Novel Dry Spinning Process of Natural Macromolecules for Sustainable Fiber Material -1- Proof of the Concept Using Silk Fibroin.

Researchers around the world are developing technologies to minimize carbon dioxide emissions or carbon neutrality in various fields. In this study, the dry spinning of regenerated silk fibroin (RSF) was achieved as a proof of concept for a process using ionic liquids as dissolution aids and plasticizers in developing natural polymeric materials. A dry spinning equipment system combining a stainless-steel syringe and a brushless motor was built to generate fiber compacts from a dope of silk fibroin obtained by degumming silkworm silk cocoons and ionic liquid 1-hexyl-3-methyl-imidazolium chloride ([HMIM][Cl]) according to a general method. The maximum stress and maximum elongation of the RSF fibers were 159.9 MPa and 31.5%, respectively. RSF fibers containing ionic liquids have a homogeneous internal structure according to morphological investigations. Elemental analysis of fiber cross sections revealed the homogeneous distribution of nonvolatile ionic liquid [HMIM][Cl] in RSF fibers. Furthermore, the removal of ionic liquids from RSF fibers through impregnation washing with organic solvents was verified to enhance industrial applications. Tensile testing showed that the fiber strength could be maintained even after removing the ionic liquid. Thermogravimetric analysis results show that the organic solvent 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol is chemically coordinated to silk fibroin and, as a natural polymer, can withstand heat up to 250 °C.

In Situ Surface-Initiated Atom-Transfer Radical Polymerization Utilizing the Nonvolatile Nature of Ionic Liquids: A First Attempt.

In this paper, in situ surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) based on both an open and a coated system, without using volatile reagents, was developed to overcome the limited usage of ATRP due to the necessity of sealing. Nonvolatile ionic liquid (IL)-type components were used, specifically N,N-diethyl-N-(2-methacryloylethyl)-N-methylammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide as the polymerizable monomer and N,N-diethylmethyl(2-methoxyethyl)ammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide as the polymerization solvent. In the experiment, the reversible-deactivation radical polymerization characteristics are properly ensured in nonvolatile ATRP solution coated on silicon wafer as thin liquid film, to form concentrated polymer brushes (CPBs). The average molecular weight and molecular-weight distribution of the polymer produced in the liquid film and formed on silicon wafer were measured by gel permeation chromatography, which confirms that the polymerization reaction occurred as designed. Furthermore, it is clarified that the surface of the polymer brush synthesized in situ swollen by IL also exhibited low friction characteristics, comparable to that synthesized in a typical immersion process. This paper is the first to establish the effectiveness of in situ preparation for CPBs by using the coating technique.

Activin E Controls Energy Homeostasis in Both Brown and White Adipose Tissues as a Hepatokine.

Brown adipocyte activation or beige adipocyte emergence in white adipose tissue (WAT) increases energy expenditure, leading to a reduction in body fat mass and improved glucose metabolism. We found that activin E functions as a hepatokine that enhances thermogenesis in response to cold exposure through beige adipocyte emergence in inguinal WAT (ingWAT). Hepatic activin E overexpression activated thermogenesis through Ucp1 upregulation in ingWAT and other adipose tissues including interscapular brown adipose tissue and mesenteric WAT. Hepatic activin E-transgenic mice exhibited improved insulin sensitivity. Inhibin ßE gene silencing inhibited cold-induced Ucp1 induction in ingWAT. Furthermore, in vitro experiments suggested that activin E directly stimulated expression of Ucp1 and Fgf21, which was mediated by transforming growth factor-ß or activin type I receptors. We uncovered a function of activin E to stimulate energy expenditure through brown and beige adipocyte activation, suggesting a possible preventive or therapeutic target for obesity.

Extracts of black and brown rice powders improve hepatic lipid accumulation via the activation of PPARα in obese and diabetic model mice.

