Recent progress on charge transfer engineering in reticular framework for efficient electrochemiluminescence.

Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) is a luminescence production technique triggered by electrochemistry, which has emerged as a powerful analytical technique in bioanalysis and clinical diagnosis. During ECL, charge transfer (CT) is an important process between electrochemical excitation and luminescent emission, and dramatically affects the efficiency of exciton generation, playing a pivotal role in the light-emitting properties of nanomaterials. Reticular framework materials with intramolecular/intermolecular interactions offer a promising platform for regulating CT pathways and enhancing luminescence efficiency. Deciphering the role of intramolecular/intermolecular CT processes in reticular framework materials allows for the targeted design and synthesis of emitters with precisely controlled CT properties. This sheds light on the microscopic mechanisms of electro-optical conversion in ECL, propelling advancements in their efficiency and breakthrough applications. This mini-review focuses on recent advancements in engineering CT within reticular frameworks to boost ECL efficiency. We summarized strategies including intra-reticular charge transfer, CT between the metal and ligands, and CT between guest molecules and frameworks within reticular frameworks, which holds promise for developing next-generation ECL devices with enhanced sensitivity and light emission.

A New Method for Constructing Macrophage-Associated Predictors of Treatment Efficacy Based on Single-Cell Sequencing Analysis.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are highly infiltrated in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of colorectal cancer (CRC) and play a vital role in CRC's development as well as prognosis. The required data were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database and The Cancer Genome Atlas. Univariate Cox regression and least absolute shrinkage operator analyses were executed for model construction. TME assessment and immune prediction were performed using the ESTIMATE software package and the single sample genome enrichment analysis algorithm. The results show patients with low a TAMs risk score (TRS) had a better prognosis in both The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus cohorts. Patients with low TRS were more sensitive to 3 chemotherapeutic agents: oxaliplatin, paclitaxel, and cisplatin ( P <0.05). TME assessment showed that the low TRS group had less infiltration of M2 macrophages and regulatory T cells, but CD4 + T cells, NK cells, and dendritic cells occupy a greater proportion of TME. Low TRS group patients have a low StromalScore and ImmuneScore but have high TumorPurity. The immune checkpoint TIM-3 gene HAVCR2 expression was significantly higher in the high TRS group. Finally, we created a nomogram including TRS for forecasting survival, and TRS was significantly associated with the clinical stage of the patients. In conclusion, the TRS serves as a reliable prognostic indicator of CRC; it predicts patient outcomes to immunotherapy and chemotherapy and provides genomic evidence for the subsequent development of modulated TAMs for treating CRC.

Visualization of peroxynitrite/GSH cross-talk in the oxidant-antioxidant balance by a dual-fluorophore and dual-site based mito-specific fluorescent probe.

Peroxynitrite (ONOO-) and glutathione (GSH) play mutually regulating roles in the oxidant-antioxidant balance of organisms, which has a profound relationship with people's health and disease. In this study, we designed a two-photon fluorescent probe CD-NA that could simultaneously detect ONOO- and GSH via dual-fluorophore and dual-site properties. CD-NA shows different fluorescence responses to ONOO- (annihilated red fluorescence) and GSH (enhanced green emission) with high specificity and sensitivity. Notably, the response of CD-NA to ONOO- was unaffected by GSH, and the reverse is also true. It allows the ONOO-/GSH cross-talk to be successfully imaged. Given these excellent properties, CD-NA has been favorably employed in detecting ONOO- and GSH in living cells with the ability to target mitochondria. Therefore, CD-NA offers an efficient method for understanding the oxidant-antioxidant balance and interrelated physiological functions of ONOO- and GSH in living systems, and provides a new strategy to sort out the complex relationships and roles of various analytes in complex physiological processes.

Novel Lanthanide Complexes Synthesized from 3-Dimethylamino Benzoic Acid and 5,5'-Dimethyl-2,2' Bipyridine Ligand: Crystal Structure, Thermodynamics, and Fluorescence Properties.

