All-RNA-mediated targeted gene integration in mammalian cells with rationally engineered R2 retrotransposons.

All-RNA-mediated targeted gene integration methods, rendering reduced immunogenicity, effective deliverability with non-viral vehicles, and a low risk of random mutagenesis, are urgently needed for next-generation gene addition technologies. Naturally occurring R2 retrotransposons hold promise in this context due to their site-specific integration profile. Here, we systematically analyzed the biodiversity of R2 elements and screened several R2 orthologs capable of full-length gene insertion in mammalian cells. Robust R2 system gene integration efficiency was attained using combined donor RNA and protein engineering. Importantly, the all-RNA-delivered engineered R2 system showed effective integration activity, with efficiency over 60% in mouse embryos. Unbiased high-throughput sequencing demonstrated that the engineered R2 system exhibited high on-target integration specificity (99%). In conclusion, our study provides engineered R2 tools for applications based on hit-and-run targeted DNA integration and insights for further optimization of retrotransposon systems.

High-throughput functional dissection of noncoding SNPs with biased allelic enhancer activity for insulin resistance-relevant phenotypes.

Most of the single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with insulin resistance (IR)-relevant phenotypes by genome-wide association studies (GWASs) are located in noncoding regions, complicating their functional interpretation. Here, we utilized an adapted STARR-seq to evaluate the regulatory activities of 5,987 noncoding SNPs associated with IR-relevant phenotypes. We identified 876 SNPs with biased allelic enhancer activity effects (baaSNPs) across 133 loci in three IR-relevant cell lines (HepG2, preadipocyte, and A673), which showed pervasive cell specificity and significant enrichment for cell-specific open chromatin regions or enhancer-indicative markers (H3K4me1, H3K27ac). Further functional characterization suggested several transcription factors (TFs) with preferential allelic binding to baaSNPs. We also incorporated multi-omics data to prioritize 102 candidate regulatory target genes for baaSNPs and revealed prevalent long-range regulatory effects and cell-specific IR-relevant biological functional enrichment on them. Specifically, we experimentally verified the distal regulatory mechanism at IRS1 locus, in which rs952227-A reinforces IRS1 expression by long-range chromatin interaction and preferential binding to the transcription factor HOXC6 to augment the enhancer activity. Finally, based on our STARR-seq screening data, we predicted the enhancer activity of 227,343 noncoding SNPs associated with IR-relevant phenotypes (fasting insulin adjusted for BMI, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides) from the largest available GWAS summary statistics. We further provided an open resource (http://www.bigc.online/fnSNP-IR) for better understanding genetic regulatory mechanisms of IR-relevant phenotypes.

MyoV: a deep learning-based tool for the automated quantification of muscle fibers.

Accurate approaches for quantifying muscle fibers are essential in biomedical research and meat production. In this study, we address the limitations of existing approaches for hematoxylin and eosin-stained muscle fibers by manually and semiautomatically labeling over 660 000 muscle fibers to create a large dataset. Subsequently, an automated image segmentation and quantification tool named MyoV is designed using mask regions with convolutional neural networks and a residual network and feature pyramid network as the backbone network. This design enables the tool to allow muscle fiber processing with different sizes and ages. MyoV, which achieves impressive detection rates of 0.93-0.96 and precision levels of 0.91-0.97, exhibits a superior performance in quantification, surpassing both manual methods and commonly employed algorithms and software, particularly for whole slide images (WSIs). Moreover, MyoV is proven as a powerful and suitable tool for various species with different muscle development, including mice, which are a crucial model for muscle disease diagnosis, and agricultural animals, which are a significant meat source for humans. Finally, we integrate this tool into visualization software with functions, such as segmentation, area determination and automatic labeling, allowing seamless processing for over 400 000 muscle fibers within a WSI, eliminating the model adjustment and providing researchers with an easy-to-use visual interface to browse functional options and realize muscle fiber quantification from WSIs.

The RNA helicase DHX35 functions as a co-sensor for RIG-I-mediated innate immunity.

