Silveira, CM, Gomes SP, Araujo AN, Montenegro MC, Todorovic S, Viana AS, Silva RJ, Moura JJ, Almeida MG.
2010.
An efficient non-mediated amperometric biosensor for nitrite determination, May 15. Biosens Bioelectron. 25:2026-32., Number 9
AbstractIn this paper we propose the construction of a new non-mediated electrochemical biosensor for nitrite determination in complex samples. The device is based on the stable and selective cytochrome c nitrite reductase (ccNiR) from Desulfovibrio desulfuricans, which has both high turnover and heterogeneous electron transfer rates. In opposition to previous efforts making use of several redox mediators, in this work we exploited the capacity of ccNiR to display a direct electrochemical response when interacting with pyrolytic graphite (PG) surfaces. To enable the analytical application of such bioelectrode the protein was successfully incorporated within a porous silica glass made by the sol-gel process. In the presence of nitrite, the ccNiR/sol-gel/PG electrode promptly displays catalytic currents indicating that the entrapped ccNiR molecules are reduced via direct electron transfer. This result is noteworthy since the protein molecules are caged inside a non-conductive silica network, in the absence of any mediator species or electron relay. At optimal conditions, the minimum detectable concentration is 120 nM. The biosensor sensitivity is 430 mA M(-1) cm(-2) within a linear range of 0.25-50 microM, keeping a stable response up to two weeks. The analysis of nitrites in freshwaters using the method of standard addition was highly accurated.
Ramos, S, Almeida RM, Moura JJ, Aureliano M.
2010.
Implications of oxidovanadium(IV) binding to actin, Jun. J Inorg Biochem. 105:777-83., Number 6
AbstractOxidovanadium(IV), a cationic species (VO(2+)) of vanadium(IV), binds to several proteins, including actin. Upon titration with oxidovanadium(IV), approximately 100% quenching of the intrinsic fluorescence of monomeric actin purified from rabbit skeletal muscle (G-actin) was observed, with a V(50) of 131 muM, whereas for the polymerized form of actin (F-actin) 75% of quenching was obtained and a V(50) value of 320 muM. Stern-Volmer plots were used to estimate an oxidovanadium(IV)-actin dissociation constant, with K(d) of 8.2 muM and 64.1 muM VOSO(4), for G-actin and F-actin, respectively. These studies reveal the presence of a high affinity binding site for oxidovanadium(IV) in actin, producing local conformational changes near the tryptophans most accessible to water in the three-dimensional structure of actin. The actin conformational changes, also confirmed by (1)H NMR, are accompanied by changes in G-actin hydrophobic surface, but not in F-actin. The (1)H NMR spectra of G-actin treated with oxidovanadium(IV) clearly indicates changes in the resonances ascribed to methyl group and aliphatic regions as well as to aromatics and peptide-bond amide region. In parallel, it was verified that oxidovanadium(IV) prevents the G-actin polymerization into F-actin. In the 0-200 muM range, VOSO(4) inhibits 40% of the extent of polymerization with an IC(50) of 15.1 muM, whereas 500 muM VOSO(4) totally suppresses actin polymerization. The data strongly suggest that oxidovanadium(IV) binds to actin at specific binding sites preventing actin polymerization. By affecting actin structure and function, oxidovanadium(IV) might be responsible for many cellular effects described for vanadium.