Two isostructural lanthanide complexes were synthesized by solvent evaporation with 3-dimethylaminobenzoic acid and 5,5'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine as ligands. The general formula of the structure is a [Ln(3-N,N-DMBA)3(5,5'-DM-2,2'-bipy)]2·2(3-N,N-DMHBA), Ln = (Gd(1), Tb(2)), 3-N,N-DMBA = 3-Dimethylamino benzoate, 5,5'-DM-2,2'-bipy = 5,5'-dimethyl-2,2' bipyridine. Both complexes exhibited dimeric structures based on X-ray diffraction analysis. At the same time, infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy were used to measure the spectra of the complex. A thermogravimetric infrared spectroscopy experiment was performed to investigate the thermal stability and decomposition mechanism of the complexes. Measurements of the low-temperature heat capacity of the complexes were obtained within the temperature range of 1.9 to 300 K. The thermodynamic function was calculated by heat capacity fitting. In addition, the fluorescence spectra of complex 2 were studied and the fluorescence lifetime values were determined, and the energy transfer mechanism of complex 2 was elucidated.

Exosome-derived circ_0001785 delays atherogenesis through the ceRNA network mechanism of miR-513a-5p/TGFBR3.

PURPOSE: Endothelial cell dysfunction is a major cause of early atherosclerosis. Although the role of extracellular vesicles in stabilizing atherosclerotic plaques is well established, the effect of circulating exosomes on plaque formation is still unknown. Here, we explored the effect of exosomes on atherosclerosis based on the function that exosomes can act on intercellular communication. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We extracted serum exosomes from the blood of CHD patients (CHD-Exo) and healthy individuals (Con-Exo). The obtained exosomes were co-cultured with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro. In addition, we determined that circ_0001785 functions as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNAs) in coronary artery disease by dual luciferase reporter gene analysis. The protective effect of circ_0001785 against endothelial cell injury was also verified using over-expression lentiviral transfection functional assays. In vivo experiments, we injected over-expressed circ_0001785 lentivirus into the tail vein of mice to observe its therapeutic effect on a mouse model of atherosclerosis. RESULTS: The vitro co-cultured results showed that the amount of plasma-derived exosomes have an increase in patients with coronary artery disease, and the inflammation and apoptosis of endothelial cells were exacerbated. Over-expression of circ_0001785 reduced endothelial cell injury through the ceRNA network pathway of miR-513a-5p/TGFBR3. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction identified that the expressed amount of circ_0001785 was reduced in the circulating peripheral blood of CHD patients and increased within human and mouse atherosclerotic plaque tissue. The results of in vivo experiments showed that circ_0001785 reduced aortic endothelial cell injury and the formation of intraplaque neo-vascularization, and enhanced left ventricular diastolic function, thereby delaying the development of atherosclerosis in mice. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated a new biomarker, exosome-derived circ_0001785, for atherogenesis, which can reduce endothelial cell injury and thus delay atherogenesis through the miR-513a-5p/TGFBR3 ceRNA network mechanism, providing an exosome-based intervention strategy for atherosclerosis.

Cellular functions of heat shock protein 20 (HSPB6) in cancer: A review.

Heat shock proteins (HSP) are a large family of peptide proteins that are widely found in cells. Studies have shown that the expression and function of HSPs in cells are very complex, and they can participate in cellular physiological and pathological processes through multiple pathways. Multiple heat shock proteins are associated with cancer cell growth, proliferation, metastasis, and resistance to anticancer drugs, and they play a key role in cancer development by ensuring the correct folding or degradation of proteins in cancer cells. As research hotspots, HSP90, HSP70 and HSP27 have been extensively studied in cancer so far. However, HSP20, also referred to as HSPB6, as a member of the small heat shock protein family, has been shown to play an important role in the cardiovascular system, but little research has been conducted on HSP20 in cancer. This review summarizes the current cellular functions of HSP20 in different cancer types, as well as its effects on cancer proliferation, progression, prognosis, and its other functions in cancer, to illustrate the close association between HSP20 and cancer. We show that, unlike most HSPs, HSP20 mainly plays an active anticancer role in cancer development, which is expected to provide new ideas and help for cancer diagnosis and treatment and research.

