Improvement of tube formation model of cell: Application for acute hypoxia in in vitro study of angiogenesis.

Angiogenesis caused by acute vascular occlusion occurs in various ischemic diseases. The in vitro tube formation assay by endothelial cells is a rapid, quantitative method for drug discovery on angiogenesis. Tube formation assay on Matrigel has been widely used to identify the angiogenesis, however, there are some problems to limit its application. In this study, we found for the first time that sodium dithionite (SD) could induce endothelial cell tube formation without Matrigel under hypoxia condition. To further verify our findings, the angiogenesis related proteins and mRNA at different time points after tube formation were measured both in primary human large-vessel endothelial cell (HUVECs) and murine microvascular endothelial cell line (Bend.3). In conclusion, compared with traditional tube formation on Matrigel, the novel model exhibits the following advantages: (1) Combination oxygen glucose deprivation with sodium dithionite (OGD-SD) model is operated more easily than traditional tube formation. (2) OGD-SD can be used for not only cell imaging, but also immunofluorescence, protein extraction and gene analysis. (3) OGD-SD is more applicable to acute hypoxia model of endothelial cell in vitro. (4) OGD-SD may be more suitable to identify molecular mechanism of compound that intervenes processes of pro-tube formation, tube formation and tube disconnection.

Structural basis underlying the electron transfer features of a blue copper protein auracyanin from the photosynthetic bacterium Roseiflexus castenholzii.

Auracyanin (Ac) is a blue copper protein that mediates the electron transfer between Alternative Complex III (ACIII) and downstream electron acceptors in both fort chains of filamentous anoxygenic phototrophs. Here, we extracted and purified the air-oxidized RfxAc from the photoheterotrophically grown Roseiflexus castenholzii, and we illustrated the structural basis underlying its electron transferring features. Spectroscopic and enzymatic analyses demonstrated the reduction of air-oxidized RfxAc by the ACIII upon oxidation of menaquinol-4 and menaquinol-7. Crystal structures of the air-oxidized and Na-dithionite-reduced RfxAc at 2.2 and 2.0 Å resolutions, respectively, showed that the copper ions are coordinated by His77, His146, Cys141, and Met151 in minor different geometries. The Cu1-Sδ bond length increase of Met151, and the electron density Fourier differences at Cu1 and His77 demonstrated their essential roles in the dithionite-induced reduction. Structural comparisons further revealed that the RfxAc contains a Chloroflexus aurantiacus Ac-A-like copper binding pocket and a hydrophobic patch surrounding the exposed edge of His146 imidazole, as well as an Ac-B-like Ser- and Thr-rich polar patch located at a different site on the surface. These spectroscopic and structural features allow RfxAc to mediate electron transfers between the ACIII and redox partners different from those of Ac-A and Ac-B. These results provide a structural basis for further investigating the electron transfer and energy transformation mechanism of bacterial photosynthesis, and the diversity and evolution of electron transport chains.

Comparison of hypoxic effects induced by chemical and physical hypoxia on cardiomyocytes.

The degree and duration of chemical hypoxia induced by sodium dithionite (Na2S2O4) have not been reported. It is not yet clear how much reduction in the O2 concentration (physical hypoxia) can lead to hypoxia in cultured cardiomyocytes. In this study, oxygen microelectrodes were used to measure changes in the O2 concentration in media containing different concentrations of Na2S2O4. Then, hypoxic effects of 0.8, 1.0, and 2.0 mM Na2S2O4 or 1%, 3%, and 5% O2 in cultured cardiomyocytes from neonatal rats were observed and compared. The results showed that the O2 concentration failed to remain constant by Na2S2O4 treatment during the 180-minute observation period. Only the 2.0 mM Na2S2O4 group significantly increased the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) and hypoxic responses. Notably, 3% O2 only significantly increased the expression of HIF-1α in cardiomyocytes, while 1% O2 not only increased the expression of HIF-1α but also increased the apoptotic rate in cardiomyocytes. These results suggest that Na2S2O4 is not suitable for establishing a hypoxic model in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, and neonatal rat cardiomyocytes cultured at or below 1% O2 induced significant hypoxic effects, which can be used as a starting O2 concentration for establishing a hypoxic cell model.

