• BMB Reports
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 2009

Alanine racemase catalyzes the interconversion of L-alanine and D-alanine and plays a crucial role in spore germination and cell wall biosynthesis. In this study, alanine racemase produced by Bacillus anthracis was expressed and purified as a monomer in Escherichia coli and the importance of lysine 41 in the cofactor binding octapeptide and tyrosine 270 in catalysis was evaluated. The native enzyme exhibited an apparent $K_m$ of 3 mM for L-alanine, and a $V_{max}$ of $295\;{\mu}moles/min/mg$, with the optimum activity occurring at $37^{\circ}C$ and a pH of 8-9. The activity observed in the absence of exogenous pyridoxal 5'-phosphate suggested that the cofactor is bound to the enzyme. Additionally, the UV-visible absorption spectra indicated that the activity was pH independece, of VV-visible absorption spectra suggests that the bound PLP exists as a protonated Schiff's base. Furthermore, the loss of activity observed in the apoenzyme suggested that bound PLP is required for catalysis. Finally, the enzyme followed non-competitive and mixed inhibition kinetics for hydroxylamine and propionate with a $K_i$of $160\;{\mu}M$ and 30 mM, respectively.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.10
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• pp.2813-2818
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• 2010

A novel method was developed for the speciation of chromium in natural water samples based on homogeneous liquid-liquid extraction and determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). In this method, Cr(III) reacts with a new Schiff's base ligand to form the hydrophobic complex, which is subsequently entrapped in the sediment phase, whereas Cr(VI) remained in aqueous phase. The Cr(VI) assay is based on its reduction to Cr(III) by the addition of sodium sulfite to the sample solution. Thus, separation of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) could be realized. Homogeneous liquid-liquid extraction based on the pH-independent phase-separation process was investigated using a ternary solvent system (water-tetrabutylammonium ion ($TBA^+$)-chloroform) for the preconcentration of chromium. The phase separation phenomenon occurred by an ion-pair formation of TBA and perchlorate ion. Then sedimented phase was separated using a $100\;{\mu}L$ micro-syringe and diluted to 1.0 mL with ethanol. The sample was introduced into the flame by conventional aspiration. After the optimization of complexation and extraction conditions such as pH = 9.5, [ligand] = $1.0{\times}10^{-4}\;M$, [$TBA^+$] = $2.0{\times}10^{-2}\;M$, [$CHCl_3$] = $100.0\;{\mu}L$ and [$ClO_4$] = $2.0{\times}10{-2}\;M$, a preconcentration factor (Va/Vs) of 100 was obtained for only 10 mL of the sample. The relative standard deviation was 2.8% (n = 10). The limit of detection was sufficiently low and lie at ppb level. The proposed method was applied for the extraction and determination of chromium in natural water samples with satisfactory results.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.106-109
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• 2002

Archaeal rhodopsins possess retinal molecule as their chromophores, and their light-energy and light-signal conversions are triggered by all-trans to 13-cis isomerization of the retinal chromophore. Relaxation through structural changes of protein then leads to functional processes, proton pump in bacteriorhodopsin (bR) and transducer activation in phoborhodopsin (pR). It is known that sensory rhodopsins can pump protons in the absence of their transducers. Thus, there should be common and specific features in their protein structural changes for function. In this paper, our r ecent studies on pR from Natronobacterium pharaonis (ppR) by means of low-temperature Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy are compared with those of bR. In particular, protein structural changes upon retinal photoisomerization are studied. Comparative investigation of ppR and bR revealed the similar structures of the polyene chain of the chromophore and water-containing hydrogen-bonding network, whereas the structural changes upon photoisomerization were more extended in ppR than in bR. Extended protein structural changes were clearly shown by the assignment of the C=O stretch of Asnl05. FTIR studies of a ppR mutant with the same retinal binding site as in bR revealed that the Schiff base region is important to determine their colors.

