Aberrant activation of Notch1 signaling in the mouse uterine epithelium promotes hyper-proliferation by increasing estrogen sensitivity.

In mammals, the endometrium undergoes dynamic changes in response to estrogen and progesterone to prepare for blastocyst implantation. Two distinct types of endometrial epithelial cells, the luminal (LE) and glandular (GE) epithelial cells play different functional roles during this physiological process. Previously, we have reported that Notch signaling plays multiple roles in embryo implantation, decidualization, and postpartum repair. Here, using the uterine epithelial-specific Ltf-iCre, we showed that Notch1 signaling over-activation in the endometrial epithelium caused dysfunction of the epithelium during the estrous cycle, resulting in hyper-proliferation. During pregnancy, it further led to dysregulation of estrogen and progesterone signaling, resulting in infertility in these animals. Using 3D organoids, we showed that over-activation of Notch1 signaling increased the proliferative potential of both LE and GE cells and reduced the difference in transcription profiles between them, suggesting disrupted differentiation of the uterine epithelium. In addition, we demonstrated that both canonical and non-canonical Notch signaling contributed to the hyper-proliferation of GE cells, but only the non-canonical pathway was involved with estrogen sensitivity in the GE cells. These findings provided insights into the effects of Notch1 signaling on the proliferation, differentiation, and function of the uterine epithelium. This study demonstrated the important roles of Notch1 signaling in regulating hormone response and differentiation of endometrial epithelial cells and provides an opportunity for future studies in estrogen-dependent diseases, such as endometriosis.

Porous Electropolymerized Films of Ruthenium Complex: Photoelectrochemical Properties and Photoelectrocatalytic Synthesis of Hydrogen Peroxide.

The photoelectrochemical cells (PECs) performing high-efficiency conversions of solar energy into both electricity and high value-added chemicals are highly desirable but rather challenging. Herein, we demonstrate that a PEC using the oxidatively electropolymerized film of a heteroleptic Ru(II) complex of [Ru(bpy)(L)2](PF6)2Ru1 {bpy and L stand for 2,2'-bipyridine and 1-phenyl-2-(4-vinylphenyl)-1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline respectively}, polyRu1, as a working electrode performed both efficient in situ synthesis of hydrogen peroxide and photocurrent generation/switching. Specifically, when biased at -0.4 V vs. saturated calomel electrode and illuminated with 100 mW·cm-2 white light, the PEC showed a significant cathodic photocurrent density of 9.64 µA·cm-2. Furthermore, an increase in the concentrations of quinhydrone in the electrolyte solution enabled the photocurrent polarity to switch from cathodic to anodic, and the anodic photocurrent density reached as high as 11.4 µA·cm-2. Interestingly, in this single-compartment PEC, the hydrogen peroxide yield reached 2.63 µmol·cm-2 in the neutral electrolyte solution. This study will serve as a guide for the design of high-efficiency metal-complex-based molecular systems performing photoelectric conversion/switching and photoelectrochemical oxygen reduction to hydrogen peroxide.

Photoelectrocatalytic Dioxygen Reduction Based on a Novel Thiophene-Functionalized Tricarbonylchloro(1,10-phenanthroline)rhenium(I).

A novel Re (I) complex of [Re(CO)3Cl(L)], {L = 2-([2,2'-bithiophen]-5-yl)-1-phenyl-1H-imidazo [4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline}, was synthesized, and its optical (UV-Visible absorption and emission spectroscopy), cyclovoltammetric and photoelectrochemical oxygen reduction properties were studied. The geometric and electronic properties were also investigated by density functional theory calculations. It was found that the ITO electrode coated with drop-casted [Re(CO)3Cl(L)] film exhibited cathodic photocurrent generation characteristics. The illuminated film exhibited a maximum cathodic photocurrent up to 30.4 µA/cm2 with an illumination intensity of 100 mW/cm2 white light at a bias potential of -0.4 V vs. SCE in O2-saturated electrolyte solution, which was reduced by 5.1-fold when thoroughly deoxygenated electrolyte solution was used, signaling that the electrode performed well on the photoelectrochemical oxygen reduction. The photo-electrocatalytic hydrogen peroxide production was proved with a maximum H2O2 concentration of 6.39 µM during 5 h of the photoelectrocatalytic process. This work would guide the construction of more efficient rhenium-based photo(electro)catalytic molecular systems for O2 sensing, hydrogen peroxide production and other types of photoelectrochemical energy conversion and storage.

