Complete genome sequence of Novosphingobium resinovorum SA1, a versatile xenobiotic-degrading bacterium capable of utilizing sulfanilic acid.

Sulfanilic acid (4-aminobenzenesulfonic acid) is a sulfonated aromatic amine widely used in chemical industries for synthesis of various organic dyes and sulfa drugs. There are quite a few microbial co-cultures or single isolates capable of completely degrading this compound. Novosphingobium resinovorum SA1 was the first single bacterium which could utilize sulfanilic acid as its sole carbon, nitrogen and sulfur source. The strain has versatile catabolic routes for the bioconversion of numerous other aromatic compounds. Here, the complete genome sequence of the N. resinovorum SA1 strain is reported. The genome consists of a circular chromosome of 3.8 Mbp and four extrachromosomal elements between 67 and 1 759.8 kbp in size. Three alternative 3-ketoadipate pathways were identified on the plasmids. Sulfanilic acid is decomposed via a modified 3-ketoadipate pathway and the oxygenases involved form a phylogenetically separate branch on the tree. Sequence analysis of these elements might provide a genetic background for deeper insight into the versatile catabolic metabolism of various aromatic xenobiotics, including sulfanilic acid and its derivatives. Moreover, this is also a good model strain for understanding the role and evolution of multiple genetic elements within a single strain.

Direct immersion solid-phase microextraction with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry for the determination of specific biomarkers of human sweat in melted snow.

To provide a reliable tool for investigating diffusion processes of the specific components of the human odor 3-hydroxy-3-methylhexanoic acid and 3-methyl-3-sulfanylhexan-1-ol through the snowpack, we developed and optimized an analytical method based on direct immersion solid-phase microextraction followed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry. Direct immersion solid-phase microextraction was performed using polyacrylate fibers placed in aqueous solutions containing 3-hydroxy-3-methylhexanoic acid and 3-methyl-3-sulfanylhexan-1-ol. After optimization, absorption times of 120 min provided a good balance to shorten the analysis time and to obtain suitable amounts of extractable analytes. The extraction efficiency was improved by increasing the ionic strength of the solution. Although the absolute extraction efficiency ranged between 10 and 12% for 3-hydroxy-3-methylhexanoic acid and 2-3% for 3-methyl-3-sulfanylhexan-1-ol, this method was suitable for analyzing 3-hydroxy-3-methylhexanoic acid and 3-methyl-3-sulfanylhexan-1-ol concentrations of at least 0.04 and 0.20 ng/mL, respectively. The precision of the direct immersion solid-phase microextraction method ranged between 8 and 16%. The variability within a batch of six fibers was 10-18%. The accuracy of the method provided values of 88-95 and 86-101% for 3-hydroxy-3-methylhexanoic acid and 3-methyl-3-sulfanylhexan-1-ol, respectively. The limit of detection (and quantification) was 0.01 ng/mL (0.04 ng/mL) for 3-hydroxy-3-methylhexanoic acid and 0.06 ng/mL (0.20 ng/mL) for 3-methyl-3-sulfanylhexan-1-ol. The signal versus concentration was linear for both compounds (r(2) = 0.973-0.979). The stability of these two compounds showed that 3-hydroxy-3-methylhexanoic acid was more stable in water than 3-methyl-3-sulfanylhexan-1-ol. We applied the method to environmental samples in correspondence with an olfactory target buried previously.

Absorbance detector for capillary electrophoresis based on light-emitting diodes and photodiodes for the deep-ultraviolet range.

A new absorbance detector for capillary electrophoresis featuring relatively high intensity light-emitting diodes as radiation sources and photodiodes for the deep-UV range was developed. The direct relationship of absorbance values and concentrations was obtained by emulating Lambert-Beer's law with the application of a beam splitter to obtain a reference signal and a log-ratio amplifier circuitry. The performance of the cell was investigated at 255 nm with the detection of sulfanilic, 4-nitrobenzoic, 4-hydroxybenzoic and 4-aminobenzoic acid and the indirect detection of acetate, propionate, butyrate and caproate using benzoate as the displacement dye molecule. Vanillic acid, L-tyrosine and DL-tryptophan as well as the sulfonamides sulfamerazine, sulfathiazole and sulfamethazine were determined at 280 nm. Good linearities over 3 orders of magnitude were obtained. The noise level recorded was as low as 50 µAU and the drift typically <200 µAU/5 min.

