ALBERT

Description:    A synthetic route is described here for novel peptide-cellulose conjugates containing O -phospho- l -serine. First, Boc-Ser(PO 3 Ph 2 ) and the related dipeptides, Boc-Ser(PO 3 Ph 2 )-Asp(OBzl) and Boc-Asp(OBzl)-Ser(PO 3 Ph 2 ), were synthesized by adopting the phosphoryl-protection strategy. The condensation reaction between the α -carboxyl group of the protected Boc-Ser(PO 3 Ph 2 ) and the β -amino groups of β -Ala-Cellulose using isobutyl chloroformate and N -methylmorpholine yielded the product conjugate, N β -[Boc-Ser(PO 3 Ph 2 )]- β -Ala-Cellulose. The degree of substitution of Boc-Ser(PO 3 Ph 2 ) towards the β -amino groups of β -Ala-Cellulose was estimated as DS N  = 0.75 (maximum, 1.0). Similar reactions between β -Ala-Cellulose and two kinds of protected dipeptides, Boc-Asp(OBzl)-Ser(PO 3 Ph 2 ) and Boc-Ser(PO 3 Ph 2 )-Asp(OBzl), gave the corresponding conjugates, and the DS N was estimated to be 0.95 and 0.69, respectively. The phenyl, benzyl, and Boc groups were removed in one-pot using the Pt 2 O catalyst in 50 % trifluoroacetic acid/acetic acid. The 31 P-NMR and UV–Visible spectra indicated the complete deprotection without any observable elimination of the phosphorylated peptides. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-14 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9822-1 Authors Kesavan Devarayan, Faculty of Textile Science and Technology, Institute of High Polymer Research, Shinshu University, Tokida 3-15-1, Ueda, 386-8567 Japan Masakazu Hachisu, Research Institute of Genome-based Biofactory, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 2-17-2-1, Tsukisamu-higashi, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, 062-8517 Japan Jun Araki, Division of Chemistry and Materials, Faculty of Textile Science and Technology, Shinshu University, Tokida 3-15-1, Ueda, 386-8567 Japan Kousaku Ohkawa, Faculty of Textile Science and Technology, Institute of High Polymer Research, Shinshu University, Tokida 3-15-1, Ueda, 386-8567 Japan Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    Well soluble dextran-, cellulose-, starch-, and pullulan aryl carbonates were synthesized applying p -NO 2 -phenyl chloroformate, phenyl chloroformate, and phenyl fluoroformate. Aminolysis of the products obtained, using aliphatic amines or benzyl amines, yield novel soluble polysaccharide carbamates. The influence of the reaction conditions on the reaction efficiency depending on polysaccharide, reagent, and reaction parameters including temperature was studied. Thus a synthesis strategy was developed for the easy and efficient design of structures of polysaccharide-based materials. The products were characterized by means of NMR-, UV-Vis- and FTIR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and size exclusion chromatography. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-15 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9819-9 Authors Thomas Elschner, Center of Excellence for Polysaccharide Research, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Humboldtstraße 10, 07743 Jena, Germany Kristin Ganske, Center of Excellence for Polysaccharide Research, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Humboldtstraße 10, 07743 Jena, Germany Thomas Heinze, Center of Excellence for Polysaccharide Research, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Humboldtstraße 10, 07743 Jena, Germany Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    Flexible composite films were produced by impregnating aqueous phenol formaldehyde (PF) resin into water-swollen cellulose nanofibril (CNF) films. CNF films were prepared using a pressurized filtration method in combination with freeze drying. The freeze-dried films were swollen with water then impregnated with PF resin by soaking in aqueous resin solutions of varying concentrations. Small amounts of PF slightly enhanced the tensile properties of CNF films. The formulation with the best mechanical properties was CNF/PF films with 8 wt % resin exhibiting tensile stress and toughness of 248 MPa and 26 MJ/m 3 , respectively. Resin concentrations higher than about 8 % resulted in composites with decreased tensile properties as compared to neat CNF films. The wet strength of the composite films was significantly higher than that of the neat CNF films. The resulting composites showed greater resistance to moisture absorption accompanied by reduced thickness swelling when soaked in water as compared to neat CNF films. The composites also showed decreased oxygen permeability at low humidity compared to neat films, but the composites did not show improved barrier properties at high humidity. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-11 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9815-0 Authors Yan Qing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, 498 Shaoshan South Road, Changsha, 410004 China Ronald Sabo, Forest Products Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, 1 Gifford Pinchot Drive, Madison, 53726-2398 WI, USA Zhiyong Cai, Forest Products Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, 1 Gifford Pinchot Drive, Madison, 53726-2398 WI, USA Yiqiang Wu, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, 498 Shaoshan South Road, Changsha, 410004 China Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    Hydrorepellency was conferred to cotton fabrics by an hybrid organic–inorganic finishing via sol–gel. The nanosol was prepared by co-hydrolysis and condensation of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and 1H,1H,2H,2H–fluorooctyltriethoxysilane (FOS), or hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (C 16 ), as precursors in weakly acid medium. The application on cotton was carried out by padding with various impregnation times, followed by drying and thermal treatment, varying the FOS add-on from 5 till 30 % on fabric weight or C 16 add-on from 5 to 10 %. Treated samples were tested in terms of contact angles, drop absorption times, washing fastness and characterized by SEM, XPS and FTIR-ATR analyses. In the case of FOS modified nanosol applied with an impregnation time of 24 h or C 16 modified nanosol, water contact angles values very close or even higher than 150° were measured, typical of a superhydrophobic surface. The application of the proposed sol–gel process yielded also a satisfactory treatment fastness to domestic washing, in particular for FOS modified nanosol. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-10 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9821-2 Authors Monica Periolatto, Dipartimento di Scienza Applicata e Tecnologia, Politecnico di Torino, C.so Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Turin, Italy Franco Ferrero, Dipartimento di Scienza Applicata e Tecnologia, Politecnico di Torino, C.so Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Turin, Italy Alessio Montarsolo, CNR ISMAC, Istituto per lo Studio delle Macromolecole, C.so Pella 16, 13900 Biella, Italy Raffaella Mossotti, CNR ISMAC, Istituto per lo Studio delle Macromolecole, C.so Pella 16, 13900 Biella, Italy Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    Transparent and water repellent gas barrier cellulose films were fabricated by surface modification of alkali/urea regenerated cellulose (AUC) films by soaking in cationic alkylketene dimer (AKD) dispersion, drying, and heating. Highly water repellent and excellent gas barrier properties were obtained for AKD-treated and heated AUC films due to covering of the film surfaces by hydrophobic AKD components. The maximum AKD content of the films was 0.2 %. Oxygen transmission rates for AKD-treated AUC films at 0 % relative humidity (RH) were less than 0.0005 mL m −2 day −1 kPa −1 , the lowest detection limit of the instrument. Water contact angles on the AUC film increased from 50 to 110° after AKD treatment, and water uptake (immersion in water for 6 days) decreased from 92 to 20 %. Moreover, oxygen permeability decreased from 0.56 and 5.8 to 0.13 and 2.1 mL μm m −2 day −1 kPa −1 at 50 and 75 % RH, respectively, when the AKD content of the film was increased from 0 to 0.2 %. The present AKD-treated AUC film also had high light transparency (88 % at 600 nm), tensile strength (168 MPa), elongation at break (29 %), and work of fracture (37 MJ m −3 ). FT–IR analysis showed that AKD components were still present as major species on the AKD-treated film surfaces without hydrolysis at 2 months after conditioning the films at 23 °C and 50 % RH, indicating that such AKD molecules contributed to the hydrophobic nature of the AKD-treated AUC films. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-9 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9790-5 Authors Quanling Yang, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8657 Japan Tsuguyuki Saito, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8657 Japan Akira Isogai, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8657 Japan Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    Unbleached (UN), oxygen-delignified and fully-bleached (FB) birch fibers with a residual lignin content of ca. 3, 2 and 〈1 %, respectively, were used to produce nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) and nanopaper by using an overpressure device. The tensile index, elongation and elastic modulus of nanopaper were compared and the effect of residual cell wall components accessed. Under similar manufacturing conditions, UN NFC produced nanopaper with a density of 0.99 g/cm 3 , higher than that from FB NFC (0.7 g/cm 3 ). This translated in much lower air permeability in the case of UN nanopaper (1 and 11 mL/min for UN and FB samples, respectively). Fundamentally, these observations are ascribed to the finer fibrils produced during microfluidization of UN fibers compared to those from lower yield counterparts (AFM roughness of 8 and 17 nm and surface areas of 124 and 98 m 2 /g for NFC from UN and FB fibers, respectively). As a result, values of stress at break and energy absorption of nanopaper from high yield fibers are distinctively higher than those from fully bleached NFC. Interactions of water with the surface and bulk material were affected by the chemical composition and structure of the nanofibrils. While UN nanopaper presented higher water contact angles their sorption capacity (and rate of water absorption) was much higher than those measured for nanopaper from FB NFC. These and other observations provided in this contribution are proposed to be related to the mechanoradical scavenging capacity of lignin in high shear microfluidization and the presence of residual heteropolysaccharides. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-15 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9788-z Authors Ana Ferrer, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain Elisabet Quintana, Textile and Paper Engineering Department, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08222 Terrassa, Spain Ilari Filpponen, School of Chemical Technology, Department of Forest Products Technology, Aalto University, 00076 Aalto, Finland Iina Solala, School of Chemical Technology, Department of Forest Products Technology, Aalto University, 00076 Aalto, Finland Teresa Vidal, Textile and Paper Engineering Department, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08222 Terrassa, Spain Alejandro Rodríguez, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain Janne Laine, School of Chemical Technology, Department of Forest Products Technology, Aalto University, 00076 Aalto, Finland Orlando J. Rojas, School of Chemical Technology, Department of Forest Products Technology, Aalto University, 00076 Aalto, Finland Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    Bacterial cellulose (BC) membranes were modified with oxygen (O 2 ), nitrogen (N 2 ), and tetrafluoromethane (CF 4 ) plasmas in order to enhance cell affinity. The surface properties of the pristine and plasma-treated BCs were analyzed through water contact angles, electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA), and scanning electron microscopy. O 2 and N 2 plasmas changed the surface of BCs to more hydrophilic while CF 4 plasma altered BCs to be very hydrophobic. ESCA analyses indicated that O 2 , N 2 , and CF 4 plasmas incorporated the functionalities of carbon–oxygen, amides and amino, and carbon-fluoride on BCs, respectively. The effects of the plasma treatments on the adhesion of L-929 fibroblast and Chinese hamster ovary cell lines showed that the cell adhesion and proliferation of both cells was significantly improved on BC-CF 4 , in contrast with that on the pristine BC, BC-O 2 , and BC-N 2 , revealing a functionality-specific effect resulted from different plasmas. Moreover, protein adsorption tests indicated that a higher quantity of proteins in cell culture medium was adsorbed on the CF 4 plasma-treated BCs which presumably played the role of enhancing the subsequent cell growth. This work highlights the great potential of plasma treatments on the improvement of biocompatibility and surface property of BCs for biomedical applications. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-14 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9785-2 Authors Hengky Kurniawan, Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, 43, Keelung Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei, 106 Taiwan Jinn-Tsyy Lai, The Food Industry Research and Development Institute (FIRDI), 331 Shih-Pin Road, Hsinchu, 300 Taiwan Meng-Jiy Wang, Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, 43, Keelung Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei, 106 Taiwan Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    Fe 3 O 4 /chitosan/poly(acrylic acid) (Fe 3 O 4 /CS/PAA) composite particles, which are reusable, biodegradable and of high adsorption capacity, have been prepared through polymerizing acrylic acid in chitosan and Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles aqueous solution. By varying in-feed mole ratio of carboxyl to amino group (n c /n a ) and reactant concentration, the average diameter of Fe 3 O 4 /CS/PAA composite particles can be controlled to vary from 100 to 300 nm. FT-IR, XRD and TEM were used to characterize Fe 3 O 4 /CS/PAA composite particles. Results showed that Fe 3 O 4 was indeed incorporated into CS/PAA particles. The composite particles showed high efficient to remove copper ions (II) in aqueous solution. Adsorption kinetic studies showed that the adsorption process followed a pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the equilibrium data agreed well with the Langmuir model. The saturated adsorption capacity obtained from the experimental was 193 mg/g in close to proximity to the data 200 mg/g calculated from Langmuir model. The saturated adsorption capacity still retained 100 mg/g after three cycles of adsorption–desorption of copper ions (II). Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-11 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9783-4 Authors Sai Zhang, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environment-friendly Polymer Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, 230039 People’s Republic of China YiFeng Zhou, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environment-friendly Polymer Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, 230039 People’s Republic of China WangYan Nie, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environment-friendly Polymer Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, 230039 People’s Republic of China LinYong Song, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environment-friendly Polymer Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, 230039 People’s Republic of China Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    High-mannose type N-linked glycan with 6 mannosyl residues, termed "M6Gn2", displayed clear binding to the same M6Gn2, conjugated with ceramide mimetic (cer-m) and incorporated in liposome, or coated on polystyrene plates. However, the conjugate of M6Gn2-cer-m did not interact with complex-type N-linked glycan with various structures having multiple GlcNAc termini, conjugated with cer-m. The following observations indicate that hamster embryonic fibroblast NIL-2 K cells display homotypic autoadhesion, mediated through the self-recognition capability of high-mannose type glycans expressed on these cells: (i) NIL-2 K cells display clear binding to lectins capable of binding to high-mannose type glycans ( e.g. , ConA), but not to other lectins capable of binding to other carbohydrates ( e.g. GS-II). (ii) NIL-2 K cells adhere strongly to plates coated with M6Gn2-cer-m, but not to plates coated with complex-type N-linked glycans having multiple GlcNAc termini, conjugated with cer-m; (iii) degree of NIL-2 K cell adhesion to plates coated with M6Gn2-cer-m showed a clear dose-dependence on the amount of M6Gn2-cer-m; and (iv) the degree of NIL-2 K adhesion to plates coated with M6Gn2-cer-m was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by α1,4-L-mannonolactone, the specific inhibitor in high-mannose type glycans addition. These data indicate that adhesion of NIL-2 K is mediated by self-aggregation of high mannose type glycan. Further studies are to be addressed on auto-adhesion of other types of cells based on self interaction of high mannose type glycans. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-12 DOI 10.1007/s10719-012-9449-3 Authors Seon-Joo Yoon, Division of Biomembrane Research, Pacific Northwest Research Institute, and Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98122, USA Natalia Utkina, Division of Biomembrane Research, Pacific Northwest Research Institute, and Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98122, USA Martin Sadilek, Depart of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA Hirokazu Yagi, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Tanabe-dori 3-1, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya, 467-8603 Japan Koichi Kato, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Tanabe-dori 3-1, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya, 467-8603 Japan Sen-itiroh Hakomori, Division of Biomembrane Research, Pacific Northwest Research Institute, and Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98122, USA Journal Glycoconjugate Journal Online ISSN 1573-4986 Print ISSN 0282-0080

