Stabilization of activity of oxidoreductases by their immobilization onto special functionalized glass and novel aminocellulose film using different coupling reagents

Topochemical Design of Cellulose-Based Carriers for Immobilization of Endoxylanase

Xylooligosaccharides (XOSs) gained much attention for their use in food and animal feed, attributed to their prebiotic function. These short-chained carbohydrates can be enzymatically produced from xylan, one of the most prevalent forms of hemicellulose. In this work, endo-1,4-β-xylanase from Thermotoga maritima was immobilized on cellulose-based beads with the goal of producing xylooligosaccharides with degrees of polymerization (DPs) in the range of 4-6 monomeric units. More specifically, the impact of different spacer arms, tethers connecting the enzyme with the particle, on the expressed enzymatic activity and oligosaccharide yield was investigated. After surface functionalization of the cellulose beads, the presence of amines was confirmed with time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), and the influence of different spacer arms on xylanase activity was established. Furthermore, XOSs (DPs 2-6) with up to 58.27 mg/g xylan were obtained, which were greatly enriched in longer oligosaccharides. Approximately 80% of these XOSs displayed DPs between 4 and 6. These findings highlight the importance of topochemical engineering of carriers to influence enzyme activity, and the work puts forward an enzymatic system focusing on the production of longer xylooligosaccharides.

Recent Progress on Cellulose-Based Ionic Compounds for Biomaterials

Glycans play important roles in all major kingdoms of organisms, such as archea, bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals. Cellulose, the most abundant polysaccharide on the Earth, plays a predominant role for mechanical stability in plants, and finds a plethora of applications by humans. Beyond traditional use, biomedical application of cellulose becomes feasible with advances of soluble cellulose derivatives with diverse functional moieties along the backbone and modified nanocellulose with versatile functional groups on the surface due to the native features of cellulose as both cellulose chains and supramolecular ordered domains as extractable nanocellulose. With the focus on ionic cellulose-based compounds involving both these groups primarily for biomedical applications, a brief introduction about glycoscience and especially native biologically active glycosaminoglycans with specific biomedical application areas on humans is given, which inspires further development of bioactive compounds from glycans. Then, both polymeric cellulose derivatives and nanocellulose-based compounds synthesized as versatile biomaterials for a large variety of biomedical applications, such as for wound dressings, controlled release, encapsulation of cells and enzymes, and tissue engineering, are separately described, regarding the diverse routes of synthesis and the established and suggested applications for these highly interesting materials.

A novel immobilization fluorescence capillary analysis method and its applications

Fluorescence capillary analysis (FCA) realizes trace-level analysis of micro-volume samples; it is easy to operate, extremely low in analytical cost and can significantly lessen environmental pollution from analytical chemistry waste. FCA has the characteristics of green analytical chemistry and has been applied in clinical, biochemical, pharmaceutical, food safety and other fields. FCA basically involves a micro-volume glass capillary, a capillary holder and an ordinary fluorescence detector. The capillary is not only a container for chemical reaction and detection but also functions as a carrier to immobilize enzymes, gene probes or reagents; it can be used repeatedly or can be disposable. In analysis, the capillary which is modified with functional reagents sucks in a measured liquid for the reaction and is then inserted into the holder within the fluorescent detector for measurement. The immobilized FCA method has been successfully used in the determination of reduced coenzyme I, ethanol in liqueur, lactic acid in dairy products, pyruvic acid and glucose in serum, trace-level sulfated bile acid in urine, the ratio of pyruvic/lactic acid in serum, and pyruvic acid in cells as well as in DNA end-labeling and dyeing methods. Further, FCA can also be extended to capillary arrays to complete multipurpose simultaneous determinations and can be combined with mobile phones as fluorescence detectors for use in mobile health analytical technology. FCA will produce considerable social benefits in medicine, pharmacy, fermentation of food, environmental protection and other fields. Therefore, the relevant contents are presented in this tutorial review.

