Reactivation of methylation-silenced PAX1 inhibits cervical cancer proliferation and migration via the WNT/TIMELESS pathway.

Although aberrant methylation of PAX1 is closely associated with cervical cancer (CC), PAX1 methylation (PAX1m) and its role in CC remain to be elucidated. Here, we clarified the biological function of PAX1 in CC. First, PAX1m in ThinPrep cytologic test samples was measured via quantitative methylation-specific PCR. The results showed that PAX1 promoter methylation levels were significantly increased in CC patients (p < 0.001). We also found that PAX1 promoter methylation levels were positively correlated with tumor purity but negatively correlated with immune-infiltration via public databases. Then, CRISPR-based methylation perturbation tools (dCas9-Tet1) were constructed to further demonstrate that DNA methylation participates in the regulation of PAX1 expression directly. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments were used to show that PAX1 overexpression restrained proliferation, migration and improved cisplatin sensitivity by interfering with the WNT/TIMELESS axis in CC cells. Additionally, Co-immunoprecipitation assays further confirmed the interaction between PAX1 and TCF7L2. Taken together, our results suggested that a tumor suppressor role of PAX1 in CC and that CRISPR-based PAX1 demethylation editing might be a promising therapeutic strategy for CC.

Graphene oxide-enhanced colorimetric detection of Mec A gene based on toehold-mediated strand displacement.

Mec A, as a representative gene mediating resistance to ß-lactam antibiotics in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), allows a new genetic analysis for the detection of MRSA. Here, a sensitive, prompt, and visual colorimetry is reported to detect the Mec A gene based on toehold-mediated strand displacement (TMSD) and the enrichment effect of graphene oxide (GO). The Mec A triggers to generate the profuse amount of signal units of single-stranded DNA (SG) composed of a long single-stranded base tail and a base head: the tail can be adsorbed and enriched on the surface of GO; the head can form a G quadruplex structure to exert catalytic function towards 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid). Therefore, through the enrichment effect of GO, the signal units SG reflects different degrees of signal amplification on different substrates (such as aqueous solution or filter membrane). This strategy demonstrates a broad linear working range from 100 pM to 1.5 nM (solution) and 1 pM to 1 nM (filter membrane), with a low detection limit of 39.53 pM (solution) and 333 fM (filter membrane). Analytical performance in real samples suggests that this developed colorimetry is endowed with immense potential for clinical detection applications.

Amino modified magnetic halloysite nanotube supporting chloroperoxidase immobilization: enhanced stability, reusability, and efficient degradation of pesticide residue in wastewater.

Halloysite nanotube (HNT) is a natural bio-compatible and stable nanomaterial available in abundance at low-cost. In this work, HNT was modified by two strategies to make it suitable for supporting immobilization of chloroperoxidase (CPO). Firstly, Fe3O4 nanoparticles were deposited on HNT, so magnetic separation can be used instead of centrifugation. Then, the magnetic HNT was modified by 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES), which can provide amine group on surface of HNT and meanwhile inhibit the agglomeration of magnetic HNT. Then, HNT-Fe3O4 -APTES was linked with branched polyethyleneimine (PEI) to provide more amino for binding with enzyme. The so-prepared CPO@HNT-Fe3O4-APTES-PEI showed enhanced enzyme loading, reusability, improved thermal stability and tolerance to organic solvents than free CPO. For example, after 10 repeated uses, CPO@HNT- Fe3O4-APTES-PEI can maintain 92.20% of its original activity compared with 65.12% of activity of CPO@HNT-APTES-PEI and 45.69% of activity of CPO@HNT. The kinetic parameters indicated the affinity and specificity of immobilized enzyme to substrate was increased. CPO@HNT-Fe3O4-APTES-PEI was very efficient when it was applied in the degradation of pesticides mesotrione in wastewater. The degradation efficiency can reach 90% within 20 min at range of 5-40 µmol·L-1. These results ensure the potential practical application of this bio-materials in wastewater treatment.

Mitochondrial dysfunction and NDUFS3: Insights from a PINK1B9 Drosophila model in Parkinson's disease pathogenesis.