Description:    Seven varieties of flax ( Linum usitatissimum ) fibres were analyzed in order to gain a deeper insight into the morphological features of the crystalline assembly. Different spectroscopic techniques and a chemical bleaching process were used to provide an accurate description of the lateral arrangement of the polysaccharide chains within the fibre cell wall. The flax fibres were analyzed in their natural state and after an extraction treatment of the non-crystalline components such as hemicelluloses, pectins and phenolics. The chemical bleaching process consisted of a Soxhlet extraction in toluene, a sodium chlorite treatment and an alkaline extraction of the residual hemicelluloses. Solid-state 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) confirmed the sequential removal of the non-cellulosic components from the flax cell wall. Both wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and solid-state 13 C NMR provided measures of the crystallite thicknesses and overall crystallinities before and after treatment. The existence of non-cellulosic highly ordered paracrystalline domains was also evidenced by proton spin relaxation time calculation. Whereas the overall crystallinity determined by WAXD decreased after treatment, the cellulose crystallinity calculated with the help of the solid-state 13 C NMR slightly increased. This is explained by the difference in chemical selectivity between these two techniques and by the paracrystalline state of both hemicelluloses and pectins. Strong adhesion between cellulose crystallites, hemicelluloses and pectins in the fibres was evidenced by low spin–spin relaxation times and by an increase in crystallite thickness after bleaching. A simple model is proposed that describes the rearrangement of the macromolecules during the bleaching process. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-18 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9786-1 Authors Benoît Duchemin, LOMC, UMR 6294, CNRS-Université du Havre, 53 rue Prony, 76058 Le Havre, France Anthony Thuault, LOMC, UMR 6294, CNRS-Université du Havre, 53 rue Prony, 76058 Le Havre, France Aurélie Vicente, Laboratoire Catalyse et Spectrochimie (LCS), ENSICAEN, Université de Caen, CNRS, 14050 Caen, France Baptiste Rigaud, Laboratoire Catalyse et Spectrochimie (LCS), ENSICAEN, Université de Caen, CNRS, 14050 Caen, France Christian Fernandez, Laboratoire Catalyse et Spectrochimie (LCS), ENSICAEN, Université de Caen, CNRS, 14050 Caen, France Sophie Eve, Laboratoire de Cristallographie et de Sciences des Matériaux, ENSICAEN, Université de Caen, CNRS, 14050 Caen, France Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    Human alpha-1-antitrypsin (α1AT) is a glycoprotein with protease inhibitor activity protecting tissues from degradation. Patients with inherited α1AT deficiency are treated with native α1AT (nAT) purified from human plasma. In the present study, recombinant α1AT (rAT) was produced in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and their glycosylation patterns, inhibitory activity and in vivo half-life were compared with those of nAT. A peptide mapping analysis employing a deglycosylation reaction confirmed full occupancy of all three glycosylation sites and the equivalency of rAT and nAT in terms of the protein level. N -glycan profiles revealed that rAT contained 10 glycan structures ranging from bi-antennary to tetra-antennary complex-type glycans while nAT displayed six peaks comprising majorly bi-antennary glycans and a small portion of tri-antennary glycans. In addition, most of the rAT glycans were shown to have only core α(1 - 6)-fucose without terminal fucosylation, whereas only minor portions of the nAT glycans contained core or Lewis X-type fucose. As expected, all sialylated glycans of rAT were found to have α(2 - 3)-linked sialic acids, which was in sharp contrast to those of nAT, which had mostly α(2 - 6)-linked sialic acids. However, the degree of sialylation of rAT was comparable to that of nAT, which was also supported by an isoelectric focusing gel analysis. Despite the differences in the glycosylation patterns, both α1ATs showed nearly equivalent inhibitory activity in enzyme assays and serum half-lives in a pharmacokinetic experiment. These results suggest that rAT produced in CHO cells would be a good alternative to nAT derived from human plasma. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-11 DOI 10.1007/s10719-012-9453-7 Authors Kyung Jin Lee, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-806 Korea Sang Mee Lee, Alteogen Inc., Bioventure town, Daejeon, 305-812 Korea Jin Young Gil, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-806 Korea Ohsuk Kwon, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-806 Korea Jin Young Kim, Korea Basic Science Institute, Ochang-eup, Cheongwon-gun, Chungbuk 363-883, Korea Soon Jae Park, Alteogen Inc., Bioventure town, Daejeon, 305-812 Korea Hye-Shin Chung, Alteogen Inc., Bioventure town, Daejeon, 305-812 Korea Doo-Byoung Oh, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-806 Korea Journal Glycoconjugate Journal Online ISSN 1573-4986 Print ISSN 0282-0080

Description:    As one of several biologically active compounds in milk, glycoproteins have been indicated to be involved in the protection of newborns from bacterial infection. As much of the physical and immune development of the tammar wallaby ( Macropus eugenii ) young occurs during the early phases of lactation and not in utero , the tammar is a model species for the characterization of potential developmental support agents provided by maternal milk. In the present study, the N - and O -linked glycans from tammar wallaby milk glycoproteins from six individuals at different lactation time points were subjected to glycomics analyses using porous graphitized carbon liquid chromatography electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Structural characterization identified a diverse range of glycan structures on wallaby milk glycoproteins including sialylated, sulphated, core fucosylated and O -fucosylated structures. 30 % of N -linked structures contained a core (α1-6) fucose. Several of these structures may play roles in development, and exhibit statistically significant temporal changes over the lactation period. The N -glycome was found to contain structures with NeuGc residues, while in contrast the O -glycome did not. O -fucosylated structures were identified in the early stages of lactation indicating a potential role in the early stages of development of the pouch young. Overall the results suggest that wallaby milk contains structures known to have developmental and immunological significance in human milk and reproduction in other animals, highlighting the importance of glycoproteins in milk. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-14 DOI 10.1007/s10719-012-9452-8 Authors Katherine Wongtrakul-Kish, Biomolecular Frontiers Research Centre, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Building E8C Room 307, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia Daniel Kolarich, Biomolecular Frontiers Research Centre, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Building E8C Room 307, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia Dana Pascovici, Australian Proteome Analysis Facility, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia Janice L. Joss, Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia Elizabeth Deane, Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia Nicolle H. Packer, Biomolecular Frontiers Research Centre, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Building E8C Room 307, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia Journal Glycoconjugate Journal Online ISSN 1573-4986 Print ISSN 0282-0080

Description:    Chemical surface modification of nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) was performed using a long aliphatic isocyanate chain. Different molar ratios of the coupling agents were tested, i.e., 1, 10, 30 equivalents with respect to hydroxyl groups of the NFC surface. FE-SEM analyses revealed that there were no changes in their morphology thus keeping nanofibril-like structure with about 30 nm of diameter. All these samples were characterized by different techniques (e.g., FTIR) to check the efficiency of the grafting. Hydrophobic NFC were achieved whatever the grafting agent ratio. The Degree of Substitution was determined by Elemental Analyses and the Degree of Substitution of the Surface was calculated thanks to X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy data. Combining these two techniques, the Internal Degree of Substitution was proposed for the first time. It indicates if the modification occurs also within NFC internal layers. Surface (contact angle), rheological (water suspension viscosity) and thermal properties (ThermoGravimetric Analysis) of grafted NFC do not follow the expected linear evolution of properties with the increase of molar ratio. X-Ray Diffraction analyses showed that the grafted aliphatic chains display crystalline waxy domains at some ratios. A model for aliphatic chain organization at the surface is proposed and clearly explained for the first time why a compromise in molar ratio is necessary to achieve best properties. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-17 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9780-7 Authors Karim Missoum, Laboratory of Pulp and Paper Science (LGP2), 461, rue de la papeterie, BP65, 38402 St-Martin-d’Hères Cedex, France Julien Bras, Laboratory of Pulp and Paper Science (LGP2), 461, rue de la papeterie, BP65, 38402 St-Martin-d’Hères Cedex, France Mohamed Naceur Belgacem, Laboratory of Pulp and Paper Science (LGP2), 461, rue de la papeterie, BP65, 38402 St-Martin-d’Hères Cedex, France Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    Gold nanoparticles were synthesized on the surface of natural fique fibers extracted from the leaves of Furcraea spp., a plant native to the Andean mountains in Colombia. Fique fibers have a low density, are biodegradable, flexible, highly resistant to wear and exhibit excellent thermal degradation making them promising materials for the textile and packing industries as well as fillers for fiber-reinforced composites. Fique fiber surface was rendered positive using a cationizing agent 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (CHTAC) under strong alkaline conditions. Cationic fique fibers were impregnated with an anionic gold complex that was further reduced to generate gold nanoparticles onto the fibers surface. The influence of CHTAC reaction times and NaOH:CHTAC molar ratios were examined. It was found that increasing the NaOH:CHTAC molar ratio had a negligible effect on nanoparticle size, while the surface coverage density was positively influenced. We hypothesize that the number of positive charges on the fiber surface is the key factor behind this observation. UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy; mechanical tests and field emission scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the modified fibers and the resulting nanoparticles. The proposed method opens a new path for the development of functional natural renewable substrates. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-11 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9763-8 Authors L. J. Castellanos, Escuela de Química, Universidad Industrial de Santander, A.A. 678, Bucaramanga, Colombia C. Blanco-Tirado, Escuela de Química, Universidad Industrial de Santander, A.A. 678, Bucaramanga, Colombia J. P. Hinestroza, Fiber Science Program, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA M. Y. Combariza, Escuela de Química, Universidad Industrial de Santander, A.A. 678, Bucaramanga, Colombia Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description: Glycosylation effects on cancer development Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-2 DOI 10.1007/s10719-012-9448-4 Authors Sen-itiroh Hakomori, Division of Biomembrane Research, Pacific Northwest Research Institute, 720 Broadway, Seattle, WA 98122, USA Richard D. Cummings, Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA Journal Glycoconjugate Journal Online ISSN 1573-4986 Print ISSN 0282-0080

Description:    N,N -Dimethylacetamide/lithium chloride (DMAc/LiCl) mixture is a popular solvent system used for cellulose dissolution, analysis, and derivatization. However, a pre-treatment (activation) procedure is needed for most celluloses to dissolve readily in DMAc/LiCl. Here, an optimized version of the activation protocol based on solvent exchange to 1,4-dioxane was introduced. Its universality was demonstrated by successful activation and dissolution of six different celluloses (AVICEL, Sigmacell, cotton linters, Encell, Lincell, and Whatman paper). Dissolution times varied significantly for different cellulose types and also depended on factors such as the drying method employed or the water removal step inclusion/omission. Dioxane-activated celluloses were analyzed with a variety of methods. SEC measurements indicated low destructivity of the dioxane activation method. The infrared spectroscopy analysis showed that dioxane remained adsorbed on cellulose even after rigorous drying. In addition, upon dioxane activation, stagnation or a slight increase in the total order index of celluloses was observed. This observation was in accordance with the crystallinity index changes determined by solid-state NMR. Finally, scanning electron microscopy revealed disintegration of AVICEL particles and defibrillation of fibrous celluloses upon dioxane activation; Sigmacell remained apparently unchanged. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-14 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9779-0 Authors Vladimír Raus, Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Heyrovsky Sq. 2, 162 06 Prague 6, Czech Republic Adriana Šturcová, Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Heyrovsky Sq. 2, 162 06 Prague 6, Czech Republic Jiří Dybal, Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Heyrovsky Sq. 2, 162 06 Prague 6, Czech Republic Miroslav Šlouf, Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Heyrovsky Sq. 2, 162 06 Prague 6, Czech Republic Taťána Vacková, Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Heyrovsky Sq. 2, 162 06 Prague 6, Czech Republic Petr Šálek, Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Heyrovsky Sq. 2, 162 06 Prague 6, Czech Republic Libor Kobera, Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Heyrovsky Sq. 2, 162 06 Prague 6, Czech Republic Petr Vlček, Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Heyrovsky Sq. 2, 162 06 Prague 6, Czech Republic Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    The preparation of high-strength hydrogels from plant-based cellulose nanofibers by simple alkaline treatment is described herein. We isolated the cellulose nanofibers with a uniform width of approximately 15 nm from wood and we prepared two types of hydrogel sheet with different crystal forms (celluloses I and II) in 9 and 15 wt% aqueous sodium hydroxide solutions. Both of the hydrogels exhibited high tensile properties because of the crystalline network in the gels. Especially, the nanofiber hydrogel with a cellulose II crystal structure with the swelling degree of 13.4 achieved a Young’s modulus and tensile strength in excess of 35 and 5 MPa respectively, because it had a continuous and strong nano-network formed via the interdigitation of the neighboring nanofibers during mercerization. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-6 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9784-3 Authors Kentaro Abe, Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University, Gokasyo, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011 Japan Hiroyuki Yano, Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University, Gokasyo, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011 Japan Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    The effect of urea on the cellulose degradation under conditions of alkaline pulping has been studied using purified cellulose powder. The increased cellulose yield in the presence of urea was assigned essentially to the carbamation reactions which were confirmed by elemental analysis, UV-resonance Raman and solid-state 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The stabilizing effect of urea on the cellulose peeling reactions during heating up period of pulping process was suggested based on kinetic studies and additionally confirmed in model reactions using cellobiose. The reaction products formed in alkaline urea solutions were analysed by tandem electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and the occurrence of Maillard type reactions between reducing end groups of cellobiose and urea were evidenced. Both Maillard type reactions and carbamation of reducing end groups were proposed to be a part of cellulose protection mechanism against peeling under the conditions of alkaline pulping. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-10 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9791-4 Authors Olga Ershova, Department of Forest Products Technology, School of Chemical Technology, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16300, 00076 Espoo, Finland Elisabete V. da Costa, CICECO/QOPNA, Chemistry Department, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal António J. S. Fernandes, I3N, Department of Physics, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal M. Rosário Domingues, CICECO/QOPNA, Chemistry Department, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal Dmitry V. Evtuguin, CICECO/QOPNA, Chemistry Department, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal Herbert Sixta, Department of Forest Products Technology, School of Chemical Technology, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16300, 00076 Espoo, Finland Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    We have analyzed the structures of glycosphingolipids and intracellular free glycans in human cancers. In our previous study, trace amounts of free N -acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac)-containing complex-type N -glycans with a single GlcNAc at each reducing terminus (Gn1 type) was found to accumulate intracellularly in colorectal cancers, but were undetectable in most normal colorectal epithelial cells. Here, we used cancer glycomic analyses to reveal that substantial amounts of free Neu5Ac-containing complex-type N -glycans, almost all of which were α2,6-Neu5Ac-linked, accumulated in the pancreatic cancer cells from three out of five patients, but were undetectable in normal pancreatic cells from all five cases. These molecular species were mostly composed of five kinds of glycans having a sequence Neu5Ac-Gal-GlcNAc-Man-Man-GlcNAc and one with the following sequence Neu5Ac-Gal-GlcNAc-Man-(Man-)Man-GlcNAc. The most abundant glycan was Neu5Acα2-6Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ1-2Manα1-3Manβ1-4GlcNAc, followed by Neu5Acα2-6Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ1-2Manα1-6Manβ1-4GlcNAc. This is the first study to show unequivocal evidence for the occurrence of free Neu5Ac-linked N -glycans in human cancer tissues. Our findings suggest that free Neu5Ac-linked glycans may serve as a useful tumor marker. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-10 DOI 10.1007/s10719-012-9435-9 Authors Masahiko Yabu, Department of Immunology, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, 1-3-3 Nakamichi, Higashinari-ku, Osaka, 537-8511 Japan Hiroaki Korekane, Systems Glycobiology Research Group, Chemical Biology Department, RIKEN Advanced Science Institute, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan Hidenori Takahashi, Department of Surgery, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, 1-3-3 Nakamichi, Higashinari-ku, Osaka, 537-8511 Japan Hiroaki Ohigashi, Department of Surgery, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, 1-3-3 Nakamichi, Higashinari-ku, Osaka, 537-8511 Japan Osamu Ishikawa, Department of Surgery, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, 1-3-3 Nakamichi, Higashinari-ku, Osaka, 537-8511 Japan Yasuhide Miyamoto, Department of Immunology, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, 1-3-3 Nakamichi, Higashinari-ku, Osaka, 537-8511 Japan Journal Glycoconjugate Journal Online ISSN 1573-4986 Print ISSN 0282-0080