Notch1 is crucial for decidualization and maintaining the first pregnancy in the mouse†.

The endometrium undergoes a pregnancy-delivery-repair cycle multiple times during the reproductive lifespan in females. Decidualization is one of the critical events for the success of this essential process. We have previously reported that Notch1 is essential for artificial decidualization in mice. However, in a natural pregnancy, the deletion of Notch1 (PgrCre/+Notch1f/f, or Notch1d/d) only affects female fertility in the first 30 days of a 6-month fertility test, but not the later stages. In the present study, we undertook a closer evaluation at the first pregnancy of these mice to attempt to understand this puzzling phenomenon. We observed a large number of pregnancy losses in Notch1d/d mice in their first pregnancy, which led to the subfertility observed in the first 30 days of the fertility test. We then demonstrated that the initial pregnancy loss is a consequence of impaired decidualization. Furthermore, we identified a group of genes that contribute to Notch1 regulated decidualization in a natural pregnancy. Gene ontogeny analysis showed that these differentially expressed genes in the natural pregnancy are involved in cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, different from genes that have been previously identified from the artificial decidualization model, which contribute to cell proliferation and apoptosis. In summary, we determined that Notch1 is essential for normal decidualization in the mouse uterus only in the first pregnancy but not in subsequent ones.

Unusual Photoelectrochemical Properties of Electropolymerized Films of a Triphenylamine-Containing Organic Small Molecule.

The electropolymerized films of poly(L)n on an indium-tin oxide (ITO) electrode was prepared by anodic electrooxidation of a dichloromethane solution of a triphenylamine-carrying organic molecule L and were characterized/studied by ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and photoelectrochemical measurements. Poly(L)n films were found to show surface-controlled TPA•+1/0 associated quasi-reversible redox and exceptionally high photocurrent generation properties. At a zero external bias potential and under 100 mW/cm2 white light irradiation, a photoelectrochemical device composed of a poly(L)1-modified ITO as the working electode, a platinum disk counter electrode, and saturated calomel electrode reference electrode in a 0.1 M Na2SO4 aqueous solution exhibited a significant cathode photocurrent density of 2.2 µA/cm2, which could be switched to be anodic and outperform most previously reported molecule-based modified ITO electrodes under similar experimental conditions. The results indicate that poly(L)n films offer a number of future perspectives ranging from organic photovoltaic to photoelectrochemical catalysis and sensing.

Near-IR/Visible-Emitting Thiophenyl-Based Ru(II) Complexes: Efficient Photodynamic Therapy, Cellular Uptake, and DNA Binding.

Near-IR-emitting and/or efficiently photodynamic water-soluble Ru(II) complexes that hold great application potentials as photodynamic therapy and/or photodetection agents for cancers have been poorly explored. In this paper, the solvatochromism, calf thymus DNA binding, and singlet oxygen generation properties of a known ruthenium(II) complex of visible-emitting [Ru(bpy)2(dtdpq)](ClO4)2 (Ru1) and a new homoleptic complex of near-IR-emitting [Ru(dtdpq)3](ClO4)2 (Ru2) (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, dtdpq = 2,3-bis(thiophen-2-yl)pyrazino[2,3-f][1,10]phenanothroline) in water are reported. Moreover, DNA photocleavage, singlet oxygen generation in HeLa cells, cellular uptake/localization, and in vitro photodynamic therapy for cancer cells of water-soluble Ru1 are described in detail. The results show that Ru1 acted as potent photodynamic cancer therapy and mitochondrial imaging agents. Ru2 exhibited very strong solvatochromism from a visible emission maximum at 588 nm in CH2Cl2 to the near-IR region at 700 nm in water and singlet oxygen generation yield in water (23%) and DNA binding properties (intercalative DNA binding constant on the order of 106 M-1) comparable to those of Ru1, which should make Ru2 attractive for the aforementioned applications of Ru1 if the water solubility of Ru2 can be improved enough for the studies above.

pH-Switchable "Off-On-Off" Near-Infrared Luminescence Based on a Dinuclear Ruthenium(II) Complex.

The pH-switchable room-temperature near-infrared (NIR) phosphorescence emission based on ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes has been very rarely reported, even though it is very desirable for applications in sensing, switching, and logic molecular devices and bioimaging. Here we report a novel dinuclear ruthenium(II) complex in an aerated acetonitrile solution featuring a bright NIR emission centered at 760 nm with an absolute quantum yield of 1.03%, a large Stokes shift of 254 nm, and a long emission lifetime of 108.3 ± 0.4 ns. The complex in a Britton-Roberson buffer also exhibited pH-induced "off-on-off" NIR luminescent switches with a maximum intensity enhancement factor of 41 and one of the switching events occurring near the physiological pH range.

