Global fungal-host interactome mapping identifies host targets of candidalysin.

Candidalysin, a cytolytic peptide toxin secreted by the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans, is critical for fungal pathogenesis. Yet, its intracellular targets have not been extensively mapped. Here, we performed a high-throughput enhanced yeast two-hybrid (HT-eY2H) screen to map the interactome of all eight Ece1 peptides with their direct human protein targets and identified a list of potential interacting proteins, some of which were shared between the peptides. CCNH, a regulatory subunit of the CDK-activating kinase (CAK) complex involved in DNA damage repair, was identified as one of the host targets of candidalysin. Mechanistic studies revealed that candidalysin triggers a significantly increased double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs), as evidenced by the formation of γ-H2AX foci and colocalization of CCNH and γ-H2AX. Importantly, candidalysin binds directly to CCNH to activate CAK to inhibit DNA damage repair pathway. Loss of CCNH alleviates DSBs formation under candidalysin treatment. Depletion of candidalysin-encoding gene fails to induce DSBs and stimulates CCNH upregulation in a murine model of oropharyngeal candidiasis. Collectively, our study reveals that a secreted fungal toxin acts to hijack the canonical DNA damage repair pathway by targeting CCNH and to promote fungal infection.

Macroscale Superlubricity of Hydrated Anions in the Boundary Lubrication Regime.

Cations can achieve excellent hydration lubrication at smooth interfaces under both microscale and macroscale conditions due to the boundary layer composed of hydration shells surrounding charges, but what about anions? Commonly used friction pairs are negatively charged at the solid/solution interface. Achieving anionic adsorption through constructing positively charged surfaces is a prerequisite for studying the hydration lubrication of anions. Here we report the hydration layer composed of anions adsorbed on the positively charged polymer/sapphire interface at acidic electrolyte solutions with pH below the isoelectric point, which contributes to the hydration lubrication of anions. Strongly hydrated anions (for the case of SO42-) exhibit stable superlubricity comparable to cations, with strikingly low boundary friction coefficient of 0.003-0.007 under contact pressures above 15 MPa without a running-in period. The hydration lubrication performance of anions is determined by both the ionic hydration strength and ion adsorption density based on the surface potential and tribological experiments. The results shed light on the role of anions in superlubricity and hydration lubrication, which may be relevant for understanding the lubrication mechanism and improving lubrication performance in acidic environments, for example, in acid pumps, sealing rings of compressors for handling acidic media, and processing devices of nuclear waste.

A novel microRNA-182/Interleukin-8 regulatory axis controls osteolytic bone metastasis of lung cancer.

Bone metastasis is one of the main complications of lung cancer and most important factors that lead to poor life quality and low survival rate in lung cancer patients. However, the regulatory mechanisms underlying lung cancer bone metastasis are still poor understood. Here, we report that microRNA-182 (miR-182) plays a critical role in regulating osteoclastic metastasis of lung cancer cells. We found that miR-182 was significantly upregulated in both bone-metastatic human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell line and tumor specimens. We further demonstrated that miR-182 markedly enhanced the ability of NSCLC cells for osteolytic bone metastasis in nude mice. Mechanistically, miR-182 promotes NSCLC cells to secrete Interleukin-8 (IL-8) and in turn facilitates osteoclastogenesis via activating STAT3 signaling in osteoclast progenitor cells. Importantly, systemically delivered IL-8 neutralizing antibody inhibits NSCLC bone metastasis in nude mice. Collectively, our findings identify the miR-182/IL-8/STAT3 axis as a key regulatory pathway in controlling lung cancer cell-induced osteolytic bone metastasis and suggest a promising therapeutic strategy that targets this regulatory axis to interrupt lung cancer bone metastasis.

Comparative analysis of QS3D versus droplet digital PCR for quantitative measures of EGFR T790M mutation from identical plasma.

