Biomedical subjects

Steffen Bjørn Petersen

Publications and source records attributed to Steffen Bjørn Petersen.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Oriented coupling of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) to sensor surfaces using light assisted immobilisation technology.

Controlled and oriented immobilisation of proteins for biosensor purposes is of extreme interest since this provides more efficient sensors with a larger density of active binding sites per area compared to sensors produced by conventional immobilisation. In this paper oriented coupling of a major histocompatibility complex (MHC class I) to a sensor surface is presented. The coupling was performed using light assisted immobilisation--a novel immobilisation technology which allows specific opening of particular disulphide bridges in proteins which then is used for covalent bonding to thiol-derivatised surfaces via a new disulphide bond. Light assisted immobilisation specifically targets the disulphide bridge in the MHC-I molecule alpha(3)-domain which ensures oriented linking of the complex with the peptide binding site exposed away from the sensor surface. Structural analysis reveals that a similar procedure can be used for covalent immobilisation of MHC class II complexes. The results open for the development of efficient T cell sensors, sensors for recognition of peptides of pathogenic origin, as well as other applications that may benefit from oriented immobilisation of MHC proteins.

Adsorption↗

PubMed2005

Enzymatic lipid removal from surfaces--lipid desorption by a pH-induced "electrostatic explosion".

Removal of lipidic molecules from surfaces can be accomplished using detergents containing lipases. Surface cleaning is usually performed under alkaline conditions due to increased solubility of the hydrolysis products, especially free fatty acids. This paper shows that removal of a triacylglycerol film from a surface can be dramatically enhanced in a sequential system where pH is shifted to alkaline conditions after an initial lipolytic reaction period at or below neutral pH. Data from three different biophysical techniques, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D), and total internal reflection fluorescence spectroscopy (TIRF) clearly show the effects of such cleaning procedure. Initially the reaction is carried out at pH below the pKa value of the fatty acids formed upon triacylglycerol hydrolysis, and the protonated fatty acids accumulate in the film. The mechanism of lipid removal, induced by increasing pH to a value above the fatty acid pKa, is explained by a burst caused by electrostatic repulsion between rapidly ionised fatty acids, i.e. by an "electrostatic explosion". Performing the initial hydrolysis at pH 6 and the subsequent rinse at pH 10, using triolein as model substrate, lipid removal from surfaces by both commercial detergent lipases and non-commercial lipases was significantly improved compared to a reaction at constant pH 10.

Adsorption↗

PubMed2003

Lag phase and hydrolysis mechanisms of triacylglycerol film lipolysis.

We here present novel insights into the dynamic changes of a nanosized lipid film during enzymatic degradation. When adding an aqueous solution containing a triacylglycerol lipase to an approximately 100nm thin triolein film, which is supported on a hard surface, the film thickness, elasticity, viscosity, and chemical composition were obtained continuously. Both a mechanical technique (quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring) and a spectroscopic technique (attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) were utilised for this study. Detailed data revealed the effects of pH, Ca(2+), and catalytic rate on lipolysis, including product release from the film. It was found that under basic conditions and without Ca(2+), the lipolytic activity commence instantaneously upon addition of enzyme, whereas product release from the substrate film awaits conditions that favours release. A model for removal of degradation products from the film is introduced, including a novel interpretation of the lag phase phenomenon.

Elasticity↗

PubMed2002

Application of infrared spectroscopy (attenuated total reflection) for monitoring enzymatic activity on substrate films.

Infrared film analysis, a method based on infrared spectroscopy in the mode of attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), is demonstrated as a novel analytical method for monitoring enzymatic activity on surface-attached substrate films in the mid infrared range (400-4000 cm(-1)). The ATR-FTIR technique is sensitive to molecules within a distance of approximately 1 microm from the ATR sampling unit surface (a 7 cm(2) hydrophobic ZnSe crystal). Applying a 0.2-0.3 microm thick film on the ATR unit surface, any chemical changes within this film as well as at the interface can be continuously monitored, even having an aqueous phase on top of the film. Infrared film analysis is considered especially useful for studying detergent enzymes, which act on surface bound films consisting of food component like vegetable oils (triacylglycerols) and carbohydrates (e.g. starch). Experimental data are presented for hydrolysis of a triacylglycerol film (triolein) by use of a triacylglycerol lipase (cutinase), and starch film degradation by use of an alpha-amylase.

Amylases↗

PubMed2002

High probability of disrupting a disulphide bridge mediated by an endogenous excited tryptophan residue.

It is well known that ultraviolet (UV) radiation may reduce or even abolish the biological activity of proteins and enzymes. UV light, as a component of sunlight, is illuminating all light-exposed parts of living organisms, partly composed of proteins and enzymes. Although a considerable amount of empirical evidence for UV damage has been compiled, no deeper understanding of this important phenomenon has yet emerged. The present paper presents a detailed analysis of a classical example of UV-induced changes in three-dimensional structure and activity of a model enzyme, cutinase from Fusarium solani pisi. The effect of illumination duration and power has been investigated. A photon-induced mechanism responsible for structural and functional changes is proposed. Tryptophan excitation energy disrupts a neighboring disulphide bridge, which in turn leads to altered biological activity and stability. The loss of the disulphide bridge has a pronounced effect on the fluorescence quantum yield, which has been monitored as a function of illumination power. A general theoretical model for slow two-state chemical exchange is formulated, which allows for calculation of both the mean number of photons involved in the process and the ratio between the quantum yields of the two states. It is clear from the present data that the likelihood for UV damage of proteins is directly proportional to the intensity of the UV radiation. Consistent with the loss of the disulphide bridge, a complex pH-dependent change in the fluorescence lifetimes is observed. Earlier studies in this laboratory indicate that proteins are prone to such UV-induced radiation damage because tryptophan residues typically are located as next spatial neighbors to disulphide bridges. We believe that these observations may have far-reaching implications for protein stability and for assessing the true risks involved in increasing UV radiation loads on living organisms.

Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases↗