Construction of Recombinant Escherichia coli Catalysts which Simultaneously Express an (S)‐Oxynitrilase and Different Nitrilase Variants for the Synthesis of (S)‐Mandelic Acid and (S)‐Mandelic Amide from Benzaldehyde and Cyanide

Recombinant Escherichia coli strains were constructed which simultaneously expressed the genes encoding the (S)‐oxynitrilase from cassava (Manihot esculenta) together with the wild‐type or a mutant variant of the arylacetonitrilase from Pseudomonas fluorescens EBC191 in a single organism under the control of a rhamnose‐inducible promoter. The whole cell catalysts obtained converted benzaldehyde and potassium cyanide in aqueous media at pH 5.2 mainly to (S)‐mandelic acid and/or (S)‐mandelic amide and synthesized only low amounts of the corresponding (R)‐enantiomers. The conversion of benzaldehyde and potassium cyanide (KCN) by a whole‐cell catalyst simultaneously expressing the (S)‐oxynitrilase and the wild‐type nitrilase resulted in a ratio of (S)‐mandelic acid to (S)‐mandelic amide of about 4:3. This could be explained by the strong nitrile hydratase activity of the wild‐type nitrilase with (S)‐mandelonitrile as substrate. The relative proportion of (S)‐mandelic amide formed in this system was significantly increased by coexpressing the (S)‐oxynitrilase with a carboxy‐terminally truncated variant of the nitrilase. This whole‐cell catalyst converted benzaldehyde and KCN to mandelic amide and mandelic acid in a ratio of about 9:1. The ee of the (S)‐mandelic amide formed was calculated to be >95%.     

Porous microspheres,copolymers of bis[4‐(2‐hydroxy‐ 3‐methacryloyloxypropoxy)phenyl]sulfide,and divinylbenzene as stationary phase for HPLC

Synthesis of highly crosslinked methacrylate copolymers of in form of microspheres is presented. They are prepared from tetrafunctional methacrylate derivative of bis(4‐hydroxyphenyl)sulfide, bis[4‐(2‐hydroxy‐3‐methacryloyloxypropoxy)phenyl]sulfide (BES‐DM), and divinylbenzene (DVB). In chemical structure of these copolymers exhibit hydroxyl and ester groups of hydrophilic nature. Additionally, copolymer contains sulfur atoms coming from BES‐DM monomer. Porous structure of the copolymers in the dry and wet state was studied. Microspheres possessing the largest pore volume and specific surface area were subjected to chromatographic investigations. The results show that polar functional groups existing in the chemical structure of the studied microspheres have influence on reversed‐phase HPLC retention mechanism. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

EPR studies on NO interaction with MoOx/t-ZrO2 catalysts obtained by slurry deposition

Variable temperature adsorption of nitric oxide on MoO₃ supported on tetragonal zirconia (MoO_x/t-ZrO₂), obtained by slurry deposition, was investigated by EPR spectroscopy. The influence of molybdenum loading and co-adsorbed oxygen on the adsorption process of NO was elucidated. Particular attention was devoted to redox character of NO activation. Another important aspect concerned is the nature of surface nitrosyl complexes of molybdenum and their thermal stability. The role of oxygen in NO transformation over catalyst surface was also discussed.     

Polylactide‐pine wood flour composites

Biobased and biodegradable polylactide (PLA)‐pine wood flour (PWF) composites were investigated as a means to reduce the overall material cost and tailor the material properties. The composites were prepared using a kinetic‐mixer and an injection molding machine. The tensile modulus of the PLA‐PWF composites increased with the PWF content whereas the toughness and strain‐at‐break decreased. The tensile strength remained the same irrespective of the PWF content (up to 40%). The storage modulus also increased with the PWF content. Additionally, composites containing PWF treated with silane showed higher storage modulus than those without the silane treatment. The area integration underneath the tan δ peaks decreased with increasing PWF, indicating that the PLA‐PWF composites exhibited more elastic behavior with increasing PWF. The degree of crystallinity of the PLA‐PWF composites increased significantly with the PWF content. Furthermore, the treatment of PWF with silane had a positive effect on its nucleating ability, as treated PLA‐PWF composites showed higher crystallinity compared with their untreated counterparts. The morphology of the fracture surfaces were studied using a scanning electron microscope. Finally, a Halpin‐Tsai analytical model to predict Young's modulus of PLA‐PWF composites was presented to compare the theoretical results with that of experimental results. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Prediction of Oxygen and Ozone Solubility in Liquids with the Peng-Robinson Equation of State

The results of predictions of ozone solubility in the inert organic solvents based on the Peng-Robinson EOS have been reported. A hypothesis that there is a possible similarity of the values of the binary coefficients, k₁₂, between oxygen and ozone has been tested. Some attempts to estimate ozone solubility in perfluorocarbons have been discussed.     

