopimelic acid is the preferred substrate and L-lysine a very poor one. S. aureus MurF appeared less specific and accepted both forms (L-lysine and meso-diaminopimelic acid) of UDP-MurNAc-tripeptide, as the E. coli MurF does. The inverse and strict substrate specificities of the two MurE orthologues is thus responsible for the presence of exclusively meso-diaminopimelic acid and L-lysine at the third position of the peptide in the peptidoglycans of E. coli and S. aureus, respectively. The specific activities of the four Mur ligases were also determined in crude extracts of S. aureus and compared to cell requirements for peptidoglycan biosynthesis. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  4. Expression, purification and preliminary biochemical and structural characterization of the leucine rich repeat namesake domain of leucine rich repeat kinase 2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vancraenenbroeck, Renée; Lobbestael, Evy; Weeks, Stephen D; Strelkov, Sergei V; Baekelandt, Veerle; Taymans, Jean-Marc; De Maeyer, Marc

    2012-03-01

    Mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are the most common cause of familial Parkinson's disease. Much research effort has been directed towards the catalytic core region of LRRK2 composed of GTPase (ROC, Ras of complex proteins) and kinase domains and a connecting COR (C-terminus of ROC) domain. In contrast, the precise functions of the protein-protein interaction domains, such as the leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domain, are not known. In the present study, we modeled the LRRK2 LRR domain (LRR(LRRK2)) using a template assembly approach, revealing the presence of 14 LRRs. Next, we focused on the expression and purification of LRR(LRRK2) in Escherichia coli. Buffer optimization revealed that the protein requires the presence of a zwitterionic detergent, namely Empigen BB, during solubilization and the subsequent purification and characterization steps. This indicates that the detergent captures the hydrophobic surface patches of LRR(LRRK2) thereby suppressing its aggregation. Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy measured 18% α-helices and 21% β-sheets, consistent with predictions from the homology model. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and dynamic light scattering measurements showed the presence of a single species, with a Stokes radius corresponding to the model dimensions of a protein monomer. Furthermore, no obvious LRR(LRRK2) multimerization was detected via cross-linking studies. Finally, the LRR(LRRK2) clinical mutations did not influence LRR(LRRK2) secondary, tertiary or quaternary structure as determined via SEC and CD spectroscopy. We therefore conclude that these mutations are likely to affect putative LRR(LRRK2) inter- and intramolecular interactions. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Purification and characterization of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) myrosinase (β-thioglucosidase glucohydrolase).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahn, Andrea; Angulo, Alejandro; Cabañas, Fernanda

    2014-12-03

    Myrosinase (β-thioglucosidase glucohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.147) from broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by concanavalin A affinity chromatography, with an intermediate dialysis step, resulting in 88% recovery and 1318-fold purification. These are the highest values reported for the purification of any myrosinase. The subunits of broccoli myrosinase have a molecular mass of 50-55 kDa. The native molecular mass of myrosinase was 157 kDa, and accordingly, it is composed of three subunits. The maximum activity was observed at 40 °C and at pH below 5.0. Kinetic assays demonstrated that broccoli myrosinase is subjected to substrate (sinigrin) inhibition. The Michaelis-Menten model, considering substrate inhibition, gave Vmax equal to 0.246 μmol min(-1), Km equal to 0.086 mM, and K(I) equal to 0.368 mM. This is the first study about purification and characterization of broccoli myrosinase.

  6. Biochemical and Molecular Characterization of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I.M. de O. Abrantes

    2004-08-01

    Full Text Available Nematologists need correct species identification to carry out research, teaching, extension and other activities. Therefore, nematode taxonomy must be pursued diligently at all levels. The identification of plant-parasitic nematodes is not always easy and that of some species is especially difficult. Most of the information that nematologists use when characterizing and identifying specimens is based on morphological and morphometrical characters. Although these characters are of primary importance, in the last three decades they have been supplemented by biochemical/ molecular characters. Biochemical approaches include the separation of proteins (general proteins and isozymes by one-dimensional gel electrophoresis, isoelectric focusing, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, and sodium dodecyl sulphate-capillary gel electrophoresis. Serology has also been found effective in the identification and quantification of nematodes, monoclonal antibodies being a more useful immunological tool than polyclonal antibodies. Identification based on the direct examination of DNA is potentially a more powerful method to characterize inter- and intra-specific variability. The development of techniques such as the polymerase chain reaction, restriction fragment length polymorphism, randomly amplified polymorphic DNA, and amplified fragment length polymorphism has increased the accuracy and speed of nematode characterization/identification. Progress continues to be made and more and more nematologists are using molecular techniques for diagnostic purposes and to assess genetic variation.

  7. Characterizing multistationarity regimes in biochemical reaction networks.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irene Otero-Muras

    Full Text Available Switch like responses appear as common strategies in the regulation of cellular systems. Here we present a method to characterize bistable regimes in biochemical reaction networks that can be of use to both direct and reverse engineering of biological switches. In the design of a synthetic biological switch, it is important to study the capability for bistability of the underlying biochemical network structure. Chemical Reaction Network Theory (CRNT may help at this level to decide whether a given network has the capacity for multiple positive equilibria, based on their structural properties. However, in order to build a working switch, we also need to ensure that the bistability property is robust, by studying the conditions leading to the existence of two different steady states. In the reverse engineering of biological switches, knowledge collected about the bistable regimes of the underlying potential model structures can contribute at the model identification stage to a drastic reduction of the feasible region in the parameter space of search. In this work, we make use and extend previous results of the CRNT, aiming not only to discriminate whether a biochemical reaction network can exhibit multiple steady states, but also to determine the regions within the whole space of parameters capable of producing multistationarity. To that purpose we present and justify a condition on the parameters of biochemical networks for the appearance of multistationarity, and propose an efficient and reliable computational method to check its satisfaction through the parameter space.

  8. Purification and characterization of peroxidase from avocado (Persea americana Mill, cv. Hass).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rojas-Reyes, José O; Robles-Olvera, Victor; Carvajal-Zarrabal, Octavio; Castro Matinez, Claudia; Waliszewski, Krzysztof N; Aguilar-Uscanga, María Guadalupe

    2014-07-01

    Avocado (Persea americana Mill, cv. Hass) fruit ranks tenth in terms of the most important products for Mexico. Avocado products are quite unstable due to the presence of oxidative enzymes such as polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase. The present study is to characterize the activity of purified avocado peroxidase from avocado in order to ascertain the biochemical and kinetic properties and their inhibition conditions. Purification was performed by Sephacryl S 200 HR gel filtration chromatography and its estimated molecular weight was 40 kDa. The zymogram showed an isoelectric point of 4.7. Six substrates were tested in order to ascertain the affinity of the enzyme for these substrates. The purified peroxidase was found to have low Km (0.296 mM) and high catalytic efficiency (2688 mM(-1) s(-1)) using 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), optimum activity being reached at 51°C, pH 3.8. The addition of dithiothreitol, β-mercaptoethanol, ascorbic acid, sodium azide, L-cysteine and Tween-20 had high inhibitory effects, while metals ions such as Cu(+), Fe(2+) and Mn(2+) had weak inhibitory activity on purified avocado peroxidase. The purified avocado peroxidase exhibits high inhibition (Ki = 0.37 µM) with 1.97 µM n-propyl gallate using ABTS as substrate at 51°C, pH 3.8 for 10 min. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

  9. Purification and characterization of a novel subtype a3 botulinum neurotoxin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tepp, William H; Lin, Guangyun; Johnson, Eric A

    2012-05-01

    Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) produced by Clostridium botulinum are of considerable importance due to their being the cause of human and animal botulism, their potential as bioterrorism agents, and their utility as important pharmaceuticals. Type A is prominent due to its high toxicity and long duration of action. Five subtypes of type A BoNT are currently recognized; BoNT/A1, -/A2, and -/A5 have been purified, and their properties have been studied. BoNT/A3 is intriguing because it is not effectively neutralized by polyclonal anti-BoNT/A1 antibodies, and thus, it may potentially replace BoNT/A1 for patients who have become refractive to treatment with BoNT/A1 due to antibody formation or other modes of resistance. Purification of BoNT/A3 has been challenging because of its low levels of production in culture and the need for innovative purification procedures. In this study, modified Mueller-Miller medium was used in place of traditional toxin production medium (TPM) to culture C. botulinum A3 (CDC strain) and boost toxin production. BoNT/A3 titers were at least 10-fold higher than those produced in TPM. A purification method was developed to obtain greater than 95% pure BoNT/A3. The specific toxicity of BoNT/A3 as determined by mouse bioassay was 5.8 × 10(7) 50% lethal doses (LD(50))/mg. Neutralization of BoNT/A3 toxicity by a polyclonal anti-BoNT/A1 antibody was approximately 10-fold less than the neutralization of BoNT/A1 toxicity. In addition, differences in symptoms were observed between mice that were injected with BoNT/A3 and those that were injected with BoNT/A1. These results indicate that BoNT/A3 has novel biochemical and pharmacological properties compared to those of other subtype A toxins.

  10. Purification and characterization of the V1 vasopressin receptor from rat liver

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fishman, J.B.; Dickey, B.F.; Attisano, C.; Fine, R.E.

    1987-01-01

    The rat liver V1 vasopressin receptor was purified approximately 21,000-fold from rat liver microsomes. The receptor was solubilized from membranes using the zwitterionic detergent CHAPS (3-[(3-cholamidopropyl) dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate). Since the V1 receptor loses its ability to bind ligand when solubilized, the authors devised a liposome reconstitution system to assay vasopressin binding activity during purification. The purified receptor exhibits a K/sub d/ of 6 nm, when, prior to solubilization, the membranes were exposed to 1 μm vasopressin. This resulted in the association of a pertussis-toxin insensitive guanine-nucleotide binding protein with the receptor during most of the purification procedure. The authors are further characterizing the V1-associated G-proteins. In the absence of this association, the receptor has a K/sub d/ of 30 nM. Crosslinking of 125 I-vasopressin to a partially purified preparation of receptor demonstrated that the receptor had a molecular weight of approximately 68,000 under reducing conditions, and 58,000 under non-reducing conditions. The purification procedure may prove useful in purifying a number of small peptide hormone receptors (e.g., bradykinin, angiotensin II) and perhaps their associated G-proteins as well

  11. PARTIAL PURIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ALKALOPHILIC PROTEASE FROM PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Satheeskumar

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Partial purification and characterization of alkalophilic protease production from Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated from the gut of marine and coastal waters shrimp Penaeus monodon. The protease production was assayed in submerged fermentation to produce maximum protease activity (423 ± 0.09 U/ml. The enzyme was precipitated with ammonium sulphate and partially purified by ion exchange chromatography through DEAE Sephadex A-50 column. In 10th fraction showed maximum protease activity (734 ± 0.18 U/ml with increase in purification fold. The molecular weight of protease from Pseudomonas aeruginosa was recorded as 60 kDa. The stability of protease was tested at various pH and temperature; it showed maximum protease activity at pH-9 and temperature 50ºC. Among the various surfactants tested for enzyme stability, maximum activity was retained in poly ethylene glycol. The compatibility of protease enzyme with various commercial detergents; the enzyme retained maximum protease activity in tide. The results are indicated that all these properties make the bacterial proteases are most suitable for wide industrial applications.

  12. Purification and biochemical characterisation of the yeast ABC transporter Pdr11p

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Laub, Katrine Rude

    Sterols constitute an essential lipid class in eukaryotic membranes where intracellular distributions are highly regulated. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae sterol uptake has been attributed to the two plasma membrane-localised ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, Aus1p and Pdr11p...... of the yeast ABC transporter Pdr11p. This includes optimising its overexpression utilising the galactose induction system in S. cerevisiae, screening for the best detergent to extract the protein from the membrane, and establishing purification and reconstitution protocols. By providing a purification...

  13. Large-scale functional purification of recombinant HIV-1 capsid.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Magdeleine Hung

    Full Text Available During human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1 virion maturation, capsid proteins undergo a major rearrangement to form a conical core that protects the viral nucleoprotein complexes. Mutations in the capsid sequence that alter the stability of the capsid core are deleterious to viral infectivity and replication. Recently, capsid assembly has become an attractive target for the development of a new generation of anti-retroviral agents. Drug screening efforts and subsequent structural and mechanistic studies require gram quantities of active, homogeneous and pure protein. Conventional means of laboratory purification of Escherichia coli expressed recombinant capsid protein rely on column chromatography steps that are not amenable to large-scale production. Here we present a function-based purification of wild-type and quadruple mutant capsid proteins, which relies on the inherent propensity of capsid protein to polymerize and depolymerize. This method does not require the packing of sizable chromatography columns and can generate double-digit gram quantities of functionally and biochemically well-behaved proteins with greater than 98% purity. We have used the purified capsid protein to characterize two known assembly inhibitors in our in-house developed polymerization assay and to measure their binding affinities. Our capsid purification procedure provides a robust method for purifying large quantities of a key protein in the HIV-1 life cycle, facilitating identification of the next generation anti-HIV agents.

  14. Production, purification and characterization of thermostable α-amylase from soil isolate Bacillus sp. strain B-10

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ravindra Nath Singh

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available A bacterial strain B-10 that produces α-amylase was isolated from compost and kitchen waste receiving agricultural soil. Based on microbiological and biochemical tests the isolate B-10 was identified as Bacillus sp. Alpha-amylase produced by this isolate was purified by (NH42SO4 precipitation and DEAE cellulose ion-exchange chromatography showing 15.91 and 48.21 fold purification, respectively. SDS-PAGE of the purified enzyme confirmed the purification and monomeric nature of the enzyme. The purified α-amylase showed maximum activity at pH 7 and temperature 50°C. The enzyme was significantly active in the temperature range of 30-60°C for the studied period of 2 h. During the incubation of purified enzyme at pH ranging from 5 to 10 for 24 h the maximum stability was observed at pH 7 followed by pH 8, whereas at extreme pH, the stability was very poor. Km and Vmax were found to be 1.4 mg/mL and 6.2 U/mL, respectively.

  15. Purification and Characterization of Lipase from Aspergillus flavus ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    USER

    Abstract. Lipase from Aspergillus flavus was purified in a single step purification using MnFeO4 magnetic nano particles to achieve a 20.53- fold purification with specific activity of. 11.29 U/mg and a 59% recovery yield. SDS-PAGE of lipase showed a single pure band with corresponding molecular weight of 35 kDa.

  16. Purification and Characterization of Lipase from Aspergillus flavus ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Lipase from Aspergillus flavus was purified in a single step purification using MnFeO4 magnetic nano particles to achieve a 20.53- fold purification with specific activity of 11.29 U/mg and a 59% recovery yield. SDS-PAGE of lipase showed a single pure band with corresponding molecular weight of 35 kDa. The optimal ...

  17. Purification and characterization of a branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase from Lactobacillus paracasei subsp paracasei CHCC 2115

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thage, B.V.; Rattray, F.P.; Laustsen, M.W.

    2004-01-01

    Purification and characterization of an aminotransferase (AT) specific for the degradation of branched-chain amino acids from Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei CHCC 2115. Methods and Results: The purification protocol consisted of anion exchange chromatography, affinity chromatography...... of other metal ions, thiol- and carbonyl-binding agents. The N-terminal sequence of the enzyme was SVNIDWNNLGFDYMQLPYRYVAHXKDGVXD, and had at the amino acid level, 60 and 53% identity to a branched-chain amino acid AT of Lact. plantarum and Lactococcus lactis, respectively. Conclusions: The results suggest...

  18. Purification and Characterization of Recombinant Vaccinia L1R Protein from Escherichia coli

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-08-01

    RECOMBINANT VACCINIA L1R PROTEIN FROM ESCHERICHIA COLI 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background Vaccinia virus (VACV) is the active component of the...the preparation of the recombinant VACV L1R protein fragment by denaturing , refolding, and purifying material expressed into inclusion bodies in...PURIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF RECOMBINANT VACCINIA L1R PROTEIN FROM ESCHERICHIA COLI ECBC-TR-1370

  19. Biochemical characterization of bovine plasma thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Valnickova, Zuzana; Thaysen-Andersen, Morten; Højrup, Peter

    2009-01-01

    -activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI), and recombinant human TAFI have recently been solved. In light of these recent advances, we have characterized authentic bovine TAFI biochemically and compared it to human TAFI. RESULTS: The four N-linked glycosylation sequons within the activation peptide were all occupied...

  20. Purification and Characterization of Taq Polymerase: A 9-Week Biochemistry Laboratory Project for Undergraduate Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bellin, Robert M.; Bruno, Mary K.; Farrow, Melissa A.

    2010-01-01

    We have developed a 9-week undergraduate laboratory series focused on the purification and characterization of "Thermus aquaticus" DNA polymerase (Taq). Our aim was to provide undergraduate biochemistry students with a full-semester continuing project simulating a research-like experience, while having each week's procedure focus on a single…

  1. Purification and characterization of three laccase isozymes from the ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2012-04-17

    Apr 17, 2012 ... improve wine quality by removing fermentation inhibitors so as to increase yield of ethanol (Baldrian, 2006). They have also been used .... Summary of purification of laccase isozymes from Trametes sp. HS-03a. Purification .... and kinetics of a thermostable laccase from Pycnoporus sanguineus. (SCC 108).

  2. Purification and characterization of a mucin specific mycelial lectin from Aspergillus gorakhpurensis: application for mitogenic and antimicrobial activity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ram Sarup Singh

    Full Text Available Lectins are carbohydrate binding proteins or glycoproteins that bind reversibly to specific carbohydrates present on the apposing cells, which are responsible for their ability to agglutinate red blood cells, lymphocytes, fibroblasts, etc. Interest in lectins has been intensified due to their carbohydrate specificity as they can be valuable reagents for the investigation of cell surface sugars, purification and characterization of glycoproteins. The present study reports the purification, characterization and evaluation of mitogenic and antimicrobial potential of a mycelial lectin from Aspergillus gorakhpurensis.Affinity chromatography on mucin-sepharose column was carried out for purification of Aspergillus gorakhpurensis lectin. The lectin was characterized for physico-chemical parameters. Mitogenic potential of the lectin was evaluated against splenocytes of Swiss albino mice by MTT assay. Antimicrobial activity of the purified lectin has also been evaluated by disc diffusion assay.Single-step affinity purification resulted in 18.6-fold purification of the mycelial lectin. The molecular mass of the lectin was found to be 70 kDa and it was composed of two subunits of 34.8 kDa as determined by gel filtration chromatography, SDS-PAGE and MALDI-TOF analysis. pH optima of the lectin was found to be 6.5-9.5, while optimum temperature for lectin activity was 20-30 °C. Lectin was stable within a pH range of 7.0-10.5 and showed fair thermostability. EDTA did not affect lectin activity whereas it was found susceptible to the denaturants tested. MTT assay revealed strong mitogenic potential of A. gorakhpurensis lectin at a concentration upto 150 µg/mL. Antimicrobial activity assay showed its potent antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcous aureus and Escherichia coli and marginal antifungal activity against Saccharomyces cerevisiae.This is the first report on the mitogenic and antimicrobial potential of Aspergillus gorakhpurensis

  3. Purification and characterization of a mucin specific mycelial lectin from Aspergillus gorakhpurensis: application for mitogenic and antimicrobial activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Ram Sarup; Kaur, Hemant Preet; Singh, Jatinder

    2014-01-01

    Lectins are carbohydrate binding proteins or glycoproteins that bind reversibly to specific carbohydrates present on the apposing cells, which are responsible for their ability to agglutinate red blood cells, lymphocytes, fibroblasts, etc. Interest in lectins has been intensified due to their carbohydrate specificity as they can be valuable reagents for the investigation of cell surface sugars, purification and characterization of glycoproteins. The present study reports the purification, characterization and evaluation of mitogenic and antimicrobial potential of a mycelial lectin from Aspergillus gorakhpurensis. Affinity chromatography on mucin-sepharose column was carried out for purification of Aspergillus gorakhpurensis lectin. The lectin was characterized for physico-chemical parameters. Mitogenic potential of the lectin was evaluated against splenocytes of Swiss albino mice by MTT assay. Antimicrobial activity of the purified lectin has also been evaluated by disc diffusion assay. Single-step affinity purification resulted in 18.6-fold purification of the mycelial lectin. The molecular mass of the lectin was found to be 70 kDa and it was composed of two subunits of 34.8 kDa as determined by gel filtration chromatography, SDS-PAGE and MALDI-TOF analysis. pH optima of the lectin was found to be 6.5-9.5, while optimum temperature for lectin activity was 20-30 °C. Lectin was stable within a pH range of 7.0-10.5 and showed fair thermostability. EDTA did not affect lectin activity whereas it was found susceptible to the denaturants tested. MTT assay revealed strong mitogenic potential of A. gorakhpurensis lectin at a concentration upto 150 µg/mL. Antimicrobial activity assay showed its potent antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcous aureus and Escherichia coli and marginal antifungal activity against Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This is the first report on the mitogenic and antimicrobial potential of Aspergillus gorakhpurensis lectin. The

  4. Purification and Characterization of Enzymes from Yeast: An Extended Undergraduate Laboratory Sequence for Large Classes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johanson, Kelly E.; Watt, Terry J.; McIntyre, Neil R.; Thompson, Marleesa

    2013-01-01

    Providing a project-based experience in an undergraduate biochemistry laboratory class can be complex with large class sizes and limited resources. We have designed a 6-week curriculum during which students purify and characterize the enzymes invertase and phosphatase from bakers yeast. Purification is performed in two stages via ethanol…

  5. Biochemical and biomedical applications of multifunctional magnetic nanoparticles: a review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Shih-Hung; Juang, Ruey-Shin

    2011-01-01

    Nanotechnology offers tremendous potential for future medical diagnosis and therapy. Various types of nanoparticles have been extensively studied for numerous biochemical and biomedical applications. Magnetic nanoparticles are well-established nanomaterials that offer controlled size, ability to be manipulated by an external magnetic field, and enhancement of contrast in magnetic resonance imaging. As a result, these nanoparticles could have many applications including bacterial detection, protein purification, enzyme immobilization, contamination decorporation, drug delivery, hyperthermia, etc. All these biochemical and biomedical applications require that these nanoparticles should satisfy some prerequisites including high magnetization, good stability, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Because of the potential benefits of multimodal functionality in biomedical applications, in this account highlights some general strategies to generate magnetic nanoparticle-based multifunctional nanostructures. After these magnetic nanoparticles are conjugated with proper ligands (e.g., nitrilotriacetate), polymers (e.g., polyacrylic acid, chitosan, temperature- and pH-sensitive polymers), antibodies, enzymes, and inorganic metals (e.g., gold), such biofunctional magnetic nanoparticles exhibit many advantages in biomedical applications. In addition, the multifunctional magnetic nanoparticles have been widely applied in biochemical fields including enzyme immobilization and protein purification.

  6. Label-Free Imaging and Biochemical Characterization of Bovine Sperm Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferrara, Maria Antonietta; Di Caprio, Giuseppe; Managò, Stefano; De Angelis, Annalisa; Sirleto, Luigi; Coppola, Giuseppe; De Luca, Anna Chiara

    2015-01-01

    A full label-free morphological and biochemical characterization is desirable to select spermatozoa during preparation for artificial insemination. In order to study these fundamental parameters, we take advantage of two attractive techniques: digital holography (DH) and Raman spectroscopy (RS). DH presents new opportunities for studying morphological aspect of cells and tissues non-invasively, quantitatively and without the need for staining or tagging, while RS is a very specific technique allowing the biochemical analysis of cellular components with a spatial resolution in the sub-micrometer range. In this paper, morphological and biochemical bovine sperm cell alterations were studied using these techniques. In addition, a complementary DH and RS study was performed to identify X- and Y-chromosome-bearing sperm cells. We demonstrate that the two techniques together are a powerful and highly efficient tool elucidating some important criterions for sperm morphological selection and sex-identification, overcoming many of the limitations associated with existing protocols. PMID:25836358

  7. Optimization of Soluble Expression and Purification of Recombinant Human Rhinovirus Type-14 3C Protease Using Statistically Designed Experiments: Isolation and Characterization of the Enzyme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Antoniou, Georgia; Papakyriacou, Irineos; Papaneophytou, Christos

    2017-10-01

    Human rhinovirus (HRV) 3C protease is widely used in recombinant protein production for various applications such as biochemical characterization and structural biology projects to separate recombinant fusion proteins from their affinity tags in order to prevent interference between these tags and the target proteins. Herein, we report the optimization of expression and purification conditions of glutathione S-transferase (GST)-tagged HRV 3C protease by statistically designed experiments. Soluble expression of GST-HRV 3C protease was initially optimized by response surface methodology (RSM), and a 5.5-fold increase in enzyme yield was achieved. Subsequently, we developed a new incomplete factorial (IF) design that examines four variables (bacterial strain, expression temperature, induction time, and inducer concentration) in a single experiment. The new design called Incomplete Factorial-Strain/Temperature/Time/Inducer (IF-STTI) was validated using three GST-tagged proteins. In all cases, IF-STTI resulted in only 10% lower expression yields than those obtained by RSM. Purification of GST-HRV 3C was optimized by an IF design that examines simultaneously the effect of the amount of resin, incubation time of cell lysate with resin, and glycerol and DTT concentration in buffers, and a further 15% increase in protease recovery was achieved. Purified GST-HRV 3C protease was active at both 4 and 25 °C in a variety of buffers.

  8. Purification, characterization of phytase enzyme from Lactobacillus ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    SAM

    2014-06-04

    Jun 4, 2014 ... 2Department of Food Technology, Erzurum Vocational Training School, Ataturk University, 25240, ... facultative anaerobic, catalase-negative, immobile (with ..... Partial purification of phytase from a soil isolate bacterium,.

  9. Purification and characterization of Escherichia coli MreB protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nurse, Pearl; Marians, Kenneth J

    2013-02-01

    The actin homolog MreB is required in rod-shaped bacteria for maintenance of cell shape and is intimately connected to the holoenzyme that synthesizes the peptidoglycan layer. The protein has been reported variously to exist in helical loops under the cell surface, to rotate, and to move in patches in both directions around the cell surface. Studies of the Escherichia coli protein in vitro have been hampered by its tendency to aggregate. Here we report the purification and characterization of native E. coli MreB. The protein requires ATP hydrolysis for polymerization, forms bundles with a left-hand twist that can be as long as 4 μm, forms sheets in the presence of calcium, and has a critical concentration for polymerization of 1.5 μM.

  10. Purification and Characterization of Escherichia coli MreB Protein*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nurse, Pearl; Marians, Kenneth J.

    2013-01-01

    The actin homolog MreB is required in rod-shaped bacteria for maintenance of cell shape and is intimately connected to the holoenzyme that synthesizes the peptidoglycan layer. The protein has been reported variously to exist in helical loops under the cell surface, to rotate, and to move in patches in both directions around the cell surface. Studies of the Escherichia coli protein in vitro have been hampered by its tendency to aggregate. Here we report the purification and characterization of native E. coli MreB. The protein requires ATP hydrolysis for polymerization, forms bundles with a left-hand twist that can be as long as 4 μm, forms sheets in the presence of calcium, and has a critical concentration for polymerization of 1.5 μm. PMID:23235161

  11. Characterization of breakpoint cluster region kinase and SH2-binding activities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Afar, D E; Witte, O N

    1995-01-01

    BCR is an interesting signaling protein, whose cellular function is currently unknown. Its biochemical properties include serine kinase activity, SH2-binding activity, and a GTPase-activating activity. The SH2-binding activity is particularly interesting because it may link BCR to signaling pathways involving SH2-containing molecules. Since tyrosine phosphorylation of BCR has been detected in CML-derived cell lines and since tyrosine-phosphorylated BCR shows increased affinity toward certain SH2 domains, it seems particularly important to further characterize this activity. This chapter described a simple purification scheme for partial purification of BCR, which can be used to assess in vitro kinase and SH2-binding activities.

  12. Purification and partial biochemical characterization of polyphenol oxidase from mango (Mangifera indica cv. Manila).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palma-Orozco, Gisela; Marrufo-Hernández, Norma A; Sampedro, José G; Nájera, Hugo

    2014-10-08

    Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) is an enzyme widely distributed in the plant kingdom that has been detected in most fruits and vegetables. PPO was extracted and purified from Manila mango (Mangifera indica), and its biochemical properties were studied. PPO was purified 216-fold by hydrophobic interaction and ion exchange chromatography. PPO was purified to homogeneity, and the estimated PPO molecular weight (MW) by SDS-PAGE was ≈31.5 kDa. However, a MW of 65 kDa was determined by gel filtration, indicating a dimeric structure for the native PPO. The isolated PPO showed the highest affinity to pyrogallol (Km = 2.77 mM) followed by 4-methylcatechol (Km = 3.14 mM) and catechol (Km = 15.14 mM). The optimum pH for activity was 6.0. PPO was stable in the temperature range of 20-70 °C. PPO activity was completely inhibited by tropolone, ascorbic acid, sodium metabisulfite, and kojic acid at 0.1 mM.

  13. Characterization of some Brucella species from Zimbabwe by biochemical profiling and AMOS-PCR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Skjerve Eystein

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Bovine brucellosis caused by Brucella abortus is endemic in most large commercial and smallholder cattle farms of Zimbabwe, while brucellosis in other domestic animals is rare. The diagnosis of brucellosis is mainly accomplished using serological tests. However, some Brucella spp. have been isolated from clinical cases in the field and kept in culture collection but their biochemical profiles were not documented. We report biochemical profiling and AMOS-PCR characterization of some of these field isolates of Brucella originating from both commercial and smallholder cattle farming sectors of Zimbabwe. Findings Fourteen isolates of Brucella from culture collection were typed using biochemical profiles, agglutination by monospecific antisera, susceptibility to Brucella-specific bacteriophages and by AMOS-PCR that amplifies species- specific IS711. The results of the biochemical profiles for B. abortus biovar 1 (11 isolates and biovar 2 (2 isolates were consistent with those of reference strains. A single isolate from a goat originating from a smallholder mixed animal farm was identified as B. melitensis biovar 1. The AMOS-PCR produced DNA products of sizes 498 bp and 731 bp for B. abortus (biovar 1 and 2 and B. melitensis biovar 1, respectively. Conclusion We concluded that the biochemical profiles and AMOS-PCR characterization were consistent with their respective species and biovars. B. abortus biovar 1 is likely to be the predominant cause of brucellosis in both commercial and smallholder cattle farms in Zimbabwe.

  14. Purification and characterization of the three Snf1-activating kinases of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    OpenAIRE

    Elbing, Karin; McCartney, Rhonda R.; Schmidt, Martin C.

    2006-01-01

    Members of the Snf1/AMPK family of protein kinases are activated by distinct upstream kinases that phosphorylate a conserved threonine residue in the Snf1/AMPK activation loop. Recently, the identities of the Snf1- and AMPK-activating kinases have been determined. Here we describe the purification and characterization of the three Snf1-activating kinases of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The identities of proteins associated with the Snf1-activating kinases were determined by peptide mass fingerpr...

  15. Structure and biochemical characterization of proliferating cellular nuclear antigen from a parasitic protozoon

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cardona-Felix, Cesar S.; Lara-Gonzalez, Samuel; Brieba, Luis G. (LNLS)

    2012-02-08

    Proliferating cellular nuclear antigen (PCNA) is a toroidal-shaped protein that is involved in cell-cycle control, DNA replication and DNA repair. Parasitic protozoa are early-diverged eukaryotes that are responsible for neglected diseases. In this work, a PCNA from a parasitic protozoon was identified, cloned and biochemically characterized and its crystal structure was determined. Structural and biochemical studies demonstrate that PCNA from Entamoeba histolytica assembles as a homotrimer that is able to interact with and stimulate the activity of a PCNA-interacting peptide-motif protein from E. histolytica, EhDNAligI. The data indicate a conservation of the biochemical mechanisms of PCNA-mediated interactions between metazoa, yeast and parasitic protozoa.

  16. Purification and biochemical characterization of a 22-kDa stable cysteine- like protease from the excretory-secretory product of the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica by using conventional techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hemici, Ahmed; Benerbaiha, Roumaila Sabrina; Bendjeddou, Dalila

    2017-11-15

    This study describes the purification and characterization of a stable protease activity isolated from Fasciola hepatica adult worms maintained in vitro by employing acetone precipitation (40-60%) followed by a gel filtration through Sephadex G-100 and DEAE- cellulose ion exchange column. Through this three-step purification, the enzyme was purified 11-fold with a specific activity of 1893.9U/mg and 31.5% recovery. After the final ultrafiltration step, the purification fold was increased up to 13.1 and the overall activity yield reached a rate of 18.8%. The MW of the purified protease was estimated by reducing SDS-PAGE to be 22kDa while the proteolytic activity detection was carried out by zymography on non-denaturing SDS-PAGE containing the casein as substrate. Using this substrate, the protease showed extreme proteolytic activity at pH 5.5 and temperature 35-40°C and was highly stable over a wide range of pH, from 5.0 to 10.0. In addition to its preference for the Z-Phe-Arg-AMC fluorogenic substrate resulting in maximum proteolytic activity (99.7%) at pH 7.0, the pure protease exhibited highest cleavage activity against hemoglobin and casein substrates at pH 5.5 (85.6% and 82.8%, respectively). The K m values obtained for this protease were 5.4, 13, 160 and approximately 1000μM using respectively the fluorogenic substrate Z-Phe-Arg-AMC, hemoglobin, casein and albumin. The protease activity was completely inhibited either by E-64 inhibitor (5mM) or iodoacetamide (10mM), indicating its cysteine nature. The usefulness of the purified protease as an antigen was studied by immunoblotting. Thus, sera from sheep experimentally infected with F. hepatica recognized the protease band at 2 weeks post-infection (WPI) and strongly at 7 WPI. The early detection of antibodies anti- F. hepatica suggests the application of this molecule as a specific epitope for the serodiagnosis of fascioliasis disease. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. High-level expression, purification and characterization of a constitutively active thromboxane A2 receptor polymorphic variant.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bing Xu

    Full Text Available G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs exhibit some level of basal signaling even in the absence of a bound agonist. This basal or constitutive signaling can have important pathophysiological roles. In the past few years, a number of high resolution crystal structures of GPCRs have been reported, including two crystal structures of constitutively active mutants (CAM of the dim-light receptor, rhodopsin. The structural characterizations of CAMs are impeded by the lack of proper expression systems. The thromboxane A2 receptor (TP is a GPCR that mediates vasoconstriction and promotes thrombosis in response to the binding of thromboxane. Here, we report on the expression and purification of a genetic variant and CAM in TP, namely A160T, using tetracycline-inducible HEK293S-TetR and HEK293S (GnTI¯-TetR cell lines. Expression of the TP and the A160T genes in these mammalian cell lines resulted in a 4-fold increase in expression to a level of 15.8 ±0.3 pmol of receptor/mg of membrane protein. The receptors expressed in the HEK293S (GnTI(--TetR cell line showed homogeneous glycosylation. The functional yield of the receptors using a single step affinity purification was 45 µg/10⁶ cells. Temperature- dependent secondary structure changes of the purified TP and A160T receptors were characterized using circular dichroism (CD spectropolarimetry. The CD spectra shows that the loss of activity or thermal sensitivity that was previously observed for the A160T mutant, is not owing to large unfolding of the protein but rather to a more subtle effect. This is the first study to report on the successful high-level expression, purification, and biophysical characterization of a naturally occurring, diffusible ligand activated GPCR CAM.

  18. PARTIAL PURIFICATION AND IMMUNO-BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISATION OF FERTILITY ASSOCIATED PROTEIN OF KARAN FRIES BULL SEMINAL PLASMA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brajesh Raman

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The objective of the present study was detection, isolation, partial purification and immunobiochemical characterization of fertility associated protein in the seminal plasma of high prolific Karan fries bull. Seminal plasma of Karan Fries bull was partially purified by gel filtration chromatography and analyzed by 10% SDS-PAGE for their polypeptide profile. PAGE analysis revealed major band of 55 kDa, and 26 kDa. Hyperimmune serum was raised in rabbit against crude seminal plasma protein. Single precipitin line was observed in DID test when each of the partially purified 26 kDa and 55 kDa proteins were reacted with hyperimmune serum. These proteins were also found to be immunoreactive against hyperimmune serum in Western blot technique.

  19. Purification and characterization of xylanase from Aspergillus ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Xylanase was subjected to a three-step purification scheme involving ammonium sulphate precipitation, gel filtration chromatography and anion exchange chromatography. Purity was verified by running the extracted protein on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and a single band was ...

  20. Biochemical Characterization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA Repair Enzymes – Nfo, XthA and Nei2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sailau Abeldenov

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB is a human disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb. Treatment of TB requires long-term courses of multi-drug therapies to eliminate subpopulations of bacteria, which sometimes persist against antibiotics. Therefore, understanding of the mechanism of Mtb antibiotic-resistance is extremely important. During infection, Mtb overcomes a variety of body defense mechanisms, including treatment with the reactive species of oxygen and nitrogen. The bases in DNA molecule are susceptible to the damages caused by reactive forms of intermediate compounds of oxygen and nitrogen. Most of this damage is repaired by the base excision repair (BER pathway. In this study, we aimed to biochemically characterize three Mtb DNA repair enzymes of BER pathway. Methods: XthA, nfo, and nei genes were identified in mycobacteria by homology search of genomic sequences available in the GenBank database. We used standard methods of genetic engineering  to clone and sequence Mtb genes, which coded Nfo, XthA and Nei2 repair enzymes. The protein products of Mtb genes were expressed and purified in Escherichia coli using affinity tags. The enzymatic activity of purified Nfo, XthA, and Nei2 proteins were measured using radioactively labeled DNA substrates containing various modified residues. Results: The genes end (Rv0670, xthA (Rv0427c, and nei (Rv3297 were PCR amplified using genomic DNA of Mtb H37Rv with primers that contain specific restriction sites. The amplified products were inserted into pET28c(+ expression vector in such a way that the recombinant proteins contain C-terminal histidine tags. The plasmid constructs were verified by sequencing and then transformed into the Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3 strain. Purification of recombinant proteins was performed using Ni2+ ions immobilized affinity column, coupled with the fast performance liquid chromatography machine AKTA. Identification of the isolated proteins was performed by

  1. Purification of the functional plant membrane channel KAT1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hibi, Takao; Aoki, Shiho; Oda, Keisuke; Munemasa, Shintaro; Ozaki, Shunsuke; Shirai, Osamu; Murata, Yoshiyuki; Uozumi, Nobuyuki

    2008-01-01

    The inward-rectifying K + channel KAT1 is expressed mainly in Arabidopsis thaliana guard cells. The purification of functional KAT1 has never been reported. We investigated the extraction of the plant K + channel KAT1 with different detergents, as an example for how to select detergents for purifying a eukaryotic membrane protein. A KAT1-GFP fusion protein was used to screen a library of 46 detergents for the effective solubilization of intact KAT1. Then, a 'test set' of three detergents was picked for further analysis, based on their biochemical characteristics and availability. The combination use of the selected detergents enabled the effective purification of functional KAT1 with affinity and gel-filtration chromatography

  2. Polyether sulfone/hydroxyapatite mixed matrix membranes for protein purification

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sun, Junfen, E-mail: junfensun@dhu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Material Science and Engineering, Donghua University, North People Road 2999, Shanghai 201620 (China); Wu, Lishun [Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Heze University, Daxue Road 2269, Heze, Shandong Province 274015 (China)

    2014-07-01

    This work proposes a novel approach for protein purification from solution using mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) comprising of hydroxyapatite (HAP) inside polyether sulfone (PES) matrix. The influence of HAP particle loading on membrane morphology is studied. The MMMs are further characterized concerning permeability and adsorption capacity. The MMMs show purification of protein via both diffusion as well as adsorption, and show the potential of using MMMs for improvements in protein purification techniques. The bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used as a model protein. The properties and structures of MMMs prepared by immersion phase separation process were characterized by pure water flux, BSA adsorption and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

  3. Expression and purification of the non-tagged LipL32 of pathogenic Leptospira

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Hauk

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Leptospirosis is a reemerging infectious disease and the most disseminated zoonosis worldwide. A leptospiral surface protein, LipL32, only occurs in pathogenic Leptospira, and is the most abundant protein on the bacterial surface, being described as an important factor in host immunogenic response and also in bacterial infection. We describe here an alternative and simple purification protocol for non-tagged recombinant LipL32. The recombinant LipL32(21-272 was expressed in Escherichia coli without His-tag or any other tag used to facilitate recombinant protein purification. The recombinant protein was expressed in the soluble form, and the purification was based on ion exchange (anionic and cationic and hydrophobic interactions. The final purification yielded 3 mg soluble LipL32(21-272 per liter of the induced culture. Antiserum produced against the recombinant protein was effective to detect native LipL32 from cell extracts of several Leptospira serovars. The purified recombinant LipL32(21-272 produced by this protocol can be used for structural, biochemical and functional studies and avoids the risk of possible interactions and interferences of the tags commonly used as well as the time consuming and almost always inefficient methods to cleave these tags when a tag-free LipL32 is needed. Non-tagged LipL32 may represent an alternative antigen for biochemical studies, for serodiagnosis and for the development of a vaccine against leptospirosis.

  4. Expression and purification of the non-tagged LipL32 of pathogenic Leptospira.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hauk, P; Carvalho, E; Ho, P L

    2011-04-01

    Leptospirosis is a reemerging infectious disease and the most disseminated zoonosis worldwide. A leptospiral surface protein, LipL32, only occurs in pathogenic Leptospira, and is the most abundant protein on the bacterial surface, being described as an important factor in host immunogenic response and also in bacterial infection. We describe here an alternative and simple purification protocol for non-tagged recombinant LipL32. The recombinant LipL32(21-272) was expressed in Escherichia coli without His-tag or any other tag used to facilitate recombinant protein purification. The recombinant protein was expressed in the soluble form, and the purification was based on ion exchange (anionic and cationic) and hydrophobic interactions. The final purification yielded 3 mg soluble LipL32(21-272) per liter of the induced culture. Antiserum produced against the recombinant protein was effective to detect native LipL32 from cell extracts of several Leptospira serovars. The purified recombinant LipL32(21-272) produced by this protocol can be used for structural, biochemical and functional studies and avoids the risk of possible interactions and interferences of the tags commonly used as well as the time consuming and almost always inefficient methods to cleave these tags when a tag-free LipL32 is needed. Non-tagged LipL32 may represent an alternative antigen for biochemical studies, for serodiagnosis and for the development of a vaccine against leptospirosis.

  5. Large scale purification and characterization of recombinant human autotaxin/lysophospholipase D from mammalian cells

    OpenAIRE

    Song, Yuanda; Dilger, Emily; Bell, Jessica; Barton, William A; Fang, Xianjun

    2010-01-01

    We utilized a mammalian expression system to purify and characterize autotaxin (ATX)/lysophospholipase D, an enzyme present in the blood responsible for biosynthesis of lysophosphatidic acid. The human ATX cDNA encoding amino acids 29–915 was cloned downstream of a secretion signal of CD5. At the carboxyl terminus was a thrombin cleavage site followed by the constant domain (Fc) of IgG to facilitate protein purification. The ATX-Fc fusion protein was expressed in HEK293 cells and isolated fro...

  6. Determination of the self purification of streams using tracers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salviano, J.S.

    1982-04-01

    A methodology for the 'in situ' evaluation of the self purification of streams is discussed. It consists of the simultaneous injection of two tracers into the stream. One of the tracers is oxidized by biochemical processes. It can be either artificially supplied to the stream or a naturally present component can be used. This tracer is used for the determination of the self purification parameters. The other tracer is conservative and allows for the hydrodynamic effects. Tests have been carried out in two streams with quite different hydrodynamic and physicochemical conditions. In the first stream, with a flow-rate of about 0.9 m 3 /s, urea was used as the nonconservative tracer. In the other stream, which had a flow-rate of about 5 m 3 /s, only a radioactive tracer has been used, and the rate of biochemical oxidation has been determined from BOD measurements. Calculations have been implemented on a digital computer. In both cases it was found that the reoxygenation rate is more conveniently determined by empirical formulas. Results from both tests have been deemed realistic by comparison with similar experiments. (Author) [pt

  7. Doing that thing that scientists do: A discovery-driven module on protein purification and characterization for the undergraduate biochemistry laboratory classroom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garrett, Teresa A; Osmundson, Joseph; Isaacson, Marisa; Herrera, Jennifer

    2015-01-01

    In traditional introductory biochemistry laboratory classes students learn techniques for protein purification and analysis by following provided, established, step-by-step procedures. Students are exposed to a variety of biochemical techniques but are often not developing procedures or collecting new, original data. In this laboratory module, students develop research skills through work on an original research project and gain confidence in their ability to design and execute an experiment while faculty can enhance their scholarly pursuits through the acquisition of original data in the classroom laboratory. Students are prepared for a 6-8 week discovery-driven project on the purification of the Escherichia coli cytidylate kinase (CMP kinase) through in class problems and other laboratory exercises on bioinformatics and protein structure analysis. After a minimal amount of guidance on how to perform the CMP kinase in vitro enzyme assay, SDS-PAGE, and the basics of protein purification, students, working in groups of three to four, develop a protein purification protocol based on the scientific literature and investigate some aspect of CMP kinase that interests them. Through this process, students learn how to implement a new but perhaps previously worked out procedure to answer their research question. In addition, they learn the importance of keeping a clear and thorough laboratory notebook and how to interpret their data and use that data to inform the next set of experiments. Following this module, students had increased confidence in their ability to do basic biochemistry techniques and reported that the "self-directed" nature of this lab increased their engagement in the project. © 2015 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

  8. Purification and characterization of protease enzyme from ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    user

    2013-03-20

    Mar 20, 2013 ... Full Length Research Paper. Purification and ... ting into small peptides and free amino acids, which can ... Isolated strain was cultured in synthetic medium- casein (SMC; ... Protease activity was assayed by sigma's non-specific protease ... following buffers: 0.05 M citrate-phosphate buffer (pH 5 to 6), Tris-.

  9. Synthesis, purification and physico-chemical characterization of the deuterized chloroform

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mihaila, Vasile; Chiper, Diana

    1999-01-01

    This work refers to deuterized chloroform synthesis and purification methods. Three preparation methods of deuterized chloroform are presented. In the first method the direct chlorination of methane (CH 4 + 3Cl 2 ) in the presence of light and in an oxygen-free atmosphere results in CHCl 3 + 3HCl. The method's drawback is that the resulting product is impure, being obtained also secondary chlorinated compounds, such as CHCl, CH 2 Cl 2 and CCl 4 . The second method consists in chlorination of acetaldehyde or acetone, in basic catalysis and in halogen excess (α substitution with direct synthesis of trihalogen compound), followed by a haloform reaction (hydrolytic splitting) in the presence of chlorinated lime. This method makes use of decarbolyzing of trichlor acetate acid (as a sodium salt), what results in CL 3 CH + NaHCO 3 . This method is the most suitable for the deuterized chloroform synthesis, since the reaction takes place in absence of other hydrogen atoms (protons) and in deuterized water of 99.87% purity, according to the following reaction: Cl 3 C-COONa → (D 2 O) → Cl 2 CD + NaDCO 3 . Another advantage is that this method avoids the synthesis of secondary products, which could entail additional purifications (distillations, rectification, a.s.o.). The deuterized chloroform is separated from the deuterized sodium bicarbonate aqueous solution by washing with deuterized water, in a liquid to liquid separating funnel. After separation, deuterized chloroform is dried in nitrogen atmosphere. The characterization of the final product is carried out by nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. (authors)

  10. Molecular and biochemical characterization of Pseudomonas putida isolated from bottled uncarbonated mineral drinking water

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tasić S.

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Pseudomonas putida belongs to a group of opportunistic pathogens that can cause disease in people with weakened or damaged immune systems. Some strains have medical significance, and for most ingestion is not the primary route of infection. If water used by predisposed subjects is contaminated by P. putida, they may become ill. The aim of this work was the biochemical and molecular characterization of strain ST3 of P. putida isolated from non-carbonated bottled drinking water from Jakov Do 4 on Mt. Vlasina. Characterization of P. putida was performed to assess the risk to human health of the indigenous strains present in the water. Biochemical characterization of strains was performed using the manual identification system ID 32 GN (BioMérieux. Identification was obtained using the database identification software ATB System (Bio-Mérieux. Molecular characterization was performed by PCR amplification and 16S rDNA “thermal cycling sequencing”. Biochemical identification of the strain ST3 was accurate (Id = 99.8%. Comparing the sequences obtained for strain ST3 with NCBI gene bank sequences for 16S rRNA, the highest similarity of our strain (96% identity with a strain of P. putida, designated as biotype A (gi|18076625|emb|AJ308311.1|.PPU308311 isolated in New Zealand, was obtained. While comparison with the NCBI collection of all deposited sequences showed that the 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain ST3 has very high homology, it is not identical, indicating indirectly that strain ST3 is an indigenous strain.

  11. METHODS FOR RECOMBINANT EXPRESSION AND FUNCTIONAL CHARACTERIZATION OF HUMAN CANNABINOID RECEPTOR CB2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexei A. Yeliseev

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Cannabinoid receptor CB2 is a seven transmembrane-domain integral membrane protein that belongs to a large superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR. CB2 is a part of the endocannabinoid system that plays vital role in regulation of immune response, inflammation, pain sensitivity, obesity and other physiological responses. Information about the structure and mechanisms of functioning of this receptor in cell membranes is essential for the rational development of specific pharmaceuticals. Here we review the methodology for recombinant expression, purification, stabilization and biochemical characterization of CB2 suitable for preparation of multi-milligram quantities of functionally active receptor. The biotechnological protocols include expression of the recombinant CB2 in E. coli cells as a fusion with the maltose binding protein, stabilization with a high affinity ligand and a derivative of cholesterol in detergent micelles, efficient purification by tandem affinity chromatography, and reconstitution of the receptor into lipid bilayers. The purified recombinant CB2 receptor is amenable to functional and structural studies including nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and a wide range of biochemical and biophysical techniques.

  12. Purification and biochemical characterization of an Aspergillus niger phytase produced by solid-state fermentation using triticale residues as substrate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neira-Vielma, Alberto A; Aguilar, Cristóbal N; Ilyina, Anna; Contreras-Esquivel, Juan C; Carneiro-da-Cunha, María das Graça; Michelena-Álvarez, Georgina; Martínez-Hernández, José L

    2018-03-01

    In this study, an extracellular phytase produced by Aspergillus niger 7A-1, was biochemically characterized for possible industrial application. The enzyme was purified from a crude extract obtained by solid-state fermentation (SSF) of triticale waste. The extract was obtained by microfiltration, ultrafiltration (300, 100 and 30 kDa) and DEAE-Sepharose column chromatography. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was estimated to be 89 kDa by SDS-PAGE. The purified enzyme was most active at pH 5.3 and 56 °C, and retained 50% activity over a wide pH range of 4 to 7. The enzymatic thermostability assay showed that the enzyme retained more than 70% activity at 80 °C for 60 s, 40% activity for 120 s and 9% after 300 s. The phytase showed broad substrate specificity, a K m value of 220 μM and V max of 25 μM/min. The purified phytase retained 50% of its activity with phosphorylated compounds such as phenyl phosphate, 1-Naphthyl phosphate, 2-Naphthyl phosphate, p-Nitrophenyl phosphate and Glycerol-2-phosphate. The inhibition of phytase activity by metal ions was observed to be drastically inhibited (50%) by Ca ++ and was slightly inhibited (10%) by Ni ++ , K + , and Na + , at 10 and 20 mM concentrations. A positive effect was obtained with Mg ++ , Mn ++ , Cu ++ , Cd ++ and Ba ++ at 25 and 35% with stimulatory effect on the phytase activity.

  13. Purification and biochemical characterization of an Aspergillus niger phytase produced by solid-state fermentation using triticale residues as substrate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alberto A. Neira-Vielma

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available In this study, an extracellular phytase produced by Aspergillus niger 7A-1, was biochemically characterized for possible industrial application. The enzyme was purified from a crude extract obtained by solid-state fermentation (SSF of triticale waste. The extract was obtained by microfiltration, ultrafiltration (300, 100 and 30 kDa and DEAE-Sepharose column chromatography. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was estimated to be 89 kDa by SDS-PAGE. The purified enzyme was most active at pH 5.3 and 56 °C, and retained 50% activity over a wide pH range of 4 to 7. The enzymatic thermostability assay showed that the enzyme retained more than 70% activity at 80 °C for 60 s, 40% activity for 120 s and 9% after 300 s. The phytase showed broad substrate specificity, a Km value of 220 μM and Vmax of 25 μM/min. The purified phytase retained 50% of its activity with phosphorylated compounds such as phenyl phosphate, 1-Naphthyl phosphate, 2-Naphthyl phosphate, p-Nitrophenyl phosphate and Glycerol-2-phosphate. The inhibition of phytase activity by metal ions was observed to be drastically inhibited (50% by Ca++ and was slightly inhibited (10% by Ni++, K+, and Na+, at 10 and 20 mM concentrations. A positive effect was obtained with Mg++, Mn++, Cu++, Cd++ and Ba++ at 25 and 35% with stimulatory effect on the phytase activity.

  14. Expression and Purification of Rat Glucose Transporter 1 in Pichia pastoris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Venskutonytė, Raminta; Elbing, Karin; Lindkvist-Petersson, Karin

    2018-01-01

    Large amounts of pure and homogenous protein are a prerequisite for several biochemical and biophysical analyses, and in particular if aiming at resolving the three-dimensional protein structure. Here we describe the production of the rat glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1), a membrane protein facilitating the transport of glucose in cells. The protein is recombinantly expressed in the yeast Pichia pastoris. It is easily maintained and large-scale protein production in shaker flasks, as commonly performed in academic research laboratories, results in relatively high yields of membrane protein. The purification protocol describes all steps needed to obtain a pure and homogenous GLUT1 protein solution, including cell growth, membrane isolation, and chromatographic purification methods.

  15. Biochemical characterization of cholesterol-reducing Eubacterium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mott, G E; Brinkley, A W; Mersinger, C L

    1980-12-01

    We characterized two isolates of cholesterol-reducing Eubacterium by conducting conventional biochemical tests and by testing various sterols and glycerolipids as potential growth factors. In media containing cholesterol and plasmenylethanolamine, the tests for nitrate reduction, indole production, and gelatin and starch hydrolyses were negative, and no acid was produced from any of 22 carbohydrates. Both isolates hydrolyzed esculin to esculetin, indicating beta-glycosidase activity. In addition to plasmenylethanolamine, five other lipids which contain an alkenyl ether residue supported growth of Eubacterium strain 403 in a lecithin-cholesterol base medium. Of six steroids tested, cholesterol, cholest-4-en-3-one, cholest-4-en-3 beta-ol (allocholesterol), and androst-5-en-3 beta-ol-17-one supported growth of Eubacterium strain 403. All four steroids were reduced to the 3 beta-ol, 5 beta-H products. The delta 5 steroids cholest-5-en-3 alpha-ol (epicholesterol) and 22,23-bisnor-5-cholenic acid-3-beta-ol were not reduced and did not support growth of the Eubacterium strain.

  16. Extraction, purification and characterization of a protease from Micrococcus sp. VKMM 037.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manikandan, Muthu; Kannan, Vijayaraghavan; Pasić, Lejla

    2011-10-01

    The haloalkaliphilic bacterium Micrococcus sp. VKMM 037, isolated from an effluent of the caustic soda industry, was found to produce a protease. Maximal proteolytic activity was observed in cell culture grown at 40 degrees C using 2% (w/v) glycerol, 2% (w/v) beef extract and 2% (w/v) peptone as nutrients in medium also containing 0.85 M NaCl with a pH of 10.0. An efficient purification procedure combining ammonium sulphate precipitation and Q-Sepharose ion-exchange chromatography was developed. The purified 41 kDa protease was stable in a temperature range between 20 degrees C and 60 degrees C. The protease remained active over a wide range of pH values (4.0-12.0) and NaCl concentrations (0-3.42 M) with an optimum at pH 10.0 and 0.85 M NaCl, respectively. Furthermore, the enzyme remained stable or was only marginally inhibited in the presence of various organic solvents, surfactants and reducing agents. The purified protease of Micrococcus sp. VKMM 037 efficiently removed blood stains within 40 minutes of treatment. Given the biochemical characteristics determined, this novel protease could be exploited as an additive in the detergent industry and also for the synthesis of biomolecules and the degradation of protein.

  17. Purification and characterization of VDE, a site-specific endonuclease from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gimble, F S; Thorner, J

    1993-10-15

    The 119-kDa primary translation product of the VMA1 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae undergoes a self-catalyzed rearrangement ("protein splicing") that excises an internal 50-kDa segment of the polypeptide and joins the amino-terminal and carboxyl-terminal segments to generate the 69-kDa subunit of the vacuolar membrane-associated H(+)-ATPase. We have shown previously that the internal segment is a site-specific endonuclease (Gimble, F. S., and Thorner, J. (1992) Nature 357, 301-306). Here we describe methods for the high level expression and purification to near homogeneity of both the authentic VMA1-derived endonuclease (or VDE) from yeast (yield 18%) and a recombinant form of VDE made in bacteria (yield 29%). Detailed characterization of these preparations demonstrated that the yeast-derived and bacterially produced enzymes were indistinguishable, as judged by: (a) behavior during purification; (b) apparent native molecular mass (50 kDa); (c) immunological reactivity; and (d) catalytic properties (specific activity; cleavage site recognition; and optima for pH, temperature, divalent cation and ionic strength). The minimal site required for VDE cleavage was delimited to a 30-base pair sequence within its specific substrate (the VMA1 delta vde allele).

  18. Purification and mass spectrometry based characterization of a pediocin produced by Pediococcus acidilactici 13.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Altuntaş, Evrim Güneş; Ayhan, Kamuran; Peker, Selen; Ayhan, Beycan; Demiralp, Duygu Ozel

    2014-10-01

    Bacteriocins are antimicrobial peptides produced by several bacterial species. Among the bacteriocins pediocin-like bacteriocins have a significant inhibitory activity on the foodborne pathogens especially on Listeria monocytogenes. This study aims to select a simple and usable purification method to purify/concentrate the antimicrobial peptide and characterization of the bacteriocin produced by Pediococcus acidilactici 13 by using proteomic approaches which is a recent omic technology. For purification dialysis, ultrafiltration method was used, and as a result of this study the bacteriocin activity reached 819,200 AU/mL from 102,400 AU/mL initially. Two dimensional gel electrophoresis and then matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization/time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis were carried out to identify the current bacteriocin and related proteins. Obtained data revealed similarity to pediocin PA-1 transport/processing ATP-binding protein PedD (accession number: P36497), pediocin operon PedC (accession number: Q68GC4) and bacteriocin pediocin PA-1 (accession number: P29430) from UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot databank, thus the bacteriocin produced by P. acidilactici 13 is considered similar to pediocin PA-1.

  19. A novel cellulase free alkaliphilic xylanase from alkali tolerant Penicillium citrinum: production, purification and characterization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dutta, T; Sengupta, R; Sahoo, R; Sinha Ray, S; Bhattacharjee, A; Ghosh, S

    2007-02-01

    The enzymatic hydrolysis of xylan has potential economic and environment-friendly applications. Therefore, attention is focused here on the discovery of new extremophilic xylanase in order to meet the requirements of industry. An extracellular xylanase was purified from the culture filtrate of P. citrinum grown on wheat bran bed in solid substrate fermentation. Single step purification was achieved using hydrophobic interaction chromatography. The purified enzyme showed a single band on SDS-PAGE with an apparent molecular weight of c. 25 kDa and pI of 3.6. Stimulation of the activity by beta mercaptoethanol, dithiotheritol (DTT) and cysteine was observed. Moderately thermostable xylanase showed optimum activity at 50 degrees C at pH 8.5. Xylanase purified from P. citrinum was alkaliphilic and moderately thermostable in nature. The present work reports for the first time the purification and characterization of a novel endoglucanase free alkaliphilic xylanase from the alkali tolerant fungus Penicillium citrinum. The alkaliphilicity and moderate thermostability of this xylanase may have potential implications in paper and pulp industries.

  20. Electron beam silicon purification

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kravtsov, Anatoly [SIA ' ' KEPP EU' ' , Riga (Latvia); Kravtsov, Alexey [' ' KEPP-service' ' Ltd., Moscow (Russian Federation)

    2014-11-15

    Purification of heavily doped electronic grade silicon by evaporation of N-type impurities with electron beam heating was investigated in process with a batch weight up to 50 kilos. Effective temperature of the melt, an indicative parameter suitable for purification process characterization was calculated and appeared to be stable for different load weight processes. Purified material was successfully approbated in standard CZ processes of three different companies. Each company used its standard process and obtained CZ monocrystals applicable for photovoltaic application. These facts enable process to be successfully scaled up to commercial volumes (150-300 kg) and yield solar grade silicon. (copyright 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  1. Purification and characterization of selenocysteine beta-lyase from Citrobacter freundii

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chocat, P.; Esaki, N.; Tanizawa, K.; Nakamura, K.; Tanaka, H.; Soda, K.

    1985-01-01

    The purification and characterization of bacterial selenocysteine beta-lyase, an enzyme which specifically catalyzes the cleavage of L-selenocysteine to L-alanine and Se0, are presented. The enzyme, purified to near homogeneity from Citrobacter freundii, is monomeric with a molecular weight of ca. 64,000 and contains 1 mol of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate as a cofactor per mol of enzyme. L-Selenocysteine is the sole substrate. L-Cysteine is a competitive inhibitor of the enzyme. The enzyme also catalyzes the alpha, beta elimination of beta-chloro-L-alanine to form NH 3 , pyruvate, and Cl- and is irreversibly inactivated during the reaction. The physicochemical properties, e.g., amino acid composition and subunit structure, of the bacterial enzyme are fairly different from those of the pig liver enzyme. However, the catalytic properties of both enzymes, e.g., substrate specificity and inactivation by the substrate or a mechanism-based inactivator, beta-chloro-L-alanine, are very similar

  2. Synthesis, purification and physico-chemical characterization of the deuterized chloroform

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mihaila, V.; Olteanu-Chiper, D.

