The integration of heterometallic units and nanostructures into metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) used for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) can enhance the electrocatalytic performance and help ...elucidate underlying mechanisms. We have synthesized a series of stable MOFs (CTGU‐10a1–d1) based on trinuclear metal carboxylate clusters and a hexadentate carboxylate ligand with a (6,6)‐connected nia net. We also present a strategy to synthesize hierarchical bimetallic MOF nanostructures (CTGU‐10a2–d2). Among these, CTGU‐10c2 is the best material for the OER, with an overpotential of 240 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and a Tafel slope of 58 mV dec−1. This is superior to RuO2 and confirms CTGU‐10c2 as one of the few known high‐performing pure‐phase MOF‐OER electrocatalysts. Notably, bimetallic CTGU‐10b2 and c2 show an improved OER activity over monometallic CTGU‐10a2 and d2. Both DFT and experiments show that the remarkable OER performance of CTGU‐10c2 is due to the presence of unsaturated metal sites, a hierarchical nanobelt architecture, and the Ni–Co coupling effect.
Finding the right balance: The integration of heterometallic clusters and nanostructures into stable hierarchical nanosheet‐based bimetal–organic frameworks allows to increase the oxygen evolution reaction performance of electrocatalysts. The ideal ratio between Co and Ni leads to one of the best performances of pure‐phase MOF–OER electrocatalysts.
Autophagy is a degradative pathway that delivers cellular components to the lysosome for degradation. The role of autophagy in cell differentiation is poorly understood. Here we show that CaMKII can ...directly phosphorylate Beclin 1 at Ser90 to promote K63-linked ubiquitination of Beclin 1 and activation of autophagy. Meanwhile, CaMKII can also promote K63-linked ubiquitination of inhibitor of differentiation 1/2 (Id-1/2) by catalyzing phosphorylation of Id proteins and recruiting TRAF-6. Ubiquitinated Id-1/Id-2 can then bind to p62 and be transported to autolysosomes for degradation. Id degradation promotes the differentiation of neuroblastoma cells and reduces the proportion of stem-like cells. Our study proposes a mechanism by which autophagic degradation of Id proteins can regulate cell differentiation. This suggests that targeting of CaMKII and the regulation of autophagic degradation of Id may be an effective therapeutic strategy to induce cell differentiation in neuroblastoma.
Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory vascular disease driven by traditional and nontraditional risk factors. Genome-wide association combined with clonal lineage tracing and clinical trials have ...demonstrated that innate and adaptive immune responses can promote or quell atherosclerosis. Several signaling pathways, that are associated with the inflammatory response, have been implicated within atherosclerosis such as NLRP3 inflammasome, toll-like receptors, proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9, Notch and Wnt signaling pathways, which are of importance for atherosclerosis development and regression. Targeting inflammatory pathways, especially the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway and its regulated inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β, could represent an attractive new route for the treatment of atherosclerotic diseases. Herein, we summarize the knowledge on cellular participants and key inflammatory signaling pathways in atherosclerosis, and discuss the preclinical studies targeting these key pathways for atherosclerosis, the clinical trials that are going to target some of these processes, and the effects of quelling inflammation and atherosclerosis in the clinic.
Retinol dehydrogenase 11 (RDH11) is an 11‐cis‐retinol dehydrogenase that has a well‐characterized, albeit auxiliary role in the retinoid cycle. Diseases caused by mutations in the RDH11 gene are very ...rare, and only one affected family with eye and intelligence involvement has been reported. In the present study, we describe the clinical and genetic findings in a Chinese patient with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), juvenile cataracts, intellectual disability, and myopathy. Trio‐based whole‐exome sequencing and whole genomic copy number variation detection were performed in this family, and compound heterozygous mutations were identified in RDH11 of the patient: c.938T>C (p.Leu313Pro) derived from the father and c.75‐3C>A derived from the mother. Variant c.75‐3C>A was confirmed to be a splice‐site mutation by cDNA sequencing. It caused exon 2 skipping, resulting in a frameshift mutation and premature translation termination (p.Lys26Serfs*38). Moreover, we found mislocalization of RDH11 protein in muscle cells of the patient by using immunofluorescence staining. This is the first case reported in the Chinese population harboring mutations in RDH11 and revealing a new phenotype of syndromic RP with myopathy.
