Respiratory properties of rat liver mitochondria immobilized on an alkylsilylated glass surface

Glutamate-induced neuron death requires mitochondrial calcium uptake

We have investigated the role of mitochondrial calcium buffering in excitotoxic cell death. Glutamate acts at NMDA receptors in cultured rat forebrain neurons to increase the intracellular free calcium concentration. Although concurrent inhibition of mitochondrial calcium uptake substantially enhanced this cytoplasmic calcium increase, it significantly reduced glutamate-stimulated neuronal cell death. Mitochondrial inhibition did not affect nitric oxide production or MAP kinase phosphorylation, which have been proposed to mediate excitotoxicity. These results indicate that very high levels of cytoplasmic calcium are not necessarily toxic to forebrain neurons, and that potential-driven uptake of calcium into mitochondria is required to trigger NMDA-receptor-stimulated neuronal death.

Adsorptive immobilization of submitochondrial particles on Fractosil

(1) Submitochondrial particles prepared from beef liver mitochondria were immobilized on Fractosil, a porous form of silica, in order to stabilize their enzymatic activity. (2) The catalytic activity of succinate-cytochrome c reductase, an enzyme complex of the inner mitochondrial membrane, was followed in this study. Adsorption resulted in significant stabilization with a lowering of K(m) (app.) for succinate, in spite of mass transfer and diffusion limitations expected to occur in such a complex and heterogeneous system. An increase in catalytic potential was also observed upon immobilization. These observations, taken together, suggest that substantial degree of conversation of substrates to their respective products may be achieved by such immobilized preparations. (3) Positive cooperative interactions for binding of submitochondrial particles to the matrix was observed, apparently with two sets of sites, the second set indicating a much greater hill coefficient. (4) The present report indicates that adsorption with the use of a porous inorganic support such as Fractosil may provide a simple and efficient method of immobilization. Such preparations containing membrane enzymes in their native microenvironments would be useful for continuous catalytic transformations and also for construction of biosensors.

Immobilization of fumarase by entrapment of rat liver mitochondria in polyacrylamide gel using gamma rays

A stable immobilized preparation of fumarase (EC 4.2.1.2) was obtained by entrapment of rat liver mitochondria in acrylamide polymerized by using gamma irradiation (100 kR). The enhanced stability and the efficiency of the entrapped enzyme have shown potential for repeated use for the production of L-malic acid from fumaric acid. The possible formation of succinic acid in the system could be controlled by incorporating malonate along with detergents such as sodium deoxycholate or sodium dodecylsulfate in the reactor system.

Immobilized organelles and whole cells into protein foam structures: scanning and transmission electron microscope observations

Protein foam structures bearing cells and organelles were produced by using a co-crosslinking method with serum albumin and glutaraldehyde at sub-zero temperature. Morphological observations obtained with scanning and transmission electron microscopy indicate macroporous and homogeneous structures. The glutaraldehyde concentration was varied to reveal its effect on immobilized red cells. It was observed that the structural appearance of preatreated cells or subcellular fractions (thylakoids from lettuce ; spheroplasts and chromatophores from R. capsulata) is preserved during the immobilization process. The morphological features of foam particles are always related to the observed kinetic activities of the specimens.

Immobilization of yeast microbodies by inclusion with photo-crosslinkable resins

Yeast microbodies containing FAD-dependent alcohol oxidase, catalase and D-amino acid oxidase were isolated from methanol-grown cells of Kloeckera sp. 2201 and immobilized intact in matrices formed by a short-time illumination of photo-crosslinkable resin oligomers. The relative activities of catalase, alcohol oxidase and D-amino acid oxidase of the gel-entrapped microbodies were 36, 76 and 31% respectively as compared with those of free microbodies. Immobilization enhance d the stability of catalase to a certain degree, but not that of alcohol oxidase. The pH/activity profiles of catalase and alcohol oxidase of the entrapped organelles showed more narrow pH optima than those of the free counterparts. D-Amino acid oxidase in immobilized microbodies showed a somewhat higher Km value for D-alanine than that in free ones. Immobilized microbodies oxidized two moles of methanol to form two moles of formaldehyde with consumption of one mole of molecular oxygen. Addition of 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole, an inhibitor of catalase, reduced the formation of formaldehyde to half the amount without change in the amount of oxygen consumed, indicating the synergic action of alcohol oxidase and catalase in methanol oxidation in the microbodies of living yeast cells.

Preparation and properties of bacterial chromatophores entrapped in polyacrylamide

The immobilization of Rhodospirillum rubrum chromatophores was successfully performed by entrapping them in polyacrylamide. Their photophosphorylating activity was about 40% of native chromatophores. The temperature and pH optima for immobilized chromatophores were similar to the native photosynthetic apparatus and kinetic parameters showed that the rate of photophosphorylation in polyacrylamide particles was diffusion controlled. Light penetration of the gel particles was not a limiting parameter. Immobilization considerably increased the stability of the chromatophores towards denaturation.