DNA Binding and Photocleavage Properties, Cellular Uptake and Localization, and in-Vitro Cytotoxicity of Dinuclear Ruthenium(II) Complexes with Varying Lengths in Bridging Alkyl Linkers.

Two new dinuclear Ru(II) polypyridyl complexes containing three and ten methylene chains in their bridging linkers are synthesized and characterized. Their calf thymus DNA-binding and plasmid DNA photocleavage behaviors are comparatively studied with a previously reported, six-methylene-containing analog by absorption and luminescence spectroscopy, steady-state emission quenching by [Fe(CN)6](4-), DNA competitive binding with ethidium bromide, DNA viscosity measurements, DNA thermal denaturation, and agarose gel electrophoresis analyses. Theoretical calculations applying the density functional theory (DFT) method for the three complexes are also performed to understand experimentally observed DNA binding properties. The results show that the two complexes partially intercalate between the base pairs of DNA. Cellular uptake and colocalization studies have demonstrated that the complexes could enter HeLa cells efficiently and localize within lysosomes. The in-vitro antitumor activity against HeLa and MCF-7 tumor cells of the complexes are studied by MTT cytotoxic analysis. A new method, high-content analysis (HCA), is also used to assess cytotoxicity, apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of the three complexes. The results show that the lengths of the alkyl linkers could effectively tune their biological properties and that HCA is suitable for rapidly identifying cytotoxicity and can be substituted for MTT assays to evaluate the cell cytotoxicity of chemotherapeutic agents.

An Electrostatically Self-Assembled Thin Film Made of Zn-Substituted Tungstoborate and Rhodamine B with Photoelectrochemical Properties.

An electrostatically self-assembled multilayer thin film consisting of alternating layers of Keggin polyoxometalate of Zn-substituted tungstoborate (BW11Zn) and Rhodamine B (RhB) has successfully been prepared on a quartz and indium-tin oxide (ITO) glass substrate. The ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption spectra demonstrated that the electrostatically self-assembled film of (BW11Zn/RhB)n was uniformly deposited layer by layer, and the RhB molecules in the film formed the J-aggregation. The photoelectrochemical investigations showed that the films generated stable cathodic photocurrents that originated from RhB, and the maximal cathodic photocurrent density generated by an eight-layer film was 4.9 µA/cm2 while the film was irradiated with 100 mW/cm2 polychromatic light of 730 nm > λ > 325 nm at an applied potential of 0 V versus a saturated calomel electrode.

Preparation and photoelectrochemical properties of a self-assembled film based on wheel type polyoxomolybdate and hemicyanine derivative.

A new electrostatically self-assembled film has been successfully prepared on quartz and indium-tin-oxide (ITO) coated glass substrates by alternating adsorption of a wheel-shaped polyoxomolybdate {Mo154} and a hemicyanine of (E)-1,1'-methylenebis(4-(4-(dimethylamino)styryl)pyridinium) bromide (H1). The UV-visible spectra demonstrated that the film was uniform, reproducible, and the H1 in the film forms the J-aggregation. Photoelectrochemical investigations showed that the films can generate stable cathodic photocurrent, and the cathodic photocurrent density of three-layer film was 5.1 microA/cm2 while irradiated with 100 mW/cm2 polychromatic light of 730 nm > lambda > 325 nm at an applied potential of -0.3 V versus saturated calomel electrode.

Photoelectrochemical properties of graphene oxide-based electrostatically self-assembled film.

Graphene oxide (GO) and polyethylenimine were successfully assembled into ultrathin films by using the electrostatic layer-by-layer self-assembly technique. The film assembling process was monitored by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. A linear increase in the film absorption with the number of deposited layers indicated that the (GO/PEI)(n) film depositions were uniform and reproducible. The photoelectrochemical properties of these multilayer films were investigated in an aqueous Na2SO4 solution, and it was found that the GO(PEI/GO)2 film exhibited stable cathodic photocurrents.

Layer-by-layer assembly of graphene oxide and a Ru(II) complex and significant photocurrent generation properties.

