A new chymotrypsin-like serine protease involved in dietary protein digestion in a primitive animal, Scorpio maurus: purification and biochemical characterization

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Most recent works on chymotrypsins have been focused on marine animals and insects. However, no study was reported in chelicerate.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Scorpion chymotrypsin-like protease (SCP) was purified to homogeneity from delipidated hepatopancreases. The protease NH₂-terminal sequence exhibited more than 60% monoacids identity with those of insect putative peptidases. The protease displayed no sequence homology with classical proteases. From this point of view, the protease recalls the case of the scorpion lipase which displayed no sequence homology with known lipases. The scorpion amylase purified and characterized by our time, has an amino-acids sequence similar to those of mammalian amylases. The enzyme was characterized with respect its biochemical properties: it was active on a chymotrypsin substrate and had an apparent molecular mass of 25 kDa, like the classically known chymotrypsins. The dependence of the SCP activity and stability on pH and temperature was similar to that of mammalian chymotrypsin proteases. However, the SCP displayed a lower specific activity and a boarder pH activity range (from 6 to 9).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>lower animal have a less evaluated digestive organ: a hepatopancreas, whereas, higher ones possess individualized pancreas and liver. A new chymotrypsin-like protease was purified for the first time from the scorpion hepatopancreas. Its biochemical characterization showed new features as compared to classical chymotrypsin-higher-animals proteases.</p

Immobilized Rhizopus oryzae lipase catalyzed synthesis of palm stearin and cetyl alcohol wax esters: Optimization by Response Surface Methodology

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Waxes are esters of long-chain fatty acids and long-chain alcohols. Their principal natural sources are animals (sperm whale oil) and vegetables (jojoba) which are expensive and not easily available. Wax esters synthesized by enzymatic transesterification, using palm stearin as raw material, can be considered as an alternative to natural ones.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Palm stearin is a solid fraction obtained by fractionation of palm oil. Palm stearin was esterified with cetyl alcohol to produce a mixture of wax esters. A non-commercial immobilized lipase from <it>Rhizopus oryzae </it>was used as biocatalyst. Response surface methodology was employed to determine the effects of the temperature (30-50°C), the enzyme concentration (33.34-300 IU/mL), the alcohol/palm stearin molar ratio (3-7 mol/mol) and the substrate concentration (0.06-0.34 g/mL) on the conversion yield of palm stearin. Under optimal conditions (temperature, 30°C; enzyme concentration, 300 IU/mL; molar ratio 3 and substrate concentration 0.21 g/mL) a high conversion yield of 98.52% was reached within a reaction time of 2 h.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Response surface methodology was successfully applied to determine the optimum operational conditions for synthesis of palm stearin based wax esters. This study may provide useful tools to develop economical and efficient processes for the synthesis of wax esters.</p

Evidence of the Involvement of E358, A498 and C571 of a New Cry1Ac δ-endotoxin of Bacillus thuringiensis in its High Insecticidal Activity Against Ephestia kuehniella

A new cry1Ac-type gene was cloned from Bacillus thuringiensis strain BLB1, sequenced and expressed. The deduced amino acid sequence of the polypeptide has a predicted molecular mass of 132.186 kDa. The amino acid sequence alignment of BLB1 Cry1Ac with those of the published ones showed that this is a new delta-endotoxin. When compared with Cry1Ac of Bacillus thuringiensis strain HD1, it was found that BLB1 Cry1Ac harbours three mutations: V358E localized in domain II and V498A and Y571C localized in domain III. When the BLB1 Cry1Ac toxin was expressed in an acrystalliferous strain of B. thuringiensis (HD1CryB), bipyramidal crystals were produced. The spore-crystal mixture of this recombinant strain was at least two-fold more active against larvae of the lepidopteran Ephestia kuehniella than that of the recombinant strain expressing Cry1Ac of HD1. The study of the structural effect of these mutations suggested that they may stabilize key regions involved in the binding of the domains II and III to insect receptors.Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Technology, "Departamento de Genetica, Fac. de Ciencias Biologicas, Universitat de Valencia, Spain" from the Federation of the Societies of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (FEBS)

Le monument dit « à auges » d’Althiburos : nouvelles interprétations

Nous présentons dans cette contribution le monument dit « à auges » d’Althiburos (el-Médéïna), site qui se trouve à environ 215 km au sud-ouest de Tunis et à 45 km au sud de la ville du Kef, l’antique Sicca Veneria. Le monument fut découvert par A. Merlin, lors des fouilles entreprises en 1912 dans le forum et ses abords. Situé au sud-est du forum, il est décrit ainsi par cet auteur : il est composé de deux salles rectangulaires oblongues non couvertes et communicantes en leur milieu par une ..

Lipid composition and antioxidant activity of liver oils from ray species living in Tunisian coasts

The proximate composition, fatty acid profiles, physicochemical properties and radical scavenging activities of liver oil from three ray species, Dasyatis pastinaca, Dasyatis violacea and Rhinoptera marginata, were investigated. Lipid contents of D. pastinaca (58.27%) and D. violacea (57.33%) were significantly high compared to those of R. marginata (10.90%). Among minerals, K and Na were the most abundant elements and the highest values were observed for R. marginata (153.7 and 115.86 mg/100 g, respectively). The fatty acid profiles exhibited a dominance of unsaturated fatty acids exceeding 65% of the total fatty acids. C16:0, C18:0 and C14:0 were the major saturated fatty acids. The most abundant monounsaturated fatty acids were C18:1 (10.88–21.98%) and C16:1 (4.47–23.95%). Interestingly, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid profiles exhibited a dominance of eicosapentaenoic acid (3.36–5.51%) and docosahexaenoic acid (9.07–30.50%). D. pastinaca contained the highest carotenoid and total phenolic content accompanied with the strongest free radical scavenging abilities. This study suggests that ray livers which were actually wasted, could be used as new raw material for omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid oil production and a good source of carotenoids and phenolic compounds