Pan-Cancer Analysis of the LOX Family Reveals that LOX Affects Tumor Prognosis by Affecting Immune Infiltration.

The lysyl oxidase (LOX) gene family encodes for a group of copper-dependent enzymes that play a crucial role in the cross-linking of collagen and elastin fibers in the extracellular matrix (ECM). Dysregulation of LOX gene expression has been implicated in various pathological conditions, including cancer. Several studies have shown that the LOX gene family is involved in cancer progression and metastasis. The goal of this article is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the LOX family's role in pan-cancer multiplexes. We utilized pan-cancer multi-omics sequencing data from TCGA to investigate the relationship between LOX family genes and tumors at four different levels: mutation, copy number variation, methylation, and gene expression. In addition, we also examined the relationship between LOX family genes and tumors at the cell line level using tumor cell line sequencing data from CCLE. Taking into account the impact of LOX family genes on lung cancer, we developed a LOX family lung cancer prognostic model to forecast the disease's prognosis. Our findings revealed that LOXL2 had the highest mutation frequency in tumors, while all four LOX family genes experienced some degree of copy number variation in diverse tumors. We observed that LOX, LOXL1 to LOXL3 were predominantly highly expressed in tumors including LUAD. The expression trends of LOX and LOXL1 to LOXL3 were consistent across tumor cell lines, but differed somewhat from LOXL4. Utilizing 25 LOX family-related genes, we constructed a LOX family prognostic model that performed well in predicting the prognosis of lung cancer. Through pan-cancer analysis, we gain further knowledge of the role of LOX family genes in different tumors, offering a novel pathway for future research into the relationship between LOX family genes and tumors.

Engineering Reversible Lattice Structure for High-Capacity Co-Free Li-Rich Cathodes with Negligible Capacity Degradation.

Co-free Li-rich Mn-based cathode materials are garnering great interest because of high capacity and low cost. However, their practical application is seriously hampered by the irreversible oxygen escape and the poor cycling stability. Herein, a reversible lattice adjustment strategy is proposed by integrating O vacancies and B doping. B incorporation increases TM─O (TM: transition metal) bonding orbitals whereas decreases the antibonding orbitals. Moreover, B doping and O vacancies synergistically increase the crystal orbital bond index values enhancing the overall covalent bonding strength, which makes TM─O octahedron more resistant to damage and enables the lattice to better accommodate the deformation and reaction without irreversible fracture. Furthermore, Mott-Hubbard splitting energy is decreased due to O vacancies, facilitating electron leaps, and enhancing the lattice reactivity and capacity. Such a reversible lattice, more amenable to deformation and forestalling fracturing, markedly improves the reversibility of lattice reactions and mitigates TM migration and the irreversible oxygen redox which enables the high cycling stability and high rate capability. The modified cathode demonstrates a specific capacity of 200 mAh g-1 at 1C, amazingly sustaining the capacity for 200 cycles without capacity degradation. This finding presents a promising avenue for solving the long-term cycling issue of Li-rich cathode.

Zero Voltage-Degradation of Li2MnO3 with Ultrathin Amorphous Li─Mn─O Coating.

Manganese-based lithium-rich layered oxides (Mn-LLOs) are promising candidate cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries, however, the severe voltage decay during cycling is the most concern for their practical applications. Herein, an Mn-based composite nanostructure constructed Li2MnO3 (LMO@Li2MnO3) is developed via an ultrathin amorphous functional oxide LixMnOy coating at the grain surface. Due to the thin and universal LMO amorphous surface layer etched from the lithiation process by the high-concentration alkaline solution, the structural and interfacial stability of Li2MnO3 are enhanced apparently, showing the significantly improved voltage maintenance, cycle stability, and energy density. In particular, the LMO@Li2MnO3 cathode exhibits zero voltage decay over 200 cycles. Combining with ex situ spectroscopic and microscopic techniques, the Mn2+/4+ coexisted behavior of the amorphous LMO is revealed, which enables the stable electrochemistry of Li2MnO3. This work provides new possible routes for suppressing the voltage decay of Mn-LLOs by modifying with the composite functional unit construction.

Are 4f-Orbitals Engaged in Covalent Bonding Between Lanthanides and Triphenylphosphine Oxide? An Oxygen K-Edge X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy and Density Functional Theory Study.

