Design and synthesis of photoaffinity-based probes for labeling ß-glucuronidase.

ß-Glucuronidase (GUSB) plays an important role in human physiological and pathological activities. The activity level of GUSB is closely related to human health and diseases. It is imperative to detect the activity of GUSB for related disease diagnosis and treatment. However, exactly evaluating the activity of GUSB in complicated biological system remains a challenge. In this study, we developed photoaffinity-based probes (AfBPs) equipped with photosensitive benzophenone group for labeling active GUSB. Through molecule docking, we predicted the binding model of the AfBPs and GUSB, and the obtained results suggested thermodynamically favorable binding. The AfBPs indicated high efficiency and showed dose-/time-dependent labeling of Escherichia coli (E. coli) GUSB. The application of AfBPs toward GUSB provides a powerful tool to study the activity of target enzymes and contributes to huge potential of enzyme inhibitor discovery and biomedical diagnostics.

Isolation and identification of belamcandaoids A-N from Belamcanda chinensis seeds and their inhibition on extracellular matrix in TGF-ß1 induced kidney proximal tubular cells.

Belamcandaoids A-N (1-14), fourteen new triterpenoids were isolated from the seeds of Belamcanda chinensis. Their structures including absolute configurations were assigned by using spectroscopic, computational, and crystallographic methods. All the compounds except 1 and 2 are 3,4-seco-triterpenoids belonging to fernane type. Biological evaluation results indicated that 3 and 13 could reduce fibronectin and collagen I expression respectively in TGF-ß1 induced kidney proximal tubular cells.

Microarray analysis reveals key genes and pathways in Tetralogy of Fallot.

The aim of the present study was to identify key genes that may be involved in the pathogenesis of Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) using bioinformatics methods. The GSE26125 microarray dataset, which includes cardiovascular tissue samples derived from 16 children with TOF and five healthy age­matched control infants, was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differential expression analysis was performed between TOF and control samples to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) using Student's t­test, and the R/limma package, with a log2 fold­change of >2 and a false discovery rate of <0.01 set as thresholds. The biological functions of DEGs were analyzed using the ToppGene database. The ReactomeFIViz application was used to construct functional interaction (FI) networks, and the genes in each module were subjected to pathway enrichment analysis. The iRegulon plugin was used to identify transcription factors predicted to regulate the DEGs in the FI network, and the gene­transcription factor pairs were then visualized using Cytoscape software. A total of 878 DEGs were identified, including 848 upregulated genes and 30 downregulated genes. The gene FI network contained seven function modules, which were all comprised of upregulated genes. Genes enriched in Module 1 were enriched in the following three neurological disorder­associated signaling pathways: Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease. Genes in Modules 0, 3 and 5 were dominantly enriched in pathways associated with ribosomes and protein translation. The Xbox binding protein 1 transcription factor was demonstrated to be involved in the regulation of genes encoding the subunits of cytoplasmic and mitochondrial ribosomes, as well as genes involved in neurodegenerative disorders. Therefore, dysfunction of genes involved in signaling pathways associated with neurodegenerative disorders, ribosome function and protein translation may contribute to the pathogenesis of TOF.

A wheel-shaped indium-telluride nanocluster [In18Te30(dach)6]6-: its formation and structure.

The preparation and crystal structure of a large wheel-shaped indium-telluride compound are reported. The inorganic cluster is decorated with 1,2-diaminocyclohexane molecules that play an important role in the formation of the nanoring. A related new 1D polymeric InTe compound is also presented in order to understand the effect of acidity on the formation of the ring structure.

Anion-cation charge-transfer properties and spectral studies of [M(phen)3][Cd4(SPh)10] (M = Ru, Fe, and Ni).

Three anion-cation compounds 1-3 with formula [M(phen)(3)][Cd(4)(SPh)(10)]·Sol (M = Ru(2+), Fe(2+), and Ni(2+), Sol = MeCN and H(2)O) have been synthesized and characterized by single-crystal analysis. Both the cations and anion are well-known ions, but the properties of the co-assembled compounds are interesting. Molecular structures and charge-transfer between the cations and anions in crystal and even in solution are discussed. These compounds are isomorphous and short inter-ion interactions are found in these crystals, such as π···π stacking and C-H···π contacts. Both spectroscopic and theoretical calculated results indicate that there is anion-cation charge-transfer (ACCT) between the Ru-phen complex dye and the Cd-SPh cluster, which plays an important role in their photophysical properties. The intensity of the fluorescent emission of the [Ru(phen)(3)](2+) is enhanced when the cation interacts with the [Cd(4)(SPh)(10)](2-) anion. The mechanism for the enhancement of photoluminescence has been proposed.

Indium-sulfur supertetrahedral polymers integrated with [M(phen)3]2+ cations (M = Ni and Fe).

A series of supertetrahedral polymers of chalcogenometalates (T3 cluster compounds) integrated with M-phen complexes (phen =1,10-phenanthroline; M = Ni, Fe) was prepared by a similar solvothermal technique. Compound [Fe(phen)(3)](4)[H(4)In(20)S(38)]·Hphen·3HDMA·8H(2)O (Mp-InS-4) (DMA = dimethylamine) is a 1-D straight chain. Compounds [M(phen)(3)](4)[In(20)S(37)]·6Hphen·4H(2)O (M = Ni, Mp-InS-5; Fe, Mp-InS-6) are the first reported 2-D Tn polymers integrated with complex cations of [M(phen)(3)](2+). Compound [Ni(phen)(3)](4)[H(4)In(20)S(38)]·2Hphen·2HDMA·3H(2)O (Mp-InS-7) shows a zigzag 1-D structure. We find that the reaction time is an important factor in assembling of the T3 clusters. Prolonging the reaction time seems favorable to the higher condensed phases (from 0-D to 2-D). However, a longer reaction time resulted in the crack of 2-D structure. Integrating M-phen complex cations with the chalcogenido anions can improve absorption of the materials in the visible range due to the charge transfers within the cations or between cations and anions.

Indium chalcogenido clusters coordinated by 1,10-phenanthroline, [InQ(phen)Cl]4 (Q = Se, S), a simplified model of inorganic-organic hybrid material with cluster-to-ligand charge transfer.

Most metal-1,10-phenanthroline-complex-sensitized inorganic semiconductors are multicomponent materials. This fundamental study was devoted to the single-phase materials fused with moieties of the phen complex and inorganic chalcogenide. Compounds 1 and 2 are new types of cubic clusters with cluster-to-ligand charge transfer.