[Enhancing glutamate decarboxylase activity by site-directed mutagenesis: an insight from Ramachandran plot].

Glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) can catalyze the decarboxylation of glutamate into γ-aminobutyrate (GABA) and is the only enzyme of GABA biosynthesis. Improving GAD activity and thermostability will be helpful for the highly efficient biosynthesis of GABA. According to the Ramachandran plot information of GAD 1407 three-dimensional structure from Lactobacillus brevis CGMCC No. 1306, we identified the unstable site K413 as the mutation target, constructed the mutant GAD by site-directed mutagenesis and measured the thermostability and activity of the wide type and mutant GAD. Mutant K413A led to a remarkably slower inactivation rate, and its half-life at 50 °C reached 105 min which was 2.1-fold higher than the wild type GAD1407. Moreover, mutant K413I exhibited 1.6-fold higher activity in comparison with the wide type GAD1407, although it had little improvement in thermostability of GAD. Ramachandran plot can be considered as a potential approach to increase GAD thermostability and activity.

Large-scale fabrication of In2S3 porous films via one-step hydrothermal process.

Large-scale indium sulfide (In2S3) porous films were fabricated via a facile one-step and non-template hydrothermal process using L-cysteine as a capping agent. The impact of reaction conditions such as reaction time, temperatures, and capping agents on the synthesis of the In2S3 porous films were studied. The morphology, structure, and phase composition of In2S3 porous films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The formation process and the optical property of the In2S3 porous films were also evaluated.

Synthesis of mono-amidinate-ligated rare-earth-metal bis(silylamide) complexes and their reactivity with [Ph3C][B(C6F5)4], AlMe3 and isoprene.

Amine elimination of rare-earth-metal tris(silylamide) complexes Ln[N(SiHMe(2))(2)](3)(THF)(x) (Ln = Sc, x = 1; Ln = Y, x = 2) with 1 equiv. of the amidines [PhC(N-2,6-R(2)C(6)H(3))(2)]H afforded a series of neutral mono(amidinate) rare-earth-metal bis(silylamide) complexes [PhC(N-2,6-R(2)C(6)H(3))(2)]Ln[N(SiHMe(2))(2)](2)(THF)(y) (R = Me, Ln = Sc, y = 0 (1); R = Me, Ln = Y, y = 1 (2); R = (i)Pr, Ln = Y, y = 1 (3)). Treatment of 1-3 with 1 equiv. of [Ph(3)C][B(C(6)F(5))(4)] in THF generated the corresponding cationic amidinate rare-earth-metal mono(silylamide) complexes [{PhC(N-2,6-R(2)C(6)H(3))(2)}Ln{N(SiHMe(2))(2)}(THF)(3)][B(C(6)F(5))(4)] (R = Me, Ln = Sc (4), Y (5); R = (i)Pr, Ln = Y (6)). When 1-3 were first activated with 1 equiv. of [Ph(3)C][B(C(6)F(5))(4)] in toluene, then treatment with THF gave the unexpected cationic amidinate rare-earth-metal amide complexes [{PhC(N-2,6-R(2)C(6)H(3))(2)}LnN{SiHMe(2)}{SiMe(2)N(SiHMe(2))(2)}(THF)(n)][B(C(6)F(5))(4)] (R = Me, Ln = Sc, n = 2 (7); R = Me, Ln = Y, n = 4 (8); R = (i)Pr, Ln = Y, n = 2 (9)). The reaction of 1-3 with excess AlMe(3) produced the heterometallic Ln/Al methyl complexes [PhC(N-2,6-R(2)C(6)H(3))(2)]Ln[(µ-Me)(2)AlMe(2)](2) (R = Me, Ln = Sc (10), Y (11); R = (i)Pr, Ln = Y (12)). All these complexes were well-characterized by elemental analysis, NMR spectroscopy and FT-IR spectroscopy. 2, 6 and 11 were further structurally authenticated by X-ray crystallography. The binary catalyst system of 1/[Ph(3)C][B(C(6)F(5))(4)] in toluene showed activity toward 3,4-selective polymerization of isoprene, whilst the tertiary catalyst systems of 1-3/[Ph(3)C][B(C(6)F(5))(4)]/AlMe(3) were highly active for cis-1,4-selective polymerization of isoprene.

