A ThT Derivative as Zn2+ Sensor Based on DNA G-quadruplex.

In this report, we developed a sensing strategy based on ThT-E (a ThT derivative) and DNA G-quadruplex for the label-free detection of Zn2+. In the absence of Zn2+, there was a fluorescence enhancement of ThT-E by interaction with human telomere sequence. On the addition of Zn2+, Zn2+ induced a more compact antiparallel G-quadruplex to release ThT-E, resulting in fluorescence quenching. The detection limit was 0.6996 µM, and the fluorescence intensity showed a good linear relationship with the concentration of Zn2+ in the range of 0-10 µM. This sensing strategy which only needs to mix two kinds of materials has the characteristics of label-feel, simple operation, short response time, economical and efficient.

New Indole Diketopiperazine Alkaloids from Soft Coral-Associated Epiphytic Fungus Aspergillus versicolor CGF 9-1-2.

Two new indole diketopiperazine alkaloids (IDAs), (+)19-epi-sclerotiamide (1) and (-)19-epi-sclerotiamide (2), along with 13 known analogs (3-15), were isolated from a soft coral-associated epiphytic fungus Aspergillus versicolor CGF 9-1-2. The structures of two new compounds were established based on the combination of HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, optical rotation measurements and quantum chemical 13 C-NMR, the absolute configurations were determined by experimental and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. The results of molecular docking showed that all the compounds had a good binding with TDP1, TDP2, TOP1, TOP2, Ache, NLRP3, EGFR, EGFR L858R, EGFR T790M and EGFR T790/L858. Biological evaluation of compounds 3, 6, 8, 11 showed that 3 exerted a strong inhibitory effect on TDP2 with a rate of 81.72 %.

Pyranodipyran Derivatives with Tyrosyl DNA Phosphodiesterase 1 Inhibitory Activities and Fluorescent Properties from Aspergillus sp. EGF 15-0-3.

Four new benzodipyran racemates, namely (±)-aspergiletals A-D (3-6), representing a rare pyrano[4,3-h]chromene scaffold were isolated together with eurotiumide G (1) and eurotiumide F (2) from the soft-coral-derived fungus Aspergillus sp. EGF 15-0-3. All the corresponding optically pure enantiomers were successfully separated by a chiral HPLC column. The structures and configurations of all the compounds were elucidated based on the combination of NMR and HRESIMS data, chiral separation, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, quantum chemical 13C NMR, and electronic circular dichroism calculations. Meanwhile, the structure of eurotiumide G was also revised. The TDP1 inhibitor activities and photophysical properties of the obtained compounds were evaluated. In the TDP1 inhibition assay, as a result of synergy between (+)-6 and (-)-6, (±)-6 displayed strong inhibitory activity to TDP1 with IC50 values of 6.50 ± 0.73 µM. All compounds had a large Stokes shift and could be utilized for elucidating the mode of bioactivities by fluorescence imaging.

Chemical Constituents from Sargassum fusiforme (Harv.) Setch.

Phytochemical investigation of Sargassum fusiforme (Harv.) Setch. led to the discovery of fifteen secondary metabolites, including three sterols, three monoterpenes, five nitrogenous compounds, two fatty acids, and two others. Among them, two compounds are new, while the other thirteen compounds were isolated from S. fusiforme for the first time. The structures of the two new compounds were identified by NMR and HR-ESI-MS data analyses, and the absolute configurations were established by comparing the calculated and experimental ECD spectroscopic data.

Characterization of biochemical properties of Bacillus subtilis RecQ helicase.

