Effect of ethylene production by four pathogenic fungi on the postharvest diseases of green pepper (Capsicum annuum L.).

Ethylene produced by plants generally induces ripening and promotes decay, whereas the effect of ethylene produced by pathogens on plant diseases remains unclear. In this study, four ethylene-producing fungi including Alternaria alternata (A. alternata, Aa), Fusarium verticilliodes (F. verticillioides, Fv), Fusarium fujikuroi 1 (F. fujikuroi 1, Ff-1) and Fusarium fujikuroi 2 (F. fujikuroi 2, Ff-2) were severally inoculated in potato dextrose broth (PDB) media and postharvest green peppers, the ethylene production rates, disease indexes and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were determined. The results showed that Ff-2 and Fv in the PDB media had the highest and almost the same ethylene production rates. After inoculation with green peppers, Ff-2 treated group still exhibited the highest ethylene production rate, whereas Aa treated group had a weak promotion effect on ethylene production. Moreover, the ethylene production rate of green peppers with mechanical injury was twice that without mechanical injury, and the ethylene production rates of green peppers treated with Aa, Ff-1, Ff-2 and Fv were 1.2, 2.6, 3.8 and 2.8 folds than those of green peppers without treatment, respectively. These results indicated that pathogen infection stimulated the synthesis of ethylene in green peppers. Correlation analysis indicated that the degreening of Fusarium-infected green pepper was significantly positively correlated with the ethylene production rate of green pepper, whereas the disease spot of Aa-infected green pepper had a significant positive correlations with the ethylene production rate of green peppers. Chlorophyll fluorescence results showed that the green peppers already suffered from severe disease after being infected with fungi for 4 days, and Fusarium infection caused early and serious stress, while the harm caused by A. alternata was relatively mild at the early stage. Our results clearly showed that α-keto-γ-methylthiobutyric acid (KMBA)-mediated ethylene synthesis was the major ethylene synthesis pathway in the four postharvest pathogenic fungi. All the results obtained suggested that ethylene might be the main infection factor of Fusarium spp. in green peppers. For pathogenic fungi, stimulating green peppers to produce high level of ethylene played a key role in the degreening of green peppers.

Circular RNA-AnnexinA7 accelerates cisplatin resistance in non-small cell lung cancer via modulating microRNA-545-3p to mediate Cyclin D1.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanism of circular RNA (circRNA)-AnnexinA7 (ANXA7) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cisplatin (DDP) resistance through microRNA (miR)-545-3p to target Cyclin D1 (CCND1). METHODS: DDP-resistant and non-resistant NSCLC tissues and normal tissues were collected. DDP-resistant cells (A549/DDP and H460/DDP) were constructed. circ-ANXA7, miR-545-3p, CCND1, P-Glycoprotein, and glutathione S-transferase-π in tissues and cells were measured. Analysis of circ-ANXA7 ring structure was performed, as well as detection of circ-ANXA7 distribution in cells. Cell proliferation was detected by MTT and colony formation assay, apoptosis rate was detected by flow cytometry, and cell migration and invasion were evaluated by Transwell assay. The targeting relationship between circ-ANXA7, miR-545-3p and CCND1 was verified. Measurement of tumor volume and quality in mice was performed. RESULTS: Circ-ANXA7 and CCND1 were elevated, while miR-545-3p was suppressed in DDP-resistant NSCLC tissues and cells. Circ-ANXA7 combined with miR-545-3p, which targeted CCND1 to expedite A549/DDP cell proliferation, migration, invasion, DDP resistance, but inhibited cell apoptosis. CONCLUSION: Circ-ANXA7 enhances DDP resistance in NSCLC via absorbing miR-545-3p to target CCND1 and might be a latent therapeutic target for NSCLC.

Temporal Expression of Myogenic Regulatory Genes in Different Chicken Breeds during Embryonic Development.

