Morphogenesis of a chiral liquid crystalline droplet with topological reconnection and Lehmann rotation.

Morphogenesis is a hierarchical phenomenon that produces various macroscopic structures in living organisms, with high reproducibility. This study demonstrates that such structural formation can also be observed in a chiral liquid crystalline droplet under a temperature gradient. Through specific control of the temperature change process, we were able to switch the final structure obtained as a result of the formation via the appearance and reconnection of loop defects in the transient state during structure formation. Simultaneously, the existence of the gradient resulted in a characteristic rotational phenomenon called Lehmann rotation, which was prominently induced in the transient state. By demonstrating three-dimensional measurements of the flow field, we revealed the existence of Marangoni convection in the state. Consequently, it is indicated that the convection results in high-speed Lehmann rotation and large structural deformation with topological changes, thereby playing a significant role in the structure formation.

Phase transitions and dynamics in ionic liquid crystals confined in nanopores.

We investigate the phase-transition behavior of ionic liquid crystals, namely 1-methyl-3-alkylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, [Cnmim]BF4, confined in cylindrical nanopores using differential scanning calorimetry, x-ray scattering, and dielectric relaxation spectroscopy. Here, n is the number of carbon atoms in the alkyl part of this ionic liquid crystal. For n = 10 and 12, the isotropic liquid phase changes to the smectic phase and then to a metastable phase for the cooling process. During the subsequent heating process, the metastable phase changes to the isotropic phase via crystalline phases. The transition temperatures for this ionic liquid crystal confined in nanopores decrease linearly with the increase in the inverse pore diameter, except for the transitions between the smectic and isotropic phases. In the metastable phase, the relaxation rate of the α-process shows the Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann type of temperature dependence for some temperature ranges. The glass transition temperature evaluated from the dynamics of the α-process decreases with the decrease in the pore diameter and increases with the increase in the carbon number n. The effect of confinement on the chain dynamics can clearly be observed for this ionic liquid crystal. For n = 10, the melting temperature of the crystalline phase is slightly higher than that of the smectic phase for the bulk, while, in the nanopores, the melting temperature of the smectic phase is higher than that of the crystalline phase. This suggests that the smectic phase can be thermodynamically stable, thanks to the confinement effect.

Interaction of ARRDC4 With GLUT1 Mediates Metabolic Stress in the Ischemic Heart.

BACKGROUND: An ancient family of arrestin-fold proteins, termed alpha-arrestins, may have conserved roles in regulating nutrient transporter trafficking and cellular metabolism as adaptor proteins. One alpha-arrestin, TXNIP (thioredoxin-interacting protein), is known to regulate myocardial glucose uptake. However, the in vivo role of the related alpha-arrestin, ARRDC4 (arrestin domain-containing protein 4), is unknown. METHODS: We first tested whether interaction with GLUTs (glucose transporters) is a conserved function of the mammalian alpha-arrestins. To define the in vivo function of ARRDC4, we generated and characterized a novel Arrdc4 knockout (KO) mouse model. We then analyzed the molecular interaction between arrestin domains and the basal GLUT1. RESULTS: ARRDC4 binds to GLUT1, induces its endocytosis, and blocks cellular glucose uptake in cardiomyocytes. Despite the closely shared protein structure, ARRDC4 and its homologue TXNIP operate by distinct molecular pathways. Unlike TXNIP, ARRDC4 does not increase oxidative stress. Instead, ARRDC4 uniquely mediates cardiomyocyte death through its effects on glucose deprivation and endoplasmic reticulum stress. At baseline, Arrdc4-KO mice have mild fasting hypoglycemia. Arrdc4-KO hearts exhibit a robust increase in myocardial glucose uptake and glycogen storage. Accordingly, deletion of Arrdc4 improves energy homeostasis during ischemia and protects cardiomyocytes against myocardial infarction. Furthermore, structure-function analyses of the interaction of ARRDC4 with GLUT1 using both scanning mutagenesis and deep-learning Artificial Intelligence identify specific residues in the C-terminal arrestin-fold domain as the interaction interface that regulates GLUT1 function, revealing a new molecular target for potential therapeutic intervention against myocardial ischemia. CONCLUSIONS: These results uncover a new mechanism of ischemic injury in which ARRDC4 drives glucose deprivation-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress leading to cardiomyocyte death. Our findings establish ARRDC4 as a new scaffold protein for GLUT1 that regulates cardiac metabolism in response to ischemia and provide insight into the therapeutic strategy for ischemic heart disease.

