Presence Of Magnesium Cations Research Articles

Selective recovery of scandium with acid solutions of magnesium sulphate from ESP dust generated by bauxite sintering plants

Among potential sources of scandium and other rare earth elements (REEs) there are semiproducts generated by the alumina industry. They include red mud and ESP dust generated by sintering plants. Most of the previous research studies focused on red mud leaching using a variety of strong acids. However, because of the need to neutralize the caustic alkali present in red mud, as well as to dissolve iron and other macrocomponents, the above process is associated with a high consumption of reagents. This paper examines the possibility to selectively recover REEs from ESP dust at high pH values in the presence of magnesium cations. It is shown that the prior water leaching of ESP dust helps achieve a double rise in the REE concentration and considerably lower the concentration of Na2O in the solid residue. For selective recovery of REEs, the authors used weak solutions (pH = 2÷5) of sulphuric acid with magnesium sulphate. The latter help to desorb REEs from the surface of minerals contained in the solid residue. Over 75% Sc was recovered through solid residue leaching conducted at the temperature of 80 oC, liquid-to-solid ratio of 10:1 and duration of 60 min at pH = 2. The recovery of iron and titanium did not exceed 1–5%. With all other conditions being equal, raising pH to 3.5 would lead to a drop in the scandium recovery to 63% while the recovery of iron and titanium would drop to 0.2%. It was also found that, as the result of sulphuric acid leaching, the calcium that is present in the initial ESP dust gets precipitated in the form of gypsum and a certain amount of REEs may get carried away. This research was carried out as part of Grant No. 22-29-01515 of the Russian Science Foundation; the concentration of rare earth elements in the solid residue was determined through inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, supported through an assignment of the Government of the Russian Federation under Grant No. 075-03-2021-051/5.

Anion exchange resins in phosphate form as versatile carriers for the reactions catalyzed by nucleoside phosphorylases.

In the present work, we suggested anion exchange resins in the phosphate form as a source of phosphate, one of the substrates of the phosphorolysis of uridine, thymidine, and 1-(β-ᴅ-arabinofuranosyl)uracil (Ara-U) catalyzed by recombinant E. coli uridine (UP) and thymidine (TP) phosphorylases. α-ᴅ-Pentofuranose-1-phosphates (PF-1Pis) obtained by phosphorolysis were used in the enzymatic synthesis of nucleosides. It was found that phosphorolysis of uridine, thymidine, and Ara-U in the presence of Dowex® 1X8 (phosphate; Dowex-nPi) proceeded smoothly in the presence of magnesium cations in water at 20–50 °C for 54–96 h giving rise to quantitative formation of the corresponding pyrimidine bases and PF-1Pis. The resulting PF-1Pis can be used in three routes: (1) preparation of barium salts of PF-1Pis, (2) synthesis of nucleosides by reacting the crude PF-1Pi with an heterocyclic base, and (3) synthesis of nucleosides by reacting the ionically bound PF-1Pi to the resin with an heterocyclic base. These three approaches were tested in the synthesis of nelarabine, kinetin riboside, and cladribine with good to excellent yields (52–93%).

Structural Insights into tRNA via Hypochromism

Categorizing the various levels of protein and nucleic acid structures is a relatively straightforward concept students understand quickly when shown representative structural images. However, keeping in mind the idea of primary, secondary, and tertiary structure proves more difficult when students are in the laboratory setting simply looking at a clear solution containing tRNA. Here, a laboratory exercise is described comparing A260 values from tRNA samples containing structural elements to samples where all structure has been abolished through the use of alkaline base hydrolysis. The amount of hypochromism resulting from structural features in tRNA is used to highlight the different levels of structure formed in the absence and presence of magnesium cations.

Regioselective formation of RNA strands in the absence of magnesium ions.

The oligomerization of ribonucleotides can produce short RNA strands in the absence of enzymes. This reaction gives one of two regioisomeric phosphodiester linkages, a 2′,5′- or a 3′,5′-diester. The former, non-natural linkage is detrimental for duplex stability, and is known to form preferentially in oligomerizations occurring in homogeneous solution with preactivated nucleotides in the presence of magnesium cations. We have studied ribonucleotide oligomerization with in situ activation, using NMR as monitoring technique. Unexpectedly, the known preference for 2′,5′-linkages in the oligomerization of AMP was reversed in the absence of magnesium ions at slightly basic pH. Further, oligomerization was surprisingly efficient in the absence of Mg2+ salts, producing oligomers long enough for duplex formation. A quantitative systems chemistry analysis then revealed that the absence of magnesium ions favors the activation of nucleotides, and that the high concentration of active species can compensate for slower coupling. Further, organocatalytic intermediates can help to overcome the unfavorable regioselectivity of the magnesium-catalyzed reactions. Our findings allay concerns that RNA may have been difficult to form in the absence of enzymes. They also show that there is an efficient path to genetic material that does not require mineral surfaces or cations known to catalyze RNA hydrolysis.

Electroactivity of Aptamer at Soft Microinterface Arrays.

