Immobilization of Lactobacillus bulgaricus with gellan gum and its application in continuous fermentation of D-lactic acid from corn straw / 生物工程学报

Biorefinery of chemicals from straw is an effective approach to alleviate the environmental pollution caused by straw burning. In this paper, we prepared gellan gum immobilized Lactobacillus bulgaricus T15 gel beads (LA-GAGR-T15 gel beads), characterized their properties, and established a continuous cell recycle fermentation process for D-lactate (D-LA) production using the LA-GAGR-T15 gel beads. The fracture stress of LA-GAGR-T15 gel beads was (91.68±0.11) kPa, which was 125.12% higher than that of the calcium alginate immobilized T15 gel beads (calcium alginate-T15 gel beads). This indicated that the strength of LA-GAGR-T15 gel beads was stronger, and the strain was less likely to leak out. The average D-LA production was (72.90±2.79) g/L after fermentation for ten recycles (720 h) using LA-GAGR-T15 gel beads as the starting strain and glucose as the substrate, which was 33.85% higher than that of calcium alginate-T15 gel beads and 37.70% higher than that of free T15. Subsequently, glucose was replaced by enzymatically hydrolyzed corn straw and fermented for ten recycles (240 h) using LA-GAGR-T15 gel beads. The yield of D-LA reached (1.74±0.79) g/(L·h), which was much higher than that of using free bacteria. The wear rate of gel beads was less than 5% after ten recycles, which indicated that LA-GAGR is a good carrier for cell immobilization and can be widely used in industrial fermentation. This study provides basic data for the industrial production of D-LA using cell-recycled fermentation, and provides a new way for the biorefinery of D-LA from corn straw.

Advances in enzyme immobilization based on hierarchical porous metal-organic frameworks / 生物工程学报

As an excellent hosting matrices for enzyme immobilization, metal-organic framework (MOFs) provides superior physical and chemical protection for biocatalytic reactions. In recent years, the hierarchical porous metal-organic frameworks (HP-MOFs) have shown great potential in enzyme immobilization due to their flexible structural advantages. To date, a variety of HP-MOFs with intrinsic or defective porous have been developed for the immobilization of enzymes. The catalytic activity, stability and reusability of enzyme@HP-MOFs composites are significantly enhanced. This review systematically summarized the strategies for developing enzyme@HP-MOFs composites. In addition, the latest applications of enzyme@HP-MOFs composites in catalytic synthesis, biosensing and biomedicine were described. Moreover, the challenges and opportunities in this field were discussed and envisioned.

Heterologous expression and enzymatic properties of active inclusion bodies of sucrose isomerase fused with coiled-coil domain / 中国生物制品学杂志

@#Objective To express the sucrose isomerase(SI) fused with the tetrameric coiled-coil domain of the cell surface protein tetrabrachion(TdoT),and study the enzymatic properties of the recombinant enzymes.Methods The gene of SI fused with TdoT at the N/C terminus was cloned into the expression vectors respectively to construct the recombinant expression vectors pET-24a-TdoT-SI and pET-24b-SI-TdoT,which were transformed into E.coli BL21(DE3) and induced to express recombinant enzymes.The enzymatic properties and product specificity of the purified recombinant enzymes were studied.Results TdoT-SI and SI-TdoT were expressed as inclusion bodies with catalytic activity,while SI inclusion bodies without TdoT showed no catalytic activity.The results of enzymatic property analysis showed that the optimum reaction temperature for TdoT-SI and SI-TdoT active inclusion bodies was 40 ℃,and the optimum reaction pH was 5.5 and 5.0,respectively.The K_m of TdoT-SI active inclusion bodies was(103.9±9.5) mmol/L and the k_(cat)/K_m was(0.06±0.002) L/(mmol·s),while the K_m of SI-TdoT active inclusion bodies was(54.4±6.6) mmol/L and the k_(cat)/K_m was(0.03±0.002) L/(mmol·s).The results of product specificity analysis exhibited that the proportion of isomaltulose in the product did not change significantly,while the proportion of trehalose decreased,and the proportion of monosaccharides increased with increasing reaction temperature.Conclusion The active inclusion bodies of SI fused with coiled-coil domain were successfully prepared by fusion expression technology.As a novel self-immobilized enzyme,it has the advantage of simultaneous expression and immobilization,which provides a new strategy for large-scale preparation and efficient utilization of recombinant SI.