PTEN-induced kinase1 (PINK1) mutation is the main cause of autosomal recessive inheritance and early-onset Parkinson's disease. Mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I (CI) functional impairment has been considered to be an important factor in the pathogenesis of PD in recent years. In addition, NDUFS3 (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide deoxylase iron-thionein 3) is one of the core subunits of mitochondrial CI. Therefore, this study explored the role of NDUFS3 gene in PINK1B9 transgenic Drosophila and its possible related mechanisms. In this study, the PD transgenic Drosophila model of MHC-Gal4/UAS system was selected to specifically activate the expression of PINK1B9 gene in the chest muscle tissue of Drosophila melanogaster. NDUFS3 RNAi interference was used to interfere with PINK1B9 transgenic Drosophila melanogaster and its effect on PD transgenic flies was studied. The results suggest that down-regulation of NDUFS3 gene expression may have a protective effect on PINK1B9 transgenic Drosophila melanogaster, and we speculate that down-regulation of NDUFS3 gene expression to reduce oxidative stress and restore mitochondrial function may be related to mitochondrial stress response.

A novel pathogenic species of genus Stenotrophomonas: Stenotrophomonas pigmentata sp. nov.

Introduction: Stenotrophomonas is a prominent genus owing to its dual nature. Species of this genus have many applications in industry and agriculture as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria and microbial biological control agents, whereas species such as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia are considered one of the leading gram-negative multi-drug-resistant bacterial pathogens because of their high contribution to the increase in crude mortality and significant clinical challenge. Pathogenic Stenotrophomonas species and most clinical isolates belong to the Stenotrophomonas maltophilia complex (SMc). However, a strain highly homologous to S. terrae was isolated from a patient with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), which aroused our interest, as S. terrae belongs to a relatively distant clade from SMc and there have been no human association reports. Methods: The pathogenicity, immunological and biochemical characteristics of 610A2T were systematically evaluated. Results: 610A2T is a new species of genus Stenotrophomonas, which is named as Stenotrophomonas pigmentata sp. nov. for its obvious brown water-soluble pigment. 610A2T is pathogenic and caused significant weight loss, pulmonary congestion, and blood transmission in mice because it has multiple virulence factors, haemolysis, and strong biofilm formation abilities. In addition, the cytokine response induced by this strain was similar to that observed in patients with TB, and the strain was resistant to half of the anti-TB drugs. Conclusions: The pathogenicity of 610A2T may not be weaker than that of S. maltophilia. Its isolation extended the opportunistic pathogenic species to all 3 major clades of the genus Stenotrophomonas, indicating that the clinical importance of species of Stenotrophomonas other than S. maltophilia and potential risks to biological safety associated with the use of Stenotrophomonas require more attention.

Zinc-indium-sulfide favors efficient C - H bond activation by concerted proton-coupled electron transfer.

C - H bond activation is a ubiquitous reaction that remains a major challenge in chemistry. Although semiconductor-based photocatalysis is promising, the C - H bond activation mechanism remains elusive. Herein, we report value-added coupling products from a wide variety of biomass and fossil-derived reagents, formed via C - H bond activation over zinc-indium-sulfides (Zn-In-S). Contrary to the commonly accepted stepwise electron-proton transfer pathway (PE-ET) for semiconductors, our experimental and theoretical studies evidence a concerted proton-coupled electron transfer (CPET) pathway. A pioneering microkinetic study, considering the relevant elementary steps of the surface chemistry, reveals a faster C - H activation with Zn-In-S because of circumventing formation of a charged radical, as it happens in PE-ET where it retards the catalysis due to strong site adsorption. For CPET over Zn-In-S, H abstraction, forming a neutral radical, is rate-limiting, but having lower energy barriers than that of PE-ET. The rate expressions derived from the microkinetics provide guidelines to rationally design semiconductor catalysis, e.g., for C - H activation, that is based on the CPET mechanism.

Recombinant BCG vaccine expressing multistage antigens of Mycobacterium tuberculosis provides long-term immunity against tuberculosis in BALB/c mice.

Tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) persistently kills nearly 1.5 million lives per year in the world, whereas the only licensed TB vaccine BCG exhibits unsatisfactory efficacy in adults. Taking BCG as a vehicle to express Mtb antigens is a promising way to enhance its efficacy against Mtb infection. In this study, the immune efficacy of recombination BCG (rBCG-ECD003) expressing specific antigens ESAT-6, CFP-10, and nDnaK was evaluated at different time points after immunizing BALB/c mice. The results revealed that rBCG-ECD003 induced multiple Th1 cytokine secretion including IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-2, and IL-12 when compared to the parental BCG. Under the action of PPD or ECD003, rBCG-ECD003 immunization resulted in a significant increase in the proportion of IL-2+ and IFN-γ+IL-2+ CD4+T cells. Importantly, rBCG-ECD003 induced a stronger long-term humoral immune response without compromising the safety of the parental BCG vaccine. By means of the protective efficacy assay in vitro, rBCG-ECD003 showed a greater capacity to inhibit Mtb growth in the long term. Collectively, these features of rBCG-ECD003 indicate long-term protection and the promising effect of controlling Mtb infection.

Exploring the immunogenicity of Rv2201-519: A T-cell epitope-based antigen derived from Mycobacterium tuberculosis AsnB with implications for tuberculosis infection detection and vaccine development.

Research dedicated to diagnostic reagents and vaccine development for tuberculosis (TB) is challenging due to the paucity of immunodominant antigens that can predict disease risk and exhibit protective potential. Therefore, it is crucial to identify T-cell epitope-based Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) antigens characterized by specific and prominent recognition by the immune system. In this study, we constructed a T-cell epitope-rich tripeptide-splicing fragment (nucleotide positions 131-194, 334-377, and 579-643) of Rv2201 (also known as the 72 kDa AsnB)from the MTB genome, ultimately yielding the recombinant protein Rv2201-519 in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). Subsequently, we gauged the recombinant protein's ability to detect tuberculosis infection through ELISpot and assessed its immunostimulatory effect on mouse models using flow cytometry and ELISA. Our results indicated that Rv2201-519 possessed promising sensitivity; however, the sensitivity was lower than that of a commercial diagnostic kit containing ESAT-6, CFP-10, and Rv3615c (80.56 % vs. 94.44 %). The Rv2201-519 group exhibited a propensity for a CD4+ Th1 cell immune response in inoculated BALB/c mice that manifested as higher levels of antigen-specific IgG production (IgG2a/IgG1 > 1). In comparison to Ag85B, Rv2201-519 induced a more robust Th1-type cellular immune response as evidenced by a notable rise in the ratio of IFN-γ/IL-4 and IL-12 cytokine production and increased CD4+ T cell activation with a higher percentage of CD4+IFN-γ+ T cells. Rv2201-519 also induced a higher level of IL-6 compared with Ag85B, a higher percentage of CD8+ T cells specific for Rv2201-519, and a lower percentage of CD8+IL-4+ T cells. Collectively, the current evidence suggests that Rv2201-519 could potentially serve as an immunodominant protein for tuberculosis infection screening, laying the groundwork for further evaluation in recombinant Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) and subunit vaccines against MTB challenges in future studies.

A novel multistage antigens ERA005f confer protection against Mycobacterium tuberculosis by driving Th-1 and Th-17 type T cell immune responses.

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is a major threat to human health. In 2021, TB was the second leading cause of death after COVID-19 among infectious diseases. The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine (BCG), the only licensed TB vaccine, is ineffective against adult TB. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new effective vaccines. Methods: In this study, we developed a novel multistage subunit vaccine (ERA005f) comprising various proteins expressed in metabolic states, based on three immunodominant antigens (ESAT-6, Rv2628, and Ag85B). We utilized the E. coli prokaryotic expression system to express ERA005f and subsequently purified the protein using nickel affinity chromatography and anion exchange. Immunogenicity and protective efficacy of ERA005f and ERA005m were evaluated in BALB/c mice. Results: ERA005f was consistently expressed as an inclusion body in a prokaryotic expression system, and a highly pure form of the protein was successfully obtained. Both ERA005f and ERA005m significantly improved IgG titers in the serum. In addition, mice immunized with ERA005f and ERA005m generated higher titers of antigen-specific IgG2a than the other groups. Elispot results showed that, compared with other groups, ERA005f increased the numbers of IFN-γ-secreting and IL-4-secreting T cells, especially the number of IFN-γ-secreting T cells. Meanwhile, ERA005f induced a higher number of IFN-γ+ T lymphocytes than ERA005m did. In addition, ERA005f improved the expression of cytokines, including IFN-γ, IL-12p70, TNF-α, IL-17, and GM-CSF and so on. Importantly, both ERA005f and ERA005m significantly inhibited the growth of Mtb. Conclusion: The novel multistage antigen ERA005f elicited a strong antigen-specific humoral response and Th-1 and Th-17 cell-mediated immunity in mice. Meanwhile, it can effectively inhibit H37Rv growth in vitro, and represents a correlate of protection in vivo, indicating that ERA005f may exhibit excellent protective efficacy against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv infection. Our study suggests that ERA005f has the potential to be a promising multistage tuberculosis vaccine candidate.