Description:    Sulfatides, 3- O -sulfogalactosylceramides, are known to have multifunctional properties. These molecules are distributed in various tissues of mammals, where they are synthesized from galactosylceramides by sulfation at C3 of the galactosyl residue. Although this reaction is specifically catalyzed by cerebroside sulfotransferase (CST), the mechanisms underlying the transcriptional regulation of this enzyme are not understood. With respect to this issue, we previously found potential sequences of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) response element on upstream regions of the mouse CST gene and presumed the possible regulation by the nuclear receptor PPARα. To confirm this hypothesis, we treated wild-type and Ppara -null mice with the specific PPARα agonist fenofibrate and examined the amounts of sulfatides and CST gene expression in various tissues. Fenofibrate treatment increased sulfatides and CST mRNA levels in the kidney, heart, liver, and small intestine in a PPARα-dependent manner. However, these effects of fenofibrate were absent in the brain or colon. Fenofibrate treatment did not affect the mRNA level of arylsulfatase A, which is the key enzyme for catalyzing desulfation of sulfatides, in any of these six tissues. Analyses of the DNA-binding activity and conventional gene expression targets of PPARα has demonstrated that fenofibrate treatment activated PPARα in the kidney, heart, liver, and small intestine but did not affect the brain or colon. These findings suggest that PPARα activation induces CST gene expression and enhances sulfatide synthesis in mice, which suggests that PPARα is a possible transcriptional regulator for the mouse CST gene. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-8 DOI 10.1007/s10719-012-9454-6 Authors Takero Nakajima, Department of Metabolic Regulation, Institute of Pathogenesis and Disease Prevention, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan Yuji Kamijo, Department of Metabolic Regulation, Institute of Pathogenesis and Disease Prevention, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan Huang Yuzhe, Department of Metabolic Regulation, Institute of Pathogenesis and Disease Prevention, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan Takefumi Kimura, Department of Metabolic Regulation, Institute of Pathogenesis and Disease Prevention, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan Naoki Tanaka, Department of Metabolic Regulation, Institute of Pathogenesis and Disease Prevention, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan Eiko Sugiyama, Department of Metabolic Regulation, Institute of Pathogenesis and Disease Prevention, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan Kozo Nakamura, Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Shinshu University, Minami-Minowa, Kami-Ina, Nagano, Japan Mamoru Kyogashima, Division of Microbiology and Molecular Cell Biology, Nihon Pharmaceutical University, Ina, Kita-Adachi, Saitama, Japan Atsushi Hara, Department of Metabolic Regulation, Institute of Pathogenesis and Disease Prevention, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan Toshifumi Aoyama, Department of Metabolic Regulation, Institute of Pathogenesis and Disease Prevention, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan Journal Glycoconjugate Journal Online ISSN 1573-4986 Print ISSN 0282-0080

Description:    The flame retardancy properties of cotton have been enhanced by exploiting an optimized multistep sol–gel process, consisting of a pre-hydrolysis step, followed by consecutive depositions of hybrid phosphorus-doped silica layers, using DPTS as precursor of the oxidic phases. Upon optimization, it has been demonstrated that just one phosphorus-doped silica layer is able to strongly reduce the heat release rate (−52 %), and the total smoke release (−56 %) and its rate (−62 %) with respect to the untreated fabric. In addition, the deposition of three layers allows achieving a higher flammability resistance if compared to a single layer, as indicated by the final residue after the flammability tests. As far as flammability resistance is concerned, the new coatings have shown a good durability when subjected up to five washing cycles according to ISO 6330 standard. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-11 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9806-1 Authors Jenny Alongi, Dipartimento di Scienza Applicata e Tecnologia, Politecnico di Torino, sede di Alessandria and local INSTM unit, Viale Teresa Michel 5, 15121 Alessandria, Italy Claudio Colleoni, Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale, Università di Bergamo, Viale Marconi 5, 24044 Dalmine, Bergamo, Italy Giuseppe Rosace, Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale, Università di Bergamo, Viale Marconi 5, 24044 Dalmine, Bergamo, Italy Giulio Malucelli, Dipartimento di Scienza Applicata e Tecnologia, Politecnico di Torino, sede di Alessandria and local INSTM unit, Viale Teresa Michel 5, 15121 Alessandria, Italy Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    Cellulose nanowhiskers (CNWs) were chemically modified by acetylating to obtain acetylated cellulose nanowhiskers (ACNWs) which could be well dispersed in acetone. The chemical modification was limited only on the surface of CNWs which was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Surface substitution degree of ACNWs was evaluated to be 0.45 through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Fully bioresource-based nanocomposite films were manufactured by incorporation of ACNWs into cellulose acetate (CA) using a casting/evaporation technique. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) demonstrated that ACNWs dispersed well in the CA matrix, which resulted in high transparency of all CA nanocomposites. The tensile strength, Young’s modulus and strain at break of all CA nanocomposites exhibited simultaneous increase in comparison with neat CA matrix. At the content of 4.5 wt% ACNWs, the tensile strength, Young’s modulus and strain at break of the CA nanocomposite film were increased by 9, 39, and 44 % respectively. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-10 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9796-z Authors Zhen-Yu Yang, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China Wen-Jun Wang, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China Zi-Qiang Shao, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China Hai-Dong Zhu, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China Yong-Hong Li, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China Fei-Jun Wang, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    We describe the synthesis, characterization and use of a composite material made of a renewable source and metallic nanoparticles for biosensing applications. Nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) is a product isolated from natural cellulose fibers, which is of approximately 100 nm long and 10 nm wide in size. We augmented the surface area and tailored the chemical affinity of NCC by optimally dressing it with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The deposition of AuNPs on NCC was controlled by using cationic polyethylenimine (PEI) at different pHs. AuNPs were thiol-functionalized using different linkers prior to enzyme immobilization. The enzyme (glucose oxidase or GOx) was conjugated on the composite by carbodiimide coupling, and subsequent activation of linker-carboxylic acid group. Our results showed that GOx was attached to the surface of the NCC nanocomposite. Moreover, the amount of GOx loaded onto the support depended on the length of the thiol-linker used. The lower value (20.3 mg/mg of support) was obtained with the longer thiol-linker (11 carbon chain) compared to 25.2 mg/mg of support for the smaller thiol-linker (3 carbon chain). Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-10 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9805-2 Authors Vanessa Incani, National Institute for Nanotechnology, National Research Council Canada, Edmonton, T6G 2M9 Canada Christophe Danumah, National Institute for Nanotechnology, National Research Council Canada, Edmonton, T6G 2M9 Canada Yaman Boluk, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, T6G 2M2 Canada Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    The chemical structure of rye arabinoxylan (rAX) was systematically modified, exploiting selective enzymes to mimic different naturally occurring xylans, i.e., its degree of substitution (DS) was decreased using α- l -arabinofuranosidase, and a controlled decrease in the degree of polymerization (DP) was performed using endo-1,4-β- d -xylanase. The arabinose to xylose ratio was decreased from 0.45 to 0.27 and the weight-average molar mass was decreased from 184,000 to 49,000 g/mol. The resulting samples were used to prepare films, as such, and with 15% (wt. − %) softwood-derived microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) to obtain novel plant-derived biocomposite materials. The enzymatic tailoring of rAX increased the crystallinity of films, evidenced by X-ray diffraction studies, and the addition of MFC to the debranched, low DS rAX induced the formation of ordered structures visible with polarizing optical microscopy. MFC decreased the moisture uptake of films and increased the relative humidity of softening of the films, detected with moisture scanning dynamic mechanical analysis. For the first time, the chemical structure of xylan was proven to significantly affect the reinforcement potential of nano-sized cellulose, as the tensile strength of films from high DP rAXs, but not that of low DP rAXs, clearly increased with the addition of MFC. At the same time, MFC only increased the Young’s modulus of films from rAX with high arabinose content, regardless of DP. Content Type Journal Article Pages 467-480 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9655-y Authors Kirsi S. Mikkonen, Department of Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, 00014 Helsinki, Finland Leena Pitkänen, Department of Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, 00014 Helsinki, Finland Ville Liljeström, Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, 00014 Helsinki, Finland Elina Mabasa Bergström, INNVENTIA AB, Fibre & Material Science, Box 5604, 114 86 Stockholm, Sweden Ritva Serimaa, Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, 00014 Helsinki, Finland Lennart Salmén, INNVENTIA AB, Fibre & Material Science, Box 5604, 114 86 Stockholm, Sweden Maija Tenkanen, Department of Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, 00014 Helsinki, Finland Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239 Journal Volume Volume 19 Journal Issue Volume 19, Number 2

Description:    We prepared two cellulose hydrates, Na-cellulose IV and cellulose II hydrate, along with their respective anhydrous forms, cellulose II and II′, from microcrystalline cellulose. X-ray diffractometry analysis showed that the structure of the hydrophobic stacking sheet was conserved in the samples, but the distance between the sheets was in the order: cellulose II hydrate 〉 Na-cellulose IV 〉 cellulose II and II′. The hydrates exhibited an expanded structure compared with the anhydrous form from the incorporation of hydrate water, and cellulose II hydrate contained more hydrate water than Na-cellulose IV. Enzymatic hydrolysis of the samples was carried out at 37 °C using solutions comprising a mixture of cellulase and β-glucosidase. The hydrates were hydrolyzed more efficiently than the anhydrous forms, and cellulose II hydrate showed a more efficient hydrolysis than Na-cellulose IV. This result also agrees well with the enzymatic adsorption properties of each sample, where the samples that adsorbed the greater amount of enzyme showed a higher degradability. The results obtained in this study provide useful knowledge on controlling the biodegradability of cellulose by converting its structure. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-8 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9696-2 Authors Kayoko Kobayashi, Department of Biomaterials Science, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8657 Japan Satoshi Kimura, Department of Biomaterials Science, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8657 Japan Ung-Jin Kim, Department of Plant and Environmental New Resources, College of Life Sciences, Kyung Hee University, 1, Seocheon-dong, Giheung-ku, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 446-701, Republic of Korea Ken Tokuyasu, Food Resource Division, National Food Research Institute, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, 2-1-12 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8642 Japan Masahisa Wada, Department of Biomaterials Science, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8657 Japan Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    A novel hydrogel has synthesized by grafting polyacrylamide chains onto hydroxypropyl methylcellulose in presence of potassium persulphate as initiator using solution polymerization technique. The reaction was carried out in homogeneous aqueous medium. The effect of reaction parameters on percentage of grafting (% G) and grafting efficiency (% GE) were discussed. The parameters were varied systematically to achieve the best hydrogel. Developed hydrogels were characterized by various materials characterization techniques. The dynamic and equilibrium swelling properties of hydrogels were investigated as a function of pH and time in various buffer solutions similar to that of gastric and intestinal fluid. Results showed that with increase in % G and % GE, the rate of swelling decreases, which can opens the door for further study of their utilization as matrices for controlled/sustained/targeted drug delivery. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-13 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9692-6 Authors R. Das, Polymer Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Applied Chemistry, Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, 826004 India A. B. Panda, Disciplines of Inorganic Materials and Catalysis, CSMCRI, Bhavnagar, 364021 India Sagar Pal, Polymer Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Applied Chemistry, Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, 826004 India Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    Bacterial cellulose was oxidized by periodate oxidation to give rise to 2,3-dialdehyde bacterial cellulose (DABC) with 60.3 ± 0.5 % aldehyde content, which was further reacted with gelatin (Gel) for the immobilization of Gel to form DABC/Gel nanocomposites. The scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy revealed that DABC/Gel exhibited the refined 3D nano-network structures and the average thickness of Gel coatings in the composites was about 75 nm. FTIR and XPS were utilized to analyze the functional groups and chemical states of DABC/Gel nanocomposites. The results inferred that Gel was fixed on DABC nanofibers via the Schiff base reaction between –NH 2 in Gel and –CHO in DABC backbone. NIH3T3 mice fibroblast cells were used for determining the cytocompatibility of the scaffolds. The morphology of the cells was observed through optical inverted microscopy. The results show that DABC/Gel can be used as scaffold material in tissue engineering. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-8 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9698-0 Authors Chuan Gao, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, 300072 Tianjin, People’s Republic of China Tao Yan, Department of Pharmacy Servic, Tianjin Huanhu Hospital, 300060 Tianjin, People’s Republic of China Kerong Dai, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, 200025 Shanghai, People’s Republic of China Yizao Wan, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, 300072 Tianjin, People’s Republic of China Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    3-Allyloxy-2-hydroxypropylcelluloses (AHP-celluloses), reactive unsaturated cellulose derivatives, were homogeneously synthesized by the reaction of cellulose with allyl glycidyl ether (AGE) in NaOH/urea aqueous solution. Water-soluble AHP-celluloses with DS NMR  = 0.32–0.67 were prepared from microcrystalline cellulose. The degree of substitution (DS) of AHP-celluloses could be controlled by varying the molar ratio of AGE and NaOH to AGU and the reaction conditions. The structure of AHP-cellulose samples were characterized by means of FT-IR, NMR spectroscopy and size exclusion chromatography. The cellulose ether shows thermoreversible flocculation. Bromination reactions were carried out as subsequent functionalization both to illustrate the reactivity of the allyl function and to determine the DS values. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-8 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9687-3 Authors Haisong Qi, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry, Centre of Excellence for Polysaccharide Research, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Humboldtstraße 10, 07743 Jena, Germany Tim Liebert, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry, Centre of Excellence for Polysaccharide Research, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Humboldtstraße 10, 07743 Jena, Germany Thomas Heinze, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry, Centre of Excellence for Polysaccharide Research, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Humboldtstraße 10, 07743 Jena, Germany Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    The morphology and crystalline structure changes of cellulose during dissolution in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride [(BMIM)Cl] were investigated by optical microscopy and synchrotron radiation wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). Neither swelling nor dissolution of cellulose was observed under the melting point of [BMIM]Cl. While the temperature was elevated to 70 °C, the swelling phenomenon of cellulose happened with the interplanar spacing of ( 1 - 1   0 ) and (020) planes increased slightly. With the temperature further going up to 80 °C, cellulose was dissolved gradually with the crystallinity ( W c,x ) and crystalline index ( CrI ) of cellulose decreased rapidly, which indicated the crystalline structure of cellulose was destroyed completely and transformed into amorphous structure. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-7 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9689-1 Authors Guansen Jiang, State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620 China Weifeng Huang, State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620 China Baochun Wang, State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620 China Yumei Zhang, State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620 China Huaping Wang, State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620 China Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    The hypothesis advanced in this issue of CELLULOSE [Springer] by Bjorn Lindman, which asserts that the solubility or insolubility characteristics of cellulose are significantly based upon amphiphilic and hydrophobic molecular interactions, is debated by cellulose scientists with a wide range of experiences representing a variety of scientific disciplines. The hypothesis is based on the consideration of some fundamental polymer physicochemical principles and some widely recognized inconsistencies in behavior. The assertion that little-recognized (or under-estimated) hydrophobic interactions have been the reason for a tardy development of cellulose solvents provides the platform for a debate in the hope that new scientific endeavors are stimulated on this important topic. Content Type Journal Article Category Review Pages 1-10 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9691-7 Authors Wolfgang G. Glasser, Department of Sustainable Biomaterials, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA Rajai H. Atalla, Chem. Biol. Eng., University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA John Blackwell, Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, Case Western University, Cleveland, OH, USA R. Malcolm Brown, Plant Cell Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA Walther Burchard, Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany Alfred D. French, Southern Regional Research Center, ARS-USDA, New Orleans, LA, USA Dieter O. Klemm, Institute of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, University of Jena, Jena, Germany Yoshiharu Nishiyama, CERMAV-CNRS, Grenoble, France Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    Due to the high potential of cellulose nanoparticles in composite materials and for both fundamental and technological considerations, we investigated the interaction between microfibrillar cellulose and fibers. The contribution to the paper properties of fines added to a pulp suspension was determined. The impact of various proportions of fines added to a softwood kraft pulp on the paper strength and how they affected porosity and density was evaluated. The respective effects of dried fines (dead fines), originating from paper or board degradation, and the newly formed secondary fines (fresh fines) generated during refining were examined. The nature of the bonding between the fines and the fibers versus physical retention was characterized in the pulp suspension. For the first time the respective parts in the interaction of hydrogen bonds and mechanical associations were demonstrated and quantified. The amount of H-bonded fresh fines exceeded that of dead fines by more than 30 %. The results revealed that, for both types, the amount of H-bonded fines reached a threshold, independently of the proportion of fines added to the fibers. Addition of fines significantly affected the porosity of papers, fresh fines decreasing porosity more readily than dead fines. All the results are convergent to indicate that fresh fines penetrate more evenly and more deeply into the fiber network and induce better bonding that produces a closure of the fiber mat structure. They also demonstrate that incorporating an optimal proportion of fresh cellulose fines in fiber networks can bring significant improvement to the final composite material. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-9 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9693-5 Authors Jean-Paul Joseleau, Centre de Recherches sur les Macromolécules Végétales (CERMAV), CNRS UPR 5301, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France Valérie Chevalier-Billosta, Centre de Recherches sur les Macromolécules Végétales (CERMAV), CNRS UPR 5301, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France Katia Ruel, Centre de Recherches sur les Macromolécules Végétales (CERMAV), CNRS UPR 5301, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    Cellulose whiskers were prepared from wood- and cotton-based microcrystalline cellulose and dried by two methods: freeze-drying or air-drying. The effect of drying method on the properties and structure of the whiskers were studied. Furthermore, the influence of the source of cellulose on the nanoscale structure was investigated. Drying method was observed to slightly influence the thermal stability of cellulose whiskers, whereas the char residue varied significantly depending on the drying process performed. Small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering and solid state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were used to examine the crystallinity and nanoscale structure of the dried whiskers. It was observed that the crystal structure and crystallinity of cellulose whiskers remained during all treatments, whereas their nanoscale structure was significantly influenced by drying method, neutralization, and source of cellulose. Relationships between thermal behavior and nanoscale structure were reported and discussed. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-12 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9695-3 Authors Pirita Rämänen, Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 55, 00014 Helsinki, Finland Paavo A. Penttilä, Division of Materials Physics, Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, 00014 Helsinki, Finland Kirsi Svedström, Division of Materials Physics, Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, 00014 Helsinki, Finland Sirkka Liisa Maunu, Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 55, 00014 Helsinki, Finland Ritva Serimaa, Division of Materials Physics, Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, 00014 Helsinki, Finland Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    Enhancing the effectiveness of a laccase–TEMPO treatment on sisal pulp by increasing pulp consistency was for the first time found to increase the biorefining potential of this enzyme–mediator system. The operating conditions used were those previously found to maximize oxidative functionalization and paper strength. Prior to the enzyme treatment, the pulp was refined at a variable intensity (0, 3,000 and 4,500 revolutions) in order to ascertain whether the increased surface area would lead to enhanced functionalization and boost the refining effect as a result. Increasing pulp consistency increased the contents in aldehyde and carboxyl groups by 130% and 94%, respectively. Also, it resulted in more marked reduction of pulp viscosity during the enzyme treatment, especially at a high refining intensity; this had a detrimental effect on fibre strength and significantly reduced tear strength in the refined pulp. Oxidized pulp exhibited a considerably increased water retention value with respect to the initial pulp, particularly after refining. Dry tensile index was increased by 21, 18 and 12%, and burst index by 23, 16 and 13% at 0, 3,000 and 4,500 rev, respectively, by the laccase–TEMPO treatment as a result of increased inter-fibre hydrogen bonding offsetting the loss of fibre strength, an effect that can provide substantial savings in refining energy. Based on the results, a laccase–TEMPO treatment is an enzymatic booster of mechanical refining with the added advantages of providing unaltered drainability and increased air permeability. The most salient effect of the laccase–TEMPO treatment was an increase in wet tensile strength (by 160, 553 and 588% at 0, 3,000 and 4,500 rev, respectively) that can be ascribed to inter-fibre covalent bonding through hemiacetal linkages promoted by aldehyde groups. The improvement was much greater than that obtained at a lower consistency under identical conditions. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-11 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9686-4 Authors Elisabetta Aracri, Textile and Paper Engineering Department, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Colom 11, 08222 Terrassa, Spain Teresa Vidal, Textile and Paper Engineering Department, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Colom 11, 08222 Terrassa, Spain Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    Bionanocomposites with improved properties based on two microbial polysaccharides, pullulan and bacterial cellulose, were prepared and characterized. The novel materials were obtained through a simple green approach by casting water-based suspensions of pullulan and bacterial cellulose and characterized by TGA, RDX, tensile assays, SEM and AFM. The effect of the addition of glycerol, as a plasticizer, on the properties of the materials was also evaluated. All bionanocomposites showed considerable improvement in thermal stability and mechanical properties, compared to the unfilled pullulan films, evidenced by the significant increase in the degradation temperature (up to 40 °C) and on both Young’s modulus and tensile strength (increments of up to 100 and 50%, for films without glycerol and up to 8,000 and 7,000% for those plasticized with glycerol). Moreover, these bionanocomposite films are highly translucent and could be labelled as sustainable materials since they were prepared entirely from renewable resources and could find applications in areas as organic electronics, dry food packaging and in the biomedical field. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-9 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9673-9 Authors Eliane Trovatti, CICECO and Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal Susana C. M. Fernandes, CICECO and Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal Laurent Rubatat, IPREM/EPCP, UMR 5254, Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, Pau, France Carmen S. R. Freire, CICECO and Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal Armando J. D. Silvestre, CICECO and Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal Carlos Pascoal Neto, CICECO and Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    We report a novel cobalt tetraaminophthalocyanine (CoPc) functionalized nanomaterial by spacer-arm immobilization of CoPc onto cellulose nanofiber mats. The spacer-arm was attached through the reaction of tetraethylenepentamine with oxidized cellulose nanofiber mats. CoPc was then covalently immobilized onto the spacer-arm using glutaraldehyde. The functionalization processes on the nanofiber mats were monitored by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. This CoPc functionalized nanomaterial (CoPc-spacer-NM) was used for decoloration of reactive dye wastewater. Incorporation of the spacer-arm resulted in enhanced decoloration with respect to directly immobilized CoPc onto the cellulose nanofiber mats (CoPc-NM). Compared with CoPc-NM, CoPc-spacer-NM shows much higher adsorption capacity when conducted under acidic conditions, which enhances the catalytic oxidation rate of reactive dye when H 2 O 2 was used as an oxidant. Reactive dye wastewater can also be efficiently decolorized by the CoPc-spacer-NM/H 2 O 2 system under basic conditions, despite a relatively weak adsorption capacity. Electron paramagnetic resonance results suggested that the catalytic oxidation process involves the formation and reaction of hydroxyl radicals. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry showed the main products of the catalytic oxidation of reactive red X-3B were biodegradable aliphatic acids, such as oxalic acid, malonic acid and maleic acid. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-9 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9701-9 Authors Shi-Liang Chen, MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027 China Xiao-Jun Huang, MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027 China Zhi-Kang Xu, MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027 China Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    The current paper reports on an investigation of the kinetics of chitosan deacetylation by chitin deacetylase isolated from Absidia orchidis vel coerulea . The reaction rate was correlated with the concentration of GlcNHAc units of the polymer. It is shown that the process follows the Michaelis–Menten mechanism. Modification of the Michaelis–Menten equation by introducing the activity of the enzyme instead of its concentration was tested and found to give a better approximation to the experimental data than the original Michaelis–Menten model. Parameters for both the original and the modified Michaelis–Menten equations are also proposed. Content Type Journal Article Pages 363-369 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9650-3 Authors Malgorzata M. Jaworska, Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, ul. Warynskiego 1, 00-645 Warsaw, Poland Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239 Journal Volume Volume 19 Journal Issue Volume 19, Number 2

