Biomedical subjects

M Epple

Publications and source records attributed to M Epple.

24 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2000

Water and bromide in the active center of vanadate-dependent haloperoxidases.

Two aqua-oxovanadium complexes, viz. [A-VO(H2O)(sal-L-Leu)] (1) and [VO(H2O)2(5-Br-sal-Gly)] x H2O(2 x H2O), containing the water ligands in cis- and trans-positions to the oxo group at V-OH2 distances ranging from 2.008 to 2.228 A, have been structurally characterized in order to model the apical electron density feature found in the structures of fungal and algal vanadate-dependent peroxidases. Br K-edge XAS of bromide-treated bromoperoxidase from Ascophyllum nodosum and model compounds (including 2 x H2O) has been used to show that the substrate bromide does not bind to active site vanadium but to a light atom, possibly carbon, in its vicinity.

Binding Sites↗

PubMed2000

In situ monitoring of solid-state polymerization reactions in sodium chloroacetate and sodium bromoacetate by 23Na and 13C solid-state NMR spectroscopy

The thermally induced solidstate polymerization reactions in sodium chloroacetate and sodium bromoacetate, leading to poly(hydroxyacetic acid) (polyglycolide) and NaCl and NaBr, respectively, were studied by isothermal in situ solid-state NMR spectroscopy at 120, 130 and 140 degrees C with a time resolution of the order of 5 to 25 min. The nuclei probed were 23Na and 13C, allowing the parent compounds (sodium halogenoacetates) and both reaction products (polymer and alkali halide) to be monitored. For sodium chloroacetate, there is no evidence for the involvement of intermediate phases during the reaction whereas this cannot be excluded for sodium bromoacetate. The crystal structure of sodium bromoacetate was determined directly from powder diffraction data by the Monte Carlo method, and was found to be isostructural with sodium chloroacetate. The topochemical reaction mechanism proposed previously for sodium chloroacetate is thus also applicable for the polymerization reaction in sodium bromoacetate. The mechanistic and kinetic information obtained from our in situ solid-state NMR investigations is compared and contrasted with information obtained from other in situ probes of the polymerization reactions in these materials.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2000

Influence of microgravity on crystal formation in biomineralization.

Biomineralized tissues are widespread in animals. They are essential elements in skeletons and in statocysts. The function of both can only be understood with respect to gravitational force, which has always been present. Therefore, it is not astonishing to identify microgravity as a factor influencing biomineralization, normally resulting in the reduction of biomineralized materials. All known biominerals are composite materials, in which the organic matrix and the inorganic materials, organized in crystals, interact. If, during remodeling and turnover processes under microgravity, a defective organization of these crystals occurs, a reduction in biomineralized materials could be the result. To understand the influence of microgravity on the formation of biocrystals, we studied the shell-building process of the snail Biomphalaria glabrata as a model system. We show that, under microgravity (space shuttle flights STS-89 and STS-90), shell material is built in a regular way in both adult snails and snail embryos during the beginning of shell development. Microgravity does not influence crystal formation. Because gravity has constantly influenced evolution, the organization of biominerals with densities near 3 must have gained independence from gravitational forces, possibly early in evolution.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Bromine K-edge EXAFS studies of bromide binding to bromoperoxidase from Ascophyllum nodosum.

Bromine K-edge EXAFS studies have been carried out for bromide/peroxidase samples in Tris buffer at pH 8. The results are compared with those of aqueous (Tris-buffered) bromide and vanadium model compounds containing Br-V, Br-C(aliphatic) and Br-C(aromatic) bonds. It is found that bromide does not coordinate to the vanadium centre. Rather, bromine binds covalently to carbon. A possible candidate is active site serine.

Bromides↗

PubMed1999

Structure determination of lithium chloroacetate, lithium bromoacetate and lithium iodoacetate by powder diffraction.

Most halogenoacetates of alkali salts readily undergo a thermally induced polymerization reaction to poly-(hydroxyacetic acid) in the solid state. The lithium salts represent a remarkable exception. The crystal structures of lithium chloroacetate, lithium bromoacetate and lithium iodoacetate were determined ab initio from synchrotron powder diffraction data. The three compounds are isostructural and differ considerably from the structures of sodium chloroacetate and silver chloroacetate, two compounds that undergo polymerization. Most likely, the strong polarizing effect of the small lithium cation is responsible for the unfavorable crystal structure in which each lithium cation is coordinated to four O atoms from four different halogenoacetate molecules. Lithium chloroacetate: a = 9.3882 (9), b = 4.8452 (4), c = 9.0119 (7) Å, beta = 94.330 (5) degrees; lithium bromoacetate: a = 9.7165 (11), b = 4.8610 (6), c = 9.0228 (11) Å, beta = 93.946 (5) degrees; lithium iodoacetate: a = 10.1812 (10), b = 4.8922 (8), c = 9.0468 (10) Å, beta = 93.251 (5) degrees, all crystallizing in space group P2(1)/c with Z = 4.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1998

Porous polyglycolide.

The solid-state polymerization of halogenoacetates leads quantitatively to polyglycolide (polyglycolic acid) and an eliminated metal halide. Washing out this salt leaves highly porous polyglycolide (total pore volume about 50%) with pore sizes in the submicron range. Thorough examination of the product with different methods (DSC, IR, and X-ray diffraction) gave no indication of any remaining halogenoacetate. This distinct micromorphology should be advantageous for its application as a biomaterial. Special features of porous polyglycolide are an inherent surface roughness, a high specific surface, a higher gas permeability, and a lower density compared to conventionally prepared polyglycolide. The control over these properties should allow a fine-tuning of the biocompatibility of polyglycolide.

Biocompatible Materials↗