The bonding covalency between trivalent lanthanides (Ln = La, Pr, Nd, Eu, Gd) and triphenylphosphine oxide (TPPO) is studied by X-ray absorption spectra (XAS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations on the LnCl3(TPPO)3 complexes. The O, P, and Cl K-edge XAS for the single crystals of LnCl3(TPPO)3 were collected, and the spectra were interpreted based on DFT calculations. The O and P K-edge XAS spectra showed no significant change across the Ln series in the LnCl3(TPPO)3 complexes, unlike the Cl K-edge XAS spectra. The experimental O K-edge XAS spectra suggest no mixing between the Ln 4f- and the O 2p-orbitals in the LnCl3(TPPO)3 complexes. DFT calculations indicate that the amount of the O 2p character per Ln-O bond is less than 0.1% in the Ln 4f-based orbitals in all of the LnCl3(TPPO)3 complexes. The experimental spectra and theoretical calculations demonstrate that Ln 4f-orbitals are not engaged in the covalent bonding of lanthanides with TPPO, which contrasts the involvement of U 5f-orbitals in covalent bonding in the UO2Cl2(TPPO)2 complex. Results in this work reinforce our previous speculation that bonding covalency is potentially responsible for the extractability of monodentate organophosphorus ligands toward metal ions.

Design of a delivery vehicle chitosan-based self-assembling: controlled release, high hydrophobicity, and safe treatment of plant fungal diseases.

BACKGROUND: Traditional pesticides are poorly water-soluble and suffer from low bioavailability. N-succinyl chitosan (NSCS) is a water-soluble chitosan derivative, has been recently used to encapsulate hydrophobic drugs to improve their bioavailability. However, it remains challenging to synthesize pesticides of a wide variety of water-soluble drugs and to scale up the production in a continuous manner. RESULTS: A synthetic method for preparing water-soluble nanopesticides with a polymer carrier was applied. The bioactive molecule BTL-11 was loaded into hollow NSCS to promote drug delivery, improve solubility and anti-fungal activity. The synthesized nanopesticides had well controlled sizes of 606 nm and the encapsulation rate was 80%. The release kinetics, drug toxicity and drug activity were further evaluated. The inhibitory activity of nanopesticides against Rhizoctonia solani (R. solani) was tested in vivo and in vitro. In vivo against R. solani trials revealed that BTL-11 has excellent control efficiency for cultivated rice leaf and sheath was 79.6 and 76.5%, respectively. By contrast, for BTL-11@NSCS NPs, the anti-fungal ability was strongly released and afforded significant control efficiencies of 85.9 and 81.1%. Those effects were significantly better than that of the agricultural fungicide azoxystrobin (51.5 and 66.5%). The proposed mechanism was validated by successfully predicting the synthesis outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that NSCS is a promising biocompatible carrier, which can enhance the efficacy of pesticides, synergistically improve plant disease resistance, protect crop growth, and can be used for the delivery of more insoluble pesticides.

Atomically Dispersed p-Block Aluminum-Based Catalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

The main group metals are commonly perceived as catalytically inert in the context of oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) due to the delocalized valence orbitals. Regulating the local environment and structure of metal center coordinated by nitrogen ligands (M-Nx) is a promising approach to accelerate catalytic dynamics. Herein, we, for the first time, report the atomically dispersed Al catalysts coordinated with N and C atoms for 4-electron ORR. The axial coordinated pyrrolyl N group (No) is constructed in the Al-N4-No moiety to regulate the p-band structure of Al center, effectively steering the local environment and structure of the square planar Al-N4 sites, which typically exhibit too strong interaction with ORR intermediates. The dynamic covalency competition of axial Al-No and Al-O bonding could endow the Al center with moderate hybridization between Al 3p orbital and O 2p orbital, alleviating the binding energy of ORR intermediates. The as-prepared Al-N4-No electrocatalyst exhibits excellent ORR activity, selectivity, and durability, along with the rapid kinetics as demonstrated by in situ Raman spectroscopy. This work offers a fundamental comprehension of the fine regulation on p-band and guides the rational design of main-group metal-based single atom catalysts.

A Universal Self-Propagating Synthesis of Aluminum-Based Oxyhalide Solid-State Electrolytes.