Photorespiration participates in the assimilation of acetate in Chlorella sorokiniana under high light.

The development of microalgae on an industrial scale largely depends on the economic feasibility of mass production. High light induces productive suspensions during cultivation in a tubular photobioreactor. Herein, we report that high light, which inhibited the growth of Chlorella sorokiniana under autotrophic conditions, enhanced the growth of this alga in the presence of acetate. We compared pigments, proteomics and the metabolic flux ratio in C. sorokiniana cultivated under high light (HL) and under low light (LL) in the presence of acetate. Our results showed that high light induced the synthesis of xanthophyll and suppressed the synthesis of chlorophylls. Acetate in the medium was exhausted much more rapidly in HL than in LL. The data obtained from LC-MS/MS indicated that high light enhanced photorespiration, the Calvin cycle and the glyoxylate cycle of mixotrophic C. sorokiniana. The results of metabolic flux ratio analysis showed that the majority of the assimilated carbon derived from supplemented acetate, and photorespiratory glyoxylate could enter the glyoxylate cycle. Based on these data, we conclude that photorespiration provides glyoxylate to speed up the glyoxylate cycle, and releases acetate-derived CO2 for the Calvin cycle. Thus, photorespiration connects the glyoxylate cycle and the Calvin cycle, and participates in the assimilation of supplemented acetate in C. sorokiniana under high light.

[Regulation on Female-male Flower Ratio of Monoecious Plant Schisandra chinensis Based on Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of reactive oxygen species on female-male flower ratio of Schisandra chinensis in order to improve the yield. METHODS: Spraying different concentration solution of H2O2, paraquat and sodium dithionite on the leaves of Schisandra chinensis before fruit bud initiation. RESULTS: Exogenous sodium dithionite (O2- carrier) increased the female-male flower ratio greatly from 7.6% to 42.3%. H2O2 and paraquat (OH- carrier) had little effect. CONCLUSION: The regulation effects vary according to different ROS. Exogenous sodium dithionite has the best effect.

Relative importance of driving force and electrostatic interactions in the reduction of multihaem cytochromes by small molecules.

Multihaem cytochromes are essential to the energetics of organisms capable of bioremediation and energy production. The haems in several of these cytochromes have been discriminated thermodynamically and their individual rates of reduction by small electron donors were characterized. The kinetic characterization of individual haems used the Marcus theory of electron transfer and assumed that the rates of reduction of each haem by sodium dithionite depend only on the driving force, while electrostatic interactions were neglected. To determine the relative importance of these factors in controlling the rates, we studied the effect of ionic strength on the redox potential and the rate of reduction by dithionite of native Methylophilus methylotrophus cytochrome c″ and three mutants at different pH values. We found that the main factor determining the rate is the driving force and that Marcus theory describes this satisfactorily. This validates the method of the simultaneous fitting of kinetic and thermodynamic data in multihaem cytochromes and opens the way for further investigation into the mechanisms of these proteins.

Thiostrepton tryptophan methyltransferase expands the chemistry of radical SAM enzymes.

Methylation is among the most widespread chemical modifications encountered in biomolecules and has a pivotal role in many major biological processes. In the biosynthetic pathway of the antibiotic thiostrepton A, we identified what is to our knowledge the first tryptophan methyltransferase. We show that it uses unprecedented chemistry to methylate inactivated sp(2)-hybridized carbon atoms, despite being predicted to be a radical SAM enzyme.

Mechanistic studies of the spore photoproduct lyase via a single cysteine mutation.

