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Mushroom polyphenol oxidase (EC 1.14.18.1) was investigated to determine its potential for application as a biocatalyst in the synthesis of o-quinones, in organic medium. In order to determine the kinetic properties of the biocatalyst, a system was devised which comprised an immobilised polyphenol oxidase extract, functioning in chloroform. The system was hydrated by the addition of buffer. A simple method for the consistent measurement of reaction rates in this heterogenous system was designed and used to obtain detailed enzyme kinetic data relating to optimisation of reaction conditions and substrate specificity. The aqueous content of the system was optimised using p-cresol as a substrate. A crude, immobilised extract of Agaricus bisporus was used to hydroxylate and oxidise a range of selected p-substituted phenolic substrates, yielding, as the sale products, o-quinones. These products were efficiently reduced to catechols by extracting the reaction mixtures with aqueous ascorbic acid solution. The biocatalytic system was also successfully utilised to produce L-DOPA, the drug used to treat Parkinson's disease, from L-acetyl tyrosine ethyl ester (ATEE). Michaelis-Menten kinetics were used to obtain apparent Km and V values with respect to the selected phenolic substrates, and the kinetic parameters obtained were found to correlate well with the steric requirements of the substrates and with their hydrophobicity. In the course of the investigation, a novel ¹H NMR method was used to facilitate measurement of the UV molar absorption coefficients of the o-quinones in reaction mixtures, thus avoiding the necessity to isolate these unstable, water-sensitive products. The biocatalytic system was extended to a continuous process, in which the immobilised enzyme was shown to function successfully in the chloroform medium for several hours, with high conversion rates. Modifications, involving partial purification and the addition of a surfactant, were investigated to determine their effect on the kinetic parameters. The results obtained using partially purified enzyme indicated that the removal of extraneous protein and/or melanoid material lead to a reduced capacity for conversion of sterically demanding substrates. The addition of the anionic detergent, sodium dodecyl sulphate (SOS), enhanced the ability of the biocatalyst to bind and oxidise sterically demanding substrates. These effects are attributed to changes in the polar state of groups within the protein binding pocket, which result in altered flexibility and hydrophobicity. Computer modelling of several biomimetic dinuclear copper complexes also indicated the importance of flexibility for effective biocatalysis. Novel binuclear copper (II complexes, containing a flexible biphenyl spacer and imidazole or benzimidazole donors, were prepared and analysed using NMR, UV, AA and cyclic voltammetric techniques. The complexes were also shown, in a detailed kinetic study, to mimic the catecholase activity of polyphenol oxidase by oxidising 3,5-di-tertbutylcatechol, and to catalyse the coupling of the phenolic substrate 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol. However, the complexes were apparently too flexible to react with smaller substrates. These biomimetic complexes provided valuable insights into the nature of the dinuclear copper binding site.

Polyphenolases (O-diphenol: O₂ oxidoreductase E.C. 1.10.3.1) have been isolated from a wide variety of plant and animal sources. This work deals with the isolation and characterization of polyphenolase from a previously unreported source, Pyrus communis, the common pear, horticultural variety D'Anjou. The chronometric method of assay was used, in which the enzymic oxidation of the substrate, usually catechol, is coupled to the oxidation of ascorbic acid and the time required to oxidize a specific amount of substrate is noted as the time required to colorize an external startch-iodide indicator. Various methods of isolation and purification were attempted. After a suitable isolation procedure was established, the enzyme was characterized by its substrate specificity, and its sensitivity to temperature, pH and inhibitors. Pear polyphenolase was characterized in particulate and soluble forms. The enzyme differs from other reported catechol oxidases in that it does not oxidize monophenols. A new spectrophotometric assay is described.

This document only includes an excerpt of the corresponding thesis or dissertation. To request a digital scan of the full text, please contact the Ruth Lilly Medical Library's Interlibrary Loan Department (rlmlill@iu.edu).