miR-135a Regulates Atrial Fibrillation by Targeting Smad3.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in clinical. Atrial fibrosis is a hallmark feature of atrial structural remodeling in AF, which is regulated by the TGF-ß1/Smad3 pathway. Recent studies have implicated that miRNAs are involved in the process of AF. However, the regulatory mechanisms of miRNAs remain largely unknown. This study is aimed at investigating the function and regulatory network of miR-135a in AF. Methods: In vivo, the plasma was collected from patients with AF and non-AF subjects. Adult SD rats were induced by acetylcholine (ACh) (66 µg/ml)-CaCl2 (10 mg/ml) to establish an AF rat model. In vitro, atrial fibroblasts (AFs), isolated from adult SD rats, were treated with high-frequency electrical stimulation (HES) (12 h) and hypoxia (24 h) to mimic the AF and atrial fibrosis, respectively. miR-135a expression was detected through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The association between miR-135a and Smad3 was speculated by the TargetScan database and confirmed by the luciferase reporter assay. Fibrosis-related genes, Smad3, and TRPM7 were all assessed. Results: The expression of miR-135a was markedly decreased in the plasma of AF patients and AF rats, which was consistent with that in HES-treated and hypoxia-treated AFs. Smad3 was identified as a target of miR-135a. the downregulation of miR-135a was associated with the enhancement of Smad3/TRPM7 expressions in AFs. Additionally, the knockdown of Smad3 significantly reduced the expression of TRPM7 and further inhibited atrial fibrosis. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that miR-135a regulates AF via Smad3/TRPM7, which is a potential therapeutic target for AF.

Immunogenicity and efficacy analyses of EPC002, ECA006, and EPCP009 protein subunit combinations as tuberculosis vaccine candidates.

Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death from infectious diseases worldwide, and developing a new TB vaccine is a priority for TB control. Combining multiple immunodominant antigens to form a novel multicomponent vaccine with broad-spectrum antigens to induce protective immune responses is a trend in TB vaccine development. In this study, we used T-cell epitope-rich protein subunits to construct three antigenic combinations: EPC002, ECA006, and EPCP009. Fusion expression of purified protein EPC002f (CFP-10-linker-ESAT-6-linker-nPPE18), ECA006f (CFP-10-linker-ESAT-6-linker-Ag85B), and EPCP009f (CFP-10-linker-ESAT-6-linker-nPPE18-linker-nPstS1) and recombinant purified protein mixtures EPC002m (mix of CFP-10, ESAT-6, and nPPE18), ECA006m (mix of CFP-10, ESAT-6, and Ag85B), and EPCP009m (mix of CFP-10, ESAT-6, nPPE18, and nPstS1) were used as antigens, formulated with alum adjuvant, and the immunogenicity and efficacy were analyzed using immunity experiments with BALB/c mice. All protein-immunized groups elicited higher levels of humoral immunity, including IgG and IgG1. The IgG2a/IgG1 ratio of the EPCP009m-immunized group was the highest, followed by that of the EPCP009f-immunized group, which was significantly higher than the ratios of the other four groups. The multiplex microsphere-based cytokine immunoassay revealed that EPCP009f and EPCP009m induced the production of a wider range of cytokines than EPC002f, EPC002m, ECA006f, and ECA006m, which included Th1-type (IL-2, IFN-γ, TNF-α), Th2-type (IL-4, IL-6, IL-10), Th17-type (IL-17), and other proinflammatory cytokines (GM-CSF, IL-12). The enzyme-linked immunospot assays demonstrated that the EPCP009f- and EPCP009m-immunized groups had significantly higher amounts of IFN-γ than the other four groups. The in vitro mycobacterial growth inhibition assay demonstrated that EPCP009m inhibited Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) growth most strongly, followed by EPCP009f, which was significantly better than that of the other four vaccine candidates. These results indicated that EPCP009m containing four immunodominant antigens exhibited better immunogenicity and Mtb growth inhibition in vitro and may be a promising candidate vaccine for the control of TB.

