Daytime Sub-Ambient Radiative Cooling with Vivid Structural Colors Mediated by Coupled Nanocavities.

Daytime radiative cooling is a promising passive cooling technology for combating global warming. Existing daytime radiative coolers usually show whitish colors due to their high broadband solar reflectivity, which is not suitable for aesthetic demands and effective display. It is challenging to produce high-cooling performance materials with vivid colors because colors are often produced by the absorption of visible light, decreasing net cooling power. In this work, we design a series of colorful multilayered radiative coolers (CMRCs) consisting of an optimized selective emitter for cooling and coupled nanocavities for structural coloration, which can successfully delicately balance the trade-off between the chromaticity and cooling performance. By judiciously designing the geometric parameters and manipulating the coupling effect inside the coupled nanocavities, our coolers show sub-ambient cooling performance and a larger color gamut (occupying 17.7% sRGB area) than reported ones. We further fabricate CMRCs and demonstrate that they have temperature drops of 3.4-4.4 °C on average based on outdoor experiments. These CMRCs are promising in thermal management of electronic/optoelectronic devices and outdoor facilities.

Osteogenic differentiation of periodontal membrane stem cells in inflammatory environments.

Periodontitis is a common disease that is difficult to treat, and if not controlled in time, it causes severe conditions, such as alveolar bone resorption and tooth loosening and loss. Periodontal ligament stem cells constitute a promising cell source for regenerative treatment of periodontitis due to their high osteogenic differentiation capacity. PDLSC osteogenesis plays a central role in periodontal regeneration through successive cytokine-mediated signaling pathways and various biochemical and physicochemical factors. However, this process is inhibited in the inflammatory periodontitis environment due to high concentrations of lipopolysaccharide. Here, we review the mechanisms that influence the osteogenic differentiation of periodontal stem cells in this inflammatory microenvironment.

Targeting EIF4E signaling with ribavirin in infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

The poor outcomes in infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) necessitate new treatments. Here we discover that EIF4E protein is elevated in most cases of infant ALL and test EIF4E targeting by the repurposed antiviral agent ribavirin, which has anticancer properties through EIF4E inhibition, as a potential treatment. We find that ribavirin treatment of actively dividing infant ALL cells on bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) at clinically achievable concentrations causes robust proliferation inhibition in proportion with EIF4E expression. Further, we find that ribavirin treatment of KMT2A-rearranged (KMT2A-R) infant ALL cells and the KMT2A-AFF1 cell line RS4:11 inhibits EIF4E, leading to decreases in oncogenic EIF4E-regulated cell growth and survival proteins. In ribavirin-sensitive KMT2A-R infant ALL cells and RS4:11 cells, EIF4E-regulated proteins with reduced levels of expression following ribavirin treatment include MYC, MCL1, NBN, BCL2 and BIRC5. Ribavirin-treated RS4:11 cells exhibit impaired EIF4E-dependent nuclear to cytoplasmic export and/or translation of the corresponding mRNAs, as well as reduced phosphorylation of the p-AKT1, p-EIF4EBP1, p-RPS6 and p-EIF4E signaling proteins. This leads to an S-phase cell cycle arrest in RS4:11 cells corresponding to the decreased proliferation. Ribavirin causes nuclear EIF4E to re-localize to the cytoplasm in KMT2A-AFF1 infant ALL and RS4:11 cells, providing further evidence for EIF4E inhibition. Ribavirin slows increases in peripheral blasts in KMT2A-R infant ALL xenograft-bearing mice. Ribavirin cooperates with chemotherapy, particularly L-asparaginase, in reducing live KMT2A-AFF1 infant ALL cells in BMSC co-cultures. This work establishes that EIF4E is broadly elevated across infant ALL and that clinically relevant ribavirin exposures have preclinical activity and effectively inhibit EIF4E in KMT2A-R cases, suggesting promise in EIF4E targeting using ribavirin as a means of treatment.

Rapid and Quantitative Measurement of Single Quantum Dots in a Sheath Flow Cuvette.

