Precise and Programmable Detection of Mutations Using Ultraspecific Riboregulators.

The ability to identify single-nucleotide mutations is critical for probing cell biology and for precise detection of disease. However, the small differences in hybridization energy provided by single-base changes makes identification of these mutations challenging in living cells and complex reaction environments. Here, we report a class of de novo-designed prokaryotic riboregulators that provide ultraspecific RNA detection capabilities in vivo and in cell-free transcription-translation reactions. These single-nucleotide-specific programmable riboregulators (SNIPRs) provide over 100-fold differences in gene expression in response to target RNAs differing by a single nucleotide in E. coli and resolve single epitranscriptomic marks in vitro. By exploiting the programmable SNIPR design, we implement an automated design algorithm to develop riboregulators for a range of mutations associated with cancer, drug resistance, and genetic disorders. Integrating SNIPRs with portable paper-based cell-free reactions enables convenient isothermal detection of cancer-associated mutations from clinical samples and identification of Zika strains through unambiguous colorimetric reactions.

Foxl2 is required for the initiation of the female pathway in a temperature-dependent sex determination system in Trachemys scripta.

KDM6B-mediated epigenetic modification of the testicular regulator Dmrt1 has previously been identified as the primary switch of the male pathway in a temperature-dependent sex-determination (TSD) system; however, the molecular network of the female pathway has not yet been established. Here, we have functionally characterized for the first time an upstream regulator of the female pathway, the forkhead transcription factor FOXL2, in Trachemys scripta, a turtle species with a TSD system. FOXL2 exhibited temperature-dependent female-specific expression patterns before the onset of gonadal differentiation and was preferentially localized in ovarian somatic cells. Foxl2 responded rapidly to temperature shifts and estrogen. Importantly, forced expression of Foxl2 at the male-producing temperature led to male-to-female sex reversal, as evidenced by the formation of an ovary-like structure, and upregulation of the ovarian regulators Cyp19a1 and R-spondin1. Additionally, knockdown of Foxl2 caused masculinization at the female-producing temperature, which was confirmed by loss of the female phenotype, development of seminiferous tubules, and elevated expression of Dmrt1 and Sox9. Collectively, we demonstrate that Foxl2 expression is necessary and sufficient to drive ovarian determination in T. scripta, suggesting a crucial role of Foxl2 in female sex determination in the TSD system.

Evidence for RA-dependent meiosis onset in a turtle embryo.

Meiotic entry is one of the earliest sex determination events of the germ cell in higher vertebrates. Although advances in meiosis onset have been achieved in mammals, birds and fish, how this process functions in reptiles is largely unknown. In this study, we present the molecular analysis of meiosis onset and the role of retinoic acid (RA) in this process in the red-eared slider turtle. Our results using Stra8 as a pre-meiosis indicator show that in the female embryonic gonad, meiosis commitment starts around stage 19. Additionally, signals of the meiosis marker Sycp3 could be detected at stage 19 and become highly expressed by stage 23. No expression of these genes was detected in male embryonic gonads, suggesting the entry into meiosis prophase I was restricted to female embryonic germ cells. Notably, RA activity in fetal gonads is likely to be elevated in females than that in males, as evidenced by the higher expression of RA synthase Aldh1a1 and lower expression of RA-degrading enzyme Cyp26a1 in female gonads prior to meiotic entry. In addition, exogenous RA treatment induced the expression of Stra8 and Sycp3 in both sexes, whether in vivo or in vitro. Together, these results indicate that high levels of RA in the embryonic female gonads can lead to the initiation of meiosis in the turtle.

Predictable control of RNA lifetime using engineered degradation-tuning RNAs.

