Rational design of a 'two-in-one' immunogen DAM drives potent immune response against mpox virus.

The global outbreak of the mpox virus (MPXV) in 2022 highlights the urgent need for safer and more accessible new-generation vaccines. Here, we used a structure-guided multi-antigen fusion strategy to design a 'two-in-one' immunogen based on the single-chain dimeric MPXV extracellular enveloped virus antigen A35 bivalently fused with the intracellular mature virus antigen M1, called DAM. DAM preserved the natural epitope configuration of both components and showed stronger A35-specific and M1-specific antibody responses and in vivo protective efficacy against vaccinia virus (VACV) compared to co-immunization strategies. The MPXV-specific neutralizing antibodies elicited by DAM were 28 times higher than those induced by live VACV vaccine. Aluminum-adjuvanted DAM vaccines protected mice from a lethal VACV challenge with a safety profile, and pilot-scale production confirmed the high yield and purity of DAM. Thus, our study provides innovative insights and an immunogen candidate for the development of alternative vaccines against MPXV and other orthopoxviruses.

A novel role of AURKA kinase in erythroblast enucleation.

Generation of mammalian red blood cells requires the expulsion of polarized nuclei late in terminal erythroid differentiation. However, the mechanisms by which spherical erythroblasts determine the direction of nuclear polarization and maintain asymmetry during nuclear expulsion are poorly understood. Given the analogy of erythroblast enucleation to asymmetric cell division and the key role of Aurora kinases in mitosis, we sought to investigate the function of Aurora kinases in erythroblast enucleation. We found that AURKA (Aurora kinase A) is abundantly expressed in orthochromatic erythroblasts. Intriguingly, high-resolution confocal microscopy analyses revealed that AURKA co-localized with the centrosome on the side of the nucleus opposite its membrane contact point during polarization and subsequently translocated to the anterior end of the protrusive nucleus upon nuclear exit. Mechanistically, AURKA regulated centrosome maturation and localization via interaction with i-tubulin to provide polarization orientation for the nucleus. Furthermore, we identified ECT2 (epithelial cell transforming 2), a guanine nucleotide exchange factor, as a new interacting protein and ubiquitination substrate of AURKA. After forming the nuclear protrusion, AURKA translocated to the anterior end of the protrusive nucleus to directly degrade ECT2, which is partly dependent on kinase activity of AURKA. Moreover, knockdown of ECT2 rescued impaired enucleation caused by AURKA inhibition. Our findings have uncovered a previously unrecognized role of Aurora kinases in the establishment of nuclear polarization and eventual nuclear extrusion and provide new mechanistic insights into erythroblast enucleation.

Prediction model based on MRI morphological features for distinguishing benign and malignant thyroid nodules.

BACKGROUND: The low specificity of Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS) for preoperative benign-malignant diagnosis leads to a large number of unnecessary biopsies. This study developed and validated a predictive model based on MRI morphological features to improve the specificity. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 825 thyroid nodules pathologically confirmed postoperatively. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to obtain ß coefficients, construct predictive models and nomogram incorporating MRI morphological features in the training cohort, and validated in the validation cohort. The discrimination, calibration, and decision curve analysis of the nomogram were performed. The diagnosis efficacy, area under the curve (AUC) and net reclassification index (NRI) were calculated and compared with TI-RADS. RESULTS: 572 thyroid nodules were included (training cohort: n = 397, validation cohort: n = 175). Age, low signal intensity on T2WI, restricted diffusion, reversed halo sign in delay phase, cystic degeneration and wash-out pattern were independent predictors of malignancy. The nomogram demonstrated good discrimination and calibration both in the training cohort (AUC = 0.972) and the validation cohort (AUC = 0.968). The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and AUC of MRI-based prediction were 94.4%, 96.0%, 93.4%, 89.9%, 96.5% and 0.947, respectively. The MRI-based prediction model exhibited enhanced accuracy (NRI>0) in comparison to TI-RADSs. CONCLUSIONS: The prediction model for diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules demonstrated a more notable diagnostic efficacy than TI-RADS. Compared with the TI-RADSs, predictive model had better specificity along with a high sensitivity and can reduce overdiagnosis and unnecessary biopsies.

