Notch1 promotes resistance to cisplatin by up-regulating Ecto-5'-nucleotidase (CD73) in triple-negative breast cancer cells.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive molecular subtype that due to lack of druggable targets is treated with chemotherapy as standard of care. However, TNBC is prone to chemoresistance and associates with poor survival. The aim of this study was to explore the molecular mechanisms of chemoresistance in TNBC. Firstly, we found that the mRNA expression of Notch1 and CD73 in cisplatin-treated patient material associated with poor clinical outcome. Further, both were upregulated at the protein level in cisplatin-resistant TNBC cell lines. Overexpression of Notch1 intracellular domain (termed N1ICD) increased expression of CD73, whereas knockdown of Notch1 decreased CD73 expression. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation and Dual-Luciferase assay it was identified that N1ICD directly bound the CD73 promoter and activated transcription. Taken together, these findings suggest CD73 as a direct downstream target of Notch1, providing an additional layer to the mechanisms underlying Notch1-mediated cisplatin resistance in TNBC.

A Highly Efficient Bismuth Nitrate/Keto-ABNO Catalyst System for Aerobic Oxidation of Alcohols to Carbonyl Compounds under Mild Conditions.

An efficient and practical catalytic system for the oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes/ketones using catalytic amounts of Bi(NO3)3 and Keto-ABNO (9-azabicyclo [3.3.1]nonan-3-one N-oxyl) with air as the environmentally benign oxidant was developed. Various primary and secondary alcohols were smoothly oxidized to the corresponding products under mild conditions, and satisfactory yields were achieved. Moreover, this methodology avoids the use of a ligand and base. The gram-scale reaction was demonstrated for the oxidation of 1-phenyl ethanol, and the product of acetophenone was obtained at an isolated yield of about 94%.

Co-embedding oxygen vacancy and copper particles into titanium-based oxides (TiO2, BaTiO3, and SrTiO3) nanoassembly for enhanced CO2 photoreduction through surface/interface synergy.

Photocatalytic CO2 reduction into valuable fuel and chemical production has been regarded as a prospective strategy for tackling with the issues of the increasing of greenhouse gases and shortage of sustainable energy. A composite photocatalysis system employing a semiconductor enriched with oxygen vacancy and coupled with metallic cocatalyst can facilitate charge separation and transfer electrons. In this work, mesoporous TiO2 and titanium-based perovskite oxides (BaTiO3 and SrTiO3) nanoparticle assembly incorporated with abundant oxygen vacancy and copper particles have been successfully synthesized for CO2 photoreduction. As an example, the TiO2 decorated with different amounts of Cu particles has an impact on photocatalytic CO2 reduction into CH4 and CO. Particularly, the optimal TiO2/Cu-0.1 exhibits nearly 13.5 times higher CH4 yield (22.27 µmol g-1 h-1) than that of pristine TiO2 (1.65 µmol g-1 h-1). The as-obtained BaTiO3/Cu-0.1 and SrTiO3/Cu-0.1 also show enhanced CH4 yields towards photocatalytic CO2 reduction compared with pristine ones. Based on the temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and photo/electrochemical measurements, the co-embedding of Cu particles and abundant oxygen vacancy into the titanium-based oxides could promote CO2 adsorption capacity as well as separation and transfer of photoinduced electron-hole pairs, and finally result in efficient CO2 photoreduction upon the TiO2/Cu, SrTiO3/Cu, and BaTiO3/Cu composites.

GATA Binding Protein 3 Boosts Extracellular ATP Hydrolysis and Inhibits Metastasis of Breast Cancer by Up-regulating Ectonucleoside Triphosphate Diphosphohydrolase 3.

Despite remarkable advancements in our understanding of breast cancer, it remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in women. Distant recurrence and metastasis is the main reason for death due to breast cancer. It is well recognized that the GATA binding protein 3 (GATA3), a transcription factor, is a tumor suppressor in breast cancer. To date, the mechanistic molecular details of GATA3 remain elusive, because, as a transcription factor, it is not a direct executor in physiological and pathological processes. Here, we demonstrate that GATA3 reduces the ATP level in the breast cancer microenvironment and inhibits breast cancer metastasis by up-regulating ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase 3 (ENTPD3). The extracellular ATP concentration is significantly higher in tumor tissues than in normal tissues and promotes the migration of cancer cells from the primary site. ENTPD3 hydrolyzes ATP in tumor microenvironment and suppresses breast cancer metastasis. Furthermore, ENTPD3 inhibits epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, a key program responsible for the development of metastatic disease. These findings provide novel insights into the tumor suppressor activity of GATA3.

Preparation of highly active and hydrothermally stable nickel catalysts.

The 60%Ni/AlSiO catalysts were prepared by the co-precipitation method, in which AlSiO were the composite supports with different mass ratios of Al2O3 and SiO2. It was found that the catalyst 60%Ni/AlSiO-4 with the Al2O3/SiO2 mass ratio of 4 in the support exhibited the high hydrothermal stability. The addition of proper amount of SiO2 inhibited the hydration of Al2O3 and prevented the growth of supported nickel particles during the hydrothermal treatment. The structure of the composite support in the 60%Ni/AlSiO-4 was stable and the supported nickel particles were highly dispersed. Accordingly, the hydrothermally treated catalyst maintained the high heats and uptakes for the adsorption of H2 and CO, and thus the high activity and stability for the hydrogenation of glucose to sorbitol in aqueous solution.