5-Thyminyl-5,6-dihydrothymine (also called spore photoproduct or SP) is the exclusive DNA photodamage product in bacterial endospores. It is repaired by a radical SAM (S-adenosylmethionine) enzyme, the spore photoproduct lyase (SPL), at the bacterial early germination phase. Our previous studies proved that SPL utilizes the 5'-dA• generated by the SAM cleavage reaction to abstract the H(6proR) atom to initiate the SP repair process. The resulting thymine allylic radical was suggested to take an H atom from an unknown protein source, most likely cysteine 141. Here we show that C141 can be readily alkylated in the native SPL by an iodoacetamide treatment, suggesting that it is accessible to the TpT radical. SP repair by the SPL C141A mutant yields TpTSO(2)(-) and TpT simultaneously from the very beginning of the reaction; no lag phase is observed for TpTSO(2)(-) formation. Should any other protein residue serve as the H donor, its presence would result in TpT being the major product at least for the first enzyme turnover. These observations provide strong evidence to support C141 as the direct H atom donor. Moreover, because of the lack of this intrinsic H donor, the C141A mutant produces TpT via an unprecedented thymine cation radical reduction (proton-coupled electron transfer) process, contrasting to the H atom transfer mechanism in the wild-type (WT) SPL reaction. The C141A mutant repairs SP at a rate that is ~3-fold slower than that of the WT enzyme. Formation of TpTSO(2)(-) and TpT exhibits a V(max) deuterium kinetic isotope effect (KIE) of 1.7 ± 0.2, which is smaller than the (D)V(max) KIE of 2.8 ± 0.3 determined for the WT SPL reaction. These findings suggest that removing the intrinsic H atom donor disturbs the rate-limiting process during enzyme catalysis. As expected, the prereduced C141A mutant supports only ~0.4 turnover, which is in sharp contrast to the >5 turnovers exhibited by the WT SPL reaction, suggesting that the enzyme catalytic cycle (SAM regeneration) is disrupted by this single mutation.

Inhibition of biogenic membrane flippase activity in reconstituted ER proteoliposomes in the presence of low cholesterol levels.

Biogenic membranes or self-synthesizing membranes are the site of synthesis of new lipids such as the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in eukaryotes. Newly synthesized phospholipids (PLs) at the cytosolic leaflet of ER need to be translocated to the lumen side for membrane biogenesis and this is facilitated by a special class of lipid translocators called biogenic membrane flippase. Even though ER is the major site of cholesterol synthesis, it contains very low amounts of cholesterol, since newly synthesized cholesterol in ER is rapidly transported to other organelles and is highly enriched in plasma membrane. Thus, only low levels of cholesterol are present at the biosynthetic compartment (ER), which results in loose packing of ER lipids. We hypothesize that the prevalence of cholesterol in biogenic membranes might affect the rapid flip-flop. To validate our hypothesis, detergent solubilized ER membranes from both bovine liver and spinach leaves were reconstituted into proteoliposomes with varying mol% of cholesterol. Our results show that (i) with increase in the cholesterol/PL ratio, the half-life time of PL translocation increased, suggesting that cholesterol affects the kinetics of flipping, (ii) flipping activity was completely inhibited in proteoliposomes reconstituted with 1 mol% cholesterol, and (iii) FRAP and DSC experiments revealed that 1 mol% cholesterol did not alter the bilayer properties significantly and that flippase activity inhibition is probably mediated by interaction of cholesterol with the protein.

Ischemia induces closure of gap junctional channels and opening of hemichannels in heart-derived cells and tissue.