Description:    In the present study the effect of relative humidity (RH) during spin-coating process on the structural characteristics of cellulose acetate (CA), cellulose acetate phthalate (C-A-P), cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) and carboxymethyl cellulose acetate butyrate (CMCAB) films was investigated by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM), ellipsometry and contact angle measurements. All polymer solutions were prepared in tetrahydrofuran (THF), which is a good solvent for all cellulose esters, and used for spin-coating at RH of (35 ± 5)%, (55 ± 5)% or (75 ± 5)%. The structural features were correlated with the molecular characteristics of each cellulose ester and with the balance between surface energies of water and THF and interface energy between water and THF. CA, CAB, CMCAB and C-A-P films spin-coated at RH of (55 ± 5)% were exposed to THF vapor during 3, 6, 9, 60 and 720 min. The structural changes on the cellulose esters films due to THF vapor exposition were monitored by means of AFM and ellipsometry. THF vapor enabled the mobility of cellulose esters chains, causing considerable changes in the film morphology. In the case of CA films, which are thermodynamically unstable, dewetting was observed after 6 min exposure to THF vapor. On the other hand, porous structures observed for C-A-P, CAB and CMCAB turned smooth and homogeneous after only 3 min exposure to THF vapor. Content Type Journal Article Pages 443-457 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9654-z Authors Leandro S. Blachechen, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 748, São Paulo, SP 05508-000, Brazil Marcela A. Souza, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 748, São Paulo, SP 05508-000, Brazil Denise F. S. Petri, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 748, São Paulo, SP 05508-000, Brazil Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239 Journal Volume Volume 19 Journal Issue Volume 19, Number 2

Description:    Powder and fiber diffraction patterns were calculated for model cellulose crystallites with chains 20 glucose units long. Model sizes ranged from four chains to 169 chains, based on cellulose Iβ coordinates. They were subjected to various combinations of energy minimization and molecular dynamics (MD) in water. Disorder induced by MD and one or two layers of water had small effects on the relative intensities, except that together they reduced the low-angle scattering that was otherwise severe enough to shift the 1 - 1   0 peak. Other shifts in the calculated peaks occurred because the empirical force field used for MD and minimization caused the models to have small discrepancies with the experimental intermolecular distances. Twisting and other disorder induced by minimization or MD increased the breadth of peaks by about 0.2–0.3° 2-θ. Patterns were compared with experimental results. In particular, the calculated fiber patterns revealed a potential for a larger number of experimental diffraction spots to be found for cellulose from some higher plants when crystallites are well-oriented. Either that, or further understanding of those structures is needed. One major use for patterns calculated from models is testing of various proposals for microfibril organization. Content Type Journal Article Pages 319-336 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9652-1 Authors Yoshiharu Nishiyama, Centre de Recherche sur les Macromolécules Végétales (CERMAV), Joseph Fourier University of Grenoble, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France Glenn P. Johnson, United States Department of Agriculture, Southern Regional Research Center (SRRC), 1100 Robert E. Lee Boulevard, New Orleans, LA 70124, USA Alfred D. French, United States Department of Agriculture, Southern Regional Research Center (SRRC), 1100 Robert E. Lee Boulevard, New Orleans, LA 70124, USA Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239 Journal Volume Volume 19 Journal Issue Volume 19, Number 2

Description:    The bisecting GlcNAc is transferred to the core mannose residue of complex or hybrid N-glycans on glycoproteins by the β1,4- N -acetylglucosaminyltransferase III (GlcNAcT-III) or MGAT3. The addition of the bisecting GlcNAc confers unique lectin recognition properties to N-glycans. Thus, LEC10 gain-of-function Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells selected for the acquisition of ricin resistance, carry N-glycans with a bisecting GlcNAc, which enhances the binding of the erythroagglutinin E-PHA, but reduces the binding of ricin and galectins-1, -3 and -8. The altered interaction with galactose-binding lectins suggests that the bisecting GlcNAc affects N-glycan conformation. LEC10 mutants expressing polyoma middle T antigen (PyMT) exhibit reduced growth factor signaling. Furthermore, PyMT-induced mammary tumors lacking MGAT3, progress more rapidly than tumors with the bisecting GlcNAc on N-glycans of cell surface glycoproteins. In recent years, evidence for a new paradigm of cell growth control has emerged involving regulation of cell surface residency of growth factor and cytokine receptors via interactions and cross-linking of their branched N-glycans with a lattice of galectin(s). Specific cross-linking of glycoprotein receptors in the lattice regulates their endocytosis, leading to effects on growth factor-induced signaling. This review will describe evidence that the bisecting GlcNAc of N-glycans regulates cellular signaling and tumor progression, apparently through modulating N-glycan/galectin interactions. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-10 DOI 10.1007/s10719-012-9373-6 Authors Hazuki E. Miwa, Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA Yinghui Song, Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA Richard Alvarez, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA Richard D. Cummings, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA Pamela Stanley, Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA Journal Glycoconjugate Journal Online ISSN 1573-4986 Print ISSN 0282-0080

Description:    Four corewood types were examined from sapling trees of two clones of Pinus radiata grown in a glasshouse. Trees were grown either straight to produce normal corewood, tilted at 45° from the vertical to produce opposite corewood and compression corewood, or rocked to produce flexure corewood. Mean cellulose microfibril angle of tracheid walls was estimated by X-ray diffraction and longitudinal swelling measured between an oven dry and moisture saturated state. Lignin and acetyl contents of the woods were measured and the monosaccharide compositions of the cell-wall polysaccharides determined. Finely milled wood was analysed using solution-state 2D NMR spectroscopy of gels from finely milled wood in DMSO- d 6 /pyridine- d 5 . Although there was no significant difference in cellulose microfibril angle among the corewood types, compression corewood had the highest longitudinal swelling. A lignin content 〉32 % and a galactosyl residue content 〉6 % clearly divided severe compression corewood from the other corewood types. Relationships could be drawn between lignin content and longitudinal swelling, and between galactosyl residue content and longitudinal swelling. The 2D NMR spectra showed that the presence of H-units in lignin was exclusive to compression corewood, which also had a higher (1 → 4)-β- d -galactan content, defining a unique composition for that corewood type. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-20 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9697-1 Authors Maree Brennan, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand J. Paul McLean, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand Clemens M. Altaner, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand John Ralph, Department of Biochemistry, DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Wisconsin Bioenergy Initiative, Madison, WI, USA Philip J. Harris, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    Xylans, an important sub-class of hemicelluloses, represent a largely untapped resource for new renewable materials derived from biomass. As with other carbohydrates, nanocellulose reinforcement of xylans is interesting as a route to new bio-materials. With this in mind, birch wood xylan was combined with nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) and films were cast with and without glycerol, sorbitol or methoxypolyethylene glycol (MPEG) as plasticizers. Microscopy revealed some NFC agglomeration in the composite films as well as a layered nanocellulose structure. Equilibrium moisture content in plasticized films increased with glycerol content but was independent of xylan:NFC ratio in unplasticized films. Sorbitol- and MPEG-plasticized films showed equilibrium moisture contents of approximately 10 wt% independent of plasticizer content. Tensile testing revealed increases in tensile strength with increased NFC content in the xylan:NFC composition range from 50:50 to 80:20 and plasticizer addition generally provided less brittle films. The oxygen permeability of unplasticized xylan-NFC films fell into a range which was similar to that for previously measured pure NFC films and was statistically independent of the xylan:NFC ratio. Water vapor permeability values of 1.9–2.8·10 −11  g Pa −1  m −1  s −1 were found for unplasticized composite films, but these values were significantly reduced in the case of films plasticized with 10–40 wt% sorbitol. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-17 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9764-7 Authors Natanya M. L. Hansen, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark Thomas O. J. Blomfeldt, Department of Fibre and Polymer Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 10044 Stockholm, Sweden Mikael S. Hedenqvist, Department of Fibre and Polymer Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 10044 Stockholm, Sweden David V. Plackett, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    This study demonstrated the potential of simultaneously recovering cellulosic solid residues (CSR) and producing cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) by strong sulfuric acid hydrolysis to minimize cellulose loss to near zero. A set of slightly milder acid hydrolysis conditions than that considered as “optimal” were used to significantly minimize the degradation of cellulose into soluble sugars that cannot be economically recovered, but resulted in CSR that is easily recoverable through conventional centrifuge. It was found that the window for simultaneous recoveries of CSR and producing high yield CNC in strong acid hydrolysis was extremely narrow. However, we achieved significant CSR yield with near zero cellulose loss but without sacrificing CNC yield compared with that obtained at “optimal condition”. The resultant CSR contains sulfate ester groups that facilitated subsequent mechanical nano-fibrillation to cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs), a potential high value nanocellulosic material for a variety of applications. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-15 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9765-6 Authors Q. Q. Wang, State Key Lab of Pulp and Paper Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China J. Y. Zhu, USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, WI, USA R. S. Reiner, USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, WI, USA S. P. Verrill, USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, WI, USA U. Baxa, Electron Microscopy Laboratory, SAIC-Frederick, Inc., NCI-Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA S. E. McNeil, Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory, Advanced Technology Program, SAIC-Frederick, Inc., NCI-Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    This study reports the use of solid state ball milling (SSBM) for dispersing cellulose nanowhiskers (CNWs) in starch-based thermoplastics. Prior to conventional drying, interwhiskers agglomeration was minimized by coating the CNWs with pectin, a vegetable hydrocolloid polysaccharide. SSBM and melt-processing were employed to prepare the nanocomposites. A strong correlation between mechanical reinforcement and nanowhisker dispersion was proven by results of tensile tests, scanning electron microscopy and dynamical mechanical thermal analysis. The starch–pectin–CNW nanocomposites showed high dispersion of the nano-sized filler in the matrix, thus SSBM shows great potential when compared to sol–gel, casting/evaporation and other methods to disperse these promising nanoparticles. Content Type Journal Article Category Communication Pages 1-8 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9768-3 Authors Francys Kley Vieira Moreira, Laboratório Nacional de Nanotecnologia para o Agronegócio (LNNA), Embrapa Instrumentação (CNPDIA), São Carlos, SP, Brazil José Manoel Marconcini, Laboratório Nacional de Nanotecnologia para o Agronegócio (LNNA), Embrapa Instrumentação (CNPDIA), São Carlos, SP, Brazil Luiz Henrique Capparelli Mattoso, Laboratório Nacional de Nanotecnologia para o Agronegócio (LNNA), Embrapa Instrumentação (CNPDIA), São Carlos, SP, Brazil Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    A mechanism for chemical attachment and growth of a Cu-BTC Metal–Organic Framework, also known as MOF-199 or HKUST-1, onto cellulosic substrates is reported. Four different experimental procedures were attempted in order to elucidate the role of carboxylate groups on the anionic cellulose’s surface. The order of addition of Cu(OAc) 2 —copper acetate, BTH3, 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid and TEA—Triethylamine was found to be a critical factor for the attachment and growth of the MOF-199 crystals onto anionic cellulose. The presence of MOF-199 crystals was probed using XRD and XPS spectra and a strong chemical interaction to the carboxymethylated cellulose fibers was confirmed by intense and vigorous washing of the specimens with water, DMF and methanol. Based on the recognized ability of MOF-199 to capture gases and toxic chemicals, combined with the availability of cellulose-based fibrous materials, the described procedure provides the basis for future fabrication of functionalized fibers and active filtration media. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1771-1779 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9752-y Authors Marcia da Silva Pinto, Department of Fiber Science and Apparel Design, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA Cesar Augusto Sierra-Avila, Departamento de Química, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia Juan P. Hinestroza, Department of Fiber Science and Apparel Design, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239 Journal Volume Volume 19 Journal Issue Volume 19, Number 5