Marangoni convection driven by temperature gradient near an isotropic-nematic phase transition point.

Marangoni flow driven by a temperature gradient was observed near the isotropic-nematic phase transition point. By applying the gradient to a liquid crystalline material in sandwich cells, it was possible to measure the flow field near the air interface using the photobleaching method. In the isotropic phase, the direction of the observed flow was opposite to that in the nematic phase. Moreover, when the measurement was performed in the coexistence state of these phases, the flow direction depended on the coating materials of the cell substrates. These singular flow properties are explained well by the singular changes in surface tension and the shape of the air interface near the transition point.

Cardiomyocyte-specific Txnip C247S mutation improves left ventricular functional reserve in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.

Underlying molecular mechanisms for the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy remain to be determined. Long-term exposure to hyperglycemia causes oxidative stress, which leads to cardiomyocyte dysfunction. Previous studies established the importance of thioredoxin-interacting protein (Txnip) in cellular redox homeostasis and glucose metabolism. Txnip is a highly glucose-responsive molecule that interacts with the catalytic center of reduced thioredoxin and inhibits the antioxidant function of thioredoxin. Here, we show that the molecular interaction between Txnip and thioredoxin plays a pivotal role in the regulation of redox balance in the diabetic myocardium. High glucose increased Txnip expression, decreased thioredoxin activities, and caused oxidative stress in cells. The Txnip-thioredoxin complex was detected in cells with overexpressing wild-type Txnip but not Txnip cysteine 247 to serine (C247S) mutant that disrupts the intermolecular disulfide bridge. Then, diabetes was induced in cardiomyocyte-specific Txnip C247S knock-in mice and their littermate control animals by injections of streptozotocin (STZ). Prolonged hyperglycemia upregulated myocardial Txnip expression in both genotypes. The absence of Txnip's inhibition of thioredoxin in Txnip C247S mutant hearts promoted mitochondrial antioxidative capacities in cardiomyocytes, thereby protecting the heart from oxidative damage by diabetes. Stress hemodynamic analysis uncovered that Txnip C247S knock-in hearts have a greater left ventricular contractile reserve than wild-type hearts under STZ-induced diabetic conditions. These results provide novel evidence that Txnip serves as a regulator of hyperglycemia-induced cardiomyocyte toxicities through direct inhibition of thioredoxin and identify the single cysteine residue in Txnip as a therapeutic target for diabetic injuries.NEW & NORTEWORTHY Thioredoxin-interacting protein (Txnip) has been of great interest as a molecular mechanism to mediate diabetic organ damage. Here, we provide novel evidence that a single mutation of Txnip confers a defense mechanism against myocardial oxidative stress in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. The results demonstrate the importance of Txnip as a cysteine-containing redox protein that regulates antioxidant thioredoxin via disulfide bond-switching mechanism and identify the cysteine in Txnip as a therapeutic target for diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Txnip C247S mutation protects the heart against acute myocardial infarction.

RATIONALE: Thioredoxin-interacting protein (Txnip) is a novel molecular target with translational potential in diverse human diseases. Txnip has several established cellular actions including binding to thioredoxin, a scavenger of reactive oxygen species (ROS). It has been long recognized from in vitro evidence that Txnip forms a disulfide bridge through cysteine 247 (C247) with reduced thioredoxin to inhibit the anti-oxidative properties of thioredoxin. However, the physiological significance of the Txnip-thioredoxin interaction remains largely undefined in vivo. OBJECTIVE: A single mutation of Txnip, C247S, abolishes the binding of Txnip with thioredoxin. Using a conditional and inducible approach with a mouse model of a mutant Txnip that does not bind thioredoxin, we tested whether the interaction of thioredoxin with Txnip is required for Txnip's pro-oxidative or cytotoxic effects in the heart. METHODS AND RESULTS: Overexpression of Txnip C247S in cells resulted in a reduction in ROS, due to an inability to inhibit thioredoxin. Hypoxia (1% O2, 24 h)-induced killing effects of Txnip were decreased by lower levels of cellular ROS in Txnip C247S-expressing cells compared with wild-type Txnip-expressing cells. Then, myocardial ischemic injuries were assessed in the animal model. Cardiomyocyte-specific Txnip C247S knock-in mice had better survival with smaller infarct size following myocardial infarction (MI) compared to control animals. The absence of Txnip's inhibition of thioredoxin promoted mitochondrial anti-oxidative capacities in cardiomyocytes, thereby protecting the heart from oxidative damage induced by MI. Furthermore, an unbiased RNA sequencing screen identified that hypoxia-inducible factor 1 signaling pathway was involved in Txnip C247S-mediated cardioprotective mechanisms. CONCLUSION: Txnip is a cysteine-containing redox protein that robustly regulates the thioredoxin system via a disulfide bond-switching mechanism in adult cardiomyocytes. Our results provide the direct in vivo evidence that regulation of redox state by Txnip is a crucial component for myocardial homeostasis under ischemic stress.

