New ternary water-soluble support from self-assembly of ß-cyclodextrin-ionic liquid and an anionic polymer for a dialysis device.

We developed a new hybrid material resulting from an innovative supramolecular tripartite association between an ionic liquid covalently immobilized on primary ß-cyclodextrins rim and an anionic water-soluble polymer. Two hydrophilic ternary complexes based on native and permethylated ß-cyclodextrins substituted with an ionic liquid and immobilized on poly(styrene sulfonate) (CD-IL+PSS- and CD(OMe)IL+PSS-) were obtained by simple dialysis with a cyclodextrin maximal grafting rate of 25% and 20% on the polymer, respectively. These polyelectrolytes are based on electrostatic interactions between the opposite charges of the imidazolium cation of the ionic liquid and the poly(styrene sulfonate) anion. The inclusion properties of the free cavities of the cyclodextrins and the synergic effect of the polymeric matrix were studied with three reference guests such as phenolphthalein, p-nitrophenol, and 2-anilinonaphthalene-6-sulfonic acid using UV-visible, fluorescent, and NMR spectroscopies. The support has been applied successfully in dialysis device to extract and concentrated aromatic model molecule. This simple and flexible synthetic strategy opens the way to new hybrid materials useful for fast and low-cost ecofriendly extraction techniques relevant for green analytical chemistry.

Characterization of C69R variant HBsAg: effect on binding to anti-HBs and the structure of virus-like particles.

Several variants of the major "a" determinant of the HBsAg, the main target of HBV neutralization by antibodies, have been described. However, mutations outside this region have not been as thoroughly investigated. During the genotyping of HBV from Tunisian patients with chronic hepatitis B, we identified a variant with a C69R substitution in the cytosolic loop of the S protein, resulting in a change in the hydrophobicity profile compared to the wild-type HBsAg. Wild-type and mutant HBsAgs were produced in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and recombinant proteins were tested for their ability to correctly self-assemble into virus-like particles (VLPs), and their ability to bind to HBs antibodies. The C69R substitution resulted in a decrease in binding to commercial anti-HBs antibodies, and although the variant appeared to assemble properly into VLPs, the average size of the particles was larger than that of the wild-type HBsAg. Prediction of the tertiary structure of the C69R mutant revealed a change in the first (aa 60-70) and the second loop (aa 110 to 120) compared to the wild-type protein. Furthermore, we showed by an isothermal titration calorimetry assay that the interaction between the wild-type HBsAg and the anti-HBs antibody was exothermic, whereas that with the mutant C69R was endothermic, indicating an effect on the binding affinity.

Formation of polyelectrolyte complexes with diethylaminoethyl dextran: charge ratio and molar mass effect.

The formation of polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) between carboxymethyl pullulan and DEAE Dextran, was investigated, in dilute solution, with emphasis on the effect of charge density (molar ratio or pH) and molar masses. Electrophoretic mobility measurements have evidenced that insoluble PECs (neutral electrophoretic mobility) occurs for charge ratio between 0.6 (excess of polycation) and 1 (stoichiometry usual value) according to the pH. This atypical result is explained by the inaccessibility of some permanent cationic charge when screened by pH dependant cationic ones (due to the Hoffman alkylation). Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) indicates an endothermic formation of PEC with a binding constant around 10(5) L mol(-1). Finally asymmetrical flow field flow fractionation coupled on line with static multi angle light scattering (AF4/MALS) evidences soluble PECs with very large average molar masses and size around 100 nm, in agreement with scrambled eggs multi-association between various polyelectrolyte chains.