Electrochemical synthesis of polyaniline nano-networks on p-aminobenzene sulfonic acid functionalized glassy carbon electrode Its use for the simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid and uric acid.

A composite film of polyaniline (PAN) nano-networks/p-aminobenzene sulfonic acid (ABSA) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) has been fabricated via an electrochemical oxidation procedure and applied to the electro-catalytic oxidation of uric acid (UA) and ascorbic acid (AA). The ABSA monolayer at GCE surface has been characterized by X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS) and electrochemical techniques. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), field emission scanning electron microscope (SEM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), UV-visible absorption spectra (UV-vis) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) have been used to investigate the PAN-ABSA composite film, which demonstrates the formation of the composite film and the maintenance of the electroactivity of PAN in neutral and even in alkaline media. Due to its different catalytic effects towards the electro-oxidation of UA and AA, the modified GCE can resolve the overlapped voltammetric response of UA and AA into two well-defined voltammetric peaks with both CV and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), which can be used for the selective and simultaneous determination of these species in a mixture. The catalytic peak currents are linearly dependent on the concentrations of UA and AA in the range of 50-250 and 35-175mumoll(-1) with correlation coefficients of 0.997 and 0.998, respectively. The detection limits for UA and AA are 12 and 7.5mumoll(-1), respectively. Besides the good stability and reproducibility of PAN-ABSA/GCE due to the covalent attachment of ABSA at GCE surface, the modified electrode also exhibits good sensitivity and selectivity.

Effect of polyvinylpyrrolidone and sodium lauroyl isethionate on kaolinite suspension in an aqueous phase.

Suspension of concentrated kaolinite (20 g/30 ml-medium) in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and sodium lauroyl isethionate (SLI) was allowed to evaluate its degree of dispersion based on their rheological studies. Flow curves at low shear rate, measured by means of cone-plate method, showed a non-Newtonian flow. Plastic viscosity and Bingham yield value were derived from the flow curves. Relative viscosity, effective volume fraction and void fraction of secondary particle were also obtained. Results of dispersity and fluidity of the suspension were explained. PVP acted as a flocculant at a concentration lower than 0.1% but as a dispersant at a higher concentration. The presence of SLI could decrease both the Bingham yield value and suspension viscosity. Cooperative and competitive effects of PVP and SLI were found. Results indicated that SLI enhanced the degree of dispersion of kaolinite when PVP was less than 0.1%. The suspension, however, showed a maximum flocculation (i.e., aggregation) at 4 mM SLI when the concentration of PVP was higher than 0.1%.

Two stage biological treatment of a diazo reactive textile dye and the fate of the dye metabolites.

A two stage anaerobic/aerobic bacterial process was used to decolorize and partially mineralize a reactive vinyl sulfone diazo dye C.I. Reactive Black 5 (RB5) in a synthetic wastewater. Since the anchor group of reactive dyes reacts during the dyeing process, the effect the degree of hydrolysis of the vinyl sulfone dye had on decolorization, mineralization and toxicity in each stage was investigated. An overall color removal of approximately 65% was found for both the fully and partially hydrolyzed dye. Partial mineralization of the fully hydrolyzed RB5 was achieved in the two stage rotating disc reactors. While the anchor group metabolite p-aminobenzene-2-hydroxyethylsulfonic acid (p-ABHES) was mineralized, an oxidized form of the center metabolite (1,2-ketimino-7-amino-8-hydroxynaphthalene-3,6-disulfonic acid) remained in the aerobic stage effluent, causing the effluent to be colored although no RB5 was present. Partially hydrolyzed dye in the influent with vinyl forms of the anchor group caused cessation of biogas production and a reduction in decolorization efficiency in the anaerobic stage. No evidence for mineralization of the partially hydrolyzed dye or its metabolites was found. A method for evaluating dye mineralization using lumped parameters is presented.

Irritancy ranking of anionic detergents using one-time occlusive, repeated occlusive and repeated open tests.

Discrepancies between the one-time patch test and the wash test regarding the ranking of irritancy of detergents have been found in the literature. The aim of the present study was to investigate the concordance of irritancy rank order of 4 anionic detergents tested by 3 different exposure methods, namely one-time occlusive, repeated short-time occlusive and repeated short-time open tests. These detergents were sodium cocoyl isethionate (ISE), sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), soap and disodium lauryl 3-ethoxysulfosuccinate (SUC). The reactions were evaluated by visual scoring and by transepidermal water loss (TEWL) measurement. When scored visually, the rank order in the one-time test was: SOAP > or = SLS > or = ISE > SUC. The other test methods yielded a different order: SLS > ISE > or = SOAP > SUC. A similar rank order was obtained with TEWL measurement for all exposure methods. Generally, the concordance among the different exposure methods was high when evaluated by TEWL. The concordance was lower when evaluation was performed by visual scoring. The present study demonstrates that the choice of exposure model and evaluation method may be important variables influencing the outcome of irritancy testing. It is proposed that the repeated open test is the best way to simulate most in-use situations where the uncovered skin is exposed to detergents. The repeated occlusive test or the one-time patch test may be better to simulate situations in which the skin is occluded after irritation by detergents.

