The search for the ideal biocatalyst

While the use of enzymes as biocatalysts to assist in the industrial manufacture of fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals has enormous potential, application is frequently limited by evolution-led catalyst traits. The advent of designer biocatalysts, produced by informed selection and mutation through recombinant DNA technology, enables production of process-compatible enzymes. However, to fully realize the potential of designer enzymes in industrial applications, it will be necessary to tailor catalyst properties so that they are optimal not only for a given reaction but also in the context of the industrial process in which the enzyme is applied

Structural characterization of a polymer substituted fullerene (flagellene) by small angle neutron scattering

Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) can structurally characterize fullerenes in solvents with strong SANS contrast (e.g. CS{sub 2}). Deuterated solvents (e.g. toluene-d{sub 8}) have a high scattering length density (SLD), which is close to that of C{sub 60} and C{sub 70} moieties. Hence, there is virtually no SANS contrast with the solvent and these particles are practically ``invisible`` in such media. On the other hand, the negative scattering length of hydrogen means that the SLD of H{sup 1}-containing materials is much lower, so they have strong contrast with toluene-d{sub 8}. Thus, SANS makes it possible to study the size and shapes of modified buckyballs such as the polymer-substituted fullerenes, or flagellenes. These consist of C{sub 60} cores to which 1-4 polystryene chains (with a molecular weight, MW {approx_equal} 2000) are attached. The extrapolated cross section at zero angle of scatter [d{Sigma}/d{Omega}(0)] is a function of the number of pendant chains, so SANS can be used to assess the number of ``arms`` which are covalently attached to the fullerene ``sphere.`` Close agreement ({plus_minus}4%) between measured and calculated values of d{Sigma}/d{Omega}(0) along with independent estimates of the radius of gyration (R{sub g}) and second virial coefficient (A{sub 2}) for a calibration linear polystyrene sample serves as a cross check on the validity of this methodology

Amyloid-β peptide levels in brain are inversely correlated with insulysin activity levels in vivo

Factors that elevate amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide levels are associated with an increased risk for Alzheimer's disease. Insulysin has been identified as one of several proteases potentially involved in Aβ degradation based on its hydrolysis of Aβ peptides in vitro. In this study, in vivo levels of brain Aβ40 and Aβ42 peptides were found to be increased significantly (1.6- and 1.4-fold, respectively) in an insulysin-deficient gene-trap mouse model. A 6-fold increase in the level of the γ-secretase-generated C-terminal fragment of the Aβ precursor protein in the insulysin-deficient mouse also was found. In mice heterozygous for the insulysin gene trap, in which insulysin activity levels were decreased ≈50%, brain Aβ peptides were increased to levels intermediate between those in wild-type mice and homozygous insulysin gene-trap mice that had no detectable insulysin activity. These findings indicate that there is an inverse correlation between in vivo insulysin activity levels and brain Aβ peptide levels and suggest that modulation of insulysin activity may alter the risk for Alzheimer's disease