The ability to tune RNA and gene expression dynamics is greatly needed for biotechnological applications. Native RNA stabilizers or engineered 5' stability hairpins have been used to regulate transcript half-life to control recombinant protein expression. However, these methods have been mostly ad hoc and hence lack predictability and modularity. Here, we report a library of RNA modules called degradation-tuning RNAs (dtRNAs) that can increase or decrease transcript stability in vivo and in vitro. dtRNAs enable modulation of transcript stability over a 40-fold dynamic range in Escherichia coli with minimal influence on translation initiation. We harness dtRNAs in messenger RNAs and noncoding RNAs to tune gene circuit dynamics and enhance CRISPR interference in vivo. Use of stabilizing dtRNAs in cell-free transcription-translation reactions also tunes gene and RNA aptamer production. Finally, we combine dtRNAs with toehold switch sensors to enhance the performance of paper-based norovirus diagnostics, illustrating the potential of dtRNAs for biotechnological applications.

Sulfurovum mangrovi sp. nov., an obligately chemolithoautotrophic, hydrogen-oxidizing bacterium isolated from coastal marine sediments.

A novel mesophilic, chemolithoautotrophic, hydrogen-oxidizing bacterium, designated strain ST1-3T, was isolated from mud sediment samples collected from mangroves in Jiulong River estuary. The cells were Gram-stain-negative, non-motile and rod-shaped. The temperature, pH and salinity ranges for growth of strain ST1-3T were 4-45 °C (optimum, 35 °C), pH 5.0-8.5 (optimum, pH 7.0) and 0-8.0 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 4.0 %). The isolate was an obligate chemolithoautotroph capable of growth using hydrogen as the only energy source, and molecular oxygen, thiosulphate and elemental sulphur as electron acceptors. The major cellular fatty acids of strain ST1-3T were summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω7c and/or C16 : 1 ω6c), C16 : 0 and summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω7c). The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidyldimethyl ethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol. The respiratory quinone was menaquinone-6. The genomic DNA G+C content was 43.6 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and core genes showed that the novel isolate belonged to the genus Sulfurovum and was most closely related to Sulfurovum lithotrophicum 42BKTT (94.7 % sequence identity). The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between ST1-3T and S. lithotrophicum 42BKTT were 74.6 and 16.3 %, respectively. On the basis of the phenotypic, phylogenetic and genomic data presented here, strain ST1-3T represents a novel species of the genus Sulfurovum, for which the name Sulfurovum mangrovi sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain ST1-3T (=MCCC M25234T=KCTC 25639T).

Synthesis and evaluation of 2-(4-[4-acetylpiperazine-1-carbonyl] phenyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazole-4-carboxamide derivatives as potential PARP-1 inhibitors and preliminary study on structure-activity relationship.

Although 1H-benzo[d]imidazole-4-carboxamide derivatives have been explored for a long time, the structure-activity relationship of the substituents in the hydrophobic pocket (AD binding sites) has not thoroughly discovered. Here in, a series of 2-(4-[4-acetylpiperazine-1-carbonyl]phenyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazole-4-carboxamide derivatives have been designed, synthesized, and successful characterization as novel and effective poly ADP-ribose polymerases (PARP)-1 inhibitors to improve the structure-activity relationships about the substituents in the hydrophobic pocket. These derivatives were evaluated for their PARP-1 inhibitory activity and cellular inhibitory against BRCA-1 deficient cells (MDA-MB-436) and wild cells (MCF-7) using PARP kit assay and MTT method. The results indicated that compared with other heterocyclic compounds, furan ring-substituted derivatives 14n-14q showed better PARP-1 inhibitory activity. Among this derivatives, compound 14p displayed the strongest inhibitory effects on PARP-1 enzyme (IC50  = 0.023 µM), which was close to that of Olaparib. 14p (IC50  = 43.56 ± 0.69 µM) and 14q (IC50  = 36.69 ± 0.83 µM) displayed good antiproliferation activity on MDA-MB-436 cells and inactivity on MCF-7 cells, indicating that 14p and 14q have high selectivity and targeting. The molecular docking method was used to explore the binding mode of compound 14p and PARP-1, and implied that the formation of hydrogen bond was essential for PARP-1 inhibition activities. This study also showed that in the hydrophobic pocket (AD binding sites), the introduction of strong electronegative groups (furan ring, e.g.) or halogen atoms in the side chain of benzimidazole might improve its inhibitory activity and this strategy could be applied in further research.