• BMB Reports
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.32-37
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• 1996

The cysteine 43, potentially important in the activity of O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase (OASS) from Salmonella typhimurium, has been changed to serine. This mutant enzyme (C43S) has been studied in order to gain insight into the structural basis for the binding of inhibitor, substrate and product. UV-visible spectra of C43S exhibit the same spectral change in the presence of OAS as that observed with wild type enzyme, indicating C43S will form an ${\alpha}$-aminoacrylate Schiff base intermediate. At pH 6.5, however, the deacetylase activity of C43S is much higher than wild type enzyme indicating that cysteine 43 plays a role in stabilizing the ${\alpha}$-aminoacrylate intermediate. The fluoroscence spectrum of C43S exhibits a ratio of emission at 340 to 502 nm of 16.9, reflecting the lower fluorescence of PLP and indicating that the orientation of cofactor and tryptophan are different from that of the wild type enzyme. The emission spectrum of C43S in the presence of OAS gives two maxima at 340 and 535 nm. The 535 nm emission is attributed to the fluoroscence of the ${\alpha}$-aminoacrylate intermediate. The visible circular dichroic spectrum was similar to wild type enzyme, but the negative effect observed at 530~550 nm and the molar ellipicity values for the mutant are decreased by about 50% compared to wild type enzyme. The circular dichroic and fluoroscence studies suggest binding of the cofactor is less asymmetric in C43S than in the wild type enzyme.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.110-117
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• 1995

Tc-99m Labeled hexamethylenepropyleneamineoxime ([$^{99m}Tc$]-HMPAO) is a famous amino-oxime compound and is widely used to construct SPECT images of cerebral blood flow. To investigate the relationship between chemical structure and radiolabeling in these kind of diamine-oxime compounds, we synthesized seven compounds by Schiff's base formation and successive reduction with sodium borohydride. They were (RR/SS )-4,8-diaza-3,6,6,9-tetramethylundecane-2,10-dione bisoxime (2), (RR/SS/meso)-4,8-diaza-3,9-dimethy-lundecane-2,10-dione bisoxime (4), (RR/SS/meso)-4,8-diaza-3,10-dimethyldodecane-2,11-dione bisoxime (5), (RR/SS/meso)-4,7-diaza-3,6,6,8-tetramethyldecane-2,9-dione bisoxime (8), (RR/SS/meso)-4,7-diaza-5,6-cyclohexyl-3,8-dimethyldecane-2,9-dione bisoxime (10), (RR/SS/meso)-3,4-bis(1-aza-2-methyl-3-oxime-1-butyl)-benzoic acid (12), and (RR/SS/ meso)-2,3-bis(1-aza-2-methyl-3-oxime-1-butyl) benzophenone (14). Chemical structures of all the synthesized compounds were identified by taking $^1H$ spectrum. Among them, 2 and 4 are propyleneamine oxime (PnAO), 6 is butyleneamine oxime (BnAO) and 8, 10, 12 and 14 are ethyleneamine oxime (EnAO). Each compound (0.5 mg) was incubated with stannous chloride (0.5 g - 8 g), carbonate-bicarbonate buffer (final concentration = 0.1 M, pH 7 - pH 10) and Tc-99m-pertechenate (1 ml). Tc-99m labeling of these compounds were checked by ITLC (acetone), ITLC (normal saline), reverse phase TLC (50 % acetonitrile) and ITLC (ethyl acetate). According to the results, EnAO's were not labeled by Tc-99m in any of above condition. About 11 % of maximum labeling efficiency was obtained with BnAO. However, 4 (PnAO) was labeled with Tc-99m to 85 % which is similar to the labeling efficiency of 2 (HMPAO). Hydrophilic impurity (9 % ) was the most significant problem with the labeling of 4, however, pertechnetate (3 % ) and colloid (3 %) were minor problem. In conclusion, we synthesized seven diamine blsoxlme compounds. Among them, four EnAO compounds were not labeled by Tc-99m. A BnAO was labeled poorly and two PnAO's were labeled well. These labeling can be explained by tertiary structure of their Tc-99m chelate.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.228-235
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• 2012

