BC6N Monolayer as a Potential VOC Adsorbent in Mitigation of Environmental Pollution: A Theoretical Perspective.

Rapid economic growth has led to severe air pollution, which poses threats to both the environment and public health. Among the major contributors to this issue are volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the abatement methods of which have received considerable attention from the research community. Recently, an adsorption technology employing two-dimensional monolayers has emerged as a promising strategy for VOC control. In the current investigation, we examined the adsorption behaviors of three prevalent VOCs, namely, acetone, benzene, and tetrachloromethane, on both pristine and Pd-doped BC6N monolayers. Through first-principles calculations based on density functional theory, it was revealed that pristine BC6N adsorbs acetone, benzene, and tetrachloromethane with modest adsorption energies of -0.003, -0.036, and -0.017 eV, respectively. These weak interactions make the adsorbate-adsorbent systems especially unstable, causing the VOCs to desorb from the pristine monolayer under increased ambient temperature or other environmental disturbances. The introduction of an interstitial Pd dopant has induced a significant improvement in the adsorption performance of the BC6N monolayer. Specifically, the values of adsorption energy for acetone and benzene on the Pd-doped BC6N monolayer experience a remarkable increase, measuring -0.745 and -1.028 eV, respectively. Moreover, the charge transfer is enhanced along with reduced adsorption distances, indicating strong chemisorption of acetone and benzene on the Pd-doped BC6N monolayer. Our results establish the Pd-doped BC6N monolayer as an efficient adsorbent for the toxic gases, particularly acetone and benzene, carrying practical implications for air quality improvement and environmental sustainability.

Exogenous H2 S prevents the nuclear translocation of PDC-E1 and inhibits vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation in the diabetic state.

Hydrogen sulphide (H2 S) inhibits vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation induced by hyperglycaemia and hyperlipidaemia; however, the mechanisms are unclear. Here, we observed lower H2 S levels and higher expression of the proliferation-related proteins PCNA and cyclin D1 in db/db mouse aortae and vascular smooth muscle cells treated with 40 mmol/L glucose and 500 µmol/L palmitate, whereas exogenous H2 S decreased PCNA and cyclin D1 expression. The nuclear translocation of mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase complex-E1 (PDC-E1) was significantly increased in VSMCs treated with high glucose and palmitate, and it increased the level of acetyl-CoA and histone acetylation (H3K9Ac). Exogenous H2 S inhibited PDC-E1 translocation from the mitochondria to the nucleus because PDC-E1 was modified by S-sulfhydration. In addition, PDC-E1 was mutated at Cys101. Overexpression of PDC-E1 mutated at Cys101 increased histone acetylation (H3K9Ac) and VSMC proliferation. Based on these findings, H2 S regulated PDC-E1 S-sulfhydration at Cys101 to prevent its translocation from the mitochondria to the nucleus and to inhibit VSMC proliferation under diabetic conditions.

Overexpression of microRNA-26a protects against deficient ß-cell function via targeting phosphatase with tensin homology in mouse models of type 2 diabetes.

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) increased rapidly in the world. The development of ß-cell dysfunction is the quintessential defects in T2DM patients However, the pathogenesis of ß-cell dysfunction is still unclear. MicroRNAs are short non-coding RNAs and has been reported to be involved in pathogenesis of ß-cell dysfunction and T2DM. Here, we investigated the mechanisms by which miR-26a regulate ß-cell function and insulin signaling pathway in high fat diet (HFD) fed and db/db T2DM mice model. The expression of miR-26a was down-regulated dramatically in the serum and islets of both HFD and db/db mice model. miR-26a overexpression protected against HFD-induced diabetes and maintained prolonged normoglycemic time in HFD fed mice. Overexpression of miR-26a improved ß-cell dysfunction in T2DM mice. Further, we identified that PTEN is a direct target gene of miR-26a. Overexpression of miR-26a significantly inhibited the luciferase activity of hPTEN 3'-UTR, while the effect of miR-26a disappeared when the miR-26a potential binding site within the PTEN 3'-UTR was mutated. Overexpression of miR-26a reduced both the mRNA and protein levels of PTEN in vitro and in vivo. We also found that miR-26a overexpression increased the expression of p-Akt and p-FoxO-1, while the effect of miR-26a was blocked by PTEN overexpression. In conclusion, our data indicated that miR-26a potentially contributes to the ß-cell dysfunction in T2DM, and miR-26a may be a new therapeutic strategy against T2DM.