Inorganic solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) play a vital role in high-energy all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs). However, the current method of SSE preparation usually involves high-energy mechanical ball milling and/or a high-temperature annealing process, which is not suitable for practical application. Here, a facile strategy is developed to realize the scalable synthesis of cost-effective aluminum-based oxyhalide SSEs, which involves a self-propagating method by the exothermic reaction of the raw materials. This strategy enables the synthesis of various aluminum-based oxyhalide SSEs with tunable components and high ionic conductivities (over 10-3 S cm-1 at 25 °C) for different cations (Li+, Na+, Ag+). It is elucidated that the amorphous matrix, which mainly consists of various oxidized chloroaluminate species that provide numerous sites for smooth ion migration, is actually the key factor for the achieved high conductivities. Benefit from their easy synthesis, low cost, and low weight, the aluminum-based oxyhalide SSEs synthesized by our approach could further promote practical application of high-energy-density ASSBs.

AIE Polymer Micelle/Vesicle Photocatalysts Combined with Native Enzymes for Aerobic Photobiocatalysis.

Biocatalytic transformation has attracted increasing attention in the green synthesis of chemicals due to the diversity of enzymes, their high catalytic activities and specificities, and environmentally benign conditions. Most redox enzymes in nature are dependent on nicotinamide cofactors like ß-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)/reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH). The use of solar energy, especially visible light, in the regeneration of cofactors through the combination of photocatalysis and biocatalysis provides an extraordinary opportunity to make complete green processes. However, the combination of photocatalysts and enzymes has been challenged by the rapid degradation and deactivation of the enzymatic material by photogenerated reactive oxygen species (ROS). Here, we design core-shell structured polymer micelles and vesicles with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) as visible-light-mediated photocatalysts for highly stable and recyclable photobiocatalysis under aerobic conditions. NAD+ from NADH can be efficiently regenerated by the photoactive hydrophobic core of polymer micelles and the hydrophobic membrane of polymer vesicles, while the enzymatic material (glucose 1-dehydrogenase) is screened from the attack of photogenerated ROS by the hydrophilic surface layer of polymer colloids. After at least 10 regeneration cycles, the enzyme keeps its active state; meanwhile, polymer micelles and vesicles maintain their photocatalytic activity. These polymer colloids show the potential to be developed for the implementation of industrially relevant photobiocatalytic systems.

Reducing Co/O Band Overlap through Spin State Modulation for Stabilized High Capability of 4.6 V LiCoO2.

High-voltage LiCoO2 (LCO) attracts great interest because of its large specific capacity, but it suffers from oxygen release, structural degradation, and quick capacity drop. These daunting issues root from the inferior thermodynamics and kinetics of the triggered oxygen anion redox (OAR) at high voltages. Herein, a tuned redox mechanism with almost only Co redox is demonstrated by atomically engineered high-spin LCO. The high-spin Co network reduces the Co/O band overlap, eliminates the adverse phase transition of O3 → H1-3, delays the exceeding of the O 2p band over the Fermi level, and suppresses excessive O → Co charge transfer at high voltages. This function intrinsically promotes Co redox and restrains O redox, fundamentally addressing the issues of O2 release and coupled detrimental Co reduction. Moreover, the chemomechanical heterogeneity caused by different kinetics of Co/O redox centers and the inferior rate performance limited by slow O redox kinetics is simultaneously improved owing to the suppression of slow OAR and the excitation of fast Co redox. The modulated LCO delivers ultrahigh rate capacities of 216 mAh g-1 (1C) and 195 mAh g-1(5C), as well as high capacity retentions of 90.4% (@100 cycles) and 86.9% (@500 cycles). This work sheds new light on the design for a wide range of O redox cathodes.

Tailoring Electronic Structure to Achieve Maximum Utilization of Transition Metal Redox for High-Entropy Na Layered Oxide Cathodes.