RecQ family helicases function as safeguards of the genome. Unlike Escherichia coli, the Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis bacterium possesses two RecQ-like homologues, RecQ[Bs] and RecS, which are required for the repair of DNA double-strand breaks. RecQ[Bs] also binds to the forked DNA to ensure a smooth progression of the cell cycle. Here we present the first biochemical analysis of recombinant RecQ[Bs]. RecQ[Bs] binds weakly to single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and blunt-ended double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) but strongly to forked dsDNA. The protein exhibits a DNA-stimulated ATPase activity and ATP- and Mg(2+)-dependent DNA helicase activity with a 3' → 5' polarity. Molecular modeling shows that RecQ[Bs] shares high sequence and structure similarity with E. coli RecQ. Surprisingly, RecQ[Bs] resembles the truncated Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sgs1 and human RecQ helicases more than RecQ[Ec] with regard to its enzymatic activities. Specifically, RecQ[Bs] unwinds forked dsDNA and DNA duplexes with a 3'-overhang but is inactive on blunt-ended dsDNA and 5'-overhung duplexes. Interestingly, RecQ[Bs] unwinds blunt-ended DNA with structural features, including nicks, gaps, 5'-flaps, Kappa joints, synthetic replication forks, and Holliday junctions. We discuss these findings in the context of RecQ[Bs]'s possible functions in preserving genomic stability.

FeCu bimetallic metal organic frameworks photo-Fenton synergy efficiently degrades organic pollutants: Structure, properties, and mechanism insight.

The high ion leaching, low photogenerated charge separation efficiency, and slow metal valence cycling of Fe-based metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have limited their application in the deep treatment of organic pollutants. Herein, FeCu bimetallic MOFs (FeCuBDC) were synthesized using a modified solvothermal method, and a coupled photo-Fenton degradation system was successfully constructed. Degradation performance tests showed that FeCuBDC could efficiently degrade 99.3% ± 0.1% of 50 mg/L phenol within 40 min. The reaction rate constants of the photo-Fenton system were 11.0 and 64.7 times higher than those of the single Fenton reaction and photocatalysis, respectively. FeCuBDC also exhibits good cycling stability, degradation generalization, and excellent photoelectric catalytic properties. Such a considerable enhancement in the overall performance pertains to the following. First, the introduction of Cu into Fe-MOFs not only improves the crystallinity and stability, but also reduces the band gap value, increases the absorption capacity of visible light, and promotes the generation of photogenerated carriers. Second, the FeCu in MOFs are all mixed valence. Initially, the high-valence FeCu captures photogenerated electrons and promotes photogenerated charge separation and transfer. Then, the low-valence FeCu adsorbs and decomposes H2O2, accelerating the valence cycling of the bimetallic sites. The core of the reaction mechanism is that FeCuBDC effectively promotes the photo-Fenton synergy.

Two new types of structures from soft coral-associated epiphytic fungus Aspergillus versicolor CGF9-1-2.

Global Natural Products Social (GNPS) molecular networking platform was applied to discovery the undescribed compounds from the common marine fungi Aspergillus versicolor CGF9-1-2, ultimately resulting in isolation of four new polyketides, decumbenone E (1), decumbenone F (2), 2'-epi-8-O-methylnidurufin (6), (-)-phomoindene A (7), one new nucleoside, 3-methyl-9-(2-methylbutene)-xanthine (8), and five known analogues. Their structures were elucidated based on 1D/2D NMR spectroscopic and HRESIMS data analyses, meanwhile, the absolute configurations of new compounds were established based on the X-ray crystallographic experiments, as well as the electronic circular dichroism (ECD) analysis. All compounds were predicted pharmaceutical chemistry with ten commonly disease-related proteins by molecular docking. In addition, all compounds against TDP1 were performed in vitro, which was consistent with the docking result, and compound 6 shown a weak inhibitory activity.

Probing Indole Diketopiperazine-Based Hybrids as Environmental-Induced Products from Aspergillus sp. EGF 15-0-3.

Comprehensive analyses of the metabolite spectra of Aspergillus sp. EGF 15-0-3 under different culture conditions revealed the presence of unique environmental-induced metabolites exclusively from the rice medium. Subsequent target isolation afforded four unprecedented indole diketopiperazine-based hybrids with a pyrano[3',2':7,8]isochromeno[4,3-b]pyrazino[2,1-i]indole core (1 and 2) or a spiro[piperazine-2,2'-pyrano[3,4,5-de]chromene] scaffold (3 and 4). Putative biosynthetic pathways for 1-4, with Diels-Alder cycloadditions as key steps, were proposed. 1-4 exhibited selective cytotoxicities among several human cancer cells.

Enhancing effect of Labrasol on the intestinal absorption of ganciclovir in rats.

