Takuya Kawanishi

Enzymatic activity of Chromobacterium viscosum lipase in an AOT/Tween 85 mixed reverse micellar system

To enhance the Chromobacterium viscosum lipase (glycerol-ester hydrolase; EC 3.1.1.3) activity for the reaction of water-insoluble substrates, the AOT/isooctane reverse micellar interface was modified by co-adsorption of a non-ionic surfactant. Polyoxyethylene sorbitan trioleate (Tween 85) was used as the non-ionic surfactant and olive oil as a water-insoluble substrate. An appreciable increase of lipase activity was observed and at higher Wo values (where Wo = molar ratio of water to total surfactants of the micellar system) there was no sharp fall of the enzyme activity such as a typical bell-shaped profile. The kinetic model for the lipase-catalysed hydrolysis of olive oil in AOT/isooctane reverse micellar system was applied to the enzymatic reaction in this mixed reverse micellar system. It was found that the predictions of the model agree well with the experimental kinetic results and that the adsorption equilibrium constant of olive oil molecules between the micellar phase and the bulk phase of the organic solvent is smaller in AOT/Tween 85 mixed reverse micellar systems than in simple AOT reverse micellar systems. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry

Ultrasonication enhanced hydrolytic activity of lipase in water/isooctane two-phase systems

The hydrolysis of olive oil catalyzed by Chromobacterium viscosum lipase (EC 3.1.1.3) in a water/isooctane two-phase system was carried out both under ultrasound and conventional stirring. The maximum activity of lipase in the ultrasonicated system was 1.75 times higher than that in the stirred system. The lipase activity was dependent on ultrasonic power and volume ratio of isooctane to water. The optimum reaction temperature in both systems was around 25°C. The stability of lipase at 25°C in the ultrasonicated system decreased more rapidly than that in the stirred system. In the presence of exogenous oleic acid, however the half-life of lipase in the ultrasonicated system was improved to a value, which was respectively half and twice of that in stirred systems with and without oleic acid. The maximum reaction rate (Vmax) was increased by ultrasonication whereas the Michaelis constant (Km) remained unaltered.

Improvement in enzyme activity and stability by addition of low molecular weight polyethylene glycol to sodium bis(2-ethyl-L-hexyl)sulfosuccinate/ isooctane reverse micellar system

The activity and stability of Chromobacterium viscosum lipase (glycerolester hydrolase, EC 3.1.1.3)-catalyzed olive oil hydrolysis in sodium bis (2-ethyl-1-hexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT)/isooctane reverse micelles is increased appreciably when low molecular weight polyethylene glycol (PEG 400) is added to the reverse micelles. To understand the effect of PEG 400 on the phase behavior of the reverse micellar system, the phase diagram of AOT/PEG 400/water/isooctane system was studied. The influences of relevant parameters on the catalytic activity in AOT/PEG 400 reverse micelles were investigated and compared with the results in the simple AOT reverse micelles. In the presence of PEG 400, the linear decreasing trend of the lipase activity with AOT concentration, which is observed in the simple AOT reverse micelles, disappeared. Enzyme entrapped in AOT/PEG reverse micelles was very stable, retaining>75% of its initial activity after 60 d, whereas the half-life in simple AOT reverse micelles was 38 d. The kinetics parameter maximum velocity (Vmax)exhibiting the temperature dependence and the activation energy obtained by Arrhenius plot was suppressed significantly by the addition of PEG 400.

The 5-HT1A receptor agonist, 8-OH-DPAT, attenuates stress-induced anorexia in conjunction with the suppression of hypothalamic serotonin release in rats

The effect of the selective 5-HT(1A) receptor agonist 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino) tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) on stress-induced anorexia and serotonin (5-HT) release in the rat hypothalamus was studied with brain microdialysis. Subcutaneous injection of 8-OH-DPAT (1 mg/kg) significantly attenuated the immobilization-induced anorexia for 3 h, but had no effect during the following 9 h. Injection of 8-OH-DPAT itself had no effect on basal release of 5-HT, while it significantly blocked the immobilization-induced 5-HT release in the lateral hypothalamus. The results suggest that 8-OH-DPAT attenuated the stress-induced anorexia through the activation of 5-HT(1A) autoreceptors in dorsal raphe nucleus.

A kinetic model for enzymatic reactions in a reverse micellar system, involving water-insoluble substrate

A kinetic model was proposed for enzymatic reactions in a reverse micellar system, involving a water-insoluble substrate. Though surfactant is one of the main structural components of reverse micelles, an increase in the surfactant concentrations affects the enzyme activity remarkably. A relationship between the enzyme activity and the surfactant concentration is discussed. In this study it was assumed that free substrate in the organic phase was in adsorption equilibrium with the surface of the micellar surfactant, and that the adsorption coefficient and the true K m value (Michaelis constant) were independent of the surfactant concentration. The validity of this model was verified by data on the hydrolysis of olive oil, catalyzed by Chromobacterium viscosum lipase (Glycerolester hydrolase ; EC 3.1.1.3) in an AOT/isooctane reverse micellar system. The activity value predicted by the model equation agreed well with the experimental data.

