@article{BorgmeierBongaertsMeinhardt2012, author = {Borgmeier, Claudia and Bongaerts, Johannes and Meinhardt, Friedhelm}, title = {Genetic analysis of the Bacillus licheniformis degSU operon and the impact of regulatory mutations on protease production}, series = {Journal of biotechnology}, volume = {159}, journal = {Journal of biotechnology}, number = {1-2}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {1873-4863 (E-Journal); 0168-1656 (Print)}, doi = {10.1016/j.jbiotec.2012.02.011}, pages = {12 -- 20}, year = {2012}, abstract = {Disruption experiments targeted at the Bacillus licheniformis degSU operon and GFP-reporter analysis provided evidence for promoter activity immediately upstream of degU. pMutin mediated concomitant introduction of the degU32 allele - known to cause hypersecretion in Bacillus subtilis - resulted in a marked increase in protease activity. Application of 5-fluorouracil based counterselection through establishment of a phosphoribosyltransferase deficient Δupp strain eventually facilitated the marker-free introduction of degU32 leading to further protease enhancement achieving levels as for hypersecreting wild strains in which degU was overexpressed. Surprisingly, deletion of rapG - known to interfere with DegU DNA-binding in B. subtilis - did not enhance protease production neither in the wild type nor in the degU32 strain. The combination of degU32 and Δupp counterselection in the type strain is not only equally effective as in hypersecreting wild strains with respect to protease production but furthermore facilitates genetic strain improvement aiming at biological containment and effectiveness of biotechnological processes.}, language = {en} } @article{WernerGroebelKrumbeetal.2012, author = {Werner, Frederik and Groebel, Simone and Krumbe, Christoph and Wagner, Torsten and Selmer, Thorsten and Yoshinobu, Tatsuo and Baumann, Marcus and Sch{\"o}ning, Michael Josef}, title = {Nutrient concentration-sensitive microorganism-based biosensor}, series = {Physica Status Solidi (a)}, volume = {209}, journal = {Physica Status Solidi (a)}, number = {5}, publisher = {Wiley-VCH}, address = {Weinheim}, issn = {1862-6319}, doi = {10.1002/pssa.201100801}, pages = {900 -- 904}, year = {2012}, language = {en} } @article{BaeckerRaueSchusseretal.2012, author = {B{\"a}cker, Matthias and Raue, Markus and Schusser, Sebastian and Jeitner, C. and Breuer, L. and Wagner, P. and Poghossian, Arshak and F{\"o}rster, Arnold and Mang, Thomas and Sch{\"o}ning, Michael Josef}, title = {Microfluidic chip with integrated microvalves based on temperature- and pH-responsive hydrogel thin films}, series = {Physica Status Solidi (a)}, volume = {209}, journal = {Physica Status Solidi (a)}, number = {5}, publisher = {Wiley-VCH}, address = {Weinheim}, issn = {1862-6319}, doi = {10.1002/pssa.201100763}, pages = {839 -- 845}, year = {2012}, abstract = {Two types of microvalves based on temperature-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) and pH-responsive poly(sodium acrylate) (PSA) hydrogel films have been developed and tested. The PNIPAAm and PSA hydrogel films were prepared by means of in situ photopolymerization directly inside the fluidic channel of a microfluidic chip fabricated by combining Si and SU-8 technologies. The swelling/shrinking properties and height changes of the PNIPAAm and PSA films inside the fluidic channel were studied at temperatures of deionized water from 14 to 36 °C and different pH values (pH 3-12) of Titrisol buffer, respectively. Additionally, in separate experiments, the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the PNIPAAm hydrogel was investigated by means of a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) method. Mass-flow measurements have shown the feasibility of the prepared hydrogel films to work as an on-chip integrated temperature- or pH-responsive microvalve capable to switch the flow channel on/off.}, language = {en} } @article{LeursMezoOehlschlaegeretal.2012, author = {Leurs, Ulrike and Mezo, Gabor and {\"O}hlschl{\"a}ger, Peter and Orban, Erika and Marquard, Andrea and Manea, Marilena}, title = {Design, synthesis, in vitro stability and cytostatic effect of multifunctional anticancer drug-bioconjugates containing GnRH-III as a targeting moiety}, series = {Peptide Science}, volume = {98}, journal = {Peptide Science}, number = {1}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {New York, NY}, issn = {1097-0282}, doi = {10.1002/bip.21640}, pages = {1 -- 10}, year = {2012}, abstract = {Bioconjugates containing the GnRH-III hormone decapeptide as a targeting moiety are able to deliver chemotherapeutic agents specifically to cancer cells expressing GnRH receptors, thereby increasing their local efficacy while limiting the peripheral toxicity. However, the number of GnRH receptors on cancer cells is limited and they desensitize under continuous hormone treatment. A possible approach to increase the receptor mediated tumor targeting and consequently the cytostatic effect of the bioconjugates would be the attachment of more than one chemotherapeutic agent to one GnRH-III molecule. Here we report on the design, synthesis and biochemical characterization of multifunctional bioconjugates containing GnRH-III as a targeting moiety and daunorubicin as a chemotherapeutic agent. Two different drug design approaches were pursued. The first one was based on the bifunctional [4Lys]-GnRH-III (Glp-His-Trp-Lys-His-Asp-Trp-Lys-Pro-Gly-NH2) containing two lysine residues in positions 4 and 8, whose ϵ-amino groups were used for the coupling of daunorubicin. In the second drug design, the native GnRH-III (Glp-His-Trp-Ser-His-Asp-Trp-Lys-Pro-Gly-NH2) was used as a scaffold; an additional lysine residue was coupled to the ϵ-amino group of 8Lys in order to generate two free amino groups available for conjugation of daunorubicin. The in vitro stability/degradation of all synthesized compounds was investigated in human serum, as well as in the presence of rat liver lysosomal homogenate. Their cellular uptake was determined on human breast cancer cells and the cytostatic effect was evaluated on human breast, colon and prostate cancer cell lines. Compared with a monofunctional compound, both drug design approaches resulted in multifunctional bioconjugates with increased cytostatic effect.}, language = {en} } @article{AggarwalDhimanKumaretal.2012, author = {Aggarwal, P. and Dhiman, S. and Kumar, G. and Scherer, Ulrich W. and Singla, M. L. and Srivastava, A.}, title = {Optical study of poly(ethyleneterephthalate) modified by different ionizing radiation dose}, series = {Indian Journal of Pure and Applied Physics}, volume = {50}, journal = {Indian Journal of Pure and Applied Physics}, number = {2}, issn = {0019-5596}, pages = {129 -- 132}, year = {2012}, abstract = {Thin films of poly(ethyleneterephthalate) [PET]were exposed to radiation dose ranging from 10 to 30 kGy by using gamma rays in the range 12.8-177.8 MGy using swift light ions of hydrogen. There was no effect of the radiation dose on the optical behaviour of PET as a result of exposure to radiation dose up to 30 kGy brought about by gamma rays but a significant decrease in the optical band gap values was observed when PET was exposed to swift light ions of hydrogen. The data obtained are discussed in terms of optical studies carried out on PET using swift heavy ions.}, language = {en} }