Prospective cohort study of parathyroid function and quality of life after total thyroidectomy for thyroid cancer: robotic surgery vs. open surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To compare robot-assisted thyroidectomy (RT) and open thyroidectomy (OT) through a prospective cohort study focusing on the rate of postoperative hypoparathyroidism, efficacy, and quality of life (QoL). SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Hypoparathyroidism is a frequent complication after thyroidectomy. Reducing the risk of hypoparathyroidism after total thyroidectomy is a crucial and difficult task for thyroid surgeons. METHODS: We prospectively enroled 306 patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma into an RT group and OT group. The former used "super-meticulous" capsular dissection) and the latter used traditional meticulous capsular dissection. Patients were evaluated by scales [Short Form (SF)-36, Visual Impairment Scale (VIS), Swallowing Impairment Scale (SIS), Neck Impairment Scale (NIS), Scar questionnaire (SCAR-Q)]. RESULTS: The rates of transient hypoparathyroidism, permanent hypoparathyroidism, and transient hypocalcemia after surgery in the OT group and RT group were significantly different ( P <0.001). SIS and VIS scores in the two groups were significantly different ( P <0.001). SF-36 showed significant differences ( P <0.001) in the subsections of "physiological function", "body pain", "general health", "vitality", "social function", "role emotional", and "mental health" between the two groups. SCAR-Q showed that the length and appearance of scars showed significant differences between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: RT with Super-meticulous capsular dissection can protect parathyroid function and improve postoperative QoL, and could be a new option for robot-assisted surgery against thyroid cancer.

Study on the removal and degradation mechanism of microcystin-LR by the UV/Fenton system.

Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) is highly hepatotoxic and potentially carcinogenic to humans. Therefore, removing MC-LR from water bodies is of paramount importance. This study aimed to investigate the removal efficacy of the UV/Fenton system on MC-LR from copper-green microcystin and to explore its degradation mechanism in simulated real algae-containing wastewater. The results showed that at an initial concentration of 5 µg·L-1, a combination of 300 µmol·L-1 H2O2, 125 µmol·L-1 FeSO4, and 5 min of UV irradiation under average radiation intensity of 48 µW·cm-2 resulted in a removal efficiency of 90.65 % for MC-LR. The reduction of extracellular soluble microbial metabolites of Microcystis aeruginosa confirmed the UV/Fenton method's degradation efficiency for MC-LR, while the observation of the functional group CH and OCO in the treatment group indicated effective binding sites in the coagulation process. However, the presence of humic substances in algal organic matter (AOM) and some proteins and polysaccharides in the algal cell suspension competed with MC-LR for HO·, resulting in a decreased removal effect (78.36 %) in simulated actual algae-containing wastewater. These quantitative results provide an experimental basis and theoretical foundation for controlling cyanobacterial water blooms and ensuring drinking water quality safety.

Proteomic analysis of foot ulcer tissue reveals novel potential therapeutic targets of wound healing in diabetic foot ulcers.

Foot ulcers are a common complication of diabetes mellitus, which is associated with high morbidity and mortality among diabetic patients. The present study aims to investigate novel wound healing pathways in diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) through proteomics and a network pharmacology analysis. Tandem mass tag (TMT) labeled quantitative proteomics method was performed to evaluate the protein expression profile in wound tissues from healthy controls (HC) and DFU. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes (KEGG) and Genomes enrichment analysis (GO) was conducted based on differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) to discover the potential pathways associated with DFU. Western blot analysis was used to confirm the probable DFU-related targets. Proteomics analysis discovered 509 DEPs (248 upregulated and 261 downregulated proteins). Go and KEGG further evaluated the DEPs to discover the DFU-related pathways. According to network pharmacology study, three main targets (metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9), Fatty acid-binding protein 5 (FABP5), and integrin subunit alpha M (ITGAM)) play crucial roles in signaling pathways. Staphylococcus aureus infection and leukocyte transendothelial migration pathways significantly enriched in DFU. In addition, it was confirmed that three critical targets were elevated in diabetes mouse wound tissues. The study confirmed the presence of protein alterations in the wound-healing process of DFU mice and may provide fresh insights into the molecular mechanisms driving DFU.