Charge compensation from cationic and anionic redox couples accompanying Na+ (de)intercalation in layered oxide cathodes contributes to high specific capacity. However, the engagement level of different redox couples remains unclear and their relationship with Na+ content is less studied. Here we discover that it is possible to take full advantage of the high-voltage transition metal (TM) redox reaction through low-valence cation substitution to tailor the electronic structure, which involves an increased ratio of Na+ content to available charge transfer number of TMs. Taking NaxCu0.11Ni0.11Fe0.3Mn0.48O2 as the example, the Li+ substitution increases the ratio to facilitate the high-voltage TM redox activity, and further F-ion substitution decreases the covalency of the TM-O bond to relieve structural changes. As a consequence, the final high-entropy Na0.95Li0.07Cu0.11Ni0.11Fe0.3Mn0.41O1.97F0.03 cathode demonstrates ∼29% capacity increase contributed by the high-voltage TMs and exhibits excellent long-term cycling stability due to the improved structural reversibility. This work provides a paradigm for the design of high-energy-density electrodes by simultaneous electronic and crystal structure modulation.

Elucidating the Reaction Mechanism of Mn2+ Electrolyte Additives in Aqueous Zinc Batteries.

Aqueous zinc batteries (ZIBs) have attracted considerable attention in recent years because of their high safety and eco-friendly features. Numerous studies have shown that adding Mn2+ salts to ZnSO4 electrolytes enhanced overall energy densities and extended the cycling life of Zn/MnO2 batteries. It is commonly believed that Mn2+ additives in the electrolyte inhibit the dissolution of MnO2 cathode. To better understand the role of Mn2+ electrolyte additives, the ZIB using a Co3 O4 cathode instead of MnO2 in 0.3 m MnSO4 + 3 m ZnSO4 electrolyte is built to avoid interference from MnO2 cathode. As expected, the Zn/Co3 O4 battery exhibits electrochemical characteristics nearly identical to those of Zn/MnO2 batteries. Operando synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD), ex situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and electrochemical analyses are carried out to determine the reaction mechanism and pathway. This work demonstrates that the electrochemical reaction occurring at cathode involves a reversible Mn2+ /MnO2 deposition/dissolution process, while a chemical reaction of Zn2+ /Zn4 SO4 (OH)6 ∙5H2 O deposition/dissolution is involved during part of the charge/discharge cycle due to the change in the electrolyte environment. The reversible Zn2+ /Zn4 SO4 (OH)6 ∙5H2 O reaction contributes no capacity and lowers the diffusion kinetics of the Mn2+ /MnO2 reaction, which prevents the operation of ZIBs at high current densities.

Identification of distinct subpopulations of Gli1-lineage cells in the mouse mandible.

The Hedgehog pathway gene Gli1 has been proposed to mark a subpopulation of skeletal stem cells (SSCs) in craniofacial bone. Skeletal stem cells (SSCs) are multi-potent cells crucial for the development and homeostasis of bone. Recent studies on long bones have suggested that skeletal stem cells in endochondral or intramembranous ossification sites have different differentiation capacities. However, this has not been well-defined in neural crest derived bones. Generally, the long bones are derived from mesoderm and follow an endochondral ossification model, while most of the cranial bones are neural crest (NC) in origin and follow an intramembranous ossification model. The mandible is unique: It is derived from the neural crest lineage but makes use of both modes of ossification. Early in fetal development, the mandibular body is generated by intramembranous ossification with subsequent endochondral ossification forming the condyle. The identities and properties for SSCs in these two sites remain unknown. Here, we use genetic lineage tracing in mouse to identify cells expressing the Hedgehog responsive gene Gli1, which is thought to mark the tissue resident SSCs. We track the Gli1+ cells, comparing cells within the perichondrium to those in the periosteum covering the mandibular body. In juvenile mice, these have distinct differentiation and proliferative potential. We also assess the presence of Sox10+ cells, thought to mark neural crest stem cells, but find no substantial population associated with the mandibular skeleton, suggesting that Sox10+ cells have limited contribution to maintaining postnatal mandibular bone. All together, our study indicates that the Gli1+ cells display distinct and limited differentiation capacity dependent on their regional associations.

High-capacity and multi-dimensional orbital angular momentum multiplexing holography.

Optical holography has been investigated for enhancing information capacity and encryption. Here, the multi-vortex geometric orbital angular momentum (MVG-OAM) multiplexing holography is proposed and experimentally implemented, which encodes information into MVG beams with different central OAM, sub-beam OAM, and coherent-state phase. The orthogonality of the above three parameters are analyzed, respectively, which point out the feasibility of using them for holographic multiplexing. A three-dimensional multiplexing holography is realized by combining these three parameters, which offers potential applications for information storage, optical encryption, and display.