Enhanced reduction of an azo dye using henna plant biomass as a solid-phase electron donor, carbon source, and redox mediator.

The multiple effects of henna plant biomass as a source of carbon, electron donor, and redox mediator (RM) on the enhanced bio-reduction of Orange II (AO7) were investigated. The results indicated that the maximum AO7 reduction rate in the culture with henna powder was ∼6-fold that in the sludge control culture lacking henna. On the one hand, AO7 reduction can be advantageously enhanced by the release of available electron donors; on the other hand, the associated lawsone can act as a fixed RM and play a potential role in shuttling electrons from the released electron donors to the final electron acceptor, AO7. The soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) during each experiment and the FTIR spectra suggested that the weakened AO7 reduction along with the retention of henna powder might not be attributed to the lack of fixed lawsone but rather to the insufficiency of electron donors.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering plasmonic enhancement using DNA origami-based complex metallic nanostructures.

DNA origami is a novel self-assembly technique allowing one to form various two-dimensional shapes and position matter with nanometer accuracy. We use DNA origami templates to engineer surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrates. Specifically, gold nanoparticles were selectively placed on the corners of rectangular origami and subsequently enlarged via solution-based metal deposition. The resulting assemblies exhibit "hot spots" of enhanced electromagnetic field between the nanoparticles. We observed a significant Raman signal enhancement from molecules covalently attached to the assemblies, as compared to control nanoparticle samples that lack interparticle hot spots. Furthermore, Raman molecules are used to map out the hot spots' distribution, as they are burned when experiencing a threshold electric field. Our method opens up the prospects of using DNA origami to rationally engineer and assemble plasmonic structures for molecular spectroscopy.

Discrete free-surface millifluidics for rapid capture and analysis of airborne molecules using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

A lithography-free, low-cost, free-surface millifluidic device is reported using discrete liquid interfaces for capturing and detecting gas-phase analyte molecules at low partial pressures out of a gas flow of time-varying composition. The architecture, based on segmented flow, consists of alternating regions of liquid and gas wherein the liquid regions contain surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-active silver nanoparticles, while the gas regions contain trace quantities of vapor-phase analyte, thereby controlling and optimizing transport and mixing of the gas-phase analyte with the liquid phase. Once absorbed in the liquid phase, the entrained analyte molecules induce aggregation of the aqueous silver nanoparticles. The resulting aggregates consisting of nanoparticles and adsorbed analyte molecules produce intense SERS spectra that reliably identify the absorbed analyte in real time. The approach can be used to determine the time-variable trace chemical composition of a gas stream with applications in, for example, environmental monitoring and online industrial process monitoring, or as a SERS-based detector following gas chromatographic separation. The operation of the system is demonstrated using 4-aminobenzenethiol vapor at 750 ppb, and the detection response time is <2 min.

Biosorption and biodegradation of Acid Orange 7 by Enterococcus faecalis strain ZL: optimization by response surface methodological approach.

Reactive dyes account for one of the major sources of dye wastes in textile effluent. In this study, decolorization of the monoazo dye, Acid Orange 7 (AO7) by the Enterococcus faecalis strain ZL that isolated from a palm oil mill effluent treatment plant has been investigated. Decolorization efficiency of azo dye is greatly affected by the types of nutrients and the size of inoculum used. In this work, one-factor-at-a-time (method and response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to optimize these operational factors and also to study the combined interaction between them. Analysis of AO7 decolorization was done using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, desorption study, UV-Vis spectral analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The optimum condition via RSM for the color removal of AO7 was found to be as follows: yeast extract, 0.1% w/v, glycerol concentration of 0.1% v/v, and inoculum density of 2.5% v/v at initial dye concentration of 100 mg/L at 37 °C. Decolorization efficiency of 98% was achieved in only 5 h. The kinetic of AO7 decolorization was found to be first order with respect to dye concentration with a k value of 0.87/h. FTIR, desorption study, UV-Vis spectral analysis, FESEM, and HPLC findings indicated that the decolorization of AO7 was mainly due to the biosorption as well as biodegradation of the bacterial cells. In addition, HPLC analyses also showed the formation of sulfanilic acid as a possible degradation product of AO7 under facultative anaerobic condition. This study explored the ability of E. faecalis strain ZL in decolorizing AO7 by biosorption as well as biodegradation process.

