The Biochemical Literacy Framework: Inviting pedagogical innovation in higher education.

When developing meaningful curricula, institutions must engage with the desired disciplinary attributes of their graduates. Successfully employed in several areas, including psychology and chemistry, disciplinary literacies provide structure for the development of core competencies-pursuing progressive education. To this end, we have sought to develop a comprehensive blueprint of a graduate biochemist, providing detailed insight into the development of skills in the context of disciplinary knowledge.

Linking physiologically-based pharmacokinetic and genome-scale metabolic networks to understand estradiol biology.

Background: Estrogen is a vital hormone that regulates many biological functions within the body. These include roles in the development of the secondary sexual organs in both sexes, plus uterine angiogenesis and proliferation during the menstrual cycle and pregnancy in women. The varied biological roles of estrogens in human health also make them a therapeutic target for contraception, mitigation of the adverse effects of the menopause, and treatment of estrogen-responsive tumours.

Constituents of Bulbs of three Species of the Hyacinthaceae (Hyacinthoideae): Eucomis vandermerwei, E. zambesiaca and Resnova humifusa.

Phytochemical analyses of the bulbs of Eucomis vandermerwei and E. zambesiaca yielded homoisoflavonoids and triterpenoid derivatives. A new (17S*23S*)-epoxy-3β,15β,29-trihydroxy-27-norlanost-8-en-24-one) was isolated from E.

Effect of sleep deprivation on the human metabolome.

Sleep restriction and circadian clock disruption are associated with metabolic disorders such as obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes. The metabolic pathways involved in human sleep, however, have yet to be investigated with the use of a metabolomics approach. Here we have used untargeted and targeted liquid chromatography (LC)/MS metabolomics to examine the effect of acute sleep deprivation on plasma metabolite rhythms.

Fatty acid binding proteins: tissue-specific functions in health and disease.

Purpose Of Review: The purpose of this study is to review recent evidence for the role of the cytosolic fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs) as central regulators of whole-body metabolic control.

Recent Findings: Dysregulated FABPs have been associated with a number of diseases, including obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (FABP1, FABP2, FABP4), cardiovascular risk (FABP3) and cancer (FABP5, FABP7). As underlying mechanisms become better understood, FABPs may represent novel biomarkers for therapeutic targets.

Bilirubin oxidase bioelectrocatalytic cathodes: the impact of hydrogen peroxide.

Mediator-less, direct electro-catalytic reduction of oxygen to water by bilirubin oxidase (Myrothecium sp.) was obtained on anthracene-modified, multi-walled carbon nanotubes. H2O2 was found to significantly and irreversibly affect the electro-catalytic activity of bilirubin oxidase, whereas similar electrodes comprised of laccase (Trametes versicolor) were reversibly inhibited.

Hydrogen peroxide produced by glucose oxidase affects the performance of laccase cathodes in glucose/oxygen fuel cells: FAD-dependent glucose dehydrogenase as a replacement.

Hydrogen peroxide production by glucose oxidase (GOx) and its negative effect on laccase performance have been studied. Simultaneously, FAD-dependent glucose dehydrogenase (FAD-GDH), an O2-insensitive enzyme, has been evaluated as a substitute. Experiments focused on determining the effect of the side reaction of GOx between its natural electron acceptor O2 (consumed) and hydrogen peroxide (produced) in the electrolyte.

COX-2 inhibitory activity of homoisoflavanones and xanthones from the bulbs of the Southern African Ledebouria socialis and Ledebouria ovatifolia (Hyacinthaceae: Hyacinthoideae).

The bulbs of Ledebouria socialis (Hyacinthaceae) yielded the benzocyclobutene homoisoflavonoid, (R)-2',5-dihydroxy-3',4',7-trimethoxyspiro{2H-1-benzopyran-3-(4H)-9-bicyclo[4.2.0]octa[1,3,5]triene}-4-one, socialinone (1).

Identification of human plasma metabolites exhibiting time-of-day variation using an untargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry metabolomic approach.

Although daily rhythms regulate multiple aspects of human physiology, rhythmic control of the metabolome remains poorly understood. The primary objective of this proof-of-concept study was identification of metabolites in human plasma that exhibit significant 24-h variation. This was assessed via an untargeted metabolomic approach using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS).

An optimised glucose oxidase bioelectrode exhibiting high performance direct electron transfer.

A glucose oxidase (GOd) bioelectrode exhibiting high performance, direct electron transfer (DET) has been prepared. Unprecedented redox peak current densities of 1 mA cm(-2) were observed alongside a clear electrochemical response to glucose. This system shows potential as a low cost, high performance enzymatic bioelectrode.

Characterization of rhodamine-123 as a tracer dye for use in in vitro drug transport assays.

Fluorescent tracer dyes represent an important class of sub-cellular probes and allow the examination of cellular processes in real-time with minimal impact upon these processes. Such tracer dyes are becoming increasingly used for the examination of membrane transport processes, as they are easy-to-use, cost effective probe substrates for a number of membrane protein transporters. Rhodamine 123, a member of the rhodamine family of flurone dyes, has been used to examine membrane transport by the ABCB1 gene product, MDR1.

