PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

F Pittner

Publications and source records attributed to F Pittner.

31 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

The role of Na+ and Ca2+ ions on the action of pancreatic lipase studied with the help of immobilisation techniques.

The role of Na+ and Ca2+ as well as the influence of other metal ions on the lipase action were studied with the aid of immobilisation techniques. By this method it is possible to distinguish between the action of these ions on the lipase molecule itself and their action on the substrate or product. It could be shown that both alkali and alkali earth metal ions, especially Na+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ stabilize active states of the enzyme which were detected by immobilization to controlled pore glass beads. Though Na+ as well as Ca2+ and Mg2+ stabilize the enzyme significantly, they differ in their efficacy. Reasons for this are discussed and the data compared to the findings of other authors who performed their studies with the native enzyme.

Animals↗

A rapid method for the determination of naringin, prunin, and naringenin applied to the assay of naringinase.

A naringinase assay capable of distinguishing between the content of naringin, prunin, and naringenin present in the incubation mixture, is described. The amount of these compounds can be estimated by combining two spectrophotometric procedures. (a) Treatment with strong alkali to determine the amount of nargingenin as well as the sum of naringin and prunin. (b) Assay of the liberated aldohexoses with o-aminodiphenyl. From the data thus obtained, the amount of the remaining substrate, the amount of the intermediate as well as the product at any given time can be calculated.

Aspergillus niger↗

Preparation of homogeneous crystals of myo-inositol 1-phosphate synthase from rat testicles--further data on the chemical and catalytic properties of the enzyme (studies on the biosynthesis cyclitols, XXXIX).

Pre-purified preparations of myoinositol-1-phosphate synthase (E.C. 5.5.1.4) from rat testes can be purified to homogeneity by first crystallizing the enzyme according to JAKOBY and then recrystallizing it at a pH value close to the isoelectric point while slowly increasing the temperature from 0 to 15 degrees C. This method gives a much yield of homogeneous enzyme than the previously used purification by affinity chromatography. It was further found that the pure enzyme contains close to 2 mol NAD+ per mol enzyme; it does not contain any metal. At substrate saturation the enzyme binds close to 1 mol substrate per mol enzyme, as determined by using radioactively labelled substrate and binding it to the enzyme by reduction with NaBH4. The reaction catalyzed by the enzyme is irreversible.

Animals↗

Myo-inositol-1-phosphate synthase from streptomyces griseus (studies on the biosynthesis of cyclitols, XXXVIII).

It could be shown that Streptomyces griseus, the microorganism producing the antibiotic streptomycin and also mutant strains of this species that cannot synthesize streptomycin, possess myo-inositol-1-phosphate synthase (EC 5.5.1.4), the enzyme cyclizing D-glucose 6-phosphate. The enzyme isolated from that organism is extremely instable, its molecular weight is approximately 260,000, and it requires a divalent metal ion for its activity. This is the first instance that an enzyme of this specificity has been found in a prokaryotic organism.

Carbohydrate Epimerases↗

Studies on the biosynthesis of cyclitols, XXXVII. On mechanism and function of Schiff's base formation as an intermediary reaction step of myo-inositol-1-phosphate synthase from rat testicles.

It could be shown that the formation of a Schiff's base by myo-inositol-1-phosphate synthase of rat testicles occurs by binding the aldehyde group of the open form of its substrate, D-glucose 6-phosphate, to a lysyl residue of one or both smaller subunits of the enzyme. The participation of the Schiff's base formation in the catalytic process is supported by the observations that (a) no Schiff's base is formed if NAD is removed from the enzyme, and (b) in the presence of NAD, the dehydrogenation step involved in the catalytic mechanism apparently takes place rapidly after the formation of the Schiff's base.

Animals↗

Studies on the biosynthesis of cyclitols, XXXVI. Purification of myo-inositol-1-phosphate synthase of the duckweed, Lemna gibba, to homogeneity by affinity chromatography on NAD-Sepharose molecular and catalytic properties of the enzyme.

Using the technique of affinity chromatography on NAD-Sepharose the myo-inositol-1-phosphate synthase of Lemna gibba was purified to homogeneity. The molecular and catalytic properties of this enzyme differ very much from those of myo-inositol-1-phosphate synthase from animal sources. Thus the specific activity of the duckweed enzyme is more than two orders of magnitude higher than that of the enzyme from rat testes. It is inhibitied by EDTA and can be reactivated by Mn2. Its molecular weight (135000 +/- 5000), its subunit composition (3 subunits with identical electrophoretic behaviour) and its isoelectric point (pH 7.7) are also very different from the corresponding parameters for the animal enzyme.

Carbohydrate Epimerases↗

Studies on the biosynthesis of cyclitols, XXXV. On the mechanism of action of myo-inositol-1-phosphate synthase from rat testicles.