[Determination of arsanilic acid and sulfanilic acid as adulterant in feed additives by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography].

A reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatographic (RP-HPLC) method was established for the determination of arsanilic acid and sulfanilic acid as adulterant in the feed additives. The separation was carried out on a Waters Bondapak C18 column, and methanol-water (pH 2.9 adjusted by 0.01 mol/L phosphoric acid) (1 : 4, v/v) was used as the mobile phase with a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. A diode array detector was used at 244 nm as the detection wavelength. Arsanilic acid and sulfanilic acid were separated within 3 min. The linear ranges all were 5 - 200 mg/L and the detection limits (S/N = 3) were 0.20 and 0.15 mg/L for arsanilic acid and sulfanilic acid, respectively. This method is simple and rapid, and suitable for the simultaneous determination of arsanilic acid and sulfanilic acid in feed additives.

Mutagenicity and genotoxicity of acid yellow 17 and its biodegradation products.

Acid yellow 17 (AY17), a very important commercial azo dye used in the textile industry, was degraded by Pseudomonas putida mt-2 at a concentration of up to 200 mg/L. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis of the biodegradation media revealed the presence of 4-aminobenzensulfonic acid (4-ABS) derived from AY17 azoreduction, which attests the expression of an azoreductase by this bacterium. This amine was identified only in the medium of static incubation, which is consistent with its biotransformation under shaken incubation (i.e., aerobic conditions). The mutagenicity of AY17 and its biodegradation products was evaluated by using Salmonella typhimurium TA102 and TA104. No mutagenicity was observed in the presence or absence of a metabolic activation system (S9). In addition, the ability of tested compounds to induce DNA damage in vitro with the DNA strand scission assay was evaluated. Results showed that only static decolorization culture of AY17 showed a significant ability to induce the pKS plasmid DNA opening. The present study showed that P. putida mt-2, cultivated under aerobic conditions, was able to decolorize, and especially to detoxify, AY17.

Free-surface microfluidic control of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for the optimized detection of airborne molecules.

We present a microfluidic technique for sensitive, real-time, optimized detection of airborne water-soluble molecules by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The method is based on a free-surface fluidic device in which a pressure-driven liquid microchannel flow is constrained by surface tension. A colloidal suspension of silver nanoparticles flowing through the microchannel that is open to the atmosphere absorbs gas-phase 4-aminobenzenethiol (4-ABT) from the surrounding environment. As surface ions adsorbed on the colloid nanoparticles are substituted by 4-ABT, the colloid aggregates, forming SERS "hot spots" whose concentrations vary predictably along the microchannel flow. 4-ABT confined in these hot spots produces SERS spectra of very great intensity. An aggregation model is used to account quantitatively for the extent of colloid aggregation as determined from the variation of the SERS intensity measured as a function of the streamwise position along the microchannel, which also corresponds to nanoparticle exposure time. This allows us to monitor simultaneously the nanoparticle aggregation process and to determine the location at which the SERS signal is optimized.

Micellar electrokinetic chromatography with laser-induced fluorescence detection for rapid and sensitive analysis of two new bioactive reagents using dynamic covalent coating.

A simple, rapid, selective, and sensitive micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) with laser-induced fluorescence detection (LIF) method was developed, using hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) as dynamic covalent coating (DCC), for the analysis of two new bioactive agents N-n-hexyl-N'-(sodium p-aminobenzenesulfonate) thiourea (HXPT) and N-n-undecyl-N'-(sodium p-aminobenzenesulfonate) thiourea (UPT) derivatized with 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole. MEKC methods both not using DCC and using DCC were investigated. In a series of optimization steps, DCC and a running buffer of 20 mM Na2B4O7 + 16 mM SDS + 8% acetonitrile were applied for determination of the derivatives. Linear relationships for HXPT and UPT were obtained in the range of 5 to 100 microM (correlation coefficient: 0.9986 for HXPT, 0.9978 for UPT), and the detection limits for HXPT and UPT were 16.5 and 39.0 ng mL(-1). The sensitivity was improved over that of fluorescence spectroscopy methods. The method was applied to the analysis of the two reagents in lab water waste with recoveries in the range of 95.6-107.5%.