Isolation of a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI) from rat brain.

Brain lipids were labelled with [1-14C]-isethionyl acetimidate and purified by sequential thin layer chromatography. Four labelled peaks were obtained, the first ones migrating with the same Rf as glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI). Further proof of the isolation of GPI was obtained by the observations that 44.8% of the radioactivity associated with the lipid in peak I was converted to the water phase by the effect of a PI-specific phospholipase C, and that the soluble material so obtained produced a dose-dependent inhibition of cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity. These findings indicate a biological equivalence between GPI and its polar head group from rat brain and those described in other cell types, and are consistent with the proposed role of these molecules in cellular signalling.

Asymmetric distribution of the phosphatidylinositol-linked phospho-oligosaccharide that mimics insulin action in the plasma membrane.

We have investigated the topography of a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol implicated in insulin action by a combination of two complementary methods: (a) chemical labelling with a non-permeable (isethionyl acetimidate) and a permeable (ethyl acetimidate) probe; and (b) enzymatic modifications with beta-galactosidase (EC 3.2.1.23) or phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (EC 3.1.4.3). Using the first approach the majority of the glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol is found in the outer surface of intact hepatocytes, adipocytes, fibroblasts and lymphocytes, but not in erythrocytes which presented only a 20% of the total labelled glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol to the exterior. Upon insulin addition (10 nM), about 60% of the total glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol was hydrolysed in both hepatocytes and adipocytes but not in erythrocytes. In agreement with the extracellular localization in hepatocytes and with the proposed role of this glycolipid in insulin action, treatment of rat hepatocytes with beta-galactosidase from Escherichia coli, an enzyme that hydrolyses the oligosaccharide moiety of the glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol, cleaved 65% of the total glycophospholipid and blocked the effect of insulin (but not of glucagon) on pyruvate kinase (EC 2.7.1.40). Similar treatment with phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C from Bacillus cereus hydrolysed 62% of the total glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol. From the various approaches used it is concluded that the majority of this glycophospholipid is at the outer surface in a variety of insulin-sensitive cells.

Localisation of the insulin-sensitive phosphatidylinositol glycan at the outer surface of the cell membrane.

A phosphatidylinositol-glycan has been implicated in the mechanism of action of insulin. Some of the actions of insulin may be mediated by the generation of the polar head group of this phosphatidylinositol-glycan. Localisation of the insulin-sensitive phosphatidylinositol-glycan was investigated by reacting the glycophospholipid with the imidoester [1-14C]-isethionyl acetimidate. The present results indicate that most of the insulin-sensitive phosphatidylinositol-glycan is localized at the plasma membrane of rat liver, being 85% of the glycophospholipid present at the outer surface of the cell. These results suggest a paracrine action of insulin.

Localisation of the hydrophilic C terminal part of the ATP synthase subunit 8 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The hydrophobic subunit 8 of the yeast ATP synthase was modified using the non-penetrating amino reactive specific reagent: isethionylacetimidate. The polypeptide was modified when using the isolated ATP synthase and sodium bromide-treated submitochondrial particles. It is shown that the only lysine of the protein was modified by the reagent. It is concluded that the hydrophilic C terminal part of the protein containing lysine 47 is located on the inner side of the inner mitochondrial membrane.

Effects of chemical modification of amino groups by two different imidoesters on voltage-clamped nerve fibres of the frog.

Voltage clamped single nerve fibres of the frog Rana esculenta were treated with the amino groups specific reagents ethyl acetimidate and isethionyl acetimidate. Ethyl acetimidate is lipid soluble, relatively non-polar and can penetrate a membrane. Isethionyl acetimidate is lipid-insoluble, polar and membrane-impermeant. Treatment with ethyl acetimidate caused an irreversible reduction of Na currents and a shift of the voltage dependence of the steady-state sodium inactivation, h infinity (E), in the hyperpolarizing direction. The voltage dependence of sodium activation was much less affected and a small shift into the depolarizing direction was observed. By contrast, the non-permeant reagent did not reduce the sodium currents and the shifts of the h infinity (E) curve were smaller than the shifts caused by ethyl acetimidate. Furthermore, a small shift of the voltage-dependence of activation in the hyperpolarizing direction was observed. As the modification procedure with imidoesters does not cause a change of net charge, the results cannot be explained by an effect of surface charge modification; rather, they seem to be due to a direct effect of amino group modification on the voltage dependence of inactivation.