Cigarette smoke extract increases mitochondrial membrane permeability through activation of adenine nucleotide translocator (ANT) in lung epithelial cells.

Cigarette smoke is one of major risk factors in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is generally believed that cigarette smoke induces mitochondrial damage in the alveolar epithelial cells to contribute to COPD. However, the exact molecular mechanism remains unknown for the mitochondrial damage. In this study, cigarette smoke extract (CSE) was found to induce the mitochondrial membrane permeability (MMP), which promoted proton leakage leading to the reduction in mitochondrial potential and ATP production. ANT in the mitochondrial inner membrane was activated by CSE for the alteration of MMP. The activation was observed without an alteration in the protein level of ANT. Inhibition of the ANT activity with ADP or bongkrekic acid prevented the MMP alteration and potential drop upon CSE exposure. The ANT activation was observed with a rise in ROS production, inhibition of the mitochondrial respiration, decrease in the complex III protein and rise in mitophagy activity. The results suggest that ANT may mediate the toxic effect of cigarette smoke on mitochondria and control of ANT activity is a potential strategy in intervention of the toxicity.

Enhanced stability of a rumen-derived xylanase using SpyTag/SpyCatcher cyclization.

Microbiota from herbivore rumen is of great interest for mining glycoside hydrolases for lignocellulosic biomass biorefinement. We previously isolated a highly active but poorly thermostable xylanase (LXY) from a rumen fluid fosmid library of Hu sheep, a local high-reproductive species in China. In this study, we used a universal enzyme-engineering strategy called SpyTag/SpyCatcher molecular cyclization to improve LXY stability via isopeptide-bond-mediated ligation. Both linear and cyclized LXY (L- and C-LXY, respectively) shared similar patterns of optimal pH and temperature, pH stability, and kinetic constants (km and Vmax). However, the C-LXY showed enhanced thermostability, ion stability, and resilience to aggregation and freeze-thaw treatment than L-LXY, without compromise of its catalytic efficiency. Circular dichroism and intrinsic and 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid-binding fluorescence analysis indicated that the cyclized enzyme was more capable of maintaining its secondary and tertiary structures than the linear enzyme. Taken together, these results promote the cyclized enzyme for potential applications in the feed, food, paper pulp, and bioenergy industries.

Ring finger protein 145 (RNF145) is a ubiquitin ligase for sterol-induced degradation of HMG-CoA reductase.

Cholesterol biosynthesis is tightly regulated in the cell. For example, high sterol concentrations can stimulate degradation of the rate-limiting cholesterol biosynthetic enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoA reductase, HMGCR). HMGCR is broken down by the endoplasmic reticulum membrane-associated protein complexes consisting of insulin-induced genes (Insigs) and the E3 ubiquitin ligase gp78. Here we found that HMGCR degradation is partially blunted in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells lacking gp78 (gp78-KO). To identify other ubiquitin ligase(s) that may function together with gp78 in triggering HMGCR degradation, we performed a small-scale short hairpin RNA-based screening targeting endoplasmic reticulum-localized E3s. We found that knockdown of both ring finger protein 145 (Rnf145) and gp78 genes abrogates sterol-induced degradation of HMGCR in CHO cells. We also observed that RNF145 interacts with Insig-1 and -2 proteins and ubiquitinates HMGCR. Moreover, the tetrapeptide sequence YLYF in the sterol-sensing domain and the Cys-537 residue in the RING finger domain were essential for RNF145 binding to Insigs and RNF145 E3 activity, respectively. Of note, amino acid substitutions in the YLYF or of Cys-537 completely abolished RNF145-mediated HMGCR degradation. In summary, our study reveals that RNF145, along with gp78, promotes HMGCR degradation in response to elevated sterol levels and identifies residues essential for RNF145 function.