The multilayer films were fabricated by layer-by-layer electrostatically coassembling graphene oxide and a ruthenium complex of [Ru(bpy)2L](ClO4)2 {L = 2-(2,6-di(pyridin-2-yl)pyridine-4-yl)-1H-imidazo[4,5-f]-1,10-phenanthroline} and characterized using UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. The dependence of redox properties and cathodic photocurrents on the number of layers deposited and the photocurrent generation mechanism and polarity were studied in detail. The homogeneous growth and close packing of the two film-forming components, linear relationships of the dark cyclic voltometry peak currents and photocurrents vs number of layers deposited, and large cathodic photocurrent density of 4.1 µA/cm(2) for a four-layer film make this novel hybrid thin film promising applications ranging from molecular photovoltaic and photocatalytic molecular devices to photoelectrochemical sensing.

Highly sensitive and selective difunctional ruthenium(II) complex-based chemosensor for dihydrogen phosphate anion and ferrous cation.

The anion-interaction properties of a Ru(II) complex of [Ru(bpy)2(Htppip)](ClO4)2·H2O·DMF (RuL) {bpy =2,2'-bipyridine and Htppip =2-(4-(2,6-di(pyridin-2-yl)pyridin-4-yl)phenyl)-1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline} were thoroughly investigated in CH3CN and CH3CN/H2O (50:1, v/v) solutions by UV-visible absorption, emission, and (1)H NMR spectra. These analyses revealed that RuL acts as an efficient "turn on" emission sensor for H2PO4(-), and a "turn off" sensor for F(-) and OAc(-); in addition, RuL exhibited slightly disturbed emission spectra in the presence of the other anions studied (Cl(-), Br(-), I(-), NO3(-), and ClO4(-)). The cation-sensing properties of RuL were also studied in both neat CH3CN and aqueous 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid buffer (pH = 7.2)/CH3CN (71/1, v/v) solutions. RuL was found to exhibit a colorimetric sensing ability that was highly selective for Fe(2+), as evidenced by an obvious color change from pale yellow to light red-purple to the naked eye over the other cations studied (Na(+), Mg(2+), Ba(2+), Mn(2+), Fe(3+), Co(2+), Ni(2+), Cu(2+), Zn(2+), Cd(2+), Hg(2+), and Ag(+)). To obtain insights into the possible binding modes and the sensing mechanisms, (1)H NMR spectral analysis, luminescence lifetime measurements, and density functional theoretical calculations were also performed.

Supramolecular glasses with color-tunable circularly polarized afterglow through evaporation-induced self-assembly of chiral metal-organic complexes.

The fabrication of chiral molecules into macroscopic systems has many valuable applications, especially in the fields of optical displays, data encryption, information storage, and so on. Here, we design and prepare a serious of supramolecular glasses (SGs) based on Zn-L-Histidine complexes, via an evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) strategy. Metal-ligand interactions between the zinc(II) ion and chiral L-Histidine endow the SGs with interesting circularly polarized afterglow (CPA). Multicolored CPA emissions from blue to red with dissymmetry factor as high as 9.5 × 10-3 and excited-state lifetime up to 356.7 ms are achieved under ambient conditions. Therefore, this work not only communicates the bulk SGs with wide-tunable afterglow and large circular polarization, but also provides an EISA method for the macroscopic self-assembly of chiral metal-organic hybrids toward photonic applications.

Layered Double Hydroxide Nanosheets Boosting Red Long Afterglow via Highly Efficient Energy Transfer.

Room-temperature phosphorescent (RTP) based long-afterglow materials have shown broad application prospects in smart sensors, biological imaging, photodynamic therapy, and many others. However, the fabrication of red long-afterglow materials still faces a great challenge due to the competitive relationship between RTP efficiency and lifetime. In this work, we reported a series of layered double hydroxide (LDHs) nanosheets with red long-afterglow (quantum yield up to 42.35% and lifetime up to 256.77 ms) by taking advantage of the highly efficient triplet-triplet energy transfer from green phosphorescent LDHs to the red fluorescent dye rhodamine B (RhB, as a guest molecule). Specifically, the Zn-based LDHs@RhB composite (Zn-Al-LDH-4-CBBA@RhB) presents energy transfer efficiency as high as 95.18%, and the red long-afterglow could even be excited upon white-light irradiation. Benefiting from the time-resolved afterglow, the LDHs@RhB composites exhibit great potential in the fields of anticounterfeiting and information encryption.

Distinguish Characters of Luminal and Glandular Epithelium from Mouse Uterus Using a Novel Enzyme-Based Separation Method.