Amidrazone modified acrylic fabric activated with cyanuric chloride: A novel and efficient support for horseradish peroxidase immobilization and phenol removal

In this study, hydrazine treated acrylic fabrics (polyacrylonitrile, PAN) activated with cyanuric chloride was developed as supporting material for horseradish peroxidase (HRP) immobilization. The immobilization of HRP onto the modified supporting material was achieved after being end-over-end incubated for 12 h. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy techniques were used to confirm the successful immobilization. Reusability experiment was performed to estimate the ability of the immobilized HRP to recover the reaction medium, in which it was observed to retain 78% of its original activity after 10 cycles. Relative to the soluble HRP, the optimum pH and temperature for the immobilized HRP were shifted to 7-7.5 and 50 °C, respectively. The kinetic parameters of guaiacol and H₂O₂ for the immobilized HRP were determined to be Km/Vmax = 57.61, 11.35 and Kcat/Km = 1.87, 1.86, respectively, while the values for the free form were Km/Vmax = 41.49, 6.23 and Kcat/Km = 1.87, 1.86, respectively. Compared to the soluble form, the immobilized HRP exhibited higher resistance toward metal ions and some organic solvents. For an application perspective. The immobilization of HRP using this procedure has the potential to be used for industrial application and wastewater treatment.

α-Amylase immobilization on amidoximated acrylic microfibres activated by cyanuric chloride

Enzyme immobilization is one of the most important techniques for industrial applications. It makes the immobilized enzyme more stable and advantageous than the free form in different aspects. α-Amylase was immobilized on 4% cyanuric chloride-activated amidoximated acrylic fabric at pH 7.0 with (79%) maximum efficiency. A field emission scanning electron microscope and Fourier transform infrared were used to confirm the immobilization process. Even after being recycled 10 times, the immobilized enzyme lost just 28% of its initial activity. Owing to immobilization, the pH of the soluble α-amylase was shifted from 6.0 to 6.5. The immobilized α-amylases showed thermal stability at 60°C, and became more resistant to heavy metal ions. The k _m values of the immobilized and soluble α-amylases were 9.6 and 3.8 mg starch ml^-1, respectively. In conclusion, this method shows that the immobilized α-amylase proved to be more efficient than its soluble form, and hence could be used during saccharification of starch.

Enzyme immobilization on silane-modified surface through short linkers: fate of interfacial phases and impact on catalytic activity

We investigated the mechanism of enzyme immobilization on silanized surfaces through coupling agents (cross-linkers) in order to understand the role of these molecules on interfacial processes and their effect on catalytic activity. To this end, we used a model multimeric enzyme (G6PDH) and several cross-linking molecules with different chemical properties, including the nature of the end-group (-NCO, -NCS, -CHO), the connecting chain (aliphatic vs aromatic), and geometrical constraints (meta vs para-disubstituted aromatics). There did not seem to be radical differences in the mechanism of enzyme adsorption according to the linker used as judged from QCM-D, except that in the case of DIC (1,4-phenylene diisocyanate) the adsorption occurred more rapidly. In contrast, the nature of the cross-linker exerted a strong influence on the amount of enzyme immobilized as estimated from XPS, and more unexpectedly on the stability of the underlying silane layer. DIC, PDC (1,4-phenylene diisothiocyanate), or GA (glutaraldehyde) allowed successful enzyme immobilization. When the geometry of the linker was changed from 1,4-phenylene diisothiocyanate to 1,3-phenylene diisothiocyanate (MDC), the silane layer was subjected to degradation, upon enzyme adsorption, and the amount of immobilized molecules was significantly lowered. TE (terephtalaldehyde) and direct enzyme deposition without cross-linker were similar to MDC. The organization of immobilized enzymes also depended on the immobilization procedure, as different degrees of aggregation were observed by AFM. A correlation between the size of the aggregates and the catalytic properties of the enzyme was established, suggesting that aggregation may enhance the thermostability of the multimeric enzyme, probably through a compaction of the 3D structure.

Probing structural and catalytic characteristics of galactose oxidase confined in nanoscale chemical environments

Synopsis: structural and catalytic features of a complex enzyme galactose oxidase confined in nanoscale chemical environments were investigated to show the catalytic efficiency of the enzyme depending on both the degree of space confinement and immobilization method.