Downregulation of Sfrp5 in insulin resistant rats promotes macrophage-mediated pulmonary inflammation through activation of Wnt5a/JNK1 signaling.

BACKGROUND: Insulin resistance (IR), a common co-morbidity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), aggravates airway inflammation in COPD patients, but its mechanism is unclear. Sfrp5, a novel anti-inflammatory adipocytokine, inhibits macrophage-mediated inflammation of adipose tissue and abrogates IR. However, few studies have been conducted on the regulatory role of Sfrp5 in lung inflammation. METHODS: In the present study, 30 SD rats were divided into two groups: the normal food (NF) group and the high-fat diet (HFD) group. Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and insulin release test were performed to assess whether a successful IR rat model was established. The expression of Sfrp5 and key downstream moleculars of Wnt5a/JNKl signaling was detected. Lung tissue pathomorphology and macrophage activation were observed. In addition, we counted the number of inflammatory cells and measured inflammatory cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). In vitro, rat lung macrophages were isolated and treated with Wnt5a, Sfrp5, and/or JNK inhibitor SP600125. JNK activity and inflammatory cytokines expression were examined. RESULTS: We found that in a rat model of IR, Sfrp5 expression of lung tissue was downregulated, while the Wnt5a/JNKl pathway was activated and the lung inflammatory response was enhanced. Meanwhile, Sfrp5 significantly suppressed Wnt5a/JNKl-induced macrophage activation. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, IR reduces Sfrp5 expression of lung tissue and activates the Wnt5a/JNK1 pathway, promoting macrophage activation and contributing to the lung's inflammatory response. In contrast, Sfrp5 suppresses the inflammatory response by inhibiting the Wnt5a/JNKl pathway, which could be a target of treatment of COPD.

Signature-tagged mutagenesis screening revealed a novel smooth-to-rough transition determinant of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis.

BACKGROUND: Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) has emerged as one of the most important food-borne pathogens for humans. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), as a component of the outer membrane, is responsible for the virulence and smooth-to-rough transition in S. Enteritidis. In this study, we screened S. Enteritidis signature-tagged transposon mutant library using monoclonal antibody against somatic O9 antigen (O9 MAb) and O9 factor rabbit antiserum to identify novel genes that are involved in smooth-to-rough transition. RESULTS: A total of 480 mutants were screened and one mutant with transposon insertion in rfbG gene had smooth-to-rough transition phenotype. In order to verify the role of rfbG gene, an rfbG insertion or deletion mutant was constructed using λ-Red recombination system. Phenotypic and biological analysis revealed that rfbG insertion or deletion mutants were similar to the wild-type strain in growth rate and biochemical properties, but the swimming motility was reduced. SE Slide Agglutination test and ELISA test showed that rfbG mutants do not stimulate animals to produce agglutinating antibody. In addition, the half-lethal dose (LD50) of the rfbG deletion mutant strain was 106.6 -fold higher than that of the parent strain in a mouse model when injected intraperitoneally. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that the rfbG gene is involved in smooth-to-rough transition, swimming motility and virulence of S. Enteritidis. Furthermore, somatic O-antigen antibody-based approach to screen signature-tagged transposon mutants is feasible to clarify LPS biosynthesis and to find suitable markers in DIVA-vaccine research.

Engineering an iterative polyketide pathway in Escherichia coli results in single-form alkene and alkane overproduction.