A novel multi-component protein vaccine ECP001 containing a protein polypeptide antigen nPstS1 riching in T-cell epitopes showed good immunogenicity and protection in mice.

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that seriously affects human health. Until now, the only anti-TB vaccine approved for use is the live attenuated Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) vaccine - BCG vaccine, but its protective efficacy is relatively low and does not provide satisfactory protection against TB in adults. Therefore, there is an urgent need for more effective vaccines to reduce the global TB epidemic. In this study, ESAT-6, CFP-10, two antigens full-length and the T-cell epitope polypeptide antigen of PstS1, named nPstS1, were selected to form one multi-component protein antigens, named ECP001, which include two types, one is a mixed protein antigen named ECP001m, the other is a fusion expression protein antigen named ECP001f, as candidates for protein subunit vaccines. were prepared by constructing one novel subunit vaccine by mixing or fusing the three proteins and combining them with aluminum hydroxide adjuvant, and the immunogenicity and protective properties of the vaccine was evaluated in mice. The results showed that ECP001 stimulated mice to produce high titre levels of IgG, IgG1 and IgG2a antibodies; meanwhile, high levels of IFN-γ and a broad range of specific cytokines were secreted by mouse splenocytes; in addition, ECP001 inhibited the proliferation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in vitro with a capacity comparable to that of BCG. It can be concluded that ECP001 is a novel effective multicomponent subunit vaccine candidate with potential as BCG Initial Immunisation-ECP001 Booster Immunisation or therapeutic vaccine for M. tuberculosis infection.

A Multistage Antigen Complex Epera013 Promotes Efficient and Comprehensive Immune Responses in BALB/c Mice.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a serious global health problem. Despite the widespread use of the Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine, the primary factor for the TB pandemic and deaths is adult TB, which mainly result from endogenous reactivation of latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection. Improved new TB vaccines with eligible safety and long-lasting protective efficacy remains a crucial step toward the prevention and control of TB. In this study, five immunodominant antigens, including three early secreted antigens and two latency associated antigens, were used to construct a single recombinant fusion protein (Epera013f) and a protein mixture (Epera013m). When formulated with aluminum adjuvant, the two subunit vaccines Epera013m and Epera013f were administered to BALB/c mice. The humoral immune responses, cellular responses and MTB growth inhibiting capacity elicited after Epera013m and Epera013f immunization were analyzed. In the present study, we demonstrated that both the Epera013f and Epera013m were capable of inducing a considerable immune response and protective efficacy against H37Rv infection compared with BCG groups. In addition, Epera013f generated a more comprehensive and balanced immune status, including Th1, Th2 and innate immune response, over Epera013f and BCG. The multistage antigen complex Epera013f possesses considerable immunogenicity and protective efficacy against MTB infection ex vivo indicating its potential and promising applications in further TB vaccine development.

Comparison of the Immunogenicity and Efficacy of rBCG-EPCP009, BCG Prime-EPCP009 Booster, and EPCP009 Protein Regimens as Tuberculosis Vaccine Candidates.

