Identifying genetic variants associated with amphotericin B (AMB) resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus via k-mer-based GWAS.

Aspergillus fumigatus is one of the most common pathogenic fungi, which results in high morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. Amphotericin B (AMB) is used as the core drug for the treatment of triazole-resistant A. fumigatus. Following the usage of amphotericin B drugs, the number of amphotericin B-resistant A. fumigatus isolates showed an increasing trend over the years, but the mechanism and mutations associated with amphotericin B sensitivity are not fully understood. In this study, we performed a k-mer-based genome-wide association study (GWAS) in 98 A. fumigatus isolates from public databases. Associations identified with k-mers not only recapitulate those with SNPs but also discover new associations with insertion/deletion (indel). Compared to SNP sites, the indel showed a stronger association with amphotericin B resistance, and a significant correlated indel is present in the exon region of AFUA_7G05160, encoding a fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (FAH) family protein. Enrichment analysis revealed sphingolipid synthesis and transmembrane transport may be related to the resistance of A. fumigatus to amphotericin B. The expansion of variant types detected by the k-mer method increases opportunities to identify and exploit complex genetic variants that drive amphotericin B resistance, and these candidate variants help accelerate the selection of prospective gene markers for amphotericin B resistance screening in A. fumigatus.

2D hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks: in-site generation and subsequent exfoliation.

By using in-site generated formate, 2D HOFs of TCPP, with excellent stability and permanent porosity (BET surface area larger than 560 m2 g-1), have been obtained. The constructed 2D square-like TCPP-HCO2 grid sheets have shown considerable in-plane stability that comparable to the TCPP-based 2D MOFs, that can be exfoliated into atomically thin 2D nanosheets with efficient photocatalytic activity in aqueous system. These results are expected to shed light on the application-orientated one-pot synthesis for new kinds of multi-dimensional HOFs.

Build 3D Nanoparticles by Using Ultrathin 2D MOF Nanosheets for NIR Light-Triggered Molecular Switching.

The coordination interactions between transition-metal ions (Cu2+, Ag+) and sulfur atoms on ultrathin two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets of spin-crossover (SCO) metal-organic frameworks {[Fe(1,3-bpp)2(NCS)2]2}n (1,3-bpp = 1,3-di(4-pyridyl)propane), which constructed the ultrathin 2D nanosheets into three-dimensional (3D) nanoparticles, have made a profound effect on the SCO performance. Compared with 2D nanosheets, both the intraligand π-π* transition band and the metal-to-ligand charge transition band from the d(Fe) + π(NCS) to π*(1,3-bpp), for the 3D nanoparticles, have shown dramatic blue-shifts; meanwhile, the d-d transition band for the high-spin (HS) state Fe(II) ions has been generated, suggesting significantly the influence of 3D assemble-caused dimensional changes on the solid-state SCO performance of ultrathin 2D nanosheets. More importantly, by loading on the ytterbium ion (Yb3+)-sensitized hexagonal phase upconverting nanoparticles in the aqueous colloidal suspension, the near infrared (NIR) light (980 nm) triggered HS (high spin) to LS (low spin) state transitions have been observed, demonstrating the achievement of challenging target of NIR light-triggered molecular conversion under environment conditions.