Starting from a manifestly Lorentz-invariant chiral Lagrangian, we present a model-free prediction for the transition amplitude of the process nn→ppe−e− induced by light Majorana neutrinos, which is ...a key process of the neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) in heavy nuclei employed in large-scale searches. Contrary to the nonrelativistic case, we show that the transition amplitude can be renormalized at leading order without any uncertain contact operators. The predicted amplitude defines a stringent benchmark for the previous estimation with model-dependent inputs, and greatly reduces the uncertainty of 0νββ transition operator in the calculations of nuclear matrix elements. Generalizations of the present framework could also help to address the uncertainties in 0νββ decay induced by other mechanisms. In addition, the present work motivates a relativistic ab initio calculation of 0νββ decay in light and medium-mass nuclei.
Oxidative stress contributes to the pathogenesis of acute lung injury. Protein S-glutathionylation plays an important role in cellular antioxidant defense. Here we report that the expression of ...deglutathionylation enzyme Grx1 is decreased in the lungs of acute lung injury mice. The acute lung injury induced by hyperoxia or LPS is significantly relieved in Grx1 KO and Grx1
LysM
mice, confirming the protective role of Grx1-regulated S-glutathionylation in macrophages. Using a quantitative redox proteomics approach, we show that FABP5 is susceptible to S-glutathionylation under oxidative conditions. S-glutathionylation of Cys127 in FABP5 promotes its fatty acid binding ability and nuclear translocation. Further results indicate S-glutathionylation promotes the interaction of FABP5 and PPARβ/δ, activates PPARβ/δ target genes and suppresses the LPS-induced inflammation in macrophages. Our study reveals a molecular mechanism through which FABP5 S-glutathionylation regulates macrophage inflammation in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury.
Over the past decades, the relativistic density functional theory has been greatly developed and widely applied to investigate a variety of nuclear phenomena. In this paper, we briefly review the ...concept of covariant density functional theory in nuclear physics with a few latest applications in describing nuclear ground-state and excitation properties as well as nuclear dynamics. Moreover, attempts to build a microscopic and universal density functional are also discussed in terms of the successful fully self-consistent relativistic Brueckner–Hartree–Fock calculations.
Pairing correlations play a very important role in atomic nuclei. Although several effective pairing interactions have been used in mean field calculations for nucleons, little is known about ...effective pairing interactions for hyperons. Based on the quark model, we propose a relationship between effective pairing interactions for hyperons and for nucleons; e.g., for Λs, the strength of the pairing interaction is 4/9 of that for nucleons. A separable pairing force of finite range which has been widely applied to describing pairing correlations in normal nuclei is used to investigate pairing effects in multi-Λ Ca, Sn and Pb hypernuclei.
The inclusion of nucleonic exchange energy has been a long-standing challenge for the relativistic density functional theory (RDFT) in nuclear physics. We propose an orbital-dependent relativistic ...Kohn-Sham density functional theory to incorporate the exchange energy with local Lorentz scalar and vector potentials. The relativistic optimized effective potential equations for the local exchange potentials are derived and solved efficiently. The obtained binding energies and charge radii for nuclei are benchmarked with the results given by the traditional relativistic Hartree-Fock approach, which involves complicated nonlocal potentials. It demonstrates that the present framework is not only accurate but also efficient.
Principal component analysis (PCA) is employed to extract the principal components (PCs) present in nuclear mass models for the first time. The effects from different nuclear mass models are ...reintegrated and reorganized in the extracted PCs. These PCs are recombined to build new mass models, which achieve better accuracy than the original theoretical mass models. This comparison indicates that using the PCA approach, the effects contained in different mass models can be collaborated to improve nuclear mass predictions.
Multiple sources contribute membrane and protein machineries to construct functional macroautophagic/autophagic structures. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we show ...that RAB2 connects the Golgi network to autophagy pathway by delivering membrane and by sequentially engaging distinct autophagy machineries. In unstressed cells, RAB2 resides primarily in the Golgi apparatus, as evidenced by its interaction and colocalization with GOLGA2/GM130. Importantly, autophagy stimuli dissociate RAB2 from GOLGA2 to interact with ULK1 complex, which facilitates the recruitment of ULK1 complex to form phagophores. Intriguingly, RAB2 appears to modulate ULK1 kinase activity to propagate signals for autophagosome formation. Subsequently, RAB2 switches to interact with autophagosomal RUBCNL/PACER and STX17 to further specify the recruitment of HOPS complex for autolysosome formation. Together, our study reveals a multivalent pathway in bulk autophagy regulation, and provides mechanistic insights into how the Golgi apparatus contributes to the formation of different autophagic structures.
ACTB: actin beta; ATG9: autophagy related 9A; ATG14: autophagy related 14; ATG16L1: autophagy related 16 like 1; BCAP31: B cell receptor associated protein 31; BECN1: beclin 1; Ctrl: control; CQ: chloroquine; CTSD: cathepsin D; DMSO: dimethyl sulfoxide; EBSS: Earle's balanced salt solution; EEA1: early endosome antigen 1; GDI: guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor; GFP: green fluorescent protein; GOLGA2: golgin A2; HOPS: homotypic fusion and protein sorting complex; IP: immunoprecipitation; KD: knockdown; KO: knockout; LAMP1: lysosomal associated membrane protein 1; LC3: microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3; OE: overexpression; PtdIns3K: class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase; SQSTM1/p62: sequestosome 1; RAB2: RAB2A, member RAS oncogene family; RAB7: RAB7A, member RAS oncogene family; RAB11: RAB11A, member RAS oncogene family; RUBCNL/PACER: rubicon like autophagy enhancer; STX17: syntaxin 17; TBC1D14: TBC1 domain family member 14; TFRC: transferrin receptor; TGOLN2: trans-golgi network protein 2; TUBB: tubulin beta class I; ULK1: unc-51 like autophagy activating kinase 1; VPS41: VPS41, HOPS complex subunit; WB: western blot; WT: wild type; YPT1: GTP-binding protein YPT1.
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