Rare earth metal bis(silylamide) complexes bearing pyridyl-functionalized indenyl ligand: synthesis, structure and performance in the living polymerization of L-lactide and rac-lactide.

Amine elimination of rare earth tris(silylamide) complexes Ln[N(SiHMe(2))(2)](3)(THF)(2) (Ln = La, Sm, Er, Lu) with 1 equiv. of the pyridyl-functionalized indenyl ligand C(9)H(7)CMe(2)CH(2)C(5)H(4)N-α afforded a series of neutral mono-indenyl-ligated rare earth metal bis(silylamide) complexes (C(9)H(6)CMe(2)CH(2)C(5)H(4)N-α)Ln[N(SiHMe(2))(2)](2) (Ln = La (1), Sm (2), Er (3), Lu (4)) in 83-87% isolated yields. Reaction of La[N(SiHMe(2))(2)](3)(THF)(2) with 2 equivalents of C(9)H(7)CMe(2)CH(2)C(5)H(4)N-α provided the neutral bis(indenyl) lanthanum mono(silylamide) complex (C(9)H(6)CMe(2)CH(2)C(5)H(4)N-α)(2)LaN(SiHMe(2))(2) (5). These complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR and NMR (except for 3 for the strong paramagnetic property of the central metal). X-ray single crystal structural diffraction showed that 1-4 are isostructural and the central metals are four-coordinated by one indenyl ring, one nitrogen atom from the pendant pyridyl group, and two amide groups to form a distorted tetrahedral geometry; while the central metal in 5 is five-coordinated by two indenyl rings, two nitrogen atoms from the pendant pyridyl groups, and one amide group to adopt a distorted pyramidal geometry, if the indenyl ring is regarded as occupying an independent vertex. The monoanionic pyridyl-functionalized indenyl ligand is bonded to the central metal in η(5)/κ(1) constrained geometry configuration (CGC) mode. 1-4 are highly active for the ring-opening polymerization of L-lactide and rac-lactide. In the presence of 2 equivalents of benzyl alcohol, 1 shows high activity toward L-lactide and rac-lactide in a living fashion.

Genomic variability among high pristinamycin-producing recombinants of Streptomyces pristinaespiralis revealed by amplified fragment length polymorphism.

Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) was used to analyze genomic variability between high pristinamycin-producing recombinants of Streptomyces pristinaespiralis produced by genome shuffling and their ancestral strain. The AFLP fingerprints obtained with two restriction enzyme combinations of ApaI/TaqI and PstI/SacII showed together that there was no major polymorphism (less than 10%) between these high yield recombinants and their ancestor. However, the unique polymorphic bands, which might be related to the yield increasing of pristinamycin, could be distinguished from all the recombinants. Clustering analysis further indicated that the recombinants with similar ability of pristinamycin production had similar genomic variability.

Improved production of pristinamycin coupled with an adsorbent resin in fermentation by Streptomyces pristinaespiralis.

Batch fermentation by Streptomyces pristinaespiralis with the addition of adsorbent resins was used to increase the production of pristinamycin. In consideration of the adsorption capacity and the desorption ability, a polymeric resin, JD-1, was finally selected. The maximum production of pristinamycin in Erlenmeyer flasks went up to 1.13 from 0.4 g l(-1), by adding 12% (w/v) resin JD-1 into the culture broth at 20 h after inoculation. In a 3 l bioreactor, pristinamycin fermentation with the addition of 12% (w/v) resin JD-1 at 20 h after inoculation reached 0.8 g l(-1), which was a 1.25-fold increase over fermentation without resin.