Objectives: The capacity of QuantStudio™ 3D (QS3D) and droplet digital PCR (dPCR) for the detection of plasma Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) mutations have been widely reported. Few comparative studies on the quantitative test of the identical DNA material, however, are carried out. Here we compared the performance of the two methods in detecting EGFR T790M mutation in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from the same lung cancer patients. Methods: We recruited 72 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who initially respond to tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment but subsequently developed resistance. Two tubes of 10mL anticoagulant blood were collected and cfDNA was isolated from plasma. Identical cfDNA samples were analyzed for T790M mutation using QS3D and droplet dPCR in parallel. Results: T790M mutation was detected in 15 and 21 cfDNA samples by QS3D and droplet digital PCR, respectively. The 6 discordant samples showed low mutation abundance (∼0.1%) and the discrepancy is caused by the stricter threshold settings for QS3D dPCR. The overall agreement between the two methods was 91.7% (66/72). The median allele frequencies for QS3D dPCR and droplet dPCR to detect T790M mutation was 2.01% and 2.62%, respectively. There was no significance in mutation abundance detected by both methods. Both methods are highly correlated with allele frequencies and copy numbers in T790M wild type and mutant, with R2 of 0.98, 0.92 and 0.95, respectively. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that QS3D dPCR are highly consistent with droplet PCR for quantitative determination of EGFR T790M mutation in plasma cfDNA.

Integrative Serum Metabolic Fingerprints Based Multi-Modal Platforms for Lung Adenocarcinoma Early Detection and Pulmonary Nodule Classification.

Identification of novel non-invasive biomarkers is critical for the early diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), especially for the accurate classification of pulmonary nodule. Here, a multiplexed assay is developed on an optimized nanoparticle-based laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry platform for the sensitive and selective detection of serum metabolic fingerprints (SMFs). Integrative SMFs based multi-modal platforms are constructed for the early detection of LUAD and the classification of pulmonary nodule. The dual modal model, metabolic fingerprints with protein tumor marker neural network (MP-NN), integrating SMFs with protein tumor marker carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) via deep learning, shows superior performance compared with the single modal model Met-NN (p < 0.001). Based on MP-NN, the tri modal model MPI-RF integrating SMFs, tumor marker CEA, and image features via random forest demonstrates significantly higher performance than the clinical models (Mayo Clinic and Veterans Affairs) and the image artificial intelligence in pulmonary nodule classification (p < 0.001). The developed platforms would be promising tools for LUAD screening and pulmonary nodule management, paving the conceptual and practical foundation for the clinical application of omics tools.

Mycobiome Dysbiosis in Women with Intrauterine Adhesions.

The vaginal microbiota dysbiosis is closely associated with the development of reproductive diseases. However, the contribution of mycobiome to intrauterine adhesion (IUA) disease remains unknown. Harnessing 16S and ITS2 rDNA sequencing analysis, we investigate both bacterial and fungal microbiota compositions across 174 samples taken from both cervical canal (CC) and middle vagina (MV) sites of IUA patients. Overall, there is no significant difference in microbial diversity between healthy subjects (HS) and IUA patients. However, we observe the IUA-specific bacterial alterations such as increased Dialister and decreased Bifidobacterium and enriched fungal genera like increased Filobasidium and Exophiala. Moreover, site-specific fungal-bacterial correlation networks are discovered in both CC and MV samples of IUA patients. Mechanistic investigation shows that Candida parapsilosis, other than Candida albicans and Candida maltosa, prevents the exacerbation of inflammatory activities and fibrosis, and modulates bacterial microbiota during IUA progression in a rat model of IUA. Our study thus highlights the importance of mycobiota in IUA progression, which may facilitate the development of therapeutic target for IUA prevention. IMPORTANCE Intrauterine adhesion (IUA) often leads to hypomenorrhea, amenorrhea, repeat miscarriages, and infertility. It has been prevalent over the last few decades in up to 13% of women who experience pregnancy termination during the first trimester, and 30% of women undergo dilation and curettage after a late, spontaneous abortion. However, the pathogenesis of IUA remains unclear. Despite reports of microbiota dysbiosis during IUA progression, there is little information on the effect of fungal microbiota on the development of IUA. This study not only enhances our understanding of the mycobiome in IUA patients but also provides potential intervention strategies for prevention of IUA by targeting mycobiome.