Biosorption of Zinc using Bacillus subtilis (MTCC 2423)

Heavy metals such as zinc in untreated industrial effluents cause diseases and disorders in living organisms. They cannot be degraded like organic contaminants and hence have to be removed. Though physical and chemical methods are available for their removal, most of them are not economical and eco-friendly. Hence, a suitable technique is necessary to minimize the deleterious effects of dispersion of heavy metals in ecosystems. Though zinc serves as a micronutrient, it becomes toxic in higher concentrations. Bacteria can be used in the removal of zinc and the process is economical and ecofriendly. Hence, in the present study, we tested zinc removal efficiency of Bacillus subtilis (MTCC 2423) for various concentrations viz. 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 ppm of zinc in nutrient broth for a period of 10 days. Samples were tested for the zinc level every two days in each concentration and the maximum removal was noticed after six days of treatment. With the increase in zinc concentration, both biomass and zinc removal efficiency showed an increase. Autoclaved cells showed maximum zinc removal when compared with other cell types. Among the other heavy metals tested, iron enhanced the biomass of B. subtilis during zinc treatment and the results are discussed.

Preparation and catalytic properties of catalase-inorganic hybrid nanoflowers / 生物工程学报

Catalase is widely used in the food, medical, and textile industries. It possesses exceptional properties including high catalytic efficiency, high specificity, and environmental friendliness. Free catalase cannot be recycled and reused in industry, resulting in a costly industrial biotransformation process if catalase is used as a core ingredient. Developing a simple, mild, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly approach to immobilize catalase is anticipated to improve its utilization efficiency and enzymatic performance. In this study, the catalase KatA derived from Bacillus subtilis 168 was expressed in Escherichia coli. Following separation and purification, the purified enzyme was prepared as an immobilized enzyme in the form of enzyme-inorganic hybrid nanoflowers, and the enzymatic properties were investigated. The results indicated that the purified KatA was obtained through a three-step procedure that included ethanol precipitation, DEAE anion exchange chromatography, and hydrophobic chromatography. Then, by optimizing the process parameters, a novel KatA/Ca3(PO4)2 hybrid nanoflower was developed. The optimum reaction temperature of the free KatA was determined to be 35 ℃, the optimum reaction temperature of KatA/Ca3(PO4)2 hybrid nanoflowers was 30-35 ℃, and the optimum reaction pH of both was 11.0. The free KatA and KatA/Ca3(PO4)2 hybrid nanoflowers exhibited excellent stability at pH 4.0-11.0 and 25-50 ℃. The KatA/Ca3(PO4)2 hybrid nanoflowers demonstrated increased storage stability than that of the free KatA, maintaining 82% of the original enzymatic activity after 14 d of storage at 4 ℃, whereas the free KatA has only 50% of the original enzymatic activity. In addition, after 5 catalytic reactions, the nanoflower still maintained 55% of its initial enzymatic activity, indicating that it has good operational stability. The Km of the free KatA to the substrate hydrogen peroxide was (8.80±0.42) mmol/L, and the kcat/Km was (13 151.53± 299.19) L/(mmol·s). The Km of the KatA/Ca3(PO4)2 hybrid nanoflowers was (32.75±2.96) mmol/L, and the kcat/Km was (4 550.67±107.51) L/(mmol·s). Compared to the free KatA, the affinity of KatA/Ca3(PO4)2 hybrid nanoflowers to the substrate hydrogen peroxide was decreased, and the catalytic efficiency was also decreased. In summary, this study developed KatA/Ca3(PO4)2 hybrid nanoflowers using Ca2+ as a self-assembly inducer, which enhanced the enzymatic properties and will facilitate the environmentally friendly preparation and widespread application of immobilized catalase.