AIM: Gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) and hemichannel permeability may have important roles during an ischemic insult. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of ischemia on gap junction channels and hemichannels. METHODS: We used neonatal rat heart myofibroblasts and simulated ischemia with a HEPES buffer with high potassium, low pH, absence of glucose, and oxygen tension was reduced by dithionite. Microinjection, western blot, immunofluorescence, cell viability and dye uptake were used to evaluate the effects induced by dithionite. Isolated perfused rat hearts were used to analyse infarct size. RESULTS: Short period with simulated ischemia reduced the ability to transfer a dye between neighbouring cells, which indicated reduced GJIC. Prolonged exposure to simulated ischemia caused opening of hemichannels, and cell death was apparent while gap junction channels remained closed. Connexin 43 became partially dephosphorylated and the total amount decreased during simulated ischemia. We were not able to detect the alternative hemichannel-forming protein, Pannexin 1, in these cells. The potential importance of Connexin 43 or Pannexin 1 hemichannels in ischemia-induced infarct in the intact heart was studied by perfusion of the heart in the presence of peptides that block one or the other type of hemichannels. The connexin-derived peptide, Gap26, significantly reduced the infract/risk zone ratio (control 48.7±4.2% and Gap26 19.4±4.1%, p<0.001), while the pannexin-derived peptide, (10)Panx1, did not change infarct/risk ratio. CONCLUSION: Connexin 43 is most likely responsible for both closure of gap junction channels and opening of hemichannels during simulated ischemia in neonatal rat heart myofibroblasts. Opening of connexin 43 hemichannels during ischemia-reperfusion seems to be an important mechanism for ischemia-reperfusion injury in the heart. By preventing the opening of these channels during early ischemia-reperfusion the infarct size becomes significantly reduced.

Segregation of glucosylceramide and sphingomyelin occurs in the apical to basolateral transcytotic route in HepG2 cells.

HepG2 cells are highly differentiated hepatoma cells that have retained an apical, bile canalicular (BC) plasma membrane polarity. We investigated the dynamics of two BC-associated sphingolipids, glucosylceramide (GlcCer) and sphingomyelin (SM). For this, the cells were labeled with fluorescent acyl chain-labeled 6-[N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)-amino]hexanoic acid (C6-NBD) derivatives of either GlcCer (C6-NBD-GlcCer) or SM (C6-NBD-SM). The pool of the fluorescent lipid analogues present in the basolateral plasma membrane domain was subsequently depleted and the apically located C6-NBD-lipid was chased at 37 degrees C. By using fluorescence microscopical analysis and a new assay that allows an accurate estimation of the fluorescent lipid pool in the apical membrane, qualitative and quantitative insight was obtained concerning kinetics, extent and (intra)cellular sites of the redistribution of apically located C6-NBD-GlcCer and C6-NBD-SM. It is demonstrated that both lipids display a preferential localization, C6-NBD-GlcCer in the apical and C6-NBD-SM in the basolateral area. Such a preference is expressed during transcytosis of both sphingolipids from the apical to the basolateral plasma membrane domain, a novel lipid trafficking route in HepG2 cells. Whereas the vast majority of the apically derived C6-NBD-SM was rapidly transcytosed to the basolateral surface, most of the apically internalized C6-NBD-GlcCer was efficiently redirected to the BC. The redirection of C6-NBD-GlcCer did not involve trafficking via the Golgi apparatus. Evidence is provided which suggests the involvement of vesicular compartments, located subjacent to the apical plasma membrane. Interestingly, the observed difference in preferential localization of C6-NBD-GlcCer and C6-NBD-SM was perturbed by treatment of the cells with dibutyryl cAMP, a stable cAMP analogue. While the preferential apical localization of C6-NBD-GlcCer was amplified, dibutyryl cAMP-treatment caused apically retrieved C6-NBD-SM to be processed via a similar pathway as that of C6-NBD-GlcCer. The data unambiguously demonstrate that segregation of GlcCer and SM occurs in the reverse transcytotic route, i.e., during apical to basolateral transport, which results in the preferential localization of GlcCer and SM in the apical and basolateral region of the cells, respectively. A role for non-Golgi-related, sub-apical vesicular compartments in the sorting of GlcCer and SM is proposed.

Import of a mitochondrial presequence into protein-free phospholipid vesicles.

