Warren L. Baker

Transformation and degradation of the disazo dye Chicago Sky Blue by a purified laccase from Pycnoporus cinnabarinus

The degradation of the disazo dye Chicago Sky Blue 6B by a purified laccase from Pycnoporus cinnabarinus was investigated. Laccase was purified to homogeneity and characterized. The enzyme had a molecular size of 63 kDa as determined by SDS-PAGE and an isoelectric point at pH 3. Amino acid composition and N-terminal amino acid sequence was shown to be similar to other fungal laccases. The purified laccase was stable for 1 h at 60 degrees C and was irreversibly inactivated by sodium azide at 0.1 mM. Laccase was shown to initiate destruction of the chromophore of the disazo dye Chicago Sky Blue, resulting in the formation of two intermediate products with absorption intensities about one order of magnitude lower than the parent molecule. The rate at which the dye was transformed by purified laccase was shown to increase with increasing concentrations of the enzyme.

Estimation of cellulase activity using a glucose-oxidase-Cu(II) reducing assay for glucose

In the presence of the Cu(I)-chelating agent neocuproine (2,10-dimethyl-1,9-phenanthroline) hydrogen peroxide acts as a reductant of Cu(II). The reaction does not proceed in the absence of neocuproine and the addition of EDTA to the reaction mixture prior to addition of Cu(II) also inhibits the reduction. Colour development can be arrested and stabilized by addition of EDTA. The reaction can be used to estimate hydrogen peroxide concentrations in the range 0.68-6.8 micrograms/ml and glucose concentrations in the range 3.6-36 micrograms/ml (20-200 microM). Horseradish peroxidase is not required for the peroxide assay but glucose oxidase must be used for glucose estimations. Thermostable cellulase activity has been estimated at 60 degrees C against cellobiose, carboxymethylcellulose and cellulose substrates by estimation of the glucose released from the substrates.

Analysis of reduced glutathione using a reaction with 2,4'-dichloro-1-(naphthyl-4-ethoxy)-s-triazine (EDTN)

A fluorescent adduct was formed between 2,4′-dichloro-l-(naphthyl-4-ethoxy)-s-triazine (EDTN) and reduced glutathione in a reaction at 37 °C and pH 9.2. This reaction was used as the basis of an assay for reduced glutathione. The fluorescence was examined at an excitation wavelength of 319 nm and an emission wavelength of 425 nm after extraction of residual unreacted EDTN with methylene dichloride and subsequent dilution of the aqueous phase with ethanol containing 0.01 percent Triton X-100. The reaction rate was low at pH 7 but was accelerated by addition of preparations containing the enzyme glutathione-S-transferase. The adduct gave a discrete peak using isocratic elution with HPLC on a Nova-pak C18 3 μm reverse phase column and a solvent system of methanol: 0.1 M phosphate buffer pH 6.3 (40∶60). An analytical concentration range of 24 to 240 μM reduced glutathione was obtained with an ultraviolet detection system but the concentration range was 7.5 to 75 μM when a fluorescence detection system was used. Adducts of other mercapturic acid pathway thiol compounds were not formed at 37 °C under the conditions used and hence did not interfere in the assay. They were formed by heating EDTN and the respective thiol compound at 60 °C for 30 min and they clearly separated from the reduced glutathione compound on HPLC analysis. A strong reaction was observed with digitonin while solutions of tyrosine, at 10 mM concentration, also reacted but these reactants are unlikely to interfere with reduced glutathione analysis in biological systems. When adduct formation was used to estimate reduced glutathione concentrations in some mammalian and plant tissues the reaction using 2,4′-dichloro-l-(naphthyl-4-ethoxy)-s-triazine and HPLC separation gave the same results as ano-phthaldialdehyde assay for liver and muscle but the HPLC method gave slightly lower values for other mammalian and plant tissues. The differences were attributed to other material in the tissue extracts which was fluorescing at the same wavelengths as the reduced glutathione adduct.

Laccase catalyzes formation of an indamine dye between 3-methyl-2-benzothiazolinone hydrazone and 3-dimethylaminobenzoic acid

Abstract Laccase from Coriolus hirsutus catalyzes the oxidative condensation reaction between 3-methyl-2-benzothiazolinone hydrazone and 3-dimethylaminobenzoic acid to form a blue indamine dye. Optimum enzyme activity in this reaction occurs at pH 5. The rate of formation of the dye is linear with time until an equilibrium is reached. The absorbance values at equilibrium depends on the concentration of reactants, although maximum absorbance at equilibrium is obtained at a final concentration of 2.0 · 10−3 m 3-dimethylaminobenzoic acid and 4.8 · 10−5 m 3-dimethyl-2-benzothiazolinone hydrazone in the reaction mixture. The laccase-catalyzed condensation occurs in the absence of hydrogen peroxide contrasting with the reaction in the presence of horseradish peroxidase. When laccase is present, pretreatment of solutions with catalase does not inhibit dye formation, whereas dye is not formed when peroxidase alone is present.