Interleukin-22 receptor 1-mediated stimulation of T-type Ca2+ channels enhances sensory neuronal excitability through the tyrosine-protein kinase Lyn-dependent PKA pathway.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin 24 (IL-24) has been implicated in the nociceptive signaling. However, direct evidence and the precise molecular mechanism underlying IL-24's role in peripheral nociception remain unclear. METHODS: Using patch clamp recording, molecular biological analysis, immunofluorescence labeling, siRNA-mediated knockdown approach and behavior tests, we elucidated the effects of IL-24 on sensory neuronal excitability and peripheral pain sensitivity mediated by T-type Ca2+ channels (T-type channels). RESULTS: IL-24 enhances T-type channel currents (T-currents) in trigeminal ganglion (TG) neurons in a reversible and dose-dependent manner, primarily by activating the interleukin-22 receptor 1 (IL-22R1). Furthermore, we found that the IL-24-induced T-type channel response is mediated through tyrosine-protein kinase Lyn, but not its common downstream target JAK1. IL-24 application significantly activated protein kinase A; this effect was independent of cAMP and prevented by Lyn antagonism. Inhibition of PKA prevented the IL-24-induced T-current response, whereas inhibition of protein kinase C or MAPK kinases had no effect. Functionally, IL-24 increased TG neuronal excitability and enhanced pain sensitivity to mechanical stimuli in mice, both of which were suppressed by blocking T-type channels. In a trigeminal neuropathic pain model induced by chronic constriction injury of the infraorbital nerve, inhibiting IL-22R1 signaling alleviated mechanical allodynia, which was reversed by blocking T-type channels or knocking down Cav3.2. CONCLUSION: Our findings reveal that IL-24 enhances T-currents by stimulating IL-22R1 coupled to Lyn-dependent PKA signaling, leading to TG neuronal hyperexcitability and pain hypersensitivity. Understanding the mechanism of IL-24/IL-22R1 signaling in sensory neurons may pave the way for innovative therapeutic strategies in pain management.

TRIM5 inhibits the replication of Senecavirus A by promoting the RIG-I-mediated type I interferon antiviral response.

Senecavirus A (SVA) is an emerging virus that poses a threat to swine herds worldwide. To date, the role of tripartite motif 5 (TRIM5) in the replication of viruses has not been evaluated. Here, TRIM5 was reported to inhibit SVA replication by promoting the type I interferon (IFN) antiviral response mediated by retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I). TRIM5 expression was significantly upregulated in SVA-infected cells, and TRIM5 overexpression inhibited viral replication and promoted IFN-α, IFN-ß, interleukin-1beta (IL-1ß), IL-6, and IL-18 expression. Conversely, interfering with the expression of TRIM5 had the opposite effect. Viral adsorption and entry assays showed that TRIM5 did not affect the adsorption of SVA but inhibited its entry. In addition, TRIM5 promoted the expression of RIG-I and RIG-I-mediated IFNs and proinflammatory cytokines, and this effect was also proven by inhibiting the expression of TRIM5. These findings expand the scope of knowledge on host factors inhibiting the replication of SVA and indicate that targeting TRIM5 may aid in the development of new agents against SVA.

The relationship between alcohol consumption and chronic kidney disease in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Objective: To examine the impact of moderate alcohol consumption on the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in individuals diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), as NAFLD has been identified as an autonomous risk factor for CKD and previous research has demonstrated a reduction in overall mortality in NAFLD patients who consume alcohol in moderation.Methods: This study included participants from ten consecutive rounds of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES:1998-2018). Multivariate logistic regression models were employed to assess the impact of moderate alcohol consumption on chronic kidney disease (CKD) in both male and female populations. Subgroup analysis was conducted by categorizing patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) based on the Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index.Results: 17040 participants were eligible to be included in the study. The logistic regression analysis model showed that moderate alcohol consumption was a protective factor for CKD in male NAFLD patients, with an unadjusted OR: 0.37 (0.22,0.65), and p < 0.001. After further adjustment, the association persisted. However, the association was not significant in female patients with NAFLD. Among men with low risk of liver fibrosis group, moderate alcohol consumption remained a protective factor for CKD (OR = 0.32, 95% CI 0.12-0.84, p = 0.02), but the association was not significant in the high risk of liver fibrosis group. In female patients, both moderate alcohol consumption and excessive alcohol consumption were not significantly associated with CKD in either the low-risk group or the high-risk group.Conclusion: Moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a lower prevalence of CKD in men with NAFLD.