Dynamic changes in the microbial community composition in microbial fuel cells fed with sucrose.

The performance and dynamics of the bacterial communities in the biofilm and suspended culture in the anode chamber of sucrose-fed microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were studied by using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of PCR-amplified partial 16S rRNA genes followed by species identification by sequencing. The power density of MFCs was correlated to the relative proportions of species obtained from DGGE analysis in order to detect bacterial species or taxonomic classes with important functional role in electricity production. Although replicate MFCs showed similarity in performance, cluster analysis of DGGE profiles revealed differences in the evolution of bacterial communities between replicate MFCs.

The statin class of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors demonstrate differential activation of the nuclear receptors PXR, CAR and FXR, as well as their downstream target genes.

The therapeutic class of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, the statins are central agents in the treatment of hypercholesterolaemia and the associated conditions of cardiovascular disease, obesity and metabolic syndrome. Although statin therapy is generally considered safe, a number of known adverse effects do occur, most commonly treatment-associated muscular pain. In vitro evidence also supports the potential for drug-drug interactions involving this class of agents, and to examine this a ligand-binding assay was used to determine the ability of six clinically used statins for their ability to directly activate the nuclear receptors pregnane X-receptor (PXR), farnesoid X-receptor (FXR) and constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), demonstrating a relative activation of PXR>FXR>CAR.

Tissue-specific functions in the fatty acid-binding protein family.

The intracellular fatty acid-binding proteins (FABPs) are abundantly expressed in almost all tissues. They exhibit high affinity binding of a single long-chain fatty acid, with the exception of liver FABP, which binds two fatty acids or other hydrophobic molecules. FABPs have highly similar tertiary structures consisting of a 10-stranded antiparallel β-barrel and an N-terminal helix-turn-helix motif.

A one-compartment fructose/air biological fuel cell based on direct electron transfer.

The construction and characterization of a one-compartment fructose/air biological fuel cell (BFC) based on direct electron transfer is reported. The BFC employs bilirubin oxidase and d-fructose dehydrogenase adsorbed on a cellulose-multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) matrix, reconstituted with an ionic liquid, as the biocathode and the bioanode for oxygen reduction and fructose oxidation reactions, respectively. The performance of the bioelectrode was investigated by chronoamperometric and cyclic voltammetric techniques in a standard three-electrode cell, and the polarization and long-term stability of the BFC was tested by potentiostatic discharge.

Direct electron transfer of glucose oxidase immobilized in an ionic liquid reconstituted cellulose-carbon nanotube matrix.

Conductive cellulose-multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) matrix with a porous structure and good biocompatibility has been prepared using a room temperature ionic liquid (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate) as solvent. Glucose oxidase (GOx) was encapsulated in this matrix and thereby immobilized on a glassy carbon surface. The direct electron transfer and electrocatalysis of the encapsulated GOx has been investigated using cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry.

A comparative study of the single crystal X-ray determination and molecular modelling of the binding of oligomycin to ATP synthase.

Recently published X-ray structures of three common forms, A, B and C, of oligomycin, including absolute configurations, are investigated to examine their binding to ATP Synthase. The X-ray studies reveal regions with differences in three-dimensional structure and hydrogen bonding propensity between the oligomycins, which may be associated with their potential to bind to sites on ATP Synthase. Computational docking studies carried out using MOE with the X-ray structures and an homology model of the F(O) domain of ATP Synthase from Escherichia coli, are used to derive an induced fit pocket.

Factors affecting the performance of microbial fuel cells for sulfur pollutants removal.

A microbial fuel cell (MFC) has been developed for removal of sulfur-based pollutants and can be used for simultaneous wastewater treatment and electricity generation. This fuel cell uses an activated carbon cloth+carbon fibre veil composite anode, air-breathing dual cathodes and the sulfate-reducing species Desulfovibrio desulfuricans. 1.

Activated carbon cloth as anode for sulfate removal in a microbial fuel cell.

By employing the sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio desulfuricans we demonstrate the possibility of electricity generation in a microbialfuel cell (MFC) with concomitant sulfate removal. This approach is based on an in situ anodic oxidative depletion of sulfide produced by D. desulfuricans.

Characterization of a BODIPY-labeled fluorescent fatty acid analogue. Binding to fatty acid-binding proteins, intracellular localization, and metabolism.

The BODIPY-labeled fatty acid analogues are a useful addition to the tools employed to study the cellular uptake and metabolism of lipids. In this study, we show that BODIPY FL C(16) binds to purified liver and intestinal fatty acid-binding proteins with high affinity at a site similar to that for the physiological fatty acid oleic acid. Further, in human intestinal Caco-2 cells BODIPY FL C(16) co-localizes extensively with mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum/Golgi, and L-FABP.

Decreased expression of the vitamin C transporter SVCT1 by ascorbic acid in a human intestinal epithelial cell line.

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is an essential nutrient that is involved in a number of cellular processes. However, unlike most mammals, man is unable to synthesize vitamin C and it must therefore be acquired from the diet. Absorption of vitamin C is achieved by two transporters, SVCTI and SVCT2, recently cloned from rat and human kidney.