The basic units of skeletal muscle in all vertebrates are multinucleate myofibers, which are formed from the fusion of mononuclear myoblasts during the embryonic period. In order to understand the regulation of embryonic muscle development, we selected four chicken breeds, namely, Cornish (CN), White Plymouth Rock (WPR), White Leghorn (WL), and Beijing-You Chicken (BYC), for evaluation of their temporal expression patterns of known key regulatory genes (Myomaker, MYOD, and MSTN) during pectoral muscle (PM) and thigh muscle (TM) development. The highest expression level of Myomaker occurred from embryonic days E13 to E15 for all breeds, indicating that it was the crucial stage of myoblast fusion. Interestingly, the fast-growing CN showed the highest gene expression level of Myomaker during the crucial stage. The MYOD gene expression at D1 was much higher, implying that MYOD might have an important role after hatching. Histomorphology of PM and TM suggested that the myofibers was largely complete at E17, which was speculated to have occurred because of the expression increase in MSTN and the expression decrease in Myomaker. Our research contributes to lay a foundation for the study of myofiber development during the embryonic period in different chicken breeds.

Protective effect of mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomal treatment of hippocampal neurons against oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion-induced injury.

BACKGROUND: Individuals who survive a cardiac arrest often sustain cognitive impairments due to ischemia-reperfusion injury. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation is used to reduce tissue damage, but exosomes are more stable and highly conserved than MSCs. This study was conducted to investigate the therapeutic effects of MSC-derived exosomes (MSC-Exo) on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in an in vitro model of oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R), and to explore the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Primary hippocampal neurons obtained from 18-day Sprague-Dawley rat embryos were subjected to OGD/R treatment, with or without MSC-Exo treatment. Exosomal integration, cell viability, mitochondrial membrane potential, and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were examined. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated 2'-deoxyuridine 5'-triphosphate nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining was performed to detect neuronal apoptosis. Moreover, mitochondrial function-associated gene expression, Nrf2 translocation, and expression of downstream antioxidant proteins were determined. RESULTS: MSC-Exo attenuated OGD/R-induced neuronal apoptosis and decreased ROS generation (P<0.05). The exosomes reduced OGD/R-induced Nrf2 translocation into the nucleus (2.14±0.65 vs. 5.48±1.09, P<0.01) and increased the intracellular expression of antioxidative proteins, including superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase (17.18±0.97 vs. 14.40±0.62, and 20.65±2.23 vs. 16.44±2.05, respectively; P<0.05 for both). OGD/R significantly impaired the mitochondrial membrane potential and modulated the expression of mitochondrial function-associated genes, such as PINK, DJ1, LRRK2, Mfn-1, Mfn-2, and OPA1. The abovementioned changes were partially reversed by exosomal treatment of the hippocampal neurons. CONCLUSIONS: MSC-Exo treatment can alleviate OGD/R-induced oxidative stress and dysregulation of mitochondrial function-associated genes in hippocampal neurons. Therefore, MSC-Exo might be a potential therapeutic strategy to prevent OGD/R-induced neuronal injury.

Untargeted rapid differentiation and targeted growth tracking of fungal contamination in rice grains based on headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry.

BACKGROUND: Milled rice are prone to be contaminated with spoilage or toxigenic fungi during storage, which may pose a real threat to human health. Most traditional methods require long periods of time for enumeration and quantification. However, headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS) technology could characterize the complex volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released from samples in a non-destructive and environmentally friendly manner. Thus, this study described an innovative HS-GC-IMS strategy for analyzing VOC profiles to detect fungal contamination in milled rice. RESULTS: A total of 24 typical target compounds were identified. Analysis of variance-partial least squares regression (APLSR) showed significant correlations between the target compounds and colony counts of fungi. While the changes of selected volatile components (acetic acid, 3-hydroxy-2-butanone and oct-en-3-ol) in fungi-inoculated rice had sufficiently high positive correlations with the colony counts, the logistic model could effectively be used to monitor the growth of individual fungus (R2  = 0.902-0.980). PLSR could effectively be used to predict fungal colony counts in rice samples (R2  = 0.831-0.953), and the different fungi-inoculated rice samples at 24 h could be successfully distinguished by support vector machine (SVM) (94.6%). The ability of HS-GC-IMS to monitor fungal infection would help to prevent contaminated rice grains from entering the food chain. CONCLUSIONS: This result indicated that HS-GC-IMS three-dimensional fingerprints may be appropriate for the early detection of fungal infection in rice grains. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

A naphthimide-based ratiometric fluorescent probe for selective and visual detection of phosgene in solution and the gas phase.