Extending growth inhibition during area-selective atomic layer deposition of Al2O3 on aminosilane-functionalized SiO2.

During area-selective atomic layer deposition (ALD) based on growth inhibitors, nucleation eventually occurs as the metal precursor reacts with the surface through secondary pathways. We show that ALD of Al2O3 on functionalized SiO2 can be significantly delayed by using a lower reactivity, heteroleptic precursor at well below the saturation dose.

Functionalization of the SiO2 Surface with Aminosilanes to Enable Area-Selective Atomic Layer Deposition of Al2O3.

Small-molecule inhibitors are promising for achieving area-selective atomic layer deposition (ALD) due to their excellent compatibility with industrial processes. In this work, we report on growth inhibition during ALD of Al2O3 on a SiO2 surface functionalized with small-molecule aminosilane inhibitors. The SiO2 surface was prefunctionalized with bis(dimethylamino)dimethylsilane (BDMADMS) and (N,N-dimethylamino)trimethylsilane (DMATMS) through solution and the vapor phase. ALD of Al2O3 using dimethylaluminum isopropoxide (DMAI) and H2O was performed on these functionalized SiO2 surfaces. Our in situ four-wavelength ellipsometry measurements show superior growth inhibition when using BDMADMS and DMATMS in sequence over just using BDMADMS or DMATMS. Vapor phase functionalization provided a growth delay of ∼30 ALD cycles, which was similar to solution-based functionalization. Using in situ attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, we show that the interaction of DMAI with SiO2 surfaces leads to pronounced changes in absorbance for the Si-O-Si phonon mode without any detectable DMAI absorbed on the SiO2 surface. Detailed analysis of the infrared spectra revealed that the decrease in absorbance was likely caused by the coordination of Al in DMAI to O atoms in surface Si-O-Si bonds without the breaking the Si-O-Si bonds. Finally, we postulate that a minimal amount of DMAI remains adsorbed on surface Si-O-Si bonds even after purging, which can initiate ALD of Al2O3 on functionalized SiO2: this highlights the need for higher surface coverage for enhanced steric blocking.

Effect of Powder on Tribological and Electrochemical Properties of Nylon 66 and Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene in Water and Seawater Environments.

Polymer materials are used increasingly in marine machinery and equipment; their tribological properties and effect on the water environment have garnered significant attention. We investigate the effect of water or seawater environment containing powder on tribology and electrochemistry of polymer materials. A friction test involving nylon 66 (PA66) and an ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) pin-disc (aluminum alloy) is performed in seawater or water with/without polymer powder, and the solution is analyzed electrochemically. The results show that the tribological properties of the UHMWPE improved by adding the powder to the solution, whereas the PA66 powder demonstrates abrasive wear in a pure water environment, which elucidates that the synergistic effect of powder and seawater on UHMWPE reduces the wear, and the synergistic effect of pure water and powder aggravates the wear. The results of electrochemical experiments show that after adding powder in the friction and wear tests, the powder can protect the pin by forming a physical barrier on the surface and reducing corrosion, and the changes are more obvious in seawater with powder in it. Through electrochemical and tribological experiments, the synergistic effect of solution environment and powder was proved.

Performance comparison of commercial kits for isolating and detecting circulating tumor DNA.