Alkanes and alkenes are ideal biofuels, due to their high energy content and ability to be safely transported. To date, fatty acid-derived pathways for alkane and alkene bioproduction have been thoroughly explored. In this study, we engineered the pathway of the iterative Type I polyketide synthase (PKS) SgcE with the cognate thioesterase (TE) SgcE10 in Escherichia coli, with the goal of overproducing pentadecaheptaene (PDH) followed by its hydrogenation to pentadecane (PD). Based on initial in vitro titration assays, we learned that PDH production is strongly dependent on the SgcE10:SgcE ratio. Thus, we engineered a high-yield E. coli strain by fine-tuning SgcE10 expression via synthetic promoters. We analyzed engineered E. coli strains using a modified multiple reactions monitoring mass spectrometry (MRM-MS)-based targeted proteomic approach, using a chimeric SgcE10 and SgcE fusion construct to gain insight into expression levels of the two proteins. Lastly, through fed-batch fermentation followed by flow chemical hydrogenation, we obtained a PD yield of nearly 140mg/L in single-alkane form. Thus, we not only employed a metabolic engineering approach to the iterative polyketide pathway, we highlighted the potential of PKS shunt products to play a role in the production of single-form and high-value chemicals.

Astragaloside IV Reduces Lung Epithelial Cell Pyroptosis via TXNIP-NLRP3-GSDMD pathway.

This study aimed to investigate the detrimental impact of cigarettes on lung cells and the potential effects of astragaloside IV on lung epithelial cell oxidative stress and pyroptosis. The research utilized cigarette smoke extract (CSE) to stimulate lung epithelial cells BEAS-2B, assessed cytotoxicity using the CCK-8 method, and measured changes in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial membrane potential with a probe method. Additionally, Seahorse XF24 was employed to analyze the impact of CSE on mitochondria in lung epithelial cells. Furthermore, LPS and cigarette combination-treated mice were created, alveolar damage was evaluated using HE staining, and changes in the key protein GSDMD of pyroptosis were detected using western blot (WB). The study also utilized the CCK-8 method to assess the potential toxic effects of astragaloside IV on lung epithelial cells, and the probe method to monitor changes in ROS and mitochondrial membrane potential. WB analysis was conducted to observe protein alterations in the TXNIP/NLRP3/GSDMD pathway. CSE concentration-dependently reduced cell activity, increased cellular ROS levels, and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential. CSE also decreases basal respiratory capacity, respiratory reserve capacity, and ATP production levels in cells. In LPS and cigarette combination-treated mice, cigarette smoke caused the alveolar septum to break and alveoli to enlarge, while increasing the expression of pyroptosis-related protein GSDMD. Astragaloside IV did not show significant cytotoxic effects within 48 h of treatment and could reduce CSE-induced ROS levels while increasing mitochondrial membrane potential. WB results indicated that astragaloside IV reduced the activation of the TXNIP/NLRP3/GSDMD signaling pathway in lung epithelial cells exposed to CSE. Our study demonstrates that CSE induces oxidative stress and impairs mitochondrial function in pulmonary epithelial cells, while astragaloside IV can potentially reverse these effects by inhibiting the TXNIP-NLRP3-GSDMD signaling pathway, thereby mitigating CSE-induced pulmonary disease and epithelial cell pyroptosis.

Comprehensive Identification of the ß-Amylase (BAM) Gene Family in Response to Cold Stress in White Clover.

White clover (Trifolium repens L.) is an allopolyploid plant and an excellent perennial legume forage. However, white clover is subjected to various stresses during its growth, with cold stress being one of the major limiting factors affecting its growth and development. Beta-amylase (BAM) is an important starch-hydrolyzing enzyme that plays a significant role in starch degradation and responses to environmental stress. In this study, 21 members of the BAM gene family were identified in the white clover genome. A phylogenetic analysis using BAMs from Arabidopsis divided TrBAMs into four groups based on sequence similarity. Through analysis of conserved motifs, gene duplication, synteny analysis, and cis-acting elements, a deeper understanding of the structure and evolution of TrBAMs in white clover was gained. Additionally, a gene regulatory network (GRN) containing TrBAMs was constructed; gene ontology (GO) annotation analysis revealed close interactions between TrBAMs and AMY (α-amylase) and DPE (4-alpha-glucanotransferase). To determine the function of TrBAMs under various tissues and stresses, RNA-seq datasets were analyzed, showing that most TrBAMs were significantly upregulated in response to biotic and abiotic stresses and the highest expression in leaves. These results were validated through qRT-PCR experiments, indicating their involvement in multiple gene regulatory pathways responding to cold stress. This study provides new insights into the structure, evolution, and function of the white clover BAM gene family, laying the foundation for further exploration of the functional mechanisms through which TrBAMs respond to cold stress.

