Properties of a cyclodextrin-specific, unusual porin from Klebsiella oxytoca. (1/76)

The function of CymA, 1 of the 10 gene products involved in cyclodextrin uptake and metabolism by Klebsiella oxytoca, was characterized. CymA is essential for growth on cyclodextrins, but it can also complement the deficiency of a lamB (maltoporin) mutant of Escherichia coli for growth on linear maltodextrins, indicating that both cyclic and linear oligosaccharides are accepted as substrates. CymA was overproduced in E. coli and purified to apparent homogeneity. CymA is a component of the outer membrane, is processed from a signal peptide-containing precursor, and possesses a high content of antiparallel beta-sheet. Incorporation of CymA into lipid bilayers and conductance measurements revealed that it forms ion-permeable channels, which exhibit a substantial current noise. CymA-induced membrane conductance decreased considerably upon addition of alpha-cyclodextrin. Titration experiments allowed the calculation of a half-saturation constant, K(S), of 28 microM for its binding to CymA. CymA assembled in vitro to two-dimensionally crystalline tubular membranes, which, on electron microscopy, are characterized by a p1-related two-sided plane group. The crystallographic unit cell contains four monomeric CymA molecules showing a central pore. The lattice parameters are a = 16.1 nm, b = 3.8 nm, gamma = 93 degrees. CymA does not form trimeric complexes in lipid membranes and shows no tendency to trimerize in solution. CymA thus is an atypical porin with novel properties specialized to transfer cyclodextrins across the outer membrane.  (+info)

Enzymatic synthesis of N-acetylglucosaminyl-cyclodextrin by the reverse reaction of N-acetylhexosaminidase from jack bean. (2/76)

Novel heterobranched cyclodextrins (CDs), N-acetylglucosaminyl-cyclodextrins (GlcNAc-CD), were synthesized from a mixture of GlcNAc and alpha, beta, or gamma CD by the reverse reaction of N-acetylhexosaminidase from jack bean. Optimum pH and temperature for the production of GlcNAc-alpha CD by N-acetylhexosaminidase were pH 4.9 and 50-70 degrees C, respectively. The maximum yield of GlcNAc-alpha CD was 17.5% (mol/mol) at the concentration of 1 M GlcNAc and 0.25 M alpha CD. The reverse reaction product, GlcNAc-alpha CD, was separated into two peaks by HPLC analysis on the ODS column. Their structures were identified as 6-O-beta-D-N-acetylglucosaminyl-alpha CD and 2-O-beta-D-N-acetylglucosaminyl-alpha CD by FAB-MS and NMR spectroscopies. N-Acetylhexosaminidase from jack bean also synthesized N-acetylgalactosaminyl-alpha CD from N-acetylgalactosamine and alpha CD.  (+info)

Probing protein-sugar interactions. (3/76)

We have investigated the partial specific volumes (2) (ml/g), hydration, and cosolvent interactions of rabbit muscle aldolase by equilibrium sedimentation in the analytical ultracentrifuge and by direct density increment (partial differential/partial differentialc(2))(mu) measurements over a range of sugar concentrations and temperature. In a series of sugars increasing in size, glucose, sucrose, raffinose, and alpha-cyclodextrin, (partial differential/ partial differentialc(2))(mu) decreases linearly with the solvent density rho(0). These sugar cosolvents do not interact with the protein; however, the interaction parameter B(1) (g water/g protein) mildly increases with increasing sugar size. The experimental B(1) values are smaller than values calculated by excluded volume (rolling ball) considerations. B(1) relates to hydration in this and in other instances studied. It decreases with increasing temperature, leading to an increase in (2) due to reduced water of hydration electrostriction. The density increments (partial differential/ partial differentialc(2))(mu), however, decrease in concave up form in the case of glycerol and in concave down form for trehalose, leading to more complex behavior in the case of carbohydrates playing a biological role as osmolytes and antifreeze agents. A critical discussion, based on the thermodynamics of multicomponent solutions, is presented.  (+info)

alpha-cyclodextrin extracts diacylglycerol from insect high density lipoproteins. (4/76)

alpha-Cyclodextrins are water-soluble cyclic hexamers of glucose units with hydrophobic cavities capable of solubilizing lipophiles. Incubating alpha-cyclodextrin with high density lipophorin from Manduca sexta or Bombyx mori resulted in a cloudy, turbid solution. Centrifugation separated a pale yellowish precipitate. Thin-layer chromatography analysis of the lipid extract of the precipitate showed that the major lipid was diacylglycerol, while KBr density gradient analysis of the supernatant demonstrated the presence of a lipid-depleted very high density lipophorin. Transfer of diacylglycerol from lipophorin to cyclodextrin was specific to alpha-cyclodextrin and was not observed with beta- or gamma-cyclodextrins. pH had no effect on diacylglycerol transfer to alpha-cyclodextrin. However, the transfer was strongly dependent on the concentration of alpha-cyclodextrin and temperature. Increasing the concentration of alpha-cyclodextrin in the incubation mixture was associated with the formation of increasingly higher density lipophorins. Thus, at 20, 30, and 40 mm alpha-cyclodextrin, the density of B. mori lipophorin increased from 1.107 g/ml to 1.123, 1. 148, and 1.181 g/ml, respectively. At concentrations greater than 40 mm, alpha-cyclodextrin had no further effect on the density of lipophorin. alpha-Cyclodextrin removed at most 83;-87% of the diacylglycerol present in lipophorin. Temperature played an important role in altering the amount of diacylglycerols transferred to alpha-cyclodextrin. At 30 mm alpha-cyclodextrin, the amount of diacylglycerol transferred at different temperatures was 50% at 4 degrees C, 41% at 15 degrees C, 20% at 28 degrees C, and less than 3% at 37 degrees C. We propose that diacylglycerol transfers to alpha-cyclodextrin via an aqueous diffusion pathway and that the driving force for the transfer is the formation of an insoluble alpha-cyclodextrin-diacylglycerol complex.  (+info)