As a colorless, highly toxic and widely used chemical reagent, phosgene poses a potentially serious threat to public health and environmental safety. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a simple and sensitive method for detecting phosgene. In this work, a ratiometric fluorescent probe (NED) for phosgene was developed by utilizing 4-substituted 1,8-naphthimide unit as the fluorophore and ethylenediamine as the recognition moiety. The probe NED undergoes intramolecular cyclization reaction with phosgene, resulting in a remarkable ratiometric fluorescence response. The probe NED displays high sensitivity (LOD = 4.9 nM), excellent ratiometric fluorescence signal, and high selectivity toward phosgene over other relevant analytes. In addition, paper test strip capable of visually detecting gaseous phosgene has also been fabricated.

Indole derivatives as tubulin polymerization inhibitors for the development of promising anticancer agents.

The α- and ß-tubulins are the major polypeptide components of microtubules (MTs), which are attractive targets for anticancer drug development. Indole derivatives display a variety of biological activities including antitumor activity. In recent years, a great number of indole derivatives as tubulin polymerization inhibitors have sprung up, which encourages medicinal chemists to pursue promising inhibitors with improved antitumor activities, excellent physicochemical, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. In this review, the recent progress from 2010 to present in the development of indole derivatives as tubulin polymerization inhibitors was summarized and reviewed, which would provide useful clues and inspirations for further design of outstanding tubulin polymerization inhibitors.

Targeted versus Nontargeted Green Strategies Based on Headspace-Gas Chromatography-Ion Mobility Spectrometry Combined with Chemometrics for Rapid Detection of Fungal Contamination on Wheat Kernels.

Conventional methods for detecting fungal contamination are generally time-consuming and sample-destructive, making them impossible for large-scale nondestructive detection and real-time analysis. Therefore, the potential of headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS) was examined for the rapid determination of fungal infection on wheat samples in a rapid and nondestructive manner. In addition, the validation experiment of detecting the percent A. flavus infection presented in simulated field samples was carried out. Because the dual separation of HS-GC-IMS could generate massive amounts of three-dimensional data, proper chemometric processing was required. In this study, two chemometric strategies including: (i) nontargeted spectral fingerprinting and (ii) targeted specific markers were introduced to evaluate the performances of classification and prediction models. Results showed that satisfying results for the differentiation of fungal species were obtained based on both strategies (>80%) by the genetic algorithm optimized support vector machine (GA-SVM), and better values were obtained based on the first strategy (100%). Likewise, the GA-SVM model based on the first strategy achieved the best prediction performances (R2 = 0.979-0.998) of colony counts in fungal infected samples. The results of validation experiment showed that GA-SVM models based on the first strategy could still provide satisfactory classification (86.67%) and prediction (R2 = 0.889) performances for percent A. flavus infection presented in simulated field samples at day 4. This study indicated the feasibility of HS-GC-IMS-based approaches for the early detection of fungal contamination in wheat kernels.

p53 Affects PGC1α Stability Through AKT/GSK-3ß to Enhance Cisplatin Sensitivity in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Drug resistance greatly limits the therapeutic efficacy of treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). One of the important factors is the dysfunction of tumor suppressor p53. Recent studies have suggested that p53 suppresses tumors by regulating number of mitochondrial proteins, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor coactivator (PGC1α). Although several studies have confirmed the interaction between p53 and PGC1α, the precise mechanism has not been completely determined in NSCLC. In this study, we investigated the specific signaling between p53 and PGC1α to improve anti-tumor drug effects on NSCLC. We found that low expression of p53 and high expression of PGC1α correlated with shorter survival time of NSCLC patients. In vitro experiments confirmed that NCI-H1299 (p53-null) cells had high levels of PGC1α and were insensitive to cisplatin (CDDP). When PGC1α was knocked down, the sensitivity to cisplatin was increased. Notably, the stability of PGC1α is an important mechanism in its activity regulation. We demonstrated that p53 decreased the stability of PGC1α via the ubiquitin proteasome pathway, which was mediated by protein kinase B (AKT) inhibition and glycogen synthase kinase (GSK-3ß) activation. Therefore, p53 may regulate the stability of PGC1α through the AKT/GSK-3ß pathway, thus affect the chemosensitivity of NSCLC.