    1999-01-01

    This work refers to deuterized chloroform synthesis and purification methods. Three methods for obtaining deuterized chloroform are presented. 1. The direct chlorination of methane, in presence of light and in oxygen-free atmosphere: CH 4 + 3 Cl 2 + ℎν→ CHCl 3 + 3 HCl. The method's drawback is that the product obtained is impure, as other chlorinated compounds such as CH 3 Cl, CH 2 Cl 2 , CCl 4 also result. 2. Chlorination of acetaldehyde or acetone, in basic catalysis and in halogen excess (α substitution with direct synthesis of trihalogen compound), followed by a haloform reaction (hydrolytic splitting) in presence of chlorinated lime: CH 3 CHO (Cl 2 /HO - )/(-HCl)Cl 3 C-CHO (CaCl 2 /HOH)/(-(HCOO) 2 Ca) CHCl 3 and CH 3 -CO-CH 3 (Cl 2 /HO)/(-HCl) Cl 3 C-CO-CH 3 (NaOH)/(-CH 3 COONa) CHCl 3 . 3. Decarboxylizing of trichloroacetate acid (as sodium salt): Cl 3 C-COONa (t deg C)/(H 2 O) Cl 3 CH + NaHCO 3 . This method is the most suitable for the deuterized chloroform synthesis since the reaction takes place in absence of other hydrogen atoms (protons) and in deuterized water 99,87% purity, according to the following reaction: Cl 3 C-COONa (t deg C)/(D 2 O) Cl 3 CD + NaDCO 3 . Another advantage is that this method avoids the synthesis of secondary products which could entail additional purifications (distillations, rectifications, a.s.o.). The deuterized chloroform is separated from the deuterized sodium bicarbonate aqueous solution by washing with deuterized water, in a liquid-to-liquid separating funnel. After separation, the deuterized chloroform is dried in nitrogen atmosphere. The characterization of the final product is carried out through Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometry. (authors)

  3. Purification and proteomics of pathogen-modified vacuoles and membranes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jo-Ana eHerweg

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Certain pathogenic bacteria adopt an intracellular lifestyle and proliferate in eukaryotic host cells. The intracellular niche protects the bacteria from cellular and humoral components of the mammalian immune system, and at the same time, allows the bacteria to gain access to otherwise restricted nutrient sources. Yet, intracellular protection and access to nutrients comes with a price, i.e. the bacteria need to overcome cell-autonomous defense mechanisms, such as the bactericidal endocytic pathway. While a few bacteria rupture the early phagosome and escape into the host cytoplasm, most intracellular pathogens form a distinct, degradation-resistant and replication-permissive membranous compartment. Intracellular bacteria that form unique pathogen vacuoles include Legionella, Mycobacterium, Chlamydia, Simkania and Salmonella species. In order to understand the formation of these pathogen niches on a global scale and in a comprehensive and quantitative manner, an inventory of compartment-associated host factors is required. To this end, the intact pathogen compartments need to be isolated, purified and biochemically characterized. Here, we review recent progress on the isolation and purification of pathogen-modified vacuoles and membranes, as well as their proteomic characterization by mass spectrometry and different validation approaches. These studies provide the basis for further investigations on the specific mechanisms of pathogen-driven compartment formation.

  4. Biochemical characterization and antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of different Ganoderma collections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saltarelli, Roberta; Ceccaroli, Paola; Buffalini, Michele; Vallorani, Luciana; Casadei, Lucia; Zambonelli, Alessandra; Iotti, Mirco; Badalyan, Susanna; Stocchi, Vilberto

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study was to conduct a molecular and biochemical characterization and to compare the antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of four Ganoderma isolates belonging to Ganoderma lucidum (Gl-4, Gl-5) and Ganoderma resinaceum (F-1, F-2) species. The molecular identification was performed by ITS and IGS sequence analyses and the biochemical characterization by enzymatic and proteomic approaches. The antioxidant activity of the ethanolic extracts was compared by three different methods and their flavonoid contents were also analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. The antiproliferative effect on U937 cells was determined by MTT assay. The studied mycelia differ both in the enzymatic activities and protein content. The highest content in total phenol and the highest antioxidant activity for DPPH free radical scavenging and chelating activity on Fe(2+) were observed with the Gl-4 isolate of G. lucidum. The presence of quercetin, rutin, myricetin, and morin as major flavonoids with effective antioxidant activity was detected. The ethanolic extracts from mycelia of G. lucidum isolates possess a substantial antiproliferative activity against U937 cells in contrast to G. resinaceum in which the antiproliferative effects were insignificant. This study provides a comparison between G. lucidum and G. resinaceum mycelial strains, and shows that G. resinaceum could be utilized to obtain several bioactive compounds. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  5. Purification and characterization of a protease from Thermophilic ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    AJB SERVER

    2006-10-19

    Oct 19, 2006 ... protein liquid chromatography. The method gave a ... gent industry are the proteases from bacteria sources ... In this paper, we report our recent progress on the purification ... 10 to 60 min, then cooled in ice-water and the residue activity was measured .... Huo P, Mao J, Shi Y (2003). ... Kumar CG (2002).

  6. Partial purification and characterization of alkaline proteases from ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Alkaline proteases from the digestive tract of anchovy were partially purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation, dialysis and Sephadex G-75 gel filtration. The purification fold and yield were 6.23 and 4.49%, respectively. The optimum activities of partially purified alkaline proteases were observed at 60°C and at pH 11.0.

  7. Comprehensive Characterization of Minichromosome Maintenance Complex (MCM) Protein Interactions Using Affinity and Proximity Purifications Coupled to Mass Spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dubois, Marie-Line; Bastin, Charlotte; Lévesque, Dominique; Boisvert, François-Michel

    2016-09-02

    The extensive identification of protein-protein interactions under different conditions is an important challenge to understand the cellular functions of proteins. Here we use and compare different approaches including affinity purification and purification by proximity coupled to mass spectrometry to identify protein complexes. We explore the complete interactome of the minichromosome maintenance (MCM) complex by using both approaches for all of the different MCM proteins. Overall, our analysis identified unique and shared interaction partners and proteins enriched for distinct biological processes including DNA replication, DNA repair, and cell cycle regulation. Furthermore, we mapped the changes in protein interactions of the MCM complex in response to DNA damage, identifying a new role for this complex in DNA repair. In summary, we demonstrate the complementarity of these approaches for the characterization of protein interactions within the MCM complex.

  8. The Partial Purification and Characterization of Trypsin From the ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    VESTEL

    fractionation, dialysis and Sephadex G-75 gel filtration. The purification fold and yield were 6.23 and. 4.49%, respectively. .... It was subjected to water wash and digestive tracts were .... sulphate precipitation was a simple method and generally.

  9. Purification and biochemical characterization of a serine alkaline ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The protease was stable in 0.5% SDS and retained 70.3% of its initial activity after 1 h of incubation. It was active in the presence of 3% Triton X-100 with 100% activity and stable towards oxidizing agent with 69.2% activity in the presence of 1% H2O2. The enzyme showed excellent compatibility with commercial detergents ...

  10. Purification and biochemical characterization of a serine alkaline ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    USER

    2010-08-02

    Aug 2, 2010 ... for about 60% of the total enzyme sales in various industrial. *Corresponding .... The following buffer systems were used: Na2HPO4-citric acid buffer for pH ... In commercial production, it is important to optimize the production ...

  11. Response Surface Methodology Modelling of an Aqueous Two-Phase System for Purification of Protease from Penicillium candidum (PCA 1/TT031) under Solid State Fermentation and Its Biochemical Characterization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alhelli, Amaal M.; Abdul Manap, Mohd Yazid; Mohammed, Abdulkarim Sabo; Mirhosseini, Hamed; Suliman, Eilaf; Shad, Zahra; Mohammed, Nameer Khairulla; Meor Hussin, Anis Shobirin

    2016-01-01

    Penicillium candidum (PCA 1/TT031) synthesizes different types of extracellular proteases. The objective of this study is to optimize polyethylene glycol (PEG)/citrate based on an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to purify protease from Penicillium candidum (PCA 1/TT031). The effects of different PEG molecular weights (1500–10,000 g/mol), PEG concentration (9%–20%), concentrations of NaCl (0%–10%) and the citrate buffer (8%–16%) on protease were also studied. The best protease purification could be achieved under the conditions of 9.0% (w/w) PEG 8000, 5.2% NaCl, and 15.9% sodium citrate concentration, which resulted in a one-sided protease partitioning for the bottom phase with a partition coefficient of 0.2, a 6.8-fold protease purification factor, and a yield of 93%. The response surface models displayed a significant (p ≤ 0.05) response which was fit for the variables that were studied as well as a high coefficient of determination (R2). Similarly, the predicted and observed values displayed no significant (p > 0.05) differences. In addition, our enzyme characterization study revealed that Penicillium candidum (PCA 1/TT031) produced a slight neutral protease with a molecular weight between 100 and 140 kDa. The optimal activity of the purified enzyme occurred at a pH of 6.0 and at a temperature of 50 °C. The stability between different pH and temperature ranges along with the effect of chemical metal ions and inhibitors were also studied. Our results reveal that the purified enzyme could be used in the dairy industry such as in accelerated cheese ripening. PMID:27845736

  12. Response Surface Methodology Modelling of an Aqueous Two-Phase System for Purification of Protease from Penicillium candidum (PCA 1/TT031 under Solid State Fermentation and Its Biochemical Characterization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amaal M. Alhelli

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Penicillium candidum (PCA 1/TT031 synthesizes different types of extracellular proteases. The objective of this study is to optimize polyethylene glycol (PEG/citrate based on an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS and Response Surface Methodology (RSM to purify protease from Penicillium candidum (PCA 1/TT031. The effects of different PEG molecular weights (1500–10,000 g/mol, PEG concentration (9%–20%, concentrations of NaCl (0%–10% and the citrate buffer (8%–16% on protease were also studied. The best protease purification could be achieved under the conditions of 9.0% (w/w PEG 8000, 5.2% NaCl, and 15.9% sodium citrate concentration, which resulted in a one-sided protease partitioning for the bottom phase with a partition coefficient of 0.2, a 6.8-fold protease purification factor, and a yield of 93%. The response surface models displayed a significant (p ≤ 0.05 response which was fit for the variables that were studied as well as a high coefficient of determination (R2. Similarly, the predicted and observed values displayed no significant (p > 0.05 differences. In addition, our enzyme characterization study revealed that Penicillium candidum (PCA 1/TT031 produced a slight neutral protease with a molecular weight between 100 and 140 kDa. The optimal activity of the purified enzyme occurred at a pH of 6.0 and at a temperature of 50 °C. The stability between different pH and temperature ranges along with the effect of chemical metal ions and inhibitors were also studied. Our results reveal that the purified enzyme could be used in the dairy industry such as in accelerated cheese ripening.

  13. Purification, biochemical characterization, and implications of an alkali-tolerant catalase from the spacecraft-associated and oxidation-resistant Acinetobacter gyllenbergii 2P01AA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muster, N; Derecho, I; Dallal, F; Alvarez, R; McCoy, K B; Mogul, R

    2015-04-01

    Herein, we report on the purification, characterization, and sequencing of catalase from Acinetobacter gyllenbergii 2P01AA, an extremely oxidation-resistant bacterium that was isolated from the Mars Phoenix spacecraft assembly facility. The Acinetobacter are dominant members of the microbial communities that inhabit spacecraft assembly facilities and consequently may serve as forward contaminants that could impact the integrity of future life-detection missions. Catalase was purified by using a 3-step chromatographic procedure, where mass spectrometry provided respective subunit and intact masses of 57.8 and 234.6 kDa, which were consistent with a small-subunit tetrameric catalase. Kinetics revealed an extreme pH stability with no loss in activity between pH 5 and 11.5 and provided respective kcat/Km and kcat values of ∼10(7) s(-1) M(-1) and 10(6) s(-1), which are among the highest reported for bacterial catalases. The amino acid sequence was deduced by in-depth peptide mapping, and structural homology suggested that the catalases from differing strains of A. gyllenbergii differ only at residues near the subunit interfaces, which may impact catalytic stability. Together, the kinetic, alkali-tolerant, and halotolerant properties of the catalase from A. gyllenbergii 2P01AA are significant, as they are consistent with molecular adaptations toward the alkaline, low-humidity, and potentially oxidizing conditions of spacecraft assembly facilities. Therefore, these results support the hypothesis that the selective pressures of the assembly facilities impact the microbial communities at the molecular level, which may have broad implications for future life-detection missions.

  14. Identification and biochemical characterization of an Arabidopsis indole-3-acetic acid glucosyltransferase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jackson, R G; Lim, E K; Li, Y; Kowalczyk, M; Sandberg, G; Hoggett, J; Ashford, D A; Bowles, D J

    2001-02-09

    Biochemical characterization of recombinant gene products following a phylogenetic analysis of the UDP-glucosyltransferase (UGT) multigene family of Arabidopsis has identified one enzyme (UGT84B1) with high activity toward the plant hormone indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and three related enzymes (UGT84B2, UGT75B1, and UGT75B2) with trace activities. The identity of the IAA conjugate has been confirmed to be 1-O-indole acetyl glucose ester. A sequence annotated as a UDP-glucose:IAA glucosyltransferase (IAA-UGT) in the Arabidopsis genome and expressed sequence tag data bases given its similarity to the maize iaglu gene sequence showed no activity toward IAA. This study describes the first biochemical analysis of a recombinant IAA-UGT and provides the foundation for future genetic approaches to understand the role of 1-O-indole acetyl glucose ester in Arabidopsis.

  15. Automated multi-dimensional purification of tagged proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sigrell, Jill A; Eklund, Pär; Galin, Markus; Hedkvist, Lotta; Liljedahl, Pia; Johansson, Christine Markeland; Pless, Thomas; Torstenson, Karin

    2003-01-01

    The capacity for high throughput purification (HTP) is essential in fields such as structural genomics where large numbers of protein samples are routinely characterized in, for example, studies of structural determination, functionality and drug development. Proteins required for such analysis must be pure and homogenous and available in relatively large amounts. AKTA 3D system is a powerful automated protein purification system, which minimizes preparation, run-time and repetitive manual tasks. It has the capacity to purify up to 6 different His6- or GST-tagged proteins per day and can produce 1-50 mg protein per run at >90% purity. The success of automated protein purification increases with careful experimental planning. Protocol, columns and buffers need to be chosen with the final application area for the purified protein in mind.

  16. Modular microfluidics for point-of-care protein purifications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Millet, L J; Lucheon, J D; Standaert, R F; Retterer, S T; Doktycz, M J

    2015-04-21

    Biochemical separations are the heart of diagnostic assays and purification methods for biologics. On-chip miniaturization and modularization of separation procedures will enable the development of customized, portable devices for personalized health-care diagnostics and point-of-use production of treatments. In this report, we describe the design and fabrication of miniature ion exchange, size exclusion and affinity chromatography modules for on-chip clean-up of recombinantly-produced proteins. Our results demonstrate that these common separations techniques can be implemented in microfluidic modules with performance comparable to conventional approaches. We introduce embedded 3-D microfluidic interconnects for integrating micro-scale separation modules that can be arranged and reconfigured to suit a variety of fluidic operations or biochemical processes. We demonstrate the utility of the modular approach with a platform for the enrichment of enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) from Escherichia coli lysate through integrated affinity and size-exclusion chromatography modules.

  17. Purification and characterization of alkaline proteases from aspergillus terreus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hussain, A.; Mannan, A.; Zubair, H.; Mirza, B.

    2010-01-01

    Proteases belong to an important class of enzymes known as hydrolases and catalyze hydrolysis of proteins. They act primarily to degrade proteins that are used for energy production and as biosynthetic precursors. In the following study, protease produced from Aspergillus terreus was found to be thermo stable and included in the category of alkaline serine and metallo protease. During partial purification, presence of enzyme in 60% (NH/sub 4/)/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ indicated small molecular weight polypeptide; later purification with Sephadex G-75 fractionation yielded a single proteolytic active molecule. At final purification step, the increase in specific activity of the enzyme was 7.5 fold with 23% yield. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed that alkaline protease of Aspergillus terreus is a monomer with approximate molecular weight of 35 kDa. Optimum pH for protease activity was found in the range of 7.5-11.0 (maximum at pH 8.5), thus apparently classified as an alkaline protease. The enzyme was thermo stable towards high temperature (60 deg. C), however it denatured irreversibly at 70 deg. C showing 80% loss of activity. The maximum proteolytic activity was found at 40 deg. C. The enzyme was effectively inhibited by PMSF, EDTA and urea whereas iodoacetamide and thiourea did not result in any loss in activity while cysteine was found to be activator molecule. The study with metal ions Mg/sup +2/, Mn/sup +2/ and Fe/sup +3/ (1 mM each) showed minute stimulatory effects on enzyme activity. Co/sup +2/ and Ca/sup +2/ (1 mM) had neither excitatory nor inhibitory effect while Hg/sup +2/ and Cu/sup +2/ (1 mM) slightly reduced the enzyme activity. (author)

  18. Experimental Study on Purification of Low Grade Diatomite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Liguang; Pang, Bo

    2017-04-01

    This paper presented an innovation for purification of low grade diatomite(DE) by grinding, ultrasonic pretreatment, acid leaching of closed stirring and calcination. The optimum process parameters of DE purification were obtained, the characterizations of original and purified DE were determined by SEM and BET. The results showed that the specific surface area of DE increased from 12.65m2/g to 23.23m2/g, which increased by 45.54%. SEM analysis revealed that the pore structure of purified DE was dredged highly.

  19. Purification, gene cloning, and characterization of γ-butyrobetainyl CoA synthetase from Agrobacterium sp. 525a.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujimitsu, Hiroshi; Matsumoto, Akira; Takubo, Sayaka; Fukui, Akiko; Okada, Kazuma; Mohamed Ahmed, Isam A; Arima, Jiro; Mori, Nobuhiro

    2016-08-01

    The report is the first of purification, overproduction, and characterization of a unique γ-butyrobetainyl CoA synthetase from soil-isolated Agrobacterium sp. 525a. The primary structure of the enzyme shares 70-95% identity with those of ATP-dependent microbial acyl-CoA synthetases of the Rhizobiaceae family. As distinctive characteristics of the enzyme of this study, ADP was released in the catalytic reaction process, whereas many acyl CoA synthetases are annotated as an AMP-forming enzyme. The apparent Km values for γ-butyrobetaine, CoA, and ATP were, respectively, 0.69, 0.02, and 0.24 mM.

  20. Biochemical Characterization of an In-House Coccidioides Antigen: Perspectives for the Immunodiagnosis of Coccidioidomycosis

    OpenAIRE

    Renato Evando Moreira Filho; Silviane Praciano Bandeira; Raimunda Sâmia Nogueira Brillhante; Marcos Fábio Gadelha Rocha; Ilka Maria Vasconcelos; Mirella Leite Pereira; Débora de Souza Collares Maia Castelo-Branco; Francisco Airton Castro Rocha; Zoilo Pires de Camargo; Marcio Viana Ramos; Rossana de Aguiar Cordeiro; José Júlio Costa Sidrim

    2012-01-01

    The objective of this study was to evaluate the reactivity of an in-house antigen, extracted from a strain of C. posadasii isolated in northeastern Brazil, by radial immunodiffusion and Western blotting, as well as to establish its biochemical characterization. The protein antigen was initially extracted with the use of solid ammonium sulfate and characterized by 1-D electrophoresis. Subsequently, it was tested by means of double radial immunodiffusion and Western blottin...

  1. Partial Purification and Characterization of a Heat Stable α-Amylase from a Thermophilic Actinobacteria, Streptomyces sp. MSC702

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renu Singh

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available A partial purification and biochemical characterization of the α-amylase from Streptomyces sp. MSC702 were carried out in this study. The optimum operational conditions for enzyme substrate reaction for amylolytic enzyme activity from the strain were evaluated. The optimum pH, temperature, and incubation period for assaying the enzyme were observed to be 5.0, 55°C, and 30 min, respectively. The extracellular extract was concentrated using ammonium sulfate precipitation. It was stable in the presence of metal ions (5 mM such as K+, Co2+, and Mo2+, whereas Pb2+, Mn2+, Mg2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Ba2+, Ca2+, Hg2+, Sn2+, Cr3+, Al3+, Ag+, and Fe2+ were found to have inhibitory effects. The enzyme activity was also unstable in the presence of 1% Triton X-100, 1% Tween 80, 5 mM sodium lauryl sulphate, 1% glycerol, 5 mM EDTA, and 5 mM denaturant urea. At temperature 60°C and pH 5.0, the enzyme stability was maximum. α-amylase retained 100% and 34.18% stability for 1 h and 4 h, respectively, at 60°C (pH 7.0. The enzyme exhibited a half-life of 195 min at 60°C temperature. The analysis of kinetic showed that the enzyme has Km of 2.4 mg/mL and Vmax of 21853.0 μmol/min/mg for soluble potato starch. The results indicate that the enzyme reflects their potentiality towards industrial utilization.

  2. Partial Purification and Characterization of a Heat Stable α-Amylase from a Thermophilic Actinobacteria, Streptomyces sp. MSC702.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Renu; Kumar, Vijay; Kapoor, Vishal

    2014-01-01

    A partial purification and biochemical characterization of the α-amylase from Streptomyces sp. MSC702 were carried out in this study. The optimum operational conditions for enzyme substrate reaction for amylolytic enzyme activity from the strain were evaluated. The optimum pH, temperature, and incubation period for assaying the enzyme were observed to be 5.0, 55°C, and 30 min, respectively. The extracellular extract was concentrated using ammonium sulfate precipitation. It was stable in the presence of metal ions (5 mM) such as K(+), Co(2+), and Mo(2+), whereas Pb(2+), Mn(2+), Mg(2+), Cu(2+), Zn(2+), Ba(2+), Ca(2+), Hg(2+), Sn(2+), Cr(3+), Al(3+), Ag(+), and Fe(2+) were found to have inhibitory effects. The enzyme activity was also unstable in the presence of 1% Triton X-100, 1% Tween 80, 5 mM sodium lauryl sulphate, 1% glycerol, 5 mM EDTA, and 5 mM denaturant urea. At temperature 60°C and pH 5.0, the enzyme stability was maximum. α-amylase retained 100% and 34.18% stability for 1 h and 4 h, respectively, at 60°C (pH 7.0). The enzyme exhibited a half-life of 195 min at 60°C temperature. The analysis of kinetic showed that the enzyme has K m of 2.4 mg/mL and V max of 21853.0 μmol/min/mg for soluble potato starch. The results indicate that the enzyme reflects their potentiality towards industrial utilization.

  3. The panel of egg allergens, Gal d 1-Gal d 5: Their improved purification and characterization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jacobsen, B.; Hoffmann-Sommergruber, K.; Have, T. T.

    2008-01-01

    Egg proteins represent one of the most important sources evoking food allergic reactions. In order to improve allergy diagnosis, purified and well-characterized proteins are needed. Although the egg white allergens Gal d 1, 2, 3 and 4 (ovomucoid, ovalbumin, ovotransferrin, and lysozyme......) are commercially available, these preparations contain impurities, which affect exact in vitro diagnosis. The aim of the present study was to set up further purification protocols and to extend the characterization of the physicochemical and immunological properties of the final batches. The egg white allergens...... Gal d 1-4 were purified from commercial preparations, whereas Gal d 5 (a-livetin) was purified from egg yolk. The final batches of Gal d 1-5 consisted of a range of isoforms with defined tertiary structure. In addition, the IgE binding capacity of the purified egg allergens was tested using allergic...

  4. α-Tocopherol-5-Me-T. Synthesis, purification and characterization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Corol-Cucu, Delia-Irina; Chiper, Diana; Mihaila, V.; Negoita, N.

    2000-01-01

    The E vitamine is named 'vitamine of antisterility' because it is essential for good functioning of genital organs. It is involved in cellular oxidation processes, in muscle creatinine metabolism and metabolism of saccharides encouraging glycogen deposition in tissues. The name of E vitamine is given to eight different compounds which have a ring with methyl and hydroxyl groups. Four of them, named tocopherols, contain a lateral saturated chain which derives from fitol and the others, named tocotrienols, have three double bonds in the lateral chain.This paper refers to synthesis, purification and characterization of α-tocopherol labelled with tritium in 5-methyl position. Tritium is different by the other hydrogen isotopes because it is the only radioactive isotope of hydrogen. The α-tocopherol-5-Me-T. The dry HCl is bubbled in a mixture of γ-tocopherol, paraformaldehyde and ZnCl 2 powder in dry Et 2 O. This solution remains at a standstill for a few hours and after that water is slowly added under stirring at low temperature ( 2 SO 4 . The next step is filtration and evaporation of ether stratum under nitrogen environment. One obtains 5-Cl-Me-α-tocopherol. For synthesis of α-tocopherol-5-Me-T the replacement of chlorine with tritium is done through catalytic dechlorination with Pd/C or Pd/CaCO 3 (10% Pd) as catalysts. One half of 5-Me-Cl compound is solved in dioxane and then the catalyst and deuterium are added under stirring, for 2 hours at room temperature. After filtration and washing with MeOH, the solvent is eliminated under vacuum conditions. Thus one obtains α-tocopherol-5-Me-T. The purification has been carried out through thin layer chromatography with C 6 H 6 as solvent (Al 2 O 3 as support) or solvent system C 6 H 6 : CH 3 OH (98:2, v/v) (silicagel as support). The determination of activity is carried out with LSC (Liquid Scintillation Counter). A 98% purity was determined through TLC in the same conditions while determination of activity

  5. Isolation, molecular and biochemical characterization of oil degrading bacteria from contaminated soil at an oil refinery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    AL-Deeb, T.M.; Malkawi, H.I.

    2009-01-01

    Biodegradation using microorganisms is considered to be cost-effective and environmentally friendly treatment of oil-contaminated sites. Oil-biodegrading bacterial strains were isolated, identified and characterized from oil contaminated soil samples at oil refinery in Zarqa (Jordan). Thirty four bacterial isolates were grown on mineral salt media supplemented with crude oil, but 16 showed positive biodegradation of diesel. All the 34 bacterial isolates were characterized at the molecular and bio-chemical levels, and showed positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification product size of 1500 bp when 16s rDNA bacterial universal primers were used. Eighteen bacterial isolates showed positive PCR amplification product size of 150 bp specific for the genus Pseudomonas and 3 bacterial isolates showed positive amplification product size of 1500 bp specific for the genus Acinetobacter. Biochemical and physiological characterization performed on the 34 bacterial isolates revealed the presence of oil biodegrading bacterial genera and species of Pseudomonas Acidovorans, P. aeruginosa, P. vesicularis, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Ac. lowffii, Micro-ococcus luteus, M. varians, M. lylae, M. roseus, Alcaligenes denitrificians, Bacillus megaterium, Comamonas sp., Moralxella sp., Bordetella sp., P. putida, P. stutzeri and P. mallei. (au)

  6. Biochemical characterization of Tunisian grapevine varieties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ferjani Ben Abdallah

    1998-03-01

    The study of GPI, PGM, AAT and peroxydase isozyme banding patterns in combination with berry colour has led to establish a classification of the 61 autochton varieties into 37 groups including 26 varieties definitely differentiated through the results of this biochemical study.

  7. Use of microphytoalgae for purification of radioactive waste water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cecal, Al.; Palamaru, Ileana; Humelnicu, Doina; Popa, K.; Rudic, V.; Cepoi, Liliana; Gulea, A.

    1999-01-01

    This work deals with a study on the purification of some radioactive waters, simulating radioactive waste waters, by some microbial collectors. For a given ion the retaining degree varies as 134 Cs - > 60 Co 2- > 51 Cr 3- > 55-59 Fe 3- , but for same algae types, this parameter decreases as follows: Scenedesmus quadricauda > Cylindrospermum major > Nostoc microscopicum. Furthermore, using the radioactive 60 Co 2- ions, the biochemical mechanism of retaining for such cations by different separated components of living cells was established. More retention is observed in proteins, pigments and polysaccharides, but the glycides are not able to keep such cations. (authors)

  8. Purification and characterization of 60 kD lipase linked with ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    hope&shola

    2010-11-08

    Nov 8, 2010 ... centrifuge using 12150 rotor) at 30000 x g for 15 minutes at 4°C to remove cells. A clear cell-free supernatant was obtained containing crude lipase. Purification of ... under nitrogen (Amicon 8400 stirred ultrafiltration cell) using cutoff membrane of ... Effect of surfactants, detergents & protein modifying agents.

  9. Purification, Characterization and Application of Polygalacturonase from Aspergillus niger CSTRF

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arotupin Daniel Juwon

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Aims: The research was carried out to study the purification, characterization and application of polygalacturonase fromAspergillus niger CSTRF.Methodology and Results: The polygalacturonase (PG from the fungus was purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation and dialysed. The resulting fraction of the enzyme was further separated by molecular exclusion and ion exchange chromatography. The enzyme was purified 28.19 fold with a yield of approximately 69 % following purificationwith SP C-50. It has a relative molecular weight of 79,430 daltons and markedly influenced by temperature, pH and substrate concentrations of reactions with optimum activity at 35 °C, pH 4.0 and 8 mg/mL respectively. The PG was heat stable over a broad range of temperatures. Line weaver-Burk plot for the apparent hydrolysis of pectin showed approximately Km value of 2.7 mg/mL. The activity of the enzyme was enhanced by Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and Zn2+, while EDTA, PbCl2, HgCl2 and IAA were inhibitory. The ability of the purified enzyme to clarify fruit juice was also investigated.Conclusion, significance and impact of the study: This study revealed that polygalacturonase possesses properties for clarification of fruit juice and by extension bioprocessing applications.

  10. Preparation, purification, and characterization of aminopropyl-functionalized silica sol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pálmai, Marcell; Nagy, Lívia Naszályi; Mihály, Judith; Varga, Zoltán; Tárkányi, Gábor; Mizsei, Réka; Szigyártó, Imola Csilla; Kiss, Teréz; Kremmer, Tibor; Bóta, Attila

    2013-01-15

    A new, simple, and "green" method was developed for the surface modification of 20 nm diameter Stöber silica particles with 3-aminopropyl(diethoxy)methylsilane in ethanol. The bulk polycondensation of the reagent was inhibited and the stability of the sol preserved by adding a small amount of glacial acetic acid after appropriate reaction time. Centrifugation, ultrafiltration, and dialysis were compared in order to choose a convenient purification technique that allows the separation of unreacted silylating agent from the nanoparticles without destabilizing the sol. The exchange of the solvent to acidic water during the purification yielded a stable colloid, as well. Structural and morphological analysis of the obtained aminopropyl silica was performed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and zeta potential measurements, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), (13)C and (29)Si MAS nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopies, as well as small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Our investigations revealed that the silica nanoparticle surfaces were partially covered with aminopropyl groups, and multilayer adsorption followed by polycondensation of the silylating reagent was successfully avoided. The resulting stable aminopropyl silica sol (ethanolic or aqueous) is suitable for biomedical uses due to its purity. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Biochemical and histological characterization of Agave fourcroydes Lem. plants in vitro acclimatized

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yunel Pérez Hernández

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Henequen (Agave fourcroydes Lem. is a representative crop of the province of Matanzas, Cuba, which has been exploited extensively for the quality of its fibers. The present work aimed to characterize from the biochemical and histological point of view henequen plants cv. 'Sac Ki' in vitro acclimatized. The biochemical indicators analyzed were concentration of soluble phenols, total soluble carbohydrates, reducing sugars, soluble proteins and total chlorophylls, as well as the relative contents of flavonoids, terpins and anthocyanins. In addition, a histological analysis of the epidermis was performed and the results were compared with plants of one month in rooting culture medium. In vitro acclimatized plants were subsequently transferred to the ex vitro conditions. The contents of total soluble carbohydrates, reducing sugars and chlorophylls decreased, whereas the levels of soluble phenols, proteins and secondary metabolites were higher in relation to in vitro plants rooted for 30 days. The epidermis of the in vitro acclimatized plants showed a greater development of the stomatal apparatus that could positively affect the ex vitro acclimatization, where a survival rate of 87% and a reduction of the acclimatization time were obtained.   Keywords: chlorophyll, henequen, phenol, reducing sugar

  12. Molecular cloning and biochemical characterization of an α-amylase family from Aspergillus niger

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Junying Wang

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Background: α-Amylase is widely used in the starch processing, food and paper industries, hydrolyzing starch, glycogen and other polysaccharides into glucose, maltose and oligosaccharides. An α-amylase gene family from Aspergillus niger CBS513.88 encode eight putative α-amylases. The differences and similarities, biochemical properties and functional diversity among these eight α-amylases remain unknown. Results: The eight genes were cloned and expressed in Pichia pastoris GS115 by shaking-flask fermentation under the induction of methanol. The sequence alignment, biochemical characterizations and product analysis of starch hydrolysis by these α-amylases were investigated. It is found that the eight α-amylases belonged to three different groups with the typical structure of fungal α-amylase. They exhibited maximal activities at 30–40°C except AmyG and were all stable at acidic pH. Ca2+ and EDTA had no effects on the activities of α-amylases except AmyF and AmyH, indicating that the six amylases were Ca2+ independent. Two novel α-amylases of AmyE and AmyF were found. AmyE hydrolyzed starch into maltose, maltotriose and a small amount of glucose, while AmyF hydrolyzed starch into mainly glucose. The excellent physical and chemical properties including high acidic stability, Ca2+-independent and high maltotriose-forming capacity make AmyE suitable in food and sugar syrup industries. Conclusions: This study illustrates that a gene family can encode multiple enzymes members having remarkable differences in biochemical properties. It provides not only new insights into evolution and functional divergence among different members of an α-amylase family, but the development of new enzymes for industrial application. Keywords: Biochemical properties, Food industry, Fungal α-amylase, Glycosyl hydrolase family, Glycosyl hydrolase family, Industrial application, Paper industry, Recombinant Pichia pastoris, Starch processing, α-amylase cloning

  13. Purification and characterization of nattokinase from Bacillus subtilis natto B-12.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Cong; Du, Ming; Zheng, Dongmei; Kong, Fandong; Zu, Guoren; Feng, Yibing

    2009-10-28

    Bacillus subtilis natto B-12 was isolated from natto, a traditional fermented soybean food in Japan. A fibrinolytic enzyme (B-12 nattokinase) was purified from the supernatant of B. subtilis natto B-12 culture broth and showed strong fibrinolytic activity. The enzyme was homogenously purified to 56.1-fold, with a recovery of 43.2% of the initial activity. B-12 nattokinase was demonstrated to be homogeneous by SDS-PAGE and was identified as a monomer of 29000 +/- 300 Da in its native state by SDS-PAGE and size exclusion methods. The optimal pH value and temperature were 8.0 and 40 degrees C, respectively. Purified nattokinase showed high thermostability at temperatures from 30 to 50 degrees C and alkaline stability within the range of pH 6.0-9.0. The enzyme activity was activated by Zn(2+) and obviously inhibited by Fe(3+) and Al(3+). This study provides some important information for the effect factors of fibrinolytic activity, the purification methods, and characterization of nattokinase from B. subtilis natto B-12, which enriches the theoretical information of nattokinase for the research and development of nattokinase as a functional additive of food.

  14. Isolation, purification and characterization of Bacillus subtilis Phytase from Holiwood Gresik

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leny Yuanita

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the research were isolation, purification and characterization of Bacillus subtilis phytase from Holiwood Gresik. The research was done in two stages; the first include enzyme isolation, precipitation with amonium sulphate, dialysis, gel filtration chromatography, SDS-PAGE analysis, while second determining optimum pH, optimum temperature, the effect of pH and temperature to enzim stability, the values of KM and Vmax Bacillus subtilis phytase from Holiwood Gresik. The first stage research design were One Shot Case Study and Post Test Only Control Group Design, while the second stage were Post Test Only Control Group Design and Factorial Design. The data being analyzed by one-way and two-way Anova. The results of research showed that Bacillus subtilis phytase has the molecular mass of 36.5 kDa, optimum pH at 6.5–7.0, optimum temperature at 41°C and it was found to be stable for 30 minute incubation at pH 7or 30° C with 2% or 3% lost of its activity respectively. KM value was 0.62 mM and VMax 0.393 mmol/ml/minute.

  15. Biosynthesis, purification and characterization of commercial enzyme by penicillium expansum link

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmed, K.; Valeem, E.E.

    2015-01-01

    Ever growing biotechnological industry has motivated the research towards the comprehensive survey of microorganisms, which could be used in extreme conditions of industry. In the present work optimization parameters in submerged fermentation, purification and characterization of invertase from Penicillium expansum Link using agricultural wastes (sunflower waste, cotton stalk and rice husk) as well as agro-industrial wastes (date syrup and molasses) as sources of carbon. Maximum production of invertase (7.03 U/mL) was observed when the strain was grown on culture medium (CM1) containing yeast extract as a source of nitrogen, date syrup as a source of carbon after 48 h of incubation at initial pH 5.0, temperature 35 degree C, inoculum size of 6x106 conidia in 50 mL of culture medium and agitation rate of 150 rev/min. After optimization the enzyme was also purified partially and then characterized. Kinetic constants (Km 2.57 mM and Vmax 178.6 U/mL/min) were determined by Lineweaver-Burk Plot and molecular mass (110 kDa) by 10% SDS-PAGE. Invertase showed maximum activity at pH 5.5 (128.7 U/mL) and at the temperature of 60 degree C (114.6 U/mL). BaCl/sub 2/ (21.9%), MgSO/sub 4/ (42.6%), MnCl/sub 2/ (46.8%) and EDTA (8.3%) enhanced the relative activity of enzyme while HgCl2 (-90.9%), CuSO/sub 4/ (-82.3%) and CuCl/sub 2/ (-78.7%) were proved inhibitors. (author)

  16. One-step purification and characterization of cellulase-free xylanase produced by alkalophilic Bacillus subtilis ash

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ashwani Sanghi

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available The present study describes the one-step purification and characterization of an extracellular cellulase-free xylanase from a newly isolated alkalophilic and moderately thermophilic strain of Bacillus subtilis ASH. Xylanase was purified to homogeneity by 10.5-fold with ~43% recovery using ion-exchange chromatography through CM-Sephadex C-50. The purified enzyme revealed a single band on SDS-PAGE gel with a molecular mass of 23 kDa. It showed an optimum pH at 7.0 and was stable over the pH range 6.0-9.0. The optimum temperature for enzyme activity was 55 ºC. The purified xylanase did not lose any activity up to 45 ºC, however, it retained 80% and 51% of its activity after pre-incubation at 55 ºC and 60 ºC, respectively. The enzyme obeyed Michaelis-Menton kinetics towards birch wood xylan with apparent Km 3.33 mg/ml and Vmax 100 IU/ml. The enzyme was strongly inhibited by Hg2+ and Cu2+ while enhanced by Co2+ and Mn2+. The purified enzyme could be stored at 4 ºC for six weeks without any loss of catalytic activity. The faster and economical purification of the cellulase-free xylanase from B. subtilis ASH by one-step procedure together with its appreciable stability at high temperature and alkaline pH makes it potentially effective for industrial applications.

  17. GABAB Receptor Constituents Revealed by Tandem Affinity Purification from Transgenic Mice

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bartoi, Tudor; Rigbolt, Kristoffer T G; Du, Dan

    2010-01-01

    lines that allow a straightforward biochemical isolation of GABA(B) receptors. The transgenic mice express GABA(B1) isoforms that contain sequences for a two-step affinity purification, in addition to their endogenous subunit repertoire. Comparative analyses of purified samples from the transgenic mice...... and wild-type control animals revealed two novel components of the GABA(B1) complex. One of the identified proteins, potassium channel tetramerization domain-containing protein 12, associates with heterodimeric GABA(B) receptors via the GABA(B2) subunit. In transfected hippocampal neurons, potassium...

  18. Biochemical and biological characterization of Bothriechis schlegelii snake venoms from Colombia and Costa Rica

    OpenAIRE

    Prezotto-Neto, Jos�� P; Kimura, Louise F; Alves, Andr�� F; Guti��rrez, Jos�� Mar��a; Otero, Rafael; Su��rez, Ana M; Santoro, Marcelo L; Barbaro, Katia C

    2016-01-01

    Snakebites inflicted by the arboreal viperid snake Bothriechis schlegelii in humans are characterized by pain, edema, and ecchymosis at the site of the bite, rarely with blisters, local necrosis, or defibrination. Herein, a comparative study of Bothriechis schlegelii snake venoms from Colombia (BsCo) and Costa Rica (BsCR) was carried out in order to compare their main activities and to verify the efficacy of Bothrops antivenom produced in Brazil to neutralize them. Biochemical (SDS-PAGE and z...

  19. Purification and partial characterization of canine S100A12.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heilmann, Romy M; Suchodolski, Jan S; Steiner, Jörg M

    2010-12-01

    Canine S100A12 (cS100A12) is a calcium-binding protein of the S100 superfamily of EF-hand proteins, and its expression is restricted to neutrophils and monocytes. Interaction of S100A12 with the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) has been suggested to play a central role in inflammation. Moreover, S100A12 has been shown to represent a sensitive and specific marker for gastrointestinal inflammation in humans. Only human, porcine, bovine, and rabbit S100A12 have been purified to date, and an immunoassay for the quantification of S100A12 is available only for humans. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a protocol for the purification of S100A12 and to partially characterize this protein in the dog (Canis lupus familiaris) as a prelude to the development of an immunologic method for its detection and quantification in canine serum and fecal specimens. Leukocytes were isolated from canine whole blood by dextran sedimentation, and canine S100A12 was extracted from the cytosol fraction of these cells. Further purification of cS100A12 comprised of ammonium sulfate precipitation, hydrophobic interaction chromatography, and strong cation- and anion-exchange column chromatography. Canine S100A12 was successfully purified from canine whole blood. The relative molecular mass of the protein was estimated at 10,379.5 and isoelectric focusing revealed an isoelectric point of 6.0. The approximate specific absorbance of cS100A12 at 280 nm was determined to be 1.78 for a 1 mg/ml solution. The N-terminal AA sequence of the first 15 residues of cS100A12 was Thr-Lys-Leu-Glu-Asp-His-X-Glu-Gly-Ile-Val-Asp-Val-Phe-His, and revealed 100% identity with the predicted protein sequence available through the canine genome project. Sequence homology for the 14 N-terminal residues identified for cS100A12 with those of feline, bovine, porcine, and human S100A12 was 78.6%. We conclude that canine S100A12 can be successfully purified from canine whole blood using the

  20. Simple purification method for a recombinantly expressed native His-tag-free aminopeptidase A from Lactobacillus delbrueckii.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stressler, Timo; Tanzer, Coralie; Ewert, Jacob; Claaßen, Wolfgang; Fischer, Lutz

    2017-03-01

    The aminopeptidase A (PepA; EC 3.4.11.7) is an intracellular exopeptidase present in lactic acid bacteria. The PepA cleaves glutamyl/aspartyl residues from the N-terminal end of peptides and can, therefore, be applied for the production of protein hydrolysates with an increased amount of these amino acids, which results in a savory taste (umami). The first PepA from a lactobacilli strain was recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli in a recently published study and harbored a C-terminal His 6 -tag for easier purification. Due to the fact that a His-tag might influence the properties of an enzyme, a simple purification method for the non-His-tagged PepA was required. Surprisingly, the PepA precipitated at a very low ammonium sulfate concentration of 5%. Unusual for a precipitating step, the purity of PepA was over 95% and the obtained activity yield was 110%. The high purity allows biochemical characterization and kinetic investigation. As a result, the optimum pH (6.0-6.5) and temperature (60-65 °C) were comparable to the His 6 -tag harboring PepA; the K M value was at 0.79 mM slightly lower compared to 1.21 mM, respectively. Since PepA is a homo dodecamer, it has a high molecular mass of approximately 480 kDa. Therefore, a subsequent preparative size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) step seemed promising. The PepA after SEC was purified to homogeneity. In summary, the simple two-step purification method presented can be applied to purify high amounts of PepA that will allow the performance of experiments in the future to crystalize PepA for the first time. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Isolation, Purification, and Characterization of Fungal Laccase from Pleurotus sp.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sunil S. More

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Laccases are blue copper oxidases (E.C. 1.10.3.2 benzenediol: oxygen oxidoreductase that catalyze the one-electron oxidation of phenolics, aromatic amines, and other electron-rich substrates with the concomitant reduction of O2 to H2O. They are currently seen as highly interesting industrial enzymes because of their broad substrate specificity. A positive strain was isolated and characterized as nonspore forming Basidiomycetes Pleurotus sp. Laccase activity was determined using ABTS as substrate. Laccase was purified by ionexchange and gel filtration chromatography. The purified laccase was a monomer showed a molecular mass of 40±1 kDa as estimated by SDS-PAGE and a 72-fold purification with a 22% yield. The optimal pH and temperature were 4.5 and 65°C, respectively. The Km and Vmax⁡ values are 250 (mM and 0.33 (μmol/min, respectively, for ABTS as substrate. Metal ions like CuSO4, BaCl2, MgCl2, FeCl2, ZnCl2 have no effect on purified laccase whereas HgCl2 and MnCl2 moderately decrease enzyme activity. SDS and sodium azide inhibited enzyme activity, whereas Urea, PCMB, DTT, and mercaptoethanol have no effect on enzyme activity. The isolated laccase can be used in development of biosensor for detecting the phenolic compounds from the effluents of paper industries.

  2. Expression, purification, and characterization of almond (Prunus dulcis) allergen Pru du 4.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yuzhu; Du, Wen-Xian; Fregevu, Cécile; Kothary, Mahendra H; Harden, Leslie; McHugh, Tara H

    2014-12-31

    Biochemical characterizations of food allergens are required for understanding the allergenicity of food allergens. Such studies require a relatively large amount of highly purified allergens. The level of Pru du 4 in almond is low, and its expression in a soluble form in Escherichia coli required an expression tag. An MBP tag was used to enhance its expression and solubility. Sumo was used for the first time as a peptidase recognition site. The expression tag was removed with a sumo protease, and the resulting wild-type Pru du 4 was purified chromatographically. The stability of the allergen was investigated with chemical denaturation. The Gibbs free energy of Pru du 4 folding-unfolding transition was determined to be 5.4 ± 0.7 kcal/mol.

  3. Magnetic purification of curcumin from Curcuma longa rhizome by novel naked maghemite nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magro, Massimiliano; Campos, Rene; Baratella, Davide; Ferreira, Maria Izabela; Bonaiuto, Emanuela; Corraducci, Vittorino; Uliana, Maíra Rodrigues; Lima, Giuseppina Pace Pereira; Santagata, Silvia; Sambo, Paolo; Vianello, Fabio

    2015-01-28

    Naked maghemite nanoparticles, namely, surface active maghemite nanoparticles (SAMNs), characterized by a diameter of about 10 nm, possessing peculiar colloidal stability, surface chemistry, and superparamagnetism, present fundamental requisites for the development of effective magnetic purification processes for biomolecules in complex matrices. Polyphenolic molecules presenting functionalities with different proclivities toward iron chelation were studied as probes for testing SAMN suitability for magnetic purification. Thus, the binding efficiency and reversibility on SAMNs of phenolic compounds of interest in the pharmaceutical and food industries, namely, catechin, tyrosine, hydroxytyrosine, ferulic acid, coumaric acid, rosmarinic acid, naringenin, curcumin, and cyanidin-3-glucoside, were evaluated. Curcumin emerged as an elective compound, suitable for magnetic purification by SAMNs from complex matrices. A combination of curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and bis-demethoxycurcumin was recovered by a single magnetic purification step from extracts of Curcuma longa rhizomes, with a purity >98% and a purification yield of 45%, curcumin being >80% of the total purified curcuminoids.

  4. Purification and characterization of two bacteriocins produced by lactic acid bacteria isolated from Mongolian airag.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Batdorj, B; Dalgalarrondo, M; Choiset, Y; Pedroche, J; Métro, F; Prévost, H; Chobert, J-M; Haertlé, T

    2006-10-01

    The aim of this study was to isolate and identify bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) issued from Mongolian airag (traditional fermented mare's milk), and to purify and characterize bacteriocins produced by these LAB. Identification of the bacteria (Enterococcus durans) was carried out on the basis of its morphological, biochemical characteristics and carbohydrate fermentation profile and by API50CH kit and 16S rDNA analyses. The pH-neutral cell-free supernatant of this bacterium inhibited the growth of several Lactobacillus spp. and food-borne pathogens including Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria innocua. The antimicrobial agent (enterocin A5-11) was heat stable and was not sensitive to acid and alkaline conditions (pH 2-10), but was sensitive to several proteolytic enzymes. Its inhibitory activity was completely eliminated after treatment with proteinase K and alpha-chymotrypsin. The activity was however not completely inactivated by other proteases including trypsin and pepsin. Three-step purification procedure with high recovery yields was developed to separate two bacteriocins. The applied procedure allowed the recovery of 16% and 64% of enterocins A5-11A and A5-11B, respectively, present in the culture supernatant with purity higher than 99%. SDS-PAGE analyses revealed that enterocin A5-11 has a molecular mass of 5000 Da and mass spectrometry analyses demonstrates molecular masses of 5206 and 5218 Da for fractions A and B, respectively. Amino acid analyses of both enterocins indicated significant quantitative difference in their contents in threonine, alanine, isoleucine and leucine. Their N-termini were blocked hampering straightforward Edman degradation. Bacteriocins A5-11A and B from Ent. durans belong to the class II of bacteriocins. Judging from molecular masses, amino acid composition and spectrum of activities, bacteriocins A5-11A and B from Ent. durans show high degree of similarity with enterocins L50A and L50B

  5. High-resolution NMR characterization of low abundance oligomers of amyloid-β without purification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kotler, Samuel A; Brender, Jeffrey R; Vivekanandan, Subramanian; Suzuki, Yuta; Yamamoto, Kazutoshi; Monette, Martine; Krishnamoorthy, Janarthanan; Walsh, Patrick; Cauble, Meagan; Holl, Mark M Banaszak; Marsh, E Neil G; Ramamoorthy, Ayyalusamy

    2015-07-03

    Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the misfolding and self-assembly of the amyloidogenic protein amyloid-β (Aβ). The aggregation of Aβ leads to diverse oligomeric states, each of which may be potential targets for intervention. Obtaining insight into Aβ oligomers at the atomic level has been a major challenge to most techniques. Here, we use magic angle spinning recoupling (1)H-(1)H NMR experiments to overcome many of these limitations. Using (1)H-(1)H dipolar couplings as a NMR spectral filter to remove both high and low molecular weight species, we provide atomic-level characterization of a non-fibrillar aggregation product of the Aβ1-40 peptide using non-frozen samples without isotopic labeling. Importantly, this spectral filter allows the detection of the specific oligomer signal without a separate purification procedure. In comparison to other solid-state NMR techniques, the experiment is extraordinarily selective and sensitive. A resolved 2D spectra could be acquired of a small population of oligomers (6 micrograms, 7% of the total) amongst a much larger population of monomers and fibers (93% of the total). By coupling real-time (1)H-(1)H NMR experiments with other biophysical measurements, we show that a stable, primarily disordered Aβ1-40 oligomer 5-15 nm in diameter can form and coexist in parallel with the well-known cross-β-sheet fibrils.

  6. Purification and characterization of nitrilase from Fusarium solani IMI196840

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Vejvoda, Vojtěch; Kubáč, David; Davidová, A.; Kaplan, Ondřej; Šulc, Miroslav; Šveda, Ondřej; Chaloupková, R.; Martínková, Ludmila

    2010-01-01

    Roč. 45, č. 7 (2010), s. 1115-1120 ISSN 1359-5113 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA500200708; GA MŠk(CZ) LC06010; GA MŠk OC09046; GA ČR GD305/09/H008; GA MPO FT-TA5/043 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50200510 Keywords : fusarium solani * nitrilase * purification Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 2.648, year: 2010

  7. Column chromatography as a useful step in purification of diatom pigments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tokarek, Wiktor; Listwan, Stanisław; Pagacz, Joanna; Leśniak, Piotr; Latowski, Dariusz

    2016-01-01

    Fucoxanthin, diadinoxanthin and diatoxanthin are carotenoids found in brown algae and most other heterokonts. These pigments are involved in photosynthetic and photoprotective reactions, and they have many potential health benefits. They can be extracted from diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum by sonication, extraction with chloroform : methanol and preparative thin layer chromatography. We assessed the utility of an additional column chromatography step in purification of these pigments. This novel addition to the isolation protocol increased the purity of fucoxanthin and allowed for concentration of diadinoxanthin and diatoxanthin before HPLC separation. The enhanced protocol is useful for obtaining high purity pigments for biochemical studies.

  8. Characterization of Biochemical Composition for Different Types of Spent Mushroom Substrate in Malaysia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nur Aziera Abd Rasib; Zarina Zakaria; Mohammad Fahrurrazi Tompang; Ridzwan Abdul Rahman; Hakimah Othman

    2015-01-01

    A preliminary study was conducted to identify the amount and changes of biochemical composition of different types of Malaysian spent mushroom substrate (SMS) before and after several cycle of mushroom cultivation. The characterization of SMS involved the analysis of crude protein, carbohydrate, fat, lignin and ash for selected mushrooms namely as white oyster (Pleuratos oestrous), grey oyster (Pleuratos sajor-caju), abalone (Pleuratos cystidiosus), ganoderma (Ganoderma lucidium) and black jelly (Auricularia polytricha). Overall trend showed that there were increment for crude protein and fat, whereas carbohydrate and lignin showed reduction in the content. Significant results were showed on protein increment where ganoderma attained the highest value, 36.6 g, followed by black jelly, white oyster, grey oyster and abalone. Contradictory, lowest carbohydrate reduction was observed in ganoderma at 70.42 g and the most was in black jelly. Increment in fat and reduction in lignin was almost similar for each SMS. There was an increment in the ash percentage resulted from sterilization process. Clearly cultivation by mushroom had changed biochemical value especially in increasing the protein content that might be useful in protein required industry such as animal feeding. (author)

  9. Using of Mineral Recourses for Water Purification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tumanova, I.V.; Nazarenko, O.B.; Anna, Yu.

    2009-01-01

    Pollution of surface waters results in necessity of underground waters using for drinking. Underground waters are characterized by the high quantity of heavy metals salts. This led to development of methods reducing the concentration of the metal salts in water. Wide spread occurrence, cheapness and high sorption properties of nature minerals allow to consider them as perspective sorbents for different impurities extraction, including dissoluble compounds of heavy metals. Reachable purification efficiency with mineral resources use for the moment satisfies sanitary indexes and standards presenting to portable water in Russia. In given material there are presented the results of research of artificial sorbent and certain minerals sorption characteristics, which are typical for West Siberia. For purification quality improvement from Fe and Mn ions there are suggested to use the method of boiling bed.

  10. Purification and characterization of bacteriocin like substance produced from bacillus lentus with perspective of a new biopreservative for food preservation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sharma, N.; Gautam, N.

    2009-01-01

    Molecular weight of bacteriocin like substance (BLIS) of a new strain of Bacillus lentus 121 was found to be approximately 11 kDa. Purification of BLIS was attained by single step gel exclusion chromatography. BLIS was characterized by studying the inhibitory spectrum. It was active at broad pH range, high temperature and high NaCl concentration and showed sensitivity to proteolytic enzymes like trypsin, alpha-chymotrypsin and papain, the characters desirable for food preservation. BLIS extended the shelf stability of milk upto 21 days as a biopreservative. (author)

  11. Biochemical characterization of a recombinant Japanese encephalitis virus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kim Chan-Mi

    2007-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV NS5 is a viral nonstructural protein that carries both methyltransferase and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp domains. It is a key component of the viral RNA replicase complex that presumably includes other viral nonstructural and cellular proteins. The biochemical properties of JEV NS5 have not been characterized due to the lack of a robust in vitro RdRp assay system, and the molecular mechanisms for the initiation of RNA synthesis by JEV NS5 remain to be elucidated. Results To characterize the biochemical properties of JEV RdRp, we expressed in Escherichia coli and purified an enzymatically active full-length recombinant JEV NS5 protein with a hexahistidine tag at the N-terminus. The purified NS5 protein, but not the mutant NS5 protein with an Ala substitution at the first Asp of the RdRp-conserved GDD motif, exhibited template- and primer-dependent RNA synthesis activity using a poly(A RNA template. The NS5 protein was able to use both plus- and minus-strand 3'-untranslated regions of the JEV genome as templates in the absence of a primer, with the latter RNA being a better template. Analysis of the RNA synthesis initiation site using the 3'-end 83 nucleotides of the JEV genome as a minimal RNA template revealed that the NS5 protein specifically initiates RNA synthesis from an internal site, U81, at the two nucleotides upstream of the 3'-end of the template. Conclusion As a first step toward the understanding of the molecular mechanisms for JEV RNA replication and ultimately for the in vitro reconstitution of viral RNA replicase complex, we for the first time established an in vitro JEV RdRp assay system with a functional full-length recombinant JEV NS5 protein and characterized the mechanisms of RNA synthesis from nonviral and viral RNA templates. The full-length recombinant JEV NS5 will be useful for the elucidation of the structure-function relationship of this enzyme and for the

  12. Purification and characterization of bacteriocin produced by oral Lactobacillus paracasei SD1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wannun, P; Piwat, S; Teanpaisan, R

    2014-06-01

    The present study aimed to purify and characterize the antimicrobial protein from Lactobacillus paracasei SD1, which is a strain from the human oral cavity. Antimicrobial activity was obtained from purifying the culture supernatant of L. paracasei SD1. Purification of the active compound was achieved with ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by chloroform and gel filtration chromatography. As revealed by SDS-PAGE, the active fraction was homogeneous, showing a protein with an approximate molecular weight of 25,000 Da. It was confirmed as having a molecular mass of 24,028.2 Da by mass spectrometry. The antimicrobial compound, named "paracasin SD1", exhibited a broad spectrum against oral pathogens. Paracasin SD1 was stable in a pH range between 3.0 and 8.0 at 100 °C for 5 min, and showed resistance to α-amylase, catalase, lysozyme and whole saliva. However, its activity was lost after proteinase K and trypsin treatment. The results obtained suggest the possibility of using paracasin SD1 for application in prevention/treatment of oral diseases. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Biochemical and Kinetic Characterization of Geranylgeraniol 18 ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This enzyme and its gene are an attractive target for development of plaunotol production and its detailed biochemical properties need to be understood. Recently, even though the gene (CYP97C27) coding for GGOH 18-hydroxylase has been identified, cloned, and expressed in Escherichia coli system, the enzyme activity ...

  14. Large-Scale Purification, Characterization, and Spore Outgrowth Inhibitory Effect of Thurincin H, a Bacteriocin Produced by Bacillus thuringiensis SF361.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Gaoyan; Manns, David C; Guron, Giselle K; Churey, John J; Worobo, Randy W

    2014-06-01

    Large-scale purification of the highly hydrophobic bacteriocin thurincin H was accomplished via a novel and simple two-step method: ammonia sulfate precipitation and C18 solid-phase extraction. The inhibition spectrum and stability of thurincin H as well as its antagonistic activity against Bacillus cereus F4552 spores were further characterized. In the purification method, secreted proteins contained in the supernatant of a 40 h incubated culture of B. thuringiensis SF361 were precipitated by 68 % ammonia sulfate and purified by reverse-phase chromatography, with a yield of 18.53 mg/l of pure thurincin H. Silver-stained SDS-PAGE, high-performance liquid chromatography, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry confirmed the high purity of the prepared sample. Thurincin H exhibited a broad antimicrobial activity against 22 tested bacterial strains among six different genera including Bacillus, Carnobacterium, Geobacillus, Enterococcus, Listeria, and Staphylococcus. There was no detectable activity against any of the selected yeast or fungi. The bacteriocin activity was stable for 30 min at 50 °C and decreased to undetectable levels within 10 min at temperatures above 80 °C. Thurincin H is also stable from pH 2-7 for at least 24 h at room temperature. Thurincin H is germicidal against B. cereus spores in brain heart infusion broth, but not in Tris-NaCl buffer. The efficient purification method enables the large-scale production of pure thurincin H. The broad inhibitory spectrum of this bacteriocin may be of interest as a potential natural biopreservative in the food industry, particularly in post-processed and ready-to-eat food.

  15. Biochemical and serological characterization of Escherichia coli ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study was designed to determine the isolation rate, serotypes and biochemical profiles of E. coli from colibacillosis and dead-in-shell embryos in Zaria, Northern-Nigeria. The isolation rate of E. coli from hatcheries studied were 4.67% and 7.50% from farms of Simtu Agricultural Company and National Animal Production ...

  16. Identification and characterization of milk-clotting proteases ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    SAM

    2014-03-12

    Mar 12, 2014 ... Biochem. Soc. Trans. 10:285. Hashem AM (2000). Purification and properities of a milk-clotting enzyme produced by Penicillium oxalicum. J. Bioresour. Technol. 75:219-222. Laemmli UK (1970). Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature. 227: 680-685.

  17. Waste water purification using new porous ceramics prepared by recycling waste glass and bamboo charcoal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nishida, Tetsuaki; Morimoto, Akane; Yamamoto, Yoshito; Kubuki, Shiro

    2017-12-01

    New porous ceramics (PC) prepared by recycling waste glass bottle of soft drinks (80 mass%) and bamboo charcoal (20 mass%) without any binder was applied to the waste water purification under aeration at 25 °C. Artificial waste water (15 L) containing 10 mL of milk was examined by combining 15 mL of activated sludge and 750 g of PC. Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) showed a marked decrease from 178 to 4.0 (±0.1) mg L-1 in 5 days and to 2.0 (±0.1) mg L-1 in 7 days, which was equal to the Environmental Standard for the river water (class A) in Japan. Similarly, chemical oxygen demand (COD) decreased from 158 to 3.6 (±0.1) mg L-1 in 5 days and to 2.2 (±0.1) mg L-1 in 9 days, which was less than the Environmental Standard for the Seawater (class B) in Japan: 3.0 mg L-1. These results prove the high water purification ability of the PC, which will be effectively utilized for the purification of drinking water, fish preserve water, fish farm water, etc.

