Biomedical subjects

Fabio Vianello

Publications and source records attributed to Fabio Vianello.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

A coulometric biosensor to determine hydrogen peroxide using a monomolecular layer of horseradish peroxidase immobilized on a glass surface.

A biosensor to detect hydrogen peroxide, by coulometry, down to submicromolar concentration using a monomolecular layer of horseradish peroxidase was developed. In this device 0.3 pmol of the enzyme were covalently immobilized on the glass surface of the biosensor and the enzyme layer was characterized by atomic force microscopy and activity measurements. The glass surface bearing the peroxidase was faced to a carbon electrode in a cell of 1 microl of active volume. The polarization of the working electrode at -100 mV versus Ag/AgCl, in the presence of 1,4-hydroquinone as mediator, allowed the fast reduction of the injected hydrogen peroxide via the hydroquinone-peroxidase system. This device permitted to measure the total number of H(2)O(2) molecules present in the cell in the concentration range of 0.3-100 microM H(2)O(2), with a sensitivity of 196 nC/microM H(2)O(2), which is close to the theoretical value (193 nC/microM).

Biosensing Techniques↗

PubMed2006

On-line detection of atmospheric formaldehyde by a conductometric biosensor.

Atmospheric formaldehyde (CH(2)O) was detected under continuous flow conditions by an on-line system comprising of a wet scrubber for a continuous transfer of the pollutant to an aqueous solution, a micro-reactor containing immobilized formaldehyde dehydrogenase (FDH) and a conductometric transducer. By this system atmospheric formaldehyde concentrations in the range 0.05-2 ppm were detected with a sensitivity of 20 microS/ppm. In this concentration range the immobilized enzyme oxidized all the sampled formaldehyde molecules to formic acid, avoiding cumbersome calibration procedures. The operational stability of the biosensor was at least 3 months, working continuously 10 h/day at room temperature.

Air Pollutants↗

PubMed2006

Band 3 tyr-phosphorylation in human erythrocytes from non-pregnant and pregnant women.

Pregnancy is associated with changes in circulating red blood cells, mainly involving band 3 protein and membrane lipid peroxidation. Membrane band 3 is a multifunctional protein containing four Tyr-phosphorylatable residues which modulate the physiological status of erythrocytes by regulating glycolysis, cell shape and membrane transport. Erythrocytes from nine pregnant and 12 age-matched non-pregnant healthy women were subjected to oxidative and hyperosmotic stress conditions and the extent of band 3 Tyr-phosphorylation and membrane Syk recruitment as a membrane marker were evaluated. Results indicated that, in pregnancy, red blood cells show a decrease in band 3 Tyr-phosphorylation and a clear-cut rearrangement of band 3 protein within the membrane. In fact, band 3 shows a decrease in high molecular weight aggregates (HMWA), with different subdivision between Triton-soluble and -insoluble compartments, and an increase in proteolytic fragments. In conclusion, it is demonstrated that pregnancy is associated with membrane adjustments which reduce the sensitivity of erythrocytes to both oxidative and osmotic stress. Band 3 Tyr-phosphorylation is proposed as a new parameter in the evaluation of erythrocyte membrane arrangement.

Anion Exchange Protein 1, Erythrocyte↗

PubMed2006

Differential effect of calcium ions on the cytosolic and mitochondrial thioredoxin reductase.

The effect of calcium ions has been studied on three different isoforms of thioredoxin reductase. The cytosolic (TrxR1), mitochondrial (TrxR2), and the Escherichia coli enzymes were examined and compared. In our condition, TrxR1 appears extremely sensitive to Ca2+ showing an IC50 of about 160 nM, while Ca2+ exerts only a weak inhibitory effect on the mitochondrial isoform. The thioredoxin reductase purified from E. coli is almost completely insensitive to calcium ions. Circular dichroism analysis of highly purified mitochondrial and cytosolic thioredoxin reductases reveals that Ca2+ induces conformational alterations that are particularly relevant only in the cytosolic isoform. These observations are discussed with reference to the physiological role and, in particular, to the regulatory functions of the thioredoxin system.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

A high sensitivity amperometric biosensor using laccase as biorecognition element.