Regio- and Diastereoselective Radical Hydroboration of N-Aryl Enamine Carboxylates for the Synthesis of anti-ß-Amino Organoborons.

The regio- and diastereoselective hydroboration of N-aryl enamine carboxylates was achieved by dichloro-substituted N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-boryl radical to access the valuable anti-ß-amino boron skeleton. Excellent diastereoselectivity (>95:5 dr) was obtained using dichloro-NHC-BH3 (boryl radical precursor) and the thiol catalyst. Broad substrate scope and good functional group tolerance were demonstrated. Further transformation of the product to amino alcohol exemplified the synthetic utility of this reaction.

The Study of Optimal Adsorption Conditions of Phosphate on Fe-Modified Biochar by Response Surface Methodology.

A batch of Fe-modified biochars MS (for soybean straw), MR (for rape straw), and MP (for peanut shell) were prepared by impregnating biochars pyrolyzed from three different raw biomass materials, i.e., peanut shell, soybean straw, and rape straw, with FeCl3 solution in different Fe/C impregnation ratios (0, 0.112, 0.224, 0.448, 0.560, 0.672, and 0.896) in this research. Their characteristics (pH, porosities, surface morphologies, crystal structures, and interfacial chemical behaviors) and phosphate adsorption capacities and mechanisms were evaluated. The optimization of their phosphate removal efficiency (Y%) was analyzed using the response surface method. Our results indicated that MR, MP, and MS showed their best phosphate adsorption capacity at Fe/C ratios of 0.672, 0.672, and 0.560, respectively. Rapid phosphate removal was observed within the first few minutes and the equilibrium was attained by 12 h in all treatment. The optimal conditions for phosphorus removal were pH = 7.0, initial phosphate concentration = 132.64 mg L-1, and ambient temperature = 25 °C, where the Y% values were 97.76, 90.23, and 86.23% of MS, MP, and MR, respectively. Among the three biochars, the maximum phosphate removal efficiency determined was 97.80%. The phosphate adsorption process of three modified biochars followed a pseudo-second-order adsorption kinetic model, indicating monolayer adsorption based on electrostatic adsorption or ion exchange. Thus, this study clarified the mechanism of phosphate adsorption by three Fe-modified biochar composites, which present as low-cost soil conditioners for rapid and sustainable phosphate removal.

Effects of Packaging Materials on Structural and Simulated Digestive Characteristics of Walnut Protein during Accelerated Storage.

Walnuts are rich in fat and proteins that become oxidized during the processing and storage conditions of their kernels. In this study, the effect of three packaging materials (e.g., polyethylene sealed packaging, polyamide/polyethylene vacuum packaging, and polyethylene terephthalate/aluminum foil/polyethylene vacuum packaging) were investigated on the oxidation, structural and digestive properties of walnut kernel proteins. Results showed that the amino acid content gradually decreased and carbonyl derivatives and dityrosine were formed during storage. The protein molecule structure became disordered as the α-helix decreased and the random coil increased. The endogenous fluorescence intensity decreased and the maximum fluorescence value was blue-shifted. After 15 days of storage, surface hydrophobicity decreased, while SDS-PAGE and HPLC indicated the formation of large protein aggregates, leading to a reduction in solubility. By simulating gastrointestinal digestion, we found that oxidation adversely affected the digestive properties of walnut protein isolate and protein digestibility was best for polyethylene terephthalate/aluminum foil/polyethylene vacuum packaging. The degree of protein oxidation in walnuts increased during storage, which showed that except for fat oxidation, the effect of protein oxidation on quality should be considered. The results of the study provided new ideas and methods for walnut quality control.

