No abstract

Ganglioside GM1 and its seven potential catabolic products: asialo-GM1, GM2, asialo-GM2, GM3, Lac-Cer, Glc-Cer and Cer, were labelled with tetramethylrhodamine (TMR) to permit ultra-sensitive analysis using laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection. The preparation involved acylation of the homogenous C18 lyso-forms of GM1, Lac-Cer, Glc-Cer and Cer with the N-hydroxysuccinimide ester of a β-alanine-tethered 6-TMR derivative, followed by conversion of these labelled products using galactosidase, sialidase and sialyltransferase enzymes. The TMR-glycolipd analogs produced are detectable on TLC down to the 1 ng level by naked eye. All 8 compounds could be separated in under 4 minutes in capillary electrophoresis where they could be detected at the zeptomole (ca 1000 molecule) level using LIF.

No abstract

Alkaliphilic bacteria were isolated from soil and water samples obtained from Ethiopian soda lakes in the Rift Valley area--Lake Shala, Lake Abijata, and Lake Arenguadi. Starch-hydrolyzing isolates were selected on the basis of their activity on starch agar plate assay. Sixteen isolates were chosen, characterized, and subjected to 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. All the isolates were gram positive and catalase- and beta-galactosidase positive. All isolates except one were motile endospore-forming rods and were found to be closely related to the Bacillus cluster, being grouped with Bacillus pseudofirmus, Bacillus cohnii, Bacillus vedderi, and Bacillus agaradhaerens. The one exception had nonmotile coccoid cells and was closely related to Nesterenkonia halobia. The majority of the isolates showed optimal growth at 37 degrees C and tolerated salinity up to 10% (w/v) NaCl. Both extracellular and cell-bound amylase activity was detected among the isolates. The amylase activity of two isolates, related to B. vedderi and B. cohnii, was stimulated by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and inhibited in the presence of calcium ions. Pullulanase activity was expressed by isolates grouped with B. vedderi and also most of the isolates clustered with B. cohnii; cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase was expressed by most of the B. agaradhaerens-related strains. Minor levels of alpha-glucosidase activity were detected in all the strains.

Glycosylation is the most abundant form of post-translational modification of proteins. Over 50 % of all protein sequences are glycosylated in eukaryotic systems.[1] Glycosylated lipids are also widespread in animal cells: they constitute up to 5-10 % of the cell membrane content and are responsible for a wide array of pathological disorders.[2]The structural analysis, or sequencing, of the oligosaccharide chains of glycoproteins and glycolipids is much more complex than that of DNA or proteins, as the molecules are generally branched and the linkage between sugar residues introduces a new a or b stereocenter. The major analytical approaches [3] rely on the detection of oligosaccharides either by mass spectrometry (MS) or pulsed amperometry. Oligosaccharides released from glycoproteins or glycolipids by chemical or enzymatic methods are also frequently labeled at the reducing end to afford increased sensitivity of detection. [4]