A rapid and sensitive colorimetric assay for the determination of adenosine kinase activity

The colorful world of sulfonephthaleins: Current applications in analytical chemistry for "old but gold" molecules

Sulfonephthaleins represent one of the most common and widely employed reactive dyes in analytical chemistry, thanks to their stability, low-cost, well-visible colors, reactivity and possibilities of chemical modification. Despite being first proposed in 1916, nowadays, these molecules play a fundamental role in biological and medical applications, environmental analyses, food quality monitoring and other fields, with a particular focus on low-cost and disposable devices or methods for practical applications. Since up to our knowledge, no reviews or book chapters focused explicitly on sulfonephthaleins have ever been published, in this review, we will briefly describe sulfonephthaleins history, their acid-base properties will be discussed, and the most recent applications in different fields will be presented, focusing on the last ten years literature (2014-2023). Finally, safety and environmental issues will be briefly discussed, despite being quite controversial.

Preparation of pH-indicator films based on soy protein isolate/bromothymol blue and methyl red for monitoring fresh-cut apple freshness

Intelligent pH-indicator films based on soy protein isolate (SPI) were prepared using pH-sensitive dyes (bromothymol blue and methyl red). The addition of mixed indicators imparts pH-indicator films with an appreciable microstructure, acceptable water resistance, and favorable optical properties. The incorporation of the mixed indicators did not lead to significant improvement in the mechanical properties of films due to weak ionic cross-linking by hydrogen bonding between the SPI macromolecules and low-molecular-weight indicators. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy indicated hydrogen bond-mediated intermolecular interactions, and scanning electron microscopy showed that BB/MR were well dispersed in the SPI film. The indicator addition hindered the sorption and passage of water molecules. The water vapor permeability, moisture sorption, moisture content, and total soluble matter were 4.32 to 6.12 ×10^-12  g·cm/cm² ·s·Pa, 36.70% to 73.33%, 25.28% to 44.11%, and 8.21% to 25.56%, respectively. Also, the addition of indicators reduced UV light transmittance with minimal effect on the transparency of the film. The presence of indicators enhanced the pH sensitivity, seen as a visible color reaction at different pHs (total color difference, ΔE > 5). When the pH-indicator film containing 8 ml/100 ml final film emulsions was used to monitor the fresh-cut apple freshness, a green color for fresh status was observed, which turned blue after 60 h. Collectively, our findings suggested that indicator-containing SPI films have the potential for monitoring the freshness of fruits. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: pH-indicator films can help consumers to identify the freshness of packaged food by a change in the color of the packaging material, which is easily visible to the unaided eye without the need for opening the packaging. This protects consumers' interests.

A Novel Adenosine Kinase from Bombyx mori: Enzymatic Activity, Structure, and Biological Function

Adenosine kinase (ADK) is the first enzyme in the adenosine remediation pathway that catalyzes adenosine phosphorylation into adenosine monophosphate, thus regulating adenosine homeostasis in cells. To obtain new insights into ADK from Bombyx mori (BmADK), we obtained recombinant BmADK, and analyzed its activity, structure, and function. Gel-filtration showed BmADK was a monomer with molecular weight of approximately 38 kDa. Circular dichroism spectra indicated BmADK had 36.8% α-helix and 29.9% β-strand structures, respectively. The structure of BmADK was stable in pH 5.0–11.0, and not affected under 30 °C. The melting temperature and the enthalpy and entropy changes in the thermal transition of BmADK were 46.51 ± 0.50 °C, 253.43 ± 0.20 KJ/mol, and 0.79 ± 0.01 KJ/(mol·K), respectively. Site-directed mutagenesis demonstrated G68, S201, E229, and D303 were key amino acids for BmADK structure and activity. In particular, S201A mutation significantly increased the α-helix content of BmADK and its activity. BmADK was located in the cytoplasm and highly expressed in the silk gland during the pre-pupal stage. RNA interference revealed the downregulation of BmADK decreased ATG-8, Caspase-9, Ec-R, E74A, and Br-C expression, indicating it was likely involved in 20E signaling, apoptosis, and autophagy to regulate silk gland degeneration and silkworm metamorphosis. Our study greatly expanded the knowledge on the activity, structure, and role of ADK.