Semiconducting quantum dots (QDs) are finding a wide range of biomedical applications due to their intense fluorescence brightness and long-term photostability. Here, we report precise quantification of the fluorescence intensity of single QDs on a laboratory-built high-sensitivity flow cytometer (HSFCM). The nearly uniform illumination of the particles at the intense portions of the radiation field resulted in narrowly distributed signals with high signal-to-noise ratios. By analysis of thousands of QDs individually in as little time as 1 min, intrinsic polydispersity was quickly revealed in a statistically robust manner. Applications of this technique in QD quality assessment, study of metal ion influence, and evaluation of aggregation upon biomolecule coupling are presented. Moreover, an accurate measurement of the QD particle concentration was achieved via single-particle enumeration. HSFCM is believed to provide a powerful characterization tool for QD synthesis and application development.

The histone acetyltransferase TIP60 interacts with c-Myb and inactivates its transcriptional activity in human leukemia.

The histone acetyltransferase TIP60 is a coregulator of transcription factors and is implicated in tumorigenesis. In this study, we explored potential regulatory relationships between TIP60 and the c-Myb oncoprotein in hematopoietic cells. We first showed that TIP60 is a c-Myb interacting protein and that the interaction is dependent on the TIP60 acetyltransferase domain and c-Myb transactivation domain. We then found that coexpressing TIP60 decreases the transcriptional activation ability of c-Myb in functional reporter assays. A ChIP assay also revealed that TIP60 binds to the c-Myb target gene c-Myc promoter in a c-Myb-dependent manner. Consistently, knockdown of Tip60 expression by siRNA increased endogenous c-Myc expression. Furthermore, coimmunoprecipitation of Jurkat cell lysates revealed that c-Myb is associated with histone deacetylases HDAC1 and HDAC2, known to interact with TIP60 and repress transcription. Finally, we compared Tip60 expression in six primary AML samples with three normal CD34(+) cell samples using quantitative RT-PCR. Tip60 expression was significantly (∼60%) lower in the AML samples. In summary, these studies demonstrate that TIP60 negatively modulates c-Myb transcriptional activity by recruiting histone deacetylases in human hematopoietic cells, leading us to hypothesize that TIP60 is a normal regulator of c-Myb function and that dysregulated or mutated TIP60 may contribute to c-Myb-driven leukemogenesis.

p21-Activated kinase 1 (Pak1) phosphorylates BAD directly at serine 111 in vitro and indirectly through Raf-1 at serine 112.

BACKGROUND: Cell survival depends on the balance between protective and apoptotic signals. When the balance of signals tips towards apoptosis, cells undergo programmed cell death. This balance has profound implications in diseases including cancer. Oncogenes and tumor suppressors are mutated to promote cell survival during tumor development, and many chemotherapeutic drugs kill tumor cells by stimulating apoptosis. BAD is a pro-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family of proteins, which can be phosphorylated on numerous sites to modulate binding to Bcl-2 and 14-3-3 proteins and inhibit its pro-apoptotic activities. One of the critical phosphorylation sites is the serine 112 (S112), which can be phosphorylated by several kinases including Pak1. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We mapped the Pak phosphorylation sites by making serine to alanine mutations in BAD and testing them as substrates in in vitro kinase assays. We found that the primary phosphorylation site is not S112 but serine 111 (S111), a site that is sometimes found phosphorylated in vivo. In transfection assays of HEK293T cells, we showed that Pak1 required Raf-1 to stimulate phosphorylation on S112. Mutating either S111 or S112 to alanine enhanced binding to Bcl-2, but the double mutant S111/112A bound better to Bcl-2. Moreover, BAD phosphorylation at S111 was observed in several other cell lines, and treating one of them with the Pak1 inhibitor 2,2'-Dihydroxy-1,1'-dinaphthyldisulfide (IPA-3) reduced phosphorylation primarily at S112 and to a smaller extent at S111, while Raf inhibitors only reduced phosphorylation at S112. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Together, these findings demonstrate that Pak1 phosphorylates BAD directly at S111, but phosphorylated S112 through Raf-1. These two sites of BAD serve as redundant regulatory sites for Bcl-2 binding.

c-Myb, Menin, GATA-3, and MLL form a dynamic transcription complex that plays a pivotal role in human T helper type 2 cell development.