  18. Regulation of expression and biochemical characterization of a beta-class carbonic anhydrase from the plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium, Azospirillum brasilense Sp7.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaur, Simarjot; Mishra, Mukti Nath; Tripathi, Anil K

    2009-10-01

    Carbonic anhydrase (CA; [EC 4.2.1.1]) is a ubiquitous enzyme catalysing the reversible hydration of CO(2) to bicarbonate, a reaction that supports various biochemical and physiological functions. Genome analysis of Azospirillum brasilense, a nonphotosynthetic, nitrogen-fixing, rhizobacterium, revealed an ORF with homology to beta-class carbonic anhydrases (CAs). Biochemical characteristics of the beta-class CA of A. brasilense, analysed after cloning the gene (designated as bca), overexpressing in Escherichia coli and purifying the protein by affinity purification, revealed that the native recombinant enzyme is a homotetramer, inhibited by the known CA inhibitors. CA activity in A. brasilense cell extracts, reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR and Western blot analyses showed that bca was constitutively expressed under aerobic conditions. Lower beta-galactosidase activity in A. brasilense cells harbouring bca promoter: lacZ fusion during the stationary phase or during growth on 3% CO(2) enriched air or at acidic pH indicated that the transcription of bca was downregulated by the stationary phase, elevated CO(2) levels and acidic pH conditions. These observations were also supported by RT-PCR analysis. Thus, beta-CA in A. brasilense seems to be required for scavenging CO(2) from the ambient air and the requirement of CO(2) hydration seems to be higher for the cultures growing exponentially at neutral to alkaline pH.

  19. Isolation and characterization of biologically active venom protein from sea snake Enhydrina schistosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Damotharan, Palani; Veeruraj, Anguchamy; Arumugam, Muthuvel; Balasubramanian, Thangavel

    2015-03-01

    The present study is designed to investigate the isolation and characterization of biological and biochemical active venom protein from sea snake, Enhydrina schistosa. The highest purification peaks in ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose column were obtained for fraction numbers 39-49 when eluted with 0.35-0.45 M NaCl. Eighty per cent purity was obtained in the final stage of purification, and a single protein band of about 44 kDa was visualized in SDS-polyacrylamide gel under reducing condition. Purified venom protein expressed as haemolytic, cytotoxicity and proteolytic activities with lethal concentration (LC50 ) at 2.0 μg/mL. Venom protein exhibits enzymatic activity and hydrolyzed casein and gelatin. Gelatinolytic activity was optimal at pH 5-9. In conclusion, the present results suggested that the sea snake venom might be feasible sources for biologically active substances. Thus, this low molecular weight component of the venom protein could be used in potentially serve biological and pharmaceutical aspects. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. Purification and Characterization of Haloalkaline, Organic Solvent Stable Xylanase from Newly Isolated Halophilic Bacterium-OKH

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanghvi, Gaurav; Jivrajani, Mehul; Patel, Nirav; Jivrajani, Heta; Bhaskara, Govinal Badiger; Patel, Shivani

    2014-01-01

    A novel, alkali-tolerant halophilic bacterium-OKH with an ability to produce extracellular halophilic, alkali-tolerant, organic solvent stable, and moderately thermostable xylanase was isolated from salt salterns of Mithapur region, Gujarat, India. Identification of the bacterium was done based upon biochemical tests and 16S rRNA sequence. Maximum xylanase production was achieved at pH 9.0 and 37°C temperature in the medium containing 15% NaCl and 1% (w/v) corn cobs. Sugarcane bagasse and wheat straw also induce xylanase production when used as carbon source. The enzyme was active over a range of 0–25% sodium chloride examined in culture broth. The optimum xylanase activity was observed at 5% sodium chloride. Xylanase was purified with 25.81%-fold purification and 17.1% yield. Kinetic properties such as Km and Vmax were 4.2 mg/mL and 0.31 μmol/min/mL, respectively. The enzyme was stable at pH 6.0 and 50°C with 60% activity after 8 hours of incubation. Enzyme activity was enhanced by Ca2+, Mn2+, and Mg2+ but strongly inhibited by heavy metals such as Hg2+, Fe3+, Ni2+, and Zn2+. Xylanase was found to be stable in organic solvents like glutaraldehyde and isopropanol. The purified enzyme hydrolysed lignocellulosic substrates. Xylanase, purified from the halophilic bacterium-OKH, has potential biotechnological applications. PMID:27350996

  1. CDIO Projects in DTU’s Chemical and Biochemical B.Eng. Study Program

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Clement, Karsten; Harris, Pernille; Agersø, Yvonne

    2011-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to describe how the CDIO standards [1] have influenced the cross-disciplinary projects that are part of the study plan for the Chemical and Biochemical B.Eng. program. Four projects are described: The 1st semester design-build project on cleaning of waste water from a power...... plant, the 2nd semester laboratory project concerning antimicrobial resistant E. coli bacteria in retail meats, the 3rd semester project on unit operations in enzyme production, the 4th semester project on the fermentation and purification part of enzyme production....

  2. Peanut allergen Ara h 3: Isolation from peanuts and biochemical characterization

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Koppelman, S.J.; Knol, E.F.; Vlooswijk, R.A.A.; Wensing, M.; Knulst, A.C.; Hefle, S.L.; Gruppen, H.; Piersma, S.

    2003-01-01

    Background: Peanut allergen Ara h 3 has been the subject of investigation for the last few years. The reported data strongly depend on recombinant Ara h 3, since a purification protocol for Ara h 3 from peanuts was not available. Methods: Peanut allergen Ara h 3 (glycinin), was purified and its

  3. Purification and characterization of lignin peroxidases from Penicillium decumbens P6

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, J.S.; Yuan, H.L.; Wang, H.X.; Chen, W.X. [China Agricultural University, Beijing (China). College of Biological Science

    2005-06-01

    Peroxidases are essential enzymes in biodegradation of lignin and lignite which have been investigated intensively in the white-rot fungi. This is the first report of purification and characterization of lignin peroxidase from Penicillium sp. P6 as lignite degradation fungus. The results indicated that the lignin peroxidase of Penicillium decumbens P6 had physical and chemical properties and a N-terminal amino acid sequence different from the lignin peroxidases of white-rot fungi. The lignin peroxidase was isolated from a liquid culture of P. decumbens P6. This enzyme had a molecular weight of 46.3 KDa in SDS-PAGE and exhibited greater activity, temperature stability and wider pH range than those previously reported. The isolation procedure involved (NH{sub 4}){sub 2}SO{sub 4} precipitation, ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and CM-cellulose, gel filtration on Sephadex G-100, and non-denaturing, discontinuous polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The K{sub m} and V{sub max} values of this enzyme using veratryl alcohol as substrate were 0.565 mmol L{sup -1} and 0.088 mmol (mg protein){sup -1} min{sup -1} respectively. The optimum pH of P6 lignin peroxidase was 4.0, and 70.6% of the relative activity was remained at pH 9.0. The optimum temperature of the enzyme was 45{sup o}C.

  4. Purification and biochemical characterization of a detergent-stable keratinase from a newly thermophilic actinomycete Actinomadura keratinilytica strain Cpt29 isolated from poultry compost.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Habbeche, Amina; Saoudi, Boudjema; Jaouadi, Bassem; Haberra, Soumaya; Kerouaz, Bilal; Boudelaa, Mokhtar; Badis, Abdelmalek; Ladjama, Ali

    2014-04-01

    An extracellular thermostable keratinase (KERAK-29) was purified and biochemically characterized from a thermophilic actinomycete Actinomadura keratinilytica strain Cpt29 newly isolated from Algerian poultry compost. The isolate exhibited high keratinase production when grown in chicken feather meal media (24,000 U/ml). Based on matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/MS) analysis, the purified enzyme is a monomer with a molecular mass of 29,233.10-Da. The data revealed that the 25 N-terminal residue sequence displayed by KERAK-29 was TQADPPSWGLNNIDRQTAFTKATSI, which showed high homology with those of Streptomyces proteases. This keratinase was completely inhibited by phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) and diiodopropyl fluorophosphates (DFP), which suggests that it belongs to the serine protease family. Using keratin azure as a substrate, the optimum pH and temperature values for keratinase activity were pH 10 and 70°C, respectively. KERAK-29 was stable between 20 and 60°C and pH 3 and 10 for 5 and 120 h, respectively, and its thermoactivity and thermostability were enhanced in the presence of 5 mM Mn(2+). Its catalytic efficiency was higher than that of the KERAB keratinase from Streptomyces sp. strain AB1. KERAK-29 was also noted to show high keratinolytic activity and significant stability in the presence of detergents, which made it able to accomplish the entire feather-biodegradation process on its own. The ability of the A. keratinilytica strain Cpt29 to grow and produce substantial levels of keratinase using feather as a substrate could open new promising opportunities for the valorization of keratin-containing wastes and reduction of its impacts on the environment. Copyright © 2013 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Purification and Characterization of BmooAi: A New Toxin from Bothrops moojeni Snake Venom That Inhibits Platelet Aggregation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mayara Ribeiro de Queiroz

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we describe the purification/characterization of BmooAi, a new toxin from Bothrops moojeni that inhibits platelet aggregation. The purification of BmooAi was carried out through three chromatographic steps (ion-exchange on a DEAE-Sephacel column, molecular exclusion on a Sephadex G-75 column, and reverse-phase HPLC chromatography on a C2/C18 column. BmooAi was homogeneous by SDS-PAGE and shown to be a single-chain protein of 15,000 Da. BmooAi was analysed by MALDI-TOF Spectrometry and revealed two major components with molecular masses 7824.4 and 7409.2 as well as a trace of protein with a molecular mass of 15,237.4 Da. Sequencing of BmooAi by Edman degradation showed two amino acid sequences: IRDFDPLTNAPENTA and ETEEGAEEGTQ, which revealed no homology to any known toxin from snake venom. BmooAi showed a rather specific inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation induced by collagen, adenosine diphosphate, or epinephrine in human platelet-rich plasma in a dose-dependent manner, whereas it had little or no effect on platelet aggregation induced by ristocetin. The effect on platelet aggregation induced by BmooAi remained active even when heated to 100°C. BmooAi could be of medical interest as a new tool for the development of novel therapeutic agents for the prevention and treatment of thrombotic disorders.

  6. The quorum-quenching lactonase from Alicyclobacter acidoterrestris : purification, kinetic characterization, crystallization and crystallographic analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bergonzi, Celine; Schwab, Michael; Chabriere, Eric; Elias, Mikael

    2017-07-26

    Lactonases comprise a class of enzymes that hydrolyze lactones, including acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs); the latter are used as chemical signaling molecules by numerous Gram-negative bacteria. Lactonases have therefore been demonstrated to quench AHL-based bacterial communication. In particular, lactonases are capable of inhibiting bacterial behaviors that depend on these chemicals, such as the formation of biofilms or the expression of virulence factors. A novel representative from the metallo-β-lactamase superfamily, named AaL, was isolated from the thermoacidophilic bacteriumAlicyclobacter acidoterrestris. Kinetic characterization proves AaL to be a proficient lactonase, with catalytic efficiencies (kcat/Km) against AHLs in the region of 105M-1s-1. AaL exhibits a very broad substrate specificity. Its structure is expected to reveal the molecular determinants for its substrate binding and specificity, as well as to provide grounds for future protein-engineering projects. Here, the expression, purification, characterization, crystallization and X-ray diffraction data collection of AaL at 1.65Å resolution are reported.

  7. Biochemical characterization of an in-house Coccidioides antigen: perspectives for the immunodiagnosis of coccidioidomycosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Filho, Renato Evando Moreira; Bandeira, Silviane Praciano; Brillhante, Raimunda Sâmia Nogueira; Rocha, Marcos Fábio Gadelha; Vasconcelos, Ilka Maria; Pereira, Mirella Leite; Castelo-Branco, Débora de Souza Collares Maia; Rocha, Francisco Airton Castro; Camargo, Zoilo Pires de; Ramos, Marcio Viana; Cordeiro, Rossana de Aguiar; Sidrim, José Júlio Costa

    2012-06-28

    The objective of this study was to evaluate the reactivity of an in-house antigen, extracted from a strain of C. posadasii isolated in northeastern Brazil, by radial immunodiffusion and Western blotting, as well as to establish its biochemical characterization. The protein antigen was initially extracted with the use of solid ammonium sulfate and characterized by 1-D electrophoresis. Subsequently, it was tested by means of double radial immunodiffusion and Western blotting. A positive reaction was observed against the antigen by both immunodiagnostic techniques tested on sera from patients suffering from coccidioidomycosis. Besides this, two immunoreactive protein bands were observed and were revealed to be a β-glucosidase and a glutamine synthetase after sequencing of the respective N-terminal regions. Our in-house Coccidioides antigen can be promising as a quick and low-cost diagnostic tool without the risk of direct manipulation of the microorganism.

  8. Isolation and biochemical and molecular characterization of Listeria monocytogenes in food

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Helel, Salma

    2008-01-01

    monocytogenes is a Gram-positive bacteria, saprophytic, non-spore. This is an extremely resistant seeds to environmental conditions outside, especially since the cold psychrotrophic. It can contaminate raw vegetables, cooked meals ready for consumption or foods to be stored in the refrigerator, such as cheese or meat. It is the bacteria responsible for listeriosis. It threatens first unborn children, infants, pregnant women, the elderly and people whose immune system is weakened. Strains of Listeria spp isolated from foods (seafood, meat, meat) were first identified at the stage of the genus by classical tests (Gram staining, catalase test, oxidase test and mobility) and stage of the test case by hemolysis, CAMP test and the gallery Api Listeria. Biochemical characterization allowed after a numerical analysis, to assign 100% of isolates to the genus Listeria. Molecular characterization was performed by PCR amplification of genes coding for protein p60 (iap), the listeriolysine O (hly), the Phosphatidylinositol Phospholipase C (PI-PLC plca) Phosphatidylcholine Phospholipase C (plcB). The result showed an amplification of the iap gene of 100% of the hly gene, plca, plcB of 31.81%. This characterization represents an identification of the collection on the genetic level and shows that 31.81% of isolates, is likely to express the genes responsible for virulence factors of L. monocytogenes, to produce listeriolysine O, phospholipase C and Lecithinase. The molecular identification was performed by microarray technique and identified isolates L. September monocytogenes (five original clinical isolates and two food-borne), fourteen L. innocua (of food) and a strain not identified by DNA chip.. (Author)

  9. Purification of antibody against Ara h 2 by a homemade immunoaffinity chromatography column.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Zhihua; Li, Kun; Zhan, Shaode; Tong, Ping; Li, Xin; Yang, Anshu; Chen, Hongbing

    2017-09-14

    Antibodies are used extensively in numerous applications both in vivo and in vitro. To purify anti-Ara h 2 polyclonal antibody, a homemade immunoaffinity chromatography (IAC) column method was established. The properties of homemade column were compared with those of the mAb affinity protein G (MPG) agarose high flow, a commercially available column successfully used in capturing polyclonal antibodies. During antibody purification from rabbits' antiserum against Ara h 2, the column capacity, recovery, and purification factor were characterized for IAC and MPG. The homemade IAC could separate the corresponding antibody with higher specificity and lower cost but with lower recovery and column capacity than those of MPG. Thus, the homemade IAC is a specific, inexpensive, and suitable method that can be used for various laboratory purifications.

  10. Biological and Biochemical Potential of Sea Snake Venom and Characterization of Phospholipase A2 and Anticoagulation Activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Damotharan, Palani; Veeruraj, Anguchamy; Arumugam, Muthuvel; Balasubramanian, Thangavel

    2016-03-01

    This study is designed to isolate and purify a novel anti-clotting protein component from the venom of Enhydrina schistosa, and explore its biochemical and biological activities. The active protein was purified from the venom of E. schistosa by ion-exchange chromatography using DEAE-cellulose. The venom protein was tested by various parameters such as, proteolytic, haemolytic, phospholipase and anti-coagulant activities. 80 % purity was obtained in the final stage of purification and the purity level of venom was revealed as a single protein band of about 44 kDa in SDS-polyacrylamide electrophoresis under reducing conditions. The results showed that the Potent hemolytic activity was observed against cow, goat, chicken and human (A, B and O positive) erythrocytes. Furthermore, the clotting assays showed that the venom of E. schistosa significantly prolonged in activated partial thromboplastin time, thrombin time, and prothrombin time. Venomous enzymes which hydrolyzed casein and gelatin substrate were found in this venom protein. Gelatinolytic activity was optimal at pH 5-9 and (1)H NMR analysis of purified venom was the base line information for the structural determination. These results suggested that the E. schistosa venom holds good promise for the development of novel lead compounds for pharmacological applications in near future.

  11. Expression, purification and characterization of enoyl-ACP reductase II, FabK, from Porphyromonas gingivalis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hevener, Kirk E.; Mehboob, Shahila; Boci, Teuta; Truong, Kent; Santarsiero, Bernard D.; Johnson, Michael E. (UIC)

    2012-10-25

    The rapid rise in bacterial drug resistance coupled with the low number of novel antimicrobial compounds in the discovery pipeline has led to a critical situation requiring the expedient discovery and characterization of new antimicrobial drug targets. Enzymes in the bacterial fatty acid synthesis pathway, FAS-II, are distinct from their mammalian counterparts, FAS-I, in terms of both structure and mechanism. As such, they represent attractive targets for the design of novel antimicrobial compounds. Enoyl-acyl carrier protein reductase II, FabK, is a key, rate-limiting enzyme in the FAS-II pathway for several bacterial pathogens. The organism, Porphyromonas gingivalis, is a causative agent of chronic periodontitis that affects up to 25% of the US population and incurs a high national burden in terms of cost of treatment. P. gingivalis expresses FabK as the sole enoyl reductase enzyme in its FAS-II cycle, which makes this a particularly appealing target with potential for selective antimicrobial therapy. Herein we report the molecular cloning, expression, purification and characterization of the FabK enzyme from P. gingivalis, only the second organism from which this enzyme has been isolated. Characterization studies have shown that the enzyme is a flavoprotein, the reaction dependent upon FMN and NADPH and proceeding via a Ping-Pong Bi-Bi mechanism to reduce the enoyl substrate. A sensitive assay measuring the fluorescence decrease of NADPH as it is converted to NADP{sup +} during the reaction has been optimized for high-throughput screening. Finally, protein crystallization conditions have been identified which led to protein crystals that diffract x-rays to high resolution.

  12. Purification and characterization of the three Snf1-activating kinases of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elbing, Karin; McCartney, Rhonda R; Schmidt, Martin C

    2006-02-01

    Members of the Snf1/AMPK family of protein kinases are activated by distinct upstream kinases that phosphorylate a conserved threonine residue in the Snf1/AMPK activation loop. Recently, the identities of the Snf1- and AMPK-activating kinases have been determined. Here we describe the purification and characterization of the three Snf1-activating kinases of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The identities of proteins associated with the Snf1-activating kinases were determined by peptide mass fingerprinting. These kinases, Sak1, Tos3 and Elm2 do not appear to require the presence of additional subunits for activity. Sak1 and Snf1 co-purify and co-elute in size exclusion chromatography, demonstrating that these two proteins form a stable complex. The Snf1-activating kinases phosphorylate the activation loop threonine of Snf1 in vitro with great specificity and are able to do so in the absence of beta and gamma subunits of the Snf1 heterotrimer. Finally, we showed that the Snf1 kinase domain isolated from bacteria as a GST fusion protein can be activated in vitro and shows substrate specificity in the absence of its beta and gamma subunits.

  13. A Knockin Reporter Allows Purification and Characterization of mDA Neurons from Heterogeneous Populations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ninuo Xia

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Generation of midbrain dopaminergic (mDA neurons from human pluripotent stem cells provides a platform for inquiry into basic and translational studies of Parkinson’s disease (PD. However, heterogeneity in differentiation in vitro makes it difficult to identify mDA neurons in culture or in vivo following transplantation. Here, we report the generation of a human embryonic stem cell (hESC line with a tyrosine hydroxylase (TH-RFP (red fluorescent protein reporter. We validated that RFP faithfully mimicked TH expression during differentiation. Use of this TH-RFP reporter cell line enabled purification of mDA-like neurons from heterogeneous cultures with subsequent characterization of neuron transcriptional and epigenetic programs (global binding profiles of H3K27ac, H3K4me1, and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine [5hmC] at four different stages of development. We anticipate that the tools and data described here will contribute to the development of mDA neurons for applications in disease modeling and/or drug screening and cell replacement therapies for PD.

  14. A Knockin Reporter Allows Purification and Characterization of mDA Neurons from Heterogeneous Populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Ninuo; Fang, Fang; Zhang, Pengbo; Cui, Jun; Tep-Cullison, Chhavy; Hamerley, Tim; Lee, Hyun Joo; Palmer, Theo; Bothner, Brian; Lee, Jin Hyung; Pera, Renee Reijo

    2017-03-07

    Generation of midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) neurons from human pluripotent stem cells provides a platform for inquiry into basic and translational studies of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, heterogeneity in differentiation in vitro makes it difficult to identify mDA neurons in culture or in vivo following transplantation. Here, we report the generation of a human embryonic stem cell (hESC) line with a tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-RFP (red fluorescent protein) reporter. We validated that RFP faithfully mimicked TH expression during differentiation. Use of this TH-RFP reporter cell line enabled purification of mDA-like neurons from heterogeneous cultures with subsequent characterization of neuron transcriptional and epigenetic programs (global binding profiles of H3K27ac, H3K4me1, and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine [5hmC]) at four different stages of development. We anticipate that the tools and data described here will contribute to the development of mDA neurons for applications in disease modeling and/or drug screening and cell replacement therapies for PD. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Isolation, purification and characterization of collagenase from hepatopancreas of the land snail Achatina fulica.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Indra, D; Ramalingam, K; Babu, Mary

    2005-09-01

    Collagenase (matrix metalloproteinase-1, EC:3.4.24.7) was isolated from the hepatopancreas of Achatina fulica and characterized for its enzymatic activity and immunological properties. Procollagenase was isolated using ammonium sulphate precipitation and gel filtration, followed by purification by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid and by dialysis in neutral buffer. In the presence of SDS and beta-mercaptoethanol, the procollagenase resolved into two subunits with molecular masses of 63 and 28 kDa, respectively. The 63 kDa fragment retained its ability to bind and degrade gelatin, but the 28 kDa was inactive. Analysis by 2D gel electrophoresis revealed that the 63 kDa fragment was basic (pIs 7.6, 7.8 and 8.15), while the 28 kDa fragment was acidic (pI 4.7 and 5.1). Western blot analysis confirmed the identity of collagenase, as only matrix metalloproteinase-1 rabbit antibodies against human matrix metalloproteinase-1 (N-terminal region) recognized both the isolated procollagenase and the 63 kDa fragment.

  16. Effect of charcoal on water purification

    OpenAIRE

    Suzuki, Hirotaka; Kawahigashi, Tatsuo

    2014-01-01

    [Abstract] A natural basin system purifies water through self-purification, but the water pollution load of a river might exceed its self-purification capacity. Charcoal, which is used for other uses aside from heating, such as air purification, was evaluated experimentally for water quality purification. The experiment described herein is based on simple water quality measurements. Some experimentally obtained results are discussed.

  17. Synthesis, purification, and characterization of perovskite semiconductor CsPbBr3 as a new candidate for y-ray detector(Conference Presentation)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, Duck Young; Kanatzidis, Mercouri G.; Meng, Fang; Malliakas, Christos D.

    2016-09-01

    CsPbBr3 has direct band gap (orange color, 2.25 eV), high density (4.85 g/cm3), attenuation coefficient comparable to CZT, and high resistivity 10^9 ohm•cm. These fundamental physical properties of CsPbBr3well meet the requirements for gamma-ray detector materials. CsPbBr3 exhibits the carrier mobility-lifetime product in the order of 10^-4 cm2/V promising enough to be further developed for practical applications. The major challenge in the process to further enhance the detection performance is the carrier traps present at a deep level of the energy gap which should be minimized. We report the synthesis, purification, crystal growth and physical characterization of the CsPbBr3 crystals obtained by new processes we developed for highly pure materials with reduced carrier traps. The starting binary materials were prepared by reaction of Cs2CO3/HBr and Pb(ac)2/HBr in aqueous solution. Purification of materials was performed by sublimation, bromination with HBr gas, and filtration of molten materials. Large single crystals were grown by the vertical Bridgman and EelectroDynamic Gradient method and cut to the dimensions appropriate for assessment of the material for gamma-ray detector applications. All characterization including optical characteristics, charge transport properties, photoconductivity, and gamma-ray spectroscopy from the new single crystals of CsPbBr3 will be presented. In addition, the charge carrier traps profile has been studied for this compound by Deep-Level Transient Spectroscopy (DLTS), Thermally Stimulated Luminescence (TSL), and Photoluminescence (PL) and will be presented.

  18. Purification, characterization and allergenicity assessment of 26kDa protein, a major allergen from Cicer arietinum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verma, Alok Kumar; Sharma, Akanksha; Kumar, Sandeep; Gupta, Rinkesh Kumar; Kumar, Dinesh; Gupta, Kriti; Giridhar, B H; Das, Mukul; Dwivedi, Premendra D

    2016-06-01

    Chickpea (CP), a legume of the family Fabaceae, is an important nutrient-rich food providing protein, essential amino acids, vitamins, dietary fibre, and minerals. Unfortunately, several IgE-binding proteins in CP have been detected that are responsible for allergic manifestations in sensitized population. Therefore, the prevalence of CP induced allergy prompted us towards purification, characterization and allergenicity assessment of a major ∼26kDa protein from chickpea crude protein extract (CP-CPE). Purification of CP 26kDa protein was done using a combination of fractionation and anion exchange chromatography. This protein was further characterized as "Chain A, crystal structure of a plant albumin" from Cicer arietinum with Mol wt 25.8kDa by Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. Further, allergenic potential of purified 25.8kDa protein was assessed using in vivo and in vitro model. Purified protein showed IgE-binding capacity with sensitized BALB/c mice and CP allergic patient's sera. Enhanced levels of specific and total IgE, MCP-1, MCPT-1, myeloperoxidase, histamine, prostaglandin D2, and cysteinyl leukotriene were found in sera of mice treated with CP ∼26kDa protein. Further, expressions of Th2 cytokines (i.e. IL-4, IL-5, IL-13), transcription factors (i.e. GATA-3, STAT-6, SOCS-3) and mast cell signaling proteins (Lyn, cFgr, Syk, PLC-γ2, PI-3K, PKC) were also found increased at mRNA and protein levels in the intestines of mice treated with CP ∼26kDa protein. In addition, enhanced release of β-hexosaminidase, histamine, cysteinyl leukotriene and prostaglandin D2 were observed in RBL2H3 cell line when treated (125μg) with CP 26kDa protein. Conclusively, in vivo and in vitro studies revealed the allergenic potential of purified CP 26kDa protein. Being a potential allergen, plant albumin may play a pivotal role in CP induced allergenicity. Current study will be helpful for better development of therapeutic approaches to

  19. The bubble method of water purification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smirnov, B. M.; Babaeva, N. Yu.; Naidis, G. V.; Panov, V. A.; Saveliev, A. S.; Son, E. E.; Tereshonok, D. V.

    2018-02-01

    The processes of water purification from admixture molecules are analyzed. The purification rate is limited due to a low diffusion coefficient of the admixture molecules in water. At non-small concentrations of the admixture molecules, the water purication can proceed through association of molecules in condensed nanoparticles which fall on the bottom of the water volume. The rate of association may be increased in an external electric field, but in reality this cannot change significantly the rate of the purification process. The bubble method of water purification is considered, where air bubbles formed at the bottom of the water volume, transfer admixture molecules to the interface. This method allows one to clean small water volumes fast. This mechanism of water purification is realized experimentally and exhibits the promises of the bubble purification method.

  20. High quality protein microarray using in situ protein purification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fleischmann Robert D

    2009-08-01

    protein solubility and denaturation problems caused by buffer exchange steps and freeze-thaw cycles, which are associated with resin-based purification, intermittent protein storage and deposition on microarrays. Conclusion An optimized platform for in situ protein purification on microarray slides using His-tagged recombinant proteins is a desirable tool for the screening of novel protein functions and protein-protein interactions. In the context of immunoproteomics, such protein microarrays are complimentary to approaches using non-recombinant methods to discover and characterize bacterial antigens.

  1. Purification and Characterization of a Novel NAD(P)+-Farnesol Dehydrogenase from Polygonum minus Leaves.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmad-Sohdi, Nor-Ain-Shahajar; Seman-Kamarulzaman, Ahmad-Faris; Mohamed-Hussein, Zeti-Azura; Hassan, Maizom

    2015-01-01

    Juvenile hormones have attracted attention as safe and selective targets for the design and development of environmentally friendly and biorational insecticides. In the juvenile hormone III biosynthetic pathway, the enzyme farnesol dehydrogenase catalyzes the oxidation of farnesol to farnesal. In this study, farnesol dehydrogenase was extracted from Polygonum minus leaves and purified 204-fold to apparent homogeneity by ion-exchange chromatography using DEAE-Toyopearl, SP-Toyopearl, and Super-Q Toyopearl, followed by three successive purifications by gel filtration chromatography on a TSK-gel GS3000SW. The enzyme is a heterodimer comprised of subunits with molecular masses of 65 kDa and 70 kDa. The optimum temperature and pH were 35°C and pH 9.5, respectively. Activity was inhibited by sulfhydryl reagents, metal-chelating agents and heavy metal ions. The enzyme utilized both NAD+ and NADP+ as coenzymes with Km values of 0.74 mM and 40 mM, respectively. Trans, trans-farnesol was the preferred substrate for the P. minus farnesol dehydrogenase. Geometrical isomers of trans, trans-farnesol, cis, trans-farnesol and cis, cis-farnesol were also oxidized by the enzyme with lower activity. The Km values for trans, trans-farnesol, cis, trans-farnesol and cis, cis-farnesol appeared to be 0.17 mM, 0.33 mM and 0.42 mM, respectively. The amino acid sequences of 4 tryptic peptides of the enzyme were analyzed by MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS spectrometry, and showed no significant similarity to those of previously reported farnesol dehydrogenases. These results suggest that the purified enzyme is a novel NAD(P)+-dependent farnesol dehydrogenase. The purification and characterization established in the current study will serve as a basis to provide new information for recombinant production of the enzyme. Therefore, recombinant farnesol dehydrogenase may provide a useful molecular tool in manipulating juvenile hormone biosynthesis to generate transgenic plants for pest control.

  2. Biochemical and physiological characterization of oil palm interspecific hybrids (elaeis oleifera x elaeis guineensis) grown in hydroponics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rivera Mendez, Yurany Dayanna; Moreno Chacon, Andres Leonardo; Romero, Hernan Mauricio

    2013-01-01

    The interspecific hybrid, Elaeis oleifera x Elaeis guineensis (OxG) is an alternative for improving the competitiveness and sustainability of the Latin American oil palm agro-industry, because of its partial resistance to some lethal diseases and also because of the high quality of its oil. A comparative characterization was conducted of the physiological and biochemical performance of seedlings of six OxG hybrids grown in hydroponics. Gas exchange, vegetative growth, protein, sugar and photosynthetic pigment content, and antioxidant system activity were determined. With the exception of gas exchange, the other variables showed significant differences between materials. The U1273 and U1737 materials showed greater vegetative growth with no expression of biochemical traits, while the U1914 and U1990 materials showed high levels of reducing and total sugars, photosynthetic pigments, and antioxidant system activities, characteristics that could confer them adaptation to stress conditions. With the standardized hydroponics technique, the optimal conditions for the growth of seedlings were ensured, the differences between materials were established, and so those with promising features from the physiological and biochemical standpoint were identified. Finally, it could be used to study in a simple, fast, clean and inexpensive way, the effect of levels and sources of mineral nutrients on the growth and development of oil palm.

  3. Statistical and Judgmental Criteria for Scale Purification

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wieland, Andreas; Durach, Christian F.; Kembro, Joakim

    2017-01-01

    of scale purification, to critically analyze the current state of scale purification in supply chain management (SCM) research and to provide suggestions for advancing the scale-purification process. Design/methodology/approach A framework for making scale-purification decisions is developed and used...

  4. Biochemical characterization of blood plasma of coronary artery ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    This study aimed to investigate the biochemical profile of blood plasma of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and angiographically normal subjects (controls) to determine biomarkers for their differentiation. In this double blind study, 5 mL venous blood was drawn before angiography from CAD patients (n=60) and ...

  5. Synthesis, purification and characterization of [3,5 - T] p-aminobenzoic acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Corol-Cucu, Delia-Irina; Chiper, Diana; Mihaila, V.; Negoita, N.

    2000-01-01

    This paper refers to the synthesis, purification and characterization of [3,5-T] p-aminobenzoic acid (PAB,H' vitamine). The p-aminobenzoic acid is used in the treatment of rheumatic arthritis and dermatological affections. The advantage of tritium labelling of p-aminobenzoic acid is that some biomedical important aspects of collagen's behaviour are made clear. The PAB stimulate the grow of intestinal bacteria so necessary to synthesis of some vitamins (bio tine, pantothenic acid). Tritium is the only radioactive isotope of hydrogen. Several steps have to be carried out in the synthesis of the final product as well as to study its biological behavior. For the labelling of PAB one prefers the substitution of bromine from PAB-3,5-Br with tritium because of simplicity of reaction and the easy synthesis of halogen compound. The first step in synthesis is the protection of NH 2 group through acetylation of PAB. After that PAB is bromated into the 3 and 5 position with elementary bromine. The raw compound is purified and recrystallized and characterized through thin layer chromatography.The tritium labelling is performed through substitution of bromine from bromate derivative, using Pd/C (10% Pd) as catalyst and low basic conditions for the neutralization of HBr resulting from reaction. After the separation of PAB-3,5-T through filtration, the catalyst remains on the filter paper and the labelled compound goes in aqueous solution. PAB-3,5-T is purified through thin layer chromatography with the solvent system n-BuOH:NH 4 OH(25%):H 2 O:EtOH (8:1:2:2,5, v/v) with silica gel GF 254 as support. The determination of activity is carried out with LSC (Liquid Scintillation Counter). A 98% purity was determined through TLC in the same conditions while determination of activity distribution was performed with a 2π Berthold scanner with gas running and without window. The chemical concentration has been measured through UV spectrophotometry and by comparing extinction with

  6. Purification and characterization of an N alpha-acetyltransferase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, F J; Lin, L W; Smith, J A

    1988-10-15

    N alpha-Acetyltransferase, which catalyzes the transfer of an acetyl group from acetyl coenzyme A to the alpha-NH2 group of proteins and peptides, was isolated from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and demonstrated by protein sequence analysis to be NH2-terminally blocked. The enzyme was purified 4,600-fold to apparent homogeneity by successive purification steps using DEAE-Sepharose, hydroxylapatite, DE52 cellulose, and Affi-Gel blue. The Mr of the native enzyme was estimated to be 180,000 +/- 10,000 by gel filtration chromatography, and the Mr of each subunit was estimated to be 95,000 +/- 2,000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The enzyme has a pH optimum near 9.0, and its pI is 4.3 as determined by chromatofocusing on Mono-P. The enzyme catalyzed the transfer of an acetyl group to various synthetic peptides, including human adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) (1-24) and its [Phe2] analogue, yeast alcohol dehydrogenase I (1-24), yeast alcohol dehydrogenase II (1-24), and human superoxide dismutase (1-24). These peptides contain either Ser or Ala as NH2-terminal residues which together with Met are the most commonly acetylated NH2-terminal residues (Persson, B., Flinta, C., von Heijne, G., and Jornvall, H. (1985) Eur. J. Biochem. 152, 523-527). Yeast enolase, containing a free NH2-terminal Ala residue, is known not to be N alpha-acetylated in vivo (Chin, C. C. Q., Brewer, J. M., and Wold, F. (1981) J. Biol. Chem. 256, 1377-1384), and enolase (1-24), a synthetic peptide mimicking the protein's NH2 terminus, was not acetylated in vitro by yeast acetyltransferase. The enzyme did not catalyze the N alpha-acetylation of other synthetic peptides including ACTH(11-24), ACTH(7-38), ACTH(18-39), human beta-endorphin, yeast superoxide dismutase (1-24). Each of these peptides has an NH2-terminal residue which is rarely acetylated in proteins (Lys, Phe, Arg, Tyr, Val, respectively). Among a series of divalent cations, Cu2+ and Zn2+ were demonstrated to be

  7. XNAES and XPS studies on modification of SWCNTS upon gas-phase purification treatments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liang Xianqing; Wu Ziyu; Zhong Jun; Zhao Ting; Yao Peng; Ibrahim, K.; Qian Haijie

    2009-01-01

    A systematic characterization of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) after successive purification steps, including air oxidation at 350 degree C, hydrochloric acid etching and 600 degree C annealing in Ar, have been performed combining X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results indicated that the modification degree of SWCNTs increased after the purification procedures, but decreased significantly by annealing in Ar. It also showed that the SWCNTs could bond with chlorine atoms during the hydrochloric acid etching and suggested this modification may be importance for the applications. (authors)

  8. Design of Biochemical Oxidation Process Engineering Unit for Treatment of Organic Radioactive Liquid Waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zainus Salimin; Endang Nuraeni; Mirawaty; Tarigan, Cerdas

    2010-01-01

    Organic radioactive liquid waste from nuclear industry consist of detergent waste from nuclear laundry, 30% TBP-kerosene solvent waste from purification or recovery of uranium from process failure of nuclear fuel fabrication, and solvent waste containing D 2 EHPA, TOPO, and kerosene from purification of phosphoric acid. The waste is dangerous and toxic matter having low pH, high COD and BOD, and also low radioactivity. Biochemical oxidation process is the effective method for detoxification of organic waste and decontamination of radionuclide by bio sorption. The result process are sludges and non radioactive supernatant. The existing treatment facilities radioactive waste in Serpong can not use for treatment of that’s organics waste. Dio chemical oxidation process engineering unit for continuous treatment of organic radioactive liquid waste on the capacity of 1.6 L/h has been designed and constructed the equipment of process unit consist of storage tank of 100 L capacity for nutrition solution, 2 storage tanks of 100 L capacity per each for liquid waste, reactor oxidation of 120 L, settling tank of 50 L capacity storage tank of 55 L capacity for sludge, storage tank of 50 capacity for supernatant. Solution on the reactor R-01 are added by bacteria, nutrition and aeration using two difference aerators until biochemical oxidation occurs. The sludge from reactor of R-01 are recirculated to the settling tank of R-02 and on the its reverse operation biological sludge will be settled, and supernatant will be overflow. (author)

  9. Affinity purification using recombinant PXR as a tool to characterize environmental ligands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dagnino, Sonia; Bellet, Virginie; Grimaldi, Marina; Riu, Anne; Aït-Aïssa, Sélim; Cavaillès, Vincent; Fenet, Hélène; Balaguer, Patrick

    2014-02-01

    Many environmental endocrine disrupting compounds act as ligands for nuclear receptors. The human pregnane X receptor (hPXR), for instance, is activated by a variety of environmental ligands such as steroids, pharmaceutical drugs, pesticides, alkylphenols, polychlorinated biphenyls and polybromo diethylethers. Some of us have previously reported the occurrence of hPXR ligands in environmental samples but failed to identify them. The aim of this study was to test whether a PXR-affinity column, in which recombinant hPXR was immobilized on solid support, could help the purification of these chemicals. Using PXR ligands of different affinity (10 nM < EC50 < 10 μM), we demonstrated that the PXR-affinity preferentially column captured ligands with medium to high affinities (EC50 < 1 μM). Furthermore, by using the PXR-affinity column to analyze an environmental sample containing ERα, AhR, AR, and PXR activities, we show that (i) half of the PXR activity of the sample was due to compounds with medium to high affinity for PXR and (ii) PXR shared ligands with ERα, AR, and AhR. These findings demonstrate that the newly developed PXR-affinity column coupled to reporter cell lines represents a valuable tool for the characterization of the nature of PXR active compounds and should therefore guide and facilitate their further analysis. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., a Wiley company.

  10. Purification and characterization of amine oxidase from soybean seedlings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vianello, F; Di Paolo, M L; Stevanato, R; Gasparini, R; Rigo, A

    1993-11-15

    A simple and rapid procedure for purification of soybean seedling amine oxidase is reported. The crude enzyme, obtained by ammonium sulfate fractionation was purified by ion-exchange chromatography on a cellulose phosphate column and batch affinity chromatography on 6-aminohexyl-Sepharose. Cyclohexylamine, a competitive inhibitor, was utilized to elute the enzyme. A homogeneous enzyme was obtained with a yield higher than 25%, the content of minor components being lauryl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The enzyme is a dimer and contains two Cu2+ ion per molecule. Its EPR spectrum is typical of Cu2+ in a tetragonal symmetry. The enzyme oxidizes cadaverine at high rate, the specific activity being 4.3 mukat/mg. Molecular, spectroscopic, and kinetic properties of this enzyme are reported.

  11. Purification and biochemical characterization of pancreatic phospholipase A2 from the common stingray Dasyatis pastinaca

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gargouri Youssef

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Mammalian sPLA2-IB are well characterized. In contrast, much less is known about aquatic ones. The aquatic world contains a wide variety of living species and, hence represents a great potential for discovering new lipolytic enzymes. Results A marine stingray phospholipase A2 (SPLA2 was purified from delipidated pancreas. Purified SPLA2, which is not glycosylated protein, was found to be monomeric protein with a molecular mass of 14 kDa. A specific activity of 750 U/mg for purified SPLA2 was measured at optimal conditions (pH 8.5 and 40 °C in the presence of 4 mM NaTDC and 8 mM CaCl2 using PC as substrate. The sequence of the first twenty first amino-acid residues at the N-terminal extremity of SPLA2 was determined and shows a close similarity with known mammal and bird pancreatic secreted phospholipases A2. SPLA2 stability in the presence of organic solvents, as well as in acidic and alkaline pH and at high temperature makes it a good candidate for its application in food industry. Conclusions SPLA2 has several advantageous features for industrial applications. Stability of SPLA2 in the presence of organic solvents, and its tolerance to high temperatures, basic and acidic pH, makes it a good candidate for application in food industry to treat phospholipid-rich industrial effluents, or to synthesize useful chemical compounds.

  12. Purification of Water by Aquatic Plants

    OpenAIRE

    Morimitsu, Katsuhito; Kawahigashi, Tatsuo

    2013-01-01

    [Abstract] Water quality purification of many water systems including those occurring in rivers depends to a great degree on water quality purification activities of aquatic plants and microbes. This paper presents a discussion of results, based on laboratory experiments, of purification by aquatic plants.

  13. Comparing Russian and Finnish standards of water purification

    OpenAIRE

    Maria, Pupkova

    2012-01-01

    The subject of this thesis is water purification. The first aim of this thesis is to consider different ways of water purification. The second aim is to compare Finnish and Russian standards of water purification. The third one is to show water purification methods on the pattern of Mikkeli water purification plan. Water purification methods of water intended for human consumption will be described.Combined tables will be done according to the quality requirement of drinking water of both,...

  14. Automated Purification and Suspension Array Detection of 16S rRNA from Soil and Sediment Extracts by Using Tunable Surface Microparticles

    OpenAIRE

    Chandler, Darrell P.; Jarrell, Ann E.

    2004-01-01

    Autonomous, field-deployable molecular detection systems require seamless integration of complex biochemical solutions and physical or mechanical processing steps. In an attempt to simplify the fluidic requirements for integrated biodetection systems, we used tunable surface microparticles both as an rRNA affinity purification resin in a renewable microcolumn sample preparation system and as the sensor surface in a flow cytometer detector. The tunable surface detection limits in both low- and...

  15. Overview of methods in RNA nanotechnology: synthesis, purification, and characterization of RNA nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haque, Farzin; Guo, Peixuan

    2015-01-01

    RNA nanotechnology encompasses the use of RNA as a construction material to build homogeneous nanostructures by bottom-up self-assembly with defined size, structure, and stoichiometry; this pioneering concept demonstrated in 1998 (Guo et al., Molecular Cell 2:149-155, 1998; featured in Cell) has emerged as a new field that also involves materials engineering and synthetic structural biology (Guo, Nature Nanotechnology 5:833-842, 2010). The field of RNA nanotechnology has skyrocketed over the last few years, as evidenced by the burst of publications in prominent journals on RNA nanostructures and their applications in nanomedicine and nanotechnology. Rapid advances in RNA chemistry, RNA biophysics, and RNA biology have created new opportunities for translating basic science into clinical practice. RNA nanotechnology holds considerable promise in this regard. Increased evidence also suggests that substantial part of the 98.5 % of human genome (Lander et al. Nature 409:860-921, 2001) that used to be called "junk DNA" actually codes for noncoding RNA. As we understand more on how RNA structures are related to function, we can fabricate synthetic RNA nanoparticles for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. This chapter provides a brief overview of the field regarding the design, construction, purification, and characterization of RNA nanoparticles for diverse applications in nanotechnology and nanomedicince.

  16. Purification of Ovine Respiratory Complex I Results in a Highly Active and Stable Preparation*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Letts, James A.; Degliesposti, Gianluca; Fiedorczuk, Karol; Skehel, Mark; Sazanov, Leonid A.

    2016-01-01

    NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I) is the largest (∼1 MDa) and the least characterized complex of the mitochondrial electron transport chain. Because of the ease of sample availability, previous work has focused almost exclusively on bovine complex I. However, only medium resolution structural analyses of this complex have been reported. Working with other mammalian complex I homologues is a potential approach for overcoming these limitations. Due to the inherent difficulty of expressing large membrane protein complexes, screening of complex I homologues is limited to large mammals reared for human consumption. The high sequence identity among these available sources may preclude the benefits of screening. Here, we report the characterization of complex I purified from Ovis aries (ovine) heart mitochondria. All 44 unique subunits of the intact complex were identified by mass spectrometry. We identified differences in the subunit composition of subcomplexes of ovine complex I as compared with bovine, suggesting differential stability of inter-subunit interactions within the complex. Furthermore, the 42-kDa subunit, which is easily lost from the bovine enzyme, remains tightly bound to ovine complex I. Additionally, we developed a novel purification protocol for highly active and stable mitochondrial complex I using the branched-chain detergent lauryl maltose neopentyl glycol. Our data demonstrate that, although closely related, significant differences exist between the biochemical properties of complex I prepared from ovine and bovine mitochondria and that ovine complex I represents a suitable alternative target for further structural studies. PMID:27672209

  17. Strep-Tagged Protein Purification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maertens, Barbara; Spriestersbach, Anne; Kubicek, Jan; Schäfer, Frank

    2015-01-01

    The Strep-tag system can be used to purify recombinant proteins from any expression system. Here, protocols for lysis and affinity purification of Strep-tagged proteins from E. coli, baculovirus-infected insect cells, and transfected mammalian cells are given. Depending on the amount of Strep-tagged protein in the lysate, a protocol for batch binding and subsequent washing and eluting by gravity flow can be used. Agarose-based matrices with the coupled Strep-Tactin ligand are the resins of choice, with a binding capacity of up to 9 mg ml(-1). For purification of lower amounts of Strep-tagged proteins, the use of Strep-Tactin magnetic beads is suitable. In addition, Strep-tagged protein purification can also be automated using prepacked columns for FPLC or other liquid-handling chromatography instrumentation, but automated purification is not discussed in this protocol. The protocols described here can be regarded as an update of the Strep-Tag Protein Handbook (Qiagen, 2009). © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Characterization of primary coolant purification system samples for assay of spent ion exchanger radionuclide inventor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sajin Prasad, S.; Pant, Amar; Sharma, Ranjit; Pal, Sanjit

    2018-01-01

    The primary coolant system water of a research reactor contains various fission and activation products and the water is circulated continuously through ion exchange resin cartridges, to reduce the radioactive ionic impurity present in it. The coolant purification system comprises of an ion exchange cooler, two micro filters, and a battery of six ion exchanger beds, associated valves, piping and instrumentation (Heavy water System Operating manual, 2014). The spent cartridge is finally disposed off as active solid waste which contains predominantly long lived fission and activation products. The heavy water coolant is also used to cool the structural assemblies after passing through primary heat exchanger and a metallic strainer, which accumulates the fission and activation products. When there is a reduction of coolant flow through these strainers, they are removed for cleaning and decontamination. This paper describes the characterization of ion exchange resin samples and liquid effluent generated during ultra sonic decontamination of strainer. The results obtained can be used as a methodology for the assay of the spent ion exchanger cartridges radionuclide inventory, during its disposal

  19. Plantaricyclin A, a Novel Circular Bacteriocin Produced by Lactobacillus plantarum NI326: Purification, Characterization, and Heterologous Production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borrero, Juan; Kelly, Eoin; O'Connor, Paula M; Kelleher, Philip; Scully, Colm; Cotter, Paul D; Mahony, Jennifer; van Sinderen, Douwe

    2018-01-01

    Bacteriocins from lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are of increasing interest in recent years due to their potential as natural preservatives against food and beverage spoilage microorganisms. In a screening study for LAB, we isolated from olives a strain, Lactobacillus plantarum NI326, with activity against the beverage-spoilage bacterium Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris Genome sequencing of NI326 enabled the identification of a gene cluster (designated plc ) encoding a putative circular bacteriocin and proteins involved in its modification, transport, and immunity. This novel bacteriocin, named plantaricyclin A (PlcA), was grouped into the circular bacteriocin subgroup II due to its high degree of similarity with other gassericin A-like bacteriocins. Purification of PlcA from the supernatant of Lb. plantarum NI326 resulted in an active peptide with a molecular mass of 5,570 Da, corresponding to that predicted from the (processed) PlcA amino acid sequence. The plc gene cluster was cloned and expressed in Lactococcus lactis NZ9000, resulting in the production of an active 5,570-Da bacteriocin in the supernatant. PlcA is believed to be produced as a 91-amino-acid precursor with a 33-amino-acid leader peptide, which is predicted to be removed, followed by joining of the N and C termini via a covalent linkage to form the mature 58-amino-acid circular bacteriocin PlcA. We report the characterization of a circular bacteriocin produced by Lb. plantarum The inhibition displayed against A. acidoterrestris highlights its potential use as a preservative in food and beverages. IMPORTANCE In this work, we describe the purification and characterization of an antimicrobial peptide, termed plantaricyclin A (PlcA), produced by a Lactobacillus plantarum strain isolated from olives. This peptide has a circular structure, and all genes involved in its production, circularization, and secretion were identified. PlcA shows antimicrobial activity against different strains, including

  20. Tandem Affinity Purification Approach Coupled to Mass Spectrometry to Identify Post-translational Modifications of Histones Associated with Chromatin-Binding Proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beyer, Sophie; Robin, Philippe; Ait-Si-Ali, Slimane

    2017-01-01

    Protein purification by tandem affinity purification (TAP)-tag coupled to mass spectrometry analysis is usually used to reveal protein complex composition. Here we describe a TAP-tag purification of chromatin-bound proteins along with associated nucleosomes, which allow exhaustive identification of protein partners. Moreover, this method allows exhaustive identification of the post-translational modifications (PTMs) of the associated histones. Thus, in addition to partner characterization, this approach reveals the associated epigenetic landscape that can shed light on the function and properties of the studied chromatin-bound protein.

  1. Purification of cress seed (Lepidium sativum) gum: Physicochemical characterization and functional properties

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Razmkhah, Somayeh; Mohammadifar, Mohammad Amin; Razavi, Seyed Mohammad Ali

    2016-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of different purification methods (ethanol, isopropanol and ethanol-isopropanol) on the physicochemical and functional characteristics of cress seed gum. Sugar composition and molecular weight of the samples varied significantly. All the...

  2. Rapid purification of recombinant histones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klinker, Henrike; Haas, Caroline; Harrer, Nadine; Becker, Peter B; Mueller-Planitz, Felix

    2014-01-01

    The development of methods to assemble nucleosomes from recombinant histones decades ago has transformed chromatin research. Nevertheless, nucleosome reconstitution remains time consuming to this day, not least because the four individual histones must be purified first. Here, we present a streamlined purification protocol of recombinant histones from bacteria. We termed this method "rapid histone purification" (RHP) as it circumvents isolation of inclusion bodies and thereby cuts out the most time-consuming step of traditional purification protocols. Instead of inclusion body isolation, whole cell extracts are prepared under strongly denaturing conditions that directly solubilize inclusion bodies. By ion exchange chromatography, the histones are purified from the extracts. The protocol has been successfully applied to all four canonical Drosophila and human histones. RHP histones and histones that were purified from isolated inclusion bodies had similar purities. The different purification strategies also did not impact the quality of octamers reconstituted from these histones. We expect that the RHP protocol can be readily applied to the purification of canonical histones from other species as well as the numerous histone variants.

  3. Purification and characterization of recombinant protein kinase CK2 from Zea mays expressed in Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Riera, Marta; Pages, Montserrat; Issinger, Olaf Georg

    2003-01-01

    Recombinant protein kinase subunits rmCK2alpha-1 and rmCK2beta-1 from Zea mays were expressed separately in Escherichia coli and assembled to a fully active tetrameric holoenzyme complex in vitro. The obtained maize holoenzyme was purified to homogeneity, biochemically characterized, and compared...... to CK2 from human. Kinetic measurements of the recombinant maize holoenzyme (rmCK2) revealed k(cat) values for ATP and GTP of 4 and 2s(-1), respectively; whereas the recombinant maize catalytic subunit showed almost equal values for ATP and GTP, i.e., ca. 0.8s(-1). A comparison of the k(cat)/K(m) ratio...

  4. The biochemical anatomy of cortical inhibitory synapses.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elizabeth A Heller

    Full Text Available Classical electron microscopic studies of the mammalian brain revealed two major classes of synapses, distinguished by the presence of a large postsynaptic density (PSD exclusively at type 1, excitatory synapses. Biochemical studies of the PSD have established the paradigm of the synapse as a complex signal-processing machine that controls synaptic plasticity. We report here the results of a proteomic analysis of type 2, inhibitory synaptic complexes isolated by affinity purification from the cerebral cortex. We show that these synaptic complexes contain a variety of neurotransmitter receptors, neural cell-scaffolding and adhesion molecules, but that they are entirely lacking in cell signaling proteins. This fundamental distinction between the functions of type 1 and type 2 synapses in the nervous system has far reaching implications for models of synaptic plasticity, rapid adaptations in neural circuits, and homeostatic mechanisms controlling the balance of excitation and inhibition in the mature brain.

  5. Purification of Arp2/3 complex from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doolittle, Lynda K.; Rosen, Michael K.; Padrick, Shae B.

    2014-01-01

    Summary Much of cellular control over actin dynamics comes through regulation of actin filament initiation. At the molecular level, this is accomplished through a collection of cellular protein machines, called actin nucleation factors, which position actin monomers to initiate a new actin filament. The Arp2/3 complex is a principal actin nucleation factor used throughout the eukaryotic family tree. The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has proven to be not only an excellent genetic platform for the study of the Arp2/3 complex, but also an excellent source for the purification of endogenous Arp2/3 complex. Here we describe a protocol for the preparation of endogenous Arp2/3 complex from wild type Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This protocol produces material suitable for biochemical study, and yields milligram quantities of purified Arp2/3 complex. PMID:23868593

  6. Biochemical characterization of propylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone). Facile synthesis of monoalkylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazones).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elo, H; Laine, R; Alhonen-Hongisto, L; Jänne, J; Mutikainen, I; Lumme, P

    1985-01-01

    Propylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) sulfate, a novel analog of the well-known antileukemic drug methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone), has been prepared from 2,2-dibromopentanal, and the compound has been characterized biochemically. Although it is a powerful inhibitor of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase, its Ki value (0.2 microM) is considerably higher than that of ethylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) (0.06 microM). The compound is only poorly taken up by tumor cells, and its accumulation is not stimulated by a prior exposure of the tumor cells to difluoromethylornithine, a compound that causes polyamine depletion. Thus, the uptake characteristics of the compound are similar to those of ethylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone), but in striking contrast to those of methylglyoxal and glyoxal bis(guanylhydrazones). Since the configuration of the double bonds in glyoxal, methylglyoxal and propylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazones) has been shown to be identical, the different uptake characteristics are probably only due to differences in side chain size and/or hydrophobicity.

  7. Optimized Expression and Purification for High-Activity Preparations of Algal [FeFe]-Hydrogenase

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yacoby, I.; Tegler, L. T.; Pochekailov, S.; Zhang, S.; King, P. W.

    2012-04-01

    Recombinant expression and purification of metallo-enzymes, including hydrogenases, at high-yields is challenging due to complex, and enzyme specific, post-translational maturation processes. Low fidelities of maturation result in preparations containing a significant fraction of inactive, apo-protein that are not suitable for biophysical or crystallographic studies. We describe the construction, overexpression and high-yield purification of a fusion protein consisting of the algal [2Fe2S]-ferredoxin PetF (Fd) and [FeFe]-hydrogenase HydA1. The maturation of Fd-HydA1 was optimized through improvements in culture conditions and media components used for expression. We also demonstrated that fusion of Fd to the N-terminus of HydA1, in comparison to the C-terminus, led to increased expression levels that were 4-fold higher. Together, these improvements led to enhanced HydA1 activity and improved yield after purification. The strong binding-affinity of Fd for DEAE allowed for two-step purification by ion exchange and StrepTactin affinity chromatography. In addition, the incorporation of a TEV protease site in the Fd-HydA1 linker allowed for the proteolytic removal of Fd after DEAE step, and purification of HydA1 alone by StrepTactin. In combination, this process resulted in HydA1 purification yields of 5 mg L{sup -1} of culture from E. coli with specific activities of 1000 U (U = 1 {micro}mol hydrogen evolved mg{sup -1} min{sup -1}). The [FeFe]-hydrogenases are highly efficient enzymes and their catalytic sites provide model structures for synthetic efforts to develop robust hydrogen activation catalysts. In order to characterize their structure-function properties in greater detail, and to use hydrogenases for biotechnological applications, reliable methods for rapid, high-yield expression and purification are required.

  8. Purification of a Multidrug Resistance Transporter for Crystallization Studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kamela O. Alegre

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Crystallization of integral membrane proteins is a challenging field and much effort has been invested in optimizing the overexpression and purification steps needed to obtain milligram amounts of pure, stable, monodisperse protein sample for crystallography studies. Our current work involves the structural and functional characterization of the Escherichia coli multidrug resistance transporter MdtM, a member of the major facilitator superfamily (MFS. Here we present a protocol for isolation of MdtM to increase yields of recombinant protein to the milligram quantities necessary for pursuit of structural studies using X-ray crystallography. Purification of MdtM was enhanced by introduction of an elongated His-tag, followed by identification and subsequent removal of chaperonin contamination. For crystallization trials of MdtM, detergent screening using size exclusion chromatography determined that decylmaltoside (DM was the shortest-chain detergent that maintained the protein in a stable, monodispersed state. Crystallization trials of MdtM performed using the hanging-drop diffusion method with commercially available crystallization screens yielded 3D protein crystals under several different conditions. We contend that the purification protocol described here may be employed for production of high-quality protein of other multidrug efflux members of the MFS, a ubiquitous, physiologically and clinically important class of membrane transporters.

  9. Investigation of the solubility and the potentials for purification of serum amyloid A (SAA) from equine acute phase serum

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Michelle Brønniche; Sørensen, Jens Christian; Jacobsen, Stine

    2013-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Serum amyloid A (SAA) is useful as a diagnostic marker of systemic inflammation in horses, but only heterologous assays based on non-equine calibration and standardization are available for measurements of equine SAA. More accurate measurements could be obtained using purified species......-specific SAA in native conformation for assay calibration and standardization. Further knowledge about the biochemical properties of SAA would facilitate a future production of native species-specific calibration material Therefore, the aim of the study was an investigation of the solubility and potentials...... for purification of equine SAA based on biochemical properties.Freeze dried equine acute phase serum was dissolved in 70% 2-propanol, 8 M urea, and milli-Q water, respectively. Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), size-exclusive chromatography (FPLC-SEC), and preparative isoelectric focusing (IEF) were performed...

  10. PARTIAL PURIFICATION AND IMMUNE-BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF DOG SERUM IMMUNOGLOBULIN G

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manoj Kumar

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available In the present study Immunoglobulin G was purified from serum of dog by gel filtration chromatography on Sephacryl S-200. SDS- PAGE analysis of purified dog IgG showed major polypeptides of 66 kDa, 52.40 kDa and 20.72 kDa. The purified Immunoglobulin has been found to be immune-reactive by DID test and Western Blot analysis when treated against hyperimmune sera which was raised in rabbit.

  11. Partial Purification and Characterization of Anticoagulant Factor from the Snake (Echis Carinatus) Venom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amrollahi Byoki, Elham; Zare Mirakabadi, Abbas

    2013-01-01

    Objective(s): Snake venoms contain complex mixture of proteins with biological activities. Some of these proteins affect blood coagulation and platelet function in different ways. Snake venom toxin may serve as a starting material for drug design to combat several pathophysiological problems such as cardiovascular disorders. In the present study, purification of anticoagulation factor from venom of snake (Echis carinatus) was studied. Materials and Methods: Anticoagulation activity of crude venom, fractions and purified peptide were determined by using prothrombin time (PT) and thrombin time (TT). Three fractions were partially purified from the venom of E. Carinatus by gel filtration on sephadex G-75 and final purification was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with C18 column. A purified anticoagulant factor was derived which showed a single protein band in SDS-PAGE electrophoresis under reducing condition. Results: Results of PT and TT tests for purified peptide (EC217) were found to be 102±4.242 and < 5 min. respectively. Determination of molecular weight revealed that the active purified peptide (EC217) was about 30 KD. Conclusion: The present study showed that the venom of E. carinatus contains at least one anticoagulant factor. PMID:24494065

  12. Partial Purification and Characterization of Anticoagulant Factor from the Snake (Echis carinatus Venom

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elham Amrollahi Byoki

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available   Objective(s: Snake venoms contain complex mixture of proteins with biological activities. Some of these proteins affect blood coagulation and platelet function in different ways. Snake venom toxin may serve as a starting material for drug design to combat several pathophysiological problems such as cardiovascular disorders. In the present study, purification of anticoagulation factor from venom of snake (Echis carinatus was studied. Anticoagulation activity of crude venom, fractions and purified peptide were determined by using prothrombin time (PT and thrombin time (TT. Three fractions were partially purified from the venom of E. Carinatus by gel filtration on sephadex G-75 and final purification was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC with C18 column. A purified anticoagulant factor was derived which showed a single protein band in SDS-PAGE electrophoresis under reducing condition. Results of PT and TT tests for purified peptide (EC217 were found to be 102±4.242 and < 5 min. respectively. Determination of molecular weight revealed that the active purified peptide (EC217 was about 30 KD. In conclusion, the present study showed that the venom of E. carinatus contains at least one anticoagulant factor.