RNA helicases are involved in the innate immune response against pathogens, including bacteria and viruses; however, their mechanism in the human airway epithelial cells is still not fully understood. Here, we demonstrated that DEAH (Asp-Glu-Ala-His) box polypeptide 35 (DHX35), a member of the DExD/H (Asp-Glu-x-Asp/His)-box helicase family, boosts antiviral innate immunity in human airway epithelial cells. DHX35 knockdown attenuated the production of interferon-ß (IFN-ß), IL6, and CXCL10, whereas DHX35 overexpression increased their production. Upon stimulation, DHX35 was constitutively expressed, but it translocated from the nucleus into the cytosol, where it recognized cytosolic poly(I:C) and poly(dA:dT) via its HELICc domain. Mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS) acted as an adaptor for DHX35 and interacted with the HELICc domain of DHX35 using amino acids 360-510. Interestingly, DHX35 interacted with retinoic acid-inducible gene 1 (RIG-I), enhanced the binding affinity of RIG-I with poly(I:C) and poly(dA:dT), and formed a signalsome with MAVS to activate interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3), NF-κB-p65, and MAPK signaling pathways. These results indicate that DHX35 not only acted as a cytosolic nucleic acid sensor but also synergized with RIG-I to enhance antiviral immunity in human airway epithelial cells. Our results demonstrate a novel molecular mechanism for DHX35 in RIG-I-mediated innate immunity and provide a novel candidate for drug and vaccine design to control viral infections in the human airway.

USP36 inhibits apoptosis by deubiquitinating cIAP1 and survivin in colorectal cancer cells.

Chemotherapeutic agents for treating colorectal cancer (CRC) primarily induce apoptosis in tumor cells. The ubiquitin-proteasome system is critical for apoptosis regulation. Deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) remove ubiquitin from substrates to reverse ubiquitination. Although over 100 DUB members have been discovered, the biological functions of only a small proportion of DUBs have been characterized. Here, we aimed to systematically identify the DUBs that contribute to the development of CRC. Among the DUBs, ubiquitin-specific protease 36 (USP36) is upregulated in CRC. We showed that the knockdown of USP36 induces intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis. Through gene silencing and coimmunoprecipitation techniques, we identified survivin and cIAP1 as USP36 targets. Mechanistically, USP36 binds and removes lysine-11-linked ubiquitin chains from cIAP1 and lysine-48-linked ubiquitin chains from survivin to abolish protein degradation. Overexpression of USP36 disrupts the formation of the XIAP-second mitochondria-derived activator of caspase complex and promotes receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 ubiquitination, validating USP36 as an inhibitor to intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis through deubiquitinating survivin and cIAP1. Therefore, our results suggest that USP36 is involved in CRC progression and is a potential therapeutic target.

Transmissible gastroenteritis virus induces inflammatory responses via RIG-I/NF-κB/HIF-1α/glycolysis axis in intestinal organoids and in vivo.

Transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV)-induced enteritis is characterized by watery diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration, and has high mortality in newborn piglets, resulting in significant economic losses in the pig industry worldwide. Conventional cell lines have been used for many years to investigate inflammation induced by TGEV, but these cell lines may not mimic the actual intestinal environment, making it difficult to obtain accurate results. In this study, apical-out porcine intestinal organoids were employed to study TEGV-induced inflammation. We found that apical-out organoids were susceptible to TGEV infection, and the expression of representative inflammatory cytokines was significantly upregulated upon TGEV infection. In addition, retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) and the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway were responsible for the expression of inflammatory cytokines induced by TGEV infection. We also discovered that the transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) positively regulated TGEV-induced inflammation by activating glycolysis in apical-out organoids, and pig experiments identified the same molecular mechanism as the ex vivo results. Collectively, we unveiled that the inflammatory responses induced by TGEV were modulated via the RIG-I/NF-κB/HIF-1α/glycolysis axis ex vivo and in vivo. This study provides novel insights into TGEV-induced enteritis and verifies intestinal organoids as a reliable model for investigating virus-induced inflammation. IMPORTANCE: Intestinal organoids are a newly developed culture system for investigating immune responses to virus infection. This culture model better represents the physiological environment compared with well-established cell lines. In this study, we discovered that inflammatory responses induced by TGEV infection were regulated by the RIG-I/NF-κB/HIF-1α/glycolysis axis in apical-out porcine organoids and in pigs. Our findings contribute to understanding the mechanism of intestinal inflammation upon viral infection and highlight apical-out organoids as a physiological model to mimic virus-induced inflammation.

vizAPA: visualizing dynamics of alternative polyadenylation from bulk and single-cell data.