GATA-3 and c-Myb are core elements of a transcriptionally active complex essential for human Th2 cell development and maintenance. We report herein mechanistic details concerning the role of these transcription factors in human peripheral blood Th2 cell development. Silencing c-Myb in normal human naive CD4(+) cells under Th2 cell-promoting conditions blocked up-regulation of GATA-3 and interleukin-4, and in effector/memory CD4(+) T cells, decreased expression of GATA-3 and Th2 cytokines. In primary T cells, c-Myb allows GATA-3 to autoactivate its own expression, an event that requires the direct interaction of c-Myb and GATA-3 on their respective binding sites in promoter of GATA-3. Immunoprecipitation revealed that the c-Myb/GATA-3 complex contained Menin and mixed lineage leukemia (MLL). MLL recruitment into the c-Myb-GATA-3-Menin complex was associated with the formation Th2 memory cells. That MLL-driven epigenetic changes were mechanistically important for this transition was suggested by the fact that silencing c-Myb significantly decreased the methylation of histone H3K4 and the acetylation of histone H3K9 at the GATA-3 locus in developing Th2 and CD4(+) effector/memory cells. Therefore, c-Myb, GATA-3, and Menin form a core transcription complex that regulates GATA-3 expression and, with the recruitment of MLL, Th2 cell maturation in primary human peripheral blood T cells.

c-Myb binds MLL through menin in human leukemia cells and is an important driver of MLL-associated leukemogenesis.

Mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) is a proto-oncogene frequently involved in chromosomal translocations associated with acute leukemia. These chromosomal translocations commonly result in MLL fusion proteins that dysregulate transcription. Recent data suggest that the MYB proto-oncogene, which is an important regulator of hematopoietic cell development, has a role in leukemogenesis driven by the MLL-ENL fusion protein, but exactly how is unclear. Here we have demonstrated that c-Myb is recruited to the MLL histone methyl transferase complex by menin, a protein important for MLL-associated leukemic transformation, and that it contributes substantially to MLL-mediated methylation of histone H3 at lysine 4 (H3K4). Silencing MYB in human leukemic cell lines and primary patient material evoked a global decrease in H3K4 methylation, an unexpected decrease in HOXA9 and MEIS1 gene expression, and decreased MLL and menin occupancy in the HOXA9 gene locus. This decreased occupancy was associated with a diminished ability of an MLL-ENL fusion protein to transform normal mouse hematopoietic cells. Previous studies have shown that MYB expression is regulated by Hoxa9 and Meis1, indicating the existence of an autoregulatory feedback loop. The finding that c-Myb has the ability to direct epigenetic marks, along with its participation in an autoregulatory feedback loop with genes known to transform hematopoietic cells, lends mechanistic and translationally relevant insight into its role in MLL-associated leukemogenesis.

The c-myb proto-oncogene and microRNA-15a comprise an active autoregulatory feedback loop in human hematopoietic cells.

The c-myb proto-oncogene encodes an obligate hematopoietic cell transcription factor important for lineage commitment, proliferation, and differentiation. Given its critical functions, c-Myb regulatory factors are of great interest but remain incompletely defined. Herein we show that c-Myb expression is subject to posttranscriptional regulation by microRNA (miRNA)-15a. Using a luciferase reporter assay, we found that miR-15a directly binds the 3'-UTR of c-myb mRNA. By transfecting K562 myeloid leukemia cells with a miR-15a mimic, functionality of binding was shown. The mimic decreased c-Myb expression, and blocked the cells in the G(1) phase of cell cycle. Exogenous expression of c-myb mRNA lacking the 3'-UTR partially rescued the miR-15a induced cell-cycle block. Of interest, the miR-15a promoter contained several potential c-Myb protein binding sites. Occupancy of one canonical c-Myb binding site was demonstrated by chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis and shown to be required for miR-15a expression in K562 cells. Finally, in studies using normal human CD34(+) cells, we showed that c-Myb and miR-15a expression were inversely correlated in cells undergoing erythroid differentiation, and that overexpression of miR-15a blocked both erythroid and myeloid colony formation in vitro. In aggregate, these findings suggest the presence of a c-Myb-miR-15a autoregulatory feedback loop of potential importance in human hematopoiesis.

cGMP-dependent protein kinase phosphorylates p21-activated kinase (Pak) 1, inhibiting Pak/Nck binding and stimulating Pak/vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein association.