An amperometric flow biosensor, using laccase from Rigidoporus lignosus as bioelement was developed. The laccase was kinetically characterized towards various phenolics both in solution and immobilized to a hydrophilic matrix by carbodiimide chemistry. A bioreactor connected to an amperometric flow cell by a FIA system was filled with the immobilized enzyme and the operational conditions of this biosensor were optimized as regards pH. Under the adopted experimental conditions, the immobilized enzyme oxidizes all the substrate molecules avoiding the need of cumbersome calibration procedures. The biosensor sensitivity, which was found to be 100 nA/microM for some of the tested substrates, resulted to be constant for more than 100 working days. This biosensor permits the detection of phenolics in aqueous solutions at concentrations in the nanomolar range and was successfully used to detect phenolics in wastewaters from olive oil mill without sample preparation.

Biosensing Techniques↗

PubMed2004

A high sensitivity amperometric biosensor using a monomolecular layer of laccase as biorecognition element.

Laccases from various sources were tested, and laccase from Rigidoporus lignosus was found to be the most active towards syringaldazine and ABTS, which are typical substrates of this class of enzymes, and towards the phenols found in olive oil mill wastewaters. This laccase was covalently immobilised by carbodiimide chemistry, on a self-assembled monolayer of 3-mercaptopropionic acid deposited on a gold surface. A flow biosensor, using the monolayer of laccase as bioelement and a glassy carbon electrode as amperometric transduction system, was developed. Although the amount of the immobilised enzyme (about 140 ng/cm2 effective surface area) was tiny, the biosensor showed a sensitivity of 3 nA/microM when 1,4-hydroquinone was used as substrate, and a half-life of 35 days. The proposed device permits detection of phenols in aqueous solutions at concentrations in the low micromolar range, i.e. below European Community limits. The biosensor was successfully used to detect phenols in wastewaters from an olive oil mill after minimal sample preparation (incubation of the aqueous sample with sodium borohydride for a few minutes) to suppress the current due to oxidised compounds present in the wastewaters.

Biosensing Techniques↗

PubMed2003

Electrostatic compared with hydrophobic interactions between bovine serum amine oxidase and its substrates.

A steady-state kinetic study of bovine serum amine oxidase activity was performed, over a wide range of pH values (5.4-10.2) and ionic strength (10-200 mM), using various (physiological and analogue) substrates as specific probes of the active-site binding region. Relatively small changes in k (cat) values (approx. one order of magnitude) accompanied by marked changes in K(m) and k(cat)/K(m) values (approx. six orders of magnitude) were observed. This behaviour was correlated with the presence of positively charged groups or apolar chains in the substrates. In particular, it was found that the docking of the physiological polyamines, i.e. spermidine and spermine, appears to be modulated by three amino acid residues of the active site, which we have named L(-)H(+), G(-)H(+) and IH(+), characterized by p K (a) values of 6.2+/-0.2 [Di Paolo, Scarpa, Corazza, Stevanato and Rigo (2002) Biophys. J. 83, 2231-2239], 8.2+/-0.3 and 7.8+/-0.4 respectively. The electrostatic interaction between the protonated substrates and the enzyme containing the residues L(-)H(+), G(-)H(+) and IH(+) in the deprotonated form, the on/off role of the IH(+) residue and the role of hydrophobic interactions with substrates characterized by apolar chains are discussed.

Amine Oxidase (Copper-Containing)↗

PubMed2002

Determination of glucose oxidase immobilised as monolayer onto a flat surface.

An assay to estimate the amount of glucose oxidase immobilised as a monolayer onto a flat surface is reported. This method is based on the electrochemical detection of the flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) cofactor released by the immobilised enzyme in acid solutions. FAD concentration in the acid solution was measured by amperometry, using a flow injection analysis (FIA) system equipped with a wall-jet electrode, and with a sensitivity of (9.2+/-2.0)x10(-2) nA/nM. By this method, the amount of glucose oxidase molecules present in a monolayer deposited on a silanised glass slide was easily detected, in which the detection limit is more than one order of magnitude lower than the maximum loading of the surface with an ordered monolayer of glucose oxidase.

Aspergillus niger↗