MOTIVATION: Alternative polyadenylation (APA) is a widespread post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism across all eukaryotes. With the accumulation of genome-wide APA sites, especially those with single-cell resolution, it is imperative to develop easy-to-use visualization tools to guide APA analysis. RESULTS: We developed an R package called vizAPA for visualizing APA dynamics from bulk and single-cell data. vizAPA implements unified data structures for APA data and genome annotations. vizAPA also enables identification of genes with differential APA usage across biological samples and/or cell types. vizAPA provides four unique modules for extensively visualizing APA dynamics across biological samples and at the single-cell level. vizAPA could serve as a plugin in many routine APA analysis pipelines to augment studies for APA dynamics. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: https://github.com/BMILAB/vizAPA.

MAGL blockade alleviates steroid-induced femoral head osteonecrosis by reprogramming BMSC fate in rat.

The leading cause of steroid-induced femoral head osteonecrosis (ONFH) is the imbalance of bone homeostasis. Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) differentiation and fate are closely associated with bone homeostasis imbalance. Blocking monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) could effectively ameliorate ONFH by mitigating oxidative stress and apoptosis in BMSCs induced by glucocorticoids (GC). Nevertheless, whether MAGL inhibition can modulate the balance during BMSC differentiation, and therefore improve ONFH, remains elusive. Our study indicates that MAGL inhibition can effectively rescue the enhanced BMSC adipogenic differentiation caused by GC and promote their differentiation toward osteogenic lineages. Cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) is the direct downstream target of MAGL in BMSCs, rather than cannabinoid receptor 1(CB1). Using RNA sequencing analyses and a series of in vitro experiments, we confirm that the MAGL blockade-induced enhancement of BMSC osteogenic differentiation is primarily mediated by the phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K)/ the serine/threonine kinase (AKT)/ (glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta) GSK3ß pathway. Additionally, MAGL blockade can also reduce GC-induced bone resorption by directly suppressing osteoclastogenesis and indirectly reducing the expression of receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-Β ligand (RANKL) in BMSCs. Thus, our study proposes that the therapeutic effect of MAGL blockade on ONFH is partly mediated by restoring the balance of bone homeostasis and MAGL may be an effective therapeutic target for ONFH.

Human cytomegalovirus infection impairs neural differentiation via repressing sterol regulatory element binding protein 2-mediated cholesterol biosynthesis.

Congenital human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection is a major cause of abnormalities and disorders in the central nervous system (CNS) and/or the peripheral nervous system (PNS). However, the complete pathogenesis of neural differentiation disorders caused by HCMV infection remains to be fully elucidated. Stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs) are mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with a high proliferation and neurogenic differentiation capacity. Since SHEDs originate from the neural crest of the early embryonic ectoderm, SHEDs were hypothesized to serve as a promising cell line for investigating the pathogenesis of neural differentiation disorders in the PNS caused by congenital HCMV infection. In this work, SHEDs were demonstrated to be fully permissive to HCMV infection and the virus was able to complete its life cycle in SHEDs. Under neurogenic inductive conditions, HCMV infection of SHEDs caused an abnormal neural morphology. The expression of stem/neural cell markers was also disturbed by HCMV infection. The impairment of neural differentiation was mainly due to a reduction of intracellular cholesterol levels caused by HCMV infection. Sterol regulatory element binding protein-2 (SREBP2) is a critical transcription regulator that guides cholesterol synthesis. HCMV infection was shown to hinder the migration of SREBP2 into nucleus and resulted in perinuclear aggregations of SREBP2 during neural differentiation. Our findings provide new insights into the prevention and treatment of nervous system diseases caused by congenital HCMV infection.

