Evaluation of unmodified human cell-derived extracellular vesicle mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid-based biodistribution in rodents.

Recently, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been developed as therapeutic targets for various diseases. Biodistribution is crucial for EVs intended for therapeutic purposes because it can determine the degree of on- and off-target effects. This study aimed to explore techniques to evaluate the biodistribution of unmodified EVs.

Development of a novel nannochloropsis strain with enhanced violaxanthin yield for large-scale production.

Background: Nannochloropsis is a marine microalga that has been extensively studied. The major carotenoid produced by this group of microalgae is violaxanthin, which exhibits anti-inflammatory, anti-photoaging, and antiproliferative activities. Therefore, it has a wide range of potential applications.

Secretome Analysis of Host Cells Infected with Toxoplasma gondii after Treatment of Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2/4 Inhibitors.

Toxoplasma gondii, a ubiquitous, intracellular parasite of the phylum Apicomplexa, infects an estimated one-third of the human population as well as a broad range of warm-blooded animals. We have observed that some tyrosine kinase inhibitors suppressed the growth of T. gondii within host ARPE-10 cells.

Structural Basis for Selective Binding of Export Cargoes by Exportin-5.

In the nucleus, RanGTP binding to importin dissociates the cargo. On the other hand, RanGTP enables exportin to bind export cargo and form the export complex by each exportin's own cargo selection mechanism. Here, we present two X-ray structures for Exportin-5 (Exp-5) alone and Exp-5:RanGTP intermediate complex.

The Ancient Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase Signaling System Is a Master Regulator of Energy and Carbon Metabolism in Algae.

Algae undergo a complete metabolic transformation under stress by arresting cell growth, inducing autophagy and hyper-accumulating biofuel precursors such as triacylglycerols and starch. However, the regulatory mechanisms behind this stress-induced transformation are still unclear. Here, we use biochemical, mutational, and "omics" approaches to demonstrate that PI3K signaling mediates the homeostasis of energy molecules and influences carbon metabolism in algae.

Advanced carbon dots via plasma-induced surface functionalization for fluorescent and bio-medical applications.

Multifunctional carbon-based nanodots (C-dots) are synthesized using atmospheric plasma treatments involving reactive gases (oxygen and nitrogen). Surface design was achieved through one-step plasma treatment of C-dots (AC-paints) from polyethylene glycol used as a precursor. These AC-paints show high fluorescence, low cytotoxicity and excellent cellular imaging capability.

Advanced nanoporous TiO2 photocatalysts by hydrogen plasma for efficient solar-light photocatalytic application.

We report an effect involving hydrogen (H2)-plasma-treated nanoporous TiO2(H-TiO2) photocatalysts that improve photocatalytic performance under solar-light illumination. H-TiO2 photocatalysts were prepared by application of hydrogen plasma of assynthesized TiO2(a-TiO2) without annealing process. Compared with the a-TiO2, the H-TiO2 exhibited high anatase/brookite bicrystallinity and a porous structure.

Black Phosphorus (BP) Nanodots for Potential Biomedical Applications.

Recently, the appeal of 2D black phosphorus (BP) has been rising due to its unique optical and electronic properties with a tunable band gap (≈0.3-1.5 eV).

Eco-friendly carbon-nanodot-based fluorescent paints for advanced photocatalytic systems.

Fluorescent carbon nanomaterials, especially zero-dimensional (0D) carbon nanodots (CDs), are widely used in broad biological and optoelectronic applications. CDs have unique characteristics such as strong fluorescence, biocompatibility, sun-light response, and capability of mass-production. Beyond the previous green CD obtained from harmful natural substances, we report a new type of fluid-based fluorescent CD paints (C-paints) derived from polyethylene glycol (PEG; via simple ultrasound irradiation at room temperatures) and produced in quantum yields of up to ~14%.

Structural and functional analysis of Hikeshi, a new nuclear transport receptor of Hsp70s.

Hikeshi is a nuclear transport receptor required for cell survival after stress. It mediates heat-shock-induced nuclear import of 70 kDa heat-shock proteins (Hsp70s) through interactions with FG-nucleoporins (FG-Nups), which are proteins in nuclear pore complexes (NPCs). Here, the crystal structure of human Hikeshi is presented at 1.

Stable semiconductor black phosphorus (BP)@titanium dioxide (TiO2) hybrid photocatalysts.

Over the past few decades, two-dimensional (2D) and layered materials have emerged as new fields. Due to the zero-band-gap nature of graphene and the low photocatalytic performance of MoS2, more advanced semiconducting 2D materials have been prompted. As a result, semiconductor black phosphorus (BP) is a derived cutting-edge post-graphene contender for nanoelectrical application, because of its direct-band-gap nature.

Innovative three-dimensional (3D) eco-TiO₂ photocatalysts for practical environmental and bio-medical applications.

It is known that water purified by conventional TiO2 photocatalysts may not be safe enough for drinking, due to the toxicity by tiny existence of TiO2 nanoparticles after water treatment. We herein demonstrate a facile design of a three-dimensional (3D) TiO2 photocatalyst structure with which both the efficiency of purification and the safety level of the final purified water can be improved and ensured, respectively. The structure, consisting of 3D sulfur-doped TiO2 microtubes in nanotubes (eco-TiO2), is suitable for both environmental and bio-medical applications.

Wound healing potential of antibacterial microneedles loaded with green tea extracts.

This study evaluates the utility of an antibacterial microneedle composed of green tea (GT) extract and hyaluronic acid (HA), for the efficient delivery of GT. These microneedles have the potential to be a patient-friendly method for the conventional sustained release of drugs. In this study, a fabrication method using a mold-based technique to produce GT/HA microneedles with a maximum area of ~50mm(2) with antibacterial properties was used to manufacture transdermal drug delivery systems.

Photoluminescent carbon nanotags from harmful cyanobacteria for drug delivery and imaging in cancer cells.

Using a simple method of mass production of green carbon nanotags (G-tags) from harmful cyanobacteria, we developed an advanced and efficient imaging platform for the purpose of anticancer therapy. Approximately 100 grams of G-tags per 100 kilograms of harmful cyanobacteria were prepared using our eco-friendly approach. The G-tags possess high solubility, excellent photostability, and low cytotoxicity (<1.

Structural basis for the selective nuclear import of the C2H2 zinc-finger protein Snail by importin β.

Snail contributes to the epithelial-mesenchymal transition by suppressing E-cadherin in transcription processes. The Snail C2H2-type zinc-finger (ZF) domain functions both as a nuclear localization signal which binds to importin β directly and as a DNA-binding domain. Here, a 2.

X-ray structure of prephenate dehydratase from Streptococcus mutans.

Prephenate dehydratase is a key enzyme of the biosynthesis of L-phenylalanine in the organisms that utilize shikimate pathway. Since this enzymatic pathway does not exist in mammals, prephenate dehydratase can provide a new drug targets for antibiotics or herbicide. Prephenate dehydratase is an allosteric enzyme regulated by its end product.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of human importin β-Snail zinc finger domain complex.

Snail is a C2H2-type zinc finger transcriptional repressor that induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition by repression of E-cadherin expression levels during embryonic development and tumour progression. Snail is imported into the nucleus by importin β through direct binding with its four zinc finger domain. The complex between importin β and