LC-MS/MS method for the quantitation of serum tocilizumab in rheumatoid arthritis patients using rapid tryptic digestion without IgG purification / 药物分析学报

The quantitation of serum tocilizumab using liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS)method has not been widely applied in clinical settings because of its time-consuming and costly sample pretreatments.The present study aimed to develop a validated LC-MS/MS method for detecting serum tocilizumab by utilizing immobilized trypsin without an immunoglobulin G purification step and evaluate its applicability in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis(RA)patients administered intrave-nously or subcutaneously with tocilizumab.The tocilizumab-derived signature peptide was deciphered using a nano-LC system coupled to a hybrid quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometer.The serum tocili-zumab was rapidly digested by immobilized trypsin for 30 min.The chromatographic peak of the signature peptide and that of the internal standard were separated from the serum digests for a total run time of 15 min.The calibration curve of serum tocilizumab concentration was linear with a range of 2-200 μg/mL.The intra-and inter-day accuracy and relative standard deviation(RSD)were 90.7％-109.4％and＜10％,respectively.The serum tocilizumab concentrations in the RA patients receiving intravenous and subcutaneous injections were 5.8-28.9 and 2.4-63.5 pg/mL,respectively.The serum tocilizumab concentrations using the current method positively correlated with those using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,although a systematic error was observed between these methods.In conclu-sion,a validated LC-MS/MS method with minimal sample pretreatments for monitoring serum tocili-zumab concentrations in RA patients was developed.

Amplification of urea detection based on pH-sensitive liposomes

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to develop an amplification method of urea detection based on pHsensitive liposomes. RESULTS: The urease covalently immobilized on the magnetic particles and the pH-sensitive liposomes encapsulating ferricyanide were added to the cyclic-voltammeter cell solution where urea was distributed. The conversion of urea into carbonic acid seemed to induce a pH decrease that caused a reduction in the electrostatic repulsion between the headgroups of weakly acidic 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero3-succinate. The reduction induced the liposomes to release potassium ferricyanide that was encapsulated inside. The effects of urea concentration and pH value were investigated. A specific concentration (0.5 mg/mL) of the urea solution was set to observe the response. The activity of urease was reversible with respect to the pH change between 7 and 5. The sensitivity of this detection was almost identical to the comparable techniques such as an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and a field-effect transistor. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, the methodology developed in this study was feasible as a portable, rapid, and sensitive method.

Overviewing the Application of ß-Galactosidase "Immobilized on Nanoparticles" in Dairy Industries

Abstract Owing to the excellent catalytic potential, β-galactosidase (EC: 3.2.1.23) has been exploited as an important industrial enzyme for obtaining galactooligosaccharides (GOS) and lactose-free products in dairy industries. Moreover, novel technologies have been implemented in the recent past for preparing and modifying nanoparticles (NPs) for immobilizing therapeutically and industrially important enzymes. Nanoparticles based enzyme immobilization (NBEI) offered more stability and robustness to the enzymes due to their fixed conformation and hence extend their applications in broader areas. A quick overview of the results exhibited greater activity for the enzymes immobilized on NPs as compared to enzyme immobilized on 2-D matrices. Based on these findings, this review was aimed to emphasize the recent development achieved for immobilizing β-galactosidase on NPs with their specific utilization in obtaining dairy products. These studies includes β-galactosidases from various sources that were immobilized on various NPs for hydrolyzing lactose in batch and continuous reactors, and for the production of GOS in biotechnology industries. NBEI of β-galactosidase offered profound stability for transporting substrate and product for enzymatic reactions, apart from cost effective advantage due to reusable nature of immobilized enzyme.