Investigations on diffusion limitations of biocatalyzed reactions in amphiphilic polymer conetworks in organic solvents

The use of enzymes as biocatalysts in organic media is an important issue in modern white biotechnology. However, their low activity and stability in those media often limits their full-scale application. Amphiphilic polymer conetworks (APCNs) have been shown to greatly activate entrapped enzymes in organic solvents. Since these nanostructured materials are not porous, the bioactivity of the conetworks is strongly limited by diffusion of substrate and product. The present manuscript describes two different APCNs as nanostructured microparticles, which showed greatly increased activities of entrapped enzymes compared to those of the already activating membranes and larger particles. We demonstrated this on the example of APCN particles based on PHEA-l-PDMS loaded with α-Chymotrypsin, which resulted in an up to 28,000-fold higher activity of the enzyme compared to the enzyme powder. Furthermore, lipase from Rhizomucor miehei entrapped in particles based on PHEA-l-PEtOx was tested in n-heptane, chloroform, and substrate. Specific activities in smaller particles were 10- to 100-fold higher in comparison to the native enzyme. The carrier activity of PHEA-l-PEtOx microparticles was tenfold higher with some 25-50-fold lower enzyme content compared to a commercial product.

Amyloid fibrils as a nanoscaffold for enzyme immobilization

Amyloid fibrils are a misfolded state, formed by many proteins when subjected to denaturing conditions. Their constituent amino acids make them ideally suited as a readily functionalized nanoscaffold for enzyme immobilization and their strength, stability, and nanometer size are attractive features for exploitation in the creation of new bionanomaterials. We report successful functionalization of amyloid fibrils by conjugation to glucose oxidase (GOD) using glutaraldehyde. GOD retained activity upon attachment and successful cross-linking was determined using electrophoresis, centrifugation, sucrose gradient centrifugation, and TEM. The resulting functionalized enzyme scaffold was then incorporated into a model poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH) film, to create a new bionanomaterial. The antibacterial effect of the functionalized film was then tested on E. coli, the growth of which was inhibited, demonstrating the incorporation of GOD antibacterial activity into the PVOH film. The incorporation of the GOD-functionalized amyloid fibrils into PVOH provides an excellent 'proof of concept' model for the creation of a new bionanomaterial using a functionalized amyloid fibril scaffold.

Bioactive paper provides a low-cost platform for diagnostics

Bioactive paper includes a range of potential paper-based materials that can perform analytical functions normally reserved for multi-well plates in the laboratory or for portable electronic devices. Pathogen detection is the most compelling application. Simple paper-based detection, not requiring hardware, has the potential to have impacts in society, ranging from the kitchen to disasters in the developing world. Bioactive-paper research is an emerging field with significant efforts in Canada, USA (Harvard), Finland and Australia. Following a brief introduction to the material and surface properties of paper, I review the literature. Some of the early work exploits the porosity of paper to generate paper-based microfluidics ("paperfluidics") devices. I exclude from this review printed electronic devices and plastics-supported devices.

Superparamagnetic microsphere-assisted fluoroimmunoassay for rapid assessment of acute myocardial infarction

Rapid assessment of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was successfully demonstrated using an improved superparamagnetic polymer microsphere-assisted sandwich fluoroimmunoassay to detect two early cardiac markers-myoglobin and human heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP). This assay used a preparation of superparamagnetic poly(styrene-divinylbenzene-acrylamide) microspheres, glutaraldehyde-coupled capture antibodies (monoclonal anti-myoglobin 7C3 and anti-H-FABP 10E1) grafted onto the polymer microspheres, and a sequential sandwich fluoroimmunoassay using detection antibodies (FITC-labeled anti-myoglobin 4E2 and FITC-labeled anti-H-FABP 9F3). Characterization of the polymer microspheres by TEM, SEM and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) showed that the microspheres were uniformly round with an average diameter of 1.12 microm, and had a Fe(3)O(4)-polymer core-shell structure (shell thickness was about 84 nm) with 0.22 mmol/g amino groups on their surfaces. The magnetic behavior of the Fe(3)O(4)-polymer microspheres was superparamagnetic (M(s)=13 emu/g, H(c)=13.1 Oe). Fluorescence images of the post-immunoassay microspheres recorded using a confocal laser-scanning microscope showed that the average fluorescence intensity was correlated with the concentration of cardiac markers, in agreement with the results obtained by an F-4500 FL spectrophotometer; this indicated that the fluoroimmunoassay could be used to semi-quantitatively detect both myoglobin and H-FABP. The detection limit was 25 ng/mL for myoglobin and 1 ng/mL for H-FABP.