A synthetic mitochondrial presequence has been shown to translocate across pure phospholipid bilayers. The presequence was fluorescently labeled so that its association with membranes could be monitored spectroscopically. In the presence of large unilamellar vesicles, the presequence showed time- and potential-dependent protection from reaction with added trypsin and dithionite. The protection was rapidly reversed by treatment of the vesicles with detergent. If the vesicles contained trypsin, the added presequence became sensitive to digestion by the protease. The results show that a mitochondrial presequence can translocate across phospholipid bilayers that lack a hydrophilic translocation pore.

Chemical and NADH-induced, ROS-dependent, cross-linking between subunits of complex I from Escherichia coli and Thermus thermophilus.

Complex I of respiratory chains transfers electrons from NADH to ubiquinone, coupled to the translocation of protons across the membrane. Two alternative coupling mechanisms are being discussed, redox-driven or conformation-driven. Using "zero-length" cross-linking reagent and isolated hydrophilic domains of complex I from Escherichia coli and Thermus thermophilus, we show that the pattern of cross-links between subunits changes significantly in the presence of NADH. Similar observations were made previously with intact purified E. coli and bovine complex I. This indicates that, upon reduction with NADH, similar conformational changes are likely to occur in the intact enzyme and in the isolated hydrophilic domain (which can be used for crystallographic studies). Within intact E. coli complex I, the cross-link between the hydrophobic subunits NuoA and NuoJ was abolished in the presence of NADH, indicating that conformational changes extend into the membrane domain, possibly as part of a coupling mechanism. Unexpectedly, in the absence of any chemical cross-linker, incubation of complex I with NADH resulted in covalent cross-links between subunits Nqo4 (NuoCD) and Nqo6 (NuoB), as well as between Nqo6 and Nqo9. Their formation depends on the presence of oxygen and so is likely a result of oxidative damage via reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced cross-linking. In addition, ROS- and metal ion-dependent proteolysis of these subunits (as well as Nqo3) is observed. Fe-S cluster N2 is coordinated between subunits Nqo4 and Nqo6 and could be involved in these processes. Our observations suggest that oxidative damage to complex I in vivo may include not only side-chain modifications but also protein cross-linking and degradation.

Hypoxia increases activity of the BK-channel in the inner mitochondrial membrane and reduces activity of the permeability transition pore.

Hypoxia can cause severe damage to cells by initiating signaling cascades that lead to cell death. A cellular oxygen sensor, other than the respiratory chain, might exist in sensitive components of these signaling cascades. Recently, we found evidence that mitochondrial ion channels are sensitive to low levels of oxygen. We therefore studied the effects of hypoxia on the mitochondrial BK-channel (mtBK), on the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (PTP), and on their possible interaction. Using single-channel patch-clamp techniques we found that hypoxia inhibited the PTP but substantially increased the mtBK activity of mitoplasts from rat liver and astrocytes. Experiments measuring the mitochondrial membrane potential of intact rat brain mitochondria (using the fluorescence dye safranine O) during hypoxia exhibited an increased Ca(2+)-retention capacity implying an impaired opening of the PTP. We also found a reduced Ca(2+)-retention capacity with 100 nM iberiotoxin, a selective inhibitor of BK-channels. We therefore conclude that there is interaction between the mtBK and the PTP in a way that an open mtBK keeps the PTP closed. Thus, the response of mitochondrial ion channels to hypoxia could be interpreted as anti-apoptotic.

Sickling times of individual erythrocytes at zero Po2.