Differential rotation in cholesteric pillars under a temperature gradient.

Steady rotation is induced in cholesteric droplets dispersed in a specific liquid solvent under a temperature gradient. In this phenomenon, two rotational modes have been considered: (1) collective rotation of the local director field and (2) rigid-body rotation of the whole droplet structure. However, here we present another rotational mode induced in a pillar-shaped cholesteric droplet confined between substrates under a temperature gradient, that is, a differential rotation where the angular velocity varies as a function of the radial coordinate in the pillar. A detailed flow field analysis revealed that every pillar under a temperature gradient involves a double convection roll. These results suggested that the differential rotation in the cholesteric pillars was driven by the inhomogeneous material flow induced by a temperature gradient. The present experimental study indicates that the coupling between the flow and the director motion plays a key role in the rotation of the cholesteric droplets under the temperature gradient.

Self-excited oscillation of the director field in cholesteric liquid crystalline droplets under a temperature gradient.

In this study, we demonstrate a self-excited oscillation induced in cholesteric liquid crystalline droplets under a temperature gradient. At equilibrium, a winding Maltese cross pattern with a point defect was observed via polarised microscopy in the droplets dispersed in an isotropic solvent. When the temperature gradient was applied, the pattern was deformed owing to the Marangoni convection induced by the gradient. Here, when both the droplet size and temperature gradient were sufficiently large, the periodic movement of the defect together with the pattern deformation was observed, which demonstrated the self-excited oscillation of the director field. To describe this phenomenon, we theoretically analysed the flow and director fields by using Onsager's variational principle. This principle enabled the simplified description of the phenomenon; consequently, the time evolution of the director field could be expressed by the phenomenological equations for the two parameters characterising the field. These equations represented the van der Pol equation, which well expressed the mechanism of the self-excited oscillation.

Clinical and microbiological effect of pulsed xenon ultraviolet disinfection to reduce multidrug-resistant organisms in the intensive care unit in a Japanese hospital: a before-after study.

BACKGROUND: No-touch environmental disinfection using ultraviolet devices has been highlighted in the past several years to control the transmission of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). However, its effectiveness in non-US healthcare settings is yet to be examined. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of disinfection by portable pulsed xenon ultraviolet (PX-UV) devices in controlling transmission of MDROs in a non-US healthcare setting. METHODS: All patients admitted in the intensive care unit in a 629-bed tertiary referral hospital in Japan from August 2016 to February 2019 were enrolled. During the study period, PX-UV disinfection was added to manual terminal cleaning after every patient transfer/discharge. For microbiological evaluation, surfaces were selected for sampling by contact plates before/after manual cleaning and after PX-UV. After overnight incubation, colonies on the plates were counted. RESULTS: The incidence of newly acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) declined significantly (13.8 to 9.9 per 10,000 patient days, incidence rate ratio 0.71, p = 0.002), as well as that of newly acquired drug-resistant Acinetobacter (48.5 to 18.1, 0.37, p < 0.001). The percent reduction of the microbiological burden by manual cleaning was 81%, but a further 59% reduction was achieved by PX-UV. CONCLUSIONS: PX-UV is effective in further reducing the microbial burden and controlling MDROs in a non-US healthcare setting.