Photoinduced Strain in Organometal Halide Perovskites.

There is a lack of fundamental understanding of mechano-electro-optical multifield coupling for organometallic halide perovskites (OHPs). In this study, the effect of light irradiation on OHPs' mechanical properties was investigated by atomic force microscopy. In the dark, an MAPbI3 film was dominated by grains with a Young's modulus of approximately 5.94 GPa, which decreased to 2.97 GPa under light illumination. The photoinduced strain distribution within the polycrystalline MAPbI3 film was not uniform, and the maximum strain generated inside individual grains was 5.8%. Furthermore, the illumination-induced strain promoted the formation of ferroelastic domains. The Young's modulus of one domain increased from 8.99 to 25.27 GPa, whereas the Young's modulus of an adjacent domain decreased from 14.9 to 1.30 GPa. According to the density-functional-theory calculations, the observed photoinduced strain-promoted variations in mechanical properties were caused by the reversible migration of MA+ cations. These findings can help establish the relationship among the mechanical-chemical-optoelectronic characteristics of OHPs.

Effects of Amylopectins from Five Different Sources on Disulfide Bond Formation in Alkali-Soluble Glutenin.

Wheat, maize, cassava, mung bean and sweet potato starches have often been added to dough systems to improve their hardness. However, inconsistent effects of these starches on the dough quality have been reported, especially in refrigerated dough. The disulfide bond contents of alkali-soluble glutenin (ASG) have direct effects on the hardness of dough. In this paper, the disulfide bond contents of ASG were determined. ASG was mixed and retrograded with five kinds of amylopectins from the above-mentioned botanical sources, and a possible pathway of disulfide bond formation in ASGs by amylopectin addition was proposed through molecular weight, chain length distribution, FT-IR, 13C solid-state NMR and XRD analyses. The results showed that when wheat, maize, cassava, mung bean and sweet potato amylopectins were mixed with ASG, the disulfide bond contents of alkali-soluble glutenin increased from 0.04 to 0.31, 0.24, 0.08, 0.18 and 0.29 µmol/g, respectively. However, after cold storage, they changed to 0.55, 0.16, 0.26, 0.07 and 0.19 µmol/g, respectively. The addition of wheat amylopectin promoted the most significant disulfide bond formation of ASG. Hydroxyproline only existed in the wheat amylopectin, indicating that it had an important effect on the disulfide bond formation of ASG. Glutathione disulfides were present, as mung bean and sweet potato amylopectin were mixed with ASG, and they were reduced during cold storage. Positive/negative correlations between the peak intensity of the angles at 2θ = 20°/23° and the disulfide bond contents of ASG existed. The high content of hydroxyproline could be used as a marker for breeding high-quality wheat.

High mobility group box 1 derived mainly from platelet microparticles exacerbates microvascular obstruction in no reflow.

INTRODUCTION: No reflow manifests coronary microvascular injury caused by continuous severe myocardial ischemia and reperfusion. Microvascular obstruction (MVO) has emerged as one fundamental mechanism of no reflow. However, the underlying pathophysiology remains incompletely defined. Herein, we explore the contribution of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), derived mainly from platelet microparticles exacerbating MVO in no reflow. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 44 STEMI patients undergoing successful primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were included in our study. Plasma HMGB1 levels in both the peripheral artery (PA) and infarct-related coronary artery (IRA) were measured by ELISA. Flow cytometry and confocal microscopy assessed the level of HMGB1+ platelet derived microparticles (PMPs) and platelet activation. Flow cytometry and western blot evaluated the procoagulant activity (PCA) and the release of inflammatory factors of human microvascular endothelial cells (HCEMCs). RESULTS: HMGB1 levels were significantly higher in the IRA in no-reflow patients. The levels of HMGB1+ PMPs were considerably higher in the IRA of patients with no reflow and were strongly associated with platelet activation. Moreover, our results show that HMGB1 interacts with human microvascular endothelial cells primarily through TLR4, inducing HCMEC proinflammatory, procoagulant phenotype, and monocyte recruitment, accelerating microvascular obstruction and facilitating the development of no reflow. CONCLUSION: Our results illustrate a novel mechanism by which HMGB1, derived mainly from PMPs, plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of no-reflow, revealing a novel therapeutic target.