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), a fraction of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in the circulatory system, is released from tumor cells and thus carries tumor-specific genetic signatures. Using blood-derived ctDNA to detect somatic mutations has shown great value in guiding cancer targeted therapy. Isolation and detection efficiencies are the key factors affecting the performance of ctDNA detection. To optimize and standardize our clinical practice, in this study, we analyzed the isolation efficiency of four commercial cfDNA purification kits: QIAamp circulating nucleic acid kit, AmoyDx® Circulating DNA kits, Microdiag® circulating DNA isolation kit, and MagMAX cell-free DNA isolation kit; and the detection efficiency of two mainstream domestic EGFR gene mutation detection kits: MicroDiag EGFR gene mutation detection kit and Fluorometric real-time PCR Detection Kit for the analysis of EGFR gene mutations. Reference materials and plasma samples collected from lung cancer patients and healthy volunteers were used for the analysis. Our results showed that QIAamp circulating nucleic acid kit and Microdiag® circulating DNA kit had the highest recovery rate (up to 21.25 ng/mL) for short DNA fragments of about 173 bp which is the peak length of ctDNA. For ctDNA detection, the MicroDiag® EGFR gene mutation detection kit showed the highest detection rate and sensitivity for detecting EGFR mutations at a mutant frequency of 0.5%. This work provides a reliable choice of commercial kits for the clinical application of ctDNA.

Selective Gas-Phase Functionalization of SiO2 and SiNx Surfaces with Hydrocarbons.

Selective functionalization of dielectric surfaces is required for area-selective atomic layer deposition and etching. We have identified precursors for the selective gas-phase functionalization of plasma-deposited SiO2 and SiNx surfaces with hydrocarbons. The corresponding reaction mechanism of the precursor molecules with the two surfaces was studied using in situ surface infrared spectroscopy. We show that at a substrate temperature of 70 °C, cyclic azasilanes preferentially react with an -OH-terminated SiO2 surface over a -NHx-terminated SiNx surface with an attachment selectivity of ∼5.4, which is limited by the partial oxidation of the SiNx surface. The cyclic azasilane undergoes a ring-opening reaction where the Si-N bond cleaves upon the reaction with surface -OH groups forming a Si-O-Si linkage. After ring opening, the backbone of the grafted hydrocarbon is terminated with a secondary amine, -NHCH3, which can react with water to form an -OH-terminated surface and release CH3NH2 as the product. The surface coverage of the grafted cyclic azasilane is calculated as ∼3.3 × 1014 cm-2, assuming that each reacted -OH group contributes to one hydrocarbon linkage. For selective attachment to SiNx over SiO2 surfaces, we determined the reaction selectivity of aldehydes. We demonstrate that aldehydes selectively attach to SiNx over SiO2 surfaces, and for the specific branched aliphatic aldehyde used in this work, almost no reaction was detected with the SiO2 surface. A fraction of the aldehyde molecules reacts with surface -NH2 groups to form an imine (Si-N═C) surface linker with H2O released as the byproduct. The other fraction of the aldehydes also reacts with surface -NH2 groups but do not undergo the water-elimination step and remains attached to the surface as an aminoalcohol (Si-NH-COH-). The surface coverage of the grafted aldehyde is calculated as ∼9.8 × 1014 cm-2 using a known infrared absorbance cross-section for the -C(CH3)3 groups.

Analysis of five deep-sequenced trio-genomes of the Peninsular Malaysia Orang Asli and North Borneo populations.