  13. Purification and enzymatic characterization of a novel β-1,6-glucosidase from Aspergillus oryzae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watanabe, Akira; Suzuki, Moe; Ujiie, Seiryu; Gomi, Katsuya

    2016-03-01

    In this study, among the 10 genes that encode putative β-glucosidases in the glycoside hydrolase family 3 (GH3) with a signal peptide in the Aspergillus oryzae genome, we found a novel gene (AO090038000425) encoding β-1,6-glucosidase with a substrate specificity for gentiobiose. The transformant harboring AO090038000425, which we named bglH, was overexpressed under the control of the improved glaA gene promoter to form a small clear zone around the colony in a plate assay using 4-methylumbelliferyl β-d-glucopyranoside as the fluorogenic substrate for β-glucosidase. We purified BglH to homogeneity and enzymatically characterize this enzyme. The thermal and pH stabilities of BglH were higher than those of other previously studied A. oryzae β-glucosidases, and BglH was stable over a wide temperature range (4°C-60°C). BglH was inhibited by Hg(2+), Zn(2+), glucono-δ-lactone, glucose, dimethyl sulfoxide, and ethanol, but not by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. Interestingly, BglH preferentially hydrolyzed gentiobiose rather than other oligosaccharides and aryl β-glucosides, thereby demonstrating that this enzyme is a β-1,6-glucosidase. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the purification and characterization of β-1,6-glucosidase from Aspergillus fungi or from other eukaryotes. This study suggests that it may be possible to find a more suitable β-glucosidase such as BglH for reducing the bitter taste of gentiobiose, and thus for controlling the sweetness of starch hydrolysates in the food industry via genome mining. Copyright © 2015 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. The proteolytic system of pineapple stems revisited: Purification and characterization of multiple catalytically active forms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matagne, André; Bolle, Laetitia; El Mahyaoui, Rachida; Baeyens-Volant, Danielle; Azarkan, Mohamed

    2017-06-01

    Crude pineapple proteases extract (aka stem bromelain; EC 3.4.22.4) is an important proteolytic mixture that contains enzymes belonging to the cysteine proteases of the papain family. Numerous studies have been reported aiming at the fractionation and characterization of the many molecular species present in the extract, but more efforts are still required to obtain sufficient quantities of the various purified protease forms for detailed physicochemical, enzymatic and structural characterization. In this work, we describe an efficient strategy towards the purification of at least eight enzymatic forms. Thus, following rapid fractionation on a SP-Sepharose FF column, two sub-populations with proteolytic activity were obtained: the unbound (termed acidic) and bound (termed basic) bromelain fractions. Following reversible modification with monomethoxypolyethylene glycol (mPEG), both fractions were further separated on Q-Sepharose FF and SP-Sepharose FF, respectively. This procedure yielded highly purified molecular species, all titrating ca. 1 mol of thiol group per mole of enzyme, with distinct biochemical properties. N-terminal sequencing allowed identifying at least eight forms with proteolytic activity. The basic fraction contained previously identified species, i.e. basic bromelain forms 1 and 2, ananain forms 1 and 2, and comosain (MEROPS identifier: C01.027). Furthermore, a new proteolytic species, showing similarities with basic bomelain forms 1 and 2, was discovered and termed bromelain form 3. The two remaining species were found in the acidic bromelain fraction and were arbitrarily named acidic bromelain forms 1 and 2. Both, acidic bromelain forms 1, 2 and basic bromelain forms 1, 2 and 3 are glycosylated, while ananain forms 1 and 2, and comosain are not. The eight protease forms display different amidase activities against the various substrates tested, namely small synthetic chromogenic compounds (DL-BAPNA and Boc-Ala-Ala-Gly-pNA), fluorogenic compounds

  15. Lysine purification with cation exchange resin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khayati, GH.; Mottaghi Talab, M.; Hamooni Hagheeghat, M.; Fatemi, M.

    2003-01-01

    L-lysine is an essential amino acid for the growth most of animal species and the number one limiting amino acid for poultry. After production and biomass removal by filtration and centrifugation, the essential next step is the lysine purification and recovery. There are different methods for lysine purification. The ion exchange process is one of the most commonly used purification methods. Lysine recovery was done from broth by ion exchange resin in three different ways: repeated passing, resin soaking and the usual method. Impurities were isolated from the column by repeated wash with distilled water. Recovery and purification was done with NH 4 OH and different alcohol volumes respectively. The results showed that repeated passing is the best method for lysine absorption (maximum range 86.21 %). Washing with alkali solution revealed that most of lysine is obtained in the first step of washing. The highest degree of lysine purification was achieved with the use of 4 volumes of alcohol

  16. Purification and Characterization of Recombinant Human Lysozyme from Eggs of Transgenic Chickens.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hanyu Wu

    Full Text Available Transgenic chickens as bioreactors have several advantages, such as the simple establishment procedure, correct glycosylation profile of expressed proteins, etc. Lysozyme is widely used in food industry, livestock farming, and medical field as a replacement of antibiotics because of its antibacterial and complement system-modulating activity. In this study, we used RT-PCR, Western blot, and immunofluorescence to detect the expression of recombinant human lysozyme (rhLY in the transgenic chicken. We demonstrated that the transgene of rhLY was genetically stable across different generations. We next optimized the purification procedure of rhLY from the transgenic eggs by utilizing two steps of cation-exchange chromatography and one gel-filtration chromatography. About 6 mg rhLY with the purity exceeding 90% was obtained from ten eggs, and the purification efficiency was about 75%. The purified rhLY had similar physicochemical and biological properties in molecular mass and antibacterial activity compared to the commercial human lysozyme. Additionally, both of them exhibited thermal stability at 60°C and tolerated an extensive pH range of 2 to 11. In conclusion, our study proved that the transgenic chickens we have previously generated were genetically stable and suitable for the production of active rhLY. We also provided a pipeline for purifying the recombinant proteins from transgenic eggs, which could be useful for other studies.

  17. Purification Techniques of Bacteriocins from Lactic Acid Bacteria and Other Gram-Positive Bacteria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saavedra, Lucila; Sesma, Fernando

    The search for new antimicrobial peptides produced by lactic acid ­bacteria and other Gram-positive microorganisms has become an interesting field of research in the past decades. The fact that bacteriocins are active against numerous foodborne and human pathogens, are produced by generally regarded as safe (GRAS) microorganisms, and are readily degraded by proteolytic host systems makes them attractive candidates for biotechnological applications. However, before suggesting or choosing a new bacteriocin for future technology developments, it is necessary to elucidate its biochemical structure and its mode of action, which may be carried out once the bacteriocin is purified to homogeneity. This chapter focuses on describing the main strategies used for the purification of numerous bacteriocins.

  18. The mitochondrial 60-kDa heat shock protein in marine invertebrates: biochemical purification and molecular characterization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choresh, Omer; Loya, Yossi; Müller, Werner E G; Wiedenmann, Jörg; Azem, Abdussalam

    2004-03-01

    Sessile marine invertebrates undergo constant direct exposure to the surrounding environmental conditions, including local and global environmental fluctuations that may lead to fatal protein damage. Induction of heat shock proteins (Hsps) constitutes an important defense mechanism that protects these organisms from deleterious stress conditions. In a previous study, we reported the immunological detection of a 60-kDa Hsp (Hsp60) in the sea anemone Anemonia viridis (formerly called Anemonia sulcata) and studied its expression under a variety of stress conditions. In the present study, we show that the sponge Tetilla sp. from tidal habitats with a highly variable temperature regime is characterized by an increased level of Hsp60. Moreover, we show the expression of Hsp60 in various species among Porifera and Cnidaria, suggesting a general importance of this protein among marine invertebrates. We further cloned the hsp60 gene from A viridis, using a combination of conventional protein isolation methods and screening of a complementary deoxyribonucleic acid library by polymerase chain reaction. The cloned sequence (1764 bp) encodes for a protein of 62.8 kDa (588 amino acids). The 62.8-kDa protein, which contains an amino terminal extension that may serve as a mitochondrial targeting signal, shares a significant identity with mitochondrial Hsp60s from several animals but less identity with Hsp60s from either bacteria or plants.

  19. Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray characterization of a haemagglutinin from the seeds of Jatropha curcas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nair, Divya N.; Suresh, C. G.; Singh, Desh Deepak

    2011-01-01

    A novel haemagglutinin from Jatropha curcas seeds is purified and crystallized. X-ray diffraction data collected from the rod-shaped crystals were processed in the orthorhombic space group P2 1 2 1 2 1 and the crystals diffracted to 2.8 Å resolution at 103 K. The plant Jatropha curcas (Euphorbiaceae) is an important source of biofuel from the inedible oil present in its toxic seeds. The toxicity arises from the presence of curcin, a ribosome-inactivating protein showing haemagglutination activity. In this communication, the purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray characterization are reported of a small protein isolated from J. curcas seeds with a molecular mass of ∼10 kDa that agglutinates rabbit erythrocytes. The protein was crystallized using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method and also by the microbatch method in 72-well HLA plates, using PEG 8000 as the precipitant in both conditions. X-ray diffraction data collected from the rod-shaped crystals were processed in the orthorhombic space group P2 1 2 1 2 1 . The crystals diffracted to 2.8 Å resolution at 103 K

  20. Purification, characterization and end product analysis of dextran degrading endodextranase from Bacillus licheniformis KIBGE-IB25.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zohra, Rashida Rahmat; Aman, Afsheen; Ansari, Asma; Haider, Muhammad Samee; Qader, Shah Ali Ul

    2015-07-01

    Degradation of high molecular weight dextran for obtaining low molecular weight dextran is based on the hydrolysis using chemical and enzymatic methods. Current research study focused on production, purification and characterization of dextranase from a newly isolated strain of Bacillus licheniformis KIBGE-IB25. Dextranase was purified up to 36 folds with specific activity of 1405 U/mg and molecular weight of 158 kDa. It was found that enzyme performs optimum cleavage of dextran (5000 Da, 0.5%) at 35 °C in 15 min at pH 4.5 with a Km and Vmax of 0.374 mg/ml and 182 μmol/min, respectively. Relative amino acid composition analysis of purified enzyme suggested the presence of higher number of hydrophobic, acidic and glycosylation promoting amino acids. The N-terminal sequence of dextranase KIBGE-IB25 was AYTVTLYLQG. It exhibited distinct amino acid sequence yet shared some inherent characteristics with glycosyl hydrolases (GH) family 49 and also testified the presence of O-glycosylation at N-terminal end. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Biochemical characterization of amandin, the major storage protein in almond (Prunus dulcis L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sathe, Shridhar K; Wolf, Walter J; Roux, Kenneth H; Teuber, Suzanne S; Venkatachalam, Mahesh; Sze-Tao, Kar Wai Clara

    2002-07-17

    The almond major storage protein, amandin, was prepared by column chromatography (amandin-1), cryoprecipitation (amandin-2), and isoelectric precipitation (amandin-3) methods. Amandin is a legumin type protein characterized by a sedimentation value of 14S. Amandin is composed of two major types of polypeptides with estimated molecular weights of 42-46 and 20-22 kDa linked via disulfide bonds. Several additional minor polypeptides were also present in amandin. Amandin is a storage protein with an estimated molecular weight of 427,300 +/- 47,600 Da (n = 7) and a Stokes radius of 65.88 +/- 3.21 A (n = 7). Amandin is not a glycoprotein. Amandin-1, amandin-2, and amandin-3 are antigenically related and have similar biochemical properties. Amandin-3 is more negatively charged than either amandin-1 or amandin-2. Methionine is the first essential limiting amino acid in amandin followed by lysine and threonine.

  2. A uniform procedure for the purification of CDK7/CycH/MAT1, CDK8/CycC and CDK9/CycT1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pinhero Reena

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available We have established a uniform procedure for the expression and purification of the cyclin-dependent kinases CDK7/CycH/MAT1, CDK8/CycC and CDK9/CycT1. We attach a His6-tag to one of the subunits of each complex and then co-express it together with the other subunits in Spodoptera frugiperda insect cells. The CDK complexes are subsequently purified by Ni2+-NTA and Mono S chromatography. This approach generates large amounts of active recombinant kinases that are devoid of contaminating kinase activities. Importantly, the properties of these recombinant kinases are similar to their natural counterparts (Pinhero et al. 2004, Eur J Biochem 271:1004-14. Our protocol provides a novel systematic approach for the purification of these three (and possibly other recombinant CDKs.

  3. Improving Marine Ecosystem Models with Biochemical Tracers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pethybridge, Heidi R.; Choy, C. Anela; Polovina, Jeffrey J.; Fulton, Elizabeth A.

    2018-01-01

    Empirical data on food web dynamics and predator-prey interactions underpin ecosystem models, which are increasingly used to support strategic management of marine resources. These data have traditionally derived from stomach content analysis, but new and complementary forms of ecological data are increasingly available from biochemical tracer techniques. Extensive opportunities exist to improve the empirical robustness of ecosystem models through the incorporation of biochemical tracer data and derived indices, an area that is rapidly expanding because of advances in analytical developments and sophisticated statistical techniques. Here, we explore the trophic information required by ecosystem model frameworks (species, individual, and size based) and match them to the most commonly used biochemical tracers (bulk tissue and compound-specific stable isotopes, fatty acids, and trace elements). Key quantitative parameters derived from biochemical tracers include estimates of diet composition, niche width, and trophic position. Biochemical tracers also provide powerful insight into the spatial and temporal variability of food web structure and the characterization of dominant basal and microbial food web groups. A major challenge in incorporating biochemical tracer data into ecosystem models is scale and data type mismatches, which can be overcome with greater knowledge exchange and numerical approaches that transform, integrate, and visualize data.

  4. Evaluation, partial characterization and purification of acetylcholine esterase enzyme and antiangiogenic activity from marine sponges

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maushmi Shailesh Kumar

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To test three marine sponges Halichondria glabrata Keller, 1891; Spirastrella pachyspira (S. pachyspira Levi, 1958 and Cliona lobata Hancock, 1849 for the presence of the acetylcholinesterase (AChE in both young and developed samples from western coastal area of India. S. pachyspira methanolic extract was selected for anti/pro angiogenic activity. Methods: They were evaluated for AChE activity using Ellman’s assay based on production of yellow colored 5-thio-2-nitrobenzoate. Purification of the enzyme was planned using ammonium sulphate precipitation and characterization by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Chorioallantoic membrane (ChAM assay model was used for angiogenic/ antiangiogenic testing. Results: All the three sponges showed good specific enzyme activity and S. pachyspira contained maximum specific enzyme activity. Sixty percent of ammonium sulphate precipitation of crude protein sample gave single band at 66 kDa corresponding to the true AChE. ChAM assay was performed at 62.5, 125.0 and 250.0 µg/mL. Dosage beyond 250 µg/mL extract showed toxic response with anti angiogenic activity at all the concentrations. Conclusions: AChE activity was detected in all samples. Extract showed good anti-angiogenic response at 62.5 µg/mL. Extract was highly toxic affecting microvasculature of ChAM as well as normal growth and development of the embryo at 500 µg/mL. With further characterization of bioactive compounds from the extract of S. pachyspira, the compounds can be developed for anti tumor activity.

  5. Large-Scale Purification and Characterization of Barley Limit Dextrinase, a Member of the α-Amylase Structural Family

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, Michael; Planchot, Véronique; Abe, Jun-ichi

    1998-01-01

    Homogeneous barley limit dextrinase (LD) was isolated on a large scale in a yield of 9 mg/kg of 10-day germinated green malt. This represents a 9,400-fold purification and 29% recovery of the activity in a flour extract in 0.2M NaOAc (pH 5.0) containing 5 mM ascorbic acid. The purification protocol...... consists of precipitation from the extract at 20-70% saturated ammonium sulfate (AMS), followed by diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) 650S Fractogel anion-exchange chromatography, and affinity chromatography on b-cyclodextrin-Sepharose in the presence of 2M AMS. LD was eluted by 7 mM b-cyclodextrin and contains...

  6. Biochemical characterization of systemic bacteria in bananas, sensitivity to antibiotics and plant phytotoxicity during shoot proliferation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Janiffe Peres de Oliveira

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this work was to characterize the biochemically systemic bacterial isolated from banana plants, to evaluate the bacterial sensitivity to antibiotics, and to determine the phytotoxicity of banana shoots during in vitro proliferation. Systemic bacteria belonging to the Klebsiella and Aeromonas genera were isolated from the “Maravilha” (FHIA 01 AAAB, “Preciosa” (PV 4285 AAAB and “Thap Maeo” (AAB varieties and were then characterized. Tests of shoot sensitivity to antibiotics were performed, and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC and phytotoxic effects of selected antibiotics to plants were determined. Among the 20 antibiotics evaluated, the strains showed sensitivity to cefaclor, cefalexin, cefalotin, nalidixic acid, chloramphenicol, and vancomycin. However, during MIC determination, the best results were obtained with cefaclor, vancomycin or nalidixic acid alone in concentrations ranging from 512 to 1,024 mg L-1. In culture medium, cefaclor at 1,024 mg L-1 was the only antibiotic to affect the multiplication and the shoot survival in culture.

  7. Biochemical Characterization of an In-House Coccidioides Antigen: Perspectives for the Immunodiagnosis of Coccidioidomycosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renato Evando Moreira Filho

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to evaluate the reactivity of an in-house antigen, extracted from a strain of C. posadasii isolated in northeastern Brazil, by radial immunodiffusion and Western blotting, as well as to establish its biochemical characterization. The protein antigen was initially extracted with the use of solid ammonium sulfate and characterized by 1-D electrophoresis. Subsequently, it was tested by means of double radial immunodiffusion and Western blotting. A positive reaction was observed against the antigen by both immunodiagnostic techniques tested on sera from patients suffering from coccidioidomycosis. Besides this, two immunoreactive protein bands were observed and were revealed to be a β-glucosidase and a glutamine synthetase after sequencing of the respective N-terminal regions. Our in-house Coccidioides antigen can be promising as a quick and low-cost diagnostic tool without the risk of direct manipulation of the microorganism.

  8. Purification of Ovine Respiratory Complex I Results in a Highly Active and Stable Preparation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Letts, James A; Degliesposti, Gianluca; Fiedorczuk, Karol; Skehel, Mark; Sazanov, Leonid A

    2016-11-18

    NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I) is the largest (∼1 MDa) and the least characterized complex of the mitochondrial electron transport chain. Because of the ease of sample availability, previous work has focused almost exclusively on bovine complex I. However, only medium resolution structural analyses of this complex have been reported. Working with other mammalian complex I homologues is a potential approach for overcoming these limitations. Due to the inherent difficulty of expressing large membrane protein complexes, screening of complex I homologues is limited to large mammals reared for human consumption. The high sequence identity among these available sources may preclude the benefits of screening. Here, we report the characterization of complex I purified from Ovis aries (ovine) heart mitochondria. All 44 unique subunits of the intact complex were identified by mass spectrometry. We identified differences in the subunit composition of subcomplexes of ovine complex I as compared with bovine, suggesting differential stability of inter-subunit interactions within the complex. Furthermore, the 42-kDa subunit, which is easily lost from the bovine enzyme, remains tightly bound to ovine complex I. Additionally, we developed a novel purification protocol for highly active and stable mitochondrial complex I using the branched-chain detergent lauryl maltose neopentyl glycol. Our data demonstrate that, although closely related, significant differences exist between the biochemical properties of complex I prepared from ovine and bovine mitochondria and that ovine complex I represents a suitable alternative target for further structural studies. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  9. Molecular and biochemical characterizations of human oral lactobacilli as putative probiotic candidates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strahinic, I; Busarcevic, M; Pavlica, D; Milasin, J; Golic, N; Topisirovic, L

    2007-04-01

    The objective of this study was to characterize the lactobacilli from the human oral cavity as a potential source of probiotic strains. Samples were collected from four different locations within the oral cavity: surface of healthy tooth, oral mucous membrane, surface of tooth decay and deep tooth decay. On the basis of morphological and biochemical properties eight categories were formed and 26 isolates were selected for further characterization. The isolates were determined as Lactobacillus sp. using primers specific for 16S rDNA. Sequencing of 16S rDNA genes and repetitive sequence-based polymerase chain reactions were used for determination to species and subspecies levels. Predominant species were Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus salivarius and Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei, while Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus cellobiosus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis and Lactobacillus gasseri were also present. The isolates Lactobacillus salivarius BGHO1, Lactobacillus fermentum BGHO36 and BGHO64, Lactobacillus gasseri BGHO89 and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis BGHO99 exhibited antagonistic action on the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Micrococcus flavus, Salmonella enteritidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus mutans, but not on growth of Candida albicans. Moreover, the isolates L. salivarius BGHO1 and L. gasseri BGHO89 were tolerant to low pH and high concentration of bile salts. Taken together, these findings imply that L. salivarius BGHO1 and L. gasseri BGHO89 might be subjects for additional investigation as potential probiotic strains.

  10. Purification and characterization of bioactive his6-tagged recombinant human tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) protein expressed at high yields in mammalian cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Lena Vinther; Lademann, Ulrik Axel; Andersen, Elisabeth Veyhe

    2014-01-01

    Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) is an endogenous inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) with reported tumor promoting, as well as inhibitory, effects. These paradoxical properties are presumably mediated by different biological functions, MMP-dependent as well as -indepen...... TIMP-1, which structurally and functionally is similar to endogenous human TIMP-1, while using an expression system that is adaptable to most biochemical and biomedical laboratories including those that do not perform protein purifications routinely.......Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) is an endogenous inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) with reported tumor promoting, as well as inhibitory, effects. These paradoxical properties are presumably mediated by different biological functions, MMP-dependent as well...... as -independent, and probably related to TIMP-1 levels of protein expression, post-translational modifications, and cellular localization. TIMP-1 is an N-glycosylated protein that folds into two functional domains, a C- and an N-terminal domain, with six disulfide bonds. Furthermore, TIMP-1 is processed in the N...

  11. Expression and Purification of Functional Ligand-binding Domains of T1R3 Taste Receptors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nie,Y.; Hobbs, J.; Vigues, S.; Olson, W.; Conn, G.; Munger, S.

    2006-01-01

    Chemosensory receptors, including odor, taste, and vomeronasal receptors, comprise the largest group of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in the mammalian genome. However, little is known about the molecular determinants that are critical for the detection and discrimination of ligands by most of these receptors. This dearth of understanding is due in part to difficulties in preparing functional receptors suitable for biochemical and biophysical analyses. Here we describe in detail two strategies for the expression and purification of the ligand-binding domain of T1R taste receptors, which are constituents of the sweet and umami taste receptors. These class C GPCRs contain a large extracellular N-terminal domain (NTD) that is the site of interaction with most ligands and that is amenable to expression as a separate polypeptide in heterologous cells. The NTD of mouse T1R3 was expressed as two distinct fusion proteins in Escherichia coli and purified by column chromatography. Spectroscopic analysis of the purified NTD proteins shows them to be properly folded and capable of binding ligands. This methodology should not only facilitate the characterization of T1R ligand interactions but may also be useful for dissecting the function of other class C GPCRs such as the large family of orphan V2R vomeronasal receptors.

  12. α-Tocopherol-5-Me-D synthesis, purification and characterization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Corol-Cucu, Delia-Irina; Chiper, Diana; Mihaila, V.; Negoita, N.

    2000-01-01

    Vitamine E contains eight different compounds which have a ring with methyl and hydroxyl groups. Four of them, named tocopherols, contain a lateral saturated chain which derives from fitol and the others, named tocotrienols, have three double bounds in the lateral chain. The E vitamine is named 'vitamine of antisterility' because it is essential for good functioning of genital organs. It is involved in cellular oxidation processes, in muscle creatinine metabolism and metabolism of saccharides encouraging glycogen deposition in tissues. The labelling with deuterium of E vitamine is done in the following way: - The synthesis of α-tocopherol-5-Me-Cl from γ-tocopherol; - The replacement of chlorine with deuterium through catalytic dechlorination reaction. One obtains α-tocopherol-5-Me-D. The purification has been carried out through thin layer preparative chromatography, with C 6 H 6 as solvent (Al 2 O 3 as support) or solvent system C 6 H 6 :CH 3 OH (98:2, v/v) (silicagel as support). (authors)

  13. Cloning, expression, purification and characterization of tryptophan hydroxylase variants

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boesen, Jane

    in the anion exchange, indicating that the protein still exists in different oligomer forms. This was also observed in the gel filtration. Variants of both hTPH1 and hTPH2 containing the regulatory domain or parts of it were constructed and tested for expression in Escherichia coli as well as solubility....... It was observed that changes in the amino acid sequence of the regulatory domain by point mutations or truncations in the N-terminal had a huge impact on the solubility of the protein and caused the protein to be insoluble. The regulatory domain of human TPH1 (rhTPH1), and two fusion proteins of rhTPH1 fused...... to the green fluorescent protein (GFP) in the C-terminal and the glutathione S-transferase (GST) in the N-terminal, respectively, were expressed in a soluble form. The purification trials of the variants containing the regulatory domain showed that a high salt concentration was necessary to stabilize...

  14. Biochemical characterization of the deafness-associated mitochondrial tRNASer(UCN) A7445G mutation in osteosarcoma cell cybrids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Xiaoming; Zhang, Linda S.; Fischel-Ghodsian, Nathan; Guan Minxin

    2005-01-01

    The deafness-associated A7445G mutation in the precursor of mitochondrial tRNA Ser(UCN) has been identified in several pedigrees from different ethnic backgrounds. To determine the role of nuclear background in the biochemical manifestation associated with the A7445G mutation, we performed a biochemical characterization of this mutation using cybrids constructed by transferring mitochondria from lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from a New Zealand family into human osteosarcoma mtDNA-less (ρ 0 ) cells. Compared with three control cybrids, three cybrids derived from an affected matrilineal relative carrying the homoplasmic A7445G mutation exhibited ∼38-57% decrease in the steady-state level of tRNA Ser(UCN) , which is less reduced levels than in lymphoblastoid cells in the previous study. Furthermore, ∼22% reduction in the level of aminoacylation of tRNA Ser(UCN) was observed in the mutant cybrid cells. Interestingly, ∼60-63% decrease of steady-state level of ND6 gene, which belongs to the same precursor as that of tRNA Ser(UCN) , in cybrid cell lines carrying the A7445G mutation, is more than that observed in lymphoblastoid cells. These observations strongly point out a mechanistic link between the processing defect of the tRNA Ser(UCN) precursor and decreased stability of ND6 mRNA precursor. These results also imply the influence of nuclear background on the biochemical phenotype associated with the A7445G mutation

  15. Entanglement purification of multi-mode quantum states

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clausen, J; Knoell, L; Welsch, D-G

    2003-01-01

    An iterative random procedure is considered allowing entanglement purification of a class of multi-mode quantum states. In certain cases, complete purification may be achieved using only a single signal state preparation. A physical implementation based on beam splitter arrays and non-linear elements is suggested. The influence of loss is analysed in the example of purification of entangled N-mode coherent states

  16. Physicochemical and biochemical characterization of biosurfactants released by Lactobacillus strains

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Velraeds, MMC; vanderMei, HC; Reid, G; Busscher, HJ

    1996-01-01

    Biosurfactants from Lactobacillus casei subsp. rhamnosus 36 and ATCC 7469, Lactobacillus fermentum B54 and Lactobacillus acidophilus RC14 were isolated from bacteria in their mid-exponential (4-5 h) and stationary growth phases (18 h) and physicochemical and biochemical properties of the

  17. African Journal of Biotechnology - Vol 11, No 103 (2012)

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Partial purification and biochemical characterization of acid phosphatase from germinated mung bean (Vigna radiata) seeds · EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT. Th Surchandra, SS Roy, N Rakesh Singh, MR Sahoo, N Prakash, 16777-16782 ...

  18. Recombinant expression, purification, and characterization of an acyl-CoA binding protein from Aspergillus oryzae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hao, Qing; Liu, Xiaoguang; Zhao, Guozhong; Jiang, Lu; Li, Ming; Zeng, Bin

    2016-03-01

    To characterize biochemically the lipid metabolism-regulating acyl-CoA binding protein (ACBP) from the industrially-important fungus Aspergillus oryzae. A full-length cDNA encoding a candidate ACBP from A. oryzae (AoACBP) was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli as a maltose-binding protein (MBP) fusion protein. The MBP-AoACBP protein was purified by an amylose resin chromatography column. SDS-PAGE showed that MBP-AoACBP has an estimated molecular weight of 82 kDa. Microscale thermophoresis binding assay showed that the recombinant AoACBP displayed much greater affinity for palmitoyl-CoA (K d = 80 nM) than for myristoyl-CoA (K d = 510 nM), thus demonstrating the preference of AoACBP for long-chain acyl-CoA. The data support the identification of AoACBP as a long-chain ACBP in A. oryzae.

  19. The various sodium purification techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Courouau, J.L.; Masse, F.; Rodriguez, G.; Latge, C.; Redon, B.

    1997-01-01

    In the framework of sodium waste treatment, the sodium purification phase plays an essential role in the chain of operations leading to the transformation of the active sodium, considered as waste, into a stable sodium salt. The objectives of the purification operations are: To keep a low impurity level, particularly a low concentration in oxygen and hydrogen, in order to allow its transfer to a processing plant, and in order to avoid risks of plugging and/or corrosion in sodium facilities; To reduce the sodium activity in order to limit the dose rate close to the facilities, and in order to reduce the activity of the liquid and gaseous effluents. After a recall of the different kind of impurities that can be present in sodium, and of the different purification methods that could be associated with, the following points are highlighted: (i) Oxygen and hydrogen purification needs, and presentation of some selection criteria for a purification unit adapted to a sodium processing plant, as well as 2 cold trap concepts that are in accordance with these criteria: PSICHOS and PIRAMIDE. (ii) Tritium reduction in a bulk of liquid sodium by swamping, isotopic exchange, or permeation throughout a membrane. (iii) Caesium trapping on carbonaceous matrix. The main matrices used at present are R.V.C. (Reticulated Vitreous Carbon) and Actitex/Pica products. Tests in the laboratory and on an experimental device have demonstrated the performances of these materials, which are able to reduce sodium activity in Cs 134 and Cs 137 to very low values. The sodium purification processes as regards to the hydrogen, oxygen and caesium, that are aimed at facilitating the subsequent treatment of sodium, are therefore mastered operations. Regarding the operations associated with the reduction of the tritium activity, the methods are in the process of being qualified, or to be qualified. (author)

  20. Entanglement of purification: from spin chains to holography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Phuc; Devakul, Trithep; Halbasch, Matthew G.; Zaletel, Michael P.; Swingle, Brian

    2018-01-01

    Purification is a powerful technique in quantum physics whereby a mixed quantum state is extended to a pure state on a larger system. This process is not unique, and in systems composed of many degrees of freedom, one natural purification is the one with minimal entanglement. Here we study the entropy of the minimally entangled purification, called the entanglement of purification, in three model systems: an Ising spin chain, conformal field theories holographically dual to Einstein gravity, and random stabilizer tensor networks. We conjecture values for the entanglement of purification in all these models, and we support our conjectures with a variety of numerical and analytical results. We find that such minimally entangled purifications have a number of applications, from enhancing entanglement-based tensor network methods for describing mixed states to elucidating novel aspects of the emergence of geometry from entanglement in the AdS/CFT correspondence.

  1. Bioinspired Materials for Water Purification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alfredo Gonzalez-Perez

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Water scarcity issues associated with inadequate access to clean water and sanitation is a ubiquitous problem occurring globally. Addressing future challenges will require a combination of new technological development in water purification and environmental remediation technology with suitable conservation policies. In this scenario, new bioinspired materials will play a pivotal role in the development of more efficient and environmentally friendly solutions. The role of amphiphilic self-assembly on the fabrication of new biomimetic membranes for membrane separation like reverse osmosis is emphasized. Mesoporous support materials for semiconductor growth in the photocatalytic degradation of pollutants and new carriers for immobilization of bacteria in bioreactors are used in the removal and processing of different kind of water pollutants like heavy metals. Obstacles to improve and optimize the fabrication as well as a better understanding of their performance in small-scale and pilot purification systems need to be addressed. However, it is expected that these new biomimetic materials will find their way into the current water purification technologies to improve their purification/removal performance in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way.

  2. Simulation studies in biochemical signaling and enzyme reactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelatury, Sudarshan R.; Vagula, Mary C.

    2014-06-01

    Biochemical pathways characterize various biochemical reaction schemes that involve a set of species and the manner in which they are connected. Determination of schematics that represent these pathways is an important task in understanding metabolism and signal transduction. Examples of these Pathways are: DNA and protein synthesis, and production of several macro-molecules essential for cell survival. A sustained feedback mechanism arises in gene expression and production of mRNA that lead to protein synthesis if the protein so synthesized serves as a transcription factor and becomes a repressor of the gene expression. The cellular regulations are carried out through biochemical networks consisting of reactions and regulatory proteins. Systems biology is a relatively new area that attempts to describe the biochemical pathways analytically and develop reliable mathematical models for the pathways. A complete understanding of chemical reaction kinetics is prohibitively hard thanks to the nonlinear and highly complex mechanisms that regulate protein formation, but attempting to numerically solve some of the governing differential equations seems to offer significant insight about their biochemical picture. To validate these models, one can perform simple experiments in the lab. This paper introduces fundamental ideas in biochemical signaling and attempts to take first steps into the understanding of biochemical oscillations. Initially, the two-pool model of calcium is used to describe the dynamics behind the oscillations. Later we present some elementary results showing biochemical oscillations arising from solving differential equations of Elowitz and Leibler using MATLAB software.

  3. Elucidating the Molecular Basis and Regulation of Chromium (VI) Reduction by Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 Using Biochemical, Genomic, and Proteomic Approaches

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hettich, Robert L.

    2006-10-30

    Although microbial metal reduction has been investigated intensively from physiological and biochemical perspectives, little is known about the genetic basis and regulatory mechanisms underlying the ability of certain bacteria to transform, detoxify, or immobilize a wide array of heavy metals contaminating DOE-relevant environments. The major goal of this work is to elucidate the molecular components comprising the chromium(VI) response pathway, with an emphasis on components involved in Cr(VI) detoxification and the enzyme complex catalyzing the terminal step in Cr(VI) reduction by Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. We have identified and characterized (in the case of DNA-binding response regulator [SO2426] and a putative azoreductase [SO3585]) the genes and gene products involved in the molecular response of MR-1 to chromium(VI) stress using whole-genome sequence information for MR-1 and recently developed proteomic technology, in particular liquid chromatographymass spectrometry (LC-MS), in conjunction with conventional protein purification and characterization techniques. The proteome datasets were integrated with information from whole-genome expression arrays for S. oneidensis MR-1 (as illustrated in Figure 1). The genes and their encoded products identified in this study are of value in understanding metal reduction and bacterial resistance to metal toxicity and in developing effective metal immobilization strategies.

  4. Effects of CO 2 on a High Performance Hollow-Fiber Membrane for Natural Gas Purification

    KAUST Repository

    Omole, Imona C.; Adams, Ryan T.; Miller, Stephen J.; Koros, William J.

    2010-01-01

    A 6FDA-based, cross-linkable polyimide was characterized in the form of a defect-free asymmetric hollow-fiber membrane. The novel membrane was cross-linked at various temperatures and tested for natural gas purification in the presence of high CO2

  5. Biochem-Env, a plateform of environmental biochemistry for research

    OpenAIRE

    GRONDIN, VIRGINIE; Nelieu, Sylvie; Crouzet, Olivier; Hedde, Mickaël; Mougin, Christian

    2016-01-01

    As a service of the research infrastructure AnaEE-France (http://www.anaee-france.fr/fr/), the platform Biochem-Env (http://www.biochemenv.fr) offers skills and innovative analytical tools for biochemical characterizations of soils, sediments, and micro-macro-organisms living in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The platform provides methods validated according to Quality Guidelines, i.e. to measure global soil enzymatic activities. Our robot-supported protocols allow great number of enzyme...

  6. Venturi purification device and its application in purification of gaseous waste of nuclear facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kong Jinsong; Yu Ren; Yang Huanlei

    2013-01-01

    The working principle of Venturi purification device and its purification of aerosol have been described. Then, taking the gaseous iodine as an example, the absorption process of insoluble gas pollutants is discussed, the calculation methods of the gas-liquid contact area, mass transfer rate and efficiency of mass transfer are educed, and the factors that affect the efficiency of mass transfer are analyzed. (authors)

  7. The purification, crystallization and preliminary structural characterization of human MAWDBP, a member of the phenazine biosynthesis-like protein family

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herde, Petra; Blankenfeldt, Wulf

    2006-01-01

    The purification, crystallization and preliminary structural characterization of human MAWD-binding protein (MAWDBP) are described. MAWDBP is the only representative of the phenazine biosynthesis-like protein family in the human genome. Its expression is elevated in several disease processes, including insulin resistance, folate deficiency and hypotension, and it may also be involved in carcinogenesis. The exact molecular function of MAWDBP is unknown. Native and seleno-l-methionine-labelled MAWDBP were expressed in Escherichia coli and crystallized at room temperature from precipitants containing 10 mM KF, 14%(w/v) PEG 3350 and 0.1 M sodium citrate pH 5.4. Crystals belong to space group H32, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 187, c = 241 Å, indicative of three to five monomers per asymmetric unit. Crystals were cryoprotected with 15%(v/v) glycerol and data have been collected to 2.7 Å resolution

  8. The purification, crystallization and preliminary structural characterization of human MAWDBP, a member of the phenazine biosynthesis-like protein family

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Herde, Petra; Blankenfeldt, Wulf, E-mail: wulf.blankenfeldt@mpi-dortmund.mpg.de [Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, 44227 Dortmund (Germany)

    2006-06-01

    The purification, crystallization and preliminary structural characterization of human MAWD-binding protein (MAWDBP) are described. MAWDBP is the only representative of the phenazine biosynthesis-like protein family in the human genome. Its expression is elevated in several disease processes, including insulin resistance, folate deficiency and hypotension, and it may also be involved in carcinogenesis. The exact molecular function of MAWDBP is unknown. Native and seleno-l-methionine-labelled MAWDBP were expressed in Escherichia coli and crystallized at room temperature from precipitants containing 10 mM KF, 14%(w/v) PEG 3350 and 0.1 M sodium citrate pH 5.4. Crystals belong to space group H32, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 187, c = 241 Å, indicative of three to five monomers per asymmetric unit. Crystals were cryoprotected with 15%(v/v) glycerol and data have been collected to 2.7 Å resolution.

  9. Expression, purification and functional characterization of AmiA of acetamidase operon of Mycobacterium smegmatis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sundararaman, Balaji; Palaniyandi, Kannan; Venkatesan, Arunkumar; Narayanan, Sujatha

    2014-11-01

    Regulation of gene expression is one of the mechanisms of virulence in pathogenic organisms. In this context, we would like to understand the gene regulation of acetamidase enzyme of Mycobacterium smegmatis, which is the first reported inducible enzyme in mycobacteria. The acetamidase is highly inducible and the expression of this enzyme is increased 100-fold when the substrate acetamide is added. The acetamidase structural gene (amiE) is found immediately downstream of three predicted open reading frames (ORFs). Three of these genes along with a divergently expressed ORF are predicted to form an operon and involved in the regulation of acetamidase enzyme. Here we report expression, purification and functional characterization of AmiA which is one of these predicted ORFs. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that AmiA binds to the region between the amiA and amiD near the predicted promoter (P2). Over-expression of AmiA significantly lowered the expression of acetamidase compared to the wild type as demonstrated by qRT-PCR and SDS-PAGE. We conclude that AmiA binds near P2 promoter and acts as a repressor in the regulation of acetamidase operon. The described work is a further step forward toward broadening the knowledge on understanding of the complex gene regulatory mechanism of Mycobacterium sp. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  10. Biochemical and biophysical characterization of the transmissible gastroenteritis coronavirus fusion core

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ma Guangpeng; Feng Youjun; Gao Feng; Wang Jinzi; Liu Cheng; Li Yijing

    2005-01-01

    Transmissible gastroenteritis coronavirus (TGEV) is one of the most destructive agents, responsible for the enteric infections that are lethal for suckling piglets, causing enormous economic loss to the porcine fostering industry every year. Although it has been known that TGEV spiker protein is essential for the viral entry for many years, the detail knowledge of the TGEV fusion protein core is still very limited. Here, we report that TGEV fusion core (HR1-SGGRGG-HR2), in vitro expressed in GST prokaryotic expression system, shares the typical properties of the trimer of coiled-coil heterodimer (six α-helix bundle), which has been confirmed by a combined series of biochemical and biophysical evidences including size exclusion chromatography (gel-filtration), chemical crossing, and circular diagram. The 3D homologous structure model presents its most likely structure, extremely similar to those of the coronaviruses documented. Taken together, TGEV spiker protein belongs to the class I fusion protein, characterized by the existence of two heptad-repeat (HR) regions, HR1 and HR2, and the present knowledge about the truncated TGEV fusion protein core may facilitate in the design of the small molecule or polypeptide drugs targeting the membrane fusion between TGEV and its host

  11. Biochemical Characterization of CPS-1, a Subclass B3 Metallo-β-Lactamase from a Chryseobacterium piscium Soil Isolate

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gudeta, Dereje Dadi; Pollini, Simona; Docquier, Jean-Denis

    2016-01-01

    CPS-1 is a subclass B3 metallo-β-lactamase from a Chryseobacterium piscium isolated from soil, showing 68 % amino acid identity to GOB-1 enzyme. CPS-1 was overproduced in Escherichia coli Rosetta (DE3), purified by chromatography and biochemically characterized. This enzyme exhibits a broad spect...... spectrum substrate profile including penicillins, cephalosporins and carbapenems, which overall resembles those of L1, GOB-1 and acquired subclass B3 enzymes AIM-1 and SMB-1....

  12. Expression, stabilization and purification of membrane proteins via diverse protein synthesis systems and detergents involving cell-free associated with self-assembly peptide surfactants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Xuan; Dong, Shuangshuang; Zheng, Jie; Li, Duanhua; Li, Feng; Luo, Zhongli

    2014-01-01

    G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are involved in regulating most of physiological actions and metabolism in the bodies, which have become most frequently addressed therapeutic targets for various disorders and diseases. Purified GPCR-based drug discoveries have become routine that approaches to structural study, novel biophysical and biochemical function analyses. However, several bottlenecks that GPCR-directed drugs need to conquer the problems including overexpression, solubilization, and purification as well as stabilization. The breakthroughs are to obtain efficient protein yield and stabilize their functional conformation which are both urgently requiring of effective protein synthesis system methods and optimal surfactants. Cell-free protein synthesis system is superior to the high yields and post-translation modifications, and early signs of self-assembly peptide detergents also emerged to superiority in purification of membrane proteins. We herein focus several predominant protein synthesis systems and surfactants involving the novel peptide detergents, and uncover the advantages of cell-free protein synthesis system with self-assembling peptide detergents in purification of functional GPCRs. This review is useful to further study in membrane proteins as well as the new drug exploration. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Photocatalytic materials and technologies for air purification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, Hangjuan; Koshy, Pramod; Chen, Wen-Fan; Qi, Shaohua; Sorrell, Charles Christopher

    2017-03-05

    Since there is increasing concern for the impact of air quality on human health, the present work surveys the materials and technologies for air purification using photocatalytic materials. The coverage includes (1) current photocatalytic materials for the decomposition of chemical contaminants and disinfection of pathogens present in air and (2) photocatalytic air purification systems that are used currently and under development. The present work focuses on five main themes. First, the mechanisms of photodegradation and photodisinfection are explained. Second, system designs for photocatalytic air purification are surveyed. Third, the photocatalytic materials used for air purification and their characteristics are considered, including both conventional and more recently developed photocatalysts. Fourth, the methods used to fabricate these materials are discussed. Fifth, the most significant coverage is devoted to materials design strategies aimed at improving the performance of photocatalysts for air purification. The review concludes with a brief consideration of promising future directions for materials research in photocatalysis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Phosphate-binding protein from Polaromonas JS666: purification, characterization, crystallization and sulfur SAD phasing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pegos, Vanessa R.; Hey, Louis; LaMirande, Jacob; Pfeffer, Rachel; Lipsh, Rosalie; Amitay, Moshe; Gonzalez, Daniel; Elias, Mikael (JCT-Israel); (UMM); (CNRS-UMR)

    2017-05-25

    Phosphate-binding proteins (PBPs) are key proteins that belong to the bacterial ABC-type phosphate transporters. PBPs are periplasmic (or membrane-anchored) proteins that capture phosphate anions from the environment and release them to the transmembrane transporter. Recent work has suggested that PBPs have evolved for high affinity as well as high selectivity. In particular, a short, unique hydrogen bond between the phosphate anion and an aspartate residue has been shown to be critical for selectivity, yet is not strictly conserved in PBPs. Here, the PBP fromPolaromonasJS666 is focused on. Interestingly, this PBP is predicted to harbor different phosphate-binding residues to currently known PBPs. Here, it is shown that the PBP fromPolaromonasJS666 is capable of binding phosphate, with a maximal binding activity at pH 8. Its structure is expected to reveal its binding-cleft configuration as well as its phosphate-binding mode. Here, the expression, purification, characterization, crystallization and X-ray diffraction data collection to 1.35 Å resolution of the PBP fromPolaromonasJS666 are reported.

  15. Surface processes during purification of InP quantum dots

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natalia Mordvinova

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Recently, a new simple and fast method for the synthesis of InP quantum dots by using phosphine as phosphorous precursor and myristic acid as surface stabilizer was reported. Purification after synthesis is necessary to obtain samples with good optical properties. Two methods of purification were compared and the surface processes which occur during purification were studied. Traditional precipitation with acetone is accompanied by a small increase in photoluminescence. It occurs that during the purification the hydrolysis of the indium precursor takes place, which leads to a better surface passivation. The electrophoretic purification technique does not increase luminescence efficiency but yields very pure quantum dots in only a few minutes. Additionally, the formation of In(OH3 during the low temperature synthesis was explained. Purification of quantum dots is a very significant part of postsynthetical treatment that determines the properties of the material. But this subject is not sufficiently discussed in the literature. The paper is devoted to the processes that occur at the surface of quantum dots during purification. A new method of purification, electrophoresis, is investigated and described in particular.

  16. Biochemical and functional characterization of Bothropoidin: the first haemorrhagic metalloproteinase from Bothrops pauloensis snake venom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomes, Mário Sérgio R; Naves de Souza, Dayane L; Guimarães, Denise O; Lopes, Daiana S; Mamede, Carla C N; Gimenes, Sarah Natalie C; Achê, David C; Rodrigues, Renata S; Yoneyama, Kelly A G; Borges, Márcia H; de Oliveira, Fábio; Rodrigues, Veridiana M

    2015-03-01

    We present the biochemical and functional characterization of Bothropoidin, the first haemorrhagic metalloproteinase isolated from Bothrops pauloensis snake venom. This protein was purified after three chromatographic steps on cation exchange CM-Sepharose fast flow, size-exclusion column Sephacryl S-300 and anion exchange Capto Q. Bothropoidin was homogeneous by SDS-PAGE under reducing and non-reducing conditions, and comprised a single chain of 49,558 Da according to MALDI TOF analysis. The protein presented an isoelectric point of 3.76, and the sequence of six fragments obtained by MS (MALDI TOF\\TOF) showed a significant score when compared with other PIII Snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs). Bothropoidin showed proteolytic activity on azocasein, Aα-chain of fibrinogen, fibrin, collagen and fibronectin. The enzyme was stable at pH 6-9 and at lower temperatures when assayed on azocasein. Moreover, its activity was inhibited by EDTA, 1.10-phenanthroline and β-mercaptoethanol. Bothropoidin induced haemorrhage [minimum haemorrhagic dose (MHD) = 0.75 µg], inhibited platelet aggregation induced by collagen and ADP, and interfered with viability and cell adhesion when incubated with endothelial cells in a dose and time-dependent manner. Our results showed that Bothropoidin is a haemorrhagic metalloproteinase that can play an important role in the toxicity of B. pauloensis envenomation and might be used as a tool for studying the effects of SVMPs on haemostatic disorders and tumour metastasis. © The Authors 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Japanese Biochemical Society. All rights reserved.

  17. Cohnella amylopullulanases: Biochemical characterization of two recombinant thermophilic enzymes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fatemeh Zebardast Roodi

    Full Text Available Some industries require newer, more efficient recombinant enzymes to accelerate their ongoing biochemical reactions in harsh environments with less replenishment. Thus, the search for native enzymes from extremophiles that are suitable for use under industrial conditions is a permanent challenge for R & D departments. Here and toward such discoveries, two sequences homologous to amylopullulanases (EC 3.2.1.41, GH57 from an endogenous Cohnella sp., [Coh00831 (KP335161; 1998 bp and Coh01133 (KP335160: 3678 bp] were identified. The genes were heterologously expressed in E. coli to both determine their type and further characterize their properties. The isolated DNA was PCR amplified with gene specific primers and cloned in pET28a, and the recombinant proteins were expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3. The temperatures and pH optima of purified recombinants Coh 01133 and Coh 00831 enzymes were 70°C and 8, and 60°C and 6, respectively. These enzymes are stable more than 90% in 60°C and 50°C for 90 min respectively. The major reactions released sugars which could be fractionated by HPLC analysis, from soluble starch were mainly maltose (G2, maltotriose (G3 and maltotetraose (G4. The enzymes hydrolyzed pullulan to maltotriose (G3 only. Enzyme activities for both proteins were improved in the availability of Mn2+, Ba2+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ and reduced in the presence of Fe2+, Li2+, Na2+, Triton X100 and urea. Moreover, Co2+, K+, and Cu2+ had a negative effect only on Coh 01133 enzyme.

  18. Cohnella amylopullulanases: Biochemical characterization of two recombinant thermophilic enzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zebardast Roodi, Fatemeh; Aminzadeh, Saeed; Farrokhi, Naser; Karkhane, AliAsghar; Haghbeen, Kamahldin

    2017-01-01

    Some industries require newer, more efficient recombinant enzymes to accelerate their ongoing biochemical reactions in harsh environments with less replenishment. Thus, the search for native enzymes from extremophiles that are suitable for use under industrial conditions is a permanent challenge for R & D departments. Here and toward such discoveries, two sequences homologous to amylopullulanases (EC 3.2.1.41, GH57) from an endogenous Cohnella sp., [Coh00831 (KP335161; 1998 bp) and Coh01133 (KP335160: 3678 bp)] were identified. The genes were heterologously expressed in E. coli to both determine their type and further characterize their properties. The isolated DNA was PCR amplified with gene specific primers and cloned in pET28a, and the recombinant proteins were expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3). The temperatures and pH optima of purified recombinants Coh 01133 and Coh 00831 enzymes were 70°C and 8, and 60°C and 6, respectively. These enzymes are stable more than 90% in 60°C and 50°C for 90 min respectively. The major reactions released sugars which could be fractionated by HPLC analysis, from soluble starch were mainly maltose (G2), maltotriose (G3) and maltotetraose (G4). The enzymes hydrolyzed pullulan to maltotriose (G3) only. Enzyme activities for both proteins were improved in the availability of Mn2+, Ba2+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ and reduced in the presence of Fe2+, Li2+, Na2+, Triton X100 and urea. Moreover, Co2+, K+, and Cu2+ had a negative effect only on Coh 01133 enzyme.

  19. Functional and Biochemical Characterization of Three Recombinant Human Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Mutants: Zacatecas, Vanua-Lava and Viangchan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gómez-Manzo, Saúl; Marcial-Quino, Jaime; Vanoye-Carlo, America; Serrano-Posada, Hugo; González-Valdez, Abigail; Martínez-Rosas, Víctor; Hernández-Ochoa, Beatriz; Sierra-Palacios, Edgar; Castillo-Rodríguez, Rosa Angélica; Cuevas-Cruz, Miguel; Rodríguez-Bustamante, Eduardo; Arreguin-Espinosa, Roberto

    2016-01-01

    Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency in humans causes severe disease, varying from mostly asymptomatic individuals to patients showing neonatal jaundice, acute hemolysis episodes or chronic nonspherocytic hemolytic anemia. In order to understand the effect of the mutations in G6PD gene function and its relation with G6PD deficiency severity, we report the construction, cloning and expression as well as the detailed kinetic and stability characterization of three purified clinical variants of G6PD that present in the Mexican population: G6PD Zacatecas (Class I), Vanua-Lava (Class II) and Viangchan (Class II). For all the G6PD mutants, we obtained low purification yield and altered kinetic parameters compared with Wild Type (WT). Our results show that the mutations, regardless of the distance from the active site where they are located, affect the catalytic properties and structural parameters and that these changes could be associated with the clinical presentation of the deficiency. Specifically, the structural characterization of the G6PD Zacatecas mutant suggests that the R257L mutation have a strong effect on the global stability of G6PD favoring an unstable active site. Using computational analysis, we offer a molecular explanation of the effects of these mutations on the active site. PMID:27213370

  20. Separation and purification of hyaluronic acid by glucuronic acid imprinted microbeads

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Akdamar, H.Acelya; Sarioezlue, Nalan Yilmaz [Department of Biology, Anadolu University, Eskisehir (Turkey); Ozcan, Ayca Atilir; Ersoez, Arzu [Department of Chemistry, Anadolu University, Eskisehir (Turkey); Denizli, Adil [Department of Chemistry, Hacettepe University, Ankara (Turkey); Say, Ridvan, E-mail: rsay@anadolu.edu.tr [Department of Chemistry, Anadolu University, Eskisehir (Turkey); BIBAM (Plant, Drug and Scientific Researches Center), Anadolu University, Eskisehir (Turkey)

    2009-05-05

    The purification of hyaluronic acid (HA) is relatively significant to use in biomedical applications. The structure of HA is formed by the repetitive units of glucuronic acid and N-acetyl glucosamine. In this study, glucuronic acid-imprinted microbeads have been supplied for the purification of HA from cell culture (Streptococcus equi). Histidine-functional monomer, methacryloylamidohistidine (MAH) was chosen as the metal-complexing monomer. The glucuronic acid-imprinted poly(ethyleneglycoldimethacrylate-MAH-Copper(II)) [p(EDMA-MAH-Cu{sup 2+})] microbeads have been synthesized by typical suspension polymerization procedure. The template glucuronic acid has been removed by employing 5 M methanolic KOH solution. p(EDMA-MAH-Cu{sup 2+}) microbeads have been characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and swelling studies. Moreover, HA adsorption experiments have been performed in a batch experimental set-up. Purification of HA from cell culture supernatant has been also investigated by determining the hyaluronidase activity using purified HA as substrate. The glucuronic acid imprinted p(EDMA-MAH-Cu{sup 2+}) particles can be used many times with no significant loss in adsorption capacities. Also, the selectivity of prepared molecular imprinted polymers (MIP) has been examined. Results have showed that MIP particles are 19 times more selective for glucuronic acid than N-acetylglucose amine.

  1. Water purification in Borexino

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Giammarchi, M. [Infn Milano (Italy); Balata, M.; Ioannucci, L.; Nisi, S. [Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (Italy); Goretti, A.; Ianni, A. [Princeton University (United States); Miramonti, L. [Dip. di Fisica dell' Università di Milano e Infn (Italy)

    2013-08-08

    Astroparticle Physics and Underground experiments searching for rare nuclear events, need high purity materials to act as detectors or detector shielding. Water has the advantage of being cheap, dense and easily available. Most of all, water can be purified to the goal of obatining a high level of radiopurity. Water Purification can be achieved by means of a combination of processes, including filtration, reverse osmosis, deionization and gas stripping. The Water Purification System for the Borexino experiment, will be described together with its main performances.

  2. Affinity chromatography: A versatile technique for antibody purification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arora, Sushrut; Saxena, Vikas; Ayyar, B Vijayalakshmi

    2017-03-01

    Antibodies continue to be extremely utilized entities in myriad applications including basic research, imaging, targeted delivery, chromatography, diagnostics, and therapeutics. At production stage, antibodies are generally present in complex matrices and most of their intended applications necessitate purification. Antibody purification has always been a major bottleneck in downstream processing of antibodies, due to the need of high quality products and associated high costs. Over the years, extensive research has focused on finding better purification methodologies to overcome this holdup. Among a plethora of different techniques, affinity chromatography is one of the most selective, rapid and easy method for antibody purification. This review aims to provide a detailed overview on affinity chromatography and the components involved in purification. An array of support matrices along with various classes of affinity ligands detailing their underlying working principles, together with the advantages and limitations of each system in purifying different types of antibodies, accompanying recent developments and important practical methodological considerations to optimize purification procedure are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Radiation-adsorption purification of effluents containing pesticides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brusentseva, S.A.; Shubin, V.N.; Nikonorova, G.K.; Zorin, D.M.; Sosnovskaya, A.A.; Petryaev, E.P.; Vlasova, V.I.; Edimicheva, I.P.; Subbotina, N.N.; Belorusskij Gosudarstvennyj Univ., Minsk)

    1986-01-01

    The radiation-adsorption purification is one of the new direction in the radiation purification of natural wastes and effluents containing pesticides. This method combines the conventional adsorption purification with radiation treatment of the sorbent, and the result the protection time of the sorbent increases due to the radiation regeneration of carbon. In present work the method was used for purification of effluents from pesticides, such as 4,4'Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane /DDT/, 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexachlorocyclohexane /HCCH/, dimethyl 2,2-dichlorovinylphosphate /DDVF/ and petroleum products (a mixture of kerosene and xylene in ratio 7:1). Such effluents are formed at factories producing an insecticide aerosol 'Prime-71'. Three investigations were carried out on model with a solution similar composition to industrial effluents. (author)

  4. A robust robotic high-throughput antibody purification platform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmidt, Peter M; Abdo, Michael; Butcher, Rebecca E; Yap, Min-Yin; Scotney, Pierre D; Ramunno, Melanie L; Martin-Roussety, Genevieve; Owczarek, Catherine; Hardy, Matthew P; Chen, Chao-Guang; Fabri, Louis J

    2016-07-15

    Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have become the fastest growing segment in the drug market with annual sales of more than 40 billion US$ in 2013. The selection of lead candidate molecules involves the generation of large repertoires of antibodies from which to choose a final therapeutic candidate. Improvements in the ability to rapidly produce and purify many antibodies in sufficient quantities reduces the lead time for selection which ultimately impacts on the speed with which an antibody may transition through the research stage and into product development. Miniaturization and automation of chromatography using micro columns (RoboColumns(®) from Atoll GmbH) coupled to an automated liquid handling instrument (ALH; Freedom EVO(®) from Tecan) has been a successful approach to establish high throughput process development platforms. Recent advances in transient gene expression (TGE) using the high-titre Expi293F™ system have enabled recombinant mAb titres of greater than 500mg/L. These relatively high protein titres reduce the volume required to generate several milligrams of individual antibodies for initial biochemical and biological downstream assays, making TGE in the Expi293F™ system ideally suited to high throughput chromatography on an ALH. The present publication describes a novel platform for purifying Expi293F™-expressed recombinant mAbs directly from cell-free culture supernatant on a Perkin Elmer JANUS-VariSpan ALH equipped with a plate shuttle device. The purification platform allows automated 2-step purification (Protein A-desalting/size exclusion chromatography) of several hundred mAbs per week. The new robotic method can purify mAbs with high recovery (>90%) at sub-milligram level with yields of up to 2mg from 4mL of cell-free culture supernatant. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Biochemical and immunological characterization of recombinant allergen Lol p 1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tamborini, E; Faccini, S; Lidholm, J; Svensson, M; Brandazza, A; Longhi, R; Groenlund, H; Sidoli, A; Arosio, P

    1997-11-01

    Pollen from perennial rye grass (Lolium perenne), a major cause of type-I allergy worldwide, contains a complex mixture of allergenic proteins among which Lol p 1 is one of the most important. We describe the expression, purification and characterization of a recombinant Lol p 1 overproduced in Escherichia coli. The recombinant allergen, expressed in high yields and purified in milligram amounts, bound to specific IgE antibodies from human sera, induced histamine release from sensitized human basophils, and elicited rabbit antisera that recognize specifically recombinant Lol p 1 and natural Lol p 1 of pollen extract. Recombinant Lol p 1 was used to develop ImmunoCAP assays for analysis of 150 sera that were Radioallergosorbent test positive to L. perenne pollen. In 130 of them (87%) the assay detected a significant level of IgE antibodies to Lol p 1, reaching on average 37% of the level obtained with a test for IgE to the whole grass pollen extract. To map epitopes on Lol p 1, we produced three deletion mutants [des-(116-240)-Lol p 1, des-(1-88)-Lol p 1 and des-(133-189)-Lol p 1], which were efficiently expressed in bacteria. These all showed a strong reactivity with the specific rabbit IgG antibodies, but lacked most or all the allergenic properties of recombinant Lol p 1. A study of the antigenic structure of Lol p 1 was performed using the three deletion mutants and a set of 17-18-residue overlapping synthetic peptides covering the whole allergen sequence. The results indicate that human IgE and rabbit IgG antibodies bind to distinct regions of Lol p 1, and that at least some important IgE epitopes are mainly conformational. The findings suggest that recombinant allergens constitute useful reagents for further development of serological diagnosis of allergy, and that it should be possible to produce immunogenic fragments of allergenic proteins without allergenic properties.