A rapid-reaction parallel-plate flow channel was used to study the kinetics of erythrocyte sickling upon sudden deoxygenation with sodium dithionite. The erythrocytes were recorded on 16-mm film or video tape and visually tracked in time. Sickling was identified by morphologic criteria. At the flow rate used in these studies, the rate of sickling was a reaction-limited process. There was no loss of cellular deformability or membrane flicker before the onset of sickling. Typical sickling times for sickle (SS) cells and trait (AS) cells at room temperature in isotonic buffer were 2.0 and 70 s, respectively. Increasing the buffer osmolality resulted in shorter sickling times and under hypotonic conditions the time required for sickling was prolonged. Between pH 6.4 and 7.0 there was little change in the time required for 50% of the originally discoidal cells to sickle (t50); whereas a marked increase in t50 occurred between pH 7.4 and 7.6. Whole populations of AS and SS erythrocytes were separated into three fractions after centrifugation. The t50 of the fractions progressively decreased from top to bottom, which paralleled an increase in mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC). The t50 decreased as the temperature was increased from 13 degrees to 34 degrees C. This temperature effect was more pronounced for cells that had osmotically induced reductions in MCHC. A two-step process for erythrocyte sickling is proposed: an initial lag phase, during which there is little or no change in internal viscosity, followed by a rapid phase of cellular deformation. The lag phase is altered by changes in MCHC, pH, and temperature.

Murine cytotoxic activated macrophages inhibit aconitase in tumor cells. Inhibition involves the iron-sulfur prosthetic group and is reversible.

Previous studies show that cytotoxic activated macrophages cause inhibition of DNA synthesis, inhibition of mitochondrial respiration, and loss of intracellular iron from tumor cells. Here we examine aconitase, a citric acid cycle enzyme with a catalytically active iron-sulfur cluster, to determine if iron-sulfur clusters are targets for activated macrophage-induced iron removal. Results show that aconitase activity declines dramatically in target cells after 4 h of co-cultivation with activated macrophages. Aconitase inhibition occurs simultaneously with arrest of DNA synthesis, another early activated macrophage-induced metabolic change in target cells. Dithionite partially prevents activated macrophage induced aconitase inhibition. Furthermore, incubation of injured target cells in medium supplemented with ferrous ion plus a reducing agent causes near-complete reconstitution of aconitase activity. The results show that removal of a labile iron atom from the [4Fe-4S] cluster, by a cytotoxic activated macrophage-mediated mechanism, is causally related to aconitase inhibition.

The Radical SAM enzyme NirJ catalyzes the removal of two propionate side chains during heme d1 biosynthesis.

Heme d1 is a modified tetrapyrrole playing an important role in denitrification by acting as the catalytically essential cofactor in the cytochrome cd1 nitrite reductase of many denitrifying bacteria. In the course of heme d1 biosynthesis, the two propionate side chains on pyrrole rings A and B of the intermediate 12,18-didecarboxysiroheme are removed from the tetrapyrrole macrocycle. In the final heme d1 molecule, the propionate groups are replaced by two keto functions. Although it was speculated that the Radical S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) enzyme NirJ might be responsible for the removal of the propionate groups and introduction of the keto functions, this has not been shown experimentally, so far. Here, we demonstrate that NirJ is a Radical SAM enzyme carrying two iron-sulfur clusters. While the N-terminal [4Fe-4S] cluster is essential for the initial SAM cleavage reaction, it is not required for substrate binding. NirJ tightly binds its substrate 12,18-didecarboxysiroheme and, thus, can be purified in complex with the substrate. By using the purified NirJ/substrate complex in an in vitro enzyme activity assay, we show that NirJ indeed catalyzes the removal of the two propionate side chains under simultaneous SAM cleavage. However, under the reaction conditions employed, no keto group formation is observed indicating that an additional cofactor or enzyme is needed for this reaction.

The FAD synthetase from the human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae: a bifunctional enzyme exhibiting activity-dependent redox requirements.