Description:    This study demonstrates regioselective oxidation of cellulose nanowhiskers using 2.80–10.02 mmols of sodium periodate per 5 g of whiskers followed by grafting with methyl and butyl amines through a Schiff base reaction to obtain their amine derivatives in 80–90 % yield. We found a corresponding increase in carbonyl content (0.06–0.14 mmols/g) of the dialdehyde cellulose nanowhiskers with the increase in oxidant as measured by titrimetric analysis and this was further evidenced by FT-IR spectroscopy. Grafting of amine compounds to the oxidized cellulose nanowhiskers resulted in their amine derivatives, which are found to be partially soluble in DMSO. Therefore, the reduction reaction between amines and carbonyl groups was confirmed through 13 C NMR spectra, which was also supported by copper titration, XPS, and FT-IR spectroscopy. Morphological integrity and crystallinity of the nanowhiskers was maintained after the chemical modification as studied by AFM and solid-state 13 C NMR, respectively. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-11 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9769-2 Authors Rajalaxmi Dash, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA Thomas Elder, USDA-Forest Service, Pineville, LA 71360, USA Arthur J. Ragauskas, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    The past 25 years have seen significant advances in understanding the diversity and functions of glycoprotein glycans in Drosophila melanogaster . Genetic screens have captured mutations that reveal important biological activities modulated by glycans, including protein folding and trafficking, as well as cell signaling, tissue morphogenesis, fertility, and viability. Many of these glycan functions have parallels in vertebrate development and disease, providing increasing opportunities to dissect pathologic mechanisms using Drosophila genetics. Advances in the sensitivity of structural analytic techniques have allowed the glycan profiles of wild-type and mutant tissues to be assessed, revealing novel glycan structures that may be functionally analogous to vertebrate glycans. This review describes a selected set of recent advances in understanding the functions of N-linked and O-linked (non-glycosaminoglycan) glycoprotein glycans in Drosophila with emphasis on their relatedness to vertebrate organisms. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-10 DOI 10.1007/s10719-012-9442-x Authors Toshihiko Katoh, The Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA Michael Tiemeyer, The Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA Journal Glycoconjugate Journal Online ISSN 1573-4986 Print ISSN 0282-0080

Description:    The potential use of cellulose based materials for active food packaging applications was explored. For this purpose, the sorption of lysozyme in a cellulose based paper pulp was optimized using the experimental design methodology. A Face-Centered Composite design was applied to investigate the effect of short/long fibers ratio and carboxymethyl cellulose concentration on linking lysozyme to the fibers surface and to optimize the cellulosic matrix composition. The related polynomial model showed good fitting ability (R 2  〉 0.9) as well as good prediction ability (Q 2  〉 0.8). The best combination of factors was 50 % short fibers, 50 % long fibers and at least 4 % carboxymethyl cellulose. Afterwards the lysozyme release was investigated using a mathematical model based on Fick’s second law. It was able to describe the release kinetics of lysozyme from the paper sheets made with the optimized cellulosic matrix into water at different temperatures (between 4 and 23 °C), pH (from 4 to 7) and NaCl concentrations (from 0.2 to 2 M). The apparent diffusion coefficients for the lysozyme were in the range of 3.1 × 10 −16 –6.6 × 10 −14 and the E a value was 22.1 kJ/mol at pH 5 and NaCl concentration of 0.5 M. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-12 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9770-9 Authors E. Mascheroni, DEFENS, Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Science, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy G. Capretti, INNOVHUB, SSCCP, Italian Pulp and Paper Research Institute, Piazza L. da Vinci 16, 20133 Milan, Italy S. Limbo, DEFENS, Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Science, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy L. Piergiovanni, DEFENS, Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Science, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    In this study, we purified and characterized the β-xylosidase involved in the turnover of plant complex type N -glycans to homogeneity from mature red tomatoes. Purified β-xylosidase (β-Xyl’ase Le-1) gave a single band with molecular masses of 67 kDa on SDS-PAGE under a reducing condition and 60 kDa on gelfiltration, indicating that β-Xyl’ase Le-1 has a monomeric structure in plant cells. The N- terminal amino acid could not be identified owing to a chemical modification. When pyridylaminated (PA-) N- glycans were used as substrates, β-Xyl’ase Le-1 showed optimum activity at about pH 5 at 40 °C, suggesting that the enzyme functions in a rather acidic circumstance such as in the vacuole or cell wall. β-Xyl’ase Le-1 hydrolyzed the β1-2 xylosyl residue from Man 1 Xyl 1 GlcNAc 2 -PA, Man 1 Xyl 1 Fuc 1 GlcNAc 2 -PA, and Man 2 Xyl 1 Fuc 1 GlcNAc 2 -PA, but not that from Man 3 Xyl 1 GlcNAc 2 -PA or Man 3 Xyl 1 Fuc 1 GlcNAc 2 -PA, indicating that the α1-3 arm mannosyl residue exerts significant steric hindrance for the access of β-Xyl’ase Le-1 to the xylosyl residue, whereas the α1-3 fucosyl residue exerts little effect. These results suggest that the release of the β1-2 xylosyl residue by β-Xyl’ase Le-1 occurs at least after the removal the α-1,3-mannosyl residue in the core trimannosyl unit. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-10 DOI 10.1007/s10719-012-9441-y Authors Daisuke Yokouchi, Department of Biofunctional Chemistry, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Tsushima-Naka 1-1-1, Okayama, 700-8530 Japan Natsuko Ono, Department of Biofunctional Chemistry, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Tsushima-Naka 1-1-1, Okayama, 700-8530 Japan Kosuke Nakamura, Kagome Research Institute, Kagome Co., Ltd., 17 Nishitomiyama, Nasushiobara, Tochigi 329-2762, Japan Megumi Maeda, Department of Biofunctional Chemistry, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Tsushima-Naka 1-1-1, Okayama, 700-8530 Japan Yoshinobu Kimura, Department of Biofunctional Chemistry, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Tsushima-Naka 1-1-1, Okayama, 700-8530 Japan Journal Glycoconjugate Journal Online ISSN 1573-4986 Print ISSN 0282-0080

Description:    Many post-translational modifications, including glycosylation, are pivotal for the structural integrity, location and functional activity of glycoproteins. Sub-populations of proteins that are relocated or functionally changed by such modifications can change resting proteins into active ones, mediating specific effector functions, as in the case of monoclonal antibodies. To ensure safe and efficacious drugs it is essential to employ appropriate robust, quantitative analytical strategies that can (i) perform detailed glycan structural analysis, (ii) characterise specific subsets of glycans to assess known critical features of therapeutic activities (iii) rapidly profile glycan pools for at-line monitoring or high level batch to batch screening. Here we focus on these aspects of glycan analysis, showing how state-of-the-art technologies are required at all stages during the production of recombinant glycotherapeutics. These data can provide insights into processing pathways and suggest markers for intervention at critical control points in bioprocessing and also critical decision points in disease and drug monitoring in patients. Importantly, these tools are now enabling the first glycome/genome studies in large populations, allowing the integration of glycomics into other ‘omics platforms in a systems biology context. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-10 DOI 10.1007/s10719-012-9443-9 Authors Tharmala Tharmalingam, NIBRT Glycobiology Laboratory, NIBRT - The National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Fosters Avenue, Mount Merrion, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland Barbara Adamczyk, NIBRT Glycobiology Laboratory, NIBRT - The National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Fosters Avenue, Mount Merrion, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland Margaret A. Doherty, NIBRT Glycobiology Laboratory, NIBRT - The National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Fosters Avenue, Mount Merrion, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland Louise Royle, Ludger Ltd., Culham Science Centre, Oxfordshire, OX14 3EB UK Pauline M. Rudd, NIBRT Glycobiology Laboratory, NIBRT - The National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Fosters Avenue, Mount Merrion, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland Journal Glycoconjugate Journal Online ISSN 1573-4986 Print ISSN 0282-0080

Description:    In a persistent search to find affordable biomaterial sources, calcium deficient hydroxyapatite (CdHA) precipitated onto bacterial cellulose (BC) composites are excellent candidates. CdHA is resorbable in vivo and biomimetic to HA found in native bone due to its calcium deficiency. The shape of the starting BC scaffold limits BC/CdHA composite applications. In order to make greater use of these composites, this study aimed to investigate the feasibility in generating a CdHA powder from the original composite. The CdHA powder could be utilized at bone injury sites as stand-alone bone filler or as filler in an injectable system. This study selected thermal and enzymatic methods to investigate the effectiveness of BC removal from the original composite matrix. Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine the nanoscale hydroxyapatite rosettes. Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy was used to determine the calcium deficiency of hydroxyapatite. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to detect the presence of cellulose in the composites by mass. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to obtain chemical information of the degraded materials. Each degradation method successfully produced calcium deficient hydroxyapatite powders. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-10 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9767-4 Authors R. L. Hammonds, Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Tennessee, 434 Dougherty Hall, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA M. S. Harrison, Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Surgery, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37920, USA T. C. Cravanas, Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Surgery, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37920, USA W. H. Gazzola, Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Tennessee, 434 Dougherty Hall, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA C. P. Stephens, Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Surgery, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37920, USA R. S. Benson, Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Tennessee, 434 Dougherty Hall, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    In this study we carried out optimization of bacterial cellulose (BC) production from Gluconoacetobacter hansenii NCIM 2529 using a statistical model. Optimization of medium components and physical parameters used for bacterial cellulose production in G. hansenii NCIM 2529 was performed by two-step optimization. Eight culture parameters were screened by the Plackett – Burman design and significant parameters were optimized by the response surface methodology using a central composite design. Through these two-phase experiments, optimization of BC production was carried out for high production. The maximum average productivity of BC with optimized medium was 0.71 g/100 mL upon fermentation in a shake flask. The average BC production was observed to increase by about 44 % using these statistical techniques of media optimization. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-12 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9760-y Authors Bhavna V. Mohite, School of Life Sciences, North Maharashtra University, P. B. 80, Jalgaon, 425001 Maharashtra, India Kirtee K. Kamalja, Department of Statistics, North Maharashtra University, P. B. 80, Jalgaon, 425001 Maharashtra, India Satish V. Patil, School of Life Sciences, North Maharashtra University, P. B. 80, Jalgaon, 425001 Maharashtra, India Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    Freeze-dried nanofibrillated cellulose based-aerogels were produced from cellulosic pulps extracted from Eucalyptus urograndis . Nanofibers were isolated under high pressure and modified with TEMPO-mediated oxidation and/or hydroxyapatite (HAp) to observe potential changes in mechanical properties. Two degrees of oxidation (DO), 0.1 and 0.2, were achieved as measured by conductimetric titration. Oxidized and non-oxidized samples were modified with HAp at a ratio of HAp:cellulose of 0.2:1. Morphology (FE-SEM), pore size, surface area, and mechanical properties were obtained to characterize the produced aerogels. The results clearly demonstrate a homogeneous morphology for aerogels fabricated with oxidized cellulose nanofibers. The nature of water present in the material was measured using time domain-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (TD-NMR) and demonstrated that it played a key role in the development of the porous and uniform micro-architecture. TEMPO-mediated oxidation and the addition of HAp resulted in aerogels with high mechanical strength as demonstrated from an increase from approximately 75–200 kPa in compressive strength when reduced to 50 % of their original height. However, the contribution of oxidation to the mechanical properties was more pronounced than the addition of HAp. In general, the density of the aerogels varied from 0.008 to 0.011 g/cm 3 in which slightly lightweight aerogels were produced by increasing the degree of oxidation, whereas the incorporation of HAp as a modifying agent for potential bio-based tissue scaffolding matrices did not significantly contribute to higher densities. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-12 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9761-x Authors Teresa Cristina Fonseca Silva, Departamento de Quimica, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG 36570-000, Brazil Youssef Habibi, Laboratory of Soft Materials & Green Chemistry, Department of Forest Biomaterials, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-8005, USA Jorge Luiz Colodette, Departamento de Quimica, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG 36570-000, Brazil Thomas Elder, Southern Research Station, Utilization of Southern Forest Resources, USDA Forest Service, 2500 Shreveport Highway, Pineville, LA 71360-2009, USA Lucian A. Lucia, Laboratory of Soft Materials & Green Chemistry, Department of Forest Biomaterials, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-8005, USA Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    Recently, we demonstrated that the human xylosyltransferase II (XT-II) has enzymatic activity and is able to catalyze the initial and rate-limiting step in the biosynthesis of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) like chondroitin and dermatan sulfate, as well as heparan sulfate and heparin. Therefore, this enzyme also very likely assumes a crucial regulatory role in the biosynthesis of proteoglycans (PGs). In this study, we identified and characterized for the first time the XYLT2 gene promoter region and transcription factors involved in its regulation. Several binding sites for members of the Sp1 family of transcription factors were identified as being necessary for transcriptional regulation of the XYLT2 gene. This was determined by mithramycin A treatment, electrophoretic mobility shift and supershift assays, as well as numerous site-directed mutagenesis experiments. Different 5′ and 3′ deletion constructs of the predicted GC rich promoter region, which lacks a canonical TATA and CAAT box, revealed that a 177 nts proximal promoter element is sufficient and indispensable to drive the constitutive transcription in full strength in HepG2 hepatoma cells. In addition, we also detected the transcriptional start site using 5′-RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends). Our results provide an insight into transcriptional regulation of the XYLT2 gene and may contribute to understanding the manifold GAG-involving processes in health and disease. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-9 DOI 10.1007/s10719-012-9439-5 Authors Benjamin Müller, Institut für Laboratoriums- und Transfusionsmedizin, Herz- und Diabeteszentrum NRW, Universitätsklinik der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 32545 Bad Oeynhausen, Germany Christian Prante, Institut für Laboratoriums- und Transfusionsmedizin, Herz- und Diabeteszentrum NRW, Universitätsklinik der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 32545 Bad Oeynhausen, Germany Cornelius Knabbe, Institut für Laboratoriums- und Transfusionsmedizin, Herz- und Diabeteszentrum NRW, Universitätsklinik der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 32545 Bad Oeynhausen, Germany Knut Kleesiek, Institut für Laboratoriums- und Transfusionsmedizin, Herz- und Diabeteszentrum NRW, Universitätsklinik der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 32545 Bad Oeynhausen, Germany Christian Götting, Institut für Laboratoriums- und Transfusionsmedizin, Herz- und Diabeteszentrum NRW, Universitätsklinik der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 32545 Bad Oeynhausen, Germany Journal Glycoconjugate Journal Online ISSN 1573-4986 Print ISSN 0282-0080