Immobilization of lactase on magnetic chitosan microspheres and its effect on enzymatic properties / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: The free enzyme has the problems of poor stability and inability to be reused during application. Using magnetic polymer microspheres as the carrier of the binding enzyme to prepare immobilized enzyme can maintain the natural activity of the enzyme, and can be reused, but also provide convenient conditions for automatic production management. OBJECTIVE: Magnetic chitosan microspheres as carrier of binding enzyme were used to prepare the immobilized lactase, which is easy to recycle, can be reused, and has high enzyme activity and stability. METHODS: By inputting a certain amount of magnetic chitosan microspheres into the phosphoric acid buffer for swelling for 2 hours, the swelling magnetic chitosan microspheres were collected with a magnet and added to a certain concentration of lactase phosphate buffer. They were shocked in a constant temperature shaker for 1 hour and preserved in refrigerator at 4 °C. The microspheres were precipitated with a magnet to pour out the supernatant. After full washing with buffer solution, the immobilized lactase was obtained. The properties of the magnetic microspheres (the amount of glutaraldehyde used in the preparation of microspheres was 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 mL), the amount of enzymes (0.5, 1, 1.5, 2 g/L) added, the pH (6.4, 6.8, 7.0, 7.2) of the buffer, and the immobilization time (1, 2, 5, 10, 15, 20 hours) were tested to determine the optimal immobilization conditions. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) The optimum conditions for immobilized lactose with magnetic chitosan microspheres were as follows: magnetic chitosan microspheres prepared with 10 mL of glutaraldehyde were selected as the immobilized carrier of lactase. The amount of enzyme added was 0.3 g/L, pH 7.0 and the immobilization time was 5 hours. (2) Compared with the free enzyme, immobilized lactase showed a wider range of reaction temperature and pH value. (3) The ability of immobilized enzyme binding substrate was enhanced. (4) After repeated use of the immobilized enzyme five times, the enzyme activity remained 65%. (5) The storage stability of lactase was also improved after immobilization.

Optimization of maltooligosyl fructofuranosidesproduction by recombinant β-cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase / 生物工程学报

Coupling sugar is a kind of new sweetener which can substitute sucrose. It has a good application prospect in food, medicine and other fields because of its good coloration, water retention and anti caries. The purpose of this study was to find cheap and easily available donor and acceptor, and to optimize the preparation process of coupling sugar by using β-cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase from Bacilluscirculans 251. Using sucrose as acceptor, the factors of preparing coupling sugar was optimized, including enzyme dosage, starch types, temperature, pH, ratio of starch/sucrose, and cooperation of isoamylase and β-CGTase. When 105 g/L potato starch and 95 g/L sucrose was used as substrates, the yield of coupling sugar reached 88.4%, which was catalyzed by 13.5 U/g immobilized β-CGTase and 45.0 U/g isoamylase under the conditions of pH 5.5 and 40 °C for 21 h. In this study, isoamylase and β-CGTase were used to prepare coupling sugar innovatively. This method had obvious advantages in yield and cost, which laid both theoretical and experimental foundation for the industrial enzymatic preparation of coupling sugars.

Acid-base and lipophilic properties of peptide nucleic acid derivatives / 药物分析学报

The first combined experimental and theoretical study on the ionization and lipophilic properties of peptide nucleic acid(PNA)derivatives,including eleven PNA monomers and two PNA decamers,is described.The acidity constants(pKa)of individual acidic and basic centers of PNA monomers were measured by automated potentiometric pH titrations in water/methanol solution,and these values were found to be in agreement with those obtained by MoKa software.These results indicate that single nucleobases do not change their pKa values when included in PNA monomers and oligomers.In addition,immobilized artificial membrane chromatography was employed to evaluate the lipophilic properties of PNA monomers and oligomers,which showed the PNA derivatives had poor affinity towards membrane phospholipids,and confirmed their scarce cell penetrating ability.Overall,our study not only is of po-tential relevance to evaluate the pharmacokinetic properties of PNA,but also constitutes a reliable basis to properly modify PNA to obtain mimics with enhanced cell penetration properties.