  6. White shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei recombinant lactate dehydrogenase: Biochemical and kinetic characterization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fregoso-Peñuñuri, Ambar A; Valenzuela-Soto, Elisa M; Figueroa-Soto, Ciria G; Peregrino-Uriarte, Alma B; Ochoa-Valdez, Manuel; Leyva-Carrillo, Lilia; Yepiz-Plascencia, Gloria

    2017-09-01

    Shrimp lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is induced in response to environmental hypoxia. Two protein subunits deduced from different transcripts of the LDH gene from the shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei (LDHvan-1 and LDHvan-2) were identified. These subunits are expressed by alternative splicing. Since both subunits are expressed in most tissues, the purification of the enzyme from the shrimp will likely produce hetero LDH containing both subunits. Therefore, the aim of this study was to overexpress, purify and characterize only one subunit as a recombinant protein, the LDHvan-2. For this, the cDNA from muscle was cloned and overexpressed in E. coli as a fusion protein containing an intein and a chitin binding protein domain (CBD). The recombinant protein was purified by chitin affinity chromatography column that retained the CBD and released solely the full and active LDH. The active protein appears to be a tetramer with molecular mass of approximately 140 kDa and can use pyruvate or lactate as substrates, but has higher specific activity with pyruvate. The enzyme is stable between pH 7.0 to 8.5, and between 20 and 50 °C with an optimal temperature of 50 °C. Two pK a of 9.3 and 6.6, and activation energy of 44.8 kJ/mol°K were found. The kinetic constants K m for NADH was 23.4 ± 1.8 μM, and for pyruvate was 203 ± 25 μM, while V max was 7.45 μmol/min/mg protein. The shrimp LDH that is mainly expressed in shrimp muscle preferentially converts pyruvate to lactate and is an important enzyme for the response to hypoxia. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Biochemical Characterization of Bovine Brain Myristoyl-CoA:Protein N-Myristoyltransferase Type 2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ponniah Selvakumar

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Protein N-myristoylation is a lipidic modification which refers to the covalent attachment of myristate, a 14-carbon saturated fatty acid, to the N-terminal glycine residue of a number of mammalian, viral, and fungal proteins. In this paper, we have cloned the gene coding for myristoyl-CoA:protein N-myristoyltransferase (NMT from Bos tarus brain. The open reading frame codes for a 410-amino-acid protein and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. Kinetic studies suggested that bovine brain NMT2 and human NMT1 show significant differences in their peptide substrate specificities. The metal ion Ca2+ had stimulatory effects on NMT2 activity while Mn2+ and Zn2+ inhibited the enzyme activity. In addition, NMT2 activity was inhibited by various organic solvents and other detergents while NMT1 had a stimulatory effect. Biochemical characterization suggested that both forms of NMT have unique characteristics. Further analysis towards functional role NMT2 will lead the development of therapeutic target for the progression of various diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases.

  8. Partial Purification of Antimicrobial Compounds Isolated from Mycelia of Tropical Lentinus cladopus LC4

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    LISDAR IDWAN SUDIRMAN

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Lentinus cladopus LC4 produced at least eight antimicrobial compounds (ACs which are active against plant and human pathogens. Three ACs in its crude mycelial were extracted with methanol and partial purification was carried out with silicic acid column chromatography and by thin layer chromatography (PTLC. The antimicrobial activity was tested by paper disc method and antibiographic method. The chromatography purification eluted with dichloromethane containing 5% methanol gave one active fraction (FII. This fraction which was active against X. campestris pv. glycines and showing two inhibition zones against Bacillus subtilis on bioautographic plates with the Rfs 0.8 and 0.7. FI and FIII fractions eluted with dichloromethane containing 0 and 10% methanol performed one inhibition zone with Rfs 0.8 and 0.7 respectively. However, their activities were lower than that of FII fraction. The PLTC purification gave one separate fraction with Rf value of 0.73 and it was active against X. campestris pv. glycines. The compound of Rf 0.73 fraction should be further studied using TLC and HPLC to obtain the pure substance for molecule characterization.

  9. Purification and characterization of a fibrinolytic enzyme from tempeh bongkrek as an alternative of thrombolytic agents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sasmita, I. R. A.; Sutrisno, A.; Zubaidah, E.; Wardani, A. K.

    2018-03-01

    Tempeh is one of Indonesia’s traditional foods that contain fibrinolytic enzymes. Tempeh bongkrek shows very strong activity among various tempeh. The fibrinolytic enzymes of bongkrek tempeh are obtained by steps of purification i.e, ammonium sulphate precipitation, ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration chromatography. The fibrinolytic enzymes has been successfully purified with a yield of 4.37%, specific activity of 3,361 U / mg and purification fold of 44.02. SDS PAGE analysis showed that the enzyme was purified in to single band with estimated molecular mass of 75.82 kDa. The purified enzyme has optimum pH of 7 and optimum temperature of 50°C and pH stability between pH 4 - 7 with temperature stability from 30°-50°C. The fibrinolytic activity is increased with addition of CaCl2 but inhibited with CuSO4, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA).

  10. Purification and biochemical characterization of feruloyl esterases from Aspergillus terreus MTCC 11096.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, C Ganesh; Kamle, Avijeet; Kamal, Ahmed

    2013-01-01

    Aspergillus terreus MTCC 11096 isolated from the soils of agricultural fields cultivating sweet sorghum was previously identified to produce feruloyl esterases (FAEs). The enzymes responsible for feruloyl esterase activity were purified to homogeneity and named as AtFAE-1, AtFAE-2, and AtFAE-3. The enzymes were monomeric having molecular masses of 74, 23 and 36 kDa, respectively. Active protein bands were identified by a developed pH-dependent zymogram on native PAGE. The three enzymes exhibited variation in pH tolerance ranging between pH 5-8 and thermostability of up to 55°C. Inhibition studies revealed that the serine residue was essential for feruloyl esterase activity; moreover aspartyl and glutamyl residues are not totally involved at the active site. Metal ions such as Ca(2+), K(+), and Mg(2+) stabilized the enzyme activity for all three FAEs. Kinetic data indicated that all three enzymes showed catalytic efficiencies (k(cat) /K(m)) against different synthesized alkyl and aryl esters indicating their broad substrate specificity. The peptide mass fingerprinting by MALDI/TOF-MS analysis and enzyme affinity toward methoxy and hydroxy substituents on the benzene ring revealed that the AtFAE-1 belonged to type A while AtFAE-2 and AtFAE-3 were type C FAE. The FAEs could release 65 to 90% of ferulic acid from agrowaste substrates in the presence of xylanase. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

  11. 21 CFR 876.5665 - Water purification system for hemodialysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Water purification system for hemodialysis. 876... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES GASTROENTEROLOGY-UROLOGY DEVICES Therapeutic Devices § 876.5665 Water purification system for hemodialysis. (a) Identification. A water purification system for hemodialysis is a...

  12. Sodium purification in Rapsodie; La purification du sodium a Rapsodie

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Giraud, B [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Dir. des Piles Atomiques, Cadarache (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

    1968-07-01

    This report is one of a series of publications presenting the main results of tests carried out during the start-up of the first french fast neutron reactor: Rapsodie. The article presents the sodium purification techniques used in the reactor cooling circuits both from the constructional point of view and with respect to results obtained during the first years working. (author) [French] Ce rapport fait partie d'une serie de publications presentant l'essentiel des resultats des essais effectues a l'occasion du demarrage du premier reacteur francais a neutrons rapides: RAPSODIE. Cet article expose les techniques de la purification du sodium utilise dans les circuits de refroidissement du reacteur tant au point de vue de leur realisation technologique, que des resultats obtenus pendant la premiere annee de fonctionnement. (auteur)

  13. [Bacterial synthesis, purification, and solubilization of transmembrane segments of ErbB family members].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goncharuk, M V; Shul'ga, A A; Ermoliuk, Ia S; Tkach, E N; Goncharuk, S A; Pustovalova, Iu E; Mineev, K S; Bocharov, É V; Maslennikov, I V; Arsen'ev, A S; Kirpichnikov, M P

    2011-01-01

    A family of epidermal growth factor receptors, ErbB, represents an important class of receptor tyrosine kinases, playing a leading role in cellular growth, development and differentiation. Transmembrane domains of these receptors transduce biochemical signals across plasma membrane via lateral homo- and heterodimerization. Relatively small size of complexes of ErbB transmembrane domains with detergents or lipids allows one to study their detailed spatial structure using three-dimensional heteronuclear high-resolution NMR spectroscopy. Here, we describe the effective expression system and purification procedure for preparative-scale production of transmembrane peptides from four representatives of ErbB family, ErbB1, ErbB2, ErbB3, ErbB4, for structural studies. The recombinant peptides were produced in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)pLysS as C-terminal extensions of thioredoxin A. The fusion protein cleavage was accomplished with the light subunit of human enterokinase. Several (10-30) milligrams of purified isotope-labeled transmembrane peptides were isolated with the use of a simple and convenient procedure, which consists of consecutive steps of immobilized metal affinity chromatography and cation-exchange chromatography. The purified peptides were reconstituted in lipid/detergent environment (micelles or bicelles) and characterized using dynamic light scattering, CD and NMR spectroscopy. The data obtained indicate that the purified ErbB transmembrane peptides are suitable for structural and dynamic studies of their homo- and heterodimer complexes using high resolution NMR spectroscopy.

  14. Distribution and Characterization of Antigens Found in Subcellular Fractions of African Trypanosomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1979-08-01

    34 • . . .. . -. 11. (i.e., Trypanosoma cruzi, Pereira et al 1978; Entamoeba histolytica, McLaughlin and Muller in preparation...Partial purification and some properties of a neutral sulfhydryl and an acid proteinase from Entamoeba histolytica. Can. J. Microbiol. 23 420-425...in membrane fragments isolated from Acanthamoeba sp . Biochem. Biophys. Acta 193 203-211. Voorheis, H.P. Gale, J.S., Owen, M.J. and Edwards W. (1979

  15. Purification and characterization of mu-specific opioid receptor from rat brain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hasegawa, J.; Cho, T.M.; Ge, B.L.; Loh, H.H.

    1986-03-05

    A mu-specific opioid receptor was purified to apparent homogeneity from rat brain membranes by 6-succinylmorphine affinity chromatography, Ultrogel filtration, wheat germ agglutinin affinity chromatography, and isoelectric focusing. The purified receptor had a molecular weight of 58,000 as determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and was judged to be homogeneous by the following criteria: (1) a single band on the SDS gel; and (2) a specific opioid binding activity of 17,720 pmole/mg protein, close to the theoretical value. In addition, the 58,000 molecular weight value agrees closely with that determined by covalently labelling purified receptor with bromoacetyl-/sup 3/H-dihydromorphine or with /sup 125/I-beta-endorphin and dimethyl suberimidate. To their knowledge, this is the first complete purification of an opioid receptor that retains its ability to bind opiates.

  16. Uranium hexafluoride purification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Araujo, Eneas F. de

    1986-01-01

    Uranium hexafluoride might contain a large amount of impurities after manufacturing or handling. Three usual methods of purification of uranium hexafluoride were presented: selective sorption, sublimation, and distillation. Since uranium hexafluoride usually is contaminated with hydrogen fluoride, a theoretical study of the phase equilibrium properties was performed for the binary system UF 6 -HF. A large deviation from the ideal solution behaviour was observed. A purification unity based on a constant reflux batch distillation process was developed. A procedure was established in order to design the re boiler, condenser and packed columns for the UF 6 -HF mixture separation. A bench scale facility for fractional distillation of uranium hexafluoride was described. Basic operations for that facility and results extracted from several batches were discussed. (author)

  17. Isolation, partial purification, biochemical characterization and detergent compatibility of alkaline protease produced by Bacillus subtilis, Alcaligenes faecalis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa obtained from sea water samples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarika Kedar Marathe

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available In the current study, bacteria isolated from sea water samples of Murdeshwar, Karnataka, were screened for the production of alkaline protease by culturing them onto skim milk agar media. Of the isolated bacteria, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Alcaligenes faecalis showed distinct zones of hydrolysis due to enzyme production. They were each inoculated into enzyme production media under submerged fermentation conditions at 37 °C for 48 h with a constant agitation of 120 rpm. Partial purification of alkaline protease was carried out by isoelectric precipitation. Enzyme activity was determined under varying conditions of pH, incubation temperature, different substrates, carbon and nitrogen sources and salt concentrations using sigma’s universal protease activity assay. Enzyme immobilization was carried out using 2% Sodium alginate and 0.1 M ice cold CaCl2 and its activity under varying pH, temperature conditions and detergent compatibility was assayed. Efficacy of enzyme in stain removal was tested and haemolysis was observed within of 60 s which resulted in removal of the stain. Among the three organisms, enzyme from Bacillus subtilis showed highest activity in all cases indicating that it was the most ideal organism for enzyme production. Keywords: Alkaline protease, Skim milk agar, Bacillus, Alcaligenes, Pseudomonas, Isoelectric precipitation, Protease activity, Enzyme immobilization, Detergent compatibility

  18. Biochemical characterization of legume seeds as ingredients in animal feed

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martín-Pedrosa, M.; Varela, A.; Guillamon, E.; Cabellos, B.; Burbano, C.; Gomez-Fernandez, J.; Mercado, E. de; Gomez-Izquierdo, E.; Cuadrado, C.; Muzquiz, M.

    2016-11-01

    The current European protein deficit is estimated as high as 70% of present needs. Because of the high protein content of their seeds, grain legumes are attractive candidates for lowering the deficiency in plant protein production. The objective of this work was to identify new sources of vegetable protein that would reduce our high dependence of soy, the main source of protein in the manufacture of feedstuffs. To achieve this goal, we determined the proximate composition, the bioactive components, as well as the antinutritional factors present in the studied seeds. In general, the protein, fat and carbohydrates content of legume seeds studied were within the limits found in the literature. The bioactive compounds detected in all the seeds were α-galactosides, myoinositol phosphates, protease inhibitors and phenols. IP6 (phytic acid) was the main inositol phosphate form in all the samples. The highest protease inhibitors content was detected in both Lathyrus cicera cultivars. Vicia ervilia and L. cicera cultivars showed low haemagglutinating activity (20.4 HU/g). The γ-glutamyl-S-ethenyl-cysteine content in Vicia narbonensis was around 16.0 mg/g. Both L. cicera varieties presented similar β-N-oxalyl-L-α, β-diaminopropionic acid content (0.80 mg/g). The two V. ervilia varieties showed high canavanine concentration (1.93-5.28 mg/g). Vicine was only detected in V. narbonensis cultivars (0.3 mg/g). The biochemical characterization carried out in this study allows us to know the limits of inclusion of these minor crop seeds in feed formulations in order to replace the soybean. (Author)

  19. Biochemical characterization of legume seeds as ingredients in animal feed

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mercedes Martín-Pedrosa

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The current European protein deficit is estimated as high as 70% of present needs. Because of the high protein content of their seeds, grain legumes are attractive candidates for lowering the deficiency in plant protein production. The objective of this work was to identify new sources of vegetable protein that would reduce our high dependence of soy, the main source of protein in the manufacture of feedstuffs. To achieve this goal, we determined the proximate composition, the bioactive components, as well as the antinutritional factors present in the studied seeds. In general, the protein, fat and carbohydrates content of legume seeds studied were within the limits found in the literature. The bioactive compounds detected in all the seeds were α-galactosides, myoinositol phosphates, protease inhibitors and phenols. IP6 (phytic acid was the main inositol phosphate form in all the samples. The highest protease inhibitors content was detected in both Lathyrus cicera cultivars. Vicia ervilia and L. cicera cultivars showed low haemagglutinating activity (20.4 HU/g. The γ-glutamyl-S-ethenyl-cysteine content in Vicia narbonensis was around 16.0 mg/g. Both L. cicera varieties presented similar β-N-oxalyl-L-α, β-diaminopropionic acid content (0.80 mg/g. The two V. ervilia varieties showed high canavanine concentration (1.93-5.28 mg/g. Vicine was only detected in V. narbonensis cultivars (0.3 mg/g. The biochemical characterization carried out in this study allows us to know the limits of inclusion of these minor crop seeds in feed formulations in order to replace the soybean.

  20. Purification of functionalized DNA origami nanostructures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaw, Alan; Benson, Erik; Högberg, Björn

    2015-05-26

    The high programmability of DNA origami has provided tools for precise manipulation of matter at the nanoscale. This manipulation of matter opens up the possibility to arrange functional elements for a diverse range of applications that utilize the nanometer precision provided by these structures. However, the realization of functionalized DNA origami still suffers from imperfect production methods, in particular in the purification step, where excess material is separated from the desired functionalized DNA origami. In this article we demonstrate and optimize two purification methods that have not previously been applied to DNA origami. In addition, we provide a systematic study comparing the purification efficacy of these and five other commonly used purification methods. Three types of functionalized DNA origami were used as model systems in this study. DNA origami was patterned with either small molecules, antibodies, or larger proteins. With the results of our work we aim to provide a guideline in quality fabrication of various types of functionalized DNA origami and to provide a route for scalable production of these promising tools.

  1. Biodiesel separation and purification: A review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Atadashi, I.M.; Aroua, M.K.; Aziz, A. Abdul

    2011-01-01

    Biodiesel as a biodegradable, sustainable and clean energy has worldwide attracted renewed and growing interest in topical years, chiefly due to development in biodiesel fuel and ecological pressures which include climatic changes. In the production of biodiesel from biomass, separation and purification of biodiesel is a critical technology. Conventional technologies used for biodiesel separation such as gravitational settling, decantation, filtration and biodiesel purification such as water washing, acid washing, and washing with ether and absorbents have proven to be inefficient, time and energy consumptive, and less cost effective. The involvement of membrane reactor and separative membrane shows great promise for the separation and purification of biodiesel. Membrane technology needs to be explored and exploited to overcome the difficulties usually encountered in the separation and purification of biodiesel. In this paper both conventional and most recent membrane technologies used in refining biodiesel have been critically reviewed. The effects of catalysts, free fatty acids, water content and oil to methanol ratios on the purity and quality of biodiesel are also examined. (author)

  2. Genome-wide identification of the regulatory targets of a transcription factor using biochemical characterization and computational genomic analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jolly Emmitt R

    2005-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background A major challenge in computational genomics is the development of methodologies that allow accurate genome-wide prediction of the regulatory targets of a transcription factor. We present a method for target identification that combines experimental characterization of binding requirements with computational genomic analysis. Results Our method identified potential target genes of the transcription factor Ndt80, a key transcriptional regulator involved in yeast sporulation, using the combined information of binding affinity, positional distribution, and conservation of the binding sites across multiple species. We have also developed a mathematical approach to compute the false positive rate and the total number of targets in the genome based on the multiple selection criteria. Conclusion We have shown that combining biochemical characterization and computational genomic analysis leads to accurate identification of the genome-wide targets of a transcription factor. The method can be extended to other transcription factors and can complement other genomic approaches to transcriptional regulation.

  3. Identification, characterization, and purification of a 65,000 dalton protein in rat brain is photolabeled by nitro-containing benzodiazepines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bowling, A.C.

    1988-01-01

    Benzodiazepines bind to two well-characterized classes of nanomolar-affinity binding sites, the central and the peripheral types. Although these sites appear to mediate many of the effects of these compounds, they cannot account for all of the biochemical and physiologic effects of the benzodiazepines. In this investigation, a protein that is photolabeled by NO{sub 2}-containing benzodiazepines was identified and characterized in rat brain by performing photaffinity labeling experiments with ({sup 3}H)-clonazepam and ({sup 3}H)-flunitrazepam. These experiments demonstrate that this photolabeled protein has a molecular weight of 65,000 daltons. Photolabeling of the protein was saturable, inhibited in a stereoselective manner by benzodiazepine enantiomers, inhibited by therapeutically-relevant concentrations of many different NO{sub 2}-containing benzodiazepines, and was not inhibited by more than 70 non-benzodiazepine compounds. The photolabeled protein is distinct from the central and peripheral sites on the basis of molecular weight, benzodiazepine inhibitory potencies, subcellular localization, and tissue distribution.

  4. Purification of crude biodiesel using dry washing and membrane technologies

    OpenAIRE

    Atadashi, I.M.

    2015-01-01

    Purification of crude biodiesel is mandatory for the fuel to meet the strict international standard specifications for biodiesel. Therefore, this paper carefully analyzed recently published literatures which deal with the purification of biodiesel. As such, dry washing technologies and the most recent membrane biodiesel purification process have been thoroughly examined. Although purification of biodiesel using dry washing process involving magnesol and ion exchange resins provides high-quali...

  5. Identification, purification and characterization of laterosporulin, a novel bacteriocin produced by Brevibacillus sp. strain GI-9.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pradip Kumar Singh

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Bacteriocins are antimicrobial peptides that are produced by bacteria as a defense mechanism in complex environments. Identification and characterization of novel bacteriocins in novel strains of bacteria is one of the important fields in bacteriology. METHODOLOGY/FINDINGS: The strain GI-9 was identified as Brevibacillus sp. by 16 S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The bacteriocin produced by strain GI-9, namely, laterosporulin was purified from supernatant of the culture grown under optimal conditions using hydrophobic interaction chromatography and reverse-phase HPLC. The bacteriocin was active against a wide range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. MALDI-TOF experiments determined the precise molecular mass of the peptide to be of 5.6 kDa and N-terminal sequencing of the thermo-stable peptide revealed low similarity with existing antimicrobial peptides. The putative open reading frame (ORF encoding laterosporulin and its surrounding genomic region was fished out from the draft genome sequence of GI-9. Sequence analysis of the putative bacteriocin gene did not show significant similarity to any reported bacteriocin producing genes in database. CONCLUSIONS: We have identified a bacteriocin producing strain GI-9, belonging to the genus Brevibacillus sp. Biochemical and genomic characterization of laterosporulin suggests it as a novel bacteriocin with broad spectrum antibacterial activity.

  6. Identification, purification and characterization of laterosporulin, a novel bacteriocin produced by Brevibacillus sp. strain GI-9.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Pradip Kumar; Chittpurna; Ashish; Sharma, Vikas; Patil, Prabhu B; Korpole, Suresh

    2012-01-01

    Bacteriocins are antimicrobial peptides that are produced by bacteria as a defense mechanism in complex environments. Identification and characterization of novel bacteriocins in novel strains of bacteria is one of the important fields in bacteriology. The strain GI-9 was identified as Brevibacillus sp. by 16 S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The bacteriocin produced by strain GI-9, namely, laterosporulin was purified from supernatant of the culture grown under optimal conditions using hydrophobic interaction chromatography and reverse-phase HPLC. The bacteriocin was active against a wide range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. MALDI-TOF experiments determined the precise molecular mass of the peptide to be of 5.6 kDa and N-terminal sequencing of the thermo-stable peptide revealed low similarity with existing antimicrobial peptides. The putative open reading frame (ORF) encoding laterosporulin and its surrounding genomic region was fished out from the draft genome sequence of GI-9. Sequence analysis of the putative bacteriocin gene did not show significant similarity to any reported bacteriocin producing genes in database. We have identified a bacteriocin producing strain GI-9, belonging to the genus Brevibacillus sp. Biochemical and genomic characterization of laterosporulin suggests it as a novel bacteriocin with broad spectrum antibacterial activity.

  7. Moving oncolytic viruses into the clinic: clinical-grade production, purification, and characterization of diverse oncolytic viruses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guy Ungerechts

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Oncolytic viruses (OVs are unique anticancer agents based on their pleotropic modes of action, which include, besides viral tumor cell lysis, activation of antitumor immunity. A panel of diverse viruses, often genetically engineered, has advanced to clinical investigation, including phase 3 studies. This diversity of virotherapeutics not only offers interesting opportunities for the implementation of different therapeutic regimens but also poses challenges for clinical translation. Thus, manufacturing processes and regulatory approval paths need to be established for each OV individually. This review provides an overview of clinical-grade manufacturing procedures for OVs using six virus families as examples, and key challenges are discussed individually. For example, different virus features with respect to particle size, presence/absence of an envelope, and host species imply specific requirements for measures to ensure sterility, for handling, and for determination of appropriate animal models for toxicity testing, respectively. On the other hand, optimization of serum-free culture conditions, increasing virus yields, development of scalable purification strategies, and formulations guaranteeing long-term stability are challenges common to several if not all OVs. In light of the recent marketing approval of the first OV in the Western world, strategies for further upscaling OV manufacturing and optimizing product characterization will receive increasing attention.

  8. Moving oncolytic viruses into the clinic: clinical-grade production, purification, and characterization of diverse oncolytic viruses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ungerechts, Guy; Bossow, Sascha; Leuchs, Barbara; Holm, Per S; Rommelaere, Jean; Coffey, Matt; Coffin, Rob; Bell, John; Nettelbeck, Dirk M

    2016-01-01

    Oncolytic viruses (OVs) are unique anticancer agents based on their pleotropic modes of action, which include, besides viral tumor cell lysis, activation of antitumor immunity. A panel of diverse viruses, often genetically engineered, has advanced to clinical investigation, including phase 3 studies. This diversity of virotherapeutics not only offers interesting opportunities for the implementation of different therapeutic regimens but also poses challenges for clinical translation. Thus, manufacturing processes and regulatory approval paths need to be established for each OV individually. This review provides an overview of clinical-grade manufacturing procedures for OVs using six virus families as examples, and key challenges are discussed individually. For example, different virus features with respect to particle size, presence/absence of an envelope, and host species imply specific requirements for measures to ensure sterility, for handling, and for determination of appropriate animal models for toxicity testing, respectively. On the other hand, optimization of serum-free culture conditions, increasing virus yields, development of scalable purification strategies, and formulations guaranteeing long-term stability are challenges common to several if not all OVs. In light of the recent marketing approval of the first OV in the Western world, strategies for further upscaling OV manufacturing and optimizing product characterization will receive increasing attention.

  9. Expression, purification and characterization of soluble red rooster laforin as a fusion protein in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brewer, M Kathryn; Husodo, Satrio; Dukhande, Vikas V; Johnson, Mary Beth; Gentry, Matthew S

    2014-04-02

    The gene that encodes laforin, a dual-specificity phosphatase with a carbohydrate-binding module, is mutated in Lafora disease (LD). LD is an autosomal recessive, fatal progressive myoclonus epilepsy characterized by the intracellular buildup of insoluble, hyperphosphorylated glycogen-like particles, called Lafora bodies. Laforin dephosphorylates glycogen and other glucans in vitro, but the structural basis of its activity remains unknown. Recombinant human laforin when expressed in and purified from E. coli is largely insoluble and prone to aggregation and precipitation. Identification of a laforin ortholog that is more soluble and stable in vitro would circumvent this issue. In this study, we cloned multiple laforin orthologs, established a purification scheme for each, and tested their solubility and stability. Gallus gallus (Gg) laforin is more stable in vitro than human laforin, Gg-laforin is largely monomeric, and it possesses carbohydrate binding and phosphatase activity similar to human laforin. Gg-laforin is more soluble and stable than human laforin in vitro, and possesses similar activity as a glucan phosphatase. Therefore, it can be used to model human laforin in structure-function studies. We have established a protocol for purifying recombinant Gg-laforin in sufficient quantity for crystallographic and other biophysical analyses, in order to better understand the function of laforin and define the molecular mechanisms of Lafora disease.

  10. Molecular cloning and biochemical characterization of three phosphoglycerate kinase isoforms from developing sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) seeds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Troncoso-Ponce, M A; Rivoal, J; Venegas-Calerón, M; Dorion, S; Sánchez, R; Cejudo, F J; Garcés, R; Martínez-Force, E

    2012-07-01

    Three cDNAs encoding different phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK, EC 2.7.2.3) isoforms, two cytosolic (HacPGK1 and HacPGK2) and one plastidic (HapPGK), were cloned and characterized from developing sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) seeds. The expression profiles of these genes showed differences in heterotrophic tissues, such as developing seeds and roots, where HacPGK1 was predominant, while HapPGK was highly expressed in photosynthetic tissues. The cDNAs were expressed in Escherichia coli, and the corresponding proteins purified to electrophoretic homogeneity, using immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography, and biochemically characterized. Despite the high level of identity between sequences, the HacPGK1 isoform showed strong differences in terms of specific activity, temperature stability and pH sensitivity in comparison to HacPGK2 and HapPGK. A polyclonal immune serum was raised against the purified HacPGK1 isoform, which showed cross-immunoreactivity with the other PGK isoforms. This serum allowed the localization of high expression levels of PGK isozymes in embryo tissues. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Ash study for biogas purification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Juarez V, R. I.

    2016-01-01

    This work evaluates the ashes generated from the wood and coal combustion process of the thermoelectric plant in Petacalco, Guerrero (Mexico) in order to determine its viability as a filter in the biogas purification process. The ash is constituted by particles of morphology and different chemical properties, so it required a characterization of the same by different analytical techniques: as was scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, in order to observe the microstructure and determine the elemental chemical composition of the particles. Prior to the analysis, a set of sieves was selected to classify as a function of particle size. Four different types of ashes were evaluated: one generated by the wood combustion (wood ash) and three more of the Petacalco thermoelectric generated by the coal combustion (wet fly ash, dry fly ash and dry bottom ash). (Author)

  12. Antimicrobial Peptide Production and Purification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suda, Srinivas; Field, Des; Barron, Niall

    2017-01-01

    Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are natural defense compounds which are synthesized as ribosomal gene-encoded pre-peptides and produced by all living organisms. AMPs are small peptides, usually cationic and typically have hydrophobic residues which interact with cell membranes and have either a narrow or broad spectrum of biological activity. AMPs are isolated from the natural host or heterologously expressed in other hosts such as Escherichia coli. The proto-typical lantibiotic Nisin is a widely used AMP that is produced by the food-grade organism Lactococcus lactis. Although AMP production and purification procedures require optimization for individual AMPs, the Nisin production and purification protocol outlined in this chapter can be easily applied with minor modifications for the production and purification of other lantibiotics or AMPs. While Nisin is produced and secreted into the supernatant, steps to recover Nisin from both cell-free supernatant and cell pellet are outlined in detail.

  13. Preparation, Modification, Characterization, and Biosensing Application of Nanoporous Gold Using Electrochemical Techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhattarai, Jay K; Neupane, Dharmendra; Nepal, Bishal; Mikhaylov, Vasilii; Demchenko, Alexei V; Stine, Keith J

    2018-03-16

    Nanoporous gold (np-Au), because of its high surface area-to-volume ratio, excellent conductivity, chemical inertness, physical stability, biocompatibility, easily tunable pores, and plasmonic properties, has attracted much interested in the field of nanotechnology. It has promising applications in the fields of catalysis, bio/chemical sensing, drug delivery, biomolecules separation and purification, fuel cell development, surface-chemistry-driven actuation, and supercapacitor design. Many chemical and electrochemical procedures are known for the preparation of np-Au. Recently, researchers are focusing on easier and controlled ways to tune the pores and ligaments size of np-Au for its use in different applications. Electrochemical methods have good control over fine-tuning pore and ligament sizes. The np-Au electrodes that are prepared using electrochemical techniques are robust and are easier to handle for their use in electrochemical biosensing. Here, we review different electrochemical strategies for the preparation, post-modification, and characterization of np-Au along with the synergistic use of both electrochemistry and np-Au for applications in biosensing.

  14. Single-Step Purification and Characterization of A Recombinant Serine Proteinase Inhibitor from Transgenic Plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jha, Shweta; Agarwal, Saurabh; Sanyal, Indraneel; Amla, D V

    2016-05-01

    Expression of recombinant therapeutic proteins in transgenic plants has a tremendous impact on safe and economical production of biomolecules for biopharmaceutical industry. The major limitation in their production is downstream processing of recombinant protein to obtain higher yield and purity of the final product. In this study, a simple and rapid process has been developed for purification of therapeutic recombinant α1-proteinase inhibitor (rα1-PI) from transgenic tomato plants, which is an abundant serine protease inhibitor in human serum and chiefly inhibits the activity of neutrophil elastase in lungs. We have expressed rα1-PI with modified synthetic gene in transgenic tomato plants at a very high level (≃3.2 % of total soluble protein). The heterologous protein was extracted with (NH4)2SO4 precipitation, followed by chromatographic separation on different matrices. However, only immunoaffinity chromatography resulted into homogenous preparation of rα1-PI with 54 % recovery. The plant-purified rα1-PI showed molecular mass and structural conformation comparable to native serum α1-PI, as shown by mass spectrometry and optical spectroscopy. The results of elastase inhibition assay revealed biological activity of the purified rα1-PI protein. This work demonstrates a simple and efficient one-step purification of rα1-PI from transgenic plants, which is an essential prerequisite for further therapeutic development.

  15. Combination of membrane technologies for purification of L (+) - lactic acid from juice of banana (Musa AAA, variety Cavendish cultivar Gram naine) obtained from an agroindustrial waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murillo Viera, Esteban

    2013-01-01

    The process that has allowed recovery and purification of the L (+)-acid present in the juice fermented waste produced from banana was developed, treated enzymatically, using tangential nanofiltration. The effect of the enzymatic treatment was evaluated on physical chemical parameters of fermented banana juice. The process parameters of centrifugal clarification and microfiltration were characterized on banana juice as activities prior operations to recovery and purification of lactic acid. The temperature and the transmembrane pressure on the permeate flow and the performance of recovery and purification of lactic acid were evaluated by the ultrafiltration and nanofiltration processes. The properties physico-chemical the banana juice fermented and of the liquid filtrate obtained at the stage recovery and purification of lactic acid were compared by ultrafiltration [es

  16. Mass-spectrometry-directed analysis and purification of pyrrolizidine alkaloid cis/trans isomers in Gynura japonica.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Lianxiang; Xiong, Aizhen; Yang, Xiao; Cheng, Wenzhi; Yang, Li; Wang, Zhengtao

    2014-08-01

    Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are highly hepatotoxic natural chemicals that produce irreversible chronic and acute hepatotoxic effects on human beings. Purification of large amounts of pyrrolizidine alkaloids is necessary for toxicity studies. In this study, an efficient method for targeted analysis and purification of pyrrolizidine alkaloid cis/trans isomers from herbal materials was developed for the first time. Targeted analysis of the hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids was performed by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (precursor ion scan and daughter ion scan), and the purification of pyrrolizidine alkaloids was achieved with a mass-directed auto purification system. The extraction and preparative liquid chromatography conditions were optimized. The developed method was applied to analysis of Gynura japonica (Thunb.) Juel., a herbal medicine traditionally used for detumescence and relieving pain but is potentially hepatotoxic as it contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Twelve pyrrolizidine alkaloids (six cis/trans isomer pairs) were identified with reference compounds or characterized by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry, and five individual pyrrolizidine alkaloids, including (E)-seneciphylline, seneciphylline, integerrimine, senecionine, and seneciphyllinine, were prepared from G. japonica roots with high efficiency. The results of this work provide a new technique for the preparation of large amounts of pyrrolizidine alkaloid reference substances, which will also benefit toxicological studies of pyrrolizidine alkaloids and treatments for pyrrolizidine alkaloid-induced toxicity. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. Purification and characterization of a novel neutral and heat-tolerant phytase from a newly isolated strain Bacillus nealsonii ZJ0702

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Background Phytic acid and phytates can interact with biomolecules, such as proteins and carbohydrates, and are anti-nutritional factors found in food and feed. Therefore, it is necessary to remove these compounds in food and feed processing. Phytase can hydrolyze phytic acid and phytates to release a series of lower phosphate esters of myoinositol and orthophosphate. Thus, the purification and characterization of novel phytases that can be used in food and feed processing is of particular interest to the food and feed industries. Results A novel neutral and heat-tolerant phytase from a newly isolated strain Bacillus nealsonii ZJ0702 was purified to homogeneity with a yield of 5.7% and a purification fold of 44. The molecular weight of the purified phytase obtained by SDS-PAGE was 43 kDa. The homology analysis based on N-terminal amino acid and DNA sequencing indicated that the purified phytase was different from other known phytases. The optimal thermal and pH activity of the phytase was observed at 55°C and 7.5, respectively. Seventy-three percent of the original activity of the phytase was maintained following incubation at 90°C for 10 min. The phytase was stable within a pH range of 6.0 − 8.0 and showed high substrate specificity for sodium phytate. Cu2+, Co2+, Zn2+, Mn2+, Ba2+ and Ni2+ ions were found to inhibit the activity of the phytase. Conclusions A novel phytase purified from B. nealsonii ZJ0702 was identified. The phytase was found to be thermally stable over a wide temperature range at neutral pH. These properties suggest that this phytase is a suitable alternative to fungal phytases for the hydrolysis of phytic acid and phytates in food and feed processing industries. PMID:24073799

  18. Exergy costs analysis of water desalination and purification techniques by transfer functions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carrasquer, Beatriz; Martínez-Gracia, Amaya; Uche, Javier

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • A procedure to estimate the unit exergy cost of water treatment techniques is provided. • Unit exergy costs of water purification and desalination are given as a function of design and operating parameters. • Unit exergy costs range from 3.3 to 6.8 in purification and from 2 to 26 in desalination. • They could be used in their preliminary design as good indicators of their energy efficiency. - Abstract: The unit exergy costs of desalination and purification, which are two alternatives commonly used for water supply and treatment, have been characterized as a function of the energy efficiency of the process by combining the Exergy Cost Analysis with Transfer Function Analysis. An equation to assess the exergy costs of these alternatives is then proposed as a quick guide to know the energy efficiency of any water treatment process under different design and operating conditions. This combination, was satisfactory applied to groundwaters and water transfers. After identifying the boundaries of the system, input and output flows are calculated in exergy values. Next, different examples are analyzed in order to propose a generic equation to assess the exergy cost of the water restoration technologies, attending to their main features. Recovery ratio, energy requirements and salts concentrations (for desalination), and plant capacity and organic matter recovery (for water purification) are introduced in the calculations as their main endogenous parameters. Values obtained for typical operation ranges of commercial plants showed that unit exergy costs of water purification ranged from 3.3 to 6.8; maximum values, as expected, were found at low plant capacities and high organic matter removal ratios. For water desalination, values varied from 2 to 7 in membrane technologies and from 10 to 26 in thermal processes. The recovery ratio and salts concentration in raw water increased the unit exergy costs in membrane techniques. In distillation processes

  19. RELIGION AND PURIFICATION OF SOUL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Azam Khodashenas Pelko

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available The Jainism emphasizes three major teachings about the purification of the soul (jiva, Ahimsa, Aparigrapha and anekantwad. Jainism, The focus of this religion has been purification of the soul by means of right conduct, right faith and right knowledge. The ultimate goal of Hinduism is Moksha or liberation (total freedom. In Hinduism, purification of the soul is a goal that one must work to attain. The Buddhism is the science of pursuing the aim of making the human mind perfect, and of purifying the human soul. The knowledge of purifying of the soul and softening of the hearts is as essential for human. They having the correct motivations means purifying our souls from hypocrisy, caprice, and heedlessness. The primary goal of Taoism may be described as the mystical intuition of the Tao, which is the way, the undivided unity, and the ultimate Reality. According to the Christianity access to truth cannot be conceived without purity of the soul

  20. Solvent-extraction purification of neptunium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kyser, E.A.; Hudlow, S.L.

    2008-01-01

    The Savannah River Site (SRS) has recovered 237 Np from reactor fuel that is currently being processed into NpO 2 for future production of 238 Pu. Several purification flowsheets have been utilized. An oxidizing solvent-extraction (SX) flowsheet was used to remove Fe, sulfate ion, and Th while simultaneously 237 Np, 238 Pu, u, and nonradioactive Ce(IV) was extracted into the tributyl phosphate (TBP) based organic solvent. A reducing SX flowsheet (second pass) removed the Ce and Pu and recovered both Np and U. The oxidizing flowsheet was necessary for solutions that contained excessive amounts of sulfate ion. Anion exchange was used to perform final purification of Np from Pu, U, and various non-actinide impurities. The Np(IV) in the purified solution was then oxalate-precipitated and calcined to an oxide for shipment to other facilities for storage and future target fabrication. Performance details of the SX purification and process difficulties are discussed. (authors)

  1. Single-step affinity purification for fungal proteomics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Hui-Lin; Osmani, Aysha H; Ukil, Leena; Son, Sunghun; Markossian, Sarine; Shen, Kuo-Fang; Govindaraghavan, Meera; Varadaraj, Archana; Hashmi, Shahr B; De Souza, Colin P; Osmani, Stephen A

    2010-05-01

    A single-step protein affinity purification protocol using Aspergillus nidulans is described. Detailed protocols for cell breakage, affinity purification, and depending on the application, methods for protein release from affinity beads are provided. Examples defining the utility of the approaches, which should be widely applicable, are included.

  2. Bismuth Oxysulfide and Its Polymer Nanocomposites for Efficient Purification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yidong Luo

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The danger of toxic organic pollutants in both aquatic and air environments calls for high-efficiency purification material. Herein, layered bismuth copper oxychalcogenides, BiCuSO, nanosheets of high photocatalytic activity were introduced to the PVDF (Polyvinylidene Fluoride. The fibrous membranes provide an easy, efficient, and recyclable way to purify organic pollutant. The physical and photophysical properties of the BiCuSO and its polymer composite were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM, X-ray diffraction (XRD, ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflection spectroscopy (DRS, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, electron spin resonance (EPR. Photocatalysis of Congo Red reveals that the BiCuSO/PVDF shows a superior photocatalytic activity of a 55% degradation rate in 70 min at visible light. The high photocatalytic activity is attributed to the exposed active {101} facets and the triple vacant associates V B i ‴ V O • • V B i ‴ . By engineering the intrinsic defects on the surface of bismuth oxysulfide, high solar-driven photocatalytic activity can be approached. The successful fabrication of the bismuth oxysulfide and its polymer nanocomposites provides an easy and general approach for high-performance purification materials for various applications.

  3. Scalable production in human cells and biochemical characterization of full-length normal and mutant huntingtin.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bin Huang

    Full Text Available Huntingtin (Htt is a 350 kD intracellular protein, ubiquitously expressed and mainly localized in the cytoplasm. Huntington's disease (HD is caused by a CAG triplet amplification in exon 1 of the corresponding gene resulting in a polyglutamine (polyQ expansion at the N-terminus of Htt. Production of full-length Htt has been difficult in the past and so far a scalable system or process has not been established for recombinant production of Htt in human cells. The ability to produce Htt in milligram quantities would be a prerequisite for many biochemical and biophysical studies aiming in a better understanding of Htt function under physiological conditions and in case of mutation and disease. For scalable production of full-length normal (17Q and mutant (46Q and 128Q Htt we have established two different systems, the first based on doxycycline-inducible Htt expression in stable cell lines, the second on "gutless" adenovirus mediated gene transfer. Purified material has then been used for biochemical characterization of full-length Htt. Posttranslational modifications (PTMs were determined and several new phosphorylation sites were identified. Nearly all PTMs in full-length Htt localized to areas outside of predicted alpha-solenoid protein regions. In all detected N-terminal peptides methionine as the first amino acid was missing and the second, alanine, was found to be acetylated. Differences in secondary structure between normal and mutant Htt, a helix-rich protein, were not observed in our study. Purified Htt tends to form dimers and higher order oligomers, thus resembling the situation observed with N-terminal fragments, although the mechanism of oligomer formation may be different.

  4. Purification and Electrophoretic Characterization of Lactate Dehydrogenase from Mammalian Blood: A Different Twist on a Classic Experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brunauer, Linda S.

    2016-01-01

    A multiweek protein purification suite, suitable for upper-division biochemistry or biotechnology undergraduate students, is described. Students work in small teams to isolate the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) from a nontraditional tissue source, mammalian blood, using a sequence of three column chromatographic procedures: ion-exchange, size…

  5. Purification of rhamnolipid using colloidal magnetic nanoparticles ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Phospholipid-coated colloidal magnetic nanoparticles with mean magnetite core size of 9 nm are shown to be effective ion exchange media for the recovery and purification of Rhaminolipid from culture mixtures. These particles have high adsorption capacity for purification (an order of magnitude larger than the best ...

  6. Effect of water purification process in radioactive content: analysis on small scale purification plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lopez del Rio, H.; Quiroga S, J. C.; Davila R, J. I.; Mireles G, F.

    2009-10-01

    Water from small scale purification plants is a low cost alternative for consumers in comparison to the bottled commercial presentations. Because of its low cost per liter, the consumption of this product has increased in recent years, stimulating in turn the installation of purification systems for these small businesses. The purpose of this study was to estimate the efficiency of small scale purification systems located in the cities of Zacatecas and Guadalupe, Zacatecas, to reduce the radioactive content of water. It was measured the total alpha and beta activity in water samples of entry and exit to process, through the liquid scintillation technique. In general it was observed that the process is more efficient in removing alpha that beta activity. The fraction of total alpha activity removed varied between 27 and 100%, while between 0 and 77% of the total beta activity was removed by the analyzed plants. In all cases, the total radioactivity level was lower than the maximum permissible value settled by the official mexican standard for drinking water. (Author)

  7. Crystallization, characterization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of GK2848, a putative carbonic anhydrase of Geobacillus kaustophilus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ragunathan, Preethi; Raghunath, Gokul; Kuramitsu, Seiki; Yokoyama, Shigeyuki; Kumarevel, Thirumananseri; Ponnuraj, Karthe

    2013-01-01

    The expression, purification, characterization and crystallization of GK2848, a carbonic anhydrase from G. kaustophilus, are described. The crystals diffracted to a resolution of 2.70 Å. GK2848, a hypothetical protein from the thermophilic organism Geobacillus kaustophilus, was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The protein was purified to homogeneity using Ni–NTA affinity-column and gel-filtration chromatography. The purified protein was crystallized using the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method. The crystals diffracted to a resolution of 2.70 Å and belonged to the orthorhombic space group P2 1 2 1 2. GK2848 bears sequence homology to carbonic anhydrases of various bacterial species, indicating that it belongs to the carbonic anhydrase family of proteins. A subsequent carbonic anhydrase activity assay of GK2848 using the Wilbur–Anderson method confirmed its function as a carbonic anhydrase. A preliminary structure solution was obtained by molecular replacement using MOLREP. Mutation and biochemical characterization of the protein are in progress. The structure and functional analysis of GK2848 might provide valuable information on a novel class of carbonic anhydrases, as none of its homologous structures have been characterized

  8. Large-scale purification and in vitro characterization of the assembly of MreB from Leptospira interrogans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barkó, Szilvia; Szatmári, Dávid; Bódis, Emőke; Türmer, Katalin; Ujfalusi, Zoltán; Popp, David; Robinson, Robert C; Nyitrai, Miklós

    2016-09-01

    Weil's syndrome is caused by Leptospira interrogans infections, a Gram negative bacterium with a distinct thin corkscrew cell shape. The molecular basis for this unusual morphology is unknown. In many bacteria, cell wall synthesis is orchestrated by the actin homolog, MreB. Here we have identified the MreB within the L. interrogans genome and expressed the His-tagged protein product of the synthesized gene (Li-MreB) in Escherichia coli. Li-MreB did not purify under standard nucleotide-free conditions used for MreBs from other species, requiring the continual presence of ATP to remain soluble. Covalent modification of Li-MreB free thiols with Alexa488 produced a fluorescent version of Li-MreB. We developed native and denaturing/refolding purification schemes for Li-MreB. The purified product was shown to assemble and disassemble in MgCl2 and KCl dependent manners, as monitored by light scattering and sedimentation studies. The fluorescence spectrum of labeled Li-MreB-Alexa488 showed cation-induced changes in line with an activation process followed by a polymerization phase. The resulting filaments appeared as bundles and sheets under the fluorescence microscope. Finally, since the Li-MreB polymerization was cation dependent, we developed a simple method to measure monovalent cation concentrations within a test case prokaryote, E. coli. We have identified and initially characterized the cation-dependent polymerization properties of a novel MreB from a non-rod shaped bacterium and developed a method to measure cation concentrations within prokaryotes. This initial characterization of Li-MreB will enable future structural determination of the MreB filament from this corkscrew-shaped bacterium. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Biochemical Characterization of Glutamate Racemase-A New Candidate Drug Target against Burkholderia cenocepacia Infections.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aygun Israyilova

    Full Text Available The greatest obstacle for the treatment of cystic fibrosis patients infected with the Burkholderia species is their intrinsic antibiotic resistance. For this reason, there is a need to develop new effective compounds. Glutamate racemase, an essential enzyme for the biosynthesis of the bacterial cell wall, is an excellent candidate target for the design of new antibacterial drugs. To this aim, we recombinantly produced and characterized glutamate racemase from Burkholderia cenocepacia J2315. From the screening of an in-house library of compounds, two Zn (II and Mn (III 1,3,5-triazapentadienate complexes were found to efficiently inhibit the glutamate racemase activity with IC50 values of 35.3 and 10.0 μM, respectively. Using multiple biochemical approaches, the metal complexes have been shown to affect the enzyme activity by binding to the enzyme-substrate complex and promoting the formation of an inhibited dimeric form of the enzyme. Our results corroborate the value of glutamate racemase as a good target for the development of novel inhibitors against Burkholderia.

  10. Isolation, purification, and partial characterization of a membrane-bound Cl-/HCO3--activated ATPase complex from rat brain with sensitivity to GABAAergic ligands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menzikov, Sergey A

    2017-02-07

    This study describes the isolation and purification of a protein complex with [Formula: see text]-ATPase activity and sensitivity to GABA A ergic ligands from rat brain plasma membranes. The ATPase complex was enriched using size-exclusion, affinity, and ion-exchange chromatography. The fractions obtained at each purification step were subjected to SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), which revealed four subunits with molecular mass ∼48, 52, 56, and 59 kDa; these were retained at all stages of the purification process. Autoradiography revealed that the ∼52 and 56 kDa subunits could bind [ 3 H]muscimol. The [Formula: see text]-ATPase activity of this enriched protein complex was regulated by GABA A ergic ligands but was not sensitive to blockers of the NKCC or KCC cotransporters.

  11. Characterization and Purification of Polydisperse Reconstituted Lipoproteins and Nanolipoprotein Particles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paul D. Hoeprich

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Heterogeneity is a fact that plagues the characterization and application of many self-assembled biological constructs. The importance of obtaining particle homogeneity in biological assemblies is a critical goal, as bulk analysis tools often require identical species for reliable interpretation of the results—indeed, important tools of analysis such as x-ray diffraction typically require over 90% purity for effectiveness. This issue bears particular importance in the case of lipoproteins. Lipid-binding proteins known as apolipoproteins can self assemble with liposomes to form reconstituted high density lipoproteins (rHDLs or nanolipoprotein particles (NLPs when used for biotechnology applications such as the solubilization of membrane proteins. Typically, the apolipoprotein and phospholipids reactants are self assembled and even with careful assembly protocols the product often contains heterogeneous particles. In fact, size polydispersity in rHDLs and NLPs published in the literature are frequently observed, which may confound the accurate use of analytical methods. In this article, we demonstrate a procedure for producing a pure, monodisperse NLP subpopulation from a polydisperse self-assembly using size exclusion chromatography (SEC coupled with high resolution particle imaging by atomic force microscopy (AFM. In addition, NLPs have been shown to self assemble both in the presence and absence of detergents such as cholate, yet the effects of cholate on NLP polydispersity and separation has not been systematically examined. Therefore, we examined the separation properties of NLPs assembled in both the absence and presence of cholate using SEC and native gel electrophoresis. From this analysis, NLPs prepared with and without cholate showed particles with well defined diameters spanning a similar size range. However, cholate was shown to have a dramatic affect on NLP separation by SEC and native gel electrophoresis. Furthermore, under

  12. Purification and characterization of two different a-L-Rhamnosidases, RhaA and RhaB, from Aspergillus aculeatus

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Manzanares, P.; Broeck, H.C.; Graaff, de L.H.; Visser, J.

    2001-01-01

    Two proteins exhibiting -L-rhamnosidase activity, RhaA and RhaB, were identified upon fractionation and purification of a culture filtrate from Aspergillus aculeatus grown on hesperidin. Both proteins were shown to be N glycosylated and had molecular masses of 92 and 85 kDa, of which approximately

  13. Biochemical composition and methane production correlations

    OpenAIRE

    Charnier, Cyrille; Latrille, Eric; Moscoviz, Roman; Miroux, Jérémie; Steyer, Jean-Philippe

    2016-01-01

    Substrates for anaerobic digestion are composed of heterogeneous and complex organic matter. General parameters of the organic matter can be used to describe its composition such as sugar, protein and lipid contents, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Biochemical Methane Potential (BMP) and kinetic of methane production. These parameters are required for the monitoring of digesters but their characterization are time consuming and expensive; thus, these parameters are rarely assessed all together....

  14. Purification of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase by using immobilized metal affinity cryogels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akduman, Begüm; Uygun, Murat; Uygun, Deniz Aktaş; Akgöl, Sinan; Denizli, Adil

    2013-01-01

    In this study, poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate–glycidylmethacrylate) [poly(HEMA–GMA)] cryogels were prepared by radical cryocopolymerization of HEMA with GMA as a functional comonomer and N,N′-methylene-bisacrylamide (MBAAm) as a crosslinker. Iminodiacetic acid (IDA) functional groups were attached via ring opening of the epoxy group on the poly(HEMA–GMA) cryogels and then Zn(II) ions were chelated with these structures. Characterization of cryogels was performed by FTIR, SEM, EDX and swelling studies. These cryogels have interconnected pores of 30–50 μm size. The equilibrium swelling degree of Zn(II) chelated poly(HEMA–GMA)-IDA cryogels was approximately 600%. Zn(II) chelated poly(HEMA–GMA)-IDA cryogels were used in the adsorption of alcohol dehydrogenase from aqueous solutions and adsorption was performed in continuous system. The effects of pH, alcohol dehydrogenase concentration, temperature, and flow rate on adsorption were investigated. The maximum amount of alcohol dehydrogenase adsorption was determined to be 9.94 mg/g cryogel at 1.0 mg/mL alcohol dehydrogenase concentration and in acetate buffer at pH 5.0 with a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. Desorption of adsorbed alcohol dehydrogenase was carried out by using 1.0 M NaCI at pH 8.0 phosphate buffer and desorption yield was found to be 93.5%. Additionally, these cryogels were used for purification of alcohol dehydrogenase from yeast with a single-step. The purity of desorbed alcohol dehydrogenase was shown by silver-stained SDS–PAGE. This purification process can successfully be used for the purification of alcohol dehydrogenase from unclarified yeast homogenates and this work is the first report about the usage of the cryogels for purification of alcohol dehydrogenase. - Highlights: • Poly(HEMA–GMA) cryogels were synthesized by radical cryocopolymerization technique. • Prepared cryogels were functionalized with IDA, then Zn(II) ions were chelated to the cryogel. • Zn(II) chelated poly

  15. Purification of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase by using immobilized metal affinity cryogels

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Akduman, Begüm [Chemistry Department, Adnan Menderes University, Aydın (Turkey); Uygun, Murat [Koçarlı Vocational and Training School, Adnan Menderes University, Aydın (Turkey); Uygun, Deniz Aktaş, E-mail: daktas@adu.edu.tr [Chemistry Department, Adnan Menderes University, Aydın (Turkey); Akgöl, Sinan [Biochemistry Department, Ege University, İzmir (Turkey); Denizli, Adil [Chemistry Department, Hacettepe University, Ankara (Turkey)

    2013-12-01

    In this study, poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate–glycidylmethacrylate) [poly(HEMA–GMA)] cryogels were prepared by radical cryocopolymerization of HEMA with GMA as a functional comonomer and N,N′-methylene-bisacrylamide (MBAAm) as a crosslinker. Iminodiacetic acid (IDA) functional groups were attached via ring opening of the epoxy group on the poly(HEMA–GMA) cryogels and then Zn(II) ions were chelated with these structures. Characterization of cryogels was performed by FTIR, SEM, EDX and swelling studies. These cryogels have interconnected pores of 30–50 μm size. The equilibrium swelling degree of Zn(II) chelated poly(HEMA–GMA)-IDA cryogels was approximately 600%. Zn(II) chelated poly(HEMA–GMA)-IDA cryogels were used in the adsorption of alcohol dehydrogenase from aqueous solutions and adsorption was performed in continuous system. The effects of pH, alcohol dehydrogenase concentration, temperature, and flow rate on adsorption were investigated. The maximum amount of alcohol dehydrogenase adsorption was determined to be 9.94 mg/g cryogel at 1.0 mg/mL alcohol dehydrogenase concentration and in acetate buffer at pH 5.0 with a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. Desorption of adsorbed alcohol dehydrogenase was carried out by using 1.0 M NaCI at pH 8.0 phosphate buffer and desorption yield was found to be 93.5%. Additionally, these cryogels were used for purification of alcohol dehydrogenase from yeast with a single-step. The purity of desorbed alcohol dehydrogenase was shown by silver-stained SDS–PAGE. This purification process can successfully be used for the purification of alcohol dehydrogenase from unclarified yeast homogenates and this work is the first report about the usage of the cryogels for purification of alcohol dehydrogenase. - Highlights: • Poly(HEMA–GMA) cryogels were synthesized by radical cryocopolymerization technique. • Prepared cryogels were functionalized with IDA, then Zn(II) ions were chelated to the cryogel. • Zn(II) chelated poly

  16. Purification of crude biodiesel using dry washing and membrane technologies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I.M. Atadashi

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Purification of crude biodiesel is mandatory for the fuel to meet the strict international standard specifications for biodiesel. Therefore, this paper carefully analyzed recently published literatures which deal with the purification of biodiesel. As such, dry washing technologies and the most recent membrane biodiesel purification process have been thoroughly examined. Although purification of biodiesel using dry washing process involving magnesol and ion exchange resins provides high-quality biodiesel fuel, considerable amount of spent absorbents is recorded, besides the skeletal knowledge on its operating process. Further, recent findings have shown that biodiesel purification using membrane technique could offer high-quality biodiesel fuel with less wastewater discharges. Thus, both researchers and industries are expected to benefit from the development of membrane technique in purifying crude biodiesel. As well biodiesel purification via membranes has been shown to be environmentally friendly. For these reasons, it is important to explore and exploit membrane technology to purify crude biodiesel.

  17. Biochemical characterization of uracil phosphoribosyltransferase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anne Drumond Villela

    Full Text Available Uracil phosphoribosyltransferase (UPRT catalyzes the conversion of uracil and 5-phosphoribosyl-α-1-pyrophosphate (PRPP to uridine 5'-monophosphate (UMP and pyrophosphate (PP(i. UPRT plays an important role in the pyrimidine salvage pathway since UMP is a common precursor of all pyrimidine nucleotides. Here we describe cloning, expression and purification to homogeneity of upp-encoded UPRT from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MtUPRT. Mass spectrometry and N-terminal amino acid sequencing unambiguously identified the homogeneous protein as MtUPRT. Analytical ultracentrifugation showed that native MtUPRT follows a monomer-tetramer association model. MtUPRT is specific for uracil. GTP is not a modulator of MtUPRT ativity. MtUPRT was not significantly activated or inhibited by ATP, UTP, and CTP. Initial velocity and isothermal titration calorimetry studies suggest that catalysis follows a sequential ordered mechanism, in which PRPP binding is followed by uracil, and PP(i product is released first followed by UMP. The pH-rate profiles indicated that groups with pK values of 5.7 and 8.1 are important for catalysis, and a group with a pK value of 9.5 is involved in PRPP binding. The results here described provide a solid foundation on which to base upp gene knockout aiming at the development of strategies to prevent tuberculosis.

  18. Molecular and biochemical characterization of an induced mutation conferring imidazolinone resistance in sunflower.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sala, Carlos A; Bulos, Mariano; Echarte, Mariel; Whitt, Sherry R; Ascenzi, Robert

    2008-12-01

    A partially dominant nuclear gene conferring resistance to the imidazolinone herbicides was previously identified in the cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) line CLHA-Plus developed by seed mutagenesis. The objective of this study was to characterize this resistant gene at the phenotypic, biochemical and molecular levels. CLHA-Plus showed a complete susceptibility to sulfonylureas (metsulfuron, tribenuron and chlorsulfuron) but, on the other hand, it showed a complete resistance to imidazolinones (imazamox, imazapyr and imazapic) at two rates of herbicide application. This pattern was in close association with the AHAS-inhibition kinetics of protein extracts of CLHA-Plus challenged with different doses of imazamox and chlorsulfuron. Nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequence comparisons between resistant and susceptible lines indicated that the imidazolinone-resistant AHAS of CLHA-Plus has a threonine codon (ACG) at position 122 (relative to the Arabidopsis thaliana AHAS sequence), whereas the herbicide-susceptible enzyme from BTK47 has an alanine residue (GCG) at this position. Since the resistance genes to AHAS-inhibiting herbicides so far characterized in sunflower code for the catalytic (large) subunit of AHAS, we propose to redesignate the wild type allele as ahasl1 and the incomplete dominant resistant alleles as Ahasl1-1 (previously Imr1 or Ar ( pur )), Ahasl1-2 (previously Ar ( kan )) and Ahasl1-3 (for the allele present in CLHA-Plus). The higher tolerance level to imidazolinones and the lack of cross-resistance to other AHAS-inhibiting herbicides of Ahasl1-3 indicate that this induced mutation can be used to develop commercial hybrids with superior levels of tolerance and, at the same time, to assist weed management where control of weedy common sunflower is necessary.

  19. Purification and characterization of rat liver minoxidil sulphotransferase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirshey, S J; Falany, C N

    1990-01-01

    Minoxidil (Mx), a pyrimidine N-oxide, is used therapeutically as an antihypertensive agent and to induce hair growth in patients with male pattern baldness. Mx NO-sulphate has been implicated as the agent active in producing these effects. This paper describes the purification of a unique sulphotransferase (ST) from rat liver cytosol that is capable of catalysing the sulphation of Mx. By using DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B chromatography, hydroxyapatite chromatography and ATP-agarose affinity chromatography, Mx-ST activity was purified 240-fold compared with the activity in cytosol. The purified enzyme was also capable of sulphating p-nitrophenol (PNP) at low concentrations (less than 10 microM). Mx-ST was purified to homogeneity, as evaluated by SDS/PAGE and reverse-phase h.p.l.c. The active form of the enzyme had a molecular mass of 66,000-68,000 Da as estimated by gel exclusion chromatography and a subunit molecular mass of 35,000 Da. The apparent Km values for Mx, 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulphate and PNP were 625 microM, 5.0 microM and 0.5 microM respectively. However, PNP displayed potent substrate inhibition at concentrations above 1.2 microM. Antibodies raised in rabbits to the pure enzyme detected a single band in rat liver cytosol with a subunit molecular mass of 35,000 Da, as determined by immunoblotting. The anti-(rat Mx-ST) antibodies also reacted with the phenol-sulphating form of human liver phenol sulphotransferase, suggesting some structural similarity between these proteins. Images Fig. 5. Fig. 6. Fig. 7. PMID:2241904

  20. Purification and characterization of protein phosphatase 2A from petals of the tulip Tulipa gesnerina.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azad, Md Abul Kalam; Sawa, Yoshihiro; Ishikawa, Takahiro; Shibata, Hitoshi

    2006-11-30

    The holoenzyme of protein phosphatase (PP) from tulip petals was purified by using hydrophobic interaction, anion exchange and microcystin affinity chromatography to analyze activity towards p-nitrophenyl phosphate (p-NPP). The catalytic subunit of PP was released from its endogenous regulatory subunits by ethanol precipitation and further purified. Both preparations were characterized by immunological and biochemical approaches to be PP2A. On SDS-PAGE, the final purified holoenzyme preparation showed three protein bands estimated at 38, 65, and 75 kDa while the free catalytic subunit preparation showed only the 38 kDa protein. In both preparations, the 38 kDa protein was identified immunologically as the catalytic subunit of PP2A by using a monoclonal antibody against the PP2A catalytic subunit. The final 623- and 748- fold purified holoenzyme and the free catalytic preparations, respectively, exhibited high sensitivity to inhibition by 1 nM okadaic acid when activity was measured with p-NPP. The holoenzyme displayed higher stimulation in the presence of ammonium sulfate than the free catalytic subunit did by protamine, thereby suggesting different enzymatic behaviors.