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O microambiente tumoral é composto por células, como fibroblastos, células do sistema imune, células endoteliais e pericitos, envoltas por uma matriz extracelular, além de possuir fatores solúveis que participam da comunicação celular. Nas últimas décadas, têm-se entendido cada vez melhor seu papel na iniciação e progressão dos tumores. É de fundamental importância, portanto, entender a biologia dos seus componentes e como podem agir em favor do desenvolvimento tumoral. Diversos trabalhos demonstram que há uma associação entre a presença dos pericitos nos vasos tumorais com a agressividade e prognóstico de alguns tipos de câncer. Uma vez ativadas, além do papel estrutural, essas células modulam as atividades das células endoteliais durante a formação de novos vasos, além de adquirirem propriedades como proliferação e migração. Neste contexto, os pericitos passam a secretar fatores importantes na comunicação célula-a-célula e liberam enzimas moduladoras na matriz extracelular. A lisil oxidase (LOX) é uma das principais enzimas que atuam sobre a matriz extracelular. Já está bem descrito que, quando superexpressa em células tumorais, a LOX pode alterar a migração e invasão dessas células, promovendo a geração de metástases. Entretanto, pouco se sabe a respeito da atuação dessa enzima sobre os demais componentes celulares do estroma tumoral, como os pericitos. Sendo assim, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo principal verificar se enzima LOX é relevante para a ativação de propriedades dos pericitos que possam contribuir para suas funções pró-tumorigênicas, como migração, proliferação e formação de vasos. Os resultados foram gerados avaliando essas atividades dos pericitos após pré-tratamento de 24 horas com β-aminopropionitrile (βAPN), um inibidor irreversível da LOX. Foram utilizadas duas linhagens de pericitos derivados de tecido normal (adiposo e muscular) e duas linhagens de pericitos provenientes de tecido tumores do sistema nervoso central (neuroblastoma e ependimoma). Este composto foi capaz de diminuir a capacidade de migração das células de todas as linhagens testadas e, de maneira geral, tornou o processo de formação de estruturas tubulares in vitro menos eficiente. Entretanto, não foram observadas alterações na proliferação celular. Os dados indicam, portanto, que a enzima LOX pode ser importante para a ativação dos pericitos e, possivelmente, influenciem no seu comportamento no microambiente tumoral / The tumor microenvironment is composed of non-cancer cells, such as fibroblasts, immune cells, endothelial cells and pericytes, surrounded by an extracellular matrix, in addition to soluble factors involved in cellular crosstalk. In the last decades, it has been better understood its role in the initiation and progression of tumors. It is critical, therefore, to understand the biology of its components and how they can act in favor of tumor development. Several studies show an association between the presence of pericytes in tumor vessels with aggressiveness and prognosis of some cancers. Once activated, these cells modulate the activities of endothelial cells during the new vessels formation, and acquire properties as proliferation and migration. In this context, pericytes triggers the secretion of important factors in cell-to-cell communication and release modulating enzymes of extracellular matrix. The lysyl oxidase (LOX) is one of the main enzymes that act on the extracelular matrix. It is well described that when overexpressed in tumor cells, LOX can alter the migration and invasion of these cells, promoting the generation of metastases. However, little is known about the role of this enzyme over other cellular components of the tumor stroma, such as pericytes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to verify whether LOX enzyme is relevant to the activation of properties of the pericytes that could contribute to its pro-tumorigenic functions such as migration, proliferation and vessel formation. All the results were generated by evaluation of the activities of these pericytes after 24 hours pretreatment with β-aminopropionitrile (βAPN), an irreversible inhibitor of LOX. This study used two cell lines of pericytes derived from normal tissue (fat and muscle) and two isolated from tissue of the central nervous system. The βAPN was able to reduce the migration of cells of all tested cell lines and, in general, alter the tubular formation in vitro. However, changes in cell proliferation weren′t observed. The data showed, that the LOX family may be important for the activation of pericytes and possibly influence on their behavior in the tumor microenvironment

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2007. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 70-82). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.