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Summary.: We have studied the enzymatic derivatization of amino acids by use of the polyphenol oxidase laccase. Derivatization of L-tryptophan was achieved by enzymatic crosslinking with the laccase substrate 2,5-dihydroxy-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-benzamide. The main product (yield up to 70%) was identified as the quinoid compound 2-[2-(2-hydroxy-ethylcarbamoyl)-3,6-dioxo-cyclohexa-1,4-dienylamino]-3-(1H-indol-3-yl)- propionic acid and demonstrates that laccase-catalyzed C–N-coupling occurred on the amino group of the aliphatic side chain. These enzyme based reactions provide a simple and fast method for the derivatization of unprotected amino acids.

AbstractThe WENDELSTEIN 7-X stellarator (W7-X) is the next step device in the stellarator line of IPP and is presently under construction at the Greifswald branch institute. The experiment aims at demonstrating the steady state capability of a stellarator machine at reactor relevant parameters. An important feature of W7-X is the high geometrical accuracy of the magnetic configuration which implies tight tolerances in the construction and assembly phases. The magnetic system consists of 50 non planar and 20 planar superconducting coils. Critical components are the coil support elements connecting the coil to the central mechanical structure and the inter-coil elements connecting the coils one to the other. Efficient thermal insulation of the superconducting coils is achieved by high vacuum and multi-layer insulation. The plasma vessel is composed of 10 half-modules welded together during the assembly phase. A 10 MW ECRH system with CW-capability operation at 140 GHz is required to meet the scientific objective of W7-X.The paper will report the recent progress on W7-X with particular emphasis on the components where high technology solutions have been applied.

Abstract The ectomycorrhizal fungi Laccaria amethystina and Lactarius deterrimus grown in liquid culture were used to study the fate of added ferulic acid. Laccaria amethystina degraded ferulic acid to the major metabolite vanillic acid. The intermediate vanillin was not detected. Lactarius deterrimus showed a completely different detoxification pattern. Two dimers and one trimer of ferulic acid could be identified as polymerization products of this fungus. A bioassay of the possible biological activities of ferulic acid and vanillic acid on these fungi revealed that vanillic acid was less toxic than ferulic acid for Laccaria amethystina but that both phenolic acids were toxic for Lactarius deterrimus. The results are discussed with respect to ectomycorrhizal fungal growth in the organic layer of forest soils and between living root cells of ectomycorrhizas.

Investigations of the unicellular marine cyanobacterium SynechococcusPCC 7002 revealed its ability to metabolize phenol under non-photosynthetic conditions up to 100 mg L−1. Under continuous light, photoautotrophic growth was reduced only slightly in the presence of this phenol concentration, but no transformation was observed. However neither under photoautotrophic nor heterotrophic conditions were the cells able to use phenol for growth. During the degradation of phenol in the dark cis,cis-muconic acid was produced as the major product, which was identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. This result was confirmed by an identical absorption spectrum and an identical retention time in high performance liquid chromatographic analysis with authentic muconic acid as standard. This provides the first record for an ortho-fission of a phenolic substance by cyanobacteria. Further investigations of the breakdown mechanism of phenol have shown that the transformation is an extracellular process inhibited by heat, proteases and metal ions and is probably catalyzed by a protein.

Under-resolved passive-scalar measurements in liquid and gaseous shear layers have been known to over-predict mixed-fluid quantities as a result of sub-resolution stirring. In recent studies, simultaneous cold-chemistry (nitric oxide) and passive-scalar (acetone) planar laser-induced fluorescence have been employed for the measurement of sub-resolution molecular mixing. In the current work, the theory and experimental approach of this technique are reviewed, and new analyses of quenching corrections, differential diffusion errors, and imaging resolution are presented. Results from both experimental work and direct numerical simulations indicate that this technique provides a successful means of quantifying macro- and micro-scale turbulent molecular mixing in gaseous shear flows.

Abstract: Penicillium canescens SBUG-M 1139 was shown to be able to grow using phenoxybutyric acid as the sole carbon source. The rapid conversion of the phenoxyalkanoic acid resulted in the formation of phenol, which was metabolized completely. These reactions were accompanied by an accumulation of the methyl ketone phenoxypropan-2-one. Furthermore, during the metabolism of phenoxybutyric acid, 4-phenoxy-2,3-dehydrobutyric acid, 4-phenoxy-3-hydroxybutyric acid, phenoxyacetic acid, and phenoxypropan-2-ol accumulated in minor amounts. Clearly, fungi can metabolize phenoxyalkanoic acids to produce methyl ketones in a manner analogous to that used for the conversion of short- or medium-chain fatty acids by fungi.

Purified recombinant cytochrome P450 52A3 and the corresponding NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase from the alkane-assimilating yeast Candida maltosa were reconstituted into an active alkane monooxygenase system. Besides the primary product, 1-hexadecanol, the conversion of hexadecane yielded up to five additional metabolites, which were identified by gas chromatography-electron impact mass spectrometry as hexadecanal, hexadecanoic acid, 1, 16-hexadecanediol, 16-hydroxyhexadecanoic acid, and 1, 16-hexadecanedioic acid. As shown by substrate binding studies, the final product 1,16-hexadecanedioic acid acts as a competitive inhibitor of n-alkane binding and may be important for the metabolic regulation of the P450 activity. Kinetic studies of the individual sequential reactions revealed high Vmax values for the conversion of hexadecane, 1-hexadecanol, and hexadecanal (27, 23, and 69 min-1, respectively), whereas the oxidation of hexadecanoic acid, 1, 16-hexadecanediol, and 16-hydroxyhexadecanoic acid occurred at significantly lower rates (9, 9, and 5 min-1, respectively). 1-Hexadecanol was found to be the main branch point between mono- and diterminal oxidation. Taken together with data on the incorporation of 18O2-derived oxygen into the hexadecane oxidation products, the present study demonstrates that a single P450 form is able to efficiently catalyze a cascade of sequential mono- and diterminal monooxygenation reactions from n-alkanes to alpha, omega-dioic acids with high regioselectivity.

77 Ascomycetous, basidiomycetous as well as imperfect yeast strains of 46 different species and 20 genera were tested for growth with the substrates n-octane, n-hexadecane, and phenol. Of 59 yeast strains with ascomycetous cell wall structure 33 grew on hydrocarbons and 32 on phenol. No yeast strain out of 26 which are unable to use n-alkanes as a source of carbon and energy grew on phenol. In comparison with the latter 32 out of 33 n-hexadecane assimilating yeasts were also capable of using phenol. All n-octane utilizing yeasts of this group also assimilate phenol as a carbon source for growth.

The density of states (DOS) has been measured at room temperature for undoped a-Si: H by means of a temperature-modulated space-charge-limited currents (TM-SCLC) method in an annealed state A and after prolonged illumination - state B. With increasing illumination time the peak in the DOS at E - EC = 0·61 eV grows, and we attribute this to the D--Si dangling bond level. From the difference in the position of this D- level and the stable Fermi level in state B (EF - EC = 0·79 eV) we deduce that the effective correlation energy of Si dangling bond in undoped a-Si: H is Ueft = +0·36 ± 0·03 eV.