Virtual Screening and Optimization of Novel mTOR Inhibitors for Radiosensitization of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Radiotherapy has an ameliorative effect on a wide variety of tumors, but hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is insensitive to this treatment. Overactivated mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) plays an important part in the resistance of HCC to radiotherapy; thus, mTOR inhibitors have potential as novel radiosensitizers to enhance the efficacy of radiotherapy for HCC. METHODS: A lead compound was found based on pharmacophore modeling and molecular docking, and optimized according to the differences between the ATP-binding pockets of mTOR and PI3K. The radiosensitizing effect of the optimized compound (2a) was confirmed by colony formation assays and DNA double-strand break assays in vitro. The discovery and preclinical characteristics of this compound are described. RESULTS: The key amino acid residues in mTOR were identified, and a precise virtual screening model was constructed. Compound 2a, with a 4,7-dihydro-[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine scaffold, exhibited promising potency against mTOR (mTOR IC50=7.1 nmol/L (nM)) with 126-fold selectivity over PI3Kα. Moreover, 2a significantly enhanced the sensitivity of HCC to radiotherapy in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: A new class of selective mTOR inhibitors was developed and their radiosensitization effects were confirmed. This study also provides a basis for developing mTOR-specific inhibitors for use as radiosensitizers for HCC radiotherapy.

Indazolyl-substituted piperidin-4-yl-aminopyrimidines as HIV-1 NNRTIs: Design, synthesis and biological activities.

A series of indazolyl-substituted piperidin-4-yl-aminopyrimidines (IPAPYs) were designed from two potent HIV-1 NNRTIs piperidin-4-yl-aminopyrimidine 3c and diaryl ether 4 as the lead compounds by molecular hybridization strategy. The target molecules 5a-q were synthesized and evaluated for their anti-HIV activities and cytotoxicities in MT-4 cells. 5a-q displayed moderate to excellent activities against wild-type (WT) HIV-1 with EC50 values ranging from 1.5 to 0.0064 µM. Among them, 5q was regarded as the most excellent compound against WT HIV-1 (EC50 = 6.4 nM, SI = 2500). And also, it displayed potent activities against K103 N (EC50 = 0.077 µM), Y181C (EC50 = 0.11 µM), E138K (EC50 = 0.057 µM), and moderate activity against double mutants RES056 (EC50 = 8.7 µM). Moreover, the structure-activity relationships (SARs) were summarized, and the molecular docking was performed to investigate the binding mode of IPAPYs and HIV-1 reverse transcriptase.

Recent progress in HIV-1 inhibitors targeting the entrance channel of HIV-1 non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor binding pocket.

Since the entrance channel was proposed as a new binding site in non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor binding pocket (NNIBP) of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) in 2012, a huge number of HIV-1 inhibitors acting on this target have sprung up, aiming to discover promising inhibitors with excellent antiviral activities, physicochemical properties, and so on. From 2012 to 2018, many noteworthy compounds have been continuously discovered. In this review, the recent progress in HIV-1 inhibitors targeting the entrance channel of HIV-1 NNIBP was summarized and reviewed, which would provide useful clues and inspiration for further design of HIV-1 inhibitors.

Isolation and identification of nucleosides/nucleotides raising testosterone and NO levels of mice serum from Chinese chive (Allium tuberosum) leaves.