Preparing catalytic surfaces for sensing applications by immobilizing enzymes via hydrophobin layers

Simple and reliable immobilization techniques that preserve the activity of enzymes are of interest in many technologies based on catalysis. Here, two redox enzymes, glucose oxidase from Aspergillus niger and horseradish peroxidase, were immobilized by physisorption on glassy carbon electrodes coated with Schizophyllum commune hydrophobin. Hydrophobins are small, interfacially active proteins that have the remarkable property of adhering to almost any surface. We showed recently that these proteins can be used to immobilize small, electroactive molecules. The results obtained in this work show a way to easily manufacture stable, enzyme-based catalytic surfaces for applications in biosensing.

Cellulose: fascinating biopolymer and sustainable raw material

As the most important skeletal component in plants, the polysaccharide cellulose is an almost inexhaustible polymeric raw material with fascinating structure and properties. Formed by the repeated connection of D-glucose building blocks, the highly functionalized, linear stiff-chain homopolymer is characterized by its hydrophilicity, chirality, biodegradability, broad chemical modifying capacity, and its formation of versatile semicrystalline fiber morphologies. In view of the considerable increase in interdisciplinary cellulose research and product development over the past decade worldwide, this paper assembles the current knowledge in the structure and chemistry of cellulose, and in the development of innovative cellulose esters and ethers for coatings, films, membranes, building materials, drilling techniques, pharmaceuticals, and foodstuffs. New frontiers, including environmentally friendly cellulose fiber technologies, bacterial cellulose biomaterials, and in-vitro syntheses of cellulose are highlighted together with future aims, strategies, and perspectives of cellulose research and its applications.

Efficient labelling of antibodies with horseradish peroxidase using cyanuric chloride

An efficient and mild method for labelling of immunoglobulin G (IgG) with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) using cyanuric chloride (2,4,6-trichloro-1,3,5-triazine, CC) as a bridging molecule is described. The enzyme was treated first with cyanuric chloride to introduce dichloro triazine and after removal of excess reagent, the activated enzyme was mixed with the IgG preparation and incubated to effect linkages with amine groups in the antibody protein. Various amounts of coupling reagent were tested to optimise the conjugation method using commercially available enzyme and affinity-purified sheep IgG antibody preparations to three different test haptens. The conjugates were assessed by solid phase Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISA) and commonly used peroxidase substrate preparations. The binding activity of the conjugates rose with increasing coupling reagent added during the enzyme activation step. Use of the conjugates prepared by the new method gave comparable sensitivity in direct competitive ELISAs for the three test haptens to assays carried out using indirect ELISA with commercial anti-sheep-HRP conjugates. No deterioration of enzyme activity or hapten-binding activity in the conjugates was observed after storage in 50% glycerol at -70 degrees C for up to 18 months. This study presents a relatively simple and efficient conjugating method for labelling antibodies with HRP and provides an additional and probably a better alternative to the periodate, glutaraldehyde and succinimide-maleimide procedures.

Covalent Immobilization of Glucose Oxidase on Well-Defined Poly(glycidyl methacrylate)−Si(111) Hybrids from Surface-Initiated Atom-Transfer Radical Polymerization

A simple one-step procedure was employed for the covalent immobilization of an atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiator, via the robust Si-C bond, on the hydrogen-terminated Si(111) surface (Si-H surface). Well-defined poly(glycidyl methacrylate) [P(GMA)] brushes, tethered directly on the (111)-oriented single-crystal silicon surface, were prepared via surface-initiated ATRP. Kinetics study on the surface-initiated ATRP of glycidyl methacrylate revealed that the chain growth from the silicon surface was consistent with a "controlled" process. A relatively high concentration of glucose oxidase (GOD; above 0.2 mg/cm2) could be coupled directly to the well-defined P(GMA) brushes via the ring-opening reaction of the epoxide groups with the amine moieties of the enzyme. The resultant GOD-functionalized P(GMA) brushes, with the accompanying hydroxyl groups from the ring-opening reaction of the epoxide groups, serves as an effective spacer to provide the GOD with a higher degree of conformational freedom and a more hydrophilic environment. An equivalent enzyme activity above 1.6 units/cm2 [micromoles of beta-D-(+)-glucose oxidized to d-gluconolactone per minute per square centimeter] and a corresponding relative activity of about 60% could be readily achieved. The immobilized GOD also exhibited an improved stability during storage over that of the free enzyme. The GOD-functionalized silicon substrates are potentially useful to the development of silicon-based glucose biosensors.

