The Testis Is a Primary Factor That Contributes to Epigenetic Modifications in the Ovaries of the Protandrous Black Porgy, Acanthopagrus schlegelii.

In most hermaphroditic fish, the sexual phase of the gonad responds to external stimuli so that only one sex remains functional while the other sex becomes dormant. However, protandrous black porgy are male during their first two reproductive cycles. Estradiol (E2)-induced female growth results in a transient and immature female, and the sexual phase reverts from female to male after E2 is withdrawn. Conversely, excising the testis results in a precocious female when performed during the second reproductive cycle. We used these characteristics to study epigenetic modifications of cyp19a1a promoter in black porgy. Our results showed that higher levels of gonadotropins receptors were observed in testis than in ovary during the alteration of sexual phase from induced femaleness to maleness, and hCG treatment did not stimulate ovarian gene expression in male (1-yr-old maleness) and female phase (testis excision-induced femaleness) fish. The cyp19a1a promoter exhibited tissue- and lineage-specific methylation patterns. The follicle cells in the ovary had a hypomethylated (0%-20%) cyp19a1a promoter region. In the ovary, the first sign of female phase decision was decreased methylation levels and increased numbers of hypomethylated clones of cyp19a1a promoter during the natural sex change process. Similar methylation patterns were observed in the testis-removed ovary 1 mo after surgery, with no histological difference between the sham and the testis-removed fish. Conversely, there was no increase in methylation levels of cyp19a1a promoter in E2-fed fish. These results suggest that in the digonic gonad of black porgy, the testis is the primary tissue that affects epigenetics of the ovary.

Heterocyclic Functionalized Donor-Acceptor Hole-Transporting Materials for Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells.

Hole transport materials (HTMs) with appropriate energy levels and comprehensive passivation effects help to obtain highly efficient and stable perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Electron-deficient character-induced HTMs can generate varying energy level alignments near the HTM/perovskite interface. Herein, we report the synthesis and investigation of two new dipolar HTMs, WWC103 and WWC105, based on 2-(1,1-dicyanomethylene)rhodamine and 4-cynophenylacetonitrile acceptors, enabling high-efficiency mixed-cation mixed-halide perovskite solar cells. Apart from having different acceptors, these HTMs are built on a heterocyclic frame, which can provide passivation effects and improve the morphology of the perovskite layer. As a result, these dopant-free HTM-based solar cells show a high open-circuit voltage and good power conversion efficiency. Among both, the solar cell based on the HTM with 2-(1,1-dicyanomethylene)rhodamine exhibits a high open-circuit voltage of 1.09 V with a champion power conversion efficiency of over 20.51%. The improved performance of WWC103 over WWC105 (19.74%) is attributed to the new acceptor, which, in addition to providing good energy-level alignments and hole mobility, also holds the ability to passivate the defects. The findings suggest a new acceptor unit for constructing dopant-free HTMs for efficient PSCs.