Auxin regulates source-sink carbohydrate partitioning and reproductive organ development in rice.

Carbohydrate partitioning between the source and sink tissues plays an important role in regulating plant growth and development. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating this process remain poorly understood. In this study, we show that elevated auxin levels in the rice dao mutant cause increased accumulation of sucrose in the photosynthetic leaves but reduced sucrose content in the reproductive organs (particularly in the lodicules, anthers, and ovaries), leading to closed spikelets, indehiscent anthers, and parthenocarpic seeds. RNA sequencing analysis revealed that the expression of AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR 18 (OsARF18) and OsARF2 is significantly up- and down-regulated, respectively, in the lodicule of dao mutant. Overexpression of OsARF18 or knocking out of OsARF2 phenocopies the dao mutant. We demonstrate that OsARF2 regulates the expression of OsSUT1 through direct binding to the sugar-responsive elements (SuREs) in the OsSUT1 promoter and that OsARF18 represses the expression of OsARF2 and OsSUT1 via direct binding to the auxin-responsive element (AuxRE) or SuRE in their promoters, respectively. Furthermore, overexpression of OsSUT1 in the dao and Osarf2 mutant backgrounds could largely rescue the spikelets' opening and seed-setting defects. Collectively, our results reveal an auxin signaling cascade regulating source-sink carbohydrate partitioning and reproductive organ development in rice.

Empagliflozin and Left Ventricular Remodeling in People Without Diabetes: Primary Results of the EMPA-HEART 2 CardioLink-7 Randomized Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors have been demonstrated to promote reverse cardiac remodeling in people with diabetes or heart failure. Although it has been theorized that sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors might afford similar benefits in people without diabetes or prevalent heart failure, this has not been evaluated. We sought to determine whether sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibition with empagliflozin leads to a decrease in left ventricular (LV) mass in people without type 2 diabetes or significant heart failure. METHODS: Between April 2021 and January 2022, 169 individuals, 40 to 80 years of age, without diabetes but with risk factors for adverse cardiac remodeling were randomly assigned to empagliflozin (10 mg/d; n=85) or placebo (n=84) for 6 months. The primary outcome was the 6-month change in LV mass indexed (LVMi) to baseline body surface area as measured by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Other measures included 6-month changes in LV end-diastolic and LV end-systolic volumes indexed to baseline body surface area and LV ejection fraction. RESULTS: Among the 169 participants (141 men [83%]; mean age, 59.3±10.5 years), baseline LVMi was 63.2±17.9 g/m2 and 63.8±14.0 g/m2 for the empagliflozin- and placebo-assigned groups, respectively. The difference (95% CI) in LVMi at 6 months in the empagliflozin group versus placebo group adjusted for baseline LVMi was -0.30 g/m2 (-2.1 to 1.5 g/m2; P=0.74). Median baseline (interquartile range) NT-proBNP (N-terminal-pro B-type natriuretic peptide) was 51 pg/mL (20-105 pg/mL) and 55 pg/mL (21-132 pg/mL) for the empagliflozin- and placebo-assigned groups, respectively. The 6-month treatment effect of empagliflozin versus placebo (95% CI) on blood pressure and NT-proBNP (adjusted for baseline values) were -1.3 mm Hg (-5.2 to 2.6 mm Hg; P=0.52), 0.69 mm Hg (-1.9 to 3.3 mm Hg; P=0.60), and -6.1 pg/mL (-37.0 to 24.8 pg/mL; P=0.70) for systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and NT-proBNP, respectively. No clinically meaningful between-group differences in LV volumes (diastolic and systolic indexed to baseline body surface area) or ejection fraction were observed. No difference in adverse events was noted between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Among people with neither diabetes nor significant heart failure but with risk factors for adverse cardiac remodeling, sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibition with empagliflozin did not result in a meaningful reduction in LVMi after 6 months. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov; Unique identifier: NCT04461041.