Description:    Natural killer gene complex (NKC) encodes a group of proteins with a single C-type lectin-like domain, (CTLD) which can be subdivided several subfamilies according to their structures and expression patterns. The receptors containing the conserved calcium binding sites in the CTLD fold belong to group II of C-type lectin superfamily and are expressed on myeloid cells and non- myeloid cells. The receptors lacking conserved calcium binding sites in the CTLD fold have evolved to bind ligands other than carbohydrates independently on calcium and thereby are named as C-type lectin-like receptors. The C-type lectin-like receptors are previously thought to be exclusively expressed on natural killer (NK) cells and enable NK cells to discriminate self, missing self or altered self. However, some C-type lectin-like receptors are identified in myeloid cells and are intensely investigated, recently. These myeloid C-type lectin-like receptors, especially Dectin-1 cluster, have a wide variety of ligands, including those of exogenous origin, and play important roles in the physiological functions and pathological processes including immune homeostasis, immune defenses, and immune surveillance. In this review, we summarize each member of the Dectin-1 cluster, including their structural profiles, expression patterns, signaling properties as well as known physiological functions. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-12 DOI 10.1007/s10719-012-9419-9 Authors Jianhui Xie, Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugate Research, Ministry of Health, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China Journal Glycoconjugate Journal Online ISSN 1573-4986 Print ISSN 0282-0080

Description:    Contact-active antibacterial surfaces are a novel tool in the antibacterial battle. The preparation of such surfaces usually involves harsh reaction conditions and organic solvents. A more sustainable alternative would involve physical adsorption of water-soluble polyelectrolytes using a renewable substrate. Here, highly charged cationic polyvinylamines (PVAm), with or without hydrophobic modifications, have been adsorbed onto the naturally anionic cellulosic wood-fibres. To increase the amount of PVAm, polyelectrolyte multilayers were prepared using polyacrylic acid as the anionic polyelectrolyte. The modified fibres were characterised for PVAm content, water retention and antibacterial properties. The use of multilayers increased the total polymer content without notably reducing the water swelling. The fibres were shown to have excellent bioactive properties and reduced waterborne Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis by more than 99.9 %, which is a generally accepted definition of an antibacterial material. A large reduction in bacterial growth was observed upon addition of nutrients, although minor growth was detected after 24 h. The results further show that one adsorbed polymer layer was sufficient to obtain a contact-active surface, which makes the PVAm multilayer system seemingly unique. No polymer leaching from any of the samples was detected, indicating that the fibres work via a contact-active antibacterial mechanism. The results show the feasibility of constructing a sustainable antibacterial material using a renewable substrate and water-based solutions in the material construction process. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-11 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9742-0 Authors Josefin Illergård, Department of Fibre and Polymer Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 100 44 Stockholm, Sweden Ute Römling, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 171 71 Stockholm, Sweden Lars Wågberg, Department of Fibre and Polymer Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 100 44 Stockholm, Sweden Monica Ek, Department of Fibre and Polymer Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 100 44 Stockholm, Sweden Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    Human LOX-1/OLR 1 plays a key role in atherogenesis and endothelial dysfunction. The N-glycosylation of LOX-1 has been shown to affect its biological functions in vivo and modulate the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. However, the N-glycosylation pattern of LOX-1 has not been described yet. The present study was aimed at elucidating the N-glycosylation of recombinant human LOX-1 with regard to N-glycan profile and N-glycosylation sites. Here, an approach using nonspecific protease (Pronase E) digestion followed by MALDI-QIT-TOF MS and multistage MS (MS 3 ) analysis is explored to obtain site-specific N-glycosylation information of recombinant human LOX-1, in combination with glycan structure confirmation through characterizing released glycans using tandem MS. The results reveal that N-glycans structures as well as their corresponding attached site of LOX-1 can be identified simultaneously by direct MS analysis of glycopeptides from non-specific protease digestion. With this approach, one potential glycosylation site of recombinant human LOX-1 on Asn 139 is readily identified and found to carry heterogeneous complex type N-glycans. In addition, manual annotation of multistage MS data utilizing diagnostic ions, which were found to be particularly useful in defining the structure of glycopeptides and glycans was addressed for proper spectra interpretation. The findings described herein will shed new light on further research of the structure-function relationships of LOX-1 N-glycan. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-11 DOI 10.1007/s10719-012-9408-z Authors Yifan Qian, Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugate Research Ministry of Public Health, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 People’s Republic of China Xingwang Zhang, Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugate Research Ministry of Public Health, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 People’s Republic of China Lei Zhou, Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugate Research Ministry of Public Health, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 People’s Republic of China Xiaojing Yun, Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugate Research Ministry of Public Health, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 People’s Republic of China Jianhui Xie, Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugate Research Ministry of Public Health, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 People’s Republic of China Jiejie Xu, Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugate Research Ministry of Public Health, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 People’s Republic of China Yuanyuan Ruan, Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugate Research Ministry of Public Health, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 People’s Republic of China Shifang Ren, Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugate Research Ministry of Public Health, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 People’s Republic of China Journal Glycoconjugate Journal Online ISSN 1573-4986 Print ISSN 0282-0080

Description:    Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disorder that is characterized by persistent recurrence of joint inflammation leading to cartilage and bone destruction. The present anti-arthritis therapies failed to achieve satisfactory remission in all patients; therefore, it is still necessary to develop novel approaches to fulfill the demand in clinic. Here, we reported the therapeutic effects of lactosyl derivative Gu-4, a synthetic compound that was previously identified as a selective inhibitor against leukocyte integrin CD11b, in a bovine type II collagen induced arthritis (CIA) rat model. First, prophylactic administration of Gu-4 (1.2728 mg/kg) to rats by intraperitoneal injection every 2 days from the first day of collagen immunization significantly decreased the incidence of CIA, diminished the mean paw volume increase, and reduced the number of swollen paws. Second, administration of Gu-4 (1.2728 mg/kg) to rats at early-onset stage of CIA prevented the progression of the pathological process of RA, accelerated the remission of paw edema, and declined the arthritis score; after 5 weeks treatment, X-ray and histological examinations were carried out, the ankle joint of hind limb of Gu-4 treated CIA rats exhibited slighter bone erosion and much less inflammatory cell infiltration compared to those of saline treated animals; furthermore, Gu-4 remarkably attenuated the production of rheumatoid factor (RF) in the serum of CIA rats as determined by ELISA. Moreover, we performed in vitro lymphocyte proliferation assay and found that Gu-4 significantly inhibited the proliferation of splenic lymphocytes isolated from CIA rats in a dose-dependent manner. Our results suggest that Gu-4 can effectively ameliorate CIA and might be an alternative option for the treatment of RA. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-9 DOI 10.1007/s10719-012-9407-0 Authors Jie Fan, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210046 China Huiting Zhou, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210046 China Shihui Wang, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210046 China Hailian Wang, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210046 China Yushun Zhang, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210046 China Yingtao Guo, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210046 China Qing Li, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Department of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100083 China Zhongjun Li, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Department of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100083 China Zhihui Zhao, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210046 China Journal Glycoconjugate Journal Online ISSN 1573-4986 Print ISSN 0282-0080

Description:    Despite recent technical advances in glycan analysis, the rapidly growing field of glycomics still lacks methods that are high throughput and robust, and yet allow detailed and reliable identification of different glycans. LC-MS-MS 2 methods have a large potential for glycan analysis as they enable separation and identification of different glycans, including structural isomers. The major drawback is the complexity of the data with different charge states and adduct combinations. In practice, manual data analysis, still largely used for MALDI-TOF data, is no more achievable for LC-MS-MS 2 data. To solve the problem, we developed a glycan analysis software GlycanID for the analysis of LC-MS-MS 2 data to identify and profile glycan compositions in combination with existing proteomic software. IgG was used as an example of an individual glycoprotein and extracted cell surface proteins of human fibroblasts as a more complex sample to demonstrate the power of the novel data analysis approach. N-glycans were isolated from the samples and analyzed as permethylated sugar alditols by LC-MS-MS 2 , permitting semiquantitative glycan profiling. The data analysis consisted of five steps: 1) extraction of LC-MS features and MS 2 spectra, 2) mapping potential glycans based on feature distribution, 3) matching the feature masses with a glycan composition database and de novo generated compositions, 4) scoring MS 2 spectra with theoretical glycan fragments, and 5) composing the glycan profile for the identified glycan compositions. The resulting N-glycan profile of IgG revealed 28 glycan compositions and was in good correlation with the published IgG profile. More than 50 glycan compositions were reliably identified from the cell surface N-glycan profile of human fibroblasts. Use of the GlycanID software made relatively rapid analysis of complex glycan LC-MS-MS 2 data feasible. The results demonstrate that the complexity of glycan LC-MS-MS 2 data can be used as an asset to increase the reliability of the identifications. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-12 DOI 10.1007/s10719-012-9412-3 Authors Hannu Peltoniemi, Applied Numerics Ltd, Nuottapolku 10 A 8, 00330 Helsinki, Finland Suvi Natunen, Finnish Red Cross Blood Service, Helsinki, Finland Ilja Ritamo, Finnish Red Cross Blood Service, Helsinki, Finland Leena Valmu, Finnish Red Cross Blood Service, Helsinki, Finland Jarkko Räbinä, Finnish Red Cross Blood Service, Helsinki, Finland Journal Glycoconjugate Journal Online ISSN 1573-4986 Print ISSN 0282-0080

Description:    Proteoglycans have been studied to a limited extent in lymphoid cells. In this study we have investigated the expression of proteoglycans in B-cells, CD4+ T-cells, CD8+ T-cells, natural killer cells, as well as in nine different cell lines established from patients with lymphoid malignancies. Serglycin was the major proteoglycan expressed at mRNA level by the primary lymphocytes. None of the syndecans or glycpicans was detected at mRNA level in the primary lymphocytes, except for syndecan-4 in CD4+ T-cells and CD8+ T-cells. All lymphoid cell lines expressed serglycin mRNA, as well as one or several members of the syndecan and glypican families. Further, increased synthesis of proteoglycans was found in the cell lines compared to the primary lymphocytes, as well as the presence of heparan sulfate on the cell surface of five of the cells lines. Western blot analysis showed a close correlation between serglycin mRNA level and expression of serglycin core protein. Our results show that serglycin is a major proteoglycan in all the normal lymphoid cells and that these cells carry little, or none, proteoglycans on the cell surface. Serglycin was also a major proteoglycan in the malignant lymphoid cells, but these also expressed one or more types of cell surface proteoglycans. Thus, malignant transformation of lymphoid cells may be followed by increased synthesis of proteoglycans and expression of cell surface proteoglycans. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-11 DOI 10.1007/s10719-012-9427-9 Authors Bodil Fadnes, Institute of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway Anne Husebekk, Institute of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway Gunbjørg Svineng, Institute of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway Øystein Rekdal, Institute of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway Masaki Yanagishita, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan Svein O. Kolset, Department of Nutrition, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway Lars Uhlin-Hansen, Institute of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway Journal Glycoconjugate Journal Online ISSN 1573-4986 Print ISSN 0282-0080

Description:    Mucin-type O -linked glycoproteins are known for regulating many aspects of cell activity but remains a challenge to detect under physiological conditions which is due to the diversity of O -glycosylation and the lack of universal method. Here a direct labeling strategy for in situ visualizing of mucin-type O -linked glycoproteins on living cells has been developed. The strategy utilizes the combination of metabolic engineering and chemical probing technologies. Treating cells with an unnatural sugar, 2-keto Ac 4 GalNAc analogue (2-keto isostere of GalNAc) to generate keto groups upon cells, followed by chemoselective ligation of keto groups on cells with a fluorescent tag, fluorescein-5-thiosemicarbazide (FTSC), provides a promising platform to probing mucin-type O -glycosylation on living cells. The FTSC conjugates illustrated very similar fluorescent spectra as FITC, a fluorescent tag widely used in proteomics, indicating good compatibility with commonly used fluorescent equipments. The established method eliminated the need of an additional fluorescent amplification step. Cells after being treated with the method maintained a rather high level of viability of 84.3 %. Finally, the assay has been successfully applied to image the expression of mucin-type O -linked glycoproteins within CHO and HeLa cells. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-8 DOI 10.1007/s10719-012-9425-y Authors Ying Zhang, Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi’an, 710069 People’s Republic of China Yujiao Sun, Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi’an, 710069 People’s Republic of China Zhongfu Wang, Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi’an, 710069 People’s Republic of China Linjuan Huang, Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi’an, 710069 People’s Republic of China Journal Glycoconjugate Journal Online ISSN 1573-4986 Print ISSN 0282-0080