Microneedle-Assisted Transdermal Delivery of 2D Bimetallic Metal-Organic Framework Nanosheet-Based Cascade Biocatalysts for Enhanced Catalytic Therapy of Melanoma.

Current conventional treatments for malignant melanoma still face limitations, especially low therapeutic efficacy and serious side effects, and more effective strategies are urgently needed to develop them. Delivering biocatalysts into tumors to efficiently trigger in situ cascade reactions has shown huge potential in producing more therapeutic species or generating stronger tumoricidal effects for augmented tumor therapy. Recently, ultrathin 2D metal-organic framework (MOF) nanosheets have acquired great interest in biocatalysis owing to their large surface areas and abundant accessible active catalytic sites. Herein, an enhanced catalytic therapeutic strategy against melanoma is developed by biocompatible microneedle (MN)-assisted transdermal delivery of a 2D bimetallic MOF nanosheet-based cascade biocatalyst (Cu-TCPP(Fe)@GOD). Profiting from the constructed dissolving MN system, the loaded Cu-TCPP(Fe)@GOD hybrid nanosheets can be accurately delivered into the melanoma sites through skin barriers, and subsequently, trigger the specific cascade catalytic reactions in response to the acidic tumor microenvironment to effectively generate highly toxic hydroxyl radical (• OH) and deplete glucose nutrient for inducing the death of melanoma cells. The ultimate results prove the high melanoma inhibition effect and biosafety of such therapeutic modality, exhibiting a new and promising strategy to conquer malignant melanoma.

Effect of Oxidative Modification by Peroxyl Radical on the Characterization and Identification of Oxidative Aggregates and In Vitro Digestion Products of Walnut (Juglans regia L.) Protein Isolates.

Walnut protein is a key plant protein resource due to its high nutritional value, but walnuts are prone to oxidation during storage and processing. This article explored the oxidative modification and digestion mechanism of walnut protein isolates by peroxyl radical and obtained new findings. SDS-PAGE and spectral analysis were used to identify structural changes in the protein after oxidative modification, and LC-MS/MS was used to identify the digestion products. The findings demonstrated that as the AAPH concentration increased, protein carbonyl content increased from 2.36 to 5.12 nmol/mg, while free sulfhydryl content, free amino content, and surface hydrophobicity decreased from 4.30 nmol/mg, 1.47 µmol/mg, and 167.92 to 1.72 nmol/mg, 1.13 µmol/mg, and 40.93 nmol/mg, respectively. Furthermore, the result of Tricine-SDS-PAGE in vitro digestion revealed that protein oxidation could cause gastric digestion resistance and a tendency for intestinal digestion promotion. Carbonyl content increased dramatically during the early stages of gastric digestion and again after 90 min of intestine digestion, and LC-MS/MS identified the last digestive products of the stomach and intestine as essential seed storage proteins. Oxidation causes walnut proteins to form aggregates, which are then re-oxidized during digestion, and proper oxidative modification may benefit intestinal digestion.

Research progress in digital pathology: A bibliometric and visual analysis based on Web of Science.

