Luminescent polymer nanomaterials not only have the characteristics of various types of luminescent functional materials and a wide range of applications, but also have the characteristics of good ...biocompatibility and easy functionalization of polymer nanomaterials. They are widely used in biomedical fields such as bioimaging, biosensing, and drug delivery. Designing and constructing new controllable synthesis methods for multifunctional fluorescent polymer nanomaterials with good water solubility and excellent biocompatibility is of great significance. Exploring efficient functionalization methods for luminescent materials is still one of the core issues in the design and development of new fluorescent materials. With this in mind, this review first introduces the structures, properties, and synthetic methods regarding fluorescent polymeric nanomaterials. Then, the functionalization strategies of fluorescent polymer nanomaterials are summarized. In addition, the research progress of multifunctional fluorescent polymer nanomaterials for bioimaging is also discussed. Finally, the synthesis, development, and application fields of fluorescent polymeric nanomaterials, as well as the challenges and opportunities of structure-property correlations, are comprehensively summarized and the corresponding perspectives are well illustrated.
As a tumor suppressor, p53 preserves genomic integrity in eukaryotes. However, limited evidence is available for the p53 shuttling between the cytoplasm and nucleus. Previous studies have shown that ...β-actin polymerization negatively regulates p53 nuclear import through its interaction with p53. In this study, we found that DNA damage induces both β-actin and p53 accumulation in the nucleus. β-actin knockdown impaired the nuclear transport of p53. Additionally, β-actin could interact with p53 which was enhanced in response to genotoxic stress. Furthermore, N terminal deletion mutants of p53 shows reduced levels of association with β-actin. We further identified Ser15, Thr18 and Ser20 of p53 are critical to the β-actin: p53 interaction, which upon mutation into alanine abrogates the binding. Taken together, this study reveals that β-actin regulates the nuclear import of p53 through protein–protein interaction.
When performing in vivo imaging of live samples, it is a big challenge to penetrate thick tissues while still maintaining high resolution and a large field of view because of the sample-induced ...aberrations. These requirements can be met by combining the benefits of two-photon excitation, beam modulation and adaptive optics in an illumination path. However, the relationship between aberrations and the performance of such a microscopy system has never been systematically and comprehensively assessed. Here, two-photon Gaussian and Bessel beams are modulated as illumination beams, and how aberrations affect the thickness of the illumination beams is evaluated. It is found that the thickness variation is highly related to the azimuthal order of Zernike modes. The thickness of the two-photon Gaussian beam is more sensitive to Zernike modes with lower azimuthal order, while the thickness of the two-photon Bessel beam is more sensitive to the higher-azimuthal-order Zernike modes. So, it is necessary to design a new strategy to correct aberrations according to the effects of different Zernike modes in order to maximize the correction capability of correctors and reduce the correction errors for those insensitive Zernike modes. These results may provide important guidance for the design and evaluation of adaptive optical systems in a two-photon excitation microscope.
Chromatin remodeling complexes play important roles in various DNA metabolism processes, including DNA damage repair. BRG1 is the core subunit of the SWI/SNF complex, which plays critical roles in ...cell cycle regulation, cell development, cell differentiation, and tumorigenesis. In the present study, we report that BRG1 depletion increased the percentage of apoptotic cells in etoposide-treated cells. Moreover, western blotting and immunofluorescence data showed that BRG1 depletion decreased H2AX phosphorylation and caused defective phosphorylated histone H2AX (γH2AX) clearance. Furthermore, we found that in both SW13 and U2OS cells, BRG1 expression could increase the sensitivity of genomic DNA to micrococcal nuclease (MNase) and facilitate chromatin relaxation around DNA damage sites. Thus, the results provide evidence that BRG1 plays an important role in early DNA damage repair by remodeling the chromatin structure near DNA damage sites.
Dendritic cell-specific intercellular adhesion molecule-3-grabbing nonintegrin (DC-SIGN) is an important C-type lectin and plays a critical role in the recognition of pathogens and self-antigens. It ...has recently been shown that DC-SIGN directly interacts with acute T lymphoblastic leukemia cells. However, the mechanism regulating DC-SIGN-dependent DC association as well as related functions is still elusive. Here we showed that DC-SIGN preferentially bound to a set of malignant T lymphocytes, including Jurkat, CCRF-HSB2 and CCRF-CEM. ICAM-2/3 on Jurkat cells appeared to be the responsible ligands and the block of ICAM-2/3 dramatically impaired DC-SIGN association. We also found that ICAM-2/3 bear a considerable amount of Lewis X, Lewis Y and Lewis A residues, which are important for DC-SIGN recognition. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis revealed an upregulation of fucosyltransferase 4 (FUT4) in Jurkat cells and downregulating FUT4 limited DC-SIGN binding, indicating a previously unappreciated role of FUT4 in the control of Lewis antigens on malignant T lymphocytes. In addition, the presence of Jurkat cells impaired DC maturation and the block of DC-SIGN improved Jurkat cell-mediated effects on DC function and T cell differentiation. Together, we provide evidence that DC-SIGN orients DC association with acute T lymphoblastic leukemia cells and orchestrates DC functions.
Macrophage galactose-type lectin (MGL) participates in the regulation of T cell apoptosis, but the exact death pathway remains unclear. Here, we demonstrated that MGL-induced T cell death occurs in a ...caspaseindependent manner. Furthermore, MGL treatment triggers the translocation of endonuclease G (EndoG) and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) from the mitochondria to the nucleus. Because galectin-1 (Gal-1) can also initiate similar mitochondrial events, we speculate that this death pathway may be widely used by the lectin family.