Construction and immobilization of recombinant Bacillus subtilis with D-allulose 3-epimerase / 生物工程学报

D-allulose-3-epimerase (DPEase) is the key enzyme for isomerization of D-fructose to D-allulose. In order to improve its thermal stability, short amphiphilic peptides (SAP) were fused to the N-terminal of DPEase. SDS-PAGE analysis showed that the heterologously expressed DPEase folded correctly in Bacillus subtilis, and the protein size was 33 kDa. After incubation at 40 °C for 48 h, the residual enzyme activity of SAP1-DSDPEase was 58%. To make the recombinant B. subtilis strain reusable, cells were immobilized with a composite carrier of sodium alginate (SA) and titanium dioxide (TiO2). The results showed that 2% SA, 2% CaCl2, 0.03% glutaraldehyde solution and a ratio of TiO2 to SA of 1:4 were optimal for immobilization. Under these conditions, up to 82% of the activity of immobilized cells could be retained. Compared with free cells, the optimal reaction temperature of immobilized cells remained unchanged at 80 °C but the thermal stability improved. After 10 consecutive cycles, the mechanical strength remained unchanged, while 58% of the enzyme activity could be retained, with a conversion rate of 28.8% achieved. This study demonstrated a simple approach for using SAPs to improve the thermal stability of recombinant enzymes. Moreover, addition of TiO2 into SA during immobilization was demonstrated to increase the mechanical strength and reduce cell leakage.

Enzymatic synthesis optimization of isoamyl butyrate from fusel oil

Many food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries have increased their interest in short-chain esters due to their flavor properties. From the industrial standpoint, enzyme reactions are the most economical strategy to reach green products with neither toxicity nor damage to human health. Isoamyl butyrate (pear flavor) was synthesized by isoamyl alcohol (a byproduct of alcohol production) and butyric acid with the use of the immobilized lipase Lipozyme TL IM and hexane as solvents. Reaction variables (temperature, butyric acid concentration, isoamyl alcohol:butyric acid molar ratio and enzyme concentration) were investigated in ester conversion (%), concentration (mol L-1) and productivity (mmol ester g-1 mixture . h), by applying a sequential strategy of the Fractional Factorial Design (FFD) and the Central Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD). High isoamyl butyrate conversion of 95.8% was achieved at 24 hours. At 3 hours, the highest isoamyl butyrate concentration (1.64 mol L-1) and productivity (0.19 mmol ester g-1 mixture . h) were obtained under different reaction conditions. Due to high specificity and selectivity of lipases, process parameters of this study and their interaction with the Lipozyme TL IM are fundamental to understand and optimize the system so as to achieve maximum yield to scale up. Results show that fusel oil may be recycled by the green chemistry process proposed by this study.

Enzymatic synthesis of 4-methoxycinnamoylglycerol Uv filter mediated by immobilized-lipase and nanoparticle formation on N-succinylchitosan / Síntesis enzimática del filtro UV 4-metoxicinamoilglicerol mediado por lipasa inmovilizada y formación de nanopartículas N-succinilquitosano

ABSTRACT The synthesis of 4-methoxycinnamoylglycerol takes advantage of the biodiesel subproduct for obtaining a hydrophilic UV cinnamate derivate filter, useful in sunscreen formulations. The objective here was to demonstrate that esterification of 4-methoxycinnamic acid and glycerol mediated by immobilized-lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus is selective towards 4-methoxycinnamoylglycerol monoester UV filter, whose chemical characteristics favor the nanoparticles formation by ionotropic gelation on N-Succinyl chitosan. A cinnamic acid conversion (34% in hexane is higher than in other reports, without the presence of other sub-products or degradation products. This eases the purification process by liquid-liquid extraction. The free glyceryl entities favour its incorporation on N-Succinyl chitosan nanoparticles with size around 185(77nm, which are promissory for sunblock products.