  1. Materials for Molybdenum 99 purification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilkinson, M. Victoria; Mondino, Angel V.; Manzini, Alberto C.

    2003-01-01

    The National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) produces fission Mo 99, an isotope of wide use in nuclear medicine. In order to simplify the current Mo 99 production process, to shorten its duration and reduce impurities in the final product, alternative methods for purification steps were looked for. In this work a variety of new materials for the purification columns were designed, all of them with carbon. These materials were studied and a material which contribute with the best results for molybdenum retention, was selected. The preparation procedure and the working conditions were determined. (author)

  2. Purification of a-galactosidase from seeds of Sesbania marginata

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Falco A.L.P.

    2000-01-01

    Full Text Available Alpha-galactosidase taken from a raw extract of Sesbania marginata legume seeds was purified by partitioning in aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS. Initially, galactomannan/dextran 2,000,000 systems were used for the purification, and the partition coefficients of alpha -galactosidase varied from 1.5 to 4.0. However, mass transport in these systems was poor due to the high viscosity of the employed polymers. Therefore, partitioning in polyethyleneglycol (PEG/ sodium phosphate systems and the effect of sodium chloride upon the enzyme purification and the yield of alpha -galactosidase were also investigated. The purification achieved in a single-step was 5.7 with a recovery of 144% of alpha -galactosidase, possibly due to the removal of materials which inhibited alpha -galactosidase activity before the purification. The removal of the main protein contaminants and the highest yields were achieved in PEG 4,000/ sodium phosphate + 6% NaCl system at pH 5.0. Further purification by preparative on-exchange chromatography was also developed.

  3. Necessity of purification during bacterial DNA extraction with environmental soils

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hyun Jeong Lim

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Complexity and heterogeneity of soil samples have often implied the inclusion of purification steps in conventional DNA extraction for polymerase chain reaction (PCR assays. Unfortunately the purification steps are also time and labor intensive. Therefore the necessity of DNA purification was re-visited and investigated for a variety of environmental soil samples that contained various amounts of PCR inhibitors. Bead beating and centrifugation was used as the baseline (without purification method for DNA extraction. Its performance was compared with that of conventional DNA extraction kit (with purification. The necessity criteria for DNA purification were established with environmental soil samples. Using lysis conditions at 3000 rpm for 3 minutes with 0.1 mm glass beads, centrifugation time of 10 minutes and 1:10 dilution ratio, the baseline method outperformed conventional DNA extraction on cell seeded sand samples. Further investigation with PCR inhibitors (i.e., humic acids, clay, and magnesium [Mg] showed that sand samples containing less than 10 μg/g humic acids and 70% clay may not require purifications. Interestingly, the inhibition pattern of Mg ion was different from other inhibitors due to the complexation interaction of Mg ion with DNA fragments. It was concluded that DNA extraction method without purification is suitable for soil samples that have less than 10 μg/g of humic acids, less than 70% clay content and less than 0.01% Mg ion content.

  4. Molecular and biochemical characterization of calmodulin from Echinococcus granulosus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ning; Zhong, Xiuqin; Song, Xingju; Gu, Xiaobin; Lai, Weiming; Xie, Yue; Peng, Xuerong; Yang, Guangyou

    2017-12-04

    Echinococcus granulosus is a harmful cestode parasite that causes cystic echinococcosis in humans as well as various livestock species and wild animals. Calmodulin (CaM), a Ca 2+ sensor protein, is widely expressed in eukaryotes and mediates a variety of cellular signaling activities. In the present study, the cDNA encoding CaM in Echinococcus granulosus (rEgCaM) was successfully cloned and the molecular and biochemical characterizations carried out. The antigenicity and immunoreactivity of rEgCaM was detected and the preliminary enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based serodiagnostic potential of EgCaM was assessed. The locations of this protein in the adult worm and larval stage, and the mRNA expression in different states of E. granulosus protoscoleces (PSCs) were defined clearly. Moreover, the Ca 2+ -binding properties of EgCaM were measured. rEgCaM is a highly conserved calcium-binding protein, consisting of 149 amino acids. Immunoblotting analysis revealed that rEgCaM could be identified using E. granulosus infected sheep serum. The use of rEgCaM as an antigen was evaluated by indirect ELISA which exhibited a high sensitivity (90.3%), but low specificity (47.1%). rEgCaM was ubiquitously expressed in protoscoleces and adults of E. granulosus, as well as in the germinal layer of the cyst wall. The mRNA expression level of rEgCaM was increased from the start of H 2 O 2 exposure and then gradually decreased because of the increased apoptosis of PSCs. In electrophoretic mobility tests and 1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonic acid assays, rEgCaM showed a typical characteristic of a calcium-binding protein. To our knowledge, this is the first report on CaM from E. granulosus and rEgCaM is likely to be involved in some important biological function of E. granulosus as a calcium-binding protein.

  5. Evaluation of strategies to control Fab light chain dimer during mammalian expression and purification: A universal one-step process for purification of correctly assembled Fab.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spooner, Jennifer; Keen, Jenny; Nayyar, Kalpana; Birkett, Neil; Bond, Nicholas; Bannister, David; Tigue, Natalie; Higazi, Daniel; Kemp, Benjamin; Vaughan, Tristan; Kippen, Alistair; Buchanan, Andrew

    2015-07-01

    Fabs are an important class of antibody fragment as both research reagents and therapeutic agents. There are a plethora of methods described for their recombinant expression and purification. However, these do not address the issue of excessive light chain production that forms light chain dimers nor do they describe a universal purification strategy. Light chain dimer impurities and the absence of a universal Fab purification strategy present persistent challenges for biotechnology applications using Fabs, particularly around the need for bespoke purification strategies. This study describes methods to address light chain dimer formation during Fab expression and identifies a novel CH 1 affinity resin as a simple and efficient one-step purification for correctly assembled Fab. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  6. Production, Purification, and Characterization of a Major Penicillium glabrum Xylanase Using Brewer's Spent Grain as Substrate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beitel, Susan Michelz; Fortkamp, Diana; Terrasan, César Rafael Fanchini; de Almeida, Alex Fernando

    2013-01-01

    In recent decades, xylanases have been used in many processing industries. This study describes the xylanase production by Penicillium glabrum using brewer's spent grain as substrate. Additionally, this is the first work that reports the purification and characterization of a xylanase using this agroindustrial waste. Optimal production was obtained when P. glabrum was grown in liquid medium in pH 5.5, at 25 °C, under stationary condition for six days. The xylanase from P. glabrum was purified to homogeneity by a rapid and inexpensive procedure, using ammonium sulfate fractionation and molecular exclusion chromatography. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed one band with estimated molecular mass of 18.36 kDa. The optimum activity was observed at 60 °C, in pH 3.0. The enzyme was very stable at 50 °C, and high pH stability was verified from pH 2.5 to 5.0. The ion Mn2+ and the reducing agents β-mercaptoethanol and DTT enhanced xylanase activity, while the ions Hg2+, Zn2+, and Cu2+ as well as the detergent SDS were strong inhibitors of the enzyme. The use of brewer's spent grain as substrate for xylanase production cannot only add value and decrease the amount of this waste but also reduce the xylanase production cost. PMID:23762855

  7. Production, Purification, and Characterization of a Major Penicillium glabrum Xylanase Using Brewer's Spent Grain as Substrate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adriana Knob

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available In recent decades, xylanases have been used in many processing industries. This study describes the xylanase production by Penicillium glabrum using brewer's spent grain as substrate. Additionally, this is the first work that reports the purification and characterization of a xylanase using this agroindustrial waste. Optimal production was obtained when P. glabrum was grown in liquid medium in pH 5.5, at 25 °C, under stationary condition for six days. The xylanase from P. glabrum was purified to homogeneity by a rapid and inexpensive procedure, using ammonium sulfate fractionation and molecular exclusion chromatography. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed one band with estimated molecular mass of 18.36 kDa. The optimum activity was observed at 60 °C, in pH 3.0. The enzyme was very stable at 50 °C, and high pH stability was verified from pH 2.5 to 5.0. The ion Mn2+ and the reducing agents β-mercaptoethanol and DTT enhanced xylanase activity, while the ions Hg2+, Zn2+, and Cu2+ as well as the detergent SDS were strong inhibitors of the enzyme. The use of brewer's spent grain as substrate for xylanase production cannot only add value and decrease the amount of this waste but also reduce the xylanase production cost.

  8. Purification and characterization of two new cell-bound bioactive compounds produced by wild Lactococcus lactis strain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saraiva, Margarete Alice Fontes; Brede, Dag Anders; Nes, Ingolf Figved; Baracat-Pereira, Maria Cristina; de Queiroz, Marisa Vieira; de Moraes, Célia Alencar

    2017-07-03

    Novel compounds and innovative methods are required considering that antibiotic resistance has reached a crisis point. In the study, two cell-bound antimicrobial compounds produced by Lactococcus lactis ID1.5 were isolated and partially characterized. Following purification by cationic exchange and a solid-phase C18 column, antimicrobial activity was recovered after three runs of RPC using 60% (v/v) and 100% (v/v) of 2-propanol for elution, suggesting that more than one antimicrobial compound were produced by L. lactis ID1.5, which were in this study called compounds AI and AII. The mass spectrum of AI and AII showed major intensity ions at m/z 1070.05 and 955.9 Da, respectively. The compound AI showed a spectrum of antimicrobial activity mainly against L. lactis species, while the organisms most sensitive to compound AII were Bacillus subtilis, Listeria innocua, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The antimicrobial activity of both compounds was suppressed by treatment with Tween 80. Nevertheless, both compounds showed high stability to heat and proteases treatments. The isolated compounds, AI and AII, showed distinct properties from other antimicrobial substances already reported as produced by L. lactis, and have a significant inhibitory effect against two clinically important respiratory pathogens. © FEMS 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  9. Biochemical characterization of the purple form of Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus nitrous oxide reductase

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dell'Acqua, Simone; Pauleta, Sofia R.; Moura, José J. G.; Moura, Isabel

    2012-01-01

    Nitrous oxide reductase (N2OR) catalyses the final step of the denitrification pathway—the reduction of nitrous oxide to nitrogen. The catalytic centre (CuZ) is a unique tetranuclear copper centre bridged by inorganic sulphur in a tetrahedron arrangement that can have different oxidation states. Previously, Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus N2OR was isolated with the CuZ centre as CuZ*, in the [1Cu2+ : 3Cu+] redox state, which is redox inert and requires prolonged incubation under reductive conditions to be activated. In this work, we report, for the first time, the isolation of N2OR from M. hydrocarbonoclasticus in the ‘purple’ form, in which the CuZ centre is in the oxidized [2Cu2+ : 2Cu+] redox state and is redox active. This form of the enzyme was isolated in the presence of oxygen from a microaerobic culture in the presence of nitrate and also from a strictly anaerobic culture. The purple form of the enzyme was biochemically characterized and was shown to be a redox active species, although it is still catalytically non-competent, as its specific activity is lower than that of the activated fully reduced enzyme and comparable with that of the enzyme with the CuZ centre in either the [1Cu2+ : 3Cu+] redox state or in the redox inactive CuZ* state. PMID:22451106

  10. Overexpression, purification, and partial characterization of ADP-ribosyltransferases modA and modB of bacteriophage T4.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tiemann, B; Depping, R; Rüger, W

    1999-01-01

    There is increasing experimental evidence that ADP-ribosylation of host proteins is an important means to regulate gene expression of bacteriophage T4. Surprisingly, this phage codes for three different ADP-ribosyltransferases, gene products Alt, ModA, and ModB, modifying partially overlapping sets of host proteins. While gene product Alt already has been isolated as a recombinant protein and its action on host RNA polymerases and transcription regulation have been studied, the nucleotide sequences of the two mod genes was published only recently. Their mode of action in the course of the infection cycle and the consequences of the ADP-ribosylations catalyzed by these enzymes remain to be investigated. Here we describe the cloning of the genes, the overexpression, purification, and partial characterization of ADP-ribosyltransferases ModA and ModB. Both proteins seem to act independently, and the ADP-ribosyl moieties are transferred to different sets of host proteins. While gene product ModA, similarly to the Alt protein, acts also on the alpha-subunit of host RNA polymerase, the ModB activity serves another set of proteins, one of which was identified as the S1 protein associated with the 30S subunit of the E. coli ribosomes.

  11. Incorporation of copper nanoparticles into paper for point-of-use water purification

    OpenAIRE

    Dankovich, Theresa A.; Smith, James A.

    2014-01-01

    As a cost-effective alternative to silver nanoparticles, we have investigated the use of copper nanoparticles in paper filters for point-of-use water purification. This work reports an environmentally benign method for the direct in situ preparation of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) in paper by reducing sorbed copper ions with ascorbic acid. Copper nanoparticles were quickly formed in less than 10 minutes and were well distributed on the paper fiber surfaces. Paper sheets were characterized by ...

  12. Technological assumptions for biogas purification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makareviciene, Violeta; Sendzikiene, Egle

    2015-01-01

    Biogas can be used in the engines of transport vehicles and blended into natural gas networks, but it also requires the removal of carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, and moisture. Biogas purification process flow diagrams have been developed for a process enabling the use of a dolomite suspension, as well as for solutions obtained by the filtration of the suspension, to obtain biogas free of hydrogen sulphide and with a carbon dioxide content that does not exceed 2%. The cost of biogas purification was evaluated on the basis of data on biogas production capacity and biogas production cost obtained from local water treatment facilities. It has been found that, with the use of dolomite suspension, the cost of biogas purification is approximately six times lower than that in the case of using a chemical sorbent such as monoethanolamine. The results showed travelling costs using biogas purified by dolomite suspension are nearly 1.5 time lower than travelling costs using gasoline and slightly lower than travelling costs using mineral diesel fuel.

  13. Purification and characterization of Mn-peroxidase from Musa paradisiaca (banana) stem juice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yadav, Pratibha; Singh, V K; Yadav, Meera; Singh, Sunil Kumar; Yadava, Sudha; Yadav, K D S

    2012-02-01

    Mn-peroxidase (MnP), a biotechnologically important enzyme was purified for the first time from a plant source Musa paradisiaca (banana) stem, which is an agro-waste easily available after harvest of banana fruits. MnP was earlier purified only from the fungal sources. The enzyme was purified from stem juice by ultrafiltration and anion-exchange column chromatography on diethylamino ethylcellulose with 8-fold purification and purification yield of 65%. The enzyme gave a single protein band in SDS-PAGE corresponding to molecular mass 43 kDa. The Native-PAGE of the enzyme also gave a single protein band, confirming the purity of the enzyme. The UV/VIS spectrum of the purified enzyme differed from the other heme peroxidases, as the Soret band was shifted towards lower wavelength and the enzyme had an intense absorption band around 250 nm. The K(m) values using MnSO4 and H2O2 as the substrates of the purified enzyme were 21.0 and 9.5 microM, respectively. The calculated k(cat) value of the purified enzyme using Mn(II) as the substrate in 50 mM lactate buffer (pH 4.5) at 25 degrees C was 6.7s(-1), giving a k(cat)/K(m) value of 0.32 microM(-1)s(-1). The k(cat) value for the MnP-catalyzed reaction was found to be dependent of the Mn(III) chelator molecules malonate, lactate and oxalate, indicating that the enzyme oxidized chelated Mn(II) to Mn(III). The pH and temperature optima of the enzyme were 4.5 and 25 degrees C, respectively. The enzyme in combination with H2O2 liberated bromine and iodine in presence of KBr and KI respectively. All these enzymatic characteristics were similar to those of fungal MnP. The enzyme has the potential as a green brominating and iodinating agent in combination with KBr/KI and H2O2.

  14. Extraction and purification of plutonium by a tertiary amine; Extraction et purification du plutonium par une amine tertiaire

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Trentinian, M de; Chesne, A [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Fontenay aux Roses, Section de Chimie des Actimides (France).Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires; Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France).Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

    1960-07-01

    Trilaurylamine diluted with a paraffinic solvent (dodecane) was studied as part of the research dealing with the separation and purification of plutonium. The physical properties (solubility of nitrates in the amine as a function of temperature) and the resistance to radiations of this substance were examined. The extraction characteristics of nitric solutions of plutonium, uranium and certain fission products are given as a function of the following factors: concentration of the various ions in solution, valency states. A method of plutonium purification based on these results is presented. (author) [French] La trilaurylamine diluee par un solvant paraffinique (dodecane) a ete etudiee dans le cadre des recherches concernant la separation et la purification du plutonium. Une etude des caracteres physiques (solubilite des nitrates dans l'amine en fonction de la temperature) s'ajoute a celle de la tenue aux radiations de ce corps. Les caracteristiques d'extraction de solutions nitriques de plutonium, uranium, et certains produits de fission, sont donnes en fonction des facteurs suivants: concentration des differents ions en solution, etats de valence. On presente une methode de purification du plutonium basee sur ces resultats. (auteur)

  15. Craniometaphyseal dysplasia with obvious biochemical abnormality and rickets-like features.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Bo; Jiang, Yan; Wang, Ou; Li, Mei; Xing, Xiao-Ping; Xia, Wei-Bo

    2016-05-01

    Craniometaphyseal dysplasia (CMD) is a rare genetic disorder that is characterized by progressive sclerosis of the craniofacial bones and metaphyseal widening of long bones, and biochemical indexes were mostly normal. To further the understanding of the disease from a biochemical perspective, we reported a CMD case with obviously abnormal biochemical indexes. A 1-year-old boy was referred to our clinic. Biochemical test showed obviously increased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and parathyroid hormone (PTH), mild hypocalcemia and hypophosphatemia. Moreover, significant elevated receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) level, but normal β-C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (β-CTX) concentration were revealed. He was initially suspected of rickets, because the radiological examination also showed broadened epiphysis in his long bones. Supplementation with calcium and calcitriol alleviated biochemical abnormality. However, the patient gradually developed osteosclerosis which was inconformity with rickets. Considering that he was also presented with facial paralysis and nasal obstruction symptom, the diagnosis of craniometaphyseal dysplasia was suspected, and then was confirmed by the mutation analysis of ANKH of the proband and his family, which showed a de novo heterozygous mutation (C1124-1126delCCT) on exon 9. Our study revealed that obvious biochemical abnormality and rickets-like features might present as uncommon characteristics in CMD patients, and the calcium and calcitriol supplementation could alleviate biochemical abnormalities. Furthermore, although early osteoclast differentiation factor was excited in CMD patient, activity of osteoclast was still inert. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  16. Purification and characterization of lipase by Bacillus methylotrophicus PS3 under submerged fermentation and its application in detergent industry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pushpinder Sharma

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Lipase production bacterial isolate was isolated from soil of service station and identified as Bacillus methylotrophicus PS3 by 16SrRNA with accession number |LN999829.1|. Lipase enzyme was purified by sequential methods of ammonium sulfate precipitation and Sephadex G-100 gel column chromatography. The molecular weight of purified enzyme was 31.40 kDa on SDS-PAGE. This purification procedure resulted in 2.90-fold purification of lipase with a 24.10% final yield. The purified lipase presented maximal hydrolytic activity at a temperature of 55 °C, and pH of 7.0. Lipase activity was stimulated by Triton X-100 and SDS with Mg2+ and Ca2+ metals employ a positive effect and outlast its stable in organic solvent i.e. methanol and ethanol.

  17. Production, Partial Purification and Characterization of Protease From Irradiated Streptomyces Spp

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Botros, H.W.; Ahmed, A.S.

    2011-01-01

    Production and partial purification of protease by the irradiated Streptomyces spp. was the aim of this study. Streptomyces spp. was allowed to grow in culture broth of 4% shrimp shells for purpose of inducing protease enzymes. Optimal conditions for protease production were 30 degree C, 0.3 kGy, ph 7, 5x10 4 /ml inoculum size and 7 days incubation period. Protease was purified by 80% ammonium sulphate saturation which exhibited 8.7 U/ml enzyme activity. Column chromatography using sephadex G-200 exerted 23.3 U/ml enzyme activity from pooled fraction (13-16). The molecular mass of protease was determined to be 39 kDa by SDS-PAGE. The enzyme was more stable over a wide range of ph 6-8 and temperature up to 40 degree C. The produced protease was activated by Ca, Mn and FeCl 2 and completely inhibited by ethylene-diamin tetraacetic acid (EDTA) at concentration of 1000 μg/ml

  18. Purification and characterization of liver lectins from a lizard, Sceloporus spinosus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fenton, N Bertha; Arreguín, L Barbarin; Méndez, C Fausto; Arreguín, E Roberto

    2004-05-01

    This study discusses the purification of soluble beta-galactose lectins obtained from the lizard liver of Sceloporus spinosus. The first lectin named lizard hepatic lectin-1 (LHL-1) presented a molecular weight of 31,750, with an isoelectric point of 4.25. The highest specific hemagglutinating activity was achieved using human blood type A1: N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc)-galactose (Gal)-fucose (Fuc). Carbohydrate inhibition assays indicated a higher lectin specificity for GalNAc. For LHL-2 the molecular weight obtained was 23,850 with an isoelectric point of 3.25. The highest carbohydrate specificity was observed for Gal. These lizard hepatic lectins are similar to the mammal hepatic lectins previously reported. However, it is different from the alligator hepatic lectin (AHL). The homology analyses of LHL-1 resulted in 100% identity with the Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), while LHL-2 was similar to adenylate kinase (75% identity). We suggest that these liver lectins are related to the inherent functions of liver previously reported.

  19. Optimization of laboratory scale production and purification of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Microcystin content is however highly variable and optimised culture conditions are essential to produce viable yields of microcystin for purification. We describe the optimization of culture conditions and evaluation of various purification methods to enhance the yield of microcystin from laboratory scale culture.

  20. Biochemical characterization of the GM2 gangliosidosis B1 variant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tutor J.C.

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available The deficiency of the A isoenzyme of ß-hexosaminidase (Hex produced by different mutations of the gene that codes for the alpha subunit (Tay-Sachs disease has two variants with enzymological differences: the B variant consists of the absence of Hex A isoenzyme and the B1 variant produces an inactive Hex A isoenzyme for the hydrolysis of the GM2 ganglioside and synthetic substrates with negative charge. In contrast to the early childhood form of the B variant, the B1 variant appears at a later clinical stage (3 to 7 years of age with neurodegenerative symptoms leading to the death of the patient in the second decade of life. The most frequent mutation responsible for the GM2 gangliosidosis B1 variant is R178H, which has a widespread geographic and ethnic distribution. The highest incidence has been described in Portugal, which has been suggested as the point of origin of this mutation. Biochemical characterization of this lysosomal disease is carried out using negatively charged synthetic alpha subunit-specific sulfated substrates, since Hex A isoenzyme heat-inactivation assays are not applicable. However, the determination of the apparent activation energy of Hex using the neutral substrate 3,3'-dichlorophenolsulfonphthaleinyl N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosaminide, may offer a valid alternative. The presence of an alpha subunit in the alphaß heterodimer Hex A means that its activation energy (41.8 kJ/mol is significantly lower than that of the ßß homodimer Hex B (75.1 kJ/mol; however, as mutation inactivates the alpha subunit, the Hex A of the B1 variant presents an activation energy that is similar to that of the Hex B isoenzyme.

  1. (Hyper)thermophilic enzymes: production and purification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Falcicchio, Pierpaolo; Levisson, Mark; Kengen, Servé W M; Koutsopoulos, Sotirios

    2014-01-01

    The discovery of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic microorganisms, thriving at environmental temperatures near or above 100 °C, has revolutionized our ideas about the upper temperature limit at which life can exist. The characterization of (hyper)thermostable proteins has broadened our understanding and presented new opportunities for solving one of the most challenging problems in biophysics: how is structural stability and biological function maintained at high temperatures where "normal" proteins undergo dramatic structural changes? In our laboratory we have purified and studied many thermostable and hyperthermostable proteins in an attempt to determine the molecular basis of heat stability. Here, we present methods to express such proteins and enzymes in E. coli and provide a general protocol for overproduction and purification. The ability to produce enzymes that retain their stability and activity at elevated temperatures creates exciting opportunities for a wide range of biocatalytic applications.

  2. Hydrogen purification by periodic adsorption

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barg, Christian; Secchi, Argimiro R.; Trierweiler, Jorge O. [Rio Grande do Sul Univ., Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia Quimica]. E-mail: cbarg@enq.ufrgs.br; arge@enq.ufrgs.br; jorge@enq.ufrgs.br

    2000-07-01

    The periodic adsorption processes have been widely used for industrial applications, mainly because it spends less energy than the usual gas separation processes, like the cryogenic distillation. The largest commercial application of periodic adsorption processes is the pressure swing adsorption (PSA) applied to hydrogen purification. Although its wide use in the chemical and petrochemical industry, there are no reports in the open literature about complete modeling studies of a complex commercial unit, with multiple adsorbents and multiple beds and several feed components. This study has as objective the modeling, optimization and dynamical analysis of an industrial PSA unit for hydrogen purification. (author)

  3. ErbB2-associated changes in the lysosomal proteome

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nylandsted, Jesper; Becker, Andrea C; Bunkenborg, Jakob

    2011-01-01

    Late endosomes and lysosomes (hereafter referred to as lysosomes) play an essential role in the turnover of cellular macromolecules and organelles. Their biochemical characterization has so far depended on purification methods based on either density gradient centrifugations or magnetic...... purification of iron-loaded organelles. Owing to dramatic changes in lysosomal density and stability associated with lysosomal diseases and cancer, these methods are not optimal for the comparison of normal and pathological lysosomes. Here, we introduce an efficient method for the purification of intact...... lysosomes by magnetic immunoprecipitation with antibodies against the vacuolar-type H(+) -ATPase. Quantitative MS-based proteomics analysis of the obtained lysosomal membranes identified 60 proteins, most of which have previously been associated with the lysosomal compartment. Interestingly, the lysosomal...

  4. Biochemical and molecular genetic studies on some cyanobacterial isolates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kamal, E.A.R.; Ebrahim, S.A.A.

    2011-01-01

    In the present study, the isolation and purification of a set of Cyanobacteria strains belonging to genus Oscillatoria was undertaken, followed by the analyses of phylogenetic relationships using different biochemical and molecular genetic techniques (SOS-PAGE and RAPO-PCR). A total of 45 protein bands were observed within the studied Osci/latoria isolates by SOS-PAGE (only three unique bands, eight monomorphic bands and 37 polymorphic bands). On the other hand, extracted ONA from isolates was used to identify the molecular fingerprints. A sum of 94 polymorphic bands was generated by these primers in the Ocsi/laloria genotypes under study. A total of 20 unique bands were identified out of the polymorphic ones. These unique bands were used to discriminate among the studied Ocsi/latoria isolates. Most isolates of Ocsi/latoria genotypes were discriminated by one or more unique bands. Numerical taxonomic using 45 protein attributes of 19 isolates and RAPO markers on five isolates. Two methods -Clustering (UPGMA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were used for these analyses. The similarities and clusters produced between the studied isolates were discussed.

  5. Biochemical and molecular genetic studies on some cyanobacterial isolates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kamal, E A.R. [Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah (Saudi Arabia). Dept. of Biology; Ebrahim, S A.A. [Ain Sham University, Cairo (Egypt). Dept. of Cytogenetic

    2011-11-15

    In the present study, the isolation and purification of a set of Cyanobacteria strains belonging to genus Oscillatoria was undertaken, followed by the analyses of phylogenetic relationships using different biochemical and molecular genetic techniques (SOS-PAGE and RAPO-PCR). A total of 45 protein bands were observed within the studied Osci/latoria isolates by SOS-PAGE (only three unique bands, eight monomorphic bands and 37 polymorphic bands). On the other hand, extracted ONA from isolates was used to identify the molecular fingerprints. A sum of 94 polymorphic bands was generated by these primers in the Ocsi/laloria genotypes under study. A total of 20 unique bands were identified out of the polymorphic ones. These unique bands were used to discriminate among the studied Ocsi/latoria isolates. Most isolates of Ocsi/latoria genotypes were discriminated by one or more unique bands. Numerical taxonomic using 45 protein attributes of 19 isolates and RAPO markers on five isolates. Two methods -Clustering (UPGMA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were used for these analyses. The similarities and clusters produced between the studied isolates were discussed.

  6. Extraction and purification of yellow cake

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yousif, E.H.

    2006-01-01

    This dissertation has reviewed current studies on production and purification of yellow cake from uranium ores by both acid and alkaline leaching processes. It comprises three chapters, the first one deal with uranium minerals, uranium deposits, geology of uranium and uranium isotopes. The second chapter covers mining and milling methods, uranium leaching chemistry, precipitation, and purification of uranium concentrate by solvent extraction and possible impurities that commonly interfered with yellow cake. The last chapter presented ongoing literature review.(Author)

  7. Characterization of a digestive α-amylase in the larvae of Pieris brassicae L. (Lepidoptera: Pieridae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arash eZibaee

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The current study deals with a digestive α-amylase in the larvae of Pieris brassicae L. through purification, enzymatic characterization, gene expression and in vivo effect of a specific inhibitor, Acarbose. Although α-amylase activity was the highest in the whole gut homogenate of larvae but compartmentalization of amylolytic activity showed an equal activity in posterior midgut (PM and anterior midgut (AM. A three step purification using ammonium sulfate, Sepharyl G-100 and DEAE-Cellulose Fast flow revealed an enzyme with a specific activity of 5.18 U/mg, recovery of 13.20, purification fold of 19.25 and molecular weight of 88 kDa. The purified α-amylase had the highest activity at optimal pH and temperature of 8 and 35 ºC. Also, the enzyme had Vmax values of 4.64 and 3.02 U/mg protein and Km values of 1.37 and 1.74% using starch and glycogen as substrates, respectively. Different concentrations of acarbose, ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid and ethylene glycol-bis (β-aminoethylether N, N, N′, N′-tetraacetic acid significantly decreased activity of the purified α-amylase. The 4th instar larvae of P. brassicae were fed on the treated leaves of Raphanus sativus L. with 0.22 mM of Acarbose to find in vivo effects on nutritional indices, α-amylase activity and gene expression. The significant differences were only found in conversion efficiency of digested food, relative growth rate and metabolic cost of control and fed larvae on Acarbose. Also, amylolytic activity significantly decreased in the treated larvae by both biochemical and native-PAGE experiments. Results of RT-PCR revealed a gene with 621 bp length responsible for α-amylase expression that had 75% identity with Papilio xuthus and P. polytes. Finally, qRT-PCR revealed higher expression of α-amylase in control larvae compared to acarbose-fed ones.

  8. Microbiological and technical aspects of anaerobic waste water purification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aivasidis, A.

    1994-01-01

    Anaerobic waste water purification is likely to be another example of how innovations can result from the joint use of biological and technical concepts. No matter how far the optimization of oxygen input with aerobic waste water purification advances it will still be the less a real competitor for anaerobic techniques the more polluted the waste water is. The principle of carrier fixation to avoid their washing out, too, has often been observed in nature with sessile microorganisms. With highly polluted water, anaerobic purification does not only work at no expenditure of energy but it can also make excess energy available for use in other processes. Another important argument for anaerobic methods of waste water purification is probably the clearly reduced production of excess sludge. (orig.) [de

  9. Biochemical markers predictive for bone marrow involvement in systemic mastocytosis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Donker, Marjolein L.; van Doormaal, Jasper J.; van Doormaal, Frederiek F.; Kluin, Philip M.; van der Veer, Eveline; de Monchy, Jan G. R.; Kema, Ido P.; Kluin-Nelemans, Hanneke C.

    Systemic mastocytosis is characterized by bone marrow involvement, which requires a bone marrow biopsy for diagnostic work-up. We questioned whether bone marrow involvement could be predicted using biochemical markers. We selected patients with various symptoms suggestive of indolent systemic

  10. Multipartite electronic entanglement purification with charge detection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sheng Yubo [Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Deng, Fu-Guo [Department of Physics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 (China); Long Guilu, E-mail: gllong@tsinghua.edu.c [Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Key Laboratory for Atomic and Molecular NanoSciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Tsinghua National Laboratory for Information Science and Technology, Beijing 100084 (China)

    2011-01-17

    We present a multipartite entanglement purification scheme in a Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state for electrons based on their spins and their charges. This scheme works for purification with two steps, i.e., bit-flip error correction and phase-flip error correction. By repeating these two steps, the parties in quantum communication can get some high-fidelity multipartite entangled electronic systems.

  11. Canine degenerative myelopathy: biochemical characterization of superoxide dismutase 1 in the first naturally occurring non-human amyotrophic lateral sclerosis model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crisp, Matthew J; Beckett, Jeffrey; Coates, Joan R; Miller, Timothy M

    2013-10-01

    Mutations in canine superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) have recently been shown to cause canine degenerative myelopathy, a disabling neurodegenerative disorder affecting specific breeds of dogs characterized by progressive motor neuron loss and paralysis until death, or more common, euthanasia. This discovery makes canine degenerative myelopathy the first and only naturally occurring non-human model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), closely paralleling the clinical, pathological, and genetic presentation of its human counterpart, SOD1-mediated familial ALS. To further understand the biochemical role that canine SOD1 plays in this disease and how it may be similar to human SOD1, we characterized the only two SOD1 mutations described in affected dogs to date, E40K and T18S. We show that a detergent-insoluble species of mutant SOD1 is present in spinal cords of affected dogs that increases with disease progression. Our in vitro results indicate that both canine SOD1 mutants form enzymatically active dimers, arguing against a loss of function in affected homozygous animals. Further studies show that these mutants, like most human SOD1 mutants, have an increased propensity to form aggregates in cell culture, with 10-20% of cells possessing visible aggregates. Creation of the E40K mutation in human SOD1 recapitulates the normal enzymatic activity but not the aggregation propensity seen with the canine mutant. Our findings lend strong biochemical support to the toxic role of SOD1 in canine degenerative myelopathy and establish close parallels for the role mutant SOD1 plays in both canine and human disorders. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Biochemical and morphological characterization of light and heavy sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Campbell, Kevin Peter [Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States)

    1978-01-01

    Light (30 to 32.5% sucrose) and heavy (38.5 to 42% sucrose) sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles (LSR,HSR) were isolated from rabbit leg muscle using a combination of differential centrifugation and isopycnic zonal ultracentrifugation. Thin-section electron microscopy of LSR vesicles reveals empty vesicles of various sizes and shapes whereas the HSR vesicles appear as rounded vesicles of uniform size filled with electron dense material, similar to that seen in the terminal cisternae of the sarcoplasmic reticulum. The sucrose HSR vesicles have an additional morphological feature which appears as membrane projections that resemble the SR feet. The freeze-fracture morphology of either type of SR reveals an asymmetric distribution of intramembraneous particles in the same orientation and distribution as the sarcoplasmic reticulum in vivo. Biochemical studies were made on the content of Ca, Mg, ATPase, and protein of the vesicles and phosphorylation of the vesicles. The biochemical and morphological data indicate that the LSR is derived from the longitudinal sarcoplasmic reticulum and the HSR is derived from the terminal cisternae of the sarcoplasmic reticulum, contains junctional SR membrane and has three unique proteins (calsequestrin, an intrinsic 30,000 dalton protein and a 9000 dalton proteolipid).

  13. Biochemical characterization of the Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus ovarian progestin membrane receptor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas Peter

    2005-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Membrane progestin receptors are involved in oocyte maturation in teleosts. However, the maturation-inducing steroid (MIS does not appear to be conserved among species and several progestins may fulfill this function. So far, complete biochemical characterization has only been performed on a few species. In the present study we have characterized the membrane progestin receptor in Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus and show that the 17,20beta-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (17,20beta-P receptor also binds several xenobiotics, thus rendering oocyte maturation sensitive to environmental pollutants. We identified a single class of high affinity (Kd, 13.8 ± 1.1 nM, low capacity (Bmax, 1.6 ± 0.6 pmol/g ovary binding sites by saturation and Scatchard analyses. Receptor binding displayed rapid association and dissociation kinetics typical of steroid membrane receptors, with t1/2 s of less than 1 minute. The 17,20beta-P binding also displayed tissue specificity with high, saturable, and specific 17,20beta-P binding detected in ovaries, heart and gills while no specific binding was observed in muscle, brain or liver. Changes in 17,20beta-P binding during oocyte maturation were consistent with its identity as the oocyte MIS membrane receptor. Incubation of fully-grown ovarian follicles with gonadotropin induced oocyte maturation, which was accompanied by a five-fold increase in 17,20beta-P receptor binding. In addition, competition studies with a variety of steroids revealed that receptor binding is highly specific for 17,20beta-P, the likely maturation-inducing steroid (MIS in Arctic char. The relative-binding affinities of all the other progestogens and steroids tested were less than 5% of that of 17,20beta-P for the receptor. Several ortho, para derivatives of DDT also showed weak binding affinity for the 17,20beta-P receptor supporting the hypothesis that xenobiotics may bind steroid receptors on the oocyte's surface and might thereby interfere

  14. 21 CFR 884.6170 - Assisted reproduction water and water purification systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Assisted reproduction water and water purification... Devices § 884.6170 Assisted reproduction water and water purification systems. (a) Identification. Assisted reproduction water purification systems are devices specifically intended to generate high quality...

  15. Biochemical and structural characterization of Klebsiella pneumoniae oxamate amidohydrolase in the uric acid degradation pathway

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hicks, Katherine A.; Ealick, Steven E.

    2016-05-25

    HpxW from the ubiquitous pathogenKlebsiella pneumoniaeis involved in a novel uric acid degradation pathway downstream from the formation of oxalurate. Specifically, HpxW is an oxamate amidohydrolase which catalyzes the conversion of oxamate to oxalate and is a member of the Ntn-hydrolase superfamily. HpxW is autoprocessed from an inactive precursor to form a heterodimer, resulting in a 35.5 kDa α subunit and a 20 kDa β subunit. Here, the structure of HpxW is presented and the substrate complex is modeled. In addition, the steady-state kinetics of this enzyme and two active-site variants were characterized. These structural and biochemical studies provide further insight into this class of enzymes and allow a mechanism for catalysis consistent with other members of the Ntn-hydrolase superfamily to be proposed.

  16. Purification and biochemical characterization of ionically unbound polyphenol oxidase from Musa paradisiaca leaf.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diwakar, Sanjeev Kumar; Mishra, Sarad Kumar

    2011-01-01

    An ionically unbound and thermostable polyphenol oxidase (PPO) was extracted from the leaf of Musa paradisiaca. The enzyme was purified 2.54-fold with a total yield of 9.5% by ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by Sephadex G-100 gel filtration chromatography. The purified enzyme exhibited a clear single band on native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) PAGE. It was found to be monomeric protein with molecular mass of about 40 kD. The zymographic study using crude extract as enzyme source showed a very clear band around 40 kD and a faint band at around 15 kD, which might be isozymes. The enzyme was optimally active at pH 7.0 and 50°C temperature. The enzyme was active in wide range of pH (4.0-9.0) and temperature (30-90°C). From the thermal inactivation studies in the range 60-75°C, the half-life (t(1/2)) values of the enzyme ranged from 17 to 77 min. The inactivation energy (Ea) value of PPO was estimated to be 91.3 kJ mol(-1). It showed higher specificity with catechol (K(m) = 8 mM) as compared to 4-methylcatechol (K(m) = 10 mM). Among metal ions and reagents tested, Cu(2+), Fe(2+), Hg(2+), Mn(2+), Ni(2+), protocatechuic acid, and ferrulic acid enhanced the enzyme activity, while K(+), Na(+), Co(2+), kojic acid, ascorbic acid, ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), sodium azide, β-mercaptoethanol, and L-cysteine inhibited the activity of the enzyme.

  17. Superparamagnetic poly(methyl methacrylate) beads for nattokinase purification from fermentation broth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Chengli; Xing, Jianmin; Guan, Yueping; Liu, Huizhou

    2006-09-01

    An effective method for purification of nattokinase from fermentation broth using magnetic poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) beads immobilized with p-aminobenzamidine was proposed in this study. Firstly, magnetic PMMA beads with a narrow size distribution were prepared by spraying suspension polymerization. Then, they were highly functionalized via transesterification reaction with polyethylene glycol. The surface hydroxyl-modified magnetic beads obtained were further modified with chloroethylamine to transfer the surface amino-modified magnetic functional beads. The morphology and surface functionality of the magnetic beads were examined by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared. An affinity ligand, p-aminobenzamidine was covalently immobilized to the amino-modified magnetic beads by the glutaraldehyde method for nattokinase purification directly from the fermentation broth. The purification factor and the recovery of the enzyme activity were found to be 8.7 and 85%, respectively. The purification of nattokinase from fermentation broth by magnetic beads only took 40 min, which shows a very fast purification of nattokinase compared to traditional purification methods.

  18. New Combined Electron-Beam Methods of Wastewater Purification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pikaev, A.K.; Makarov, I.E.; Ponomarev, A.V.; Kartasheva, L.I.; Podzorova, E.A.; Chulkov, V.N.; Han, B.; Kim, D.K.

    1999-01-01

    The paper is a brief review of the results obtained with the participation of the authors from the study on combined electron-beam methods for purification of some wastewaters. The data on purification of wastewaters containing dyes or hydrogen peroxide and municipal wastewater in the aerosol flow are considered

  19. Semi-Automated Hydrophobic Interaction Chromatography Column Scouting Used in the Two-Step Purification of Recombinant Green Fluorescent Protein

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murphy, Patrick J. M.

    2014-01-01

    Background Hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) most commonly requires experimental determination (i.e., scouting) in order to select an optimal chromatographic medium for purifying a given target protein. Neither a two-step purification of untagged green fluorescent protein (GFP) from crude bacterial lysate using sequential HIC and size exclusion chromatography (SEC), nor HIC column scouting elution profiles of GFP, have been previously reported. Methods and Results Bacterial lysate expressing recombinant GFP was sequentially adsorbed to commercially available HIC columns containing butyl, octyl, and phenyl-based HIC ligands coupled to matrices of varying bead size. The lysate was fractionated using a linear ammonium phosphate salt gradient at constant pH. Collected HIC eluate fractions containing retained GFP were then pooled and further purified using high-resolution preparative SEC. Significant differences in presumptive GFP elution profiles were observed using in-line absorption spectrophotometry (A395) and post-run fluorimetry. SDS-PAGE and western blot demonstrated that fluorometric detection was the more accurate indicator of GFP elution in both HIC and SEC purification steps. Comparison of composite HIC column scouting data indicated that a phenyl ligand coupled to a 34 µm matrix produced the highest degree of target protein capture and separation. Conclusions Conducting two-step protein purification using the preferred HIC medium followed by SEC resulted in a final, concentrated product with >98% protein purity. In-line absorbance spectrophotometry was not as precise of an indicator of GFP elution as post-run fluorimetry. These findings demonstrate the importance of utilizing a combination of detection methods when evaluating purification strategies. GFP is a well-characterized model protein, used heavily in educational settings and by researchers with limited protein purification experience, and the data and strategies presented here may aid in

  20. Partial Purification and Characterization of Extracellular Protease ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    USER

    Keywords: Protease, lactic acid bacteria, Pediococcus acidilactici, enzyme ... confers organoleptic improvements in fermented foods ... was characterized by studying the effect of substrate ... addition of solid ammonium sulphate up to 80%.

  1. Inorganic membranes for hydrogen production and purification: a critical review and perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, G Q; Diniz da Costa, J C; Duke, M; Giessler, S; Socolow, R; Williams, R H; Kreutz, T

    2007-10-15

    Hydrogen as a high-quality and clean energy carrier has attracted renewed and ever-increasing attention around the world in recent years, mainly due to developments in fuel cells and environmental pressures including climate change issues. In thermochemical processes for hydrogen production from fossil fuels, separation and purification is a critical technology. Where water-gas shift reaction is involved for converting the carbon monoxide to hydrogen, membrane reactors show great promises for shifting the equilibrium. Membranes are also important to the subsequent purification of hydrogen. For hydrogen production and purification, there are generally two classes of membranes both being inorganic: dense phase metal and metal alloys, and porous ceramic membranes. Porous ceramic membranes are normally prepared by sol-gel or hydrothermal methods, and have high stability and durability in high temperature, harsh impurity and hydrothermal environments. In particular, microporous membranes show promises in water gas shift reaction at higher temperatures. In this article, we review the recent advances in both dense phase metal and porous ceramic membranes, and compare their separation properties and performance in membrane reactor systems. The preparation, characterization and permeation of the various membranes will be presented and discussed. We also aim to examine the critical issues in these membranes with respect to the technical and economical advantages and disadvantages. Discussions will also be made on the relevance and importance of membrane technology to the new generation of zero-emission power technologies.

  2. Purification and characterization of extracellular amylolytic enzyme ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    DOSS

    2012-10-16

    Oct 16, 2012 ... Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/AJB ... characterization of extracellular amylases from four ... Somogyi-Nelson's method (Nelson, 1944; Somogyi, 1952). ... The mycelia dry weight of currently studied four.

  3. Purification and characterization of a collagenase from Penicillium sp. UCP 1286 by polyethylene glycol-phosphate aqueous two-phase system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Albuquerque Wanderley, Maria Carolina; Wanderley Duarte Neto, José Manoel; Campos Albuquerque, Wendell Wagner; de Araújo Viana Marques, Daniela; de Albuquerque Lima, Carolina; da Cruz Silvério, Sara Isabel; de Lima Filho, José Luiz; Couto Teixeira, José António; Porto, Ana Lúcia Figueiredo

    2017-05-01

    Collagenases are proteolytic enzymes capable of degrading both native and denatured collagen, reported to be applied in industrial, medical and biotechnological sectors. Liquid-liquid extraction using aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) is one of the most promising bioseparation techniques, which can substitute difficult solid-liquid separation processes, offering many advantages over conventional methods including low-processing time, low-cost material and low-energy consumption. The collagenase produced by Penicillium sp. UCP 1286 showed a stronger affinity for the bottom salt-rich phase, where the highest levels of collagenolytic activity were observed at the center point runs, using 15.0% (w/w) PEG 3350 g/mol and 12.5% (w/w) phosphate salt at pH 7.0 and concentration. The enzyme was characterized by thermal stability, pH tolerance and effect of inhibitors, showing optimal collagenolytic activity at 37 °C and pH 9.0 and proved to be a serine protease. ATPS showed high efficiency in the collagenase purification, confirmed by a single band in SDS/PAGE, and can in fact be applied as a quick and inexpensive alternative method. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Application of virus-like particles (VLP) to NMR characterization of viral membrane protein interactions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Antanasijevic, Aleksandar; Kingsley, Carolyn [University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics (United States); Basu, Arnab; Bowlin, Terry L. [Microbiotix Inc. (United States); Rong, Lijun [University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Microbiology and Immunology (United States); Caffrey, Michael, E-mail: caffrey@uic.edu [University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics (United States)

    2016-03-15

    The membrane proteins of viruses play critical roles in the virus life cycle and are attractive targets for therapeutic intervention. Virus-like particles (VLP) present the possibility to study the biochemical and biophysical properties of viral membrane proteins in their native environment. Specifically, the VLP constructs contain the entire protein sequence and are comprised of native membrane components including lipids, cholesterol, carbohydrates and cellular proteins. In this study we prepare VLP containing full-length hemagglutinin (HA) or neuraminidase (NA) from influenza and characterize their interactions with small molecule inhibitors. Using HA-VLP, we first show that VLP samples prepared using the standard sucrose gradient purification scheme contain significant amounts of serum proteins, which exhibit high potential for non-specific interactions, thereby complicating NMR studies of ligand-target interactions. We then show that the serum contaminants may be largely removed with the addition of a gel filtration chromatography step. Next, using HA-VLP we demonstrate that WaterLOGSY NMR is significantly more sensitive than Saturation Transfer Difference (STD) NMR for the study of ligand interactions with membrane bound targets. In addition, we compare the ligand orientation to HA embedded in VLP with that of recombinant HA by STD NMR. In a subsequent step, using NA-VLP we characterize the kinetic and binding properties of substrate analogs and inhibitors of NA, including study of the H274Y-NA mutant, which leads to wide spread resistance to current influenza antivirals. In summary, our work suggests that VLP have high potential to become standard tools in biochemical and biophysical studies of viral membrane proteins, particularly when VLP are highly purified and combined with control VLP containing native membrane proteins.

  5. A Scintillator Purification System for the Borexino Solar Neutrino Detector

    OpenAIRE

    Benziger, J.; Cadonati, L.; Calaprice, F.; Chen, M.; Corsi, A.; Dalnoki-Veress, F.; Fernholz, R.; Ford, R.; Galbiati, C.; Goretti, A.; Harding, E.; Ianni, Aldo; Ianni, Andrea; Kidner, S.; Leung, M.

    2007-01-01

    Purification of the 278 tons of liquid scintillator and 889 tons of buffer shielding for the Borexino solar neutrino detector was performed with a system that combined distillation, water extraction, gas stripping and filtration. The purification of the scintillator achieved unprecedented low backgrounds for the large scale liquid scintillation detector. This paper describes the principles of operation, design, construction and commissioning of the purification system, and reviews the require...

  6. Improving the large scale purification of the HIV microbicide, griffithsin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fuqua, Joshua L; Wanga, Valentine; Palmer, Kenneth E

    2015-02-22

    Griffithsin is a broad spectrum antiviral lectin that inhibits viral entry and maturation processes through binding clusters of oligomannose glycans on viral envelope glycoproteins. An efficient, scaleable manufacturing process for griffithsin active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) is essential for particularly cost-sensitive products such as griffithsin -based topical microbicides for HIV-1 prevention in resource poor settings. Our previously published purification method used ceramic filtration followed by two chromatography steps, resulting in a protein recovery of 30%. Our objective was to develop a scalable purification method for griffithsin expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana plants that would increase yield, reduce production costs, and simplify manufacturing techniques. Considering the future need to transfer griffithsin manufacturing technology to resource poor areas, we chose to focus modifying the purification process, paying particular attention to introducing simple, low-cost, and scalable procedures such as use of temperature, pH, ion concentration, and filtration to enhance product recovery. We achieved >99% pure griffithsin API by generating the initial green juice extract in pH 4 buffer, heating the extract to 55°C, incubating overnight with a bentonite MgCl2 mixture, and final purification with Capto™ multimodal chromatography. Griffithsin extracted with this protocol maintains activity comparable to griffithsin purified by the previously published method and we are able to recover a substantially higher yield: 88 ± 5% of griffithsin from the initial extract. The method was scaled to produce gram quantities of griffithsin with high yields, low endotoxin levels, and low purification costs maintained. The methodology developed to purify griffithsin introduces and develops multiple tools for purification of recombinant proteins from plants at an industrial scale. These tools allow for robust cost-effective production and purification of

  7. The Protein Maker: an automated system for high-throughput parallel purification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, Eric R.; Begley, Darren W.; Anderson, Vanessa; Raymond, Amy C.; Haffner, Taryn E.; Robinson, John I.; Edwards, Thomas E.; Duncan, Natalie; Gerdts, Cory J.; Mixon, Mark B.; Nollert, Peter; Staker, Bart L.; Stewart, Lance J.

    2011-01-01

    The Protein Maker instrument addresses a critical bottleneck in structural genomics by allowing automated purification and buffer testing of multiple protein targets in parallel with a single instrument. Here, the use of this instrument to (i) purify multiple influenza-virus proteins in parallel for crystallization trials and (ii) identify optimal lysis-buffer conditions prior to large-scale protein purification is described. The Protein Maker is an automated purification system developed by Emerald BioSystems for high-throughput parallel purification of proteins and antibodies. This instrument allows multiple load, wash and elution buffers to be used in parallel along independent lines for up to 24 individual samples. To demonstrate its utility, its use in the purification of five recombinant PB2 C-terminal domains from various subtypes of the influenza A virus is described. Three of these constructs crystallized and one diffracted X-rays to sufficient resolution for structure determination and deposition in the Protein Data Bank. Methods for screening lysis buffers for a cytochrome P450 from a pathogenic fungus prior to upscaling expression and purification are also described. The Protein Maker has become a valuable asset within the Seattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease (SSGCID) and hence is a potentially valuable tool for a variety of high-throughput protein-purification applications

  8. Dietary fibre concentrate from Chilean algarrobo (Prosopis chilensis (Mol.) Stuntz) pods: purification and characterization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Estévez, Ana María; Figuerola, Fernando; Bernuy, Enrique; Sáenz, Carmen

    2014-12-01

    Prosopis species are generally fast-growing, drought-resistant, nitrogen-fixing trees or shrubs. Fruits of Prosopis spp are indehiscent pods, where pericarp is formed by the epicarp, light brown in colour, and fibrous nature; the mesocarp known as pulp, which is rich in sugars; and the endocarp. The aim of this work was to obtain a fibre concentrate from the pods of Prosopis chilensis Mol. (Stuntz) and to determine the chemical, physical, and technological properties of the pod flour (PF) and of a fibre concentrate or pod purified flour (PPF). Acetone, ethanol, and water at different conditions of time and temperature were used in the purification process. PF showed 53.7 g/100 g of total sugar content, 4.2 g/100 g of reducing sugar content, 41.8 g/100 g of total dietary fibre, 35.8 g/100 g of insoluble fibre, and 6.0 g/100 g of soluble fibre content. The PPF has a total sugar content of 3.8 g/100 g, reducing sugar content of 2.2 g/100 g, total dietary fibre content of 80.8 g/100 g, insoluble fibre content of 75.1 g/100 g, and soluble fibre content of 5.7 g/100 g. The scanning electron microscopy analysis showed the existence of voids in the structure of PPF flour, which reveals the efficiency of the purification process with a high decrease in the total sugar content. © The Author(s) 2013 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

  9. Molecular Characterization of the Bacterial Communities in the Different Compartments of a Full-Scale Reverse-Osmosis Water Purification Plant

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bereschenko, L.A.; Heilig, G.H.J.; Nederlof, M.M.; Loosdrecht, M.C.M. van; Stams, A.J.M.; Euverink, G.J.W.

    2008-01-01

    The origin, structure, and composition of biofilms in various compartments of an industrial full-scale reverse-osmosis (RO) membrane water purification plant were analyzed by molecular biological methods. Samples were taken when the RO installation suffered from a substantial pressure drop and

  10. Molecular characterization of the bacterial communities in the different compartments of a full-scale reverse-osmosis water purification plant

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bereschenko, L.A.; Heilig, G.H.J.; Nederlof, M.M.; Loosdracht, van M.C.M.; Stams, A.J.M.; Euverink, G.J.W.

    2008-01-01

    The origin, structure, and composition of biofilms in various compartments of an industrial full-scale reverse-osmosis (RO) membrane water purification plant were analyzed by molecular biological methods. Samples were taken when the RO installation suffered from a substantial pressure drop and

  11. Preparation, Modification, Characterization, and Biosensing Application of Nanoporous Gold Using Electrochemical Techniques

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jay K. Bhattarai

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Nanoporous gold (np-Au, because of its high surface area-to-volume ratio, excellent conductivity, chemical inertness, physical stability, biocompatibility, easily tunable pores, and plasmonic properties, has attracted much interested in the field of nanotechnology. It has promising applications in the fields of catalysis, bio/chemical sensing, drug delivery, biomolecules separation and purification, fuel cell development, surface-chemistry-driven actuation, and supercapacitor design. Many chemical and electrochemical procedures are known for the preparation of np-Au. Recently, researchers are focusing on easier and controlled ways to tune the pores and ligaments size of np-Au for its use in different applications. Electrochemical methods have good control over fine-tuning pore and ligament sizes. The np-Au electrodes that are prepared using electrochemical techniques are robust and are easier to handle for their use in electrochemical biosensing. Here, we review different electrochemical strategies for the preparation, post-modification, and characterization of np-Au along with the synergistic use of both electrochemistry and np-Au for applications in biosensing.

  12. Catalase purification from rat liver with iron-chelated poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate-N-methacryloyl-(l)-glutamic acid) cryogel discs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Göktürk, Ilgım; Perçin, Işık; Denizli, Adil

    2016-08-17

    In this study, iron-chelated poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate-N-methacryloyl-(l)-glutamic acid) (PHEMAGA/Fe(3+)) cryogel discs were prepared. The PHEMAGA/Fe(3+) cryogel discs were characterized by elemental analysis, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, swelling tests, and surface area measurements. The PHEMAGA/Fe(3+) cryogel discs had large pores ranging from 10 to 100 µm with a swelling degree of 9.36 g H2O/g cryogel. Effects of pH, temperature, initial catalase concentration, and flow rate on adsorption capacity of the PHEMAGA/Fe(3+) cryogel discs were investigated. Maximum catalase adsorption capacity (62.6 mg/g) was obtained at pH 7.0, 25°C, and 3 mg/ml initial catalase concentration. The PHEMAGA/Fe(3+) cryogel discs were also tested for the purification of catalase from rat liver. After tissue homogenization, purification of catalase was performed using the PHEMAGA/Fe(3+) cryogel discs and catalase was obtained with a yield of 54.34 and 16.67 purification fold.

  13. Synthesis, Purification and Characterization of Ferredoxins with Re-Designed Active Sites

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, Jytte

    is not incorporated into the ferredoxin by self-assem¬bly. Instead the molybdenum-sulfur ana¬lo¬gue was synthesized by addition of pre-prepared [Mo4S4(H2O)12]Cl5 to the apo-ferredoxin which was stabilized by sulfonation. The purification of the molyb¬denum-sulfur ana¬lo¬gue revealed two closely related species...... and that the ratio between the two species depended on the experimental conditions. The two purified species were subjected to EPR moni¬tored redox titration and the obtained EPR spectra were compared to the spectra of [Mo4S4(H2O)12]5+. The results confirmed the incor¬poration of the intact [Mo4S4] cluster and sug...... after oxidative titration suggested oxidative break down of the [Mo4S4] cluster. It is not possible to identify the ligands on the cluster based on these studies, however, the spectra suggest that the difference between the two species in variations in the ligand environment. These studies have given...

  14. Simplified riboprobe purification using translucent straws as gel tubes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kol, S; Ben-Shlomo, I; Adashi, E Y; Rohan, R M

    1996-01-01

    Gel purification of radioactive riboprobes enhances the quality of the ribonuclease protection assay. A simple and effective method for riboprobe purification is described. The method uses acrylamide gels in plastic tubes to achieve electrophoretic separation of the RNA polymerase products.

  15. Purification and characterization of CDP-diacylglycerol synthase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kelley, M.J.; Carman, G.M.

    1987-01-01

    The membrane-associated phospholipid biosynthetic enzyme CDP-diacylglycerol synthase (CTP:phosphatidate cytidylyltransferase was purified 2300-fold from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The purification procedure included Triton X-100 solubilization of mitochondrial membranes, CDP-diacylglycerol-Sepharose affinity chromatography, and hydroxylapatite chromatography. The procedure resulted in a nearly homogeneous enzyme preparation as determined by native and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Radiation inactivation of mitochondrial associated and purified CDP-diacylglycerol synthase suggested that the molecular weight of the native enzyme was 114,000. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the purified enzyme preparation yielded two subunits with molecular weights of 56,000 and 54,000. Antibodies prepared against the purified enzyme immunoprecipitated CDP-diacylglycerol synthase activity and subunits. CDP-diacylglycerol synthase activity was dependent on magnesium ions and Triton X-100 at pH 6.5. Thio-reactive agents inhibited activity. The activation energy for the reaction was 9 kcal/mol, and the enzyme was thermally labile above 30 degrees C. The Km values for CTP and phosphatidate were 1 and 0.5 mM, respectively, and the Vmax was 4700 nmol/min/mg. Results of kinetic and isotopic exchange reactions suggested that the enzyme catalyzes a sequential Bi Bi reaction mechanism

  16. Biochemical techniques for the characterization of G-quadruplex structures: EMSA, DMS footprinting, and DNA polymerase stop assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Daekyu; Hurley, Laurence H

    2010-01-01

    The proximal promoter region of many human growth-related genes contains a polypurine/polypyrimidine tract that serves as multiple binding sites for Sp1 or other transcription factors. These tracts often contain a guanine-rich sequence consisting of four runs of three or more contiguous guanines separated by one or more bases, corresponding to a general motif known for the formation of an intramolecular G-quadruplex. Recent results provide strong evidence that specific G-quadruplex structures form naturally within these polypurine/polypyrimidine tracts in many human promoter regions, raising the possibility that the transcriptional control of these genes can be modulated by G-quadruplex-interactive agents. In this chapter, we describe three general biochemical methodologies, electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), dimethylsulfate (DMS) footprinting, and the DNA polymerase stop assay, which can be useful for initial characterization of G-quadruplex structures formed by G-rich sequences.

  17. Purification and characterization of sheep platelet cyclo-oxygenase. Acetylation by aspirin prevents haemin binding to the enzyme.

    OpenAIRE

    Boopathy, R; Balasubramanian, A S

    1986-01-01

    Arachidonate cyclo-oxygenase (prostaglandin synthetase; prostaglandin endoperoxide synthetase; EC 1.14.99.1) was purified from sheep platelets. The purification procedure involved hydrophobic column chromatography using either Ibuprofen-Sepharose, phenyl-Sepharose or arachidic acid-Sepharose as the first step followed by metal-chelate Sepharose and haemin-Sepharose affinity chromatography. The purified enzyme (Mr approximately 65,000) was homogeneous as observed by SDS/polyacrylamide-gel elec...

  18. Application of electrochemically synthesized ferrate(VI in the purification of wastewater from coal separation plant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Čekerevac Milan I.