A $N_2O_2$ Schiff base ligand, N,N'-bis(4-methoxysalicylidene)phenylendiamine (4-$CH_3O$-salphen) was synthesized. Using the 4-$CH_3O$-salphen, the spectrophoto-metric quantitative analysis of Cu(II) ion in aqueous solution was performed. The optimum condition for the quantitative analysis of Cu(II) ion was determined as the following; the concentration of 4-$CH_3O$-salphen is $2.0{\times}10^{-4}\;mol/L$, ratio between solvent DMSO and water is 50/50(v/v), pH is 5.5. After 1 hr water incubation at $55^{\circ}C$ and then the absorbance measurements at 388 nm, a calibration curve (${\varepsilon}=3.6{\times}10^4\;mol^{-1}cm^{-1}$) with a correlation coefficient ($R^2$=0.9963) was obtained in this condition. Using this optimized condition, the quantitative analysis of Cu(II) ion was performed with various samples such as hot spring water, semiconductor factory waste water and treated water from sewage treatment plant. The average value of the measured values agreed well with standard value with a range of 0.6~5.4%. The limit of determination was 31.77 ng/mL ($5.0{\times}10^{-7}\;mol/L$).

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.463-471
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• 2011

A novel $N_2O_2$ Schiff base ligand, N,N'-bis(4-methoxysalicylidene)phenylendiamine(4-$CH_3O$-Salphen), has been synthesized. It has been revealed that the compound is very useful for the spectrophotometric quantification of Fe(II) and Fe(III) ions in aqueous solutions, such as mineral water, hot spring water, sea water, and waste water. The optimum conditions for the quantitative analysis are the followings; [4-$CH_3O$-Salphen]=$4.0{\times}10^{-4}\;M$, DMF/$H_2O$=70/30(v/v), pH=3.4~3.8, T= at $55^{\circ}C$, and prereaction time=1.0 hr. The sample of single valence state was prepared by the preliminary oxidation or reduction using $H_2O_2$ ($5.0{\times}10^{-4}\;M$) and $NH_2OH{\cdot}HCl$ ($5.0{\times}10^{-4}\;M$). The quantitative analyses of Fe(II) and Fe(III) ion were performed by measuring the absorbance at 434 nm and 456 nm, respectively. The estimated mean values agreed well with the standard values within the range of 2.00~6.90%. The limit of detection was 27.9 ng/mL for Fe(II) and 55.8 ng/mL for Fe(III).

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.573-578
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• 2010

In this study, iron(III)-2,4-dihydroxysalophen chloride (Fe(2,4-DHSalophen)Cl), has been synthesized by combination of 2,4-dihydroxysalophen (2,4-DHSalophen) with $FeCl_2$ in a solvent system. This complex combination was characterized using UV-vis and IR spectroscopies. Subsequently, the interaction between native calf thymus deoxyribonucleic acid (ct-DNA) and Fe(2,4-DHSalophen)Cl, was investigated in 10 mM Tris/HCl buffer solution, pH 7.2, using UV-visible absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies, thermal denaturation technique and viscosity measurements. From spectrophotometric titration experiments, the binding constant of Fe(2,4-DHSalophen)Cl with ct-DNA was found to be $(1.6{\pm}0.2){\times}10^3\;M^{-1}$. The fluorescence study represents the quenching effect of Fe(2,4-DHSalophen)Cl on bound ethidium bromide to DNA. The quenching process obeys linear Stern-Volmer equation in extended range of Fe(2,4-DHSalophen)Cl concentration. Thermal denaturation experiments represent the increasing melting temperature of DNA (about $4.3^{\circ}C$) due to binding of Fe(2,4-DHSalophen)Cl. These results are consistent with a binding mode dominated by interactions with the groove of ct-DNA.