RESUMEN En la síntesis de 4-metoxicinamoilglicerol, se aprovecha el subproducto de biodiesel para obtener un filtro UV hidrofílico, derivado de cinamato, útil en formulaciones de bloqueadores solares. El objetivo de este trabajo fue demostrar que la esterificación del ácido 4-metoxicinámico y el glicerol, mediado por la lipasa inmovilizada de Thermomyces lanuginosus, es selectiva hacia el monoester del filtro UV 4-metoxicinamoilglicerol, cuyas características químicas favorecen la formación de nanopartículas, por gelificación ionotrópica en N-succinil-quitosano. Una conversión de ácido cinámico (34% en hexano es mayor que los valores ya reportados, sin la presencia de otros subproductos o productos de degradación. Esto facilita, el proceso de purificación por extracción líquido-líquido. Las entidades de glicerilo libre favorecen su incorporación en nanopartículas de N-succinil-quitosano, con un tamaño de alrededor de 185±77nm, que son promisorias para los productos de protección solar.

Enzymatic synthesis of coconut oil based wax esters by immobilized lipase EQ3 and commercial lipozyme RMIM

BACKGROUND: Liquid wax esters are widely used in cosmetic as well as pharmaceutical and other industries. The demand of organic and natural products is increasing nowadays. Coconut oil contains benefit fatty acids and has been mainly used for oil-based and moisturizer products. Liquid wax esters from coconut oil and unsaturated fatty alcohol can be synthesized by enzymatic reaction; and it is interesting for using as an alternative natural ingredient in these industries. RESULTS: Optimal condition for coconut oil based wax ester synthesis by immobilized lipase EQ3 was 10 U of enzyme, temperature at 30°C and molar ratio of coconut oil to oleyl alcohol at 1:3 (mol/mol) (0.33X) dissolved in isooctane for 12 h, while for Lipozyme RM IM optimal condition was 10 U of enzyme, temperature at 45°C and oil/alcohol molar ratio at 1:3 (0.33X) dissolved in isooctane for 3 h. Percentage of wax esters synthesized by both lipases reached more than 88%. Both immobilized lipases catalyzed high yield of wax esters within the 2nd batch; after that, the immobilized lipases showed reduced activity and synthesized b60% of wax esters from the 3rd to 5th batch. The main composition of wax esters was ~48% oleyl laurate with 10% degradation at ~250°C. CONCLUSIONS: The liquid wax ester synthesis by commercial Lipozyme RM IM had higher effect than immobilized lipase EQ3, but both catalysts were stable within 2 batches in the optimum condition. The characteristic properties of wax esters showed potential for use as components in cosmetics and skin care products.

Caffeine Adsorption onto Bentonite Clay in Suspension and Immobilized

Abstract This study describes the use of bentonite in suspension for the caffeine adsorption (pollutant of emerging concern) by taking different conditions of the pH, adsorbent mass, adsorbent calcination temperature and interferents into account. The results were compared with those obtained using bentonite immobilized in alginate beads. The acid medium has a greater efficiency for the caffeine adsorption and the adsorbent calcination temperature exerts, due to structural changes. Caffeine removal higher than 90% was obtained at optimized conditions. The Langmuir model indicated a better fit of the data and the adsorption capacity of caffeine onto bentonite. The bentonite immobilized led to a slower adsorption process in relation to the suspended.