Runs of homozygosity and selection signature analyses reveal putative genomic regions for artificial selection in layer breeding.

BACKGROUND: The breeding of layers emphasizes the continual selection of egg-related traits, such as egg production, egg quality and eggshell, which enhance their productivity and meet the demand of market. As the breeding process continued, the genomic homozygosity of layers gradually increased, resulting in the emergence of runs of homozygosity (ROH). Therefore, ROH analysis can be used in conjunction with other methods to detect selection signatures and identify candidate genes associated with various important traits in layer breeding. RESULTS: In this study, we generated whole-genome sequencing data from 686 hens in a Rhode Island Red population that had undergone fifteen consecutive generations of intensive artificial selection. We performed a genome-wide ROH analysis and utilized multiple methods to detect signatures of selection. A total of 141,720 ROH segments were discovered in whole population, and most of them (97.35%) were less than 3 Mb in length. Twenty-three ROH islands were identified, and they overlapped with some regions bearing selection signatures, which were detected by the De-correlated composite of multiple signals methods (DCMS). Sixty genes were discovered and functional annotation analysis revealed the possible roles of them in growth, development, immunity and signaling in layers. Additionally, two-tailed analyses including DCMS and ROH for 44 phenotypes of layers were conducted to find out the genomic differences between subgroups of top and bottom 10% phenotype of individuals. Combining the results of GWAS, we observed that regions significantly associated with traits also exhibited selection signatures between the high and low subgroups. We identified a region significantly associated with egg weight near the 25 Mb region of GGA 1, which exhibited selection signatures and has higher genomic homozygosity in the low egg weight subpopulation. This suggests that the region may be play a role in the decline in egg weight. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, through the combined analysis of ROH, selection signatures, and GWAS, we identified several genomic regions that associated with the production traits of layers, providing reference for the study of layer genome.

Copper-Catalyzed Enantioconvergent Radical N-Alkylation of Diverse (Hetero)aromatic Amines.

The 3d transition metal-catalyzed enantioconvergent radical cross-coupling provides a powerful tool for chiral molecule synthesis. In the classic mechanism, the bond formation relies on the interaction between nucleophile-sequestered metal complexes and radicals, limiting the nucleophile scope to sterically uncongested ones. The coupling of sterically congested nucleophiles poses a significant challenge due to difficulties in transmetalation, restricting the reaction generality. Here, we describe a probable outer-sphere nucleophilic attack mechanism that circumvents the challenging transmetalation associated with sterically congested nucleophiles. This strategy enables a general copper-catalyzed enantioconvergent radical N-alkylation of aromatic amines with secondary/tertiary alkyl halides and exhibits catalyst-controlled stereoselectivity. It accommodates diverse aromatic amines, especially bulky secondary and primary ones to deliver value-added chiral amines (>110 examples). It is expected to inspire the coupling of more nucleophiles, particularly challenging sterically congested ones, and accelerate reaction generality.

Molecular mechanisms of spinal cord injury repair across vertebrates: A comparative review.

In humans and other adult mammals, axon regeneration is difficult in axotomized neurons. Therefore, spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating event that can lead to permanent loss of locomotor and sensory functions. Moreover, the molecular mechanisms of axon regeneration in vertebrates are not very well understood, and currently, no effective treatment is available for SCI. In striking contrast to adult mammals, many nonmammalian vertebrates such as reptiles, amphibians, bony fishes and lampreys can spontaneously resume locomotion even after complete SCI. In recent years, rapid progress in the development of next-generation sequencing technologies has offered valuable information on SCI. In this review, we aimed to provide a comparison of axon regeneration process across classical model organisms, focusing on crucial genes and signalling pathways that play significant roles in the regeneration of individually identifiable descending neurons after SCI. Considering the special evolutionary location and powerful regenerative ability of lamprey and zebrafish, they will be the key model organisms for ongoing studies on spinal cord regeneration. Detailed study of SCI in these model organisms will help in the elucidation of molecular mechanisms of neuron regeneration across species.