Paraquat enzyme-immunoassays in biological samples: assessment of the effects of hapten–protein bridge structures on assay sensitivity

Previously unreported paraquat derivatives were prepared and used to develop enzyme-immunoassay methods for paraquat in serum and urine matrices. The study involved comparison of the effects of novel paraquat derivatives made of methyl and ethyl-4,4'-bipyridinium and cyanuric chloride (heterologous bridges) or valeric acid (homologous bridges) on the ability of paraquat standards to inhibit binding of the antibody to adsorbed hapten-protein plate coating antigens prepared by coupling the derivatives to gelatine. The comparison showed striking differences in assay sensitivity due to the hapten bridge binding phenomenon where the heterologous bridge conjugates enabled achievement of sensitivity levels several orders of magnitude greater than the homologous structures. The constructed ELISA showed minimal detection limit in the range 4 pg mL(-1) in the buffer systems and less then 100 pg mL(-1) in charcoal-stripped human and horse sera and human urine. The study presents details of synthesis of novel paraquat derivatives and a highly sensitive ELISA. In addition the investigation demonstrates the critical importance of judicious selection of hapten-bridge structures to achieve improved levels of detection limits of paraquat immunoassays. The reported assay is suitable for use in monitoring of paraquat levels in exposed persons or animals and for emergency diagnostic tests.

Preparation of Translucent and Flexible Human Hair Protein Films and Their Properties

We have developed novel procedures for preparing human hair protein films (Pre-cast and Post-cast methods). The light brown films obtained by these procedures were too fragile to apply to human skin. We found that the film was also formed when the hair proteins extracted by the Shindai method were directly exposed to the solution containing MgCl(2), CaCl(2), NaCl or KCl. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) showed that the surface of the novel protein films was smooth. The protein films mainly consist of alpha-keratins and matrix proteins. After drying, the films became translucent and flexible during folding, indicating the possibility that these protein films are useful for practical applications. Hence, we prepared gauze-coated protein films to reinforce their physical strength and tested the influence on human skin. A patch test showed that the protein films made from individual and multiple human hairs only slightly stimulated rubor and anthema, itching, drying, smarting and pain on the contact area of arm skin.

Incorporation of alkaline phosphatase into layer-by-layer polyelectrolyte films on the surface of affi-gel heparin beads: physicochemical characterization and evaluation of the enzyme stability

The preparation of functionalized beads in the micrometer size range that can be used to probe the action of immobilized biomolecules on cell cultures during controlled periods of time is of fundamental importance in cell biology. However, the preparation and characterization of such particles is tedious because of their fast sedimentation. It is hence difficult to prepare such beads in a reproducible manner. This highlights the need to prepare an important batch of functionnalized particles and to store them under conditions where the loss of biological activity is minimized. The aim of this paper was to immobilize alkaline phosphatase (AP) as a model enzyme on the surface of Affi-gel heparin beads functionnalized by means of a layer-by-layer (LBL) film made of poly-l-glutamic (PGA) acid and poly-l-lysine (PLL). The enzyme has been adsorbed either on the top of the LBL film or embedded under five polyelectrolyte layers. When embedded, the enzyme was not released in buffer and retained more than 30% of its initial activity after 3 months of storage at 4 degrees C. However, when the enzyme was adsorbed on top of the LBL film, about 80% of the adsorbed enzyme was released in the buffer after a few days of storage. Longer storage did not lead to any further desorption and the remaining enzyme displayed the same evolution of its activity with time as the embedded enzyme. The time evolution of the enzyme activity on the beads is compared with that in solution alone and in the presence of PGA and PLL separately.