Research Progress and Prospect of Nitrogen-containing Heterocycle in Anti-gastric Cancer Drugs: A Review.

Gastric cancer was the fifth most common cancer, and its drug treatment mainly included chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. With the rise of immunotherapy in gastric cancer, small-molecule anti-gastric cancer drugs still have irreplaceable places because of many advantages, such as high stability and mass-productivity, high efficiency, and low cost. At present, the small-molecule anti-gastric cancer drugs in the clinic are constrained by their side effects. So, developing more novel anti-gastric cancer drugs with better efficacy and fewer side effects is urgently needed. Nitrogen-containing heterocycle molecules have attracted much attention from researchers due to their high biocompatibility, activity, and bioavailability, and they even could act with a unique mechanism. This review summarized various types of nitrogen-containing heterocycle antigastric cancer lead compounds from 2017 to 2022 in the last five years. Compared with monocyclic nitrogen-containing heterocycle and bicyclic nitrogen-containing heterocycle, the thick nitrogen-containing heterocycle applied as the skeleton not only showed high efficiency and low toxicity but also, interestingly, may have had some unique mechanism such as inhibition of aurora A and B kinases, etc. We propose two prospective and valuable strategies to develop more efficient candidates for anti-gastric cancer. One strategy was further optimized for some lead compounds mentioned in this review. The other strategy involved utilizing the "pseudo-natural products" concept proposed by Professor Wilhelm Waldmann, combining different nitrogen-containing heterocycle fragments in two and three-dimensional spaces to obtain new thick nitrogen-containing heterocycle skeletons. The strategy will contribute to the expansion of the thick nitrogenous heterocycle's framework, and it was expected that more novel mechanisms and more effective antigastric drugs could be found. These two strategies are expected to help researchers develop more anti-gastric cancer drugs with better potency and lower side effects.

Application and challenges of nitrogen heterocycles in PROTAC linker.

The absence of effective active pockets makes traditional molecularly targeted drug strategies ineffective against 80 % of human disease-related proteins. The PROTAC technology effectively makes up for the deficiency of traditional molecular targeted drugs, which produces drug activity by degrading rather than inhibiting the target protein. The degradation of PROTAC is not only affected by POI ligand and E3 ligand, but by the selection of suitable linker which can play an important role in the efficiency and selectivity of the degradation. In the early exploring stage of the PROTAC, flexible chains were priorly applied as the linker of PROTAC. Although PROTAC with flexible chains as linkers sometimes perform well in vitro bioactivity evaluations, the introduction of lipophilic flexible chains reduces the hydrophilicity of these molecules, resulting in generally poor pharmacokinetic characteristics and pharmacological activities in vivo. In addition, recent reports have also shown that some PROTAC with flexible chains have some risks to causing hemolysis in vivo. Therefore, PROTAC with flexible chains show less druggability and large difficulty to entering the clinical trial stage. On the other hand, the application of nitrogen heterocycles in the design of PROTAC linkers has been widely reported in recent years. More and more reports have shown that the introduction of nitrogen heterocycles in the linker not only can effectively improves the metabolism of PROTAC in vivo, but also can enhance the degradation efficiency and selectivity of PROTAC. These PROTAC with nitrogen heterocycle linkers have attracted much attention of pharmaceutical chemists. The introduction of nitrogen heterocycles in the linker deserves priority consideration in the primary design of the PROTAC based on various druggabilities including pharmacokinetic characteristics and pharmacological activity. In this work, we summarized the optimization process and progress of nitrogen heterocyclic rings as the PROTAC linker in recent years. However, there were still limited understanding of how to discover, design and optimize PROTAC. For example, the selection of the types of nitrogen heterocycles and the optimization sites of this linker are challenges for researchers, choosing between four to six-membered nitrogen heterocycles, selecting from saturated to unsaturated ones, and even optimizing the length and extension angle of the linker. There is a truly need for theoretical explanation and elucidation of the PROTAC to guide the developing of more effective and valuable PROTAC.