The electrochemical behavior of a synthetic oligonucleotide, thrombin-binding aptamer (TBA, 15-mer), was explored at a liquid-organogel microinterface array. TBA did not display any response when only background electrolytes were present in both phases. On the basis of literature reports that surfactants can influence nucleic acid detection, the response in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium (CTA+) was examined. With both TBA and CTA+ in the aqueous phase, the transfer current for CTA+ was diminished, signifying the interaction of CTA+ with TBA. Experiments with CTA+ spiked into the organic phase revealed a sharp current peak, consistent with the interfacial formation of a CTA+-TBA complex. However, use of CTA+ as the organic phase electrolyte cation, as the salt with tetrakis(4-chlorophenyl)borate, greatly improved the response to TBA. In this case, a distinctive peak response (at ca. -0.25 V) was attributed to the transfer of CTA+ across the soft interface to complex with aqueous phase TBA. Employing this process as a detection step enabled a detection limit of 0.11 μM TBA (by cyclic voltammetry). Furthermore, the presence of magnesium cations at physiological concentration resulted in the disappearance of the TBA response because of Mg2+-induced folding of TBA. Also, the current response of TBA was decreased by the addition of thrombin, indicating TBA interacted with this binding partner. Finally, the interfacial surfactant-aptamer interaction was explored in a synthetic urine matrix that afforded a detection limit of 0.29 μM TBA. These results suggest that aptamer-binding interactions can be monitored by electrochemistry at aqueous-organic interfaces and open up a new possibility for detection in aptamer-binding assays.

Structural and biochemical analyses of a Clostridium perfringens sortase D transpeptidase.

The assembly and anchorage of various pathogenic proteins on the surface of Gram-positive bacteria is mediated by the sortase family of enzymes. These cysteine transpeptidases catalyze a unique sorting signal motif located at the C-terminus of their target substrate and promote the covalent attachment of these proteins onto an amino nucleophile located on another protein or on the bacterial cell wall. Each of the six distinct classes of sortases displays a unique biological role, with sequential activation of multiple sortases often observed in many Gram-positive bacteria to decorate their peptidoglycans. Less is known about the members of the class D family of sortases (SrtD), but they have a suggested role in spore formation in an oxygen-limiting environment. Here, the crystal structure of the SrtD enzyme from Clostridium perfringens was determined at 1.99 Å resolution. Comparative analysis of the C. perfringens SrtD structure reveals the typical eight-stranded β-barrel fold observed in all other known sortases, along with the conserved catalytic triad consisting of cysteine, histidine and arginine residues. Biochemical approaches further reveal the specifics of the SrtD catalytic activity in vitro, with a significant preference for the LPQTGS sorting motif. Additionally, the catalytic activity of SrtD is most efficient at 316 K and can be further improved in the presence of magnesium cations. Since C. perfringens spores are heat-resistant and lead to foodborne illnesses, characterization of the spore-promoting sortase SrtD may lead to the development of new antimicrobial agents.

Assistance of Magnesium Cations on Degradation of Refractory Organic Pollutant by Ozone: Nitrobenzene as Model Compound

Selecting nitrobenzene as a model compound, the assistance of magnesium cations on ozon ation of refractory organic pollutant was investigated in pure water background. It is interesting to find that the presence of magnesium cations with a level of tens of millimoles per liter can obviously increase the degradation and mineralization efficiency of nitrobenzene compared with the case of ozonation alone. At lower pH condition, the magnesium cations still effectively assisted the ozonation of nitrobenzene. Ozone decomposition was accelerated by the presence of magnesium cations. It was confirmed that the presence of magnesium cations promoted the generation of hydroxyl radicals. It was speculated that the formation of hydroxyl group by the deprotonation of the hexaqueous magnesium cations complex Mg[H2O]6 2+ promoted the hydroxyl radical formation. However, the promotion was found to be unremarkable and should not be the sole reason for the assistance of magnesium cations on ozonation. The complexation reaction between the hexaqueous magnesium cations complex and carboxylic group may be part of the reason for the magnesium cation- assisted ozonation of organic pollutants. This finding will provide fundamental support for the applications of ozone to treat the concentrated water from membrane filtration which contains both high concentration of magnesium cations and organic pollutants.

The catalytic properties and stability of β-galactosidases from fungi

The catalytic activity of β-galactosidases from fungi Penicillium canescens and Aspergillus oryzae is maximum in a weakly acidic medium and does not depend on the presence of magnesium cations in the reaction medium. The enzyme from Aspergillus oryzae fungi is more active, and that from Penicillium canescens is stabler. One of stability indications is the presence of an induction period in the kinetic curves of thermal inactivation. This period disappears at 54°C for the enzyme from Aspergillus oryzae and at 59°C for the enzyme from Penicillium canescens. The temperature dependences of the effective rate constants for the inactivation of the tetrameric enzyme from Penicillium canescens show that the main reason for enzyme inactivation is the dissociation of oligomeric forms below 66°C (Eact = 85 kJ/mol) and enzyme denaturation at higher temperatures (Eact = 480 kJ/mol). The dissociation stage is absent for monomeric β-galactosidase from Aspergillus oryzae fungi, and the activation energy of inactivation is 450 kJ/mol over the whole temperature range studied (53–60°C).