Denitrification in shallow groundwater in a coastal agricultural area in Japan

In a coastal agricultural area in the central part of Japan (Shizuoka), we found decreasing nitrate concentration with depth in a shallow groundwater, where the depth to water table varied between 0.6 and 1.2 m below ground surface. High nitrate concentrations (5–29 mg N L−1) were often observed in the upper layer (0–2 m) of the groundwater, but the concentration decreased to less than 1 mg N L−1 in the deeper layer. Ammonium was scarcely detected, and the concentration of dissolved oxygen was usually low (< 1 mgO2 L−1) in the groundwater. Nitrate in the groundwater often had very heavy nitrogen stable isotope ratios (>20{‰}). There was a negative relationship between nitrogen stable isotope ratio of nitrate and its concentration. When nitrate was injected into the groundwater with acetylene and bromide (a conservative tracer), nitrate concentration decreased to 20% of the initial level within 5 days, accompanied by the increase in nitrite and nitrous oxide concentration and a little change in bromide concentration. These results indicate that microbial denitrification plays a potential role in the decrease of nitrate in shallow groundwater at the study site.

Lipase-catalyzed esterification of fatty acid in DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide) modified AOT reverse micellar systems

AOT reverse micellar system was modified with DMSO for improved esterification activity of Chromobacteriumviscosum lipase (glycerol–ester hydrolase, EC 3.1.1.3). The enzymatic activity was strongly affected by the concentration of DMSO, and maximum activity was obtained at 30–40 mM. The various relevant physical parameters such as w0 (molar ratio of water to AOT), pH and reaction temperature that influence the activity of lipase were studied in order to obtain the best value and compared with those in simple AOT reverse micelles. The apparent activation energy decreased in the presence of DMSO. The stability of lipase entrapped in modified AOT systems was excellent, and the half-life was about 3.25 times than that observed in simple AOT systems at 25°C. A simple first-order deactivation model was considered to determine the deactivation rate constant. The thermodynamic stability of lipase in reverse micelles was measured by the Gibbs free energy. A fluorescence study was performed to provide information on structural changes in AOT reverse micelles which was accompanied by the addition of DMSO.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Surface Water of the Southeastern Japan Sea.

Surface water samples were collected at 15 sampling sites in the southeastern Japan Sea along the Japanese Archipelago for analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Water samples were fractionated by filtration through a glass fiber membrane (pore size 0.5 µm) and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Thirteen PAHs having 3 to 6 rings were found in the dissolved phase (DP) and 12 were found in the particulate phase (PP). The total (DP+PP) PAH concentration ranged from 6.83 to 13.81 ng/L with the mean±standard deviation (S.D.) concentration of 9.36±1.92 ng/L. The mean±S.D. PAH concentration in the DP and PP was 5.99±1.80 and 3.38±0.65 ng/L, respectively. Three-ring PAHs predominated in the DP, while the proportion of 4-ring PAHs was higher in the PP. The mean total PAH concentration in the southeastern Japan Sea was higher than the concentration in the northwestern Japan Sea (8.5 ng/L). The Tsushima Current, which originates from the East China Sea with higher PAH concentration, is considered to be responsible for this higher concentration.

Comparison of vegetation measured from three different distances

Remote sensing is widely used for the monitoring of forests and the VIS/NIR reflectance is commonly used for the identification and characterization of the vegetation. The reflectance data obtained at higher altitudes is some kind of average over a certain extension of area, and also the atmosphere that lies between the sensor and the object affects the data. Therefore, in the interpretation of the remote sensing data, knowing the difference between the data obtained at different scales and distances is important. The authors measured the spectra of trees at three different scales: 1) individual leaves, 2) part of a tree seen from a distance of 40 m, 3) mixture of several different trees seen from a helicopter, and investigated what affects the data during the scaling up of the measurements.

Mechanisms of Biological Clogging in Soil Infiltration Treatment Systems

土壌浄化法の大きな問題点のひとつである目詰まりについて, その機構の解明と, 浸透不良を防ぐための排水供給量の推算を試みた。まず, 微生物が土壌透水係数に及ぼす影響を, カラム実験により実測した。土壌中の微生物密度には最大値が存在し, それに対応する最小の透水係数が求められた。次にトレンチを模擬した小型の実験装置で, 人工下水を定水頭差で浸透させ, 浸透水量の減少を追跡した。浸透水量は20日程度で定常状態となった。カラム実験の結果と, 土壌中の微生物分布, TOCのバランスから, 目詰まりの機構を明らかにした。さらに, 以上の知見をもとに数理モデルを作成し, 浸透不良を生じないための排水供給量を推算した。計算の結果, BOD100mg・l-1の排水に対して, 40l・m-1 (trench) day-1という許容排水供給量が得られた。