The macrokinetic behavior of an enzymatic system with an enzyme inactivated in the reaction

This study deals with the behavior of a heterogeneous multisubstrate enzymatic system under enzyme inactivation in a reaction. Electronic computer modeling data have been obtained for its macrokinetics at different modes: (1) under mixed inflow of the substrates and (2) under their spatial separation. The enzymatic membrane exhibits low sensitivity to a change in the external conditions as the substrates are intermixed on the boundary. Quite the contrary, in the case of spatial separation of the substrates, the product flow from the membrane has displayed abrupt fluctuations at different boundary conditions. This work also looks into the arrangement of the reaction zones in the membrane and their transitions under different conditions.

Multi-electrode microbial fuel cell with horizontal liquid flow

A plug flow multi-electrode bioelectrochemical reactor for wastewater treatment and simultaneous generation of electricity has been developed and its efficiency investigated. It employs a horizontally located anodic zone in which the anodic electrodes comprise porous graphite plates coated with palladium. The aerated immersed cathodic electrodes contain iron(II) phthalocyanine as a catalyst. The parameters of the device were obtained using glycerol and acetate as fuels and anaerobic sludge as an inoculum. The maximal volumetric power and current densities obtained, relative to the total volume of the anodic zone, were: glycerol: 73+/-1 mA/L; 43+/-1 mW/L; acetate: 75+/-1 mA/L; 40+/-1 mW/L. It was shown that biotransformation of glycerol into volatile fatty acids does not depend on the presence of anodic electrodes in the reaction zone, while acetate degradation takes place only if the reaction zone contains anodic electrodes as a final electron acceptor.

[Neuroprotective effect of choline succinate in rats with experimental chronic cerebral ischemia evaluated by cognitive ability tests]

The neuroprotective effect of choline succinate was studied in rats with chronic cerebral ischemia induced by ligation of both common carotid arteries. Two approaches were used to evaluate the neuroprotective effect: cognitive ability tests (passive avoidance test and Morris water maze test) and determination of the brain content of N-acetylaspartate, a marker of functional neurons, by 1H NMR spectroscopy in vivo. Choline succinate administration significantly improved memory and learning in ischemic rats and prevented the ischemia-induced decrease in the cerebral level of N-acetylaspartate. Thus, choline succinate demonstrated a neuroprotective effect in conditions of ischemic brain injury.

[Fibrinolytic and fibrinogenolytic effects of acyl urokinase and urokinase combinations in vitro]

The in vitro thrombolytic and side effects of double-strand urokinase-type plasminogen activator (tcu-PA), p-guanidinobenzoyl tcu-PA (GB-tcu-PA), and their combinations were compared. The reversible blocking of the active site stabilizes GB-tcu-PA in human plasma and results in longer thrombolysis and lesser side effects than those of tcu-PA. However, the acylated activator displays a marked lag period of thrombolytic action. GB-tcu-PA and tcu-PA combinations (molar ratios 4 : 1 and 1 : 1) induce a prolonged and effective thrombolysis without the initial lag period at a low level of plasminogen, fibrinogen, and alpha2-antiplasmin depletion in the plasma surrounding the clot.

[Determination of minimal concentrations of biocorrosion inhibitors by a bioluminescence method in relation to bacteria, participating in biocorrosion]

By using a bioluminescence ATP assay, we have determined the minimal concentrations of some biocorrosion inhibitors (Katon, Khazar, VFIKS-82, Nitro-1, Kaspii-2, and Kaspii-4) suppressing most common microbial corrosion agents: Desulfovibrio desulfuricans, Desulfovibrio vulgaris, Pseudomonas putida, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. The cell titers determined by the bioluminescence method, including not only dividing cells but also their dormant living counterparts, are two- to sixfold greater than the values determined microbiologically. It is shown that the bioluminescence method can be applied to determination of cell titers in samples of oil-field waters in the presence of iron ions (up to 260 mM) and iron sulfide (to 186 mg/l) and in the absence or presence of biocidal corrosion inhibitors.

Bioinformatics and molecular modeling in chemical enzymology. Active sites of hydrolases

Comparison and multiple alignments of amino acid sequences of a representative number of related enzymes demonstrate the existence of certain positions of amino acid residues which are permanently reproducible in all members of the whole family. The use of the bioinformatic approach revealed conservative residues in each of the related enzymes and ranked amino acid conservatism for the overall enzymatic catalysis. Glycine and aspartic acid residues were shown to be the most essential for structure and catalytic activity of enzymes. Amino acid residues forming catalytic subsite of the active site of enzymes are always highly conservative. Analysis revealed that aspartic acid carboxyl group is the most frequently employed nucleophilic (in deprotonated form) and electrophilic (in protonated form) agent involved in activation of molecules by the mechanism of general base and acidic catalyses in the catalytic sites of enzymes. Glycine is a unique amino acid possessing the highest possibilities for rotation along C-C and C-N bonds of the polypeptide chain. The conservative fixation of the glycine residue in polypeptide chains of related enzymes provides a possibility for directed assembly of amino acid residues into the catalytic subsite structure. It is possible that the conservative glycines provide known conformational mobility of the protein and the active site. Methods of molecular modeling were used for analysis of structural substitutions of conservative and non-conservative glycines and their effects on geometry of catalytic site of typical hydrolases. The substitution of glycine(s) for alanine significantly altered the catalytic site structures.