The influence of gut microbiota on membranous nephropathy: A two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Therapeutic approaches that target the gut microbiota may be helpful in the potential prevention and treatment of membranous nephropathy (MN). Several studies demonstrated a correlation between gut microbiota and MN. However, the confounding evidence cannot prove a causal relationship between gut microbiota and MN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The aim of our study is to assess genome-wide association study data for a causal relationship between gut microbiota and MN using a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach. Inverse variance weighted (IVW) was used as the primary technique to determine the association of genetic variants from gut microbiota and MN patients. Besides, sensitivity analyses confirmed the accuracy of the results. Finally, we applied false discovery rate (FDR) correction to results with IVW < 0.05 during multiple hypothesis testing. RESULTS: The results from IVW estimates indicated that Bacillales exhibited a significant association with MN, acting as a risk factor (OR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.14 - 2.02, p = 0.005). In addition, our univariable MR results showed that 7 bacterial taxa (Melainabacteria, Butyricicoccus, Catenibacterium, Ruminiclostridium5, RuminococcaceaeUCG003, RuminococcaceaeUCG013, and Gastranaerophilales) had suggestive associations with MN. The sensitivity analysis did not reveal any significant heterogeneity in the instrumental variables or horizontal pleiotropy. CONCLUSION: Our findings provided causal evidence for the effect of gut microbiota on MN patients and broadened the spectrum of bacterial taxa that might be involved in the pathogenesis of MN. These selected bacterial taxa hold promise as new biomarkers, which may aid in designing targeted therapeutic modalities for MN, improving our comprehension of the gut-kidney axis.

Developmental dyslexia genes are selectively targeted by diverse environmental pollutants.

BACKGROUND: Developmental dyslexia, a complex neurodevelopmental disorder, not only affects children's academic performance but is also associated with increased healthcare costs, lower employment rates, and reduced productivity. The pathogenesis of dyslexia remains unclear and it is generally considered to be caused by the overlap of genetic and environmental factors. Systematically exploring the close relationship between exposure to environmental compounds and susceptibility genes in the development of dyslexia is currently lacking but high necessary. METHODS: In this study, we systematically compiled 131 publicly reported susceptibility genes for dyslexia sourced from DisGeNET, OMIM, and GeneCards databases. Comparative Toxicogenomics Database database was used to explore the overlap between susceptibility genes and 95 environmental compounds, including metals, persistent organic pollutants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and pesticides. Chemical bias towards the dyslexia risk genes was taken into account in the observation/expectation ratios > 1 and the corresponding P value obtained by hypergeometric probability test. RESULTS: Our study found that the number of dyslexia risk genes targeted by each chemical varied from 1 to 109. A total of 35 chemicals were involved in chemical reactions with dyslexia-associated genes, with significant enrichment values (observed/expected dyslexia risk genes) ranging from 1.147 (Atrazine) to 66.901 (Dibenzo(a, h)pyrene). CONCLUSION: The results indicated that dyslexia-associated genes were implicated in certain chemical reactions. However, these findings are exploratory, and further research involving animal or cellular experiments is needed.

Promoting effect of lanthanum doping on photovoltaic performance of CZTSSe solar cells.

A large open-circuit voltage (VOC) deficit is the major challenge hindering the efficiency improvement of Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) solar cells. Cation substitution, or doping, is usually an effective strategy to achieve carrier regulation and improve efficiency. In this work, we developed a rare-earth element lanthanum (La) doped CZTSSe thin-film solar cell by directly introducing La3+ ions into the CZTS precursor solution. Such a proposed La doping approach could effectively enhance light harvesting, adjust the bandgap, and increase the electron diffusion length. Furthermore, appropriate concentrations of La doping can reduce harmful defect cluster. Benefiting from the La doping, the VOC significantly increases from 431 to 497 mV. Consequently, the power conversion efficiency is enhanced significantly from 6.54% (VOC = 431 mV, JSC = 25.50 mA/cm2, FF = 58.28%) for the reference cell to 10.21% (VOC = 497 mV, JSC = 35.20 mA/cm2, FF = 58.41%) for the optimized La-doped cell. This research provides a new direction for enhancing the performance of CZTSSe cells, offering promising prospects for the future of CZTSSe thin-film solar cells.