Expression of AE1/p16 promoted degradation of AE2 in gastric cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Human anion exchanger 1 and 2 (AE1 and AE2) mediate the exchange of Cl(-)/HCO3 (-) across the plasma membrane and regulate intracellular pH (pHi). AE1 is specifically expressed on the surface of erythrocytes, while AE2 is widely expressed in most tissues, and is particularly abundant in parietal cells. Previous studies showed that an interaction between AE1 and p16 is a key event in gastric cancer (GC) progression, but the importance of AE2 in GC is unclear. METHODS: The relationship among AE1, AE2 and p16 in GC cells was characterized by molecular and cellular experiments. AE2 expression and pHi were measured after knockdown or forced expression of AE1 or p16 in GC cells. The effect of AE2 on GC growth and the correlation of AE2 expression with differentiation and prognosis of GC were also evaluated. The effect of gastrin on AE2 expression and GC growth was investigated in cellular experiments and mouse xenograft models. RESULTS: p16 binds to both AE1 and AE2 simultaneously. AE1 or p16 silencing elevated AE2 expression on the plasma membrane where it plays a role in pHi regulation and GC suppression. AE2 expression was decreased in GC tissue, and these decreased levels were correlated with poor differentiation and prognosis of GC. The low AE2 protein levels are due to rapid ubiquitin-mediated degradation that was facilitated in the presence of p16. Gastrin inhibited the growth of GC cells at least partially through up-regulation of AE2 expression. CONCLUSION: AE1/p16 expression promoted AE2 degradation in GC cells. Gastrin is a potential candidate drug for targeted therapies for AE1- and p16-positive GC.

PCAF acts as a gastric cancer suppressor through a novel PCAF-p16-CDK4 axis.

Gastric cancer (GC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide and the pathogenesis of GC remains largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate a novel mechanism by which P300/CBP associating factor (PCAF) acts as a tumor suppressor in GC cells. We showed that both PCAF mRNA and protein were downregulated in GC cells, and that this downregulation correlated with poor survival. Meanwhile, the interaction between human anion exchanger 1 (AE1) and p16 is a key event in GC development. We found that PCAF inhibited GC growth by interacting with AE1 and p16 to promote ubiquitin-mediated degradation of AE1 and p16 upregulation and translocation into the nucleus. Binding of nuclear p16 to CDK4 prevented the CDK4-Cyclin D1 interaction to inhibit GC proliferation. Furthermore, reduced PCAF levels in GC cells were associated with intracellular alkalinization and decreased immunity. Together these results suggest that PCAF acts as a GC suppressor through a novel PCAF-p16-CDK4 axis. The downregulation of PCAF expression in GC cells that follows intracellular alkalinization and decreased immune response, indicates that GC therapies should focus on restoring PCAF levels.

Immune-related GTPase Irgm1 exacerbates experimental auto-immune encephalomyelitis by promoting the disruption of blood-brain barrier and blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier.

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), the animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS), is a T cell-mediated autoimmune condition characterized by prominent inflammation in the CNS. In this model, autoreactive T cells are primed in peripheral lymph nodes and migrate into uninflamed CNS across blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB) and blood-brain barrier (BBB) to initiate inflammation. However, the molecular mechanism controlling T cell migration remains to be determined. In an in vivo EAE mouse model, we have shown that Irgm1 (also known as LRG-47), a member of the immunity-related GTPase family, promotes the disruption of both BCSFB and BBB, and exacerbates the phenotypes of MOG-induced EAE. During EAE, Irgm1 was up-regulated in reactive astrocytes, ependymal cells and epithelial cells of the choroids plexus, which, in turn, promotes T cell infiltration into the CNS. Electron microscopy study showed that the MOG-induced disruption of both BBB and BCSFB was protected in the Irgm1(-/-) mice. Moreover, the expression of Claudin-5 (CLN-5), a major molecular determinant of BBB, in brain microvessel endothelial cells (BMVECs) was decreased in WT EAE mice while increased in Irgm1(-/-) mice. In addition, the expression of CC-chemokine ligand 20 (CCL-20), an important chemokine mediating lymphocyte trafficking across BCSFB, in the epithelial cells of choroids plexus was significantly suppressed in naïve and EAE-induced Irgm1(-/-) mice. These data suggest that Irgm1 is an important molecular regulator for the properties of both BBB and BCSFB, and a proinflammatory factor for EAE.