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major world health problem and one of the most studied diseases, which are highly prevalent in the whole world, it is frequently associated with severe clinical ...complications, such as diabetic cardiomyopathy, nephropathy, retinopathy, neuropathy etc. Scientific research is continuously casting about for new monomer molecules from Chinese herbal medicine that could be invoked as candidate drugs for fighting against diabetes and its complications. Resveratrol (RES), a polyphenol phytoalexin, possesses diverse biochemical and physiological actions, including antiplatelet, estrogenic, and anti-inflammatory properties. It is recently gaining scientific interest for RES in controlling blood sugar and fighting against diabetes and its complications properties in various types of diabetic models. These beneficial effects seem to be due to the multiple actions of RES on cellular functions, which make RES become a promising molecule for the treatment of diabetes and diabetic complications. Here, we review the mechanism of action and potential therapeutic use of RES in prevention and mitigation of these diseases in recent ten years to provide a reference for further research and development of RES.
Abstract
Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide receptor (VIP1R) is a widely expressed class B G protein-coupled receptor and a drug target for the treatment of neuronal, metabolic, and inflammatory ...diseases. However, our understanding of its mechanism of action and the potential of drug discovery targeting this receptor is limited by the lack of structural information of VIP1R. Here we report a cryo-electron microscopy structure of human VIP1R bound to PACAP27 and Gs heterotrimer, whose complex assembly is stabilized by a NanoBiT tethering strategy. Comparison with other class B GPCR structures reveals that PACAP27 engages VIP1R with its N-terminus inserting into the ligand binding pocket at the transmembrane bundle of the receptor, which subsequently couples to the G protein in a receptor-specific manner. This structure has provided insights into the molecular basis of PACAP27 binding and VIP receptor activation. The methodology of the NanoBiT tethering may help to provide structural information of unstable complexes.
Verticillium dahliae isolates are most virulent on the host from which they were originally isolated. Mechanisms underlying these dominant host adaptations are currently unknown. We sequenced the ...genome of V. dahliae Vd991, which is highly virulent on its original host, cotton, and performed comparisons with the reference genomes of JR2 (from tomato) and VdLs.17 (from lettuce).
Pathogenicity-related factor prediction, orthology and multigene family classification, transcriptome analyses, phylogenetic analyses, and pathogenicity experiments were performed.
The Vd991 genome harbored several exclusive, lineage-specific (LS) genes within LS regions (LSRs). Deletion mutants of the seven genes within one LSR (G-LSR2) in Vd991 were less virulent only on cotton. Integration of G-LSR2 genes individually into JR2 and VdLs.17 resulted in significantly enhanced virulence on cotton but did not affect virulence on tomato or lettuce. Transcription levels of the seven LS genes in Vd991 were higher during the early stages of cotton infection, as compared with other hosts. Phylogenetic analyses suggested that G-LSR2 was acquired from Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum through horizontal gene transfer.
Our results provide evidence that horizontal gene transfer from Fusarium to Vd991 contributed significantly to its adaptation to cotton and may represent a significant mechanism in the evolution of an asexual plant pathogen.
The significant morbidity and mortality resulted from the infection of a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) call for urgent development of effective and safe vaccines. We ...report the immunogenicity and safety of an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, KCONVAC, in healthy adults.
Phase 1 and phase 2 randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled trials of KCONVAC were conducted in healthy Chinese adults aged 18 to 59 years. The participants in the phase 1 trial were randomized to receive two doses, one each on Days 0 and 14, of either KCONVAC (5 or 10 μg/dose) or placebo. The participants in the phase 2 trial were randomized to receive either KCONVAC (at 5 or 10 μg/dose) or placebo on Days 0 and 14 (0/14 regimen) or Days 0 and 28 (0/28 regimen). In the phase 1 trial, the primary safety endpoint was the proportion of participants experiencing adverse reactions/events within 28 days following the administration of each dose. In the phase 2 trial, the primary immunogenicity endpoints were neutralization antibody seroconversion and titer and anti-receptor-binding domain immunoglobulin G seroconversion at 28 days after the second dose.