Characteristics and Cryopreservation of Semen of Sex-Reversed Females of Salmonid Fish

Sex reversal has been used as a breeding strategy by salmonid fish to produce genetically and phenotypically single sex populations. Production of all-female fish has great importance for the creation of monosex female triploids of salmonid fish, which are valued for their sterility, lack of female maturation, and larger commercial size. Among salmonids, the majority of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) production is based on all-female production with a high proportion of all-female triploid production in Europe. The main aim of this review is to present the recent knowledge regarding sex-reversed females (SRFs) of salmonid fish. We discuss the methods of sex reversal as well as their effects on the morphology and histology of the reproductive tract. We focus on the characteristics of SRF semen as well as the factors determining semen quality. The lower quality of SRF sperm compared to that of normal males has resulted in the need for the artificial maturation of semen. Most importantly, methods of semen storage—both short-term and long-term (cryopreservation)—that can improve hatchery operations are presented with the special emphasis on recent progress in development of efficient cryopreservation procedures and use of cryopreserved semen in hatchery practice. Moreover, we also address the emerging knowledge concerning the proteomic investigations of salmonid sperm, focusing primarily on the proteomic comparison of normal male and SRF testicular semen and presenting changes in SRF rainbow trout sperm proteome after in vitro incubation in artificial seminal plasma.     

The Role of CTLA4 and Its Polymorphisms in Solid Organ and Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

HLA matching, transplantation technique, or underlying disease greatly influences the probability of long-term transplantation success. It has been hypothesised that genetic variation affecting antigen presentation also contributes to the outcomes of both solid organ transplantation and allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT). Those genes, along with those responsible for innate and adaptive immunity, have become targets of investigation. In this review, we focus on the role of CTLA4 in the process of acute graft rejection and summarise the progress in our understanding of its role in predicting the outcome. We present the results of the latest studies investigating the link between CTLA4 gene variability and AHSCT, as well as organ transplantation outcomes. While some studies found a link between +49 A/G and −318 C/T and transplantation outcomes, comprehensive meta-analyses have failed to present any association. The most recent field reviews suggest that the −1772 T/C (rs733618) CC genotype is weakly associated with a lower risk of acute graft rejection, while +49 A/G might be clinically meaningful when investigated in the context of combinations with other polymorphisms. Studies verifying associations between 12 CTLA4 gene SNPs and AHSCT outcomes present inexplicit results. Some of the most commonly studied polymorphisms in this context include +49 A/G (rs231775) and CT60 A/G (rs3087243). The results signify that, in order to understand the role of CTLA4 and its gene polymorphisms in transplantology, further studies must be conducted.     

Myopathy-Sensitive G-Actin Segment 227-235 Is Involved in Salt-Induced Stabilization of Contacts within the Actin Filament

Formation of stable actin filaments, critically important for actin functions, is determined by the ionic strength of the solution. However, not much is known about the elements of the actin fold involved in ionic-strength-dependent filament stabilization. In this work, F-actin was destabilized by Cu²⁺ binding to Cys374, and the effects of solvent conditions on the dynamic properties of F-actin were correlated with the involvement of Segment 227-235 in filament stabilization. The results of our work show that the presence of Mg²⁺ at the high-affinity cation binding site of Cu-modified actin polymerized with MgCl₂ strongly enhances the rate of filament subunit exchange and promotes the filament instability. In the presence of 0.1 M KCl, the filament subunit exchange was 2–3-fold lower than that in the MgCl₂-polymerized F-actin. This effect correlates with the reduced accessibility of the D-loop and Segment 227-235 on opposite filament strands, consistent with an ionic-strength-dependent conformational change that modulates involvement of Segment 227-235 in stabilization of the intermonomer interface. KCl may restrict the mobility of the α-helix encompassing part of Segment 227-235 and/or be bound to Asp236 at the boundary of Segment 227-235. These results provide experimental evidence for the involvement of Segment 227-235 in salt-induced stabilization of contacts within the actin filament and suggest that they can be weakened by mutations characteristic of actin-associated myopathies.