[Evaluation of a colorimetric method for studying the interaction between microorganisms and intestinal epithelial cells]. / Evaluación de un método colorimétrico para el estudio de la interacción entre micoorganismos y células de epitelio intestinal.

The aim of the present study was to gain further insight on the reliability of the colorimetric determination of the activity of bacterial nitrate reductase to evaluate bacterial concentrations and interaction between microorganisms and enterocyte-like cells. Nitrite produced after incubation of the samples with a nitrate-formate solution was determined with a diazotization reaction with sulphanilic acid and N-naphthyl-ethylene-diamonium dichloride. Cell association assays were performed with differentiated Caco-2 cells. A biphasic relationship was found between nitrite concentration and bacterial densities. This behavior seems to be due to the sigmoideal character of the kinetics of nitrate reduction. Association to Caco-2 cells was strongly strain dependent being Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 the strain showing the highest values of association. For some strains, percentages of association calculated on the basis of the colorimetric assay were significantly higher than those calculated in terms of viable counts. Bacterial association with enterocyte-like cells can be evaluated by measures of the activity of bacterial nitrate reductase provided that the biphasic relationship between bacterial and nitrite concentrations is taken into account for the calculations. Results presented in this paper show the applicability of the colorimetric method to assess the amount of microorganisms associated to human enterocytes in culture.

[Studies on rejected food yellow no. 5 (sunset yellow FCF) aluminum lake].

One out of two sunset yellow FCF aluminum lakes (Y-5Als) did not comply with the specifications in JSFA-VII in the official inspection of tar colors in fiscal year 2000. A sub-spot was detected in the paper chromatography test. This rejected sample was analyzed by HPLC for the subsidiary color, raw materials and intermEdiates in Y-5. The sub-spot was identified as sulfanilic acid azo R salt color, and its content was estimated at 4.5% as the content of Y-5 in Y-5Al being 100.0%.

[Studies on rejected food yellow No. 5 (sunset yellow FCF)].

One of the sunset yellow FCFs (Y-5) in the official inspection of coal-tar dyes in 1998 was rejected. The results of tests of the rejected sample were submitted to JSFA-VI except for a sub-spot by paper chromatography. HPLC of the raw materials, intermediates, and subsidiary dyes according to JSFA-VII was performed on the rejected and submitted samples of Y-5. The sub-spot in the rejected sample was identified as sulfanilic acid-azo-R salt, and its content was estimated at more than 5%.

An evaluation of different methods for labelling the surface of the filarial nematode Brugia pahangi with 125iodine.

The specificity of a range of 125I labelling techniques (Chloramine T, Iodogen, Bolton and Hunter reagent, lactoperoxidase and iodosulfanilic acid) to the surface of the filarial nematode Brugia pahangi was evaluated by autoradiography of sections of labelled worms and of dried SDS-polyacrylamide gels following electrophoresis of homogenised worm extracts. It was concluded that Bolton and Hunter reagent was not surface specific but labelled proteins throughout the body of the worm. At the light microscope level autoradiography of worms labelled using Chloramine T, Iodogen, lactoperoxidase and iodosulfanilic acid demonstrated that the 125I labelling was restricted to the worm surface. Electrophoresis and autoradiography showed that each method produced a different pattern of labelled polypeptide. A polypeptide of molecular weight 30 kDa was labelled using each method except Bolton and Hunter reagent, and appears to be a major surface component.

Facile separation of sulfonamides from their degradates by liquid--liquid extraction.

Regulation of acidity for protonation of the free N4-amine can provide for the selective liquid--liquid extraction isolation of a sulfonamide from its degradation products. This principle is applied for the stability-indicating determination of sulfacetamide in the presence of sulfanilamide, sulfaquinoxaline in feed, and sulfabromomethazine in dosage forms. In solution, sulfabromomethazine can exhibit photodecomposition to sulfamethazine. The mean relative errors of the these methods and the precision, represented by relative standard deviations, are each typically less than 2%.