The uterine luminal epithelium, glandular epithelium, and stromal cells are vital for the establishment of pregnancy. Previously studies have shown various methods to isolate mouse uterine epithelium and stromal cells, including laser capture microdissection (LCM), enzyme digestion, and immunomagnetic beads. Despite the importance of the endometrial epithelium as the site of implantation and nutritional support for the conceptus, there is no isolated method to separate the luminal epithelium and glandular epithelium. Here, we establish a novel enzyme-based way to separate two types of epithelium and keep their viability. In this article, we analyzed their purity by mRNA level, immunostaining, and transcriptome analysis. Our isolation method revealed several unstudied luminal and glandular epithelial markers in transcriptome analysis. We further demonstrated the viability of the isolated epithelium by 2D and 3D cultures. The results showed that we successfully separated the endometrial luminal epithelium and glandular epithelium. We also provided an experimental model for the following study of the physiological function of the different parts of the uterus and related diseases.

Bipolar Hemicyanine-Based Photodynamic Modulation of Type I Pathway for Efficient Sterilization and Real-Time Monitoring.

The development of photosensitizers with low oxygen dependence for generating type I ROS is in high demand to be able to treat pathogenic infections in hypoxic conditions. Here, we report a series of cationic bipolar hemicyanines (C3, C6, and C10) with alkyl linkers of varying lengths that are found to exclusively produce hydroxyl radicals and superoxide radicals with the aid of white light and that have different antibacterial abilities toward a variety of pathogens. Furthermore, hemicyanines could differentiate live from dead bacteria to track the status of pathogens in real time. It is expected that hemicyanines could be applied for combatting various microbial infections in hypoxia and real-time tracking.

Dual molecular light switches for pH and DNA based on a novel Ru(II) complex. A non-intercalating Ru(II) complex for DNA molecular light switch.

A new Ru(II) complex of [Ru(phen)(2)(Hcdpq)](ClO(4))(2) {phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, Hcdpq = 2-carboxyldipyrido[3,2-f:2',3'-h]quinoxaline} was synthesized and characterized. The spectrophotometric pH and calf thymus DNA (ct-DNA) titrations showed that the complex acted as a dual molecular light switch for pH and ct-DNA with emission enhancement factors of 17 and 26, respectively. It was shown to be capable of distinguishing ct-DNA from yeast RNA with this binding selectivity being superior to two well-known DNA molecular light switches of [Ru(bpy)(2)(dppz)](2+) {bpy =2,2'-bipyridine, and dppz = dipyrido-[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine}and ethidium bromide. The complex bond to ct-DNA probably in groove mode with a binding constant of (4.67 ± 0.06) × 10(3) M(-1) in 5 mM Tris-HCl, 50 mM NaCl (pH = 7.10) buffer solution, as evidenced by UV-visible absorption and luminescence titrations, the dependence of DNA binding constants on NaCl concentrations, DNA competitive binding with ethidium bromide, and emission lifetime and viscosity measurements. To get insight into the light-switch mechanism, theoretical calculations were also performed by applying density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT.

Preparation and photocatalytic activity of an electrostatically self-assembled film made of [PMo12O40](3-) and a bipolar hemicyanine cation.

An electrostatically self-assembled film of PMo12/H6 has successfully been prepared on quartz substrates by alternating adsorption of [PMo12O40(3-) (PMo12) and a bipolar hemicyanine derivative of (E)-1,1'-(hexane-1,6-diyl)bis(4-(4-(dimethylamino)styryl)pyridinium) bromide (H6Br2). The UV-visible spectra showed that the film was uniformly deposited and the charge transfer between two film-forming components might occur in the film. The photocatalytic performance of the film was studied for the degradation of aqueous dye Methyl Red (MR) under UV irradiation. The degradation of MR follows Langmuir-Hinshelwood first-order kinetics.

Preparation and electrochemical and electrocatalytic properties of nanocomposite multilayer film based on a Keggin-type phosphomolybdate.

An electrostatically self-assembled multilayer film has successfully been prepared on quartz or indium-tin-oxide substrates by alternating adsorption of a Keggin-type phosphomolybdate H3PMo12O40 (PMo12) and 1,10-diaminodecane (1,10-DAD). The formation of (PMo12/1,10-DAD), film was investigated by ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy. The UV spectra showed that the deposition of the films was uniform and reproducible. The cyclic voltammetry on the PMo12-based multilayer film indicated that the PMo12 anions in the film undergo rapid four 2e(-)/2H+ redox processes, and electrocatalytically active towards the reduction of bromate.