ZBP1 inhibits the replication of Senecavirus A by enhancing NF-κB signaling pathway mediated antiviral response in porcine alveolar macrophage 3D4/21 cells.

BACKGROUND: Senecavirus A (SVA) caused porcine idiopathic vesicular disease (PIVD) showing worldwide spread with economic losses in swine industry. Although some progress has been made on host factors regulating the replication of SVA, the role of Z-DNA binding protein 1 (ZBP1) remains unclear. METHODS: The expression of ZBP1 in SVA-infected 3D/421 cells was analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot. Western blot and qRT-PCR were used to detect the effects of over and interference expression of ZBP1 on SVA VP2 gene and protein. Viral growth curves were prepared to measure the viral proliferation. The effect on type I interferons (IFNs), interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs), and pro-inflammatory cytokines in SVA infection was analyzed by qRT-PCR. Western blot was used to analysis the effect of ZBP1 on NF-κB signaling pathway and inhibitor are used to confirm. RESULTS: ZBP1 is shown to inhibit the replication of SVA by enhancing NF-κB signaling pathway mediated antiviral response. SVA infection significantly up-regulated the expression of ZBP1 in 3D4/21 cells. Infection of cells with overexpression of ZBP1 showed that the replication of SVA was inhibited with the enhanced expression of IFNs (IFN-α, IFN-ß), ISGs (ISG15, PKR, and IFIT1) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α), while, infected-cells with interference expression of ZBP1 showed opposite effects. Further results showed that antiviral effect of ZBP1 is achieved by activation the NF-κB signaling pathway and specific inhibitor of NF-κB also confirmed this. CONCLUSIONS: ZBP1 is an important host antiviral factor in SVA infection and indicates that ZBP1 may be a novel target against SVA.

Predictive value of lipoprotein(a) for left atrial thrombus or spontaneous echo contrast in non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients with low CHA2DS2-VASc scores: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: Current guidelines are debated when it comes to starting anticoagulant therapy in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) and low CHA2DS2-VASc scores (1-2 in women and 0-1 in men). However, these individuals still have a high likelihood of developing left atrial thrombus/spontaneous echo contrast (LAT/SEC) and experiencing subsequent thromboembolism. Recent research has demonstrated that lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] may increase the risk of thrombosis, but the relationship between Lp(a) and LAT/SEC in NVAF patients is not clearly established. Therefore, this study sought to evaluate the predictive ability of Lp(a) for LAT/SEC among NVAF patients with low CHA2DS2-VASc scores. METHODS: NVAF patients with available transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) data were evaluated. Based on the TEE results, the subjects were classified into non-LAT/SEC and LAT/SEC groups. The risk factors for LAT/SEC were examined using binary logistic regression analyses and were validated by using 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM). Subsequently, novel predictive models for LAT/SEC were developed by integrating the CHA2DS2-VASc score with the identified factors, and the accuracy of these models was tested using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. RESULTS: In total, 481 NVAF patients were enrolled. The LAT/SEC group displayed higher Lp(a) concentrations. It was found that enlarged left atrial diameter (LAD), high concentrations of Lp(a), and a history of coronary heart disease (CHD) were independent predictors of LAT/SEC. Lp(a) and LAD still had predictive values for LAT/SEC after adjusting for PSM. In both the highest quartile groups of Lp(a) (>266 mg/L) and LAD (>39.5 mm), the occurrence of LAT/SEC was higher than that in the corresponding lowest quartile. By incorporating Lp(a) and the LAD, the predictive value of the CHA2DS2-VASc score for LAT/SEC was significantly improved. CONCLUSION: Elevated Lp(a) and enlarged LAD were independent risk factors for LAT/SEC among NVAF patients with low CHA2DS2-VASc scores. The prediction accuracy of the CHA2DS2-VASc score for LAT/SEC was significantly improved by the addition of Lp(a) and LAD. When evaluating the stroke risk in patients with NVAF, Lp(a) and LAD should be taken into account together with the CHA2DS2-VASc score. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Retrospectively registered.