Cold storage conditions modify microRNA expressions for platelet transfusion.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNA molecules that modulate gene and protein expression in hematopoiesis. Platelets are known to contain a fully functional miRNA machinery. While platelets used for transfusion are normally stored at room temperature, recent evidence suggests more favorable effects under a cold-storage condition, including higher adhesion and aggregation properties. Thus, we sought to determine whether functional differences in platelets are associated with the differential profiling of platelet miRNA expressions. To obtain the miRNA expression profile, next-generation sequencing was performed on human platelets obtained from 10 healthy subjects. The miRNAs were quantified after being stored in three different conditions: 1) baseline (before storage), 2) stored at 22°C with agitation for 72 h, and 3) stored at 4°C for 72 h. Following the identification of miRNAs by sequencing, the results were validated at the level of mature miRNAs from 18 healthy subjects, by using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Differential expression was observed for 125 miRNAs that were stored at 4°C and 9 miRNAs stored at 22°C as compared to the baseline. The validation study by qPCR confirmed that storage at 4°C increased the expression levels (fold change 95% CI) of mir-20a-5p (1.87, p<0.0001), mir-10a-3p (1.88, p<0.0001), mir-16-2-3p (1.54, p<0.01), and mir-223-5p (1.38, p<0.05), compared with those of the samples stored at 22°C. These results show that miRNAs correlate with platelet quality under specific storage conditions. The data indicate that miRNAs could be potentially used as biomarkers of platelet quality.

Horizontal transportation of a Maltese cross pattern in nematic liquid crystalline droplets under a temperature gradient.

Flow and director fields strongly couple with each other in liquid crystalline systems, and herein we discuss the coupling effect in cylindrical and spherical-cap droplets formed by nematic liquid crystal. Applying a temperature gradient to droplets dispersed in a liquid solvent, we observed a crosslike texture in the droplets moved toward the high-temperature side, indicating that the director field was deformed from equilibrium. Additionally, measurement of the flow field revealed that a convective flow was induced in the droplets under temperature gradient. These results suggested that the director deformation in the droplet was induced by convection. By designing a simplified model based on this, we theoretically analyzed the above phenomenon based on Onsager's variational principle. The results show that the phenomenon was well described by a balance of surface energy gradient with viscous and elastic forces.

Spherical-cap droplets of a photo-responsive bent liquid crystal dimer.

Using a photo-responsive dimer exhibiting the transition between nematic (N) and twist-bend nematic (NTB) phases, we prepared spherical cap-shaped droplets on solid substrates exposed to air. The internal director structures of these droplets vary depending on the phase and on the imposed boundary conditions. The structural switching between the N and NTB phases was successfully performed either by temperature control or by UV light-irradiation. The N phase is characterized by an extremely small bend elastic constant K3, and surprisingly, we found that the droplet-air interface induces a planar alignment, in contrast to that seen for typical calamitic liquid crystals. As a consequence, the director configuration was stabilized in a structure substantially different from that normally found in conventional nematic liquid crystalline droplets. In the twist-bend nematic droplets characteristic structures with macroscopic length scales were formed, and they were well controlled by the droplet size. These results indicated that a continuum theory is effective in describing the stabilization mechanism of the macroscopic structure even in the twist-bend nematic liquid crystal droplets exhibiting director modulations on a scale of several molecular lengths.

Direct observation of mobility of thin polymer layers via asymmetric interdiffusion using neutron reflectivity measurements.

In this study, we investigated the diffusion dynamics at the interface between deuterated poly(methyl methacrylate) (d-PMMA) and protonated poly(methyl methacrylate) (h-PMMA) in two-layered thin films of d- and h-PMMA layers via neutron reflectivity (NR) measurements during isothermal annealing above the glass transition temperature Tg. When Tg of d-PMMA was higher than that of h-PMMA, the d-PMMA layer thickness increased with increasing annealing time ta and, simultaneously, the h-PMMA layer thickness decreased. However, the opposite ta dependence of the layer thicknesses was observed, if the Tg of d-PMMA was decreased by the increase in the fraction of the low-molecular weight d-PMMA: With increasing ta, the d-PMMA layer thickness decreased and the h-PMMA layer thickness increased when Tg of d-PMMA was lower than that of h-PMMA. This change in the ta dependence of the layer thickness was related to the change in the mobility of the d-PMMA layer accompanied by the change in the Tg value of d-PMMA. With the decrease in the d-PMMA layer thickness from 49 nm to 13 nm, when the h-PMMA layer thickness was maintained, the ta dependence of the layer thickness changed and the mobility of the d-PMMA layer dramatically increased. These results suggest that the mobility of thin polymer films can be determined by the observation of interfacial dynamics via NR measurements.

Topology-dependent self-structure mediation and efficient energy conversion in heat-flux-driven rotors of cholesteric droplets.