Ganciclovir (GCV), like other nucleoside analogs such as trifluridine and acyclovir (ACV), is hydrophilic, poorly permeable across membranes and orally low-bioavailable. In the present studies, Labrasol was evaluated for improving intestinal absorption of GCV through in vitro and in vivo experiments. The effect of Labrasol on absorption of GCV in rat small intestine was investigated using an in situ single-pass perfusion technique. The apparent absorptive clearance (PeA) of GCV with Labrasol in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum was 1.01, 1.28, and 1.49 mL/min/cm (n = 6), respectively, and significant regional differences of GCV absorption among the three segments were observed p jejunum, p duodenum (p > 0.05). The effects of EDTA, verapamil on the permeability of GCV were conducted. The permeability of GCV was increased by EDTA, verapamil, respectively. The results indicated that paracellular absorption and efflux played important roles in GCV absorption. In vivo absorption GCV in rats was conducted. When GCV at 1 mg/kg dose was administered with Labrasol (10%, v/v), the mean AUC of was determined as 14.45 ± 3.88 µg*h/mL, compared to 8.05 ± 1.52 µg*h/mL without Labrasol. Based on the results, we could conclude that the absorption of GCV through GI lumen would be enhanced by Labrasol. The effect of Labrasol maybe ascribed to both (i) inhibit efflux of GCV from the enterocytes to the GI lumen; and (ii) enhance GCV absorption from the GI lumen through paracellular pathway.

Core-shell structure of sulphur vacancies-CdS@CuS: Enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen generation activity based on photoinduced interfacial charge transfer.

To regulate the charge flow of the photocatalyst in photocatalytic hydrogen reactions is highly desirable. In this study, a highly efficient sulphur vacancies-CdS@CuS core-shell heterostructure photocatalyst (denoted CdS-SV@CuS) was developed through the surface modification of CdS-sulphur vacancies (SV) nanoparticles by CuS based on photoinduced interfacial charge transfer (IFCT). This novel photocatalyst with modulated charge transfer was prepared by hydrothermal treatment and subsequent cation-exchange reactions. The SV confined in CdS and the IFCT facilitate the charge carrier's efficient spatial separation. The optimized CdS-SV@CuS(5%) catalyst exhibited a remarkably higher H2 production rate of 1654.53 µmol/g/h, approximately 6.7 and 4.0 times higher than those of pure CdS and CdS-SV, respectively. The high photocatalytic performance is attributed to the rapid charge separation, caused by the intimate interactions between CdS-SV and CuS in the core-shell heterostructure. This is the first time that a straightforward method is adopted to construct a metal sulphide core-shell structure for superior H2-production activity by IFCT.

Surface oxygen vacancies enriched FeOOH/Bi2MoO6 photocatalysis- fenton synergy degradation of organic pollutants.

To achieve rapid separation of photogenerated charges, increase photocatalytic degradation activity, a visible light-driven FeOOH/Bi2MoO6-OVs photocatalyst was designed and successfully fabricated via solvothermal synthesis and calcination. H2O2 was added under visible light irradiation to form a heterogeneous photocatalysis-Fenton synergy system. Using visible light irradiation, 10% FeOOH/Bi2MoO6-OVs had the best degradation activity. The removal efficiency of phenol was 100% within 3 h, which was 1.54 times and 1.33 times of the degradation efficiency of photocatalysis and Fenton alone, respectively. The catalyst has high removal activity for various pollutants and good cycle stability. Hydroxyl radicals and superoxide radicals have proven to be the main active substances and a reasonable catalytic mechanism was proposed. Surface oxygen vacancy can not only reduce the width of band gap, promote the separation and migration of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, but also make the OO bond of H2O2 elongate and weaken, making it easier to react with FeOOH and realize the synergistic effect of photocatalysis-Fenton. Simultaneously, the oxygen vacancies located near the valence band can capture holes, and the holes are rapidly transferred to the surface of the catalyst and participated in the degradation of pollutants.

The zinc-binding motif of human RECQ5beta suppresses the intrinsic strand-annealing activity of its DExH helicase domain and is essential for the helicase activity of the enzyme.

