Fluorescence Differentiation of ATP-related Multiple Enzymatic Activities in Synovial Fluid as a Marker of Calcium Pyrophosphate Deposition Disease using Kyoto Green

Calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease (CPPD) is a crystal induced inflammation in joints, and causes severe pain in elderly people. The accumulation of pyrophosphate (PPi) in synovial fluid (SF) results from several enzymatic reactions, especially the highly activated e-NPPs, which catalyze the conversion of ATP to PPi. This study demonstrates the detection of relative catalytic activity of 3 enzymes—ecto-nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterases (e-NPPs), tissue nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP), and ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolases (e-NTPDases)—using a single molecular sensor called Kyoto Green. Kyoto Green exhibits excellent performance in sensing the catalytic activity of the commercial representatives of the e-NPPs, TNAP, and e-NTPDases, which are ENPP1, PPase, and apyrase, respectively, in both single-enzyme and multi-enzyme assays. Analysis of SF enzymes in 19 SF samples from human and swine revealed moderate activity of e-NPPs, high activity of e-NTPDases, and low activity of TNAP. Our newly developed method for analysis of multiple enzymatic activities using Kyoto Green in biological SF will assist improvement in accuracy of the CPPD prognosis/diagnosis, which will minimize unnecessary medical procedures.

Fluorescence Sensing of Inorganic Phosphate and Pyrophosphate Using Small Molecular Sensors and Their Applications

The aim of this contribution is to provide an introduction and a brief summary of the principle of fluorescence molecular sensors specific to inorganic phosphate (Pi) and inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi) as well as their applications. In our introduction we describe the impact of both Pi and PPi in the living organism and in the environment, followed by a description of the principle of fluorescence molecular sensors and the sensing mechanism in solution. We then focus on exciting research which has emerged in recent years on the development of fluorescent sensors specific to Pi and PPi, categorized by chemical interactions between the sensor and the target molecule, such as hydrogen bonding, coordination chemistry, displacement assay, aggregation induced emission or quenching, and chemical reactions.

Analysis of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry: an update for 2007-2008

This review is the fifth update of the original review, published in 1999, on the application of MALDI mass spectrometry to the analysis of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates and brings coverage of the literature to the end of 2008. The first section of the review covers fundamental studies, fragmentation of carbohydrate ions, use of derivatives and new software developments for analysis of carbohydrate spectra. Among newer areas of method development are glycan arrays, MALDI imaging and the use of ion mobility spectrometry. The second section of the review discusses applications of MALDI MS to the analysis of different types of carbohydrate. Specific compound classes that are covered include carbohydrate polymers from plants, N- and O-linked glycans from glycoproteins, biopharmaceuticals, glycated proteins, glycolipids, glycosides and various other natural products. There is a short section on the use of MALDI mass spectrometry for the study of enzymes involved in glycan processing and a section on the use of MALDI MS to monitor products of the chemical synthesis of carbohydrates with emphasis on carbohydrate-protein complexes and glycodendrimers. Corresponding analyses by electrospray ionization now appear to outnumber those performed by MALDI and the amount of literature makes a comprehensive review on this technique impractical. However, most of the work relating to sample preparation and glycan synthesis is equally relevant to electrospray and, consequently, those proposing analyses by electrospray should also find material in this review of interest.