In the phase 1 trial, 60 participants were enrolled and received at least one dose of 5-μg vaccine (n = 24), 10-μg vaccine (n = 24), or placebo (n = 12). In the phase 2 trial, 500 participants were enrolled and received at least one dose of 5-μg vaccine (n = 100 for 0/14 or 0/28 regimens), 10-μg vaccine (n = 100 for each regimen), or placebo (n = 50 for each regimen). In the phase 1 trial, 13 (54%), 11 (46%), and seven (7/12) participants reported at least one adverse event (AE) after receiving 5-, 10-μg vaccine, or placebo, respectively. In the phase 2 trial, 16 (16%), 19 (19%), and nine (18%) 0/14-regimen participants reported at least one AE after receiving 5-, 10-μg vaccine, or placebo, respectively. Similar AE incidences were observed in the three 0/28-regimen treatment groups. No AEs with an intensity of grade 3+ were reported, expect for one vaccine-unrelated serious AE (foot fracture) reported in the phase 1 trial. KCONVAC induced significant antibody responses; 0/28 regimen showed a higher immune responses than that did 0/14 regimen after receiving two vaccine doses.
Both doses of KCONVAC are well tolerated and able to induce robust immune responses in healthy adults. These results support testing 5-μg vaccine in the 0/28 regimen in an upcoming phase 3 efficacy trial.
http://www.chictr.org.cn/index.aspx (No. ChiCTR2000038804, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=62350; No. ChiCTR2000039462, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=63353).
Heterogeneous oxidation of SO2 is one of the promising mechanisms to account for high loading of sulfate during severe haze periods in China. Our earlier work reported on the SO2 oxidation by OH and ...NO2 produced during 250 nm nitrate photolysis (Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett. 2019, 6, 86–91). Here, we extend that work to examine sulfate production during nitrate photolysis at 300 nm irradiation, which can additionally generate NO2 – or HNO2, N(III). Flow cell/in situ Raman experiments showed that the reactive uptake coefficient of SO2, γSO2 , can be expressed as γSO2 = 1.64 × p NO3–, where p NO3− is the nitrate photolysis rate in the range of (1.0–8.0) × 10–5 M s–1. Our kinetic model with the p NO3− predicts that N(III) is the main contributor to the SO2 oxidation, followed by NO2 contribution. Furthermore, the addition of OH scavengers (e.g., glyoxal or oxalic acid) does not suppress the sulfate production because of the reduced N(III)-consuming reactions and the high particle pH sustained by their presence. Our calculations illustrate that under characteristic haze conditions, the nitrate photolysis mechanism can produce sulfate at ∼1 μg m–3 h–1 at pH 4–6 and p NO3– = 10–5 M s–1. The present study highlights the importance of in-particle nitrate photolysis in heterogeneous oxidation of SO2 by reactive nitrogen (NO2 –/HNO2 and NO2) under atmospherically relevant actinic irradiation. However, the nitrate photolysis rate constant needs to be better constrained for ambient aerosols.
Background and Purpose
Non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is the more severe form of metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and no pharmacological treatment as yet been approved. ...Identification of novel therapeutic targets and their agents is critical to overcome the current inadequacy of drug treatment for NASH.
Experimental Approach
The correlation between heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) levels and the development of NASH and the target genes of HSF1 in hepatocyte were investigated by chromatin‐immunoprecipitation sequencing. The effects and mechanisms of SYSU‐3d in alleviating NASH were examined in relevant cell models and mouse models (the Ob/Ob mice, high‐fat and high‐cholesterol diet and the methionine‐choline deficient diet‐fed mice). The actions of SYSU‐3d in vivo were evaluated.
Key Results
HSF1 is progressively reduced with mitochondrial dysfunction in NASH pathogenesis and activation of this transcription factor by its newly identified activator SYSU‐3d effectively inhibited all manifestations of NASH in mice. When activated, the phosphorylated HSF1 (Ser326) translocated to nucleus and bound to the promoter of PPARγ coactivator‐1α (PGC‐1α) to induce mitochondrial biogenesis. Thus, increasing mitochondrial adaptive oxidation and inhibiting oxidative stress. The deletion of HSF1 and PGC‐1α or recovery of HSF1 in HSF1‐deficiency cells showed the HSF1/PGC‐1α pathway was mainly responsible for the anti‐NASH effects of SYSU‐3d independent of AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK).
Conclusion and Implications
Activation of HSF1 is a practical therapeutic approach for NASH treatment via the HSF1/PGC‐1α/mitochondrial pathway and SYSU‐3d can be considered as a potential candidate for the treatment of NASH.
The molecular mode of SYSU‐3d action against NASH is dependent on the HSF1/PGC‐1α/mitochondrial pathway, which initially increases lipid oxidation followed by decreases oxidative stress, preventing injury, inflammation, and fibrosis. Our combined findings indicate that correction of the HSF1 suppression can be utilised as a practicable therapeutic approach for the treatment of NASH.
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