Effect of magnesium cations on the activity and stability of β-galactosidases

It was shown that the presence of magnesium cations in the reaction mixture increases, approximately twofold, the activity of bacterial Escherichia coli and yeast Kluyveromyces lactis β-galactosidases but does not affect the activity of bovine liver and fungous Penicillium canescens β-galactosidases. The catalytic constants for E. coli and yeast K. lactis β-galactosidases in the presence of 0.01 M and in the absence of Mg2+ cations were determined (490 and 220 s−1 and 59.8 and 37.4 s−1, respectively). It was shown that the Michaelis constants for these two enzymes are higher in the presence of Mg2+ cations, that the thermal stability of E. coli and K. Lactis β-galactosidases is higher in the presence of 0.01 M Mg2+, and that the effective rate constants of thermal inactivation of the enzymes are two-to eightfold lower, depending on conditions, in the presence of Mg2+ cations. The maximum stabilizing effect of magnesium cations was observed at weak alkaline pH values (7.5–8.5).

A comparative study of the structure and properties of β-galactosidases

A comparative study of β-galactosidase amino acid sequences of E. coli and another four out of 11 microorganisms selected at the first stage was performed. It was shown that the functional amino acid residues in the catalytic domain and the ligand environment of the magnesium cation for all five sequences are identical. The mechanism of the catalytic action of E. coli and K. lactis β-galactosidases was investigated by the method of nucleophilic competition. It was shown that the mechanism of the effects of nucleophilic agents is kinetically identical both enzymes: the presence of methanol or butanediols affects the stage of degalactosylation; the presence of magnesium cations promotes the activity of both β-galactosidases; and the mechanisms of the thermal inactivation of E. coli and K. lactis β-galactosidases are different.

Interactions of nucleotide cofactors with the Escherichia coli replication factor DnaC protein.

Quantitative analyses of the interactions of nucleotide cofactors with the Escherichia coli replicative factor DnaC protein have been performed using thermodynamically rigorous fluorescence titration techniques. This approach allowed us to obtain stoichiometries of the formed complexes and interaction parameters, without any assumptions about the relationship between the observed signal and the degree of binding. The stoichiometry of the DnaC-nucleotide complex has been determined in direct binding experiments with fluorescent nucleotide analogues, MANT-ATP and MANT-ADP. The stoichiometry of the DnaC complexes with unmodified ATP and ADP has been determined using the macromolecular competition titration method (MCT). The obtained results established that at saturation the DnaC protein binds a single nucleotide molecule per protein monomer. Analyses of the binding of fluorescent analogues and unmodified nucleotides to the DnaC protein show that ATP and ADP have the same affinities for the nucleotide-binding site, albeit the corresponding complexes have different structures, specifically affected by the presence of magnesium cations in solution. Although the presence of the gamma-phosphate does not affect the affinity, the structure of the triphosphate group is critical. While the affinity of ATP-gamma-S is the same as the affinity of ATP, the affinities of AMP-PNP and AMP-PCP are approximately 2 and approximately 4 orders lower than that of ATP, respectively. Moreover, the ribose plays a significant role in forming a stable complex. The binding constants of dATP and dADP are approximately 2 orders of magnitude lower than those for ribose nucleotides. The nucleotide-binding site of the DnaC protein is highly base specific. The intrinsic affinity of adenosine triphosphates and diphosphates is at least 3-4 orders of magnitude higher than for any of the other examined nucleotides. The obtained data indicate that the recognition mechanism of the nucleotide by the structural elements of the binding site is complex with the base providing the specificity and the ribose, as well as the second phosphate group contributing to the affinity. The significance of the results for the functioning of the DnaC protein is discussed.

Flexibility of RNA.

One of the fundamental properties of the RNA helix is its intrinsic resistance to bend- or twist-deformations. Results of a variety of physical measurements point to a persistence length of 700-800 A for double-stranded RNA in the presence of magnesium cations, approximately 1.5-2.0-fold larger than the corresponding value for DNA. Although helix flexibility represents an important, quantifiable measure of the forces of interaction within the helix, it must also be considered in describing conformational variation of nonhelix elements (e.g. internal loops, branches), since the latter always reflect the properties of the flanking helices; that is, such elements are never completely rigid. For one important element of tertiary structure, namely, the core of yeast tRNAPhe, the above consideration has led to the conclusion that the core is not substantially more flexible than an equivalent length of pure helix.

The conformational changes of 5SrRNA of plant origin in presence of magnesium cations by adiabatic scanning differential calorimetry

The results of calorimetric studies of specific transfer for lupin seed and wheat germ 5SrRNA in 10 mM sodium cacodylate buffer (1 mM Na 2EDTA and 20 mM NaCl, pH 7.2) alone and with different concentrations of MgCl 2 are reported. A dependence of the concentration of MgCl 2 on the temperature of specific transfer was found. Deconvolutions of the DSC curves were carried out. The DSC curve shifts, temperatures of peaks and values of enthalpies of the domains distinguished are discussed.