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The oxidative and coagulation efficiency of Na2FeO4 solution, electrochemically generated by trans-passive anodic oxidation of electrical steel in 10M NaOH solution, is confirmed in the process of purification of heavily contaminated wastewater from coal separation plant. The decontamination efficiency is evaluated comparing the values of selected contamination parameters obtained by chemical and biochemical analysis of plant effluent water and water obtained after decontamination with ferrate(VI solution in relatively simple laboratory procedure. The sample of 450 ml of wastewater is treated in laboratory conditions with 100cm3 solution of 1 mg dm-3 Na2FeO4 in 10M NaOH. The chemical analysis of effluent water after treatment have shown almost 3 times lower permanganate index, about 3 times lower iron content, 1.45 times lower As3+ content, 7.35 times lower ammonia content. Turbidity and chemical oxygen demand (COD is reduced for more than 5.77and 13.4 times, respectively. The suspended and colloid matter is eliminated from effluent water after treatment with ferrate(VI solution. Also, biochemical exploration has confirmed high efficiency of ferrate(VI in organics and microbial elimination showing 7.1 times lower 5-days bio-chemical oxygen demand (BOD5, and total elimination of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria from effluent water. According to standards on quality of industrial wastewater effluents, it may be concluded that ferrate(VI treatment of wastewater almost completely eliminates excess of dangerous chemicals and pathogen bacteria, with the exemption of arsenic. Thus, ferrate(VI shows capable performance in treatment of coal separation plant wastewater.

  19. Virus purification by CsCl density gradient using general centrifugation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nasukawa, Tadahiro; Uchiyama, Jumpei; Taharaguchi, Satoshi; Ota, Sumire; Ujihara, Takako; Matsuzaki, Shigenobu; Murakami, Hironobu; Mizukami, Keijirou; Sakaguchi, Masahiro

    2017-11-01

    Virus purification by cesium chloride (CsCl) density gradient, which generally requires an expensive ultracentrifuge, is an essential technique in virology. Here, we optimized virus purification by CsCl density gradient using general centrifugation (40,000 × g, 2 h, 4 °C), which showed almost the same purification ability as conventional CsCl density gradient ultracentrifugation (100,000 × g, 1 h, 4 °C) using phages S13' and φEF24C. Moreover, adenovirus strain JM1/1 was also successfully purified by this method. We suggest that general centrifugation can become a less costly alternative to ultracentrifugation for virus purification by CsCl densiy gradient and will thus encourage research in virology.

  20. Comparison of Influenza Virus Particle Purification Using Magnetic Sulfated Cellulose Particles with an Established Centrifugation Method for Analytics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serve, Anja; Pieler, Michael Martin; Benndorf, Dirk; Rapp, Erdmann; Wolff, Michael Werner; Reichl, Udo

    2015-11-03

    A method for the purification of influenza virus particles using novel magnetic sulfated cellulose particles is presented and compared to an established centrifugation method for analytics. Therefore, purified influenza A virus particles from adherent and suspension MDCK host cell lines were characterized on the protein level with mass spectrometry to compare the viral and residual host cell proteins. Both methods allowed one to identify all 10 influenza A virus proteins, including low-abundance proteins like the matrix protein 2 and nonstructural protein 1, with a similar impurity level of host cell proteins. Compared to the centrifugation method, use of the novel magnetic sulfated cellulose particles reduced the influenza A virus particle purification time from 3.5 h to 30 min before mass spectrometry analysis.

  1. Laboratory of minerals purification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2002-01-01

    The laboratory of minerals purification was organized in 1962 where with application of modern physical and chemical methods were investigated the mechanism of flotation reagents interaction with minerals' surface, was elaborated technologies on rising complexity of using of republic's minerals

  2. Aqueous two-phase system purification for superoxide dismutase induced by menadione from Phanerochaete chrysosporium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kavakcıoğlu, Berna; Tongul, Burcu; Tarhan, Leman

    2017-03-01

    In the present work, the partitioning behavior of menadione-induced superoxide dismutase (SOD; EC 1.15.1.1), an antioxidant enzyme that has various applications in the medical and cosmetic industries, from the white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium has been characterized on different types of aqueous two-phase systems (ATPSs) (poly(ethylene glycol)/polypropylene glycol (PEG/PPG)-dextran, PEG-salt and PPG-salt). PEG-salt combinations were found most optimal systems for the purification of SOD. The best partition conditions were found using the PEG-3350 24% and K 2 HPO 4 5% (w/w) with pH 7.0 at 25 °C. The partition coefficient of total SOD activity and total protein concentration observed in this system were 0.17 and 6.65, respectively, with the recovery percentage as 78.90% in the bottom phase and 13.17% in the top phase. The highest purification fold for SOD from P. chrysosporium was found as 6.04 in the bottom phase of PEG 3350%24 - K 2 HPO 4 %5 (w/w) system with pH 7.0. SOD purified from P. chrysosporium was determined to be a homodimer in its native state with a molecular weight of 60  ± 4 kDa. Consequently, simple and only one step PEG-salt ATPS system was developed for SOD purification from P. chrysosporium.

  3. Waste water biological purification plants of dairy products industry and energy management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stepanov, Sergey; Solkina, Olga; Stepanov, Alexander; Zhukova, Maria

    2017-10-01

    The paper presents results of engineering and economical comparison of waste water biological purification plants of dairy products industry. Three methods of purification are compared: traditional biological purification with the use of secondary clarifiers and afterpurification through granular-bed filters, biomembrane technology and physical-and-chemical treatment together with biomembrane technology for new construction conditions. The improvement of the biological purification technology using nitro-denitrification and membrane un-mixing of sludge mixture is a promising trend in this area. In these calculations, an energy management which is widely applied abroad was used. The descriptions of the three methods are illustrated with structural schemes. Costs of equipment and production areas are taken from manufacturers’ data. The research is aimed at an engineering and economical comparison of new constructions of waste water purification of dairy products industry. The experiment demonstrates advantages of biomembrane technology in waste water purification. This technology offers prospects of 122 million rubles cost saving during 25 years of operation when compared with of the technology of preparatory reagent flotation and of 13.7 million rubles cost saving compared to the option of traditional biological purification.

  4. The yeast plasma membrane ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporter Aus1: purification, characterization, and the effect of lipids on its activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marek, Magdalena; Milles, Sigrid; Schreiber, Gabriele; Daleke, David L; Dittmar, Gunnar; Herrmann, Andreas; Müller, Peter; Pomorski, Thomas Günther

    2011-06-17

    The ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporter Aus1 is expressed under anaerobic growth conditions at the plasma membrane of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and is required for sterol uptake. These observations suggest that Aus1 promotes the translocation of sterols across membranes, but the precise transport mechanism has yet to be identified. In this study, an extraction and purification procedure was developed to characterize the Aus1 transporter. The detergent-solubilized protein was able to bind and hydrolyze ATP. Mutagenesis of the conserved lysine to methionine in the Walker A motif abolished ATP hydrolysis. Likewise, ATP hydrolysis was inhibited by classical inhibitors of ABC transporters. Upon reconstitution into proteoliposomes, the ATPase activity of Aus1 was specifically stimulated by phosphatidylserine (PS) in a stereoselective manner. We also found that Aus1-dependent sterol uptake, but not Aus1 expression and trafficking to the plasma membrane, was affected by changes in cellular PS levels. These results suggest a direct interaction between Aus1 and PS that is critical for the activity of the transporter.

  5. Partial purification, characterization and hydrolytic activities of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    α-Amylase and amyloglucosidase produced by amylolytic Bacillus licheniformis and Aspergillus niger isolated from plantain and yam peels media were partially purified and characterized. Following cultivation of the microbial isolates on the agricultural residue media, crude enzyme solutions were obtained by filtration and ...

  6. Purification of human platelet-derived growth factor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raines, E.W.; Ross, R.

    1985-01-01

    The paper describes a method for purification of human platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) from outdated platelet-rich plasma (PRP) using commonly available laboratory reagents and yielding a mitogen purified 800,000-fold over the starting material. [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation into DNA of cultured cells responsive to PDGF represents the most readily available method to follow its purification and define the biological activity of a purified preparation. Other assays to quantitate PDGF include radioreceptor assay and radioimmunoassay

  7. Synthesis and purification of oxide nanoparticle dispersions by modified emulsion precipitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Jingyu; Verweij, Henk

    2005-06-07

    ZrO2 and Fe2O3 precursor nanoparticles are synthesized, well-dispersed in decane, via a modified emulsion precipitation (MEP) method. This method starts with preparing two thermostable water-in-oil (w/o) emulsions with nonylphenol tetra(ethylene glycol) ether (Arkopal-40) as the main surfactant, didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DiDAB) as the cosurfactant, decane as the continuous oil phase, and either a metal salt solution or a hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) precipitation agent solution as the dispersed water phase. After mixing of the two emulsions, individual precursor particles are formed by precipitation in the confinement of the aqueous solution droplets. Excess water is removed by azeotropic distillation, and steric stabilization of the particles in the remaining oil medium is achieved with poly(octadecyl methacrylate) (PODMA), initially present dissolved in the oil phase. A purification process is conducted to remove the precipitation reaction byproduct and excess surfactants from the nanoparticle dispersions. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization shows that the ZrO2 and Fe2O3 precursor nanoparticles are both non-agglomerated, spherical, and have a narrow particle size distribution, centered at 4 nm in diameter. The precipitation from the dispersion of byproduct NH4Cl after water removal, and insoluble surfactant DiDAB after dilution with pure decane, is confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). NMR results show that most of the oil-soluble surfactant Arkopal-40 can be removed from the dispersion by a 3x repeated dead-end pressure filtration process. It is shown that, after purification, the nanoparticle dispersions can be used for the preparation of homogeneous nanostructured coatings. The purification procedure as discussed provides guidelines for up-scaling the process and reuse of emulsifiers.

  8. Intensification of oily waste waters purification by means of liquid atomization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eskin, A. A.; Tkach, N. S.; Kim, M. I.; Zakharov, G. A.

    2017-10-01

    In this research, a possibility of using liquid atomization for improving the efficiency of purification of wastewater by different methods has been studied. By the introduced method and an experimental setup for wastewater purification, saturation rate increases with its purification by means of dissolved air flotation. Liquid atomization under excess pressure allows to gain a large interfacial area between the saturated liquid and air, which may increase the rate of purified liquid saturation almost twice, compared to the existing methods of saturation. Current disadvantages of liquid atomization used for intensification of wastewater purification include high energy cost and secondary emulsion of polluting agents. It is also known that by means of liquid atomization a process of ozonizing can be intensified. Large contact surface between the purified liquid and ozone-air mixture increases the oxidizing efficiency, which allows to diminish ozone discharge. Liquid atomization may be used for purification of wastewaters by ultraviolet radiation. Small drops of liquid will be proportionally treated by ultraviolet, which makes it possible to do purification even of turbid wastewaters. High-speed liquid motion will prevent the pollution of quartz tubes of ultraviolet lamps.

  9. Purification and characterization of phenoloxidase from immunized ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The present study has been conducted to purify and characterize the PO from the haemolymph of desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria (Forskal) following activation of immune system by invasion of bacteria, Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Bt). PO is purified by a combination of ammonium sulfate precipitation, blue sepharose ...

  10. Production, purification and characterization of two recombinant ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    STORAGESEVER

    2008-06-17

    Jun 17, 2008 ... Two recombinant DNA-derived variants of ovine growth hormone were produced, purified, characterized and compared with the authentic pituitary derived GH. The variants oGH3 and oGH5 were isolated by differential centrifugation method and were purified after refolding by ion-exchange.

  11. Recent Advances in Nanoporous Membranes for Water Purification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhuqing Wang

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Nanoporous materials exhibit wide applications in the fields of electrocatalysis, nanodevice fabrication, energy, and environmental science, as well as analytical science. In this review, we present a summary of recent studies on nanoporous membranes for water purification application. The types and fabrication strategies of various nanoporous membranes are first introduced, and then the fabricated nanoporous membranes for removing various water pollutants, such as salt, metallic ions, anions, nanoparticles, organic chemicals, and biological substrates, are demonstrated and discussed. This work will be valuable for readers to understand the design and fabrication of various nanoporous membranes, and their potential purification mechanisms towards different water pollutants. In addition, it will be helpful for developing new nanoporous materials for quick, economic, and high-performance water purification.

  12. Single-Step Affinity Purification for Fungal Proteomics ▿ †

    OpenAIRE

    Liu, Hui-Lin; Osmani, Aysha H.; Ukil, Leena; Son, Sunghun; Markossian, Sarine; Shen, Kuo-Fang; Govindaraghavan, Meera; Varadaraj, Archana; Hashmi, Shahr B.; De Souza, Colin P.; Osmani, Stephen A.

    2010-01-01

    A single-step protein affinity purification protocol using Aspergillus nidulans is described. Detailed protocols for cell breakage, affinity purification, and depending on the application, methods for protein release from affinity beads are provided. Examples defining the utility of the approaches, which should be widely applicable, are included.

  13. Identification of a liver growth factor as an albumin-bilirubin complex.

    OpenAIRE

    Díaz-Gil, J J; Gavilanes, J G; Sánchez, G; García-Cañero, R; García-Segura, J M; Santamaría, L; Trilla, C; Escartín, P

    1987-01-01

    We have reported the purification and characterization of a protein that behaves as a liver growth factor, showing activity either in vivo or in vitro [Díaz-Gil et al. (1986) Biochem. J. 235, 49-55]. In the present paper, we identify this liver growth factor (LGF) as an albumin-bilirubin complex. This conclusion is supported by the results of chemical and spectroscopic characterization of this protein as well as by experiments in vivo. Incubation of albumin isolated from normal rats with bili...

  14. Purification of radiolabeled RNA using sephadex G-15 or G-50 chromatography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoo, Beong Gyu; Lee, Jong Seok

    1998-01-01

    We attempted to purify radiolabeled RNA using Sephadex G-15 and G-50 chromatography instead of commercial RNA purification kit. In the Sephadex G-15 chromatography the major portion of RNA was eluted in the fractions ranging from 3rd to 5th whereas broad elution profile of RNA was obtained from the Sephadex G-50 chromatography. The elution profile and purity of RNA obtained from Sephadex G-15 chromatography was very similar to that by commercial RNA purification kit. Furthermore, operating time required for purification of RNA by Sephadex G-15 was rather smaller than that by commercial kit. Overall results suggest that the purification of radiolabeled RNA using Sephadex G-15 is more money and time saving than using commercial RNA purification kit

  15. BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF RECOMBINANT YEAST PROTEASOME MATURATION FACTOR UMP1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bebiana Sá-Moura

    2013-04-01

    We show that recombinant Ump1 is purified as a mixture of different oligomeric species and thatoligomerization is mediated by intermolecular disulfide bond formation involving the only cysteine residue present in the protein.Furthermore, a combination of bioinformatic, biochemical and structural analysis revealed that Ump1 shows characteristics of anintrinsically disordered protein, which might become structured only upon interaction with the proteasomesubunits.

  16. Comparative study of peroxidase purification from apple and orange ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This paper reports the isolation and purification of peroxidase from low cost material; moreover, no significant work has been done on the isolation and purification of peroxidase from such cost effective sources (apple and orange seeds). Peroxidases had attracted considerable interest in recent years because of their ...

  17. Development of Purification Protocol Specific for Bacteriocin 105B

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-02-09

    Bacillus anthracis. As the current application of broad-spectrum antimicrobials promotes the development of multi- drug resistant microorganisms...SPECTRUM TARGETED ANTIMICROBIALS ASSAYS PURIFICATION BACILLUS ANTHRACIS DRUG- RESISTANT MICROORGANISMS...through the purification procedure. The wide-spread use of broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents has led to the development of drug resistant

  18. Purification of uranothorite solid solutions from polyphase systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Clavier, Nicolas, E-mail: nicolas.clavier@icsm.fr [ICSM, UMR 5257 CEA/CNRS/UM2/ENSCM, Site de Marcoule – Bât. 426, BP 17171, 30207 Bagnols/Cèze cedex (France); Szenknect, Stéphanie; Costin, Dan Tiberiu; Mesbah, Adel; Ravaux, Johann [ICSM, UMR 5257 CEA/CNRS/UM2/ENSCM, Site de Marcoule – Bât. 426, BP 17171, 30207 Bagnols/Cèze cedex (France); Poinssot, Christophe [CEA/DEN/DRCP/DIR, Site de Marcoule – Bât. 400, BP 17171, 30207 Bagnols/Cèze cedex (France); Dacheux, Nicolas [ICSM, UMR 5257 CEA/CNRS/UM2/ENSCM, Site de Marcoule – Bât. 426, BP 17171, 30207 Bagnols/Cèze cedex (France)

    2013-10-15

    Graphical abstract: Display Omitted -- Highlights: •Purification of Th{sub 1−x}U{sub x}SiO{sub 4} uranothorites from oxide mixture was investigated. •Repetition of centrifugation steps was discarded due to poor recovery yields. •Successive washings in acid and basic media allowed the elimination of oxide secondary phases. •Structural and microstructural characterization of the purified samples was provided. -- Abstract: The mineral coffinite, nominally USiO{sub 4}, and associated Th{sub 1−x}U{sub x}SiO{sub 4} uranothorite solid solutions are of great interest from a geochemical point of view and in the case of the direct storage of spent nuclear fuels. Nevertheless, they clearly exhibit a lack in the evaluation of their thermodynamic data, mainly because of the difficulties linked with their preparation as pure phases. This paper thus presents physical and chemical methods aiming to separate uranothorite solid solutions from oxide additional phases such as amorphous SiO{sub 2} and nanometric crystallized Th{sub 1−y}U{sub y}O{sub 2}. The repetition of centrifugation steps envisaged in first place was rapidly dropped due to poor recovery yields, to the benefit of successive washings in acid then basic media. Under both static and dynamic flow rates (i.e. low or high rate of leachate renewal), ICP-AES (Inductively Coupled Plasma – Atomic Emission Spectroscopy) analyses revealed the systematic elimination of Th{sub 1−y}U{sub y}O{sub 2} in acid media and of SiO{sub 2} in basic media. Nevertheless, two successive steps were always needed to reach pure samples. On this basis, a first cycle performed in static conditions was chosen to eliminate the major part of the accessory phases while a second one, in dynamic conditions, allowed the elimination of the residual impurities. The complete purification of the samples was finally evidenced through the characterization of the samples by the means of PXRD (Powder X-Ray Diffraction), SEM (Scanning Electron

  19. A Novel Strategy for Characterization of Glycosylated Proteins Separated by Gel Electrophoresis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Martin; Skottrup, Peter; Enghild, Jan J.

    2005-01-01

    . We present a new technique, which allows full characterization of low amounts of glycoproteins separated by gel electrophoresis. The method takes advantage of sequential specific and non-specific enzymatic treatment, followed by selective purification and characterization of the glycopeptides using...

  20. Nucleic acid programmable protein array a just-in-time multiplexed protein expression and purification platform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiu, Ji; LaBaer, Joshua

    2011-01-01

    Systematic study of proteins requires the availability of thousands of proteins in functional format. However, traditional recombinant protein expression and purification methods have many drawbacks for such study at the proteome level. We have developed an innovative in situ protein expression and capture system, namely NAPPA (nucleic acid programmable protein array), where C-terminal tagged proteins are expressed using an in vitro expression system and efficiently captured/purified by antitag antibodies coprinted at each spot. The NAPPA technology presented in this chapter enable researchers to produce and display fresh proteins just in time in a multiplexed high-throughput fashion and utilize them for various downstream biochemical researches of interest. This platform could revolutionize the field of functional proteomics with it ability to produce thousands of spatially separated proteins in high density with narrow dynamic rand of protein concentrations, reproducibly and functionally. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Subcellular fractionation on Percoll gradient of mossy fiber synaptosomes: morphological and biochemical characterization in control and degranulated rat hippocampus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taupin, P; Zini, S; Cesselin, F; Ben-Ari, Y; Roisin, M P

    1994-04-01

    A method for preparation of hippocampal mossy fiber synaptosomes directly from the postnuclear pellet is presented. This method represents an adaptation of that previously described for the isolation of synaptosomes by centrifugation through Percoll gradients directly from the supernatant fraction. We have characterized by electron microscopy two fractions, PII and PIII, enriched in mossy fiber synaptosomes; fraction PIII had 75% mossy fiber synaptosomes with well-preserved morphology (large size 3 microns, complex morphology, high synaptic vesicle density, multisynapses), whereas fraction PII contained 12%. These fractions were enriched in lactate dehydrogenase activity indicating that the integrity of synaptosomes was preserved. Compared with the other synaptosomal fractions, these fractions showed greater levels of dynorphin A (1-8) immunoreactivity and endogenous zinc, which are particularly concentrated in hippocampal mossy fiber terminals. Furthermore, we prepared synaptosomes from adult hippocampus after neonatal irradiation, which destroys the majority of granule cells and associated mossy fibers. The levels of dynorphin and zinc decreased by 88 and 70% in fraction PII and by 95 and 90%, respectively, in PIII. These results suggest that the rapid Percoll procedure is convenient for the purification of mossy fiber synaptosomes.

  2. Ionic behavior of treated water at a water purification plant

    OpenAIRE

    Yanagida, Kazumi; Kawahigashi, Tatsuo

    2012-01-01

    [Abstract] Water at each processing stage in a water purification plant was extracted and analyzed to investigate changes of water quality. Investigations of water at each processing stage at the water purification plant are discussed herein.

  3. Proteomics-Based Analysis of Protein Complexes in Pluripotent Stem Cells and Cancer Biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sudhir, Putty-Reddy; Chen, Chung-Hsuan

    2016-03-22

    A protein complex consists of two or more proteins that are linked together through protein-protein interactions. The proteins show stable/transient and direct/indirect interactions within the protein complex or between the protein complexes. Protein complexes are involved in regulation of most of the cellular processes and molecular functions. The delineation of protein complexes is important to expand our knowledge on proteins functional roles in physiological and pathological conditions. The genetic yeast-2-hybrid method has been extensively used to characterize protein-protein interactions. Alternatively, a biochemical-based affinity purification coupled with mass spectrometry (AP-MS) approach has been widely used to characterize the protein complexes. In the AP-MS method, a protein complex of a target protein of interest is purified using a specific antibody or an affinity tag (e.g., DYKDDDDK peptide (FLAG) and polyhistidine (His)) and is subsequently analyzed by means of MS. Tandem affinity purification, a two-step purification system, coupled with MS has been widely used mainly to reduce the contaminants. We review here a general principle for AP-MS-based characterization of protein complexes and we explore several protein complexes identified in pluripotent stem cell biology and cancer biology as examples.

  4. The effect of purification of single-walled carbon nanotube bundles on the alcohol sensitivity of nanocomposite Langmuir-Blodgett films for SAW sensing applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Penza, M; Tagliente, M A; Aversa, P; Re, M; Cassano, G

    2007-01-01

    HiPco (high-pressure CO dissociation process) single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) bundles containing Fe particles were purified in a two-step purification process by thermal annealing in oxygen and post-treatment in HCl. Nanocomposite films of pristine and purified SWCNTs embedded in an organic matrix of cadmium arachidate (CdA) were prepared by a Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) molecular engineering technique with a fixed weight filler content of 75 wt% onto a surface acoustic wave (SAW) transducer operating as an oscillator at a frequency of 433 MHz. The raw and purified samples were characterized at various stages of the purification process using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), along with energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). Functional characterizations of the SWCNT-nanocomposite-based SAW sensors were investigated towards methanol, isopropanol and ethanol, and demonstrated high sensitivity, reversibility, fast response and ppm level detection at room temperature. Results indicate that the sensitivity of the SAW sensors based on a nanocomposite film of oxygen-annealed SWCNTs is enhanced to the alcohols tested at room temperature. Purification of the SWCNTs in the nanocomposite film affects the SAW sensitivity to alcohol by modulating the sensing properties. The sensing mechanisms are analysed and discussed

  5. The effect of purification of single-walled carbon nanotube bundles on the alcohol sensitivity of nanocomposite Langmuir-Blodgett films for SAW sensing applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Penza, M; Tagliente, M A; Aversa, P; Re, M; Cassano, G [ENEA, Department of Physical Technologies and New Materials, SS 7, Appia, km 714-72100 Brindisi (Italy)

    2007-05-09

    HiPco (high-pressure CO dissociation process) single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) bundles containing Fe particles were purified in a two-step purification process by thermal annealing in oxygen and post-treatment in HCl. Nanocomposite films of pristine and purified SWCNTs embedded in an organic matrix of cadmium arachidate (CdA) were prepared by a Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) molecular engineering technique with a fixed weight filler content of 75 wt% onto a surface acoustic wave (SAW) transducer operating as an oscillator at a frequency of 433 MHz. The raw and purified samples were characterized at various stages of the purification process using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), along with energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). Functional characterizations of the SWCNT-nanocomposite-based SAW sensors were investigated towards methanol, isopropanol and ethanol, and demonstrated high sensitivity, reversibility, fast response and ppm level detection at room temperature. Results indicate that the sensitivity of the SAW sensors based on a nanocomposite film of oxygen-annealed SWCNTs is enhanced to the alcohols tested at room temperature. Purification of the SWCNTs in the nanocomposite film affects the SAW sensitivity to alcohol by modulating the sensing properties. The sensing mechanisms are analysed and discussed.

  6. Biochemical and molecular characterization of Coriolopsis rigida laccases involved in transformation of the solid waste from olive oil production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Díaz, Rosario; Saparrat, Mario C N; Jurado, Miguel; García-Romera, Inmaculada; Ocampo, Juan Antonio; Martínez, María Jesús

    2010-09-01

    Two laccase isoenzymes were purified and characterized from the basidiomycete Coriolopsis rigida during transformation of the water-soluble fraction of "alpeorujo" (WSFA), a solid residue derived from the olive oil production containing high levels of toxic compounds. Zymogram assays of laccases secreted by the fungus growing on WSFA and WSFA supplemented with glucose showed two bands with isoelectric points of 3.3 and 3.4. The kinetic studies of the two purified isoenzymes showed similar affinity on 2,6-dimethoxyphenol and 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), used as phenolic and non-phenolic model substrate, respectively. The molecular mass of both proteins was 66 kDa with 9% N-linked carbohydrate. Physico-chemical properties of the purified laccases from media containing WSFA were similar to those obtained from medium with glucose as the main carbon source. In-vitro studies performed with the purified laccases revealed a 42% phenol reduction of WSFA, as well as changes in the molecular mass distribution. These findings indicate that these laccases are involved in the process of transformation, via polymerization by the oxidation of phenolic compounds present in WSFA. A single laccase gene, containing an open reading frame of 1,488 bp, was obtained in PCR amplifications performed with cDNA extracted from mycelia grown on WSFA. The product of the gene shares 90% identity (95% similarity) with a laccase from Trametes trogii and 89% identity (95% similarity) with a laccase from Coriolopsis gallica. This is the first report on purification and molecular characterization of laccases directly involved in the transformation of olive oil residues.

  7. Purification and fluorescent labeling of the human serotonin transporter

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Søren G F; Gether, Ulrik

    2005-01-01

    To establish a purification procedure for the human serotonin transporter (hSERT) we expressed in Sf9 insect cells an epitope-tagged version of the transporter containing a FLAG epitope at the N-terminus and a polyhistidine tail at the C-terminus (FLAG-hSERT-12H). For purification, the transporter...

  8. One-step purification of E. coli elongation factor Tu

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Knudsen, Charlotte Rohde; Clark, Brian F. C.; Degn, B

    1993-01-01

    The tuf A gene, encoding the E. coli elongation factor Tu, was cloned in the pGEX gene fusion system. Upon expression EF-Tu is fused to glutathione-S-transferase serving as a purification handle with affinity for glutathione immobilised on agarose. This allows purification of EF-Tu in a one...

  9. Overview of the purification of recombinant proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wingfield, Paul T

    2015-04-01

    When the first version of this unit was written in 1995, protein purification of recombinant proteins was based on a variety of standard chromatographic methods and approaches, many of which were described and mentioned throughout Current Protocols in Protein Science. In the interim, there has been a shift toward an almost universal usage of the affinity or fusion tag. This may not be the case for biotechnology manufacture where affinity tags can complicate producing proteins under regulatory conditions. Regardless of the protein expression system, questions are asked as to which and how many affinity tags to use, where to attach them in the protein, and whether to engineer a self-cleavage system or simply leave them on. We will briefly address some of these issues. Also, although this overview focuses on E.coli, protein expression and purification, other commonly used expression systems are mentioned and, apart from cell-breakage methods, protein purification methods and strategies are essentially the same. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

  10. Dense Medium Plasma Water Purification Reactor (DMP WaPR), Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Dense Medium Plasma Water Purification Reactor offers significant improvements over existing water purification technologies used in Advanced Life Support...

  11. State-of-the-art technocology in blood purification at present

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhi-hong LIU

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Objective To review the recent advancement in clinical practices and studies on blood purification techniques,and to provide a guide for further studies on its application in military medicine.Methods Literature published in recent five years limited to blood purification field either in English or Chinese were retrieved by searching PubMed and CHKD.Analysis and summary were performed based on the literature.Results The advancements in blood purification in recent five years could be categorized into four fields,i.e.hemodialysis(HD,peritoneal dialysis(PD,continuous renal replacement therapy(CRRT,and adsorption therapy.The development in HD was aimed at promoting the ability of removal of toxic elements producing uremia and online monitor techniques,and PD was aimed at improvement of patients’ general condition and intervention to reduce the risk factors affecting long-term outcomes,and preparation of new PD solutions to improve the efficacy of PD.In regard to CRRT,the current progress had been focused on initiation time,dose and proposal of new hypothesis for high-volume hemofiltration(HVHF application.Adsorption therapy was another choice of blood purification.Domestic military medicine progress in blood purification in our armed forces was focused on techniques that could be used in treatment of casualties in war,including the basic and clinical study of extracorporeal circuit intervention(ECI for treatment of critically ill patients,problems arising from anticoagulation in ECI for patients with trauma,chemical agents poisoning,and adsorption technique.Conclusions Recently,the main advancement of blood purification technique is combined application of series techniques such as dialysis,hemofiltration,adsorption,and plasma exchange in treatment of critically ill patients.Studies on blood purification in domestic military medicine should be updated continuously to follow closely to the latest achievement in world,and translate these latest

  12. Purification of cerium, neodymium and gadolinium for low background experiments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Boiko R.S.

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Cerium, neodymium and gadolinium contain double beta active isotopes. The most interesting are 150Nd and 160Gd (promising for 0ν2β search, 136Ce (2β+ candidate with one of the highest Q2β. The main problem of compounds containing lanthanide elements is their high radioactive contamination by uranium, radium, actinium and thorium. The new generation 2β experiments require development of methods for a deep purification of lanthanides from the radioactive elements. A combination of physical and chemical methods was applied to purify cerium, neodymium and gadolinium. Liquid-liquid extraction technique was used to remove traces of Th and U from neodymium, gadolinium and for purification of cerium from Th, U, Ra and K. Co-precipitation and recrystallization methods were utilized for further reduction of the impurities. The radioactive contamination of the samples before and after the purification was tested by using ultra-low-background HPGe gamma spectrometry. As a result of the purification procedure the radioactive contamination of gadolinium oxide (a similar purification efficiency was reached also with cerium and neodymium oxides was decreased from 0.12 Bq/kg to 0.007 Bq/kg in 228Th, from 0.04 Bq/kg to <0.006 Bq/kg in 226Ra, and from 0.9 Bq/kg to 0.04 Bq/kg in 40K. The purification methods are much less efficient for chemically very similar radioactive elements like actinium, lanthanum and lutetium.

  13. Biochemical Characterization of Porphobilinogen Deaminase–Deficient Mice During Phenobarbital Induction of Heme Synthesis and the Effect of Enzyme Replacement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johansson, Annika; Möller, Christer; Fogh, Jens; Harper, Pauline

    2003-01-01

    Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is a genetic disorder caused by a deficiency of porphobilinogen deaminase (PBGD), the 3rd enzyme in heme synthesis. It is clinically characterized by acute attacks of neuropsychiatric symptoms and biochemically by increased urinary excretion of the porphyrin precursors porphobilinogen (PBG) and 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA). A mouse model that is partially deficient in PBGD and biochemically mimics AIP after induction of the hepatic ALA synthase by phenobarbital was used in this study to identify the site of formation of the presumably toxic porphyrin precursors and study the effect of enzyme-replacement therapy by using recombinant human PBGD (rhPBGD). After 4 d of phenobarbital administration, high levels of PBG and ALA were found in liver, kidney, plasma, and urine of the PBGD-deficient mice. The administration of rhPBGD intravenously or subcutaneously after a 4-d phenobarbital induction was shown to lower the PBG level in plasma in a dose-dependent manner with maximal effect seen after 30 min and 2 h, respectively. Injection of rhPBGD subcutaneously twice daily during a 4-d phenobarbital induction reduced urinary PBG excretion to 25% of the levels found in PBGD-deficient mice administered with only phenobarbital. This study points to the liver as the main producer of PBG and ALA in the phenobarbital-induced PBGD-deficient mice and demonstrates efficient removal of accumulated PBG in plasma and urine by enzyme-replacement therapy. PMID:15208740

  14. The addition of zeolite adsorbents and calcium oxide on purification of bioethanol from sugar palm (arenga pinnata merr)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herlina, Netti; Siska Dewi Harahap, Ici

    2018-03-01

    Bioethanol (C2H5OH) is a biochemical liquid produced by microorganisms through fermentation process on sugar molecules from carbohydrates. Bioethanol is a fuel of vegetable oil that has similar properties to premium. With its main product of palm juice, Sugar palm (Arenga pinnata) is a potential source of sugar and carbohydrate for bioethanol production. Production of palm juice can reach up to 12-14 liters/tree/day with total sugar content in palm juice ranges from 12-15%. The purpose of this research was to produce highly-concentrated bioethanol from palm juice through fermentation proccess to subtitude fossil fuel. This study was conducted with three stages of treatment, namely: the fermentation of palm juice, distillation of bioethanol, and purification of bioethanol with the addition of adsorbent zeolite and calcium oxide.

  15. Sublethal microcystin exposure and biochemical outcomes among hemodialysis patients.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elizabeth D Hilborn

    Full Text Available Cyanobacteria are commonly-occurring contaminants of surface waters worldwide. Microcystins, potent hepatotoxins, are among the best characterized cyanotoxins. During November, 2001, a group of 44 hemodialysis patients were exposed to microcystins via contaminated dialysate. Serum microcystin concentrations were quantified with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay which measures free serum microcystin LR equivalents (ME. We describe serum ME concentrations and biochemical outcomes among a subset of patients during 8 weeks following exposure. Thirteen patients were included; 6 were males, patients' median age was 45 years (range 16-80, one was seropositive for hepatitis B surface antigen. The median serum ME concentration was 0.33 ng/mL (range: <0.16-0.96. One hundred thirty nine blood samples were collected following exposure. Patients' biochemical outcomes varied, but overall indicated a mixed liver injury. Linear regression evaluated each patient's weekly mean biochemical outcome with their maximum serum ME concentration; a measure of the extrinsic pathway of clotting function, prothrombin time, was negatively and significantly associated with serum ME concentrations. This group of exposed patients' biochemical outcomes display evidence of a mixed liver injury temporally associated with microcystin exposure. Interpretation of biochemical outcomes are complicated by the study population's underlying chronic disease status. It is clear that dialysis patients are a distinct 'at risk' group for cyanotoxin exposures due to direct intravenous exposure to dialysate prepared from surface drinking water supplies. Careful monitoring and treatment of water supplies used to prepare dialysate is required to prevent future cyanotoxin exposure events.

  16. Production, purification, and characterization of an extracellular acid protease from the marine Antarctic yeast Rhodotorula mucilaginosa L7.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lario, Luciana Daniela; Chaud, Luciana; Almeida, María das Graças; Converti, Attilio; Durães Sette, Lara; Pessoa, Adalberto

    2015-11-01

    The production, purification, and characterization of an extracellular protease released by Rhodotorula mucilaginosa L7 were evaluated in this study. This strain was isolated from an Antarctic marine alga and previously selected among others based on the capacity to produce the highest extracellular proteolytic activity in preliminary tests. R. mucilaginosa L7 was grown in Saboraud-dextrose medium at 25 °C, and the cell growth, pH of the medium, extracellular protease production and the glucose and protein consumption were determined as a function of time. The protease was then purified, and the effects of pH, temperature, and salt concentration on the catalytic activity and enzyme stability were determined. Enzyme production started at the beginning of the exponential phase of growth and reached a maximum after 48 h, which was accompanied by a decrease in the pH as well as reductions of the protein and glucose concentrations in the medium. The purified protease presented optimal catalytic activity at pH 5.0 and 50 °C. Finally, the enzyme was stable in the presence of high concentrations of NaCl. These characteristics are of interest for future studies and may lead to potential biotechnological applications that require enzyme activity and stability under acidic conditions and/or high salt concentrations. Copyright © 2015 The British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Efficient purification and reconstitution of ATP binding cassette transporter B6 (ABCB6) for functional and structural studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chavan, Hemantkumar; Khan, Mohiuddin Md Taimur; Tegos, George; Krishnamurthy, Partha

    2013-08-02

    The mitochondrial ATP binding cassette transporter ABCB6 has been associated with a broad range of physiological functions, including growth and development, therapy-related drug resistance, and the new blood group system Langereis. ABCB6 has been proposed to regulate heme synthesis by shuttling coproporphyrinogen III from the cytoplasm into the mitochondria. However, direct functional information of the transport complex is not known. To understand the role of ABCB6 in mitochondrial transport, we developed an in vitro system with pure and active protein. ABCB6 overexpressed in HEK293 cells was solubilized from mitochondrial membranes and purified to homogeneity. Purified ABCB6 showed a high binding affinity for MgATP (Kd = 0.18 μM) and an ATPase activity with a Km of 0.99 mM. Reconstitution of ABCB6 into liposomes allowed biochemical characterization of the ATPase including (i) substrate-stimulated ATPase activity, (ii) transport kinetics of its proposed endogenous substrate coproporphyrinogen III, and (iii) transport kinetics of substrates identified using a high throughput screening assay. Mutagenesis of the conserved lysine to alanine (K629A) in the Walker A motif abolished ATP hydrolysis and substrate transport. These results suggest a direct interaction between mitochondrial ABCB6 and its transport substrates that is critical for the activity of the transporter. Furthermore, the simple immunoaffinity purification of ABCB6 to near homogeneity and efficient reconstitution of ABCB6 into liposomes might provide the basis for future studies on the structure/function of ABCB6.

  18. Cadmium purification with a vibrating reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Torres, N.; Esna-Ashari, M.; Biallas, H.; Kangas, K.

    1986-01-01

    While electrolytically producing zinc from sulfide concentrates, purification is the most significant step. Impurities such as Co, Sn, Ge, Ni and Sb can cause extensive redissolution of the electrodeposited zinc, thus diminishing current efficiency. Other metals, particularly cadmium, lead and copper, can negatively affect zinc properties by deposition on the cathode. It is standard practice to use atomized zinc dust as a reducing agent in the purification process, either alone or combined with additives. In conventional operations, special facilities are necessary to produce zinc dust in an amount close to 8wt% of cathode production. This paper examines a technique which makes use of zinc granules instead of dust

  19. Medicinal plants: production and biochemical characterization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chunzhao Liu; Zobayed, S.M.A; Murch, S.J.; Saxena, P.K.

    2002-01-01

    Recent advances in the area of biotechnology offer some possibility for the development of new technologies for the conservation, characterization and mass production of medicinal plant species, (i.e. in vitro cell culture techniques for the mass production of sterile, consistent, standardized medicinal plant materials). This paper discussed the following subjects - plant tissue culture, de novo shoot organogenesis, de novo root organogenesis, somatic embryogenesis, large scale propagation in bioreactors and discovery of unique biomolecules

  20. Specialists' meeting on fast reactor cover gas purification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1987-01-01

    The tentative agenda was adopted by the participants without comment and was followed throughout the meeting. The following topics were discussed at the subsequent sessions of the meeting on 'Fast Reactor Cover Gas Purification': National Position Papers; Impurities: Sources and Measurement; Cover Gas Purification Techniques; Sodium Aerosol Trapping; Radiological Considerations. Based on the papers presented and the discussions following, session summaries and conclusions were prepared and are included in this report

  1. Specialists' meeting on fast reactor cover gas purification

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1987-07-01

    The tentative agenda was adopted by the participants without comment and was followed throughout the meeting. The following topics were discussed at the subsequent sessions of the meeting on 'Fast Reactor Cover Gas Purification': National Position Papers; Impurities: Sources and Measurement; Cover Gas Purification Techniques; Sodium Aerosol Trapping; Radiological Considerations. Based on the papers presented and the discussions following, session summaries and conclusions were prepared and are included in this report.

  2. A new helium gas recovery and purification system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamamotot, T.; Suzuki, H.; Ishii, J.; Hamana, I.; Hayashi, S.; Mizutani, S.; Sanjo, S.

    1974-01-01

    A helium gas recovery and purification system, based on the principle of gas permeation through a membrane, is described. The system can be used for the purification of helium gas containing air as a contaminant. The apparatus, operating at ambient temperature does not need constant attention, the recovery ratio of helium gas is satisfactory and running costs are low. Gases other than helium can be processed with the apparatus. (U.K.)

  3. Affinity purification combined with mass spectrometry to identify herpes simplex virus protein-protein interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meckes, David G

    2014-01-01

    The identification and characterization of herpes simplex virus protein interaction complexes are fundamental to understanding the molecular mechanisms governing the replication and pathogenesis of the virus. Recent advances in affinity-based methods, mass spectrometry configurations, and bioinformatics tools have greatly increased the quantity and quality of protein-protein interaction datasets. In this chapter, detailed and reliable methods that can easily be implemented are presented for the identification of protein-protein interactions using cryogenic cell lysis, affinity purification, trypsin digestion, and mass spectrometry.

  4. Recovery and purification of ethylene

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reyneke, Rian [Katy, TX; Foral, Michael J [Aurora, IL; Lee, Guang-Chung [Houston, TX; Eng, Wayne W. Y. [League City, TX; Sinclair, Iain [Warrington, GB; Lodgson, Jeffery S [Naperville, IL

    2008-10-21

    A process for the recovery and purification of ethylene and optionally propylene from a stream containing lighter and heavier components that employs an ethylene distributor column and a partially thermally coupled distributed distillation system.

  5. Study on the mechanism of deoxidization and purification for Li{sub 2}BeF{sub 4} molten salt via graphite nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xie, Meng-ya [Shanghai University, Department of Chemistry, Shanghai 200444 (China); Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800 (China); Li, Li [Shanghai University, Department of Chemistry, Shanghai 200444 (China); Ding, Ya-ping, E-mail: wdingyp@sina.com [Shanghai University, Department of Chemistry, Shanghai 200444 (China); Zhang, Guo-xin, E-mail: zgxstone@hotmail.com [Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800 (China)

    2017-04-15

    Graphite nanoparticles originated from high purity graphite crucible were used for deoxidization and purification of Li{sub 2}BeF{sub 4} molten salt containing a bit of (NH{sub 4}){sub 2}BeF{sub 4} under high temperature vacuum condition. And the mechanism of deoxidization and purification via graphite nanoparticles was put forward based on analysis of sample characterization and chemical reaction Gibbs free energy calculation. The morphology, particle size, chemical composition and crystal structure of graphite nanoparticles in Li{sub 2}BeF{sub 4} molten salt were characterized by High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM, SAED and EDS). Phase analysis, total oxygen content, full elemental and anion concentration for as-prepared Li{sub 2}BeF{sub 4} products were studied by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), LECO nitrogen-oxygen analyzer, Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) and Ion Chromatography (IC), respectively. The results of sample characterization showed that graphite nanoparticles in Li{sub 2}BeF{sub 4} molten salt were the poly-crystal round sheet shape with an average diameter of <100 nm. The concentration of total oxygen, sulfur and nickel in as-prepared Li{sub 2}BeF{sub 4} molten salt after treatment were 548 ppm, <0.6 ppm and <0.4 ppm, respectively. Experiment and calculation all showed that SO{sub 4}{sup 2−} and NO{sub 3}{sup −} could react with carbon at 700 °C. And vacuum degassing play an excellent role in deoxidization and purification for Li{sub 2}BeF{sub 4} molten salt via graphite nanoparticles.

  6. Expression, Purification and Characterization of GMZ2'.10C, a Complex Disulphide-Bonded Fusion Protein Vaccine Candidate against the Asexual and Sexual Life-Stages of the Malaria-Causing Plasmodium falciparum Parasite.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mistarz, Ulrik H; Singh, Susheel K; Nguyen, Tam T T N; Roeffen, Will; Yang, Fen; Lissau, Casper; Madsen, Søren M; Vrang, Astrid; Tiendrebeogo, Régis W; Kana, Ikhlaq H; Sauerwein, Robert W; Theisen, Michael; Rand, Kasper D

    2017-09-01

    Production and characterization of a chimeric fusion protein (GMZ2'.10C) which combines epitopes of key malaria parasite antigens: glutamate-rich protein (GLURP), merozoite surface protein 3 (MSP3), and the highly disulphide bonded Pfs48/45 (10C). GMZ2'.10C is a potential candidate for a multi-stage malaria vaccine that targets both transmission and asexual life-cycle stages of the parasite. GMZ2'.10C was produced in Lactococcus lactis and purified using either an immunoaffinity purification (IP) or a conventional purification (CP) method. Protein purity and stability was analysed by RP-HPLC, SEC-HPLC, 2-site ELISA, gel-electrophoresis and Western blotting. Structural characterization (mass analysis, peptide mapping and cysteine connectivity mapping) was performed by LC-MS/MS. CP-GMZ2'.10C resulted in similar purity, yield, structure and stability as compared to IP-GMZ2'.10C. CP-GMZ2'.10C and IP-GMZ2'.10C both elicited a high titer of transmission blocking (TB) antibodies in rodents. The intricate disulphide-bond connectivity of C-terminus Pfs48/45 was analysed by tandem mass spectrometry and was established for GMZ2'.10C and two reference fusion proteins encompassing similar parts of Pfs48/45. GMZ2'.10C, combining GMZ2' and correctly-folded Pfs48/45 can be produced by the Lactoccus lactis P170 based expression system in purity and quality for pharmaceutical development and elicit high level of TB antibodies. The cysteine connectivity for the 10C region of Pfs48/45 was revealed experimentally, providing an important guideline for employing the Pfs48/45 antigen in vaccine design.

  7. Sub-acute toxicity and biochemical effects of extracts of Anaphe ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Ataxia syndrome which is characterized by sudden onset of severe muscular tremor and gait ataxia has been shown to be associated with the consumption of the larvae of Anaphe venata in South Western part of Nigeria. In this report, the sub -acute toxicity and biochemical effects of polar and nonpolar extracts of Anaphe ...

  8. New concept of gas purification by electron attachment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tamon, Hajime; Mizota, Hirotoshi; Sano, Noriaki; Schulze, S.; Okazaki, Morio

    1995-01-01

    Recently, the public has become interested in the following types of gas purification: (1) removal of indoor air pollutants; (2) complete removal of dioxin from incineration plants; (3) complete removal of radioactive iodine compounds; (4) simultaneous removal of NOx and SOx in exhaust gases from cogeneration plants; (5) removal and decomposition of halocarbons; (6) ultrahigh purification of gas sued for semiconductor industries. A new concept of gas purification by electron attachment is proposed. Low-energy electrons generated in a corona-discharge reactor are captured by electronegative impurities, producing negative ions. The ions drift to the anode in the electric field and are removed at the anode of the reactor. Two types of reactors were used to remove the negative ions: a deposition-type reactor, which deposits negative ions at the anode surface; a sweep-out-type reactor, which sweeps out enriched electronegative impurities through the porous anode. Removals of dilute sulfur compounds, oxygen and iodine from nitrogen were conducted to verify the concept of gas purification. Simulation models were used to estimate removal efficiencies of these compounds, by taking into account electron attachment, and experimental constants of the models were determined. The removal efficiency correlated by the models agreed well with the experimental one

  9. Application of a new dual localization-affinity purification tag reveals novel aspects of protein kinase biology in Aspergillus nidulans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Souza, Colin P; Hashmi, Shahr B; Osmani, Aysha H; Osmani, Stephen A

    2014-01-01

    Filamentous fungi occupy critical environmental niches and have numerous beneficial industrial applications but devastating effects as pathogens and agents of food spoilage. As regulators of essentially all biological processes protein kinases have been intensively studied but how they regulate the often unique biology of filamentous fungi is not completely understood. Significant understanding of filamentous fungal biology has come from the study of the model organism Aspergillus nidulans using a combination of molecular genetics, biochemistry, cell biology and genomic approaches. Here we describe dual localization-affinity purification (DLAP) tags enabling endogenous N or C-terminal protein tagging for localization and biochemical studies in A. nidulans. To establish DLAP tag utility we endogenously tagged 17 protein kinases for analysis by live cell imaging and affinity purification. Proteomic analysis of purifications by mass spectrometry confirmed association of the CotA and NimXCdk1 kinases with known binding partners and verified a predicted interaction of the SldABub1/R1 spindle assembly checkpoint kinase with SldBBub3. We demonstrate that the single TOR kinase of A. nidulans locates to vacuoles and vesicles, suggesting that the function of endomembranes as major TOR cellular hubs is conserved in filamentous fungi. Comparative analysis revealed 7 kinases with mitotic specific locations including An-Cdc7 which unexpectedly located to mitotic spindle pole bodies (SPBs), the first such localization described for this family of DNA replication kinases. We show that the SepH septation kinase locates to SPBs specifically in the basal region of apical cells in a biphasic manner during mitosis and again during septation. This results in gradients of SepH between G1 SPBs which shift along hyphae as each septum forms. We propose that SepH regulates the septation initiation network (SIN) specifically at SPBs in the basal region of G1 cells and that localized gradients

  10. Purification, characterization and molecular cloning of TGP1, a novel G-DNA binding protein from Tetrahymena thermophila.

    OpenAIRE

    Lu, Q; Schierer, T; Kang, S G; Henderson, E

    1998-01-01

    G-DNA, a polymorphic family of four-stranded DNA structures, has been proposed to play roles in a variety of biological processes including telomere function, meiotic recombination and gene regulation. Here we report the purification and cloning of TGP1, a G-DNA specific binding protein from Tetrahymena thermophila. TGP1 was purified by three-column chromatographies, including a G-DNA affinity column. Two major proteins (approximately 80 and approximately 40 kDa) were present in the most high...

  11. Optimization of Growth Conditions for Purification and Production of L-Asparaginase by Spirulina maxima

    Science.gov (United States)

    El Baroty, Gamal S.

    2016-01-01

    L-asparaginase (L-AsnA) is widely distributed among microorganisms and has important applications in medicine and in food technology sectors. Therefore, the ability of the production, purification, and characterization of AsnA from Spirulina maxima (SM) were tested. SM cultures grown in Zarrouk medium containing different N2 (in NaNO3 form) concentrations (1.25, 2.50, and 5.0 g/L) for 18 days contained a significant various quantity of dry biomass yields and AsnA enzyme levels. MS L-AsnA activity was found to be directly proportional to the N2 concentration. The cultures of SM at large scales (300 L medium, 5 g/L N2) showed a high AsnA enzyme activity (898 IU), total protein (405 mg/g), specific enzyme activity (2.21 IU/mg protein), and enzyme yield (51.28 IU/L) compared with those in low N2 cultures. The partial purification of crude MS AsnA enzyme achieved by 80% ammonium sulfate AS precipitated and CM-Sephadex C-200 gel filtration led to increases in the purification of enzyme with 5.28 and 10.91 times as great as that in SM crude enzymes. Optimum pH and temperature of purified AsnA for the hydrolyzate were 8.5 and 37 ± 0.2°C, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on L-asparaginase production in S. maxima. PMID:27525017

  12. Optimization of Growth Conditions for Purification and Production of L-Asparaginase by Spirulina maxima

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hanaa H. Abd El Baky

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available L-asparaginase (L-AsnA is widely distributed among microorganisms and has important applications in medicine and in food technology sectors. Therefore, the ability of the production, purification, and characterization of AsnA from Spirulina maxima (SM were tested. SM cultures grown in Zarrouk medium containing different N2 (in NaNO3 form concentrations (1.25, 2.50, and 5.0 g/L for 18 days contained a significant various quantity of dry biomass yields and AsnA enzyme levels. MS L-AsnA activity was found to be directly proportional to the N2 concentration. The cultures of SM at large scales (300 L medium, 5 g/L N2 showed a high AsnA enzyme activity (898 IU, total protein (405 mg/g, specific enzyme activity (2.21 IU/mg protein, and enzyme yield (51.28 IU/L compared with those in low N2 cultures. The partial purification of crude MS AsnA enzyme achieved by 80% ammonium sulfate AS precipitated and CM-Sephadex C-200 gel filtration led to increases in the purification of enzyme with 5.28 and 10.91 times as great as that in SM crude enzymes. Optimum pH and temperature of purified AsnA for the hydrolyzate were 8.5 and 37 ± 0.2°C, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on L-asparaginase production in S. maxima.

  13. The Blood Compatibilities of Blood Purification Membranes and Other Materials Developed in Japan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takaya Abe

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The biocompatibilities in blood purification therapy are defined as “a concept to stipulate safety of blood purification therapy by an index based on interaction in the body arising from blood purification therapy itself.” The biocompatibilities are associated with not only materials to be used but also many factors such as sterilization method and eluted substance. It is often evaluated based on impacts on cellular pathways and on humoral pathways. Since the biocompatibilities of blood purification therapy in particular hemodialysis are not just a prognostic factor for dialysis patients but a contributory factor for long-term complications, it should be considered with adequate attention. It is important that blood purification therapy should be performed by consistently evaluating not only risks associated with these biocompatibilities but also the other advantages obtained from treatments. In this paper, the biocompatibilities of membrane and adsorption material based on Japanese original which are used for blood purification therapy are described.

  14. Hydrodynamic behaviour and biochemical characterization of a ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    STORAGESEVER

    2008-12-03

    Dec 3, 2008 ... Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/AJB ... characterization of a simple custom expanded bed ... over the traditional methods of recovery, e.g. circum- ... may be considered to be currently limited by the.

  15. Re-purification of labelled ferritin antigen with HPLC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Haoyi; Jin Lichun

    2002-01-01

    Objective: To improve the quality of long-term stored labelled ferritin antigen with HPLC. Methods: The antigen was analyzed and purified with HPLC and again analyzed with RIA afterwards. Results: Ferritin antigen underwent significant polymerization after long-term (aggregation) storage. After re-purification with HPLC, its immuno-activity and labelled specific radioactivity were both significantly improved. Conclusion: Quality of stored ferritin RIA kit could be greatly improved after re-purification with HPLC

  16. The entanglement purification for entangled multi-particle states

    CERN Document Server

    Ye, Liu; Guo Guang Can

    2002-01-01

    We present two purification schemes for nonmaximally entangled states. We first show that two parties, Alice and Bob, start with shared less-entangled three-particle states to probabilistically produce a three-particle Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state by Bell state measurements and positive operator valued measure (POVM) or a unitary transformation. Then, by a straightforward generalization of the schemes, the purification of a multi-particle entangled state can be realized. 25 Refs. --- 35 --- AN

  17. Overview of the recombinant proteins purification by affinity tags and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    From protein within isolation process which the same matter increases labor costs further and prevents application of these tags in industrial scale. Therefore proper replacement is emphasized for enzymatic removal of purification tags. Keywords: protein purification; recombinant proteins; self-cleavable tags; Intein tags; ...

  18. Membrane protein extraction and purification using styrene-maleic acid (SMA) copolymer: effect of variations in polymer structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morrison, Kerrie A; Akram, Aneel; Mathews, Ashlyn; Khan, Zoeya A; Patel, Jaimin H; Zhou, Chumin; Hardy, David J; Moore-Kelly, Charles; Patel, Roshani; Odiba, Victor; Knowles, Tim J; Javed, Masood-Ul-Hassan; Chmel, Nikola P; Dafforn, Timothy R; Rothnie, Alice J

    2016-12-01

    The use of styrene-maleic acid (SMA) copolymers to extract and purify transmembrane proteins, while retaining their native bilayer environment, overcomes many of the disadvantages associated with conventional detergent-based procedures. This approach has huge potential for the future of membrane protein structural and functional studies. In this investigation, we have systematically tested a range of commercially available SMA polymers, varying in both the ratio of styrene and maleic acid and in total size, for the ability to extract, purify and stabilise transmembrane proteins. Three different membrane proteins (BmrA, LeuT and ZipA), which vary in size and shape, were used. Our results show that several polymers, can be used to extract membrane proteins, comparably to conventional detergents. A styrene:maleic acid ratio of either 2:1 or 3:1, combined with a relatively small average molecular mass (7.5-10 kDa), is optimal for membrane extraction, and this appears to be independent of the protein size, shape or expression system. A subset of polymers were taken forward for purification, functional and stability tests. Following a one-step affinity purification, SMA 2000 was found to be the best choice for yield, purity and function. However, the other polymers offer subtle differences in size and sensitivity to divalent cations that may be useful for a variety of downstream applications. © 2016 The Author(s); published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

  19. Feasibility Study on Manufacturing Lightweight Aggregates from Water Purification Sludge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Ching-Fang; Chen, How-Ji

    2018-02-01

    This study mainly discussed the feasibility of manufacturing lightweight aggregates from water purification sludge in Taiwan. They were analysed for the physical and chemical composition before the sintering test for lightweight aggregates in a laboratory. Then the physical and mechanical properties of the synthesized aggregates were assessed. The result showed that the chemical composition of sludge in the water purification plants was within the appropriate range for manufacturing lightweight aggregate as proposed in the literature. The sintering test demonstrated that the particle density of aggregates from the ten types of water purification sludge were mostly less than 1.8 g/cm3. In addition, the dry unit weight, the organic impurity, the ignition loss, and other characteristics of synthesized aggregates met the requirement of CNS standards, while its water absorption and crushing strength also fulfilled the general commercial specifications. Therefore, reclamation of water purification sludge for production of lightweight aggregate is indeed feasible.

  20. Bromelain: an overview of industrial application and purification strategies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arshad, Zatul Iffah Mohd; Amid, Azura; Yusof, Faridah; Jaswir, Irwandi; Ahmad, Kausar; Loke, Show Pau

    2014-09-01

    This review highlights the use of bromelain in various applications with up-to-date literature on the purification of bromelain from pineapple fruit and waste such as peel, core, crown, and leaves. Bromelain, a cysteine protease, has been exploited commercially in many applications in the food, beverage, tenderization, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and textile industries. Researchers worldwide have been directing their interest to purification strategies by applying conventional and modern approaches, such as manipulating the pH, affinity, hydrophobicity, and temperature conditions in accord with the unique properties of bromelain. The amount of downstream processing will depend on its intended application in industries. The breakthrough of recombinant DNA technology has facilitated the large-scale production and purification of recombinant bromelain for novel applications in the future.

  1. One-step deterministic multipartite entanglement purification with linear optics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sheng, Yu-Bo [Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Long, Gui Lu, E-mail: gllong@tsinghua.edu.cn [Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Center for Atomic and Molecular NanoSciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Key Laboratory for Quantum Information and Measurements, Beijing 100084 (China); Deng, Fu-Guo [Department of Physics, Applied Optics Beijing Area Major Laboratory, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 (China)

    2012-01-09

    We present a one-step deterministic multipartite entanglement purification scheme for an N-photon system in a Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger state with linear optical elements. The parties in quantum communication can in principle obtain a maximally entangled state from each N-photon system with a success probability of 100%. That is, it does not consume the less-entangled photon systems largely, which is far different from other multipartite entanglement purification schemes. This feature maybe make this scheme more feasible in practical applications. -- Highlights: ► We proposed a deterministic entanglement purification scheme for GHZ states. ► The scheme uses only linear optical elements and has a success probability of 100%. ► The scheme gives a purified GHZ state in just one-step.

  2. Expression, purification, characterization and subcellular localization of the goose parvovirus rep1 protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Zongyan; Li, Chuanfeng; Peng, Gaojing; Liu, Guangqing

    2013-07-01

    The goose parvovirus (GPV) Rep1 protein is both essential for viral replication and a potential target for GPV diagnosis, but its protein characterization and intracellular localization is not clear. We constructed a recombinant plasmid, pET28a/GPV-Rep1, and expressed the Rep1 gene in BL21 (DE3) Escherichia coli. A protein approximately 75 kDa in size was obtained from lysates of E. coli cells expressing the recombinant plasmid. SDS-PAGE analysis showed that after induction with 0.6 mM isopropyl β-D-thiogalactosidase (IPTG) at 30°C for 5 h, the Rep1 protein was highly overexpressed. Two methods used to purify proteins, a salinity-gradient elution and Ni-NTA affinity chromatography, were performed. The amount of Rep1 protein obtained by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography was 41.23 mg, while 119.9 mg of Rep1 protein was obtained by a salinity-gradient elution from a 1 L E. coli BL21 (DE3) culture. An immunogenicity analysis showed that the protein could significantly elicit a specific antibody response in immunized goslings compared to control groups. Antibody titers peaked to 1:5120 (optical density (OD) 450 = 3.9) on day 28 after immunization but had mean titers of 1:10,240 (OD450 = 4.2) in gosling groups immunized with a commercially available GPV-attenuated vaccine strain. Experiments examining subcellular localization showed that the Rep1 protein appeared to associate predominantly with the nuclear membrane, especially during later times of infection. This work provides a basis for biochemical and structural studies on the GPV Rep1 protein.

  3. Biochemical characterization of P4-ATPase mutations associated with Intrahepatic Cholestatic Disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gantzel, Rasmus; Vestergaard, Anna Lindeløv; Mikkelsen, Stine

    Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 1 (PFIC1) and benign recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis type 1 (BRIC1) are caused by mutation of the P4-ATPase ATP8B1 that flips phospholipid from the exoplasmic leaflet to the cytoplasmic leaflet of canalicular membranes. It is hypothesized...... that PFIC1 mutations are the most disturbing with respect to expression, structural stability and/or function. Although recent data indicates that the specific phospholipid substrate of ATP8B1 is phosphatidylcholine (PC) [1] whereas ATP8A2 flips phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE......), there may be several mechanistic similarities between ATP8B1 and ATP8A2, and here we investigate known disease mutations using our well-functioning methodology for expression, affinity purification and assay of the partial reactions of ATP8A2. Mutations I91P (L127P in ATP8B1) and L308F (I344F) are located...