Our previous study found that Chinese chive could significantly (p < 0.01) raise testosterone and nitric oxide (NO) levels in mice serum. However, the specific functional components of this traditional remedy are still unknown. In order to isolate and identify the active constituents from Chinese chive for enhancing testosterone and NO levels, the Chinese chive leaves were extracted by petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and water respectively. Results indicated that the n-butanol extract had a significant effect on NO and testosterone blood levels. Subsequently, n-butanol extract was further isolated by D101 macroporous adsorption and eluted with 50% ethanol and then isolated by Sephadex LH-20 and preparative high-performance liquid chromatography to obtain nucleosides. The fraction eluted with 70% ethanol was further isolated by RP-18 and pre-HPLC to obtain nucleotides. Four novel compounds were identified, and their effects on testosterone and NO levels of male mice were evaluated. Results showed that nucleotides, especially the adenosine in Chinese chive leaves, increased serum testosterone and NO levels in male mice, which had not been reported before. This finding might bring into perspective the treatment strategy for those doctors who treat hormone deficiencies, and might be suitable for using in functional food.

Low-Voltage Gaseous HCl Electrolysis with an Iron Redox-Mediated Cathode for Chlorine Regeneration.

Gaseous HCl as a by-product is often produced from chlorination processes using Cl2 gas. Onsite Cl2 regeneration from HCl is highly desirable as it eliminates the need to buy new Cl2 and dispose HCl waste. A gaseous HCl electrolysis with Fe3+ /Fe2+ redox-mediated cathode is demonstrated for Cl2 regeneration. HCl is oxidized to generate Cl2 and protons in the anode while Fe3+ is reduced to Fe2+ in the cathode. Simultaneously Fe3+ is regenerated by chemical oxidation of Fe2+ by oxygen (air) that also produces water. A low operational voltage and high coulombic efficiency are achieved by using a novel composite porous membrane and hydrophobic anode. Specifically, a cell voltage of only 0.64 V is needed at the typical current density of 4 kA m-2 , leading to a low energy consumption of 483 kWh per ton of Cl2 (124 kJ molCl2 -1 ) which is about 50-55 % of state-of-the-art HCl electrolysis processes.

Advances in rationally designed dual inhibitors of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase and integrase.

Reverse transcriptase (RT) and integrase (IN) are two indispensable enzymes in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication. RT is responsible for the transformation of the single-stranded RNA viral genome into double-stranded DNA, and IN catalyzes the integration of viral DNA into the host DNA. Although highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) combining nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs/NtRTIs) with nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) or protease inhibitors (PIs) could suppress successfully HIV viral load and reduce evidently the mortality of HIV infected people, it involves the difficulty of perfect adherence, and other drawbacks such as viral rebound, toxicities and multi-drug resistances. Recently, rational drug design has become a dominant technique for the development of multi-target drugs. And the rationally designed dual inhibitors of HIV-1 RT and IN have become a hot topic of anti-HIV research. In this review, the advances in rationally designed dual inhibitors of HIV-1 RT and IN were summarized, including structurally diverse inhibitors, their structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies as well as binding mode analysis.

Sanguinarine-induced apoptosis in lung adenocarcinoma cells is dependent on reactive oxygen species production and endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Sanguinarine (SAN), an alkaloid isolated from plants of the Papaveraceae family, is a compound with multiple biological activities. In the present study, we explored the anticancer properties of SAN in lung cancer using the human lung adenocarcinoma cell line SPC-A1. Our results revealed that SAN inhibited SPC-A1 cell growth and induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. We found that SAN triggered reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, while elimination of ROS by N-acetylcysteine (NAC) reversed the growth inhibition and apoptosis induced by SAN. SAN-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress resulted in the upregulation of many genes and proteins involved in the unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway, including glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), p-protein kinase R (PKR)-like ER kinase (PERK), p-eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α (eIF2α), activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein homologous protein (CHOP). Blocking ER stress with tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) markedly reduced SAN-induced inhibition of growth and apoptosis. Furthermore, TUDCA decreased SAN-induced ROS production, and NAC attenuated SAN-induced GRP78 and CHOP expression. Overall, our data indicate that the anticancer effects of SAN in lung cancer cells depend on ROS production and ER stress and that SAN may be a potential agent against lung cancer.

p62/SQSTM1 is involved in cisplatin resistance in human ovarian cancer cells via the Keap1-Nrf2-ARE system.