Controlled Self-Assembly of the Catalytic Core of Hydrolases Using DNA Scaffolds.

Precisely organizing functional molecules of the catalytic cores in natural enzymes to promote catalytic performance is a challenging goal in respect to artificial enzyme construction. In this work, we report a DNA-scaffolded mimicry of the catalytic cores of hydrolases, which showed a controllable and hierarchical acceleration of the hydrolysis of fluorescein diacetate (FDA). The results revealed that the efficiency of hydrolysis was greatly increased by the DNA-scaffold-induced proximity of catalytic amino acid residues (histidine and arginine) with up to 4-fold improvement relative to the free amino acids. In addition, DNA-scaffolded one-dimensional and two-dimensional assemblies of multiple catalytic cores could further accelerate the hydrolysis. This work demonstrated that the DNA-guided assembly could be used as a promising platform to build enzyme mimics in a programmable and hierarchical way.

Achieving Efficient CO2 Electrolysis to CO by Local Coordination Manipulation of Nickel Single-Atom Catalysts.

Selective electroreduction of CO2 to C1 feed gas provides an attractive avenue to store intermittent renewable energy. However, most of the CO2-to-CO catalysts are designed from the perspective of structural reconstruction, and it is challenging to precisely design a meaningful confining microenvironment for active sites on the support. Herein, we report a local sulfur doping method to precisely tune the electronic structure of an isolated asymmetric nickel-nitrogen-sulfur motif (Ni1-NSC). Our Ni1-NSC catalyst presents >99% faradaic efficiency for CO2-to-CO under a high current density of -320 mA cm-2. In situ attenuated total reflection surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy and differential electrochemical mass spectrometry indicated that the asymmetric sites show a significantly weaker binding strength of *CO and a lower kinetic overpotential for CO2-to-CO. Further theoretical analysis revealed that the enhanced CO2 reduction reaction performance of Ni1-NSC was mainly due to the effectively decreased intermediate activation energy.

Efficacy and Molecular Mechanism of Quercetin on Constipation Induced by Berberine via Regulating Gut Microbiota.

Berberine (BBR) is used to treat cancer, inflammatory conditions, and so on. But the side effects of BBR causing constipation should not be ignored. In clinical application, the combination of Amomum villosum Lour. (AVL) and BBR can relieve it. However, the effective ingredients and molecular mechanism of AVL in relieving constipation are not clear. A small intestine propulsion experiment was conducted in constipated mice to screen active ingredients of AVL. We further confirmed the molecular mechanism of action of the active ingredient on BBR-induced constipation. Quercetin (QR) was found to be the effective ingredient of AVL in terms of relieving constipation. QR can efficiently regulate the microbiota in mice suffering from constipation. Moreover, QR significantly raised the levels of substance P and motilin while lowering those of 5-hydroxytryptamine and vasoactive intestinal peptide; furthermore, it also increased the protein expression levels of calmodulin, myosin light-chain kinase, and myosin light chain. The use of QR in combination with BBR has an adverse effect-reducing efficacy. The study provides new ideas and possibilities for the treatment of constipation induced by BBR.

Oriented Synthesis of Glycine from CO2, N2, and H2O via a Cascade Process.

Air contains carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen elements that are essential for the constitution of amino acids. Converting the air into amino acids, powered with renewable electricity, provides a green and sustainable alternative to petrochemical-based methods that produce waste and pollution. Here, taking glycine as an example, we demonstrated the complete production chain for electrorefining amino acids directly from CO2, N2, and H2O. Such a prospective scheme was composed of three modules, linked by a spontaneous C-N bond formation process. The high-purity bridging intermediates, separated from the stepwise synthesis, boosted both the carbon selectivity from CO2 to glycine of 91.7% and nitrogen selectivity from N2 to glycine of 98.7%. Under the optimum condition, we obtained glycine with a partial current density of 160.8 mA cm-2. The high-purity solid glycine product was acquired with a separation efficiency of 98.4%. This work unveils a green and sustainable method for the abiotic creation of amino acids from the air components.

Enhancing Reversibility and Kinetics of Anionic Redox in O3-NaLi1/3Mn2/3O2 through Controlled P2 Intergrowth.