Inhibition of AMPK activation in Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto limits the parasite's glucose metabolism and survival.

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by larvae of the Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (s.l.) cluster. There is an urgent need to develop new drug targets and drug molecules to treat CE. Adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a serine/threonine protein kinase consisting of α, ß, and γ subunits, plays a key role in the regulation of energy metabolism. However, the role of AMPK in regulating glucose metabolism in E. granulosus s.l. and its effects on parasite viability is unknown. In this study, we found that targeted knockdown of EgAMPKα or a small-molecule AMPK inhibitor inhibited the viability of E. granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.) and disrupted the ultrastructure. The results of in vivo experiments showed that the AMPK inhibitor had a significant therapeutic effect on E. granulosus s.s.-infected mice and resulted in the loss of cellular structures of the germinal layer. In addition, the inhibition of the EgAMPK/EgGLUT1 pathway limited glucose uptake and glucose metabolism functions in E. granulosus s.s.. Overall, our results suggest that EgAMPK can be a potential drug target for CE and that inhibition of EgAMPK activation is an effective strategy for the treatment of disease.

Hollow Zeolite Nanoreactor with Double Shells for Methanol Aromatization: Explicit Recognition on Catalytic Function of Inverse Elemental Zone and Shell-Cavity.

Core@shell catalyst composited of dual aluminosilicate zeolite can effectively regulate the distribution of acid sites to control hydrocarbon conversion process for the stable formation of target product. However, the diffusion restriction reduces the accessibility of inner active sites and affects synergy between core and shell. Herein, hollow ZSM-5 zeolite nanoreactor with inverse aluminum distribution and double shells are prepared and employed for methanol aromatization. It is demonstrated that the intershell cavity alleviated the steric hindrance from zeolites channel and provided more paths and pore entrance for guest molecule. Correspondingly, olefin intermediates generated from methanol over the external shell are easier to adsorb at internal acid sites for further reactions. Importantly, the diffusion of generated aromatic macromolecules to the external surface is also promoted, which slows down the formation of internal coke, and ensures the use of internal acid sites for aromatization. The aromatics selectivity of the nanoreactor remained at 8% after 154 h, while that of solid core@shell catalyst decreased to 2% after 75 h. This finding promises broader insight to improve internal active site utilization of core@shell catalyst at the diffusion level and can be great aid in the flexible design of multifunctional nanoreactors to enhance the relay efficiency.

Assembly of Metal-Phenolic Networks onto Microbubbles for One-Step Generation of Functional Microcapsules.

The one-step assembly of metal-phenolic networks (MPNs) onto particle templates can enable the facile, rapid, and robust construction of hollow microcapsules. However, the required template removal step may affect the refilling of functional species in the hollow interior space or the in situ encapsulation of guest molecules during the formation of the shells. Herein, a simple strategy for the one-step generation of functional MPNs microcapsules is proposed. This method uses bovine serum albumin microbubbles (BSA MBs) as soft templates and carriers, enabling the efficient pre-encapsulation of guest species by leveraging the coordination assembly of tannic acid (TA) and FeIII ions. The addition of TA and FeIII induces a change in the protein conformation of BSA MBs and produces semipermeable capsule shells, which allow gas to escape from the MBs without template removal. The MBs-templated strategy can produce highly biocompatible capsules with controllable structure and size, and it is applicable to produce other MPNs systems like BSA-TA-CuII and BSA-TA-NiII . Finally, those MBs-templated MPNs capsules can be further functionalized or modified for the loading of magnetic nanoparticles and the pre-encapsulation of model molecules through covalence or physical adsorption, exhibiting great promise in biomedical applications.

Designing External Pores of Aluminum Oxo Polyhedrons for Efficient Iodine Capture.