Description:    An in-depth analysis was performed of the molecular deformation mechanisms in cellulose during axial stretching. For the first time, it was demonstrated that entropy affects the stiffness of cellulose nanocrystals significantly. This was achieved through Molecular Dynamics simulations of model nanocrystals subject to constant stress in the axial direction, for nanocrystals of varying lateral dimensions and at different temperatures. The simulations were analyzed in terms of Young’s modulus E , which is a measure of the elastic response to applied stress. A weak but significant temperature dependence was shown, with ∂ E /∂ T  =  −0.05 Gpa K −1 at room temperature, in agreement with experimental numbers. In order to analyze the respective contributions from internal energy and entropy, a decomposition of the total response of the free energy with respect to strain was made. It was shown that the decrease in E with increasing T is due to entropy, and that the magnitude of the decrease is 6–9 % at room temperature compared to the value at 0 K. This was also shown independently by a direct calculation of the vibrational entropy of the cellulose crystal. Finally, it was found that internal hydrogen bonds are contributing to the stiffness by 20 %, mainly by stabilizing the cellulose internal structure. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-16 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9774-5 Authors Jakob Wohlert, Wallenberg Wood Science Center, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 10044 Stockholm, Sweden Malin Bergenstråhle-Wohlert, Wallenberg Wood Science Center, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 10044 Stockholm, Sweden Lars A. Berglund, Wallenberg Wood Science Center, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 10044 Stockholm, Sweden Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    The aim of this work was to functionalize cotton gauzes with cyclodextrins in order to endow them with the ability to elute antimicrobial agents and to prevent infections. Gauzes were modified according to a two-steps approach: (1) pre-irradiation of the gauzes (Gammabeam) to graft glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), and (2) covalent binding of cyclodextrins (CDs) to the GMA-grafted gauzes. First the dependence of GMA grafting yield on the radiation dose (from 1 to 20 kGy) and the time of reaction was evaluated in detail. Anchorage of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) was confirmed by FTIR, TGA, and 3-methylbenzoic acid sorption. Differently from pristine gauzes, CD-functionalized GMA-grafted gauzes were able to load an anionic antibiotic drug, specifically nalidixic acid, and to sustain the release for 6 h. Drug-loaded gauzes were tested in vitro against E. coli and the results prove the suitability of the functionalization approach to efficiently inhibit the growth of this microorganism. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-13 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9782-5 Authors Erick Hiriart-Ramírez, Departamento de Química de Radiaciones y Radioquímica, Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico, DF, Mexico Angel Contreras-García, Department of Engineering Physics, École Polytechnique, C.P. 6079, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montreal, QC H3C 3A7, Canada Maria José Garcia-Fernandez, Departamento de Farmacia y Tecnología Farmacéutica, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain Angel Concheiro, Departamento de Farmacia y Tecnología Farmacéutica, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain Carmen Alvarez-Lorenzo, Departamento de Farmacia y Tecnología Farmacéutica, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain Emilio Bucio, Departamento de Química de Radiaciones y Radioquímica, Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico, DF, Mexico Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    The contents of cellulose, total carbohydrates, sugars (fructose, glucose, galactose, sucrose, and cellobiose), and minerals (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, calcium, and magnesium) were determined at various stages of fiber development in the brown cotton cultivar ZX-1, the green cotton cultivar G-7, and the white cotton cultivar LMY28 of Gossypium hirsutum L. Cellulose contents during fiber development changed along S-shaped curves among the tested cotton cultivars. The cellulose content was significantly higher in the white cotton cultivar LMY28 than in the colored cotton cultivars ZX-1 and G-7 after 25 days post anthesis (DPA). Sugar and mineral contents showed significant changes during fiber development. Fructose, glucose, galactose, cellobiose, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, and magnesium contents were essential for cellulose deposition during fiber development. In this study, glucose was shown to be a direct precursor and key sugar in cellulose biosynthesis in cotton cultivars. There may be a special mechanism in colored cotton cultivars that greater amounts of total carbohydrates, especially glucose, and minerals (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, and magnesium) were consumed by the biosynthesis and deposition of fiber pigments than in the biosynthesis of cellulose. This finding could explain why the cellulose content was significantly lower in the colored cotton cultivars than in white cotton. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-12 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9776-3 Authors Meiling Zhang, State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Agronomy College, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, 271018 Shandong, China Xianliang Song, State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Agronomy College, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, 271018 Shandong, China Xuezhen Sun, State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Agronomy College, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, 271018 Shandong, China Zhenlin Wang, State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Agronomy College, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, 271018 Shandong, China Zongtai Li, State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Agronomy College, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, 271018 Shandong, China Hong Ji, State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Agronomy College, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, 271018 Shandong, China Xiaolong Xu, State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Agronomy College, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, 271018 Shandong, China Jinpu Li, State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Agronomy College, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, 271018 Shandong, China Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    A conductive paper was made of cellulose fibers with a multilayer of polyethyleneimine (PEI) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and the factors to increase the conductivity of the paper were investigated. The adsorption amount and the structure of PEI and PEDOT:PSS multilayer was changed by controlling salt concentration and the number of layers, and inter-contact degree of fibers was controlled by calendering. The adsorption behavior of the polyelectrolytes onto cellulose was evaluated using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring, and the adsorption amount was quantitatively analyzed through Kjeldahl nitrogen analysis and an Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer. The conductivity of the resultant paper was in the range of 10 −5 –10 −4  S/cm without loss of paper strength. The conductivity of the paper increased when the multilayer was formed at low salt concentration and the conductive paper was calendered. It appeared that electron transfer by increased contact between PEDOT:PSS improved the conductivity of the paper. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-12 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9781-6 Authors Jegon Lee, Department of Forest Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, 1, Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 151-921 Korea Jaeho Ryu, Department of Forest Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, 1, Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 151-921 Korea Hye Jung Youn, Department of Forest Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, 1, Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 151-921 Korea Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    Cellulose viscose fibres were functionalized by novel amino cellulose sulfates (ACS), namely 6-deoxy-6-(ω-aminoethyl) amino cellulose-2,3(6)-O-sulfate (AECS), and 6-deoxy-6-(2-(bis- N ′, N ′-(2-aminoethyl)aminoethyl)) amino cellulose-2,3(6)-O-sulfate (BAECS). In this way an amphoteric characteristics were introduced onto cellulose viscose fibers which is extremely important by fiber applications. Whilst cellulose fibers possess only negligible carboxyl groups’ content, the coating of fibers by AECS and BAECS, respectively, introduces new functional groups to the fibers; as positively-charged amino groups and negatively-charged sulfate groups. The typical functional groups within the non-coated fibers, as well in the ACS-coated fibers, were characterized by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, conductometric-, potentiometric and polyelectrolyte titrations, as well as conventionally by the spectroscopic methylene-blue method. The electro-kinetic behavior was evaluated by measuring the zeta-potential of the fibers as a function of pH. The amounts of the positive-charges (introduced protonated amino groups) determined by potentiometric titration agreed with the amounts of the positive charges determined by conductometric titration. The total amounts of negatively-charged fiber groups (sulfate and carboxyl) determined by polyelectrolyte titration were 38.8 and 32.1 mMol kg −1 for AECS-Vis and BAECS-Vis, respectively, and these results were in accordance with the conventional methylene-blue method. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-11 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9778-1 Authors Taha Genco, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Institute for Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry, Center of Excellence for Polysaccharide Research, Humboldtstraße 10, 07743 Jena, Germany Lidija Fras Zemljič, Laboratory for Characterization and Processing of Polymers, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova 17, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia Matej Bračič, Laboratory for Characterization and Processing of Polymers, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova 17, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia Karin Stana-Kleinschek, Laboratory for Characterization and Processing of Polymers, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova 17, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia Thomas Heinze, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Institute for Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry, Center of Excellence for Polysaccharide Research, Humboldtstraße 10, 07743 Jena, Germany Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    Glycoconjugates (GCs) are recognized as stimulation and signaling agents, affecting cell adhesion, activation, and growth of living organisms. Among GC targets, macrophages are considered ideal since they play a central role in inflammation and immune responses against foreign agents. In this context, we studied the effects of highly selective GCs in neutralizing toxin factors produced by B. anthracis during phagocytosis using murine macrophages. The effects of GCs were studied under three conditions: A) prior to , B) during , and C) following exposure of macrophages to B. anthracis individual toxin (protective antigen [PA], edema factor [EF], lethal factor [LF] or toxin complexes (PA-EF-LF, PA-EF, and PA-LF). We employed ex vivo phagocytosis and post-phagocytosis analysis including direct microscopic observation of macrophage viability, and macrophage activation. Our results demonstrated that macrophages are more prone to adhere to GC-altered PA-EF-LF, PA-EF, and PA-LF toxin complexes. This adhesion results in a higher phagocytosis rate and toxin complex neutralization during phagocytosis. In addition, GCs enhance macrophage viability, activate macrophages, and stimulate nitric oxide (NO) production. The present study may be helpful in identifying GC ligands with toxin-neutralizing and/or immunomodulating properties. In addition, our study could suggest GCs as new targets for existing vaccines and the prospective development of vaccines and immunomodulators used to combat the effects of B. anthracis . Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-12 DOI 10.1007/s10719-012-9446-6 Authors Olga Tarasenko, Department of Biology, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 2801 South University Ave., Little Rock, AR 72204, USA Ashley Scott, Department of Biology, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 2801 South University Ave., Little Rock, AR 72204, USA April Jones, Department of Biology, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 2801 South University Ave., Little Rock, AR 72204, USA Lee Soderberg, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA Pierre Alusta, Department of Biology, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 2801 South University Ave., Little Rock, AR 72204, USA Journal Glycoconjugate Journal Online ISSN 1573-4986 Print ISSN 0282-0080

Description:    In the past decade, the identification of most genes involved in Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation (CDG) (type I) was achieved by a combination of biochemical, cell biological and glycobiological investigations. This has been truly successful for CDG-I, because the candidate genes could be selected on the basis of the homology of the synthetic pathway of the dolichol linked oligosaccharide in human and yeast. On the contrary, only a few CDG-II defects were elucidated, be it that some of the discoveries represent wonderful breakthroughs, like e.g , the identification of the COG defects. In general, many rare genetic defects have been identified by positional cloning. However, only a few types of CDG have effectively been elucidated by linkage analysis and so-called reverse genetics. The reason is that the families were relatively small and could—except for CDG-PMM2—not be pooled for analysis. Hence, a large number of CDG cases has long remained unsolved because the search for the culprit gene was very laborious, due to the heterogeneous phenotype and the myriad of candidate defects. This has changed when homozygosity mapping came of age, because it could be applied to small (consanguineous) families. Many novel CDG genes have been discovered in this way. But the best has yet to come: what we are currently witnessing, is an explosion of novel CDG defects, thanks to exome sequencing: seven novel types were published over a period of only two years. It is expected that exome sequencing will soon become a diagnostic tool, that will continuously uncover new facets of this fascinating group of diseases. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-10 DOI 10.1007/s10719-012-9445-7 Authors Gert Matthijs, Center for Human Genetics, University of Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium Daisy Rymen, Center for Human Genetics, University of Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium María Beatriz Bistué Millón, Center for Human Genetics, University of Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium Erika Souche, Center for Human Genetics, University of Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium Valérie Race, Center for Human Genetics, University of Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium Journal Glycoconjugate Journal Online ISSN 1573-4986 Print ISSN 0282-0080

Description:    This review summarizes the analytical advances made during the last several years in the structural and quantitative determinations of glycoproteins in complex biological mixtures. The main analytical techniques used in the fields of glycomics and glycoproteomics involve different modes of mass spectrometry and their combinations with capillary separation methods such as microcolumn liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis. The need for high-sensitivity measurements have been emphasized in the oligosaccharide profiling used in the field of biomarker discovery through MALDI mass spectrometry. High-sensitivity profiling of both glycans and glycopeptides from biological fluids and tissue extracts has been aided significantly through lectin preconcentration and the uses of affinity chromatography. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-29 DOI 10.1007/s10719-012-9444-8 Authors Milos V. Novotny, Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA William R. Alley Jr., Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA Benjamin F. Mann, Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA Journal Glycoconjugate Journal Online ISSN 1573-4986 Print ISSN 0282-0080

Description:    Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and non-isothermal methods—chemiluminometry, differential scanning calorimetry, and differential thermogravimetry—were used to characterize potential structural changes of thiol-modified hyaluronans. Degradative conditions tested via rotational viscometry were first initiated applying oxidative Weissberger ’s system in a reaction system under aerobic conditions. Several low-molecular-weight thiol compounds—cysteamine, l -cysteine, and N -acetyl- l -cysteine—were subsequently tested for their potential antioxidative effects against hyaluronan degradation. It was shown that different final values of dynamic viscosity of hyaluronan solutions were dependent on the thiol structure and its initial concentration. An idea has been put forward that together with the reduction of the hyaluronan molecular weight, which is a consequence of fragmentation, the degradation products might contain associated or even cross-linked structures. In the case of N -acetyl- l -cysteine application, the carbonaceous residue evidenced by differential thermogravimetry was increased when compared to that of intact hyaluronan. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-12 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9775-4 Authors Eva Hrabárová, Department of Carbohydrate Enzymology, Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 84538 Bratislava, Slovak Republic Jozef Rychlý, Polymer Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 84541 Bratislava, Slovak Republic Vlasta Sasinková, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 84538 Bratislava, Slovak Republic Katarína Valachová, Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 84104 Bratislava, Slovak Republic Ivica Janigová, Polymer Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 84541 Bratislava, Slovak Republic Katarína Csomorová, Polymer Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 84541 Bratislava, Slovak Republic Ivo Juránek, Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 84104 Bratislava, Slovak Republic Ladislav Šoltés, Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 84104 Bratislava, Slovak Republic Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    2,3-Di- O -myristyl-6- O -(zinc(II) phthalocyaninyl) cellulose ( 5 ) was synthesized from cellulose ( 1 ) by five reaction steps via 6- O -(3′,4′-dicyanophenyl)-2,3-di- O -myristyl cellulose ( 4 ). The key reaction was phthalocyanine-ring formation on a cellulose backbone, that is, the reaction of compound 4 with o -phthalodinitrile in the presence of hexamethyldisilazane and zinc acetate in DMF afforded to compound 5 in 35.4 % yield. Consequently, the degree of substitution with phthalocyanine moieties of compound 5 was 0.38. The LB monolayer film of compound 5 on an indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode was found to show photocurrent generation performance at 680 nm. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-10 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9772-7 Authors Yasuko Saito, Division of Forest and Biomaterials Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan Toshiyuki Takano, Division of Forest and Biomaterials Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan Keita Sakakibara, Division of Forest and Biomaterials Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan Hiroshi Kamitakahara, Division of Forest and Biomaterials Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan Fumiaki Nakatsubo, Division of Forest and Biomaterials Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    Enterobacter sp. CJF-002, which had been isolated as a cellulose producer with saccharides as a carbon source, was shown to efficiently produce cellulose from beet molasses (B-Mol) and biodiesel fuel by-product (BDF-B), renewable non-edible and inexpensive biomasses. The cellulose production rates of Enterobacter sp. CJF-002 using B-Mol and BDF-B as carbon sources were faster than those of Acetobacter xylinum ( A. xylinum ) ATCC23769, a representative cellulose producing bacterium. To clarify the biosynthetic machinery of cellulose in the strain, genes responsible for cellulose biosynthesis were cloned. Six open reading frames (ORFs) were suggested to be clustered and their amino acid sequences had high similarities with those of BcsA, BcsB, BcsZ (endoglucanase), BcsC, YhjQ, and YhjK from Escherichia coli , respectively. Of these, the former four genes showed low similarities to corresponding orthologs in a cellulose biosynthetic gene cluster of A. xylinum . A bcsC -knockout mutant produced no cellulose, confirming that the gene is essential for cellulose production of Enterobacter sp. CJF-002. The predicted three-dimensional structure of BcsZ En from Enterobacter sp. CJF-002 had high similarity with that of CMCax (endoglucanase) from A. xylinum ATCC23769 in spite of the low similarity in their amino acid sequences. Taken together, A. xylinum and Enterobacter sp. CJF-002 might produce cellulose via a similar synthetic mechanism. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-13 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9777-2 Authors Naoki Sunagawa, Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Hokkaido University, N13W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8628 Japan Kenji Tajima, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, N13W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8628 Japan Mariko Hosoda, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, N13W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8628 Japan Shin Kawano, Database Center for Life Science, Research Organization of Information and Systems, 2-11-16 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0032 Japan Ryota Kose, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, N13W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8628 Japan Yasuharu Satoh, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, N13W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8628 Japan Min Yao, Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, N10W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0810 Japan Tohru Dairi, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, N13W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8628 Japan Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239

Description:    Inborn errors in glycoconjugate biosynthesis termed ‘Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation’ (CDG) comprise a rapidly expanding group of metabolic diseases in man. Up till now more than 60 different inherited disorders in N- and O-glycosylation pathways have been identified. They affect the biosynthesis of glycan moieties linked to proteins as well as lipids. Due to failures in protein glycosylation, CDG patients suffer from multi systemic disorders, which mostly present with severe psychomotor and mental retardations, muscular impairment, ataxia, failure to thrive and developmental delay. Although improved biochemical and genetic investigations led to identification of a variety of new molecular defects in glycoconjugate biosynthesis, effective therapies for most types of the CDG are so far not available. Therefore, intensive investigations on treatment options for this group of diseases have been carried out in recent years. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-8 DOI 10.1007/s10719-012-9447-5 Authors Christian Thiel, Center for Child and Adolescent Medicine, Center for Metabolic Diseases Heidelberg, Kinderheilkunde I Im Neuenheimer Feld 433, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany Christian Körner, Center for Child and Adolescent Medicine, Center for Metabolic Diseases Heidelberg, Kinderheilkunde I Im Neuenheimer Feld 433, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany Journal Glycoconjugate Journal Online ISSN 1573-4986 Print ISSN 0282-0080