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is the only widely used prophylactic tuberculosis (TB) vaccine that can prevent severe TB in infants. However, it provides poor protection in adults, and therefore, there is ongoing research into new TB vaccines and immunization strategies with more durable immune effects. The recombinant BCG and BCG prime-protein booster are two important vaccine strategies that have recently been developed based on BCG and could improve immune responses. In this study, three immune strategies based on four protective antigens, namely, ESAT-6, CFP-10, nPPE18, and nPstS1, were applied to construct recombinant rBCG-EPCP009, EPCP009 subunit protein, and BCG prime-EPCP009 booster vaccine candidates. The short- and long-term immune effects after vaccination in Balb/c mice were evaluated based on humoral immunity, cellular immunity, and the ability of spleen cells to inhibit in vitro mycobacterial growth. At 8 and 12 weeks after the initial immunization, splenocytes from mice inoculated with the BCG prime-EPCP009 protein booster secreted higher levels of PPD- and EPCP009-specific IFN-γ, IL-2, TNF-α, IL-17, GM-CSF, and IL-12 and had a higher IFN-γ+CD4+ TEM:IL-2+CD8+ TCM cell ratio than splenocytes from mice inoculated with the rBCG-EPCP009 and EPCP009 proteins. In addition, the EPCPE009-specific IgG2a/IgG1 ratio was slightly higher in the BCG prime-EPCP009 protein booster group than in the other two groups. The in vitro mycobacterial inhibition assay showed that the splenocytes of mice from the BCG prime-EPCP009 protein booster group exhibited stronger inhibition of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) growth than the splenocytes of mice from the other two groups. These results indicate that the BCG prime-EPCP009 protein booster exhibited superior immunogenicity and M. tuberculosis growth inhibition to the parental BCG, rBCG-EPCP009, and EPCP009 proteins under in vitro conditions. Thus, the BCG prime-EPCP009 protein booster may be important for the development of a more effective adult TB vaccine.

High Immunogenicity of a T-Cell Epitope-Rich Recombinant Protein Rv1566c-444 From Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Immunized BALB/c Mice, Despite Its Low Diagnostic Sensitivity.

The discovery of immunodominant antigens is of great significance for the development of new especially sensitive diagnostic reagents and effective vaccines in controlling tuberculosis (TB). In the present study, we targeted the T-Cell epitope-rich fragment (nucleotide position 109-552) of Rv1566c from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and got a recombinant protein Rv1566c-444 and the full-length protein Rv1566c with Escherichia coli expression system, then compared their performances for TB diagnosis and immunogenicity in a mouse model. The results showed that Rv1566c-444 had similar sensitivity with Rv1566c (44.44% Vs 30.56%) but lower sensitivity than ESAT-6&CFP-10&Rv3615c (44.4% Vs. 94.4%) contained in a commercial kit for distinguishing TB patients from healthy donors. In immunized BALB/c mice, Rv1566c-444 elicited stronger T-helper 1 (Th1) cellular immune response over Rv1566c with higher levels of Th1 cytokine IFN-γ and IFN-γ/IL-4 expression ratio by ELISA; more importantly, with a higher proliferation of CD4+ T cells and a higher proportion of CD4+ TNF-α+ T cells with flow cytometry. Rv1566c-444 also induced a higher level of IL-6 by ELISA and a higher proportion of Rv1566c-444-specific CD8+ T cells and a lower proportion of CD8 + IL-4 + T cells by flow cytometry compared with the Rv1566c group. Moreover, the Rv1566c-444 group showed a high IgG secretion level and the same type of CD4+ Th cell immune response (both IgG1/IgG2a >1) as its parental protein group. Our results showed the potential of the recombinant protein Rv1566c-444 enriched with T-Cell epitopes from Rv1566c as a host T cell response measuring biomarker for TB diagnosis and support further evaluation of Rv1566c-444 as vaccine antigen against MTB challenge in animal models in the form of protein mixture or fusion protein.

Construction and immunogenicity of a T cell epitope-based subunit vaccine candidate against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Despite antibiotic treatment and Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination, Mycobacterium tuberculosis remains a major public health burden in most developing countries. Therefore, developing an improved vaccine is high priority. In this study, we cloned the genes of the immunodominant antigen of M. tuberculosis viz. its 38-kDa antigen (Pst homolog) (Rv0934, PstS1), and its T cell epitopes (amino acid [aa]169-405 and [aa]802-1119), which we termed PstS1p. Prokaryotic expression showed that the two recombinant proteins were mainly in the form of inclusion bodies. We also evaluated the immunity and immunogenicity of PstS1 and PstS1p. Both PstS1 and its T cell epitopes elicited significantly higher antigen-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies in mouse serum, indicating that they enhanced antibody response. They also elicited the T helper 1 (Th1)-type response and promoted CD4+ T cell proliferation. Compared to PstS1, PstS1p promoted stronger cell-mediated immune response. These data indicate that PstS1p is highly immunogenic in mice, and may be a promising candidate vaccine for controlling tuberculosis.