Cyclodextrin encapsulation to prevent the loss of l-menthol and its retention during drying. (5/76)

The taste and flavor of spray-dried powdered products are the most important quality factors. In the present study, molecular encapsulation in cyclodextrin was applied to prevent the loss of a hydrophobic flavor compound (l-menthol) during the drying of a droplet. beta-Cyclodextrin appeared to be a better encapsulant for menthol than alpha- and gamma-cyclodextrin. The retention of menthol increased with increasing concentration of both cyclodextrin and maltodextrin. A simple mathematical model is proposed for estimating the flavor retention. The theoretical results by this model estimated well the final retention of menthol encapsulated in a blend of beta-cyclodextrin and maltodextrin.  (+info)

Mechanism of porcine pancreatic alpha-amylase. Inhibition of amylose and maltopentaose hydrolysis by alpha-, beta- and gamma-cyclodextrins. (6/76)

The effects of alpha-, beta- and gamma-cyclodextrins on the amylose and maltopentaose hydrolysis catalysed by porcine pancreatic alpha-amylase (PPA) were investigated. The results of the statistical analysis performed on the kinetic data using the general initial velocity equation of a one-substrate reaction in the presence of one inhibitor indicate that the type of inhibition involved depends on the substrate used: the inhibition of amylose hydrolysis by alpha-, beta- and gamma-cyclodextrin is of the competitive type, while the inhibition of maltopentaose hydrolysis is of the mixed noncompetitive type. Consistently, the Lineweaver-Burk plots intersect on the vertical axis when amylose is used as the substrate, while in the case of maltopentaose, the intersection occurs at a point located in the second quadrant. The inhibition of the hydrolysis therefore involves only one abortive complex, PPA-cyclodextrin, when amylose is used as the substrate, while two abortive complexes, PPA-cyclodextrin and PPA-maltopentaose-cyclodextrin, are involved with maltopentaose. The mixed noncompetitive inhibition thus shows the existence of one accessory binding site. In any case, only one molecule of inhibitor binds to PPA. In line with these findings, the difference spectra of PPA produced by alpha-, beta- and gamma-cyclodextrin indicate that binding occurs at a tryptophan and a tyrosine residue. The corresponding dissociation constants and the inhibition constants obtained using the kinetic approach are in the same range (1.2-7 mM). The results obtained here on the inhibition of maltopentaose hydrolysis by cyclodextrin are similar to those previously obtained with acarbose as the inhibitor [Alkazaz, M., Desseaux, V., Marchis-Mouren, G., Prodanov, E. & Santimone, M. (1998) Eur. J. Biochem. 252, 100-107], but differ from those obtained with amylose as the substrate and acarbose as inhibitor [Alkazaz, M., Desseaux, V., Marchis-Mouren, G., Payan, F., Forest, E. & Santimone, M. (1996) Eur. J. Biochem. 241, 787-796]. It is concluded that the hydrolysis of both long and short chain substrates requires at least one secondary binding site, including a tryptophan residue.  (+info)

Fluorescence enhancement of coumarin-6-sulfonyl chloride amino acid derivatives in cyclodextrin media. (7/76)

Coumarin-6-sulfonyl (6-CS) amino acid derivatives form inclusion complexes with a- and /-cyclodextrins (CD) in aqueous solution. The stoichiometry of the inclusion complex and the equilibrium constant were investigated. Using a fluorescence technique and alanine-beta-CD as a model, a 1:2 guest-host complex was established, and K = 4.7 x 10(5) mol(-2) l(2) was obtained. Fluorescence enhancement was observed for all derivatives studied, with glycine exhibiting a greater enhancement, and tyrosine showing the least. The stability of the inclusion complex was found to depend on the respective sizes of the guest-host complex and their interaction.  (+info)

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) after rectal administration of hollow-type suppositories containing hCG. (8/76)

To determine the effectiveness of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administered rectally, we studied the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of hCG using a hollow-type suppository. HCG was not detected in plasma when only hCG was administered rectally, even at a higher dose (4,000 IU/kg body weight) than intravenous injection, because of its low bioavailability due to high molecular weight or degradation by proteolytic activity. To enhance the rectal absorption of hCG, the effectiveness of its coadministration with alpha-cyclodextrin (alpha-CyD), an absorption-enhancing agent, was investigated in male rabbits. HCG was detected in plasma following coadministration of hCG and alpha-CyD (10 mg/kg body weight) into the rectum. The plasma hCG concentration increased with increasing dose of alpha-CyD. The AUC(0-48) observed after coadministration of hCG and alpha-CyD at 30 mg/kg body weight was approximately four times higher than that of hCG and alpha-CyD at 10mg/kg body weight. HCG at a high concentration induced a rapid increase in the plasma testosterone concentration (74.2 +/- 3.4 ng/ml) 2 h after intravenous administration. However, the testosterone concentration 24 h after intravenous administration decreased to the physiological level (approximately 20 ng/ml) which had been observed before such administration. On the other hand, the maximum level of testosterone concentration (40.0 +/- 12.6 ng/ml) was observed 24 h after rectal administration of hCG (400 IU/kg body weight) in combination with alpha-CyD (30 mg/kg body weight). Moreover, the plasma testosterone concentration (31.0 +/- 11.4 ng/ml) obtained 72 h after rectal administration tended to be maintained at a higher level than that (14.4 +/- 0.9ng/ml) observed before the administration. These results suggest that the hollow-type suppository as a rectal delivery system of hCG is promising as a new mode of hCG therapy.  (+info)