Rice powder extract (RPE) from black and brown rice (Oryza sativa L. indica) improves hepatic lipid accumulation in obese and diabetic model mice via peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation. RPE showed PPARα agonistic activity which did not differ between black and brown RPE despite a higher anthocyanin content in black RPE.

Lgr4 controls specialization of female gonads in mice.

Leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 4 (Lgr4) is a type of membrane receptor with a seven-transmembrane structure. LGR4 is homologous to gonadotropin receptors, such as follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (Fshr) and luteinizing hormone/choriogonadotropin receptor (Lhcgr). Recently, it has been reported that Lgr4 is a membrane receptor for R-spondin ligands, which mediate Wnt/beta-catenin signaling. Defects of R-spondin homolog (Rspo1) and wingless-type MMTV integration site family, member 4 (Wnt4) cause masculinization of female gonads. We observed that Lgr4(-/-) female mice show abnormal development of the Wolffian ducts and somatic cells similar to that in the male gonads. Lgr4(-/-) female mice exhibited masculinization similar to that observed in Rspo1-deficient mice. In Lgr4(-/-) ovarian somatic cells, the expression levels of lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1 (Lefl) and Axin2 (Axin2), which are target genes of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling, were lower than they were in wild-type mice. This study suggests that Lgr4 is critical for ovarian somatic cell specialization via the cooperative signaling of Rspo1 and Wnt/beta-catenin.

Can Edman degradation be used for quantification? Isotope-dilution liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry and the long-term stability of 20 phenylthiohydantoin-amino acids.

Edman degradation is a well-known method for obtaining amino acid (AA) sequences from a peptide by means of sequential reactions that release the N-terminal AAs from the peptide as a phenylthiohydantoin (PTH) derivative. Because of unexpected loss during the reaction and handling, there are few reports of use of this reaction for quantification. This manuscript describes the development of isotope-dilution liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry for 20 PTH-AA derivatives, and long-term stability testing of PTH-AAs to ensure quantitative quality in the reaction. The 20 corresponding [(13)C6]-PTH-AAs were prepared by use of a one-pot reaction involving a mixture of [(13)C6]-Edman reagent and 20 AAs. Good linearity was observed for standard curves for the PTH-AAs, using the corresponding [(13)C6]-PTH-AAs as internal standards (1-100 pmol per injection, r(2) = 0.989-1.000). Serum albumin (human), pepsin (porcine stomach mucosa), α-casein (bovine milk), ribonuclease A (bovine), lysozyme (chicken egg white), and insulin (bovine) subjected to Edman degradation were examined as model proteins and peptides for N-terminal AA analysis. The results of the impurity test were satisfactory. Yield from the entire reaction with human serum albumin was estimated to be at least 75%, indicating great potential for absolute quantification of proteins without protein standards.

Combining [13C6]-phenylisothiocyanate and the Edman degradation reaction: a possible breakthrough for absolute quantitative proteomics together with protein identification.

This manuscript describes the results of a preliminary experiment performed as 'proof of concept' of a novel approach to absolute quantitation of proteins without the use of standard proteins. Absolute quantitation remains a challenging issue in the proteomics field. Therefore, we propose a combination of [(13)C(6)]-phenylisothiocyanate (PITC) and the Edman degradation reaction as a possible breakthrough. [(13)C(6)]-PITC was synthesized from [(13)C(6)]-aniline with O,O'-di-2-pyridyl thiocarbonate to prepare [(13)C(6)]-phenylthiohydantoin (PTH)-amino acids as internal standards. Upon the Edman degradation reaction, it has been confirmed that a model protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA), releases the N-terminal amino acid quantitatively as PTH-Asp. The standard curve of PTH-Asp against [(13)C(6)]-PTH-Asp showed good linearity (r(2) = 0.9977). BSA could be quantified as PTH-Asp using the standard curve. In addition, the residual des-Asp(1)-BSA provided sufficient information for further protein identification.