Prokaryotic bifunctional FAD synthetases (FADSs) catalyze the biosynthesis of FMN and FAD, whereas in eukaryotes two enzymes are required for the same purpose. FMN and FAD are key cofactors to maintain the flavoproteome homeostasis in all type of organisms. Here we shed light to the properties of the hitherto unstudied bacterial FADS from the human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae (SpnFADS). As other members of the family, SpnFADS catalyzes the three typical activities of prokaryotic FADSs: riboflavin kinase (RFK), ATP:FMN:adenylyltransferase (FMNAT), and FAD pyrophosphorylase (FADpp). However, several SpnFADS biophysical properties differ from those of other family members. In particular; i) the RFK activity is not inhibited by the riboflavin (RF) substrate, ii) the FMNAT and FADSpp activities require flavin substrates in the reduced state, iii) binding of adenine nucleotide ligands is required for the binding of flavinic substrates/products and iv) the monomer is the preferred state. Collectively, our results add interesting mechanistic differences among the few prokaryotic bifunctional FADSs already characterized, which might reflect the adaptation of the enzyme to relatively different environments. In a health point of view, differences among FADS family members provide us with a framework to design selective compounds targeting these enzymes for the treatment of diverse infectious diseases.

Selection of suitable mineral acid and its concentration for biphasic dilute acid hydrolysis of the sodium dithionite delignified Prosopis juliflora to hydrolyze maximum holocellulose.

Two grams of delignified substrate at 10% (w/v) level was subjected to biphasic dilute acid hydrolysis using phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid separately at 110 °C for 10 min in phase-I and 121 °C for 15 min in phase-II. Combinations of acid concentrations in two phases were varied for maximum holocellulose hydrolysis with release of fewer inhibitors, to select the suitable acid and its concentration. Among three acids, sulfuric acid in combination of 1 & 2% (v/v) hydrolyzed maximum holocellulose of 25.44±0.44% releasing 0.51±0.02 g/L of phenolics and 0.12±0.002 g/L of furans, respectively. Further, hydrolysis of delignified substrate using selected acid by varying reaction time and temperature hydrolyzed 55.58±1.78% of holocellulose releasing 2.11±0.07 g/L and 1.37±0.03 g/L of phenolics and furans, respectively at conditions of 110 °C for 45 min in phase-I & 121 °C for 60 min in phase-II.

Spectral properties of 3-ketosteroid-delta 1-dehydrogenase from Nocardia corallina.

3-Ketosteroid-delta 1-dehydrogenase from Nocardia corallina is a flavoenzyme that catalyzes 1,2-desaturation of 3-ketosteroid. The dehydrogenase generated complexes with 3-ketosteroids and phenolic steroids such as estradiol with remarkable perturbations of the visible spectrum. The enzyme did not make the adduct with sulfite ion, but could use molecular oxygen as the electron acceptor. The CD spectra of oxidized and steroid-bound enzymes exhibited positive dichroisms in the visible region which resembled those of flavoenzyme oxidases. The dehydrogenase led isosbestically to the stable red semiquinone species with large yields upon photochemical or dithionite reduction (at pH 7.4) in the presence of the steroid product, 1,4-androstadiene-3,17-dione, but in the absence of the steroid the yield of semiquinone was low and the fully reduced enzyme was obtained. Substrate titration also yielded the red flavo-semiquinone stoichiometrically and it was hard to generate the fully reduced form. The reduced enzyme was oxidized with molecular oxygen, but did not oxidize with ferricyanide. An EPR study of these half-reduced forms confirmed the presence of the radical species with the g = 2.004 signal. The dehydrogenase was rapidly reduced with an excess amount of 3-ketosteroid at about 80% yield at pH 7.4 under anaerobic conditions and the reduced species was altered to the stable red semiquinone species. The rate of this reaction was t1/2 = 28 min at pH 7.4, 130 min at pH 9.0 and 34 min at pH 6.4, respectively. These results indicate that the semiquinone species does not act directly in turnover of the dehydrogenase reaction. The results were compared with the spectral properties of general acyl-CoA dehydrogenases and acyl-CoA oxidase toward the mechanism of C1,2-dehydrogenation.