Air disinfection by nanosecond pulsed DBD plasma.

Atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma is an emerging and promising technique for air disinfection in public environments. Power supply is a crucial factor but it remains unclear about its impacts on the air disinfection performance of plasmas. In this work, a nanosecond (ns) pulsed power supply was applied to drive an in-duct grating-like DBD array to achieve fast single-pass air disinfection. The influence of pulse parameters and environmental factors on both the discharge characteristics and the single-pass bacterial inactivation efficiency were uncovered. At a close relative humidity (RH) level, the efficiency was dominated by the discharge power, namely, specific input energy could serve as the disinfection dose. A higher frequency, shorter pulse rising time, and suitable pulse width are preferred to obtain a higher Z value. The pulsed source was not notably superior to an alternating current source, or even worse at a low voltage frequency at the same discharge power. Airflow humidity was a predominant factor to improve the efficiency and a single-pass efficiency of ∼ 99% and a Z value of 2.2 L/J were achieved under an optimal RH of 50%-60%. This work provides fundamental knowledge of ns-pulsed DBD on discharge characteristics and air disinfection behaviors.

High affinity and low PARP-trapping benzimidazole derivatives as a potential warhead for PARP1 degraders.

PARPi have been explored and applied in the treatment of various cancers with remarkable efficacy, especially BRCA1/2 mutated ovarian, breast, prostate, and pancreatic cancers. However, PARPi renders inevitable drug resistance and showed high toxicity because of PARP-Trapping with long-term clinic tracking. To overcome the drug resistance and the high toxicity of PARPi, many novel methods have been developed including PROTACs. Being an event-driven technology, PROTACs needs a high affinity, low toxicity warhead with no steric hindrance in binding process. Veliparib shows the lowest PARP-Trapping effect but could hardly to be the warhead of PROTACs because of the strong steric hindrance. Other PARP1 inhibitors showed less steric hindrance but owns high PARP-Trapping effect. Thus, the development of novel warhead with high PARP1 affinity, low PARP1-Trapping, and no steric hindrance would be valuable. In this work, we reserved benzimidazole as the motif to reserve the low PARP1-Trapping effect and substituted the pyrrole by aromatic ring to avoiding the steric hindrance in PARP1 binding cave. Thus, a series of benzimidazole derivates were designed and synthesized, and some biological activities in vitro were evaluated including the inhibition for PARP1 enzyme and the PARP-Trapping effect using MDA-MB-436 cell line. Results showed that the compound 19A10 has higher PARP1 affinity(IC50 = 4.62 nM)) and similar low PARP-Trapping effect compared with Veliparib(IC50 (MDA-MB-436) >100 µM). Docking study showed that the compound 19A10 could avoiding the steric hindrance which was much better than Veliparib. So, the compound 19A10 could potentially be a perfect warhead for PARP1 degraders. Besides, because of the depletion of the PARP1 and the decreasing of the binding capability, we suppose that the PROTACs using 19A10 as the warhead would be no-PARP-Trapping effect. Furthermore, QSAR study showed that to develop novel compounds with high PARP1 binding affinity and low PARP-Trapping, we can choose the skeleton with substituent R1H, R2 = piperiazine, and R3 with large tPSA. And, if we want to develop the compounds with high PARP1 binding affinity and high PARP-Trapping which can possibly improve the lethality against tumor cells, we can choose the skeleton with substituent R1F, R2 = 3-methy-piperiazine, and R3 with large tPSA.