Site-selective electrooxidation of methylarenes to aromatic acetals.

Aldehyde is one of most synthetically versatile functional groups and can participate in numerous chemical transformations. While a variety of simple aromatic aldehydes are commercially available, those with a more complex substitution pattern are often difficult to obtain. Benzylic oxygenation of methylarenes is a highly attractive method for aldehyde synthesis as the starting materials are easy to obtain and handle. However, regioselective oxidation of functionalized methylarenes, especially those that contain heterocyclic moieties, to aromatic aldehydes remains a significant challenge. Here we show an efficient electrochemical method that achieves site-selective electrooxidation of methyl benzoheterocycles to aromatic acetals without using chemical oxidants or transition-metal catalysts. The acetals can be converted to the corresponding aldehydes through hydrolysis in one-pot or in a separate step. The synthetic utility of our method is highlighted by its application to the efficient preparation of the antihypertensive drug telmisartan.

Development of a compact tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy based system for continuous measurements of dissolved carbon dioxide in seawater.

Robust marine carbon sensors with small size, low power consumption, and high sensitivity provide greater insight into the carbon cycle studies and resolve environmental variability. We report here the development of a diminutively integrated tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) system with a specially designed multipass gas cell for small amounts of dissolved gas extractions and measurements. It was used to detect and monitor carbon dioxide (CO2) dissolved in water and seawater. Systematic experiments have been carried out for system evaluation in the lab. Extracted CO2 was determined via its 4989.9 cm-1 optical absorption line. The achieved TDLAS measurement precision was 4.18 ppm for CO2, measured by averaging up to 88 s. The integrated absorbance was found to be linear to gas concentrations over a wide range. Comparison measurements of the atmospheric CO2 values with a commercial instrument confirmed a good accuracy of our TDLAS-based system. The first test campaign was also accomplished with a hollow fiber membrane contactor, and concentrations of CO2 were quantitatively detected with partial degasification operations. The results clearly show the ability to continuously measure dissolved gases and highlight the potential of the system to help us better understand physical and geochemical processes in a marine environment.

Molecular bilayer graphene.

Bilayer graphene consists of two stacked graphene layers bound together by van der Waals interaction. As the molecular analog of bilayer graphene, molecular bilayer graphene (MBLG) can offer useful insights into the structural and functional properties of bilayer graphene. However, synthesis of MBLG, which requires discrete assembly of two graphene fragments, has proved to be challenging. Here, we show the synthesis and characterization of two structurally well-defined MBLGs, both consisting of two π-π stacked nanographene sheets. We find they have excellent stability against variation of concentration, temperature and solvents. The MBLGs show sharp absorption and emission peaks, and further time-resolved spectroscopic studies reveal drastically different lifetimes for the bright and dark Davydov states in these MBLGs.

Intranasal inoculate of influenza virus vaccine against lethal virus challenge.

Vaccine adjuvants are essential for enhancing immune responses during vaccination. However, only a limited number of safe and effective adjuvants, especially mucosal adjuvants, are available for use in vaccines. The development of a practically applicable mucosal adjuvant is therefore urgently needed. Here, we showed that the non-toxic CTA1-DD adjuvant, which combined the full enzymatic activity of the A1 subunit of cholera toxin (CT) with two immunoglobulin-binding domains of Staphylococcus aureus protein A (SpA), promoted mucosal and systemic humoral and cell-mediated immune responses following intranasal administration with H1N1 split vaccine in mice. We demonstrated that CTA1-DD-adjuvant vaccine provided 100% protection against mortality and greatly reduced morbidity in a mouse model. We also showed that addition of CTA1-DD to the vaccine elicited significantly higher hemagglutination inhibition titers and IgG antibodies in sera than alum adjuvant. Furthermore, CTA1-DD significantly promoted the production of mucosal secretory IgA in lung lavages and vaginal lavages. We also showed that CTA1-DD could be used as a mucosal adjuvant to enhance T cell responses. Our results clearly indicated that CTA1-DD contributed to the elicitation of a protective cell-mediated immune response required for efficacious vaccination against influenza virus, which suggested that this adjuvant could be explored further as a clinically safe mucosal vaccine adjuvant for respiratory diseases and other mucosal diseases.