BACKGROUND: Recent advances in genomic technologies have facilitated genome-wide investigation of human genetic variations. However, most efforts have focused on the major populations, yet trio genomes of indigenous populations from Southeast Asia have been under-investigated. RESULTS: We analyzed the whole-genome deep sequencing data (~ 30×) of five native trios from Peninsular Malaysia and North Borneo, and characterized the genomic variants, including single nucleotide variants (SNVs), small insertions and deletions (indels) and copy number variants (CNVs). We discovered approximately 6.9 million SNVs, 1.2 million indels, and 9000 CNVs in the 15 samples, of which 2.7% SNVs, 2.3% indels and 22% CNVs were novel, implying the insufficient coverage of population diversity in existing databases. We identified a higher proportion of novel variants in the Orang Asli (OA) samples, i.e., the indigenous people from Peninsular Malaysia, than that of the North Bornean (NB) samples, likely due to more complex demographic history and long-time isolation of the OA groups. We used the pedigree information to identify de novo variants and estimated the autosomal mutation rates to be 0.81 × 10- 8 - 1.33 × 10- 8, 1.0 × 10- 9 - 2.9 × 10- 9, and ~ 0.001 per site per generation for SNVs, indels, and CNVs, respectively. The trio-genomes also allowed for haplotype phasing with high accuracy, which serves as references to the future genomic studies of OA and NB populations. In addition, high-frequency inherited CNVs specific to OA or NB were identified. One example is a 50-kb duplication in DEFA1B detected only in the Negrito trios, implying plausible effects on host defense against the exposure of diverse microbial in tropical rainforest environment of these hunter-gatherers. The CNVs shared between OA and NB groups were much fewer than those specific to each group. Nevertheless, we identified a 142-kb duplication in AMY1A in all the 15 samples, and this gene is associated with the high-starch diet. Moreover, novel insertions shared with archaic hominids were identified in our samples. CONCLUSION: Our study presents a full catalogue of the genome variants of the native Malaysian populations, which is a complement of the genome diversity in Southeast Asians. It implies specific population history of the native inhabitants, and demonstrated the necessity of more genome sequencing efforts on the multi-ethnic native groups of Malaysia and Southeast Asia.

Degradation mechanism of sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) ion exchange membranes under vanadium flow battery medium.

The degradation mechanism of hydrocarbon ion exchange membranes under vanadium flow battery (VFB) medium was investigated and clarified for the first time. This work will be highly beneficial for improving the chemical stability of hydrocarbon ion exchange membranes, which is one of the most challenging issues for VFB application.

Composite porous membranes with an ultrathin selective layer for vanadium flow batteries.

An ultrathin Nafion film was introduced onto the poly(ether sulfone) (PES)-sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) porous membranes for vanadium flow battery (VFB) application. The composite membranes showed very high ion selectivity, good stability and excellent performance (energy efficiency 86.5% at 80 mA cm(-2)) in VFB.

Membranes with well-defined ions transport channels fabricated via solvent-responsive layer-by-layer assembly method for vanadium flow battery.

In this work we presented a general strategy for the fabrication of membranes with well-defined ions transport channels through solvent-responsive layer-by-layer assembly (SR-LBL). Multilayered poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) and poly (acrylic acid) (PAA) complexes were first introduced on the inner pore wall and the surface of sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone)/poly (ether sulfone) (PES/SPEEK) nanofiltration membranes to form ions transport channels with tuned radius. This type of membranes are highly efficient for the separators of batteries especially vanadium flow batteries (VFBs): the VFBs assembled with prepared membranes exhibit an outstanding performance in a wide current density range, which is much higher than that assembled with commercial Nafion 115 membranes. This idea could inspire the development of membranes for other flow battery systems, as well as create further progress in similar areas such as fuel cells, electro-dialysis, chlor-alkali cells, water electrolysis and so on.

Anion-conductive membranes with ultralow vanadium permeability and excellent performance in vanadium flow batteries.

Anion exchange membranes prepared from quaternized poly(tetramethyl diphenyl ether sulfone) (QAPES) were first investigated in the context of vanadium flow battery (VFB) applications. The membranes showed an impressive suppression effect on vanadium ions. The recorded vanadium permeability was 0.02×10(-7)-0.09×10(-7) cm(2) min(-1), which was two orders of magnitude lower than that of Nafion 115. The self-discharge duration of a VFB single cell with a QAPES membrane is four times longer than that of Nafion 115. The morphological difference in hydrophilic domains between QAPES and Nafion was confirmed by TEM. After soaking the membranes in VO(2)(+) solution, adsorbed vanadium ions can barely be found in QAPES, whereas the hydrophilic domains of Nafion were stained. In the ex situ chemical stability test, QAPES showed a high tolerance to VO(2)(+) and remained intact after immersion in VO(2)(+) solution for over 250 h. The performance of a VFB single cell assembled with QAPES membranes is equal to or even better than that of Nafion 115 and remains stable in a long-term cycle test. These results indicate that QAPES membranes can be an ideal option in the fabrication of high-performance VFBs with low electric capacity loss.