Immune-related GTPase M (IRGM1) regulates neuronal autophagy in a mouse model of stroke.

Autophagy is an important cellular recycling mechanism through self-digestion in responses to cellular stress such as starvation. Studies have shown that autophagy is involved in maintaining the homeostasis of the neural system during stroke. However, molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal autophagy in ischemic stroke remain poorly understood. Previously, we and others have shown that immune-related GTPase M (IRGM; termed IRGM1 in the mouse nomenclature) can regulate the survival of immune cells through autophagy in response to infections and autoimmune conditions. Here, using a permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO) mouse model, we found that IRGM1 was upregulated in the ischemic side of the brain, which was accompanied by a significant autophagic response. In contrast, neuronal autophagy was almost complete lost in Irgm1 knockout (KO) mice after pMCAO induction. In addition, the infarct volume in the Irgm1-KO pMCAO mice was significantly increased as compared to wild-type mice. Histological studies suggested that, at the early stage (within 24 h) of ischemia, the IRGM1-dependent autophagic response is associated with a protection of neurons from necrosis in the ischemic core but a promotion of neuronal apoptosis in the penumbra area. These data demonstrate a novel role of IRGM1 in regulating neuronal autophagy and survival during ischemic stroke.

Direct interaction and cooperative role of tumor suppressor p16 with band 3 (AE1).

By using the C-terminal 112-residue of band 3 to screen the K562 cDNA library, we find that the p16 interacts with band 3, which was confirmed both in yeast and in mammalian cells. Functional experiments show that p16 facilitates the movement of band 3 to plasma membrane with increased anion transport activity in 293t cells. Moreover, expression of endogenous p16 in 293t cells was increased at 24 and 36 h after transfection with band 3. Our findings provide a novel regulation pathway for both band 3 and p16.

Purification and characterization of the human erythrocyte band 3 protein C-terminal domain.

To clarify the function of the hydrophilic carboxyl-terminal tail of human erythrocyte membrane band 3 protein (HEM-B3), we purified two peptides, C1 (Ala893-Val911) and KS4 (Gly647-Arg656), from human erythrocyte band 3 protein preparations. Purified C1 peptides at concentrations from 5 to 80 microM were incubated with fresh human erythrocyte white ghosts. The C1 peptide demonstrated a novel protease activity, which cleaved glycophorin A (GPA) at Leu118-Ser119 in a dose-dependent manner. This activity was eliminated by trypsin. In a control experiment, the KS4 peptide did not cleave GPA under the same conditions. To help substantiate that the band 3 C-terminal tail peptide (C1) alone possesses the protease activity, two experiments were performed. First, the plasmids pGBKT(7)-GPA-Ct and pGADT(7)-AE1-Ct were cotransformed into the yeast strain AH109. The pGBKT(7)-GPA-Ct plasmid contains the cDNA of the 33 amino acid residue section of GPA (Tyr93-Asn125) fused with the pGBKT(7) vector. The plasmid pGADT(7)-AE1-Ct contains the cDNA of the C-terminal 33 amino acid residues of HEM-B3 fused with the GAL4 DNA-binding domain in the pGADT(7) vector. The results of the cotransformation experiment indicated that the C-terminal 33 amino acid residues of HEM-B3 interacted directly with the GPA C-terminal segment defined above. Second, we used a mammalian two-hybrid analysis to confirm the interaction relationship between the band 3 C-terminal segment and the GPA C-terminus. The C-terminus of GPA and the C-terminal 33 amino acid residues of HEM-B3 were subcloned into the DNA-binding domain and transcription activation domain vectors of the two-hybrid system, respectively. They were then cotransfected along with a chloramphenicol acetyltransferse (CAT) reporter vector into HeLa cells. The CAT activity measured in this experiment also indicated that there was interaction between the C-terminal 33 amino acid residues of HEM-B3 and the C-terminus of GPA.

[Cloning of AE1-c-end cDNA and construction of its expression plasmid for yeast two-hybrid system].

In this study, about 350 bp cDNA fragment was amplified by PCR. After being sequenced, the AE1-c-end gene fragment was cloned into EcoR I-Pst I site of pGADT7 to form AD ends in the yeast two-hybrid system. The recombinant plasmid was transformed into yeast AH109, and the expression in the yeast was observed. The results demonstrate that AE1-c-end was obtained. pGADT7-AE1-c-end has no toxic effect on the yeast. It can serve as a target gene of yeast two-hybrid system.