One-Pot Synthesis of Robust Fluorescent Nanocomposite Gel via Frontal Polymerization.

Fluorescent nanocomposite gels have attracted increasing attention due to their excellent optical properties, as well as enhanced mechanical strength originating from the nanoparticles. At present, two-step methods are usually employed, where fluorescent nanoparticles are firstly prepared, followed by mixing with gel precursor to achieve the final products after gelation, which suffer from the disadvantages of a tedious and time-consuming process. Thus, the development of a facile strategy is highly desirable, which still remains an obstacle. Herein, a new one-pot synthesis method towards robust fluorescent nanocomposite gels via frontal polymerization (FP) is proposed, where small molecular precursors (citric acid (CA) and urea, or L-cysteine) and gel precursor (vinyl monomers) are mixed together as co-reactants. During the FP process, a lot of heat release gives rise to the generation of carbonized polymer dots (CPDs). Thus, companying with the propagating of the polymerization, the production of fluorescent CPDs/gel composite is completed. In addition, as a nanofiller, CPDs dramatically enhance the mechanical property of the CPDs/gel composite. This work proposes a new fast and efficient one-pot strategy for the production of CPDs/gel composite, which will guide the development of high-performance polymer nanocomposites through an in situ synchronous reaction fashion.

Polymersomes with Red/Near-Infrared Emission and Reactive Oxygen Species Generation.

In photodynamic therapy (PDT), the uses of nanoparticles bearing photosensitizers (PSs) can overcome some of the drawbacks of using a PS alone (e.g., poor water solubility and low tumor selectivity). However, numerous nano-formulations are developed by physical encapsulation of PSs through Van der Waals interactions, which have not only a limited load efficiency but also some in vivo biodistribution problems caused by leakage or burst release. Herein, polymersomes made from an amphiphilic block copolymer, in which a PS with aggregation-induced emission (AIE-PS) is covalently attached to its hydrophobic poly(amino acid) block, are reported. These AIE-PS polymersomes dispersed in aqueous solution have a high AIE-PS load efficiency (up to 46% as a mass fraction), a hydrodynamic diameter of 86 nm that is suitable for in vivo applications, and an excellent colloidal stability for at least 1 month. They exhibit a red/near-infrared photoluminescence and ability to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) under visible light. They are non-cytotoxic in the dark as tested on Hela cells up to concentration of 100 µm. Benefiting from colloidal stability, AIE property and ROS generation capability, such a family of polymersomes can be great candidates for image-guided PDT.

Antiviral activity evaluation and action mechanism of myricetin derivatives containing thioether quinoline moiety.

A variety of myricetin derivatives containing thioether quinoline moiety were designed and synthesized. Their structures of title compounds were determined by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, 19F NMR, and HRMS. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments were carried out with B4. Antiviral activity indicated that some of the target compounds exhibited remarkable anti-tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) activity. In particular, compound B6 possessed significant activity. The half maximal effective concentration (EC50) value of the curative activity of compound B6 was 169.0 µg/mL, which was superior to the control agent ningnanmycin (227.2 µg/mL). Meanwhile, the EC50 value of the protective activity of compound B6 was 86.5 µg/mL, which was better than ningnanmycin (179.2 µg/mL). Microscale thermophoresis (MST) indicated that compound B6 had a strong binding capability to the tobacco mosaic virus coat protein (TMV-CP) with a dissociation constant (Kd) value of 0.013 µmol/L, which was superior to that of myricitrin (61.447 µmol/L) and ningnanmycin (3.215 µmol/L). And the molecular docking studies were consistent with the experimental results. Therefore, these novel myricetin derivatives containing thioether quinoline moiety could become potential alternative templates for novel antiviral agents.

Update on the genetic diversity and population structure of Echinococcus granulosus in Gansu Province, Tibet Autonomous Region, and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Western China, inferred from mitochondrial cox1, nad1, and nad5 sequences.