An alkyl imidate labeling study of the organization of phospholipids and proteins in the lipid-containing bacteriophage PR4.

The structure of the lipid-containing bacteriophage PR4 was studied using two alkyl imidates, ethyl acetimidate (EAI), a reagent permeant to lipid bilayers and isethionyl acetimidate (IAI), which is impermeant to membranes. The virion is an icosahedral particle consisting of a protein coat surrounding a membrane of phospholipid and protein which in turn encloses the DNA genome. Upon exposure to the permeant reagent, EAI, 50% of the phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) molecules reacted rapidly (half-life less than 10 min). A similar fraction of the PE also reacted with IAI, the impermeant reagent. The remaining half of the PE molecules reacted slowly with EAI (half-life of 80 min) and failed to react with IAI. All of the phage proteins reacted with both EAI and IAI (except a DNA-associated protein which reacted only with EAI). These labeling results indicate that the phage membrane consists of a lipid bilayer and that at least a portion of each phage protein (except the DNA-associated protein) is exposed on the external face of the lipid bilayer. Several of the membrane proteins could be cross-linked either to the phage membrane PE after EAI treatment or to phage phosphatidylglycerol after periodate treatment. The major structural protein of the phage was readily cross-linked to PG but failed to cross-link to PE suggesting that the protein specifically interacts with PG.

The asymmetric orientation of cytochrome b561 in bovine chromaffin granule membranes.

The topological arrangement of cytochrome b561 in the bovine adrenal medullary chromaffin granule membrane was investigated by radiolabeling and immunoprecipitation techniques using antibody raised against the purified cytochrome. The first labeling procedure involved a membrane-permeable amino group labeling reagent, ethyl acetimidate, and two membrane-nonpermeable amino group labeling reagents, isethionyl acetimidate and trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid. The second radiolabeling procedure involved lactoperoxidase-catalyzed iodination of the exposed tyrosines on the membrane-bound proteins. The labeled cytochrome b561 was isolated by immunoprecipitating detergent extracts of treated membranes, followed by electrophoresis of the precipitated cytochrome in polyacrylamide-dodecyl sulfate. From the analysis of both labeling techniques, cytochrome b561 appeared to be a transmembrane protein and a major portion of this protein was cytoplasmically exposed.

Localization of the major dehydrogenases in two methylotrophs by radiochemical labeling.

The localization of prominent proteins in intact cells of two methylotrophic bacteria, Hyphomicrobium sp. strain X and bacterium W3A1, was investigated by radiochemical labeling with [14C]isethionyl acetimidate. In bacterium W3A1, trimethylamine dehydrogenase was not labeled by the reagent and is, therefore, an intracellular protein, whereas the periplasmic location of the methylamine and methanol dehydrogenases was evidenced by being readily labeled in intact cells. Similarly, an intracellular location of the trimethylamine and dimethylamine dehydrogenases in Hyphomicrobium sp. strain X was indicated, whereas methanol dehydrogenase was periplasmic.

Characteristics of the release of the surface coat protein from bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma brucei.

Bloodstream forms of the African trypanosomes undergo antigenic variation in their mammalian host. This process involves removal of the existing variant coat protein and its replacement with another. The mechanism by which the surface coat protein is released to the external supporting medium has been shown to depend in vitro specifically on the presence of calcium ions together with the calcium ionophore. A-23187, and to be inhibited by Zn2+. Release of the surface coat protein was not stimulated by conditions designed to alter the plasma membrane potential or the major ionic gradients across that membrane. Release could be stimulated by inhibiting the energy metabolism of these glycolysing cells with 2-deoxyglucose, which probably prevents the energy-dependent mechanisms that normally keep the cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration low. These results and the finding that the release process was strongly temperature dependent suggested the possible mediation of some as yet undefined enzymatic reaction.

Synthesis and antitumor effect of new biological alkylating agents, isethionic acid esters.

New hydrophilic alkylating agents, isethionic acid esters, are proposed for use as synthetic biological alkylating agents. Methyl, ethyl, and isopropyl esters of isethionic acid were synthesized starting from isethionate and the corresponding alkyl bromides or iodides in good yields. This synthetic procedure might be generally applicable to syntheses of alkyl isethionates. The derivatives thus prepared were water-soluble, as expected, and their alkylating abilities were very similar to those of the corresponding methanesulfonates. Hence, isethinonic acid esters might be suitable for use as hydrophilic biological alkylating agents in place of methanesulfonates. In order to determine the effectiveness of isethionates as anticancer alkylating agents, 1,4-butanediol diisethionate was prepared as a model compound and its anticancer activities against adenocarcinoma 755, sarcoma 180, L1210, and P388 were compared with those of the corresponding methanesulfonate, busulfan. The isethionate was superior to busulfan in all the assay systems employed. 1,5-Pentanediol diisethionate was also prepared and assayed. The results were similar to those for the 1,4-butanediol analog. In conclusion, in the design of molecules for use as cancer chemotherapeutics, the isethionic acid ester group is worth considering, and may be preferable to other commonly used leaving groups, including methanesulfonic acid ester.

The asymmetric transmembrane distribution of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, and fatty acids of the bovine retinal rod outer segment disk membrane.

The transmembrane distribution of the major aminophospholipids in the bovine retinal rod outer segment disk membrane, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine, was determined using a novel pair of permeable and impermeable covalent modification reagents. The values for the percentages of phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine in the outer monolayer were calculated from a simple expression which takes into account the leakage of impermeable reagent into the disk lumen as monitored by the extent of labeling of lysine entrapped in the lumen. We infer from our results that at least 73 to 87% of the disk phosphatidylethanolamine and 77 to 88% of the disk phosphatidylserine are in the outer disk membrane monolayer. The fatty acid composition of the inner aminophospholipids is slightly more saturated than the outer aminophospholipids. Calculations using the lateral surface areas occupied by the disk membrane lipids suggest that 65 to 100% of the disk phosphatidylcholine is on the inner membrane surface. Since the disk phosphatidylcholine is also somewhat more saturated than the phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine of the outer monolayer, the total inner membrane monolayer fatty acid composition is more saturated than that of the outer monolayer fatty acid composition.

The effect of imidoesters, fluorodinitrobenzene and trinitrobenzenesulfonate on ion transport in human erythrocytes.

Several amino-reactive chemical probes which differ in hydrophobicity and charge and in their ability to penetrate the red cell membrane were tested for their ability to modify K+ leak and inorganic phosphate (Pi) leak in intact human red cells. Methyl picolinimidate (MP), ethyl acetimidate (EA), methyl acetimidate (MA) are hydrophilic penetrating probes whereas isethionylacetimidate (IA) is a hydrophilic non-penetrating probe. The order of their effectiveness in inhibiting Pi leak was found to be MP > EA > MA > IA. This order is in decreasing hydrophobicity and suggests that some penetration into the bilayer or into hydrophoblic domains of the anion transport protein is required to modify an amino group required for Pi permeability through the membrane. These imidoesters have little or no effect on K+ leak in the red cell. Trinitrobenzenesulfonate (TNBS) a relatively non-penetrating hydrophobic anionic probe and fluorodinitrobenzene (FDNB) a penetrating hydrophobic neutral probe have markedly different effects on K+ and Pi leak. TNBS has little effect on K+ leak but markedly inhibits Pi leak. The effect of TNBS on Pi leak is not blocked by prior treatment with IA suggesting that these probes sense different populations of amino groups in the membrane. FDNB nearly completely blocks Pi leak and markedly increases K+ leak. The results with TNBS and FDNB indicate an asymmetric arrangement of amino groups on the red cell membrane. Certain amino groups on the outer surface of the membrane regulate Pi permeability whereas certain amino groups on the inner surface of the membrane regulate K+ permeability. The data also suggest that these amino groups are in a hydrophobic domain.

Plasma membrane aminophospholipid distribution in transformed murine fibroblasts.

The possibility that the asymmetric distribution of aminophospholipids may be an intrinsic property of mammalian plasma membranes was examined in LM cells, a transformed murine fibroblast cell line. The cells were grown in suspension culture in a chemically defined medium without lipid, protein, or serum and then treated with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS). A maximum of 4% of LM cell plasma membrane phosphatidylethanolamine and 5% of the phosphatidylserine was labelled with TNBS. Furthermore, long chain and unsaturated fatty acids were preferentially esterified to the non-derivatized phosphatidylethanolamine (inner monolayer) as compared to phosphatidylethanolamine derivatized with TNBS (outer monolayer). Isethionyl acetimidate, an alternative non-penetrating reagent, confirmed the results obtained with TNBS and provided supportive evidence for the highly asymmetric distribution of phosphatidylethanolamine; 6% of the phosphatidylethanolamine was labelled with isethionyl acetimidate. When the penetrating reagent methylacetimidate was used, more than 80% of the phosphatidylethanolamine was derivatized. Although the growing of the LM cells in 10% calf serum significantly increased plasma membrane phosphatidylcholine while decreasing phosphatidylethanolamine, calf serum had no significant effect on phosphatidylethanolamine or phosphatidylserine asymmetry.