RecQ family helicases, functioning as caretakers of genomic integrity, contain a zinc-binding motif which is highly conserved among these helicases, but does not have a substantial structural similarity with any other known zinc-finger folds. In the present study, we show that a truncated variant of the human RECQ5beta helicase comprised of the conserved helicase domain only, a splice variant named RECQ5alpha, possesses neither ATPase nor DNA-unwinding activities, but surprisingly displays a strong strand-annealing activity. In contrast, fragments of RECQ5beta including the intact zinc-binding motif, which is located immediately downstream of the helicase domain, exhibit much reduced strand-annealing activity but are proficient in DNA unwinding. Quantitative measurements indicate that the regulatory role of the zinc-binding motif is achieved by enhancing the DNA-binding affinity of the enzyme. The novel intramolecular modulation of RECQ5beta catalytic activity mediated by the zinc-binding motif may represent a universal regulation mode for all RecQ family helicases.

The Supramolecular Organogel Formed by Self-Assembly of Ursolic Acid Appended with Aromatic Rings.

Ursolic acid (UA) as a natural ursane-triterpenoid has rich pharmacological activities. We have found that it possesses aggregation properties and could self-assemble into organogels. Based on the aggregation property of ursolic acid in suitable solvents, its derivative appended with aromatic rings by amide groups was synthesized. The property of self-assembly into organogel was studied in this paper. The results revealed that this derivative could form supramolecular gel in halogenated benzene and also gelate chloroform in the presence of toluene or p-xylene. By Fourier-transform infrared spectra (FT-IR) and variable temperature proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR), it was proved that intermolecular hydrogen bonding and π⁻π stacking interaction were the primary driving forces for the aggregation to form organogel.

Highly ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays wrapped with g-C3N4 nanoparticles for efficient charge separation and increased photoelectrocatalytic degradation of phenol.

Novel graphitic carbon nitride nanoparticles (NPs)-wrapped TiO2 nanotube arrays (NTAs) (g-C3N4/TiO2) were fabricated by a two-step method including an electrochemical anodization technique followed by impregnation under vacuum using urea as precursor. The as-prepared photoelectrode exhibited outstanding photoelectric properties and excellent photelectrocatalytic (PEC) performance for the degradation of phenol under stimulated solar light, which was due to the enhanced light absorption property and improved charge separation efficiency. The introduction of g-C3N4 NPs strongly decreased the charge transfer resistance and boosted the charge separation efficiency of TiO2. The optimum ratio of the g-C3N4/TiO2 yielded a pronounced 4.18-fold higher photocurrent density than TiO2. Besides, the combination of g-C3N4 NPs could negatively shift for the flat band potential of TiO2, resulting in an enhanced reduction property for the photoelectrocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants. The PEC process for the degradation of phenol over g-C3N4/TiO2 was much higher than the sum of photocatalytic (PC) and electrocatalytic (EC) processes indicating that a photoelectric synergy was achieved on the as-prepared photoelectrode and resulting in an improved PEC performance for the composite photoelectrode.

Ag3PO4@UMOFNs Core-Shell Structure: Two-Dimensional MOFs Promoted Photoinduced Charge Separation and Photocatalysis.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a new type of functional material that is self-assembled by metal ions and organic ligands. In this paper, a bimetal-organic framework was synthesized and stripped into two-dimensional nanosheets structure via an ultrasonic method. We coated the UMOFNs (ultrathinning MOFs into two-dimensional nanosheets) on Ag3PO4 nanoparticles to obtain Ag3PO4@UMOFNs core-shell photocatalysts. Under visible-light irradiation, the degradation of phenol was 100% within 16 min, and the degradation of biphenyl A was 98.9% within 20 min via Ag3PO4@UMOFNs (5 wt %). These values were 1.6- and 1.8-times higher than Ag3PO4, respectively. The activity of the Ag3PO4@UMOFNs increased due to the synergistic effects. The π-π bonds of the organic ligands and weak interactions between UMOFNs and Ag3PO4 collectively promote charge transfer. In addition, matching energy-level structures and a sufficiently large contact area accelerate the separation of the photogenerated charges and improve the activity. This remarkably improves the photocatalytic activity.

Effects of phospholipase A2 on the lysosomal ion permeability and osmotic sensitivity.