Anionic redox chemistry can surpass theoretical limits of conventional layered oxide cathodes in energy density. A recent model system of sodium-ion batteries, O3-NaLi1/3Mn2/3O2, demonstrated full anionic redox capacity but is limited in reversibility and kinetics due to irreversible structural rearrangement and oxygen loss. Solutions to these issues are missing due to the challenging synthesis. Here, we harness the unique structural richness of sodium layered oxides and realize a controlled ratio of P2 structural intergrowth in this model compound with the overall composition maintained. The resulted O3 with 27% P2 intergrowth structure delivers an excellent initial Coulombic efficiency of 87%, comparable to the state-of-the-art Li-rich NMCs. This improvement is attributed to the effective suppression of irreversible oxygen release and structural changes, evidenced by operando Differential Electrochemical Mass Spectroscopy and X-ray Diffraction. The as-prepared intergrowth material, based on the environmentally benign Mn, exhibits a reversible capacity of 226 mAh g-1 at C/20 rate with excellent cycling stability stemming from the redox reactions of oxygen and manganese. Our work isolates the role of P2 structural intergrowth and thereby introduces a novel strategy to enhance the reversibility and kinetics of anionic redox reactions in sodium layered cathodes without compromising capacity.

Anion Exchange of Metal Particles on Carbon-Based Skeletons for Promoting Dielectric Equilibrium and High-Efficiency Electromagnetic Wave Absorption.

The combination of carbon materials and magnetic elements is considered as an effective strategy to obtain high-performance electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption materials. However, using nanoscale regulation to the optimization of composite material dielectric properties and enhanced magnetic loss properties is facing significant challenges. Here, the dielectric constant and magnetic loss capability of the carbon skeleton loaded with Cr compound particles are further tuned to enhance the EMW absorption performance. After 700 °C thermal resuscitation of the Cr3-polyvinyl pyrrolidone composite material, the chromium compound is represented as a needle-shaped structure of nanoparticles, which is fixed on the carbon skeleton derived from the polymer. The size-optimized CrN@PC composites are obtained after the substitution of more electronegative nitrogen elements using an anion-exchange strategy. The minimum reflection loss value of the composite is -105.9 dB at a CrN particle size of 5 nm, and the effective absorption bandwidth is 7.68 GHz (complete Ku-band coverage) at 3.0 mm. This work overcomes the limitations of impedance matching imbalance and magnetic loss deficiency in carbon-based materials through size tuning, and opens a new way to obtain carbon-based composites with ultra-high attenuation capability.

Nanolaminate-based antireflection coatings for enhanced scratch and tribological performance.

Developing durable antireflection (AR) coatings with sapphire-like hardness and high transparency faces a significant challenge. Conventionally, achieving these requirements involves depositing thick, high-hardness nitride films. Here, we proposed an alternative approach that combines nanolaminate materials with optical design, overcoming the brittleness of thick nitride films. We selected Ta2O5/Si3N4 nanolaminates with similar refractive indices, improving tribological and optical performance through a unique optomechanical method. Our proposed AR coating exhibited a low reflectance of 0.8% (420-780 nm) and remarkable hardness of 22.8 GPa, and demonstrated the ability to withstand abrasion from steel wool up to 3,000 times on a glass substrate. This work successfully achieves a balance between hardness and toughness, opening new avenues for the development of highly durable coatings.

Multivalent Interactions Enable the Natural Alkaline Amino Acids to Transmute into Macroscopic Adhesive Materials.

Natural alkaline amino acids (aAAs) have been found to interact with tannic acid (TA) in aqueous solution via multiple noncovalent interactions, giving rise to the formation of water-immiscible supramolecular copolymers (aAAs/TA). The driving forces and the internal structures of the supramolecular copolymers were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ζ-potential, elemental analysis (EA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Rheological and lap shear adhesion measurements identify that the aAAs/TA soft materials exhibit wet and underwater adhesion, shear thinning, and self-healing behavior. This supramolecular adhesive can be utilized as both injectable materials and self-gelling powder. Another feature of the aAAs/TA adhesives is the acceptable cellular compatibility with L-929 cells, which enables the supramolecular copolymers to be potential soft materials for health care and bio-related applications. The work highlights that the cross-linked supramolecular polymerization strategy enables minimalistic biomolecules to emulate the functions of complicated proteins secreted by aquatic organisms.