Multiple glutathione S-transferases in Galleria mellonella; their detection with Fluorigenic substrates

Abstract Multiple glutathione S-transferase (GST) isoenzymes from Galleria mellonella have been purified by use of a combination of BSP affinity chromatography and isoelectric focusing to give catalytically active proteins isoelectric at pI 5.2, 6.9, 7.7 and 8.2. All isoforms were active with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB), 3-4-dichloro-nitrobenzene (DCNB) and were capable of cleaving β-methyl-umbelliferyl acetate (MUA). The pI 8.2 isoenzyme had by far the greatest activity with respect to CDNB. All four isoforms had activities of approximately the same magnitude with the other two substrates. All isoforms had detectable activity with monobromobimane and this substrate, or β-methyl umbelliferyl acetate could be used to localize the isoenzymes in electrophoresis gels by virtue of the fluorescent products of the reactions.

Formation and Verification of the Structure of the 1-Fluorenylmethyl Chloroformate Derivative of Sulfamethazine

Sulfamethazine (SMZ) is derivatized with 1-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate (FMOC) to form the fluorescent adduct SMZ-FMOC. Conditions for formation are optimized with respect to pH, reagent concentration, and reagent ratio. Reagent and product profiles (including the hydrolysis byproduct FMOC-OH) versus time are followed by reversed phase HPLC with UV absorbance detection. FMOC-SMZ has been crystallized, its composition confirmed by microanalysis, and its structure corroborated by IR and NMR spectroscopy. From 10 down to 1 ppm, there is clear gentle curvature in the fluorescence intensity of SMZ-FMOC. The linear response range extends from above 100 ppb down to about 100 ppt, and an increase in sensitivity for the fluorescent detection of FMOC-SMZ (over the usual UV absorbance detection of SMZ) is calculated to be better than 3 orders of magnitude.

Ascorbic acid reaction with disulphide compounds: effects and applications

A method was developed for estimation of concentrations of cystine based on the reaction of this oxidised amino acid with ascorbic acid and copper ion. The standard curve which was constructed was used as the basis for investigation of the effects which both cystine and glutathione disulphide, and some disulphide proteins, exerted on the amount of hydrogen peroxide formed in the reaction of ascorbic acid. The hydrogen peroxide product was lowered in the presence of the disulphide compounds. The disulphide compounds also lowered the amount of deoxyribose reacting material formed during the ascorbic acid oxidation. The reaction between ascorbic acid and copper and cystine was used to estimate the amount of the disulphide amino acid in acid digests of proteins.

Estimation of hydrogen peroxide formed and residual ascorbate in the copper catalysed oxidation reaction of ascorbate at pH 7

A fluorescent method has been developed for determination of ascorbic acid concentrations. The method involves treatment of the ascorbic acid with Cu(II) and treating the hydrogen peroxide formed with horseradish peroxidase in the presence ofp-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, to form a fluorescentp-hydroxyphenylacetic acid dimer. The reaction is suitable for analysis of concentrations in the range from 50 μM to 4 mM ascorbic acid solutions and can be used for analysis of pharmaceutical preparations but is unsuitable for analysis of ascorbate in preparations derived from natural sources. By using a slight modification of the analytical technique it is possible to measure the amount of hydrogen peroxide formed and the residual concentrations of ascorbic acid in solutions treated with varying amounts of copper ion.

A Note Concerning Acetate Activation of Peroxidative Activity of Catalases Using 2,2′-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline)-6-sulfonic Acid as a Substrate

Beef liver catalases showed peroxidative activity using 2,2′‐azino‐bis‐(3‐ethylbenzthiazoline)‐6‐sulfonic acid as the electron donor and hydrogen peroxide as the acceptor at a pH of 5. This activity was not observed at pH 7. The reaction depended on acetate concentration, although succinate and propionate could partly replace the acetate as a catalyst. Other haem proteins also catalyzed a peroxidative effect. The reaction using syringaldazine or the coupling between dimethylaminobenzoic acid and 3‐methyl‐2‐benzothiazolinone hydrazone was less effective and less sensitive. Evidence is presented that the reaction is associated with a conformational change of the catalase.

Isolation of the 9-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate derivative in the determination of sulphamethazine

Derivatisation of amine-containing analytes with 9-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate (FMOC) to form fluorescent adducts requires a large excess of FMOC. This excess hydrolyses to form FMOC-OH, which is also fluorescent. Solvent extraction has been investigated as a means of isolating the sulphamethazine (SMZ) adduct (FMOC-SMZ) from the hydrolysis product in order to perform rapid spectrophotometric or spectrofluorimetric assays. However, even under the most favourable pH conditions possible, FMOC-OH was not totally removed. Attempts to enhance the separation by reaction of FMOC-OH with 1-ethoxy-4-dichloro-S-triazinylnaphthalene (EDTN) or by acetylation were also unsuccessful. On the other hand, reaction of FMOC with mixed substrates, followed by two pentane extractions to remove the excess FMOC and direct injection into an HPLC provides the desired separations on a reversed phase column (RPLC) with methanol-modified, (pH 3.5) phosphate buffers. FMOC-SMZ is readily separated from FMOC-OH under all elution conditions, from the FMOC-amino acids (under gradient conditions or isocratically up to 75% methanol), and from other FMOC-sulphonamides and FMOC-dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors (isocratically up to 70% methanol). Hence conversion to the FMOC derivatives permits SMZ to be separated from all of the potential interferants tested by isocratic elution with 70% methanol in RPLC. Analysis for the amino acid derivatives of FMOC may be done without interference from SMZ in samples.