BACKGROUND: The development of whole slide image and deep neural network technologies has contributed to the paradigm shift in diagnostic pathology and has received much attention from researchers, with related publications increasing yearly and "exploding" in recent years. However, few studies have systematically reviewed "digital pathology" using bibliometric tools. In this study, we will use multiple approaches to visualize and analyze "digital pathology" to provide a comprehensive and objective picture of the field's historical evolution and future development. METHODS: We use VOSviewer, CiteSpace, Gephi, and R to analyze the authors, institutional and national collaboration networks, keyword co-occurrence, and co-citation analysis to visualize the current status of global digital pathology research. RESULTS: Digital pathology-related research is mainly active in "molecular, biological, and immunology" journal groups, "pharmaceutical, medical, and clinical" journal groups, and "psychology, education, and health" journal groups; in addition to "digital pathology," "diagnosis," "deep learning," "histopathology," and "surgical pathology" are also active research topics; the U.S. has significant research results in digital pathology, with the top 10 publishing institutions all coming from the U.S. In the past two decades, global digital pathology-related research can be divided into two major research areas. One is about system verification and optimization of WSI, and the other is about the application and development of artificial intelligence technology in digital pathology. Among them, based on the development of computer technology and the update of the machine learning concept, the research results for deep neural network technologies have been more concentrated in recent years. The robust performance of deep neural networks in feature extraction and image analysis provides a new research direction for improving digital pathology-aided diagnosis systems, which is where the research hotspots have been in recent years. CONCLUSIONS: The bibliometric analysis may help better understand the current status of research within the field of digital pathology and provide references and lessons for future related research.

De novo full length transcriptome analysis and gene expression profiling to identify genes involved in phenylethanol glycosides biosynthesis in Cistanche tubulosa.

BACKGROUND: The dried stem of Cistanche, is a famous Chinese traditional medicine. The main active pharmacodynamic components are phenylethanol glycosides (PhGs). Cistanche tubulosa produces higher level of PhGs in its stems than that of Cistanche deserticola. However, the key genes in the PhGs biosynthesis pathway is not clear in C. tubulosa. RESULTS: In this study, we performed the full-length transcriptome sequencing and gene expression profiling of C. tubulosa using PacBio combined with BGISEQ-500 RNA-seq technology. Totally, 237,772 unique transcripts were obtained, ranging from 199 bp to 31,857 bp. Among the unique transcripts, 188,135 (79.12%) transcripts were annotated. Interestingly, 1080 transcripts were annotated as 22 enzymes related to PhGs biosynthesis. We measured the content of echinacoside, acteoside and total PhGs at two development stages, and found that the content of PhGs was 46.74% of dry matter in young fleshy stem (YS1) and then decreased to 31.22% at the harvest stage (HS2). To compare with YS1, 13,631 genes were up-regulated, and 15,521 genes were down regulated in HS2. Many differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified to be involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway, phenylalanine metabolism pathway, and tyrosine metabolism pathway. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of transcriptome study of C. tubulosa which provided the foundation for understanding of PhGs biosynthesis. Based on these results, we proposed a potential model for PhGs biosynthesis in C. tubulosa.

Chiral Lead-Free Double Perovskite Single-Crystalline Microwire Arrays for Anisotropic Second-Harmonic Generation.

Halide double perovskites present a new branch for versatile optoelectronic devices because of their huge structural compatibility and environmental friendliness, whereas nonlinear optics (NLO) devices remain blank for this fascinating family. Simultaneously, the precise patterning of single-crystalline perovskite microwire arrays remains a challenge for the integration of NLO devices. Herein, we designed lead-free chiral 2D double perovskites with the nonsymmetrical structure presenting second-harmonic generation (SHG). Furthermore, perovskite single-crystalline arrays with regulated geometry, pure orientation, and high crystallinity are prepared using the capillary-bridge confined assembly technique. The efficient SHG originates from the asymmetric crystal structure and high crystallinity of the microwire arrays. Compared with their polycrystalline thin-film counterparts, linearly polarized SHG and a higher SHG conversion efficiency are demonstrated based on microwire arrays. The results not only expand the applications of lead-free double perovskites in the NLO-integrated fields but also provide a viable way for lead-free optoelectronic devices.