Preparation and characterization of magnetic chitosan microspheres / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: As carriers of enzymes, cells and drugs, magnetic polymer microspheres have been widely used in the fields of bioengineering, cytology, and biomedicine. OBJECTIVE: To prepare the magnetic polymer microspheres characterized by small particle size, good dispersion, strong magnetic response, safety, and non-toxicity. METHODS: Magnetic chitosan microspheres were prepared by reverse phase suspension process using Fe3O4 as core, paraffin as dispersed medium, Span-80 as emulsifier, and glutaraldehyde as cross-linking agent. The effects of factors including crosslinking time (0, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 150 and 180 minutes), reaction temperature (20→50 °C, 30→60 °C, 40→70 °C, 50→80 °C), the concentration of chitosan (0. 01, 0. 02, 0. 03, 0. 04, 0. 05 g/mL), Fe3O4/chitosan mass ratio (1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4), the amount of glutaraldehyde (8-10 mL), the amount of liquid paraffin (40, 60, 80, 100 mL), and stirring speed (0-2 000 r/min) on the properties of magnetic chitosan microspheres. The morphology, particle size, dispersion, and magnetic responsiveness of magnetic chitosan microspheres were characterized. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The optimum conditions for preparing magnetic chitosan microspheres were as follows: Starting with glutaraldehyde as crosslinking agent, the reaction was performed at 40 °C for 1 hour and then at 70 °C for 120 minutes. The concentration of chitosan was 0. 02 g/mL, the mass ratio of Fe3O4/chitosan was 1∶2, the dosage of liquid paraffin was 80 mL, the stirring speed was 1 200 r/min, and the dosage of glutaraldehyde was 8-10 mL. Magnetic chitosan microspheres had strong magnetic properties under the applied magnetic field and had good suspension stability in the natural state. The Fe3O4/chitosan composites were spherical, and the nanoparticles were encapsulated in the microspheres, which were core-shell structure. The surface of the microspheres was smooth and monodisperse. The magnetic chitosan microspheres prepared had a diameter of 1-15 μm, which is beneficial to the dispersion and magnetic separation of the microspheres in the reaction system.

Advances in chromatography-based methods for screening active compounds from natural products / 药学学报

Natural products have been a major source of leading compounds in drug discovery. How to effectively screen active compounds from complex matrix remains an interesting topic. In this review, we comprehensively summarized advanced liquid chromatography based approaches in natural products screening, including pre-column, on-column and post-column screening methods. Their advantages, disadvantages and prospect are also discussed.

Concomitant use of immobilized uridine-cytidine kinase and polyphosphate kinase for 5'-cytidine monophosphate production / 生物工程学报

Uridine-cytidine kinase, an important catalyst in the compensation pathway of nucleotide metabolism, can catalyze the phosphorylation reaction of cytidine to 5'-cytidine monophosphate (CMP), but the reaction needs NTP as the phosphate donor. To increase the production efficiency of CMP, uridine-cytidine kinase gene from Thermus thermophilus HB8 and polyphosphate kinase gene from Rhodobacter sphaeroides were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). Uridine-cytidine kinase was used for the generation of CMP from cytidine and ATP, and polyphosphate kinase was used for the regeneration of ATP. Then, the D403 metal chelate resin was used to adsorb Ni²⁺ to form an immobilized carrier, and the immobilized carrier was specifically combined with the recombinant enzymes to form the immobilized enzymes. Finally, single-factor optimization experiment was carried out to determine the reaction conditions of the immobilized enzyme. At 30 °C and pH 8.0, 60 mmol/L cytidine and 0.5 mmol/L ATP were used as substrates to achieve 5 batches of high-efficiency continuous catalytic reaction, and the average molar yield of CMP reached 91.2%. The above method has the advantages of low reaction cost, high product yield and high enzyme utilization rate, and has good applied value for industrial production.

Modeling of lactose enzymatic hydrolysis using Monte Carlo method

Background: Mathematical modeling is useful in the analysis, prediction, and optimization of an enzymatic process. Unlike the conventional modeling methods, Monte Carlo method has special advantages in providing representations of the molecule's spatial distribution. However, thus far, Monte Carlo modeling of enzymatic system is namely based on unimolecular basis, not suitable for practical applications. In this research, Monte Carlo modeling is performed for enzymatic hydrolysis of lactose for the purpose of real-time applications. Results: The enzyme hydrolysis of lactose, which is conformed to Michaelis­Menten kinetics, is modeled using the Monte Carlo modeling method, and the simulation results prove that the model predicts the reaction kinetics very well. Conclusions: Monte Carlo modeling method can be used to model enzymatic reactions in a simple way for real-time applications.