Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Defect Attenuates Mitogen-Activated Signaling through Leucine-Rich Repeats and Immunoglobulin-like Domains 1 (LRIG1)-Dependent EGFR Degradation.

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) genomic pathway has been well-characterized in a number of respiratory diseases. In addition, the cytoplasmic AHR protein may act as an adaptor of E3 ubiquitin ligase. In this study, the physiological functions of AHR that regulate cell proliferation were explored using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. The doubling-time of the AHR-KO clones of A549 and BEAS-2B was observed to be prolonged. The attenuation of proliferation potential was strongly associated with either the induction of p27Kip1 or the impairment in mitogenic signal transduction driven by the epidermal growth factor (EGF) and EGF receptor (EGFR). We found that the leucine-rich repeats and immunoglobulin-like domains 1 (LRIG1), a repressor of EGFR, was induced in the absence of AHR in vitro and in vivo. The LRIG1 tends to degrade via a proteasome dependent manner by interacting with AHR in wild-type cells. Either LRIG1 or a disintegrin and metalloprotease 17 (ADAM17) were accumulated in AHR-defective cells, consequently accelerating the degradation of EGFR, and attenuating the response to mitogenic stimulation. We also affirmed low AHR but high LRIG1 levels in lung tissues of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. This might partially elucidate the sluggish tissue repairment and developing inflammation in COPD patients.

Complementing Crystallography with Ultralow-Frequency Raman Spectroscopy: Structural Insights into Nitrile-Functionalized Ionic Liquids.

Functionalized ionic liquids are a subclass of ionic liquids that are tailored for a specific application. Structural characterization in both solid and liquid phases is central to understanding their physical properties. Here, we used ultralow-frequency Raman spectroscopy, which can measure Raman spectra down to approximately 5 cm(-1) , to study the structures and physical properties of 1-(4-cyanobenzyl)-3-methylimidazolium salts with five different anions. A comparison of the observed low-frequency Raman spectral patterns enabled us to predict the crystal symmetry of one of the synthesized salts for which single-crystal X-ray diffraction data were unobtainable. Real-time tracking of the low-frequency Raman spectral changes during melting revealed peak shifts indicative of different degrees of microscopic heterogeneity in the ionic liquids. The results show that our method provides a facile means that is complementary to X-ray crystallography, for obtaining structural information of ionic liquids.

Boosting Upconversion Efficiency in Optically Inert Shelled Structures with Electroactive Membrane through Electron Donation.

This study innovatively addresses challenges in enhancing upconversion efficiency in lanthanide-based nanoparticles (UCNPs) by exploiting Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, a microorganism capable of extracellular electron transfer. Electroactive membranes, rich in c-type cytochromes, are extracted from bacteria and integrated into membrane-integrated liposomes (MILs), encapsulating core-shelled UCNPs with an optically inactive shell, forming UCNP@MIL constructs. The electroactive membrane, tailored to donate electrons through the inert shell, independently boosts upconversion emission under near-infrared excitation (980 or 1550 nm), bypassing ligand-sensitized UCNPs. The optically inactive shell restricts energy migration, emphasizing electroactive membrane electron donation. Density functional theory calculations elucidate efficient electron transfer due to the electroactive membrane hemes' highest occupied molecular orbital being higher than the valence band maximum of the optically inactive shell, crucial for enhancing energy transfer to emitter ions. The introduction of a SiO2 insulator coating diminishes light enhancement, underscoring the importance of unimpeded electron transfer. Luminescence enhancement remains resilient to variations in emitter or sensitizing ions, highlighting the robustness of the electron transfer-induced phenomenon. However, altering the inert shell material diminishes enhancement, emphasizing the role of electron transfer. This methodology holds significant promise for diverse biological applications. UCNP@MIL offers an advantage in cellular uptake, which proves beneficial for cell imaging.

Absorption spectra in the vacuum ultraviolet region of small molecules in condensed phases.

With radiation from a synchrotron we measured the spectra of several small molecular species, in the solid phase at 10K, either pure--O2, NO, CO2, N2O, H2O and NH3--or, for NH3, also dispersed in Ar at molar ratio 1/250, from the onset of absorption in the ultraviolet region until the limits of transmission by crystalline LiF or solid Ar. In a quantitative treatment of spectral data, we fitted the total absorption profile divided by wavenumber to Gaussian curves of minimal number, and made tentative assignments of electronic transitions and vibrational structure by comparison with spectra of gaseous species. These results illuminate the nature of electronic spectra of samples in solid phases in the vacuum ultraviolet region.

Photoabsorption cross sections of NH3, NH2D, NHD2, and ND3 in the spectral range 110-144 nm.

Cross sections for photoabsorption of NH3, NH2D, NHD2, and ND3 near 298 K were measured in the spectral range of 110-144 nm using radiation from a synchrotron. Absorption cross sections and oscillator strengths of NH3 agree satisfactorily with previous reports; those of ND3 are improved over those in a previous report, whereas those of NH2D and NHD2 are new. The oscillator strengths of transitions to D, D', D", F, and G states are nearly the same among all four isotopic variants, but those to D''' and E states vary substantially. Observed absorption bands are arranged into vibrational progressions in accord with known Rydberg transitions. All progressions show a common trend of vibrational intervals increasing with vibrational quantum numbers. The Rydberg orbitals for states D(3de"), D'(4sa1'), D"(3da1'), D'''(4pe'), and E(4de") are readily assigned with quantum defects determined in these experiments, but assignments for F(5de") and G(6de") are uncertain. Absorption cross sections of dissociative continua underneath discrete structures are larger for NH2D and NHD2 than for NH3 and ND3, indicating that the rate of dissociation of ammonia might increase when its symmetry is broken.

Analysis of C2H4 in C2H6 and C2H5D with VUV absorption spectroscopy and a method to remove C2H4 from C2H6 and C2H5D.

The photoabsorption cross section of C2H4 was measured in the spectral region 107-183 nm and those of C2H6 and C2H5D were accurately determined in the spectral region 107-162 nm using radiation from a synchrotron as source of VUV light. Typically, C2H4 present as a minor impurity in samples of C2H6 and C2H5D distorted the absorption cross section in curves of C2H6 and C2H5D in the onset region. We completely eliminated C2H4 from C2H6 and C2H5D using adsorption on activated Pd/charcoal at 195 K. By this means, we detected no C2H4 in samples of C2H6 and C2H5D according to their absorption spectra. The detection limit of C2H4 in C2H6 and C2H5D is less than 0.03 ppm with VUV absorption spectroscopy.