In this study, we investigated the mechanism of PLA(2)-induced lysosomal destabilization. Through the measurements of lysosomal beta-hexosaminidase free activity, their membrane potential, the intra-lysosomal pH and the lysosomal latency loss in hypotonic sucrose medium, we established that PLA(2) could increase the lysosomal membrane permeability to both potassium ions and protons. The enzyme could also enhance the organelle osmotic sensitivity. The increases in the lysosomal ion permeability promoted influx of potassium ions into the lysosomes via K(+)/H(+) exchange. The resulted osmotic imbalance across the lysosomal membranes osmotically destabilized the lysosomes. In addition, the enhancement of the lysosomal osmotic sensitivity caused the lysosomes to become more liable to destabilization in the osmotic stress. The results explain how PLA(2) destabilized the lysosomes.

Absorption of sulfur dioxide from simulated flue gas by polyethyleneimine-phosphoric acid solution.

Clean fuel technologies have been widely developed in current society because fuel combustion can directly bring about the emission of hazardous gasses such as SO2. Flue gas desulfurization by polyethyleneimine (PEI)-phosphoric acid solution is an efficient desulfurization method. In this research, the PEI and the additive H3PO4 were used as absorption solution. SO2 was absorbed by the system and desorbed from the loaded solution. The cycle operation was also analyzed. Some technology conditions such as the concentration of PEI, the temperature, the gas flow rate, the concentration of SO2 and the pH value were experimentally researched. With the optimized process, the absorption efficiency of this system could reach 98% and the desorption efficiency was over 60%, showing good absorption/desorption capability. With this efficient approach, the present study may open a new window for developing high-performance absorbents which can make SO2 be well desorbed from the loaded solution and better reused in the flue gas desulfurization.

Novel Cu2O quantum dots coupled flower-like BiOBr for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of organic contaminant.

Here we report a highly efficient novel photocatalyst consisting of Cu2O quantum dots (QDs) incorporated into three-dimensional (3D) flower-like hierarchical BiOBr (hereafter designated QDs-Cu2O/BiOBr), which were synthesized via a simple reductive solution chemistry route and applied to decontaminate the hazardous wastewater containing phenol and organic dyes. The deposition of Cu2O QDs onto the surface of the BiOBr was confirmed by structure and composition characterizations. The QDs-Cu2O/BiOBr composites exhibited superior activity for organic contaminant degradation under visible light and 3 wt% QDs-Cu2O/BiOBr composite showed the highest degrade rate for phenol and methylene blue (MB), which was 11.8 times and 1.4 times than that of pure BiOBr, indicated the QDs-Cu2O/BiOBr composite has the great potential application in purifying hazardous organic contaminant. The incorporated Cu2O QDs played an important role in improving the photocatalytic performance, due to the enhancement of visible light absorption efficiency as well as the efficient separation of the photogenerated charge carriers originating from the intimately contacted interface and the well-aligned band-structures, which was confirmed by the results of PL, photocurrent and EIS measurements. The possible photocatalytic mechanism was proposed based on the experiments and theoretical results.

Mechanism of lysophosphatidylcholine-induced lysosome destabilization.

Lysosomal destabilization is critical for the organelle and living cells. Phospholipase A(2 )(PLA(2)) was shown to be able to destabilize lysosomes under some conditions. By what mechanism the enzyme affects lysosomal stability is not fully studied. In this study, we investigated the effects of lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC), a PLA(2)-produced lipid metabolite, on lysosomal ion permeability, osmotic sensitivity and stability. By measuring lysosomal beta-hexosaminidase free activity, membrane potential, proton leakage and their enzyme latency loss in hypotonic sucrose medium, we established that lysoPC could increase the lysosomal permeability to both potassium ions and protons and enhance lysosomal osmotic sensitivity. These changes in lysosomal membrane properties promoted entry of potassium ions into lysosomes via K(+)/H(+) exchange. The resultant osmotic imbalance across the membranes led to losses of lysosomal integrity. The enhancement of lysosomal osmotic sensitivity caused the lysosomes to become more liable to destabilization in osmotic shock. These results suggest that lysoPC may play a key role in PLA(2)-induced lysosomal destabilization.