STUDIES ON INCREASING THE ACTIVITY OF SELENIUM-CONTAINING ABZYME .1. SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION AND PROPERTIES OF HAPTEN AND ANTIGEN

The thiol group of glutathione (GSH) reacts specifically with 2,4-di-ni-trochlorobenzene to give S-substituted dinitrophenyl glutathione (GSH-S-DNP); two carboxyl groups of GSH-S-DNP were further esterified by n-butanol to produce the hapten, multisubstrate analog GSH-S-DNP Butyl Ester (GSH-S-DNP BE). The primary structure of the hapten was characterized by the free. amino group analysis, H-1 NMR, IR determinations and the elemental analysis. The hapten was then conjugated to bovine serum albumin (BSA) in the presence of glutaraldehyde. The reaction mixture was purified by Ultrogel AcA54 colum chromatography to give the antigen. On an average, 25 haptens were bound to each BSA molecule. Electrophoresis analysis showed that the average molecular weight of the antigen was 87 KD. CD spectrum showed that the a-helix content of the antigen increased.

Hymeniacidon perleve associated bioactive bacterium Pseudomonas sp NJ6-3-1

Among marine bacteria isolated from the cytotoxic sponge Hymeniacidon perleve, one strain NJ6-3-1 classified as Pseudomonas sp. showed both cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities. Fatty acid analysis indicated that the bacterial strain consists mainly of C16:1, C16:0, C18:1, C18:0, C15:0, C14:0. One unusual 9,10-cyclopropane-C17:0 fatty acid and C26:0 also constitute major components, as well as the existence of squalene, the precursor of triterpenoids. The major metabolites in the culture broth were identified as alkaloids, including diketopiperazines and indole compounds, namely 3,6-diisopropylpiperazine-2,5-dione, 3-benzyl-3-isopropylpiperazine-2,5-dione, 3,6-bis-(2-methylpropyl)-piperazine-2,5-dione, indole-3-carboxaldehyde, indole-3-carboxylic acid methyl ester, indole-3-ethanol, and quinazoline-2,4-dione.

Antimicrobial screening and active compound isolation from marine bacterium NJ6-3-1 associated with the sponge Hymeniacidon perleve

Twenty-nine marine bacterial strains were isolated from the sponge Hymeniacidon perleve at Nanji island, and antimicrobial screening showed that eight strains inhibited the growth of terrestrial microorganisms. The strain NJ6-3-1 with wide antimicrobial spectrum was identified as Pseudoalteromonas piscicida based on its 16S rRNA sequence analysis. The major antimicrobial metabolite, isolated through bioassay-guide fractionation of TLC bioautography overlay assay, was identified as norharman (a beta-carboline alkaloid) by EI-MS and NMR.