Description:    Despite numerous original publications describing the structural complexity of N- and O-linked glycans on glycoproteins, only very few answer the basic question of which particular glycans are linked to which amino acid residues along the polypeptide chain. Such structural information is of fundamental importance for understanding the biological roles of complex glycosylations as well as deciphering their non-template driven biosynthesis. This review focuses on presenting and commenting on recent strategies, specifically aimed at identifying the glycoproteome of cultured cells and biological samples, using targeted and global enrichment procedures and utilizing the high resolution power, high through-put capacity and complementary fragmentation techniques of tandem mass spectrometry. The goal is to give an update of this emerging field of protein and glyco-sciences and suggest routes to bridge the data gap between the two aspects of glycoprotein characteristics, i.e. glycan structures and their attachment sites. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-18 DOI 10.1007/s10719-012-9438-6 Authors Jonas Nilsson, Department of Clinical Chemistry and Transfusion Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, 413 45 Sweden Adnan Halim, Department of Clinical Chemistry and Transfusion Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, 413 45 Sweden Ammi Grahn, Department of Clinical Chemistry and Transfusion Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, 413 45 Sweden Göran Larson, Department of Clinical Chemistry and Transfusion Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, 413 45 Sweden Journal Glycoconjugate Journal Online ISSN 1573-4986 Print ISSN 0282-0080

Description:    Among the “omics”, glycomics is one of the most complex fields and needs complementary strategies of analysis to decipher the “glycan dictionary”. As an alternative method, which has developed since the beginning of the 21st century, lectin array technology could generate relevant information related to glycan motifs, accessibility and a number of other valuable insights from molecules (purified and non-purified) or cells. Based on a cell line model, this study deals with the key parameters that influence the whole cell surface glycan interaction with lectin arrays and the consequences on the interpretation and reliability of the results. The comparison between the adherent and suspension forms of Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells, showed respective glycan signatures, which could be inhibited specifically by neoglycoproteins. The modifications of the respective glycan signatures were also revealed according to the detachment modes and cell growth conditions. Finally the power of lectin array technology was highlighted by the possibility of selecting and characterizing a specific clone from the mother cell line, based on the slight difference determination in the respective glycan signatures. Content Type Journal Article Category Glycoarray Section Pages 1-9 DOI 10.1007/s10719-012-9433-y Authors Ludovic Landemarre, GLYcoDIAG, Université d’Orléans, 45067 Orléans cedex 2, France Perrine Cancellieri, GLYcoDIAG, Université d’Orléans, 45067 Orléans cedex 2, France Eric Duverger, GlycoBiochimie/Département de Biologie, Université d’Orléans, 45067 Orléans cedex 2, France Journal Glycoconjugate Journal Online ISSN 1573-4986 Print ISSN 0282-0080

Description:    Brine shrimp are primitive crustacean arthropodal model organisms, second to daphnia, which can survive in high-salinity environments. Their oviposited cysts, cuticle-covered diapausing eggs, are highly resistant to dryness. To elucidate specialties of brine shrimp, this study characterized glycosphingolipids, which are signal transduction-associated material. A group of novel and complex fucosyl glycosphingolipids were separated and identified from cysts of the brine shrimp Artemia franciscana by repeated lipid extraction, alkaline methanolysis, acid treatment, successive column chromatography, and post-source decay measurements by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Structures of the glycosphingolipids were elucidated by conventional structural characterization and mass spectrometry, and the compounds were identified as GlcNAcβ1-3GalNAcβ1-4(GlcNAcα1-2Fucα1-3)GlcNAcβ1-3Manβ1-4Glcβ1-Cer, GalNAcβ1-4(Fucα1-3)GlcNAcβ1-3GalNAcβ1-4(GlcNAcα1-2Fucα1-3)GlcNAcβ1-3Manβ1-4Glcβ1-Cer, and GalNAcβ1-4(GlcNAcα1-2Fucα1-3)GlcNAcβ1-3GalNAcβ1-4(GlcNAcα1-2Fucα1-3)GlcNAcβ1-3Manβ1-4Glcβ1-Cer. These compounds also contained a branching, non-arthro-series disaccharide with an α-GlcNAc terminus, similar to that found in a previously reported ceramide hexasaccharide (III 3 (GlcNAcα2Fucα)-At 4 Cer). The glycans within these complex GSLs are longer than reported glycans of the animal kingdom containing α-GlcNAc terminus. These complex GSLs as well as the longest GSL with ten sugar residues, ceramide decasaccharide (CDeS), contain the fucosylated LacdiNAc sequence reported to associate with parasitism/immunosuppression and the α-GlcNAc terminus reported to show a certain antibacterial effect in other reports. CDeS, the longest GSL of this species, was found in the highest amount, which indicates that CDeS may be functionally important. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-12 DOI 10.1007/s10719-012-9436-8 Authors Hisao Kojima, Institute of Glycoscience, Tokai University, 4-1-1 Kitakaname, Hiratsuka, Kanagawa 259-1292, Japan Yukako Tohsato, Department of Bioinformatics, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Nojihigashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577, Japan Kazuya Kabayama, Institute of Glycoscience, Tokai University, 4-1-1 Kitakaname, Hiratsuka, Kanagawa 259-1292, Japan Saki Itonori, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Education, Shiga University, 2-5-1 Hiratsu, Otsu, Shiga 520-0862, Japan Masahiro Ito, Department of Bioinformatics, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Nojihigashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577, Japan Journal Glycoconjugate Journal Online ISSN 1573-4986 Print ISSN 0282-0080

Description:    Galanthus nivalis agglutinin (GNA)-related lectin family, a superfamily of strictly mannose-binding specific lectins widespread among monocotyledonous plants, is well-known to possess a broad range of biological functions such as anti-tumor, anti-viral and anti-fungal activities. Herein, we mainly focused on exploring the precise molecular mechanisms by which GNA-related lectins induce cancer cell apoptotic and autophagic death targeting mitochondria-mediated ROS-p38-p53 apoptotic or autophagic pathway, Ras-Raf and PI3K-Akt anti-apoptotic or anti-autophagic pathways. In addition, we further discussed the molecular mechanisms of GNA-related lectins exerting anti-viral activities by blocking the entry of the virus into its target cells, preventing transmission of the virus as well as forcing virus to delete glycan in its envelope protein and triggering neutralizing antibody. In conclusion, these findings may provide a new perspective of GNA-related lectins as potential drugs for cancer and virus therapeutics in the future. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-11 DOI 10.1007/s10719-012-9440-z Authors Lei Wu, School of Life Sciences and Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Sichuan University, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, 610064 China Jin-ku Bao, School of Life Sciences and Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Sichuan University, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, 610064 China Journal Glycoconjugate Journal Online ISSN 1573-4986 Print ISSN 0282-0080

Description:    A new mannose-recognizing lectin (MOL) was purified on an asialofetuin-column from fruiting bodies of Marasmius oreades grown in Japan. The lectin (MOA) from the fruiting bodies of the same fungi is well known to be a ribosome-inactivating type lectin that recognizes blood-group B sugar. However, in our preliminary investigation, MOA was not found in Japanese fruiting bodies of M. oreades , and instead, MOL was isolated. Gel filtration showed MOL is a homodimer noncovalently associated with two subunits of 13 kDa. The N-terminal sequence of MOL was blocked. The sequence of MOL was determined by cloning from cDNA and by protein sequencing of enzyme-digested peptides. The sequence shows mannose-binding motifs of bulb-type mannose-binding lectins from plants, and similarity to the sequences. Analyses of sugar-binding specificity by hemagglutination inhibition revealed the preference of MOL toward mannose and thyroglobulin, but asialofetuin was the strongest inhibitor of glycoproteins tested. Furthermore, glycan-array analysis showed that the specificity pattern of MOL was different from those of typical mannose-specific lectins. MOL preferred complex–type N-glycans rather than high-mannose N-glycans. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-9 DOI 10.1007/s10719-012-9401-6 Authors Michiko Shimokawa, Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kagoshima University, 1-21-24 Korimoto, Kagoshima, 890-0065 Japan Ayako Fukudome, Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kagoshima University, 1-21-24 Korimoto, Kagoshima, 890-0065 Japan Ryoko Yamashita, Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kagoshima University, 1-21-24 Korimoto, Kagoshima, 890-0065 Japan Yuji Minami, Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kagoshima University, 1-21-24 Korimoto, Kagoshima, 890-0065 Japan Fumio Yagi, Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kagoshima University, 1-21-24 Korimoto, Kagoshima, 890-0065 Japan Hiroaki Tateno, Research Center for Medical Glycoscience, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Central 2, 1-1-1 Umezono, Ibaraki, 305-8568 Japan Jun Hirabayashi, Research Center for Medical Glycoscience, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Central 2, 1-1-1 Umezono, Ibaraki, 305-8568 Japan Journal Glycoconjugate Journal Online ISSN 1573-4986 Print ISSN 0282-0080

Description:    Rice ( Oryza sativa ) expresses different putative carbohydrate-binding proteins belonging to the class of lectins containing an Euonymus lectin (EUL)-related domain, one of them being OrysaEULS2. The OrysaEULS2 sequence consists of a 56 amino acid N-terminal domain followed by the EUL sequence. In this paper the original sequence of the EUL domain of OrysaEULS2 and some mutant forms have been expressed in Pichia pastoris . Subsequently, the recombinant proteins were purified and their carbohydrate binding properties determined. Analysis of the original protein on the glycan array revealed interaction with mannose containing structures and to a lesser extent with glycans containing lactosamine related structures. It was shown that mutation of tryptophan residue 134 into leucine resulted in an almost complete loss of carbohydrate binding activity of OrysaEULS2. Our results show that the EUL domain in OrysaEULS2 interacts with glycan structures, and hence can be considered as a lectin. However, the binding of the protein with the array is much weaker than that of other EUL-related lectins. Furthermore, our results indicate that gene divergence within the family of EUL-related lectins lead to changes in carbohydrate binding specificity. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-13 DOI 10.1007/s10719-012-9405-2 Authors Bassam Al Atalah, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Glycobiology, Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Ghent University, Coupure links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium Pierre Rougé, Signaux et Messages Cellulaires chez les Végétaux, UMR CNRS-UPS 5546, Pole de Biotechnologie végétale, BP 17, 24 Chemin de Borde Rouge, Castanet-Tolosan, 31326 France David F. Smith, Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA Paul Proost, Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Minderbroedersstraat 10, 3000 Leuven, Belgium Yi Lasanajak, Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA Els J. M. Van Damme, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Glycobiology, Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Ghent University, Coupure links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium Journal Glycoconjugate Journal Online ISSN 1573-4986 Print ISSN 0282-0080

Description:    Playing an important role in a broad range of biological and pathological processes, sialylation has been drawing wide interest. The efficient sialoglycopeptides enrichment methods are therefore attracting considerable attention. In this paper, we first compared two conventional enrichment methods, lectin and TiO 2 , and analyzed their characteristics. Furthermore, considering the highly negatively charged nature of sialic acids, we developed a new strategy, peptide immobilized pH gradient isoelectric focusing (IPG-IEF) assisted TiO 2 chromatography (PIAT), for the highly efficient enrichment of sialoglycopeptides. In this method, peptides were first separated into 24 fractions using peptide IPG-IEF. Sialoglycopeptides were relatively concentrated in low-pH fractions of the immobilized pH strips and were captured using TiO 2 chromatography. As a result, 614 N-glycosylation sites were identified in 582 sialoglycopeptides within 322 sialoglycoproteins from rat liver using PIAT. To our knowledge, this work represents one of the most comprehensive sialoglycoproteomic analyses in general and exhibits the largest database of sialoglycoproteome in rat liver currently. So the new strategy introduced here exhibits high efficiency and universality in the sialoglycopeptide enrichment, and is a powerful tool for sialoglycoproteome exploration. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-11 DOI 10.1007/s10719-012-9404-3 Authors Weiqian Cao, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences and Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433 China Jing Cao, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences and Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433 China Jiangming Huang, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences and Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433 China Lei Zhang, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences and Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433 China Jun Yao, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences and Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433 China Haoqi Xu, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences and Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433 China Pengyuan Yang, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences and Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433 China Journal Glycoconjugate Journal Online ISSN 1573-4986 Print ISSN 0282-0080

Description:    Cell surface glycoproteins are one of the most frequently observed phenomena correlated with malignant growth. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most malignant tumors in the world. The majority of hepatocellular carcinoma cell surface proteins are modified by glycosylation in the process of tumor invasion and metastasis. Therefore, characterization of cell surface glycoproteins can provide important information for diagnosis and treatment of liver cancer, and also represent a promising source of potential diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for hepatocellular carcinoma. However, cell surface glycoproteins of HCC have been seldom identified by proteomics approaches because of their hydrophobic nature, poor solubility, and low abundance. The recently developed cell surface-capturing (CSC) technique was an approach specifically targeted at membrane glycoproteins involving the affinity capture of membrane glycoproteins using glycan biotinylation labeling on intact cell surfaces. To characterize the cell surface glycoproteome and probe the mechanism of tumor invasion and metastasis of HCC, we have modified and evaluated the cell surface-capturing strategy, and applied it for surface glycoproteomic analysis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. In total, 119 glycosylation sites on 116 unique glycopeptides were identified, corresponding to 79 different protein species. Of these, 65 (54.6 %) new predicted glycosylation sites were identified that had not previously been determined experimentally. Among the identified glycoproteins, 82 % were classified as membrane proteins by a database search, 68 % had transmembrane domains (TMDs), and 24 % were predicted to contain 2–13 TMDs. Moreover, a total of 26 CD antigens with 50 glycopeptides were detected in the membrane glycoproteins of hepatocellular carcinoma cells, comprising 43 % of the total glycopeptides identified. Many of these identified glycoproteins are associated with cancer such as CD44, CD147 and EGFR. This is a systematic characterization of cell surface glycoproteins of HCC. The membrane glycoproteins identified in this study provide very useful information for probing the mechanism of liver cancer invasion and metastasis. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-14 DOI 10.1007/s10719-012-9420-3 Authors Wei Mi, State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, 33 Life Park Road, Changping District, Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China Wei Jia, State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, 33 Life Park Road, Changping District, Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China Zhaobin Zheng, State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, 33 Life Park Road, Changping District, Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China Jinglan Wang, State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, 33 Life Park Road, Changping District, Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China Yun Cai, State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, 33 Life Park Road, Changping District, Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China Wantao Ying, State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, 33 Life Park Road, Changping District, Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China Xiaohong Qian, State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, 33 Life Park Road, Changping District, Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China Journal Glycoconjugate Journal Online ISSN 1573-4986 Print ISSN 0282-0080

Description:    Water-soluble cyanoethyl cellulose (CEC) samples were synthesized by homogeneous reaction of cellulose with acrylonitrile in LiOH/urea aqueous solutions. The dynamic viscoelastic property of CEC with different degree of substitution (DS) in water at different temperatures and concentrations were investigated. At low concentrations, the CEC solutions displayed liquid-like behavior with G ′ smaller than G ′′ at low frequencies; while the curves of G ′ and G ′′ intersected at the middle of the frequency range at higher concentration, indicating an existence of chain aggregation and entanglement network. The gelation temperature ( T gel ) was determined from the point of intersection in tan δ versus temperature ( T ) at different frequencies, indicating the validity of Winter–Chambon criteria. It was found that T gel increased with increasing DS, and that the exponent ( n ) values at the gel point decreased with increasing DS. The heating–cooling process proved that the sol–gel transition for CECs in water was thermally irreversible. The AFM images revealed that the particles packed loosely together to form gel aggregates. Moreover, the Maxwell model with four elements was used to describe the frequency dependencies of G ′ and G ′′ for CEC in aqueous solution. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Paper Pages 1-9 DOI 10.1007/s10570-012-9739-8 Authors Qian Li, Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072 China Jinping Zhou, Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072 China Lina Zhang, Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072 China Journal Cellulose Online ISSN 1572-882X Print ISSN 0969-0239