Endothelial cells are normally non-motile and quiescent; however, endothelial cells will become permeable and invade and proliferate to form new blood vessels (angiogenesis) in response to wounding, cancer, diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, or rheumatoid arthritis. p21-activated kinase (Pak), an effector for the Rho GTPases Rac and Cdc42, is required for angiogenesis and regulates endothelial cell permeability and motility. Although Pak is primarily activated by Rac and Cdc42, there are additional proteins that regulate Pak activity and localization, including three AGC protein kinase family members, Akt-1, PDK-1, and cAMP-dependent protein kinase. We describe phosphorylation and regulation of Pak localization by a fourth AGC kinase family member, cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG). Using in vitro mapping, a phosphospecific antibody, co-transfection assays, and untransfected bovine aortic endothelial cells we determined that PKG phosphorylates Pak at serine 21. Phosphorylation was accompanied by changes in proteins associated with Pak. The adaptor protein Nck was released, whereas a novel complex with vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein was stimulated. Furthermore Ser-21 phosphorylation of Pak appears to be important for regulation of cell morphology. In both human umbilical vein endothelial cells and HeLa cells, activation of PKG in the presence of Pak stimulated tail retraction and cell polarization. However, in cells expressing S21A mutant Pak1, PKG activation or treatment with a peptide that blocks Nck/Pak binding caused aberrant cell morphology, blocked cell retraction, and mislocalized Pak, producing uropod (tail-like) structures. These data suggest that PKG regulates Pak and that the interaction plays a role in tail retraction.

p21-activated Kinase 1 (Pak1)-dependent phosphorylation of Raf-1 regulates its mitochondrial localization, phosphorylation of BAD, and Bcl-2 association.

Raf-1 protects cells from apoptosis, independently of its signals to MEK and ERK, by translocating to the mitochondria where it binds Bcl-2 and displaces BAD. However, the answer to the question of how Raf-1 is normally lured to the mitochondria and becomes activated remains elusive. p21-activated protein kinases (Paks) are serine/threonine protein kinases that phosphorylate Raf-1 at Ser-338 and Ser-339. Here we elucidate the molecular mechanism through which Pak1 signals to BAD through a Raf-1-activated pathway. Upon phosphorylation by Pak1, Raf-1 translocates to mitochondria and phosphorylates BAD at Ser-112. Moreover, the mitochondrial translocation of Raf-1 and the interaction between Raf-1 and Bcl-2 are regulated by Raf-1 phosphorylation at Ser-338/Ser-339. Notably, we show that formation of a Raf-1-Bcl-2 complex coincides with loss of an interaction between Bcl-2 and BAD. These signals are specific for Pak1, because Src-activated Raf-1 only stimulates the MAP kinase cascade. Thus, our data identify the molecular connections of a Pak1-Raf-1-BAD pathway that is involved in cell survival signaling.

Menin associates with FANCD2, a protein involved in repair of DNA damage.

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type I (MEN1) is an inherited tumor syndrome characterized by tumors in multiple endocrine organs including the parathyroids, pancreatic islets, and the pituitary. The gene mutated in MEN1 patients, Men1, encodes a protein of 610 amino acid residues, menin, and mutations in the Men1 gene lead to the MEN1 syndrome. Although the chromosomal instability in the peripheral lymphocytes from the MEN1 patients has been reported previously, it is not clear whether menin is involved in repair of DNA damage. Here we show that menin specifically interacts with FANCD2, a protein encoded by a gene involved in DNA repair and mutated in patients with an inherited cancer-prone syndrome, Fanconi anemia. The interaction between menin and FANCD2 is enhanced by gamma-irradiation. Moreover, loss of menin expression in mouse embryonic fibroblasts leads to increased sensitivity to DNA damage. Furthermore, menin is localized to chromatin and nuclear matrix, and the association with nuclear matrix is enhanced by gamma-irradiation. Together, these results suggest that menin plays a critical role in repair of DNA damage in concert with FANCD2.