When heat flux is applied to a chiral liquid crystal, unidirectional rotation is induced around the flux axis, as first discovered by Otto Lehmann in 1900. In recent years, this heat-flux-induced phenomenon has been studied mostly in droplets of cholesteric liquid crystals undergoing phase transition from the isotropic to cholesteric phase, i.e., in the coexistence region, which occurs over a very narrow temperature range. Here, we report that the heat-flux-induced rotation can be stabilised by the use of a dispersion system, in which the cholesteric droplets are dispersed in a viscous and poorly miscible isotropic solvent. Interestingly, the phenomenon is found to be topology dependent. Moreover, the rotation is not only stable but also more efficient than that in the known systems. We describe in detail how the dynamics of the heat-flux-induced rotation are altered in the present dispersion system.

The Emerging Role of Thioredoxin-Interacting Protein in Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury.

Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury represents a major threat to human health and contributes to adverse cardiovascular outcomes worldwide. Despite the identification of numerous molecular mechanisms, understanding of the complex pathophysiology of this clinical syndrome remains incomplete. Thioredoxin-interacting protein (Txnip) has been of great interest in the past decade since it has been reported to be a critical regulator in human diseases with several important cellular functions. Thioredoxin-interacting protein binds to and inhibits thioredoxin, a redox protein that neutralizes reactive oxygen species (ROS), and through its interaction with thioredoxin, Txnip sensitizes cardiomyocytes to ROS-induced apoptosis. Interestingly, evidence from recent studies also suggests that some of the effects of Txnip may be unrelated to changes in thioredoxin activity. These pleiotropic effects of Txnip are mediated by interactions with other signaling molecules, such as nod-like receptor pyrin domain-containing 3 inflammasome and glucose transporter 1. Indeed, Txnip has been implicated in the regulation of inflammatory response and glucose homeostasis during myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. This review attempts to make the case that in addition to interacting with thioredoxin, Txnip contributes to some of the pathological consequences of myocardial ischemia and infarction through endogenous signals in multiple molecular mechanisms.

Diabetes regulates fructose absorption through thioredoxin-interacting protein.

Metabolic studies suggest that the absorptive capacity of the small intestine for fructose is limited, though the molecular mechanisms controlling this process remain unknown. Here we demonstrate that thioredoxin-interacting protein (Txnip), which regulates glucose homeostasis in mammals, binds to fructose transporters and promotes fructose absorption by the small intestine. Deletion of Txnip in mice reduced fructose transport into the peripheral bloodstream and liver, as well as the severity of adverse metabolic outcomes resulting from long-term fructose consumption. We also demonstrate that fructose consumption induces expression of Txnip in the small intestine. Diabetic mice had increased expression of Txnip in the small intestine as well as enhanced fructose uptake and transport into the hepatic portal circulation. The deletion of Txnip in mice abolished the diabetes-induced increase in fructose absorption. Our results indicate that Txnip is a critical regulator of fructose metabolism and suggest that a diabetic state can promote fructose uptake.

Deletion of thioredoxin-interacting protein improves cardiac inotropic reserve in the streptozotocin-induced diabetic heart.

Although the precise pathogenesis of diabetic cardiac damage remains unclear, potential mechanisms include increased oxidative stress, autonomic nervous dysfunction, and altered cardiac metabolism. Thioredoxin-interacting protein (Txnip) was initially identified as an inhibitor of the antioxidant thioredoxin but is now recognized as a member of the arrestin superfamily of adaptor proteins that classically regulate G protein-coupled receptor signaling. Here we show that Txnip plays a key role in diabetic cardiomyopathy. High glucose levels induced Txnip expression in rat cardiomyocytes in vitro and in the myocardium of streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice in vivo. While hyperglycemia did not induce cardiac dysfunction at baseline, ß-adrenergic challenge revealed a blunted myocardial inotropic response in diabetic animals (24-wk-old male and female C57BL/6;129Sv mice). Interestingly, diabetic mice with cardiomyocyte-specific deletion of Txnip retained a greater cardiac response to ß-adrenergic stimulation than wild-type mice. This benefit in Txnip-knockout hearts was not related to the level of thioredoxin activity or oxidative stress. Unlike the ß-arrestins, Txnip did not interact with ß-adrenergic receptors to desensitize downstream signaling. However, our proteomic and functional analyses demonstrated that Txnip inhibits glucose transport through direct binding to glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1). An ex vivo analysis of perfused hearts further demonstrated that the enhanced functional reserve afforded by deletion of Txnip was associated with myocardial glucose utilization during ß-adrenergic stimulation. These data provide novel evidence that hyperglycemia-induced Txnip is responsible for impaired cardiac inotropic reserve by direct regulation of insulin-independent glucose uptake through GLUT1 and plays a role in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy.