Elafin is a serine protease inhibitor critical for host defence. We previously reported that Elafin was associated with the recurrence of early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after surgery. ...However, the exact role of Elafin in HCC remains obscure.
HCC tissue microarrays were used to investigate the correlation between Elafin expression and the prognosis of HCC patients. In vitro migration, invasion and wound healing assays and in vivo lung metastasis models were used to determine the role of Elafin in HCC metastasis. Mass spectrometry, co-immunoprecipitation, western blotting, and immunofluorescence staining assays were performed to uncover the mechanism of Elafin in HCC. Dual-luciferase reporter and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were employed to observe the transcriptional regulation of Elafin.
Elafin expression was frequently increased in HCC tissues compared to normal tissues, and high Elafin expression in HCC tissues was correlated with aggressive tumour phenotypes and a poor prognosis in HCC patients. Elafin dramatically enhanced the metastasis of HCC cells both in vitro and in vivo by interacting with EGFR and activating EGFR/AKT signalling. Moreover, Elafin attenuated the suppressive effects of erlotinib on HCC metastasis. Besides, Elafin was transcriptionally regulated by Sp1 in HCC cells. Clinically, Elafin expression was positively correlated with Sp1, Vimentin, and EGFR signalling in both our HCC tissue microarrays and TCGA database analysis.
Upregulation of Elafin by Sp1 enhanced HCC metastasis via EGFR/AKT pathway, and overexpression of Elafin attenuated the anti-metastatic effects of erlotinib, suggesting a valuable prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for HCC.
Abstract
Terpenes are volatile compounds responsible for aroma and the postharvest quality of commercially important xiangfei (Torreya grandis) nuts, and there is interest in understanding the ...regulation of their biosynthesis. Here, a transcriptomics analysis of xiangfei nuts after harvest identified 156 genes associated with the terpenoid metabolic pathway. A geranyl diphosphate (GPP) synthase (TgGPPS) involved in production of the monoterpene precursor GPP was targeted for functional characterization, and its transcript levels positively correlated with terpene levels. Furthermore, transient overexpression of TgGPPS in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) leaves or tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit led to monoterpene accumulation. Analysis of differentially expressed transcription factors identified one basic helix-loop-helix protein (TgbHLH95) and one basic leucine zipper protein (TgbZIP44) as potential TgGPPS regulators. TgbHLH95 showed significant transactivation of the TgGPPS promoter, and its transient overexpression in tobacco leaves led to monoterpene accumulation, whereas TgbZIP44 directly bound to an ACGT-containing element in the TgGPPS promoter, as determined by yeast 1-hybrid test and electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation, firefly luciferase complementation imaging, co-immunoprecipitation, and GST pull-down assays confirmed a direct protein–protein interaction between TgbHLH95 and TgbZIP44 in vivo and in vitro, and in combination these proteins induced the TgGPPS promoter up to 4.7-fold in transactivation assays. These results indicate that a TgbHLH95/TgbZIP44 complex activates the TgGPPS promoter and upregulates terpene biosynthesis in xiangfei nuts after harvest, thereby contributing to its aroma.
A bHLH-bZIP transcription complex regulates terpene biosynthesis by activating TgGPPS expression in Torreya grandis nuts during the postharvest ripening stage
A heterostructured MIL-101(Fe)/Ce/g-C3N4 (MCCN) composite was designed and synthesized by solvothermal method. The composite was characterized by XRD, SEM, EDS, FT-IR, BET, XPS, UV–Vis DRS, PL and ...EIS. The MCCN photocatalyst exhibits superior photocatalytic performance for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) and methylene blue (MB), and the efficiencies are found to be 90.36% and 88.17%, respectively. The kinetic constants k of MCCN-3 against RhB and MB dyes are 0.04094 min−1 and 0.03319 min−1, respectively, under visible light for 75 min irradiation. The improved degradation efficiency of MCCN attributed to the enhanced light absorption and the transport channels of electron-hole pairs by forming a heterojunction between MIL-101(Fe) and Ce/g-C3N4 with a favourable band position. Moreover, the possible mechanism of photocatalytic degradation of dyes was proposed though free radical trapping experiments. This work provides an effective way for constructing novel visible-light-driven photocatalyst in the removal of organic molecules from waste water.
A class of MIL-101(Fe)/Ce/g-C3N4 heterogeneous composite was prepared by a simple solvothermal method. These composites can be used as efficient photocatalysts to remove dye contaminants in water environment. Display omitted
•A heterostructured MCCN composites has been prepared by solvothermal method.•The MCCN catalyst exhibits enhanced photocatalytic activity for RhB and MB degradation.•Light absorption and transport of electron-hole pairs are the keys to photocatalysis.•This work provides a new strategy for the design of MOFs series photocatalysts.
Monopolar membrane-assisted electrolyzers enable water electrolysis using acid-alkali asymmetric electrolytes. However, understanding how such an electrolyzer works remains a significant challenge. ...By assessing the concentration-polarization state in membranes, measuring the ion concentration change in electrolytes, and determining the corresponding transmembrane resistance, we reveal that this electrolyzer can prevent the negative effect of the water dissociation process. The electrolyzer functions by the chemical potential gradient between the asymmetric electrolytes. Briefly, the delta in pH between asymmetric electrolytes significantly modifies the reversible hydrogen electrode potential at both electrolyte compartments and electrodes, and therefore decreases the required external potential. Notably, the unavoidable ion diffusion slightly reduces this positive effect. The electrolyzer performance depends on the membrane property, working temperature, electrolyte compositions as well as electrocatalysts. When adopted with state-of-the-art electrocatalysts, this electrolyzer achieves an industrially relevant current density of 200 mA cm−2 at a cell voltage of only 1.39 V, outperforming most conventional water electrolyzers, and to the best of our knowledge also those fed by asymmetric electrolytes. Overall, this work highlights the promise of coupling chemical potential energy and electrical energy for hydrogen production, which provides a new strategy to lower the potential for driving water splitting.
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•Monopolar membrane-assisted electrolyzers exhibit superior performance.•The chemical potential gradient between asymmetric electrolytes plays a major role.•The membrane, working temperature and electrolyte compositions affect the activity.•The electrolyzer is easily scalable and highly flexible in electrolyte type.
With the rise of two-dimensional (2D) materials, layered metal thiophosphates (MPS3), as an important branch, have attracted much attention because of their excellent physical and chemical ...properties. Cadmium phosphorus trisulfide (CdPS3), as a promising photocatalyst, can be used for hydrogen evolution and organic degradation. Herein, high-quality 2D CdPS3 few layers are obtained by exfoliating bulk CdPS3 crystal. The optical properties of the as-obtained CdPS3 few layers show good light-harvesting ability, endowing it with excellent photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance (10.88 mmol g−1 h−1) and high organic degradation performance (more than 92% within 30 min) under Xe lamp irradiation. This research provides opportunities for the preparation and application of other 2D MPS3 type materials in the field of photocatalysis.
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•CdPS3 few layers can be exfoliated from bulk crystals by a facile method.•CdPS3 few layers have highly efficient photocatalytic performance.•CdPS3 few layers have excellent Rh B degradation performance.
Novel ABA triblock copolymer contained azobenzene (azo) chromophores both in the main- and side-chain was designed and synthesized via combination of single electron transfer-living radical ...polymerization (SET-LRP) and acyclic diene metathesis (ADMET) polymerization. The α-bromoester end group of side-chain azo-polymer prepared in SET-LRP system using acrylate bearing azo group as monomer was reacted with potassium acrylate to yield azo-polymer with the chain end of α-acrylate, which acted as a monofunctional macromolecular chain stopper for subsequent ADMET polymerization of azo-functionalized α,ω-diene monomer to finally controllable synthesize ABA triblock azo-copolymer. The diluted solutions of main-chain ADMET azo-homopolymer, side-chain SET-LRP azo-homopolymer, and main-side chains azo-copolymer exhibited different photoisomerization behaviors (maximum absorption and rate of photoisomerization) under the irradiation of UV and visible light. All these interesting results could provide a guide for the design of photosensitive materials.
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•Novel ABA triblock copolymer contained azo chromophores in main-side chains was contorllably synthesized.•A thorough investigation of SET-LRP of acrylate monomer bearing azo group was presented.•The main-side chains azo-copolymer displayed the special photoisomerizaion property.
In order to improve the poor film-forming ability of polymeric ladderphane, di-block copolymers containing perylene diimide (PDI)-linked double-stranded poly(1,6-heptadiyne) ladderphane and branched ...alkyl side chains modified single-stranded poly(1,6-heptadiyne) were synthesized by metathesis cyclopolymerization (MCP) using Grubbs third-generation catalyst (Ru-III) in tetrahydrofuran solvent. The first block containing the ladderphane structure leads to higher thermal-stability, wider UV-vis absorption, lower LUMO level and ladderphane-induced rigidity and poor film-forming ability. The second block containing long alkyl chains is crucial for the guarantee of excellent film-forming ability. By comparing the effect of ladderphane structure on the resulted copolymers, single-stranded poly(1,6-heptadiyne) derivatives with PDI pedant were also processed. The structures of copolymers were proved by
H NMR and gel permeation chromatography, electrochemical, photophysical, and thermal-stability performance were achieved by cyclic voltammetry (CV), UV-visible spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) measurements. According to the experiment results, both copolymers possessed outstanding film-forming ability, which cannot be realized by small PDI molecules and oligomers. And they can serve as a superior candidate as for n-type materials, especially for their relatively wide range of light absorption (λ = 200~800 nm), and lower LUMO level (-4.3 and -4.0 eV).
Torreya
grandis
‘Merrillii’ is a famous nut with great nutritional value and high medicinal value. Aril cracking is an important process for seed dispersal, which is also an indicator of seed ...maturation. However, the cracking mechanism of
T. grandis
aril during the maturation stage remains largely unknown. Here, we provided a comprehensive view of the physiological and molecular levels of aril cracking in
T. grandis
by systematically analyzing its anatomical structure, physiological parameters, and transcriptomic response during the cracking process. These results showed that the length of both epidermal and parenchymatous cell layers significantly increased from 133 to 144 days after seed protrusion (DASP), followed by a clear separation between parenchymatous cell layers and kernel, which was accompanied by a breakage between epidermal and parenchymatous cell layers. Moreover, analyses of cell wall composition showed that a significant degradation of cellular wall polysaccharides occurred during aril cracking. To examine the global gene expression changes in arils during the cracking process, the transcriptomes (96 and 141 DASP) were analyzed. KEGG pathway analysis of DEGs revealed that 4 of the top 10 enriched pathways were involved in cell wall modification and 2 pathways were related to ethylene biosynthesis and ethylene signal transduction. Furthermore, combining the analysis results of co-expression networks between different transcription factors, cell wall modification genes, and exogenous ethylene treatments suggested that the ethylene signal transcription factors (
ERF11
and
ERF1A
) were involved in aril cracking of
T. grandis
by regulation of
EXP
and
PME
. Our findings provided new insights into the aril cracking trait in
T. grandis
.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Data on the effectiveness of one-off low-dose CT (LDCT) in reducing lung cancer mortality and all-cause mortality are needed to inform ...screening programmes in countries with limited medical resources. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of one-off LDCT screening in the early detection of lung cancer in China.
A multicentre, population-based, prospective cohort study was done in 12 cities of eight provinces across China, recruiting individuals aged 40-74 years who were asymptomatic for lung cancer with no lung cancer history. Participants were classified as at high risk or low risk of lung cancer using a sex-specific risk score that incorporated cigarette smoking, level of physical activity, occupational exposures, history of chronic respiratory diseases, family history of lung cancer, diet, and passive smoking (women only). Participants at high risk were invited for a one-off LDCT scan and were classified into screened and non-screened groups on the basis of whether or not they had the scan. Lung cancer incidence density, lung cancer mortality, and all-cause mortality were calculated for the screened and non-screened groups. The effectiveness of a one-off LDCT scan was evaluated by a comparison of the screened and non-screened groups in terms of lung cancer mortality and all-cause mortality in the period from cohort entry until administrative censoring (June 20, 2020). Inverse probability weighting was adopted to account for potential imbalanced factors between the two groups and Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the weighted associations between mortality and one-off LDCT scans.
Between Feb 19, 2013, and Oct 31, 2018, 1 032 639 individuals were assessed for eligibility. 1 016 740 participants were enrolled in the study, of whom 3581 had a lung cancer diagnosis after a median follow-up of 3·6 years (IQR 2·8-5·1). Among the 223 302 participants at high risk, 79 581 (35·6%) had an LDCT scan (screened group) and 143 721 (64·4%) did not (non-screened group). After inverse probability weighting, lung cancer incidence density was 47·0% higher (hazard ratio 1·47 95% CI 1·27-1·70; p<0·0001), lung cancer mortality was 31·0% lower (0·69 95% CI 0·53-0·92; p=0·010) and all-cause mortality was 32·0% lower (0·68 0·57-0·82; p<0·0001) for participants in the screened group compared with those in the non-screened group.
One-off LDCT screening was associated with significantly lower lung cancer mortality and all-cause mortality in a large population in China. Our results point to the promise of one-off LDCT screening in countries with limited medical resources. Further studies are needed to explore interactions by subgroup-including sex, age, smoking status, and economic status-to develop population-specific screening strategies.
Ministry of Finance and National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China.
For the Chinese translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.
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