The identification of additional Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (s.l.) complex species/genotypes in recent years raises the possibility that there might be more variation among this species in China than is currently understood. The aim of this study was to explore intra- and inter-species variation and population structure of Echinococcus species isolated from sheep in three areas of Western China. Of the isolates, 317, 322, and 326 were successfully amplified and sequenced for cox1, nad1, and nad5 genes, respectively. BLAST analysis revealed that the majority of the isolates were E. granulosus s.s., and using the cox1, nad1, and nad5 genes, respectively, 17, 14, and 11 isolates corresponded to Elodea canadensis (genotype G6/G7). In the three study areas, G1 genotypes were the most prevalent. There were 233 mutation sites along with 129 parsimony informative sites. A transition/transversion ratio of 7.5, 8, and 3.25, respectively, for cox1, nad1, and nad5 genes was obtained. Every mitochondrial gene had intraspecific variations, which were represented in a star-like network with a major haplotype with observable mutations from other distant and minor haplotypes. The Tajima's D value was significantly negative in all populations, indicating a substantial divergence from neutrality and supporting the demographic expansion of E. granulosus s.s. in the study areas. The phylogeny inferred by the maximum likelihood (ML) method using nucleotide sequences of cox1-nad1-nad5 further confirmed their identity. The nodes assigned to the G1, G3, and G6 clades as well as the reference sequences utilized had maximal posterior probability values (1.00). In conclusion, our study confirms the existence of a significant major haplotype of E. granulosus s.s. where G1 is the predominant genotype causing of CE in both livestock and humans in China.

Design, Synthesis, Biological Activity Evaluation and Action Mechanism of Myricetin Derivatives Containing Thiazolebisamide.

The plant diseases caused by a variety of pathogens such as viruses, bacteria and fungi pose a great threat to global food production and food safety. Therefore, the search for green, efficient and pollution-free pesticides has become an important task. In this article, 23 myricetin derivatives containing thiazolebisamides active groups have been designed and synthesized. Their activities were evaluated by performing in vitro antibacterial and in vivo antiviral assays, microscale thermophoresis (MST) and molecular docking assays. The results of in vivo antiviral assays showed that compounds A4 and A23 exhibited good antiviral activity with EC50 values of 79.0 and 54.1 µg/mL for therapeutic activity and 103.3 and 91.2 µg/mL for protective activity, respectively. The dissociation constants (Kd) values of compounds A4 and A23 against TMV-CP were 0.021 and 0.018 µM, respectively, determined by microscale thermophoresis (MST), which were much smaller than those of the commercial drug ningnanmycin (NNM), which were 2.84 µM. The interaction of compounds A4, A23 with TMV-CP was further verified at the molecular level. In addition, in vitro antifungal assays of this series of compounds showed that they exhibited some inhibitory activity against a variety of fungi, especially against the phytophthora capsici. Among them, A13 and A20 showed similar inhibitory activity to the control drug azoxystrobin at 100 µg/mL against the phytophthora capsici.

Atomically Dispersed Dual Metal Sites Boost the Efficiency of Olefins Epoxidation in Tandem with CO2 Cycloaddition.

Tandem catalysis provides an economical and energy-efficient process for the production of fine chemicals. In this work, we demonstrate that a rationally synthesized carbon-based catalyst with atomically dispersed dual Fe-Al sites (ADD-Fe-Al) achieves superior catalytic activity for the one-pot oxidative carboxylation of olefins (conversion ∼97%, selectivity ∼91%), where the yield of target product over ADD-Fe-Al is at least 62% higher than that of monometallic counterparts. The kinetic results reveal that the excellent catalytic performance arises from the synergistic effect between Fe (oxidation site) and Al sites (cycloaddition site), where the efficient CO2 cycloaddition with epoxides in the presence of Al sites (3.91 wt %) positively shifts the oxidation equilibrium to olefin epoxidation over Fe sites (0.89 wt %). This work not only offers an advanced catalyst for oxidative carboxylation of olefins but also opens up an avenue for the rational design of multifunctional catalysts for tandem catalytic reactions in the future.

Recent Advances in ß-Glucosidase Sequence and Structure Engineering: A Brief Review.

ß-glucosidases (BGLs) play a crucial role in the degradation of lignocellulosic biomass as well as in industrial applications such as pharmaceuticals, foods, and flavors. However, the application of BGLs has been largely hindered by issues such as low enzyme activity, product inhibition, low stability, etc. Many approaches have been developed to engineer BGLs to improve these enzymatic characteristics to facilitate industrial production. In this article, we review the recent advances in BGL engineering in the field, including the efforts from our laboratory. We summarize and discuss the BGL engineering studies according to the targeted functions as well as the specific strategies used for BGL engineering.