Although metal-organic polyhedra (MOPs) expansion has been studied to date, it is still a rare occurrence for their porous intermolecular assembly for iodine capture. The major limitation is the lack of programmable and controllable methods for effectively constructing and utilizing the exterior cavities. Herein, the goal of programmable porous intermolecular assembly is realized in the first family of aluminum oxo polyhedrons (AlOPs) using ligands with directional H-bonding donor/acceptor pairs and auxiliary alcohols as structural regulation sites. The approach has the advantage of avoiding the use of expensive edge-directed ditopic and face-directed tritopic ligands in the general synthesis strategy of MOPs. Combining theoretical calculations and experiments, the intrinsic relationship is revealed between alcohol ligands and the growth mechanism of AlOPs. The maximum I2 uptake based on the mass gain during sorption corresponds to 2.35 g g-1, representing the highest reported I2 sorption by an MOP. In addition, it can be easily regenerated and maintained the iodine sorption capacity, revealing its further potential application. This method of constructing stable and programmable porous materials will provide a new way to solve problems such as radionuclide capture.

NIR Light-Fuse Drug-Free Photothermal Armor-Piercing Microcapsule for Femoral Vein Thrombosis Therapy.

Acute thrombosis and its complications are leading global causes of disability and death. Existing thrombolytic drugs, such as alteplase and urokinase (UK), carry a significant bleeding risk during clinical treatments. Thus, the development of a novel thrombolysis strategy is of utmost urgency. Based on the previous work, the hollow structure of microcapsules (MC) is fabricated. Subsequently, armor-piercing MC, known as Fucoidan/S-Nitrosoglutathione/Melanin@MC (FGM@MC) is obtained, using a layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly method. Utilizing near-infrared (NIR) light as a trigger, the FGM@MC demonstrated photothermal thrombolysis at the site of thrombus due to its stable and outstanding photothermal properties. Simultaneously, photothermal stimulation leads to the release of a significant amount of nitric oxide from the FGM@MC, resulting in cavitation effects for mechanical thrombolysis. In vivo experiments confirmed the stable release of nitric oxide under NIR light irradiation. Treatment of femoral vein thrombosis in rats revealed that the thrombolytic effectiveness of FGM@MC+NIR (53.71%) is comparable to that of UK (59.70%). Notably, FGM@MC does not interfere with the coagulation function of rats and exhibits a favorable safety profile. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the drug-free armor-piercing microcapsule has significant potential in the treatment of thrombosis, offering a safe and effective alternative to traditional thrombolytic therapies.

H2S is involved in drought-mediated stomatal closure through PLDα1 in Arabidopsis.

MAIN CONCLUSION: PLDα1 promoted H2S production by positively regulating the expression of LCD. Stomatal closure promoted by PLDα1 required the accumulation of H2S under drought stress. Phospholipase Dα1 (PLDα1) acting as one of the signal enzymes can respond to drought stress. It is well known that hydrogen sulfide (H2S) plays an important role in plant responding to biotic or abiotic stress. In this study, the functions and relationship between PLDα1 and H2S in drought stress resistance in Arabidopsis were explored. Our results indicated that drought stress promotes PLDα1 and H2S production by inducing the expression of PLDα1 and LCD genes. PLDα1 and LCD enhanced plant tolerance to drought by regulating membrane lipid peroxidation, proline accumulation, H2O2 content and stomatal closure. Under drought stress, the H2O2 content of PLDα1-deficient mutant (pldα1), L-cysteine desulfhydrase (LCD)-deficient mutant (lcd) was higher than that of ecotype (WT), the stomatal aperture of pldα1 and lcd was larger than that of WT. The transcriptional and translational levels of LCD were lower in pldα1 than that in WT. Exogenous application of the H2S donor NaHS or GYY reduced the stomatal aperture of WT, pldα1, PLDα1-CO, and PLDα1-OE lines, while exogenous application of the H2S scavenger hypotaurine (HT) increased the stomatal aperture. qRT-PCR analysis of stomatal movement-related genes showed that the expression of CAX1, ABCG5, SCAB1, and SLAC1 genes in pldα1 and lcd were down-regulated, while ACA1 and OST1 gene expression was significantly up-regulated. Thus, PLDα1 and LCD are required for stomatal closure to improve drought stress tolerance.