The animal myo-inositol-1-phosphate synthase is competitively inhibited by pyridoxal phosphate and trinitrobenzensulphonate, both compounds known to prevent Schiff's base formation. When incubated with labelled substrate and then treated with NaBH4, label can be recovered in the enzyme protein. In analogous experiments with tritiated NaBH4 the enzyme protein also becomes labelled; after hydrolysis of such protein only one labelled compound, derived from lysine and D-glucose 6-phosphate, could be isolated. Its exact structure is not yet known. From these results it can be concluded that during its action myo-inositol-1-phosphate synthase forms a Schiff's base with its substrate, in analogy to the class I aldolases.

Animals↗

Novel method for coupling of poly(ethyleneglycol) to carboxylic acid moieties of proteins.

Lack of toxicity, excellent solubility and superb biocompatibility make polyethylene glycol (PEG) one of the most popular modifiers of biologicals. The most common method for attachment of PEG is based on modification of amino groups of proteins with methoxy- or succinimide-derivatives of PEG. In the case of proteins with amino groups important for biological activity, this modification can lead to inactivation of proteins. A new strategy for covalent attachment of PEG to carboxylic groups of proteins using O,O-bis-(2-aminopropyl)polyethylene glycol and carbodiimide/N-hydroxysuccinimide-mediated reaction was developed. The reaction is carried out under mild aqueous conditions. The attached PEG serves as a hydrophilic spacer for further bioconjungation with biomolecules and haptens. Lipase from Candida rugosa was used as a model protein. Characteristic data of the modified protein such as activity, isoelectric points and stability were compared with that of the unmodified protein.

Biocompatible Materials↗

Photostructurized electrochemical biosensors for bioreactor control and measurement in body fluids.

This article details a new type of biosensor for the simultaneous analysis of glucose, glutamate and glutamine in complex biological fluids like fermentation broths and blood. Simultaneous analysis was made possible by the application of different enzyme layers onto different electrodes of one photostructurized sensor. Photostructuring was done by means of a new developed photopolymer. Preparation of the photopolymer and the enzyme layers as well as the characterization of the sensors thus constructed with respect to linearity, response time and sensitivity are described.

Biosensing Techniques↗

Direct monitoring of molecular recognition processes using fluorescence enhancement at colloid-coated microplates.

Direct monitoring of recognition processes at the molecular level is a valuable tool for studying reaction kinetics to assess affinity constants (e.g. drugs to receptors) and for designing rapid single step immunoassays. Methods currently used to gain information about binding processes predominantly depend on surface plasmon resonance. These systems use excitation with coherent light in attenuated total reflection geometry to obtain discrimination between surface-bound and free molecules in solution. Therefore labeling of the compounds is not necessary, but due to the complexity of the measuring setup the method is rather costly. In this contribution we present a simple method for performing kinetic single step biorecognition assays with fluorophore labeled compounds using the fluorescence enhancement properties of surface bound silver colloids. Silver colloids are bound to standard microplates via silanization of the plastic surface. Fluorophores close to this colloid coated surface show a significant gain in fluorescence compared to fluorophores farther away in the bulk solution. Therefore discrimination between surface bound and free fluorophores is possible and the binding of, for example, fluorophore labeled antibodies to antigens immobilized on the colloid surface results in increasing fluorescence intensity. Utilization of standard microplates makes this method fully compatible with conventional microplate processing and reading devices. Neither excitation with coherent laser light nor ATR geometry is required, the measurement is performed in a standard fluorescence microplate reader in front face geometry with a xenon flash lamp as excitation source. Methods for the preparation of colloid-coated microplates and fluorescence-enhanced biorecognition assays are presented. Additionally the dependence of the system performance on the structure and properties of the metal colloid coated surface is described. A two-component biorecognition model system shows a detection limit in the subnanomolar range. The ease of colloid-surface preparation and the high sensitivity makes fluorescence enhancement at colloid-coated microplates a valuable tool for studying reaction kinetics and performing rapid single-step immunoassays.

Adsorption↗

Quantitative determination of pectic substances as an example of a rhamnopolysaccharide assay.

A quantitative enzymatic assay for rhamnopolysaccharides is described. The procedure is shown with pectic substances as an example. The test is based on the enzymatic degradation of the macromolecules to liberate L-rhamnose. This sugar can be quantitatively determined with the help of L-rhamnose dehydrogenase under concomitant reduction of NAD, thus allowing the quantitative evaluation of the original pectin.

Carbohydrate Conformation↗

Novel transducers for nano-optical biosensor chips based on biological and synthetic polymers with analyte-dependent swelling/shrinking behavior.

Analyte-dependent swelling/shrinking properties of ultrathin polymer layers are an appropriate means for the detection of various analytes. Optical metal nanoclusters can be used to determine the change of the layer's thickness, which is shown by a change in the color of the chip. By using different cross-linking agents and different polymers (biological or artificial as well) it was possible to design various sensitive layers showing different swelling/shrinking behaviors. Sensitivity on various analytes could be observed, since the different types of polymers employed differed in structure, functional groups, or biorecognitive properties.

Biopolymers↗