  4. Biochemical and Molecular Characterization of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Strains Obtained from Sugar-Cane Juice Fermentations and Their Impact in Cachaça Production▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oliveira, Valdinéia Aparecida; Vicente, Maristela Araújo; Fietto, Luciano Gomes; de Miranda Castro, Ieso; Coutrim, Maurício Xavier; Schüller, Dorit; Alves, Henrique; Casal, Margarida; de Oliveira Santos, Juliana; Araújo, Leandro Dias; da Silva, Paulo Henrique Alves; Brandão, Rogelio Lopes

    2008-01-01

    Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains from different regions of Minas Gerais, Brazil, were isolated and characterized aiming at the selection of starter yeasts to be used in the production of cachaça, the Brazilian sugar cane spirit. The methodology established took into account the screening for biochemical traits desirable in a yeast cachaça producer, such as no H2S production, high tolerance to ethanol and high temperatures, high fermentative capacity, and the abilities to flocculate and to produce mycocins. Furthermore, the yeasts were exposed to drugs such as 5,5′,5"-trifluor-d,l-leucine and cerulenin to isolate those that potentially overproduce higher alcohols and esters. The utilization of a random amplified polymorphic DNA-PCR method with primers based on intron splicing sites flanking regions of the COX1 gene, as well as microsatellite analysis, was not sufficient to achieve good differentiation among selected strains. In contrast, karyotype analysis allowed a clear distinction among all strains. Two selected strains were experimentally evaluated as cachaça producers. The results suggest that the selection of strains as fermentation starters requires the combined use of biochemical and molecular criteria to ensure the isolation and identification of strains with potential characteristics to produce cachaça with a higher quality standard. PMID:18065624

  5. Synthesis of Biochemical Applications on Digital Microfluidic Biochips with Operation Execution Time Variability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alistar, Mirela; Pop, Paul

    2015-01-01

    that each biochemical operation in an application is characterized by a worst-case execution time (wcet). However, during the execution of the application, due to variability and randomness in biochemical reactions, operations may finish earlier than their wcetswcets, resulting in unexploited slack...... in the schedule. In this paper, we first propose an online synthesis strategy that re-synthesizes the application at runtime when operations experience variability in their execution time, exploiting thus the slack to obtain shorter application completion times. We also propose a quasi-static synthesis strategy...... approaches have been proposed for the synthesis of digital microfluidic biochips, which, starting from a biochemical application and a given biochip architecture, determine the allocation, resource binding, scheduling, placement and routing of the operations in the application. Researchers have assumed...

  6. Purification of bentonite clays from the district of Cubati, PB, for other uses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Costa, M.R.; Araujo, J.P.; Silva, I.A.; Cardoso, M.A.; Silva, C.D.; Neves, G.A.; Ferreira, H.C.

    2012-01-01

    The state of Paraiba is responsible for the increased production of crude bentonite in the country, coming from one of the largest mines of Brazil, located in Boa Vista, PB. Recently, in the regions of Cubati and Pedra Lavrada, PB, found new deposits of bentonite that could expand the state reserves. The paper aims at the characterization and development of clay purified using the techniques of screening and hydrocycloning, from bentonite clay recently discovered in the city of Cubati, PB, for various uses. The sample characterization was performed through techniques: granulometric analysis by laser diffraction, X-ray diffraction and chemical analysis by X-ray fluorescence and thermogravimetric and differential thermogravimetric analysis. The results showed that the samples are typical of bentonite clay, and that the purification process using only the hydrocycloning shows better results. (author)

  7. Characterization of blood biochemical markers during aging in the Grey Mouse Lemur (Microcebus murinus: impact of gender and season

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marchal Julia

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Hematologic and biochemical data are needed to characterize the health status of animal populations over time to determine the habitat quality and captivity conditions. Blood components and the chemical entities that they transport change predominantly with sex and age. The aim of this study was to utilize blood chemistry monitoring to establish the reference levels in a small prosimian primate, the Grey Mouse Lemur (Microcebus murinus. Method In the captive colony, mouse lemurs may live 10–12 years, and three age groups for both males and females were studied: young (1–3 years, middle-aged (4–5 years and old (6–10 years. Blood biochemical markers were measured using the VetScan Comprehensive Diagnostic Profile. Because many life history traits of this primate are highly dependent on the photoperiod (body mass and reproduction, the effect of season was also assessed. Results The main effect of age was observed in blood markers of renal functions such as creatinine, which was higher among females. Additionally, blood urea nitrogen significantly increased with age and is potentially linked to chronic renal insufficiency, which has been described in captive mouse lemurs. The results demonstrated significant effects related to season, especially in blood protein levels and glucose rates; these effects were observed regardless of gender or age and were likely due to seasonal variations in food intake, which is very marked in this species. Conclusion These results were highly similar with those obtained in other primate species and can serve as references for future research of the Grey Mouse Lemur.

  8. Cathepsin L is an immune-related protein in Pacific abalone (Haliotis discus hannai)--Purification and characterization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Jian-Dong; Cai, Qiu-Feng; Yan, Long-Jie; Du, Cui-Hong; Liu, Guang-Ming; Su, Wen-Jin; Ke, Caihuan; Cao, Min-Jie

    2015-12-01

    Cathepsin L, an immune-related protein, was purified from the hepatopancreas of Pacific abalone (Haliotis discus hannai) by ammonium sulfate precipitation and column chromatographies of SP-Sepharose and Sephacryl S-200 HR. Purified cathepsin L appeared as two bands with molecular masses of 28.0 and 28.5 kDa (namely cathepsin La and Lb) on SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions, suggesting that it is a glycoprotein. Peptide mass fingerprinting (PMF) analysis revealed that peptide fragments of 95 amino acid residues was high similarity to cathepsin L of pearl oyster (Pinctada fucata). The optimal temperature and pH of cathepsin L were 35 °C and pH 5.5. Cathepsin L was particularly inhibited by cysteine proteinase inhibitors of E-64 and leupeptin, while it was activated by metalloproteinase inhibitors EDTA and EGTA. The full-length cathepsin L cDNA was further cloned from the hepatopancreas by rapid PCR amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The open reading frame of the enzyme was 981 bp, encoding 327 amino acid residues, with a conserved catalytic triad (Cys134, His273 and Asn293), a potential N-glycosylation site and conserved ERFNIN, GNYD, and GCGG motifs, which are characteristics of cathepsin L. Western blot and proteinase activity analysis revealed that the expression and enzyme activity of cathepsin L were significantly up-regulated in hepatopancreas at 8 h following Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection, demonstrating that cathepsin L is involved in the innate immune system of abalone. Our present study for the first time reported the purification, characterization, molecular cloning, and tissue expression of cathepsin L in abalone. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Preparation and purification of L-cysteine capped CdTe quantum dots and its self-recovery of degenerate fluorescence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Mengying; Zhou Huameng; Zhang Hongyan; Sun Pan; Yi Kuiyu; Wang Meng; Dong Zaizheng; Xu Shukun

    2010-01-01

    L-cysteine capped CdTe quantum dots (QDs) were prepared in aqueous solution by a simple and efficient method, showing many advantages such as short synthesis period, the broaden range of starting pH value and the wide fluorescence emission wavelength range. A novel purification process was designed to remove excess Cd 2+ which has potential cytotoxicity for bio-analysis. Three-dimensional fluorescence charts of pre- and post-purification showed that the purified QDs were of better luminescent performance. The prepared QDs were of cubic crystal structure with an average size of 2-6 nm, which were characterized by XRD and HRTEM. It is confirmed by IR spectra that the L-cysteine ligands were conjugated with CdTe cores via covalent bond. The degenerate fluorescence of QDs can be self-recovered in the presence of L-cysteine without other processing steps.

  10. Biochemical characterization of indigenous Fulani and Yoruba ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The study was carried out to characterize two indigenous chickens of Nigeria using protein markers; haemolglobin (HB) and carbonic anhydrase (CA). Separation of the two proteins was achieved by cellulose acetate electrophoresis and direct gene counting method was employed to interpret the result. Palentological ...

  11. Biochemical comparison of osteoarthritic knees with and without effusion

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Background Several symptom-relieving interventions have been shown to be efficacious among osteoarthritis (OA) patients with knee effusion; however, not every symptomatic knee OA patient has clinical effusion. Results may be over-generalized since it is unclear if effused knees represent a unique pathological condition or subset compared to knees without effusion. The primary purpose of this study was to determine if biochemical differences existed between OA knees with and without effusion. Methods The present cross-sectional study consisted of 22 volunteers (11 with knee effusion, 11 without knee effusion) with confirmed late-stage radiographic knee OA (Kellgren-Lawrence score ≥ 3). Synovial fluid samples were collected and analyzed using a custom multiplex enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to determine eight specific biomarker concentrations (e.g., catabolic, anabolic). Results Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3, tissue inhibitor of MMPs (TIMP)-1, TIMP-2, and interleukin-10 were significantly higher in the knees with effusion than in the knees without effusion. Conclusions The biochemical differences that existed between knees with and without effusion provide support that OA subsets may exist, characterized by distinct biochemical characteristics and clinical findings (e.g., effusion). PMID:22122951

  12. Rotary adsorbers for waste air purification and solvent recovery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Konrad, G.; Eigenberger, G.

    1994-01-01

    Rotary Adsorbers for Waste Air Purification and Solvent Recovery. Thanks to their compact construction and low pressure drops, adsorbers with rotating adsorbent beds are highly suitable both for retrofitting of waste air purification units and generally for the removal of absorbable components from gas streams. When used in conjunction with straightforward hot gas desorption they permit almost complete purification of gas flows with concomitant concentration of the separated components in the desorbate by a factor of 10 to 20. They can also be used in conjunction with recovery of the separated components by partial condensation of the desorbate. Owing to the fixed coupling of adsorption and desorption times, which is determined by the geometry of the unit, the behaviour of the system is distinctly different from that of conventional multiple bed systems in cyclic operation. A detailed model description and computer simulation of operating behaviour are particularly useful for their analysis. It is shown that the behaviour of commercially available rotor concepts can be much better understood in this way and new concepts for exhaust air purification with integrated solvent recovery can be developed which are characterised by significantly reduced energy requirements for desorption and condensation. (orig.) [de

  13. Biochemical and Functional Characterization of Parawixia bistriata Spider Venom with Potential Proteolytic and Larvicidal Activities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gimenez, Gizeli S.; Coutinho-Neto, Antonio; Kayano, Anderson M.; Simões-Silva, Rodrigo; Trindade, Frances; de Almeida e Silva, Alexandre; Marcussi, Silvana; da Silva, Saulo L.; Fernandes, Carla F. C.; Zuliani, Juliana P.; Calderon, Leonardo A.; Soares, Andreimar M.; Stábeli, Rodrigo G.

    2014-01-01

    Toxins purified from the venom of spiders have high potential to be studied pharmacologically and biochemically. These biomolecules may have biotechnological and therapeutic applications. This study aimed to evaluate the protein content of Parawixia bistriata venom and functionally characterize its proteins that have potential for biotechnological applications. The crude venom showed no phospholipase, hemorrhagic, or anti-Leishmania activities attesting to low genotoxicity and discrete antifungal activity for C. albicans. However the following activities were observed: anticoagulation, edema, myotoxicity and proteolysis on casein, azo-collagen, and fibrinogen. The chromatographic and electrophoretic profiles of the proteins revealed a predominance of acidic, neutral, and polar proteins, highlighting the presence of proteins with high molecular masses. Five fractions were collected using cation exchange chromatography, with the P4 fraction standing out as that of the highest purity. All fractions showed proteolytic activity. The crude venom and fractions P1, P2, and P3 showed larvicidal effects on A. aegypti. Fraction P4 showed the presence of a possible metalloprotease (60 kDa) that has high proteolytic activity on azo-collagen and was inhibited by EDTA. The results presented in this study demonstrate the presence of proteins in the venom of P. bistriata with potential for biotechnological applications. PMID:24895632

  14. Initial biochemical and functional characterization of a 5'-nucleotidase from Xylella fastidiosa related to the human cytosolic 5'-nucleotidase I.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santos, Clelton A; Saraiva, Antonio M; Toledo, Marcelo A S; Beloti, Lilian L; Crucello, Aline; Favaro, Marianna T P; Horta, Maria A C; Santiago, André S; Mendes, Juliano S; Souza, Alessandra A; Souza, Anete P

    2013-01-01

    The 5'-nucleotidases constitute a ubiquitous family of enzymes that catalyze either the hydrolysis or the transfer of esterified phosphate at the 5' position of nucleoside monophosphates. These enzymes are responsible for the regulation of nucleotide and nucleoside levels in the cell and can interfere with the phosphorylation-dependent activation of nucleoside analogs used in therapies targeting solid tumors and viral infections. In the present study, we report the initial biochemical and functional characterization of a 5'-nucleotidase from Xylella fastidiosa that is related to the human cytosolic 5'-nucleotidase I. X. fastidiosa is a plant pathogenic bacterium that is responsible for numerous economically important crop diseases. Biochemical assays confirmed the phosphatase activity of the recombinant purified enzyme and revealed metal ion dependence for full enzyme activity. In addition, we investigated the involvement of Xf5'-Nt in the formation of X. fastidiosa biofilms, which are structures that occlude the xylem vessels of susceptible plants and are strictly associated with bacterial pathogenesis. Using polyclonal antibodies against Xf5'-Nt, we observed an overexpression of Xf5'-Nt during the initial phases of X. fastidiosa biofilm formation that was not observed during X. fastidiosa planktonic growth. Our results demonstrate that the de/phosphorylation network catalyzed by 5'-nucleotidases may play an important role in bacterial biofilm formation, thereby contributing novel insights into bacterial nucleotide metabolism and pathogenicity. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Generation, concentration and purification for ionic entangled states

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Ming; Cao Zhuoliang

    2007-01-01

    In cavity QED, the atoms would be sent through the sequential arrays of cavities for the generation of multi-cavity entanglement, or several atoms would be sent into the same cavity mode one bye one for the generation of multi-atom entanglement. The complexity of these processes will impose limitations on the experimental feasibility of it. So, following our previous publication [International Journal Of Quantum Information 2, 231 (2004)] we will propose an alternative scheme for the preparation of multi-cavity W state via cavity QED, which uses the geometrical method to do what other authors have proposed previously using sequential arrays of cavities. Due to the impossibility that one quantum system can be isolated from the environment absolutely, the entanglement of the entangled objects will decrease exponentially with the propagating distance of the objects, and the practically available quantum entangled states are all non-maximally entangled states or the more general case--mixed states. Following our previous publications [Phys. Rev. A 72, 042307 (2005), ibid. 71, 012308 (2005)], we will propose an entanglement generation, concentration and purification scheme for atomic or ionic system, which is mainly based on Cavity QED and linear optical elements. This purification process avoids the controlled-NOT (C-NOT) operations needed in the original purification protocol, which simplifies the whole purification process

  16. Molecular Analysis, Biochemical Characterization, Antimicrobial Activity, and Immunological Analysis of Proteus mirabilis Isolated from Broilers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeh, Hung-Yueh; Line, John E; Hinton, Arthur

    2018-03-01

    Proteus mirabilis, a Gram-negative bacterium, is ubiquitous in the environment and is considered as the normal microflora in the human gastrointestinal tract. However, this bacterium is an opportunistic pathogen in humans, often causing urinary tract infections. Moreover, Proteus has been frequently isolated from food animals, including poultry. Whether this bacterium contributes to the foodborne illness in humans is unclear. In this report, P. mirabilis isolates recovered from broilers during housing in the units were characterized, their antimicrobial activity was assayed, and broiler immune response to the soluble proteins was determined. Cecal contents and fecal droppings were treated according to the standard protocol for isolation. Speciation based on biochemical reactions and the antimicrobial activity of the isolates were carried out using commercial kits. Immunoblot was assayed to determine immune status of broilers against P. mirabilis. A total of 10 isolates of P. mirabilis were selected for further characterization. These isolates could grow in pH 6.0 and 1% NaCl conditions. They were resistant to sodium lactate, troleandomycin, rifamycin SV, vancomycin, but sensitive to nalidixic acid, cefotaxime and novobiocin. Moreover, the CTX, ACC, CMY-1, BIC, NDM, VEB, qnrB and qnrD genes were detected by PCR amplification in all isolates. Sera from broilers harboring this bacterium reacted to the P. mirabilis soluble proteins, but not from litter- and age-matched P. mirabilis negative and SPF chickens, indicating that this bacterium infected chickens that could have humoral immune response against P. mirabilis. This study provides a rationale for further monitoring P. mirabilis during poultry production to determine whether this bacterium poses potential threats to public health. Published 2018. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

  17. Early days of tRNA research: Discovery, function, purification and ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Madhu

    2006-10-04

    Oct 4, 2006 ... function in protein synthesis and methods for its purification ... intermediate carrier of the amino acid in protein synthesis. (table 1). .... 14C-leucine were incubated with GTP, PEP, and pyruvate kinase as indicated (adapted from: Hoagland et al 1958). .... Purification of N. crassa mitochondrial initiator tRNA.

  18. Health physics system scheme for the uranium purification plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meyer, M.; Oliveira, E.C.; Sordi, G.A.A.; Abrao, A.

    1976-01-01

    After describing the two uranium purification processes used in the Chemical Engineerring Division of the Instituto de Energia Atomica, it is examined the possible hazards and methods to control or eliminate them. Since these purification process present several stages, in each one of them it is evaluated the hazards and tried to give adequate solutions to protect both, personnel and installations, from the potential radiation hazards

  19. Economic Methods of Ginger Protease'sextraction and Purification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiao, Yuanyuan; Tong, Junfeng; Wei, Siqing; Du, Xinyong; Tang, Xiaozhen

    This article reports the ginger protease extraction and purification methods from fresh ginger rhizome. As to ginger protease extraction, we adapt the steps of organic solvent dissolving, ammonium sulfate depositing and freeze-drying, and this method can attain crude enzyme powder 0.6% weight of fresh ginger rhizome. The purification part in this study includes two steps: cellulose ion exchange (DEAE-52) and SP-Sephadex 50 chromatography, which can purify crude ginger protease through ion and molecular weight differences respectively.

  20. Purification and characterization of the reconstitutively active P/sub i//H/sup +/ symporter from rat liver mitochondria

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kaplan, R.S.; Pratt, R.D.; Pedersen, P.L.

    1986-05-01

    A highly purified preparation of reconstitutively active P/sub i//H/sup +/ symporter has been obtained from rat liver mitochondria. The carrier is isolated by extraction of hypotonically shocked mitoplasts with Triton X-114 in the presence of cardiolipin followed by sequential chromatography on hydroxylapatite, DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B, and Affi-Gel 501. Upon incorporation of the final Affi-Gel eluate into phospholipid vesicles, an N-ethylmaleimide (NEM)-sensitive P/sub i//P/sub i/ exchange of greater than 15 ..mu..mol/min/mg protein has been measured. This exchange is characterized by a first order rate constant of 0.85 min/sup -1/ and a t/sub 1/2/ of 49 sec. Furthermore, /sup 32/P/sub i/ uptake into vesicles can be inhibited by SH reagents and by the lysine reactive reagent dansyl chloride. Coomassie-stained SDS polyacrylamide gradient gels verify the high purity of this fraction and indicate the presence of two bands, of nearly equivalent staining intensity, at 33 kDa and 35 kDa. A small amount of higher molecular weight material also appears at approx. 61 kDa. Alkylation of the purified fraction with NEM causes the two lower molecular weight protein bands to migrate as a single species at 35 kDa which binds (/sup 3/H)NEM. It is concluded that the purifed protein represents a nearly homogeneous form of the NEM-sensitive P/sub i//H/sup +/ symporter of rat liver mitochondria. Additionally, the purified carrier appears to contain cysteine and lysine residues that are essential for activity.

  1. Purification, characterization, molecular cloning and extracellular production of a phospholipase A1 from Streptomyces albidoflavus NA297.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sugimori, Daisuke; Kano, Kota; Matsumoto, Yusaku

    2012-01-01

    A novel metal ion-independent phospholipase A1 of Streptomyces albidoflavus isolated from Japanese soil has been purified and characterized. The enzyme consists of a 33-residue N-terminal signal secretion sequence and a 269-residue mature protein with a deduced molecular weight of 27,199. Efficient and extracellular production of the recombinant enzyme was successfully achieved using Streptomyces lividans cells and an expression vector. A large amount (25 mg protein, 14.7 kU) of recombinant enzyme with high specific activity (588 U/mg protein) was purified by simple purification steps. The maximum activity was found at pH 7.2 and 50 °C. At pH 7.2, the enzyme preferably hydrolyzed phosphatidic acid and phosphatidylserine; however, the substrate specificity was dependent on the reaction pH. The enzyme hydrolyzed lysophosphatidylcholine and not triglyceride and the p-nitrophenyl ester of fatty acids. At the reaction equilibrium, the molar ratio of released free fatty acids (sn-1:sn-2) was 63:37. The hydrolysis of phosphatidic acid at 50 °C and pH 7.2 gave apparent V max and k cat values of 1389 μmol min(-1) mg protein(-1) and 630 s(-1), respectively. The apparent K m and k cat/K m values were 2.38 mM and 265 mM(-1) s(-1), respectively. Mutagenesis analysis showed that Ser11 is essential for the catalytic function of the enzyme and the active site may include residues Ser216 and His218.

  2. Functional characteristics of vitreous membranes used in biogas purification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ortega Viera, Lianys; Ponce Abreu, Kizzy Diarelys; Fernández Santana, Elina; Muñoz, Susana Rodríguez; Bárcenas Pérez, Liuver

    2016-01-01

    The removal of hydrogen sulfide (H_2S(g)) present in the biogas using vitreous membranes, is a method that has satisfactory results at a laboratory scale. To this end 10 membranes with different masses of zinc oxide (ZnO(s)) and particle diameters coal (Dpc) are applied. Therefore, the objective of this work is to perform the functional characterization of vitreous membranes used in the purification of biogas. The results indicate that the permeability and effective diffusivity of H_2S(g) in the vitreous membranes vary with respect to its composition and structural features. In addition, by Pareto diagram it can be shown that the mass of ZnO(s) as well as the Dpc and the operation flow (Qop) significantly influence the removal of H_2S(g). (author)

  3. Purification and characterization of tenecin 4, a new anti-Gram-negative bacterial peptide, from the beetle Tenebrio molitor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chae, Jun-Ho; Kurokawa, Kenji; So, Young-In; Hwang, Hyun Ok; Kim, Min-Su; Park, Ji-Won; Jo, Yong-Hun; Lee, Yong Seok; Lee, Bok Luel

    2012-03-01

    The biochemical characterization of novel antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and the determination of ligand molecules that induce AMP production are essential for understanding the host innate immune response in insects. Here, we purified a new 14-kDa AMP, named tenecin 4, from the larval hemolymph of the beetle Tenebrio molitor. Tenecin 4 contains 14% glycine residues and has moderate similarities both to the C-terminal region of Drosophila attacin and to silk-moth gloverin proteins. Purified tenecin 4 showed bactericidal activity against Gram-negative Escherichia coli but not against Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis or the fungus Candida albicans. Tenecin 4 production was induced by Toll cascade-activating ligands, such as β-1,3-glucan, lysine-type peptidoglycan and active Spätzle, and by the probable Imd pathway-activating ligand monomeric meso-diaminopimelic acid-type peptidoglycan. Taken together, these data show that tenecin 4 is a defense protein against Gram-negative pathogens and is induced by multiple ligands in Tenebrio larvae. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Purification and characterization of an extracellular haloalkaline serine protease from the moderately halophilic bacterium, Bacillus iranensis (X5B).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghafoori, Hossein; Askari, Mansoure; Sarikhan, Sajjad

    2016-03-01

    This study reports the purification and characterization of an extracellular haloalkaline serine protease from the moderately halophilic bacterium, Bacillus iranensis, strain X5B. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity by acetone precipitation, ultrafiltration and carboxymethyl (CM) cation exchange chromatography, respectively. The purified protease was a monomeric enzyme with a relative molecular mass of 48-50 kDa and it was inhibited by PMSF indicating that it is a serine-protease. The optimum pH, temperature and NaCl concentration were 9.5, 35 °C and 0.98 M, respectively. The enzyme showed a significant tolerance to salt and alkaline pH. It retained approximately 50% of activity at 2.5 M NaCl and about 70% of activity at highly alkaline pH of 11.0; therefore, it was a moderately halophilic and also can be activated by metals, especially by Ca(2+). The specific activity of the purified protease was measured to be 425.23 μmol of tyrosine/min per mg of protein using casein as a substrate. The apparent K m and V max values were 0.126 mM and 0.523 mM/min, respectively and the accurate value of k cat was obtained as 3.284 × 10(-2) s(-1). These special and important characteristics make this serine protease as valuable tool for industrial applications.

  5. Purification of thyrotropin from human hypophysis: preliminary preparation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borghi, V.C.; Lin, L.H.; Bartolini, P.

    1988-07-01

    The adequacy of stored crude preparations for isolation of human tyrotropin (TSH) was evaluated according to Ross et al from a side fraction obtained during the purification of growth hormone from frozen pituitaries (SOMATORMON). Six crude TSH preparations were stored at - 20 0 C during several years for further purification. One of these preparations was purified by sucessive chromatographies on Sephadex G-100, hydroxylapatite and SP-Sephadex C50. The TSH content present in the chromatographic fractions and in the pools was assayed by specific radioimmunoassay developed at our laboratory. The protein determination of the fractions and pools was performed by absorbance at 280 nm and by the method of Lowry at al, respectively. The TSH activity increased eight times during the purification and the TSH purified had a radioimmunological potency around half that de scribed by Roos at al. The results suggest the fitness of long time stored preparations in the attainment of pure TSH. (author) [pt

  6. Physiological and biochemical characterization of mango tree with paclobutrazol application via irrigation.

    OpenAIRE

    SOUZA, M. A. de; MESQUITA, A. C.; SIMOES, W. L.; FERREITA, K. M.; ARAÚJO, E. F. J.

    2017-01-01

    Paclobutrazol application in mango tree floral induction is followed by changes in the hormonal balance and carbohydrates production. This study aimed at evaluating the physiological and biochemical variables of mango tree (Palmer cultivar) by applying paclobutrazol doses via irrigation. The experimental design was randomized blocks, with five paclobutrazol doses (0.7 g, 1.0 g, 1.3 g, 1.6 g and 1.9 g of a.i. per linear meter of canopy) and one additional treatment, with one dose in the conven...

  7. Improving the technology of purification of gas emissions petrochemical industries

    OpenAIRE

    USMANOVA R.R.; ZAIKOV G.E.

    2014-01-01

    The technology of cleaning of gas emissions flares in the production of synthetic rubber. Developed dynamic scrubber for scrubbing gas emissions. Complex studies served as the basis for the design of an air purification system of industrial premises. Purification of gas emissions before combustion in flares has significantly reduced air pollution by toxic substances.

  8. Advanced purification of petroleum refinery wastewater by catalytic vacuum distillation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Long; Ma, Hongzhu; Wang, Bo; Mao, Wei; Chen, Yashao

    2010-06-15

    In our work, a new process, catalytic vacuum distillation (CVD) was utilized for purification of petroleum refinery wastewater that was characteristic of high chemical oxygen demand (COD) and salinity. Moreover, various common promoters, like FeCl(3), kaolin, H(2)SO(4) and NaOH were investigated to improve the purification efficiency of CVD. Here, the purification efficiency was estimated by COD testing, electrolytic conductivity, UV-vis spectrum, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and pH value. The results showed that NaOH promoted CVD displayed higher efficiency in purification of refinery wastewater than other systems, where the pellucid effluents with low salinity and high COD removal efficiency (99%) were obtained after treatment, and the corresponding pH values of effluents varied from 7 to 9. Furthermore, environment estimation was also tested and the results showed that the effluent had no influence on plant growth. Thus, based on satisfied removal efficiency of COD and salinity achieved simultaneously, NaOH promoted CVD process is an effective approach to purify petroleum refinery wastewater. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. [Pilot-scale purification of lipopeptide from marine-derived Bacillus marinus].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Kangbo; Guan, Cheng; Xu, Jiahui; Li, Shulan; Luo, Yuanchan; Shen, Guomin; Zhang, Daojing; Li, Yuanguang

    2016-11-25

    This research was aimed at establishing the pilot-scale purification technology of lipopeptide from marine-derived Bacillus marinus. We studied lipopeptide surfactivity interferences on scale-up unit technologies including acid precipitation, methanol extraction, solvent precipitation, salting out, extraction, silica gel column chromatography and HZ806 macroporous absorption resin column chromatography. Then, the unit technologies were combined in a certain order, to remove the impurities gradually, and to gain purified lipopeptide finally, with high recovery rate throughout the whole process. The novel pilot-scale purification technology could effectively isolate and purify lipopeptide with 87.51% to 100% purity in hectograms from 1 ton of Bacillus marinus B-9987 fermentation broth with more than 81.73% recovery rate. The first practical hectogram production of highly purified lipopeptide derived from Bacillus marinus was achieved. With this new purification method, using complex media became possible in fermentation process to reduce the fermentation cost and scale-up the purification for lipopeptide production. For practicability and economy, foaming problem resulting from massive water evaporation was avoided in this technology.

  10. Small scale extraction and purification of human prolactin for the preparation of radioimmunoassay reagents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dias, L.E.M.F.

    1989-01-01

    Purification of human prolactin from pituitaries was carried out in our laboratory to obtain a pure reagent for use in RIA. The extraction and purification procedure was adapted from the method of Mc. Lean et al., and it involves the following steps: 1. Extraction of frozen pituitaries in buffers 0.14M phosphate/citrate pH 4.0 and 0.05M ammonium acetate pH 10.0. 2. Purification by hydrophobic interaction chromatography on Phenyl-Sepharose CL-4B in the presence of acetonitrile. 3. Purification by anion exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose Cl-68. The purification method is considered effective for obtaining a hPrl of the purity needed for radioassay purposes, having the advantage of rapidity and relative simplicity. (author) [pt

  11. Purification and characterization of five cellulases and one xylanase from Penicillium brasilianum IBT 20888

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Henning; Eriksson, T.; Borjesson, J.

    2003-01-01

    The filamentous fungus Penicillium brasilianum IBT 20888 was cultivated on a mixture of 30 g l(-1) cellulose and 10 g l(-1) xylan for 111 h and the resulting culture filtrate was used for protein purification. From the cultivation broth, five cellulases and one xylanase were purified. Hydrolysis...... studies revealed that two of the cellulases were acting as cellobiohydrolases by being active on only microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel). Three of the cellulases were active on both Avicel and carboxymethyl cellulose indicating endoglucanase activity. Two of these showed furthermore mannanase activity...... the cellulose-binding domain or an essential part of it. The basic xylanase (pI > 9) was only active towards xylan. Two of the purified cellulases with endoglucanase activity were partly sequenced and based on sequence homology with known enzymes they were classified as belonging to families 5 and 12...

  12. Soft purification of N-doped and undoped multi-wall carbon nanotubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alvizo-Paez, Edgar Rogelio; Ruiz-Garcia, Jaime; Hernandez-Lopez, Jose Luis; Romo-Herrera, Jose Manuel; Terrones, Humberto; Terrones, Mauricio

    2008-01-01

    A soft method for purifying multi-wall carbon nanotubes (N-doped and undoped) is presented. The technique includes a hydrothermal/ultrasonic treatment of the material in conjunction with other subsequent treatments, including the extraction of polyaromatic compounds, dissolution of metal particles, bundle exfoliation, and uniform dispersion. This method avoids harsh oxidation protocols that burn (via thermal treatments) or functionalize (by introducing chemical groups) the nanotubes. We show a careful analysis of each purification step and demonstrate that the technique is extremely efficient when characterizing the materials using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive x-ray analysis (EDAX), scanning tuneling electron microscopy (STEM), x-ray powder diffraction (XRD), diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared (DRFTIR) spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)

  13. Rotating Reverse-Osmosis for Water Purification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lueptow, RIchard M.

    2004-01-01

    A new design for a water-filtering device combines rotating filtration with reverse osmosis to create a rotating reverse- osmosis system. Rotating filtration has been used for separating plasma from whole blood, while reverse osmosis has been used in purification of water and in some chemical processes. Reverse- osmosis membranes are vulnerable to concentration polarization a type of fouling in which the chemicals meant not to pass through the reverse-osmosis membranes accumulate very near the surfaces of the membranes. The combination of rotating filtration and reverse osmosis is intended to prevent concentration polarization and thereby increase the desired flux of filtered water while decreasing the likelihood of passage of undesired chemical species through the filter. Devices based on this concept could be useful in a variety of commercial applications, including purification and desalination of drinking water, purification of pharmaceutical process water, treatment of household and industrial wastewater, and treatment of industrial process water. A rotating filter consists of a cylindrical porous microfilter rotating within a stationary concentric cylindrical outer shell (see figure). The aqueous suspension enters one end of the annulus between the inner and outer cylinders. Filtrate passes through the rotating cylindrical microfilter and is removed via a hollow shaft. The concentrated suspension is removed at the end of the annulus opposite the end where the suspension entered.

  14. Purification and characterization of hemocyte phenoloxidases in Chilo suppressalis walker (Lepidoptera: Crambidae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mirhaghparast Seyyedeh Kimia

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available In the current study, two phenoloxidases (POs from the larvae of Chilo suppressalis Walker were extracted and purified by column chromatography using Sepharyl G-100 and DEAE-Cellulose fast flow column. Two proteins possessing PO activity, named as POI and POII, were extracted by purification, 5.08- and 5.62-fold, respectively, with 8.94% and 7.31% recoveries, respectively. Also, the specific activities of POI and POII were 0.478 and 0.529 U/mg protein, respectively. Finally, the molecular weights of POI and POII were calculated as 94.6 and 95.7 kDa, respectively. Kinetic parameters of the purified phenoloxidases by Lineweaver-Burk analysis were Vmax of 2.27 and 1.11 U/mg protein and Km of 15.51 and 17.31 mM for POI and POII, respectively. Mg2+ and Cu2+ significantly increased the PO activities. Ca2+ decreased the activity of POI and showed no statistical effects on POII activity. EDTA and DTC significantly inhibited the activities of the purified enzymes, while triethylenetetramine hexaacetic acid (TTHA and RGTA showed no significant effects on enzymatic activities.

  15. Expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of Thermotoga neapolitana β-glucosidase B

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Turner, Pernilla [Department of Biotechnology, Centre for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lund University, Box 124, S-221 00 Lund (Sweden); Pramhed, Anna [Department of Molecular Biophysics, Centre for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lund University, Box 124, S-221 00 Lund (Sweden); Kanders, Erik; Hedström, Martin; Karlsson, Eva Nordberg, E-mail: eva.nordberg-karlsson@biotek.lu.se [Department of Biotechnology, Centre for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lund University, Box 124, S-221 00 Lund (Sweden); Logan, Derek T., E-mail: eva.nordberg-karlsson@biotek.lu.se [Department of Molecular Biophysics, Centre for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lund University, Box 124, S-221 00 Lund (Sweden); Department of Biotechnology, Centre for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lund University, Box 124, S-221 00 Lund (Sweden)

    2007-09-01

    Here, the expression, purification, crystallization and X-ray diffraction data of a family 3 β-glucosidase from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga neapolitana are reported. β-Glucosidases belong to families 1, 3 and 9 of the glycoside hydrolases and act on cello-oligosaccharides. Family 1 and 3 enzymes are retaining and are reported to have transglycosylation activity, which can be used to produce oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates. Family 3 enzymes are less well characterized than their family 1 homologues and to date only two crystal structures have been solved. Here, the expression, purification, crystallization and X-ray diffraction data of a family 3 β-glucosidase from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga neapolitana are reported. Crystals of selenomethionine-substituted protein have also been grown. The crystals belong to space group C222{sub 1}, with unit-cell parameters a = 74.9, b = 127.0, c = 175.2 Å. Native data have been collected to 2.4 Å resolution and the structure has been solved to 2.7 Å using the selenomethionine MAD method. Model building and refinement of the structure are under way.

  16. Production, purification and characterization of an aspartic protease from Aspergillus foetidus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Souza, Paula Monteiro; Werneck, Gabriela; Aliakbarian, Bahar; Siqueira, Felix; Ferreira Filho, Edivaldo Ximenes; Perego, Patrizia; Converti, Attilio; Magalhães, Pérola Oliveira; Junior, Adalberto Pessoa

    2017-11-01

    An acidic thermostable protease was extracellularly produced either in shake flask or in stirred tank bioreactor by an Aspergillus foetidus strain isolated from the Brazilian savanna soil using different nitrogen sources. Its maximum activity (63.7 U mL -1 ) was obtained in a medium containing 2% (w/v) peptone. A cultivation carried out in a 5.0 L stirred-tank bioreactor provided a maximum protease activity 9% lower than that observed in Erlenmeyer flasks, which was obtained after a significantly shorter (by 16-29%) time. Protease purification by a combination of gel-filtration chromatography resulted in a 16.9-fold increase in specific activity (248.1 U g -1 ). The estimated molecular weight of the purified enzyme was 50.6 kDa, and the optimal pH and temperature were 5.0 and 55 °C, respectively. The enzyme was completely inhibited by pepstatin A, and its activity enhanced by some metals. According to the inhibition profiles, it was confirmed that the purified acid protease belongs to the aspartic protease type. These results are quite promising for future development of large-scale production of such protease, which can be useful in biotechnological applications requiring high enzyme activity and stability under acidic conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Multi-copy entanglement purification with practical spontaneous parametric down conversion sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Shuai-Shuai; Shu Qi; Sheng Yu-Bo; Zhou Lan

    2017-01-01

    Entanglement purification is to distill the high quality entanglement from the low quality entanglement with local operations and classical communications. It is one of the key technologies in long-distance quantum communication. We discuss an entanglement purification protocol (EPP) with spontaneous parametric down conversion (SPDC) sources, in contrast to previous EPP with multi-copy mixed states, which requires ideal entanglement sources. We show that the SPDC source is not an obstacle for purification, but can benefit the fidelity of the purified mixed state. This EPP works for linear optics and is feasible in current experiment technology. (paper)

  18. Heparin-binding peptide as a novel affinity tag for purification of recombinant proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morris, Jacqueline; Jayanthi, Srinivas; Langston, Rebekah; Daily, Anna; Kight, Alicia; McNabb, David S; Henry, Ralph; Kumar, Thallapuranam Krishnaswamy Suresh

    2016-10-01

    Purification of recombinant proteins constitutes a significant part of the downstream processing in biopharmaceutical industries. Major costs involved in the production of bio-therapeutics mainly depend on the number of purification steps used during the downstream process. Affinity chromatography is a widely used method for the purification of recombinant proteins expressed in different expression host platforms. Recombinant protein purification is achieved by fusing appropriate affinity tags to either N- or C- terminus of the target recombinant proteins. Currently available protein/peptide affinity tags have proved quite useful in the purification of recombinant proteins. However, these affinity tags suffer from specific limitations in their use under different conditions of purification. In this study, we have designed a novel 34-amino acid heparin-binding affinity tag (HB-tag) for the purification of recombinant proteins expressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli) cells. HB-tag fused recombinant proteins were overexpressed in E. coli in high yields. A one-step heparin-Sepharose-based affinity chromatography protocol was developed to purify HB-fused recombinant proteins to homogeneity using a simple sodium chloride step gradient elution. The HB-tag has also been shown to facilitate the purification of target recombinant proteins from their 8 M urea denatured state(s). The HB-tag has been demonstrated to be successfully released from the fusion protein by an appropriate protease treatment to obtain the recombinant target protein(s) in high yields. Results of the two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy experiments indicate that the purified recombinant target protein(s) exist in the native conformation. Polyclonal antibodies raised against the HB-peptide sequence, exhibited high binding specificity and sensitivity to the HB-fused recombinant proteins (∼10 ng) in different crude cell extracts obtained from diverse expression hosts. In our opinion, the HB-tag provides a

  19. Sodium purification in Rapsodie

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Giraud, B.

    1968-01-01

    This report is one of a series of publications presenting the main results of tests carried out during the start-up of the first french fast neutron reactor: Rapsodie. The article presents the sodium purification techniques used in the reactor cooling circuits both from the constructional point of view and with respect to results obtained during the first years working. (author) [fr

  20. Soya bean Gα proteins with distinct biochemical properties exhibit differential ability to complement Saccharomyces cerevisiae gpa1 mutant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roy Choudhury, Swarup; Wang, Yuqi; Pandey, Sona

    2014-07-01

    Signalling pathways mediated by heterotrimeric G-proteins are common to all eukaryotes. Plants have a limited number of each of the G-protein subunits, with the most elaborate G-protein network discovered so far in soya bean (Glycine max, also known as soybean) which has four Gα, four Gβ and ten Gγ proteins. Biochemical characterization of Gα proteins from plants suggests significant variation in their properties compared with the well-characterized non-plant proteins. Furthermore, the four soya bean Gα (GmGα) proteins exhibit distinct biochemical activities among themselves, but the extent to which such biochemical differences contribute to their in vivo function is also not known. We used the yeast gpa1 mutant which displays constitutive signalling and growth arrest in the pheromone-response pathway as an in vivo model to evaluate the effect of distinct biochemical activities of GmGα proteins. We showed that specific GmGα proteins can be activated during pheromone-dependent receptor-mediated signalling in yeast and they display different strengths towards complementation of yeast gpa1 phenotypes. We also identified amino acids that are responsible for differential complementation abilities of specific Gα proteins. These data establish that specific plant Gα proteins are functional in the receptor-mediated pheromone-response pathway in yeast and that the subtle biochemical differences in their activity are physiologically relevant.

  1. HPLC purification and re-evaluation of chemical identity of two circular bacteriocins, gassericin A and reutericin 6.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arakawa, K; Kawai, Y; Ito, Y; Nakamura, K; Chujo, T; Nishimura, J; Kitazawa, H; Saito, T

    2010-04-01

    The study aimed for the complete purification and recharacterization of the highly hydrophobic circular bacteriocins, gassericin A and reutericin 6. Gassericin A and reutericin 6 were purified to homogeneity using previously described method and reverse-phase HPLC with an octyl column and eluents of aqueous acetonitrile and 2-propanol. Mass analysis, N-terminal sequencing and bacteriocin assay of the HPLC-purified bacteriocins showed the two bacteriocins had identical seamless circular structures with the same m/z value (5651) of [M + H](+) and both had the same specific activity. D/L-amino acid composition analysis using two distinct methods with the chiral fluorescent derivatization reagents (+)-1-(9-fluorenyl)ethyl chloroformate and O-phthalaldehyde/N-acetyl-L-cystein revealed neither gassericin A nor reutericin 6 contained D-alanine residues contrary to our previous results. Purified gassericin A and reutericin 6 are chemically identical circular molecules containing no D-alanine residues. The HPLC conditions developed in this study will facilitate advanced purification and correct characterization of other highly hydrophobic bacteriocins.

  2. Preparation and characterization of bentonite clay for formation of nanocomposites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santos, J.J.M.; Silva, B.L.; Araujo, I.J.C.; Medeiros, A.M.; Melo, J.D.D.; Paskocimas, C.A.

    2011-01-01

    This study we used the linear medium density polyethylene (PELMD) as polymer matrix and introduced, as reinforcement to increase the mechanical and thermal properties, the green bentonite deposit of Boa Vista/PB, rich montmorillonite (MMT), previously characterized by XRD, that passed by three stages of purification. The first stage was to clean by washing and filtering for removal of coarse material (sand and organic matter), followed by an acid attack. In the second, we used the quaternary ammonium surfactant, in order to increase the distance between the layers of MMT, and the third was removed from the wastewater, using absolute ethanol, finishing the purification of process. Then, the clay was introduced into the polymer matrix by polymerization in solution by intercalation and characterized by XRD. The results showed a partial exfoliation, satisfying the increasing properties. (author)

  3. Synthesis Gas Purification Purification des gaz de synthèse

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chiche D.

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Fischer-Tropsch (FT based B-XTL processes are attractive alternatives for future energy production. These processes aim at converting lignocellulosic biomass possibly in co-processing with petcoke, coal, or vacuum residues into synthetic biofuels. A gasification step converts the feed into a synthesis gas (CO and H2 mixture , which undergoes the Fischer-Tropsch reaction after H2/CO ratio adjustment and CO2 removal. However synthesis gas also contains various impurities that must be removed in order to prevent Fischer-Tropsch catalyst poisoning. Due to the large feedstocks variety that can be processed, significant variations of the composition of the synthesis gas are expected. Especially, this affects the nature of the impurities that are present (element, speciation, as well as their relative contents. Moreover, due to high FT catalyst sensitivity, severe syngas specifications regarding its purity are required. For these reasons, synthesis gas purification constitutes a major challenge for the development of B-XTL processes. In this article, we focus on these major hurdles that have to be overcome. The different kinds of syngas impurities are presented. The influence of the nature of feedstocks, gasification technology and operating conditions on the type and content of impurities is discussed. Highlight is given on the fate of sulfur compounds, nitrogen compounds, halides, transition and heavy metals. Main synthesis gas purification technologies (based on adsorption, absorption, catalytic reactions, etc. are finally described, as well as the related challenges. Les procédés de synthèse de biocarburants par voie Fischer-Tropsch (FT, voies B-XTL, représentent des alternatives prometteuses pour la production d’énergie. Ces procédés permettent la conversion en carburants de synthèse de biomasse lignocellulosique, éventuellement mise en oeuvre en mélange avec des charges fossiles telles que petcoke, charbons ou résidus sous vide. Pour

  4. In vitro biochemical characterization of all barley endosperm starch synthases

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cuesta-Seijo, Jose A.; Nielsen, Morten M.; Ruzanski, Christian

    2016-01-01

    Starch is the main storage polysaccharide in cereals and the major source of calories in the human diet. It is synthesized by a panel of enzymes including five classes of starch synthases (SSs). While the overall starch synthase (SS) reaction is known, the functional differences between the five SS....... Here we provide a detailed biochemical study of the activity of all five classes of SSs in barley endosperm. Each enzyme was produced recombinantly in E. coli and the properties and modes of action in vitro were studied in isolation from other SSs and other substrate modifying activities. Our results...... define the mode of action of each SS class in unprecedented detail; we analyze their substrate selection, temperature dependence and stability, substrate affinity and temporal abundance during barley development. Our results are at variance with some generally accepted ideas about starch biosynthesis...

  5. Generation and characterization of monoclonal antibodies against Giardia muris trophozoites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heyworth, M F; Ho, K E; Pappo, J

    1989-11-01

    Mouse monoclonal antibodies (mAb) were produced against Giardia muris trophozoite surface antigens. To generate B-cell hybridomas, P3/NS1/1-Ag4-1 myeloma cells were fused with splenic lymphocytes from BALB/c mice that had been immunized parenterally with G. muris trophozoites. Hybridoma culture supernatants were screened for mAb by flow cytometry of G. muris trophozoites incubated with culture supernatant followed by fluorescein-conjugated anti-mouse IgG and IgM. Flow cytometry showed three types of trophozoite staining by mAb: (i) bright staining of greater than 90% of trophozoites, with aggregation of the organisms; (ii) bright staining of approximately 90% of trophozoites, with little or no aggregation; (iii) dull staining of approximately 20% of trophozoites, without aggregation. Western blotting of mAb on G. muris trophozoite antigens separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that a mAb exhibiting the third of these flow cytometry staining patterns recognized trophozoite antigens of MW approximately 31,000 and 35,000. Immunoprecipitation studies indicated that the same mAb specifically precipitated two 125I-labelled trophozoite surface antigens of MW approximately 30,000. Monoclonal antibodies generated in this study may facilitate the purification and biochemical characterization of trophozoite antigens that are targets for protective intestinal antibody in G. muris-infected mice.

  6. Purification and Characterization of Suicin 65, a Novel Class I Type B Lantibiotic Produced by Streptococcus suis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaillancourt, Katy; LeBel, Geneviève; Frenette, Michel; Fittipaldi, Nahuel; Gottschalk, Marcelo; Grenier, Daniel

    2015-01-01

    Bacteriocins are antimicrobial peptides of bacterial origin that are considered as a promising alternative to the use of conventional antibiotics. Recently, our laboratory reported the purification and characterization of two lantibiotics, suicin 90-1330 and suicin 3908, produced by the swine pathogen and zoonotic agent Streptococcus suis (serotype 2). In this study, a novel bacteriocin produced by S. suis has been identified and characterized. The producing strain S. suis 65 (serotype 2) was found to belong to the sequence type 28, that includes strains known to be weakly or avirulent in a mouse model. The bacteriocin, whose production was only possible following growth on solid culture medium, was purified to homogeneity by cationic exchange and reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography. The bacteriocin, named suicin 65, was heat, pH and protease resistant. Suicin 65 was active against all S. suis isolates tested, including antibiotic resistant strains. Amino acid sequencing of the purified bacteriocin by Edman degradation revealed the presence of modified amino acids suggesting a lantibiotic. Using the partial sequence obtained, a blast was performed against published genomes of S. suis and allowed to identify a putative lantibiotic locus in the genome of S. suis 89-1591. From this genome, primers were designed and the gene cluster involved in the production of suicin 65 by S. suis 65 was amplified by PCR. Sequence analysis revealed the presence of ten open reading frames, including a duplicate of the structural gene. The structural genes (sssA and sssA') of suicin 65 encodes a 25-amino acid residue leader peptide and a 26-amino acid residue mature peptide yielding an active bacteriocin with a deducted molecular mass of 3,005 Da. Mature suicin 65 showed a high degree of identity with class I type B lantibiotics (globular structure) produced by Streptococcus pyogenes (streptococcin FF22; 84.6%), Streptococcus macedonicus (macedocin ACA-DC 198; 84

  7. Purification and Characterization of Suicin 65, a Novel Class I Type B Lantibiotic Produced by Streptococcus suis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katy Vaillancourt

    Full Text Available Bacteriocins are antimicrobial peptides of bacterial origin that are considered as a promising alternative to the use of conventional antibiotics. Recently, our laboratory reported the purification and characterization of two lantibiotics, suicin 90-1330 and suicin 3908, produced by the swine pathogen and zoonotic agent Streptococcus suis (serotype 2. In this study, a novel bacteriocin produced by S. suis has been identified and characterized. The producing strain S. suis 65 (serotype 2 was found to belong to the sequence type 28, that includes strains known to be weakly or avirulent in a mouse model. The bacteriocin, whose production was only possible following growth on solid culture medium, was purified to homogeneity by cationic exchange and reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography. The bacteriocin, named suicin 65, was heat, pH and protease resistant. Suicin 65 was active against all S. suis isolates tested, including antibiotic resistant strains. Amino acid sequencing of the purified bacteriocin by Edman degradation revealed the presence of modified amino acids suggesting a lantibiotic. Using the partial sequence obtained, a blast was performed against published genomes of S. suis and allowed to identify a putative lantibiotic locus in the genome of S. suis 89-1591. From this genome, primers were designed and the gene cluster involved in the production of suicin 65 by S. suis 65 was amplified by PCR. Sequence analysis revealed the presence of ten open reading frames, including a duplicate of the structural gene. The structural genes (sssA and sssA' of suicin 65 encodes a 25-amino acid residue leader peptide and a 26-amino acid residue mature peptide yielding an active bacteriocin with a deducted molecular mass of 3,005 Da. Mature suicin 65 showed a high degree of identity with class I type B lantibiotics (globular structure produced by Streptococcus pyogenes (streptococcin FF22; 84.6%, Streptococcus macedonicus (macedocin ACA

  8. A scintillator purification system for the Borexino solar neutrino detector

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benziger, J.; Cadonati, L.; Calaprice, F.; Chen, M.; Corsi, A.; Dalnoki-Veress, F.; Fernholz, R.; Ford, R.; Galbiati, C.; Goretti, A.; Harding, E.; Ianni, Aldo; Ianni, Andrea; Kidner, S.; Leung, M.; Loeser, F.; McCarty, K.; McKinsey, D.; Nelson, A.; Pocar, A.; Salvo, C.; Schimizzi, D.; Shutt, T.; Sonnenschein, A.

    2008-03-01

    Purification of the 278 tons of liquid scintillator and 889 tons of buffer shielding for the Borexino solar neutrino detector is performed with a system that combines distillation, water extraction, gas stripping, and filtration. This paper describes the principles of operation, design, and construction of that purification system, and reviews the requirements and methods to achieve system cleanliness and leak-tightness.

  9. Characterization and purification of polyphenol oxidase from artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dogan, Serap; Turan, Yusuf; Ertürk, Hatibe; Arslan, Oktay

    2005-02-09

    In this study, the polyphenol oxidase (PPO) of artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) was first purified by a combination of (NH(4))(2)SO(4) precipitation, dialysis, and a Sepharose 4B-L-tyrosine-p-aminobenzoic acid affinity column. At the end of purification, 43-fold purification was achieved. The purified enzyme migrated as a single band on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicated that PPO had a 57 kDa molecular mass. Second, the contents of total phenolic and protein of artichoke head extracts were determined. The total phenolic content of artichoke head was determined spectrophotometrically according to the Folin-Ciocalteu procedure and was found to be 425 mg 100 g(-1) on a fresh weight basis. Protein content was determined according to Bradford method. Third, the effects of substrate specificity, pH, temperature, and heat inactivation were investigated on the activity of PPO purified from artichoke. The enzyme showed activity to 4-methylcatechol, pyrogallol, catechol, and L-dopa. No activity was detected toward L-tyrosine, resorsinol, and p-cresol. According to V(max)/K(m) values, 4-methylcatechol (1393 EU min(-1) mM(-1)) was the best substrate, followed by pyrogallol (1220 EU min(-1) mM(-1)), catechol (697 EU min(-1) mM(-1)), and L-dopa (102 EU min(-1) mM(-1)). The optimum pH values for PPO were 5.0, 8.0, and 7.0 using 4-methylcatechol, pyrogallol, and catechol as substrate, respectively. It was found that optimum temperatures were dependent on the substrates studied. The enzyme activity decreased due to heat denaturation of the enzyme with increasing temperature and inactivation time for 4-methylcatechol and pyrogallol substrates. However, all inactivation experiments for catechol showed that the activity of artichoke PPO increased with mild heating, reached a maximum, and then decreased with time. Finally, inhibition of artichoke PPO was investigated with inhibitors such as L-cysteine, EDTA, ascorbic

  10. Study of air purification in the production of radioactive compounds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fradin, J.; Desroches, J.

    1958-12-01

    As the fabrication of radio-elements takes place in almost airtight enclosures in which a frequent air renewal is required, and while taking the purification rate into account (1.000 to 5.000 m 3 /h), the authors report the study of wet purification in conjunction with dry purification through paper filters, in order to capture dusts. An apparatus has been implemented which allows high gas flow rates. A radioactive aerosol has been introduced in this apparatus and its efficiency has been measured by different means. The authors describe the instrumentation (column, aerosol generator), operation, rate adjustment, and losses. Aerosols of manganese and sodium have been used. Their particle granulometry has been determined. The authors report several types of tests [fr

  11. Rational and systematic protein purification process development: the next generation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nfor, Beckley K; Verhaert, Peter D E M; van der Wielen, Luuk A M; Hubbuch, Jürgen; Ottens, Marcel

    2009-12-01

    Current biopharmaceutical manufacturing strongly relies on using purification platform processes, offering harmonization of practices and speed-to-market. However, the ability of such processes to respond quickly to anticipated higher quality and capacity demands is under question. Here, we describe novel approaches for purification process development that incorporate biothermodynamics, modern high throughput experimentation and simulation tools. Such development leads to production platform-specific databases containing thermodynamic protein descriptors of major host cell proteins over a range of experimental conditions. This will pave the way for in silico purification process development, providing better process understanding and the potential to respond quickly to product quality and market demands. Future efforts will focus on improving this field further and enabling more rationale in process development.

  12. Purification and characterization of α-amylase from Ganoderma ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The objective of this study was to purify and characterize the α-amylase for industrial perspective. The production of α-amylase through solid-state fermentation by Ganoderma tsuage was investigated by using waste bread as substrates. Production parameters were optimized as 2 mL of inoculum size, moisture 50%, ...

  13. Water Purification Product

    Science.gov (United States)

    2004-01-01

    Ecomaster, an affiliate of BioServe Space Technologies, this PentaPure technology has been used to purify water for our nation's Space Shuttle missions since 1981. WTC-Ecomaster of Mirneapolis, Minnesota manufactures water purification systems under the brand name PentaPure (TM). BioServe researcher Dr. George Marchin, of Kansas State University, first demonstrated the superiority of this technology and licensed it to WTC. Marchin continues to perform microgravity research in the development of new technologies for the benefit of life on Earth.

  14. Purification and Partial Characterization of Catalase from Chicken Erythrocytes and the Effect of Various Inhibitors on Enzyme Activity

    OpenAIRE

    AYDEMİR, Tülin; KURU, Kevser

    2003-01-01

    Catalase plays a major role in the protection of tissues from the toxic effects of H2O2 and partially reduced oxygen species. A nearly 136-fold enzyme purification was obtained from chicken erythrocyte by acetone precipitation, ethanol-chloroform treatment, CM-cellulose and Sephadex G-200 chromatography. The specific activity of purified enzyme was 42,556 U/mg. The molecular weight of the native chicken erythrocyte catalase was estimated at 240 kDa by gel filtration. SDS-gel electr...

  15. The Purification of a Blood Group A Glycoprotein: An Affinity Chromatography Experiment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Estelrich, J.; Pouplana, R.

    1988-01-01

    Describes a purification process through affinity chromatography necessary to obtain specific blood group glycoproteins from erythrocytic membranes. Discusses the preparation of erythrocytic membranes, extraction of glycoprotein from membranes, affinity chromatography purification, determination of glycoproteins, and results. (CW)

  16. Performance of photocatalyst based carbon nanodots from waste frying oil in water purification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aji, Mahardika Prasetya; Wiguna, Pradita Ajeng; Susanto,; Rosita, Nita; Suciningtyas, Siti Aisyah; Sulhadi

    2016-01-01

    Carbon Nanodots (C-Dots) from waste frying oil could be used as a photocatalyst in water purification with solar light irradiation. Performance of C-Dots as a photocatalyst was tested in the process of water purification with a given synthetic sewage methylene blue. The tested was also conducted by comparing the performance C-Dots made from frying oil, waste fryng oil as a photocatalyst and solution of methylene blue without photocatalyst C-Dots. Performance of C-Dots from waste frying oil were estimated by the results of absorbance spectrum. The results of measurement absorbance spectrum from the process of water purification with photocatalyst C-Dots showed that the highest intensity at a wavelength 664 nm of methylene blue decreased. The test results showed that the performance of photocatalyst C-Dots from waste frying oil was better in water purification. This estimated that number of particles C-dots is more in waste frying oil because have experieced repeated the heating process so that the higher particles concentration make the photocatalyst process more effective. The observation of the performance C-Dots from waste frying oil as a photocatalyst in the water purification processes become important invention for solving the problems of waste and water purification.

  17. Performance of photocatalyst based carbon nanodots from waste frying oil in water purification

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aji, Mahardika Prasetya, E-mail: mahardika190@gmail.com; Wiguna, Pradita Ajeng; Susanto,; Rosita, Nita; Suciningtyas, Siti Aisyah; Sulhadi [Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science Universitas Negeri Semarang, Jalan Raya Sekaran Gunungpati 50229 Indonesia (Indonesia)

    2016-04-19

    Carbon Nanodots (C-Dots) from waste frying oil could be used as a photocatalyst in water purification with solar light irradiation. Performance of C-Dots as a photocatalyst was tested in the process of water purification with a given synthetic sewage methylene blue. The tested was also conducted by comparing the performance C-Dots made from frying oil, waste fryng oil as a photocatalyst and solution of methylene blue without photocatalyst C-Dots. Performance of C-Dots from waste frying oil were estimated by the results of absorbance spectrum. The results of measurement absorbance spectrum from the process of water purification with photocatalyst C-Dots showed that the highest intensity at a wavelength 664 nm of methylene blue decreased. The test results showed that the performance of photocatalyst C-Dots from waste frying oil was better in water purification. This estimated that number of particles C-dots is more in waste frying oil because have experieced repeated the heating process so that the higher particles concentration make the photocatalyst process more effective. The observation of the performance C-Dots from waste frying oil as a photocatalyst in the water purification processes become important invention for solving the problems of waste and water purification.

  18. Biochemical fingerprinting of Vibrio parahaemolyticus by the PhenePlate system: comparison between pandemic and non-pandemic serotypes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahman, Mokhlasur; Bhuiyan, N A; Kuhn, I; Ramamurthy, T; Rahman, M; Mollby, R; Nair, G Balakrish

    2006-10-01

    During recent years a pandemic clone of Vibrio parahaemolyticus has emerged. Isolates of this clone are distributed among several serotypes, but are genotypically related. In the present study, a phenotyping method (biochemical fingerprinting) was used to characterize pandemic and non-pandemic isolates belonging to V. parahaemolyticus. It was found that the pandemic isolates showed a high level of phenotypic homogeneity and a majority of the pandemic isolates belonged to the same biochemical phenotype, whereas non-pandemic V. parahemolyticus isolates were more heterogeneous. In conclusion, biochemical fingerprinting of V. parahaemolyticus can be used as a first screening method to differentiate between pandemic and non-pandemic isolates of V. parahaemolyticus.

  19. BISEN: Biochemical simulation environment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vanlier, J.; Wu, F.; Qi, F.; Vinnakota, K.C.; Han, Y.; Dash, R.K.; Yang, F.; Beard, D.A.

    2009-01-01

    The Biochemical Simulation Environment (BISEN) is a suite of tools for generating equations and associated computer programs for simulating biochemical systems in the MATLAB® computing environment. This is the first package that can generate appropriate systems of differential equations for

  20. Breathing Air Purification for Hyperbaric Purposes, Part II

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Woźniak Arkadiusz

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Determining the efficiency of breathing air purification for hyperbaric purposes with the use of filtration systems is of a crucial importance. However, when the Polish Navy took samples of breathing air from their own filtration plant for quality purposes, these were found to not meet the required standard. The identification of this problem imposed the need to undertake actions aimed at the elimination of the identified disruptions in the process of breathing air production, with the objective of assuring its proper quality. This study presents the results of the initial tests on the air supply sources utilised by the Polish Navy, which were carried out for the purpose of setting a proper direction of future works and implementing corrective measures in order to optimise the breathing air production process. The obtained test results will be used in a subsequent publication devoted to the assessment of the level of efficiency of air purification with the use of a multifaceted approach consisting in the utilisation of various types of air supply sources and different configurations of purification systems.