The mechanisms underlying cisplatin resistance in tumors are not fully understood. Previous studies have reported that cellular resistance to oxidative stress is accompanied by resistance to cisplatin. However, the relationship between the resistance to oxidative stress and cisplatin drug resistance in human ovarian cancer cells (HOCCs) is not clear. Here, we reveal a critical role for the multifunctional protein p62/SQSTM1 in cisplatin resistance in human ovarian cancer cells (HOCCs). p62/SQSTM1 (sequestosome 1) plays important roles in cell differentiation, proliferation and as an antiapoptotic molecule. We found that cisplatin-resistant SKOV3/DDP cells express much higher levels of p62 than do cisplatin-sensitive SKOV3 cells. The protein p62 can activate the Keap1-Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway and induce the expression of antioxidant genes in SKOV3/DDP cells. Knockdown of p62 resensitizes SKOV3/DDP cells to cisplatin. Collectively, our data indicate that cisplatin resistance in HOCCs is partially attributable to their high expression of p62, which plays an important role in preventing ROS stress-induced apoptosis by regulating the Keap1-Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway.

Alkyl caffeates improve the antioxidant activity, antitumor property and oxidation stability of edible oil.

Caffeic acid (CA) is distributed widely in nature and possesses strong antioxidant activity. However, CA has lower solubility in non-polar media, which limits its application in fat-soluble food. To increase the lipophilicity of natural antioxidant CA, a series of alkyl caffeates were synthesized and their antioxidant and antitumor activities were investigated. The antioxidant parameters, including the induction period, acid value and unsaturated fatty acid content, of the alkyl caffeates in edible oil were firstly investigated. The results indicated that alkyl caffeates had a lower DPPH IC50 (14-23 µM) compared to CA, dibutyl hydroxy toluene (BHT) and Vitamin C (24-51 µM), and significantly inhibited four human cancer cells (SW620, SW480, SGC7901 and HepG2) with inhibition ratio of 71.4-78.0% by a MTT assay. With regard to the induction period and acid value assays, methyl and butyl caffeates had higher abilities than BHT to restrain the oxidation process and improve the stability of edible oil. The addition of ethyl caffeate to oil allowed maintenance of a higher unsaturated fatty acid methyl ester content (68.53%) at high temperatures. Overall, the alkyl caffeats with short chain length (n<5) assessed better oxidative stability than those with long chain length. To date, this is the first report to the correlations among the antioxidant activity, anticancer activity and oxidative stability of alkyl caffeates.

Efficient water oxidation using nanostructured α-nickel-hydroxide as an electrocatalyst.

Electrochemical water splitting is a clean technology that can store the intermittent renewable wind and solar energy in H2 fuels. However, large-scale H2 production is greatly hindered by the sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER) kinetics at the anode of a water electrolyzer. Although many OER electrocatalysts have been developed to negotiate this difficult reaction, substantial progresses in the design of cheap, robust, and efficient catalysts are still required and have been considered a huge challenge. Herein, we report the simple synthesis and use of α-Ni(OH)2 nanocrystals as a remarkably active and stable OER catalyst in alkaline media. We found the highly nanostructured α-Ni(OH)2 catalyst afforded a current density of 10 mA cm(-2) at a small overpotential of a mere 0.331 V and a small Tafel slope of ~42 mV/decade, comparing favorably with the state-of-the-art RuO2 catalyst. This α-Ni(OH)2 catalyst also presents outstanding durability under harsh OER cycling conditions, and its stability is much better than that of RuO2. Additionally, by comparing the performance of α-Ni(OH)2 with two kinds of ß-Ni(OH)2, all synthesized in the same system, we experimentally demonstrate that α-Ni(OH)2 effects more efficient OER catalysis. These results suggest the possibility for the development of effective and robust OER electrocatalysts by using cheap and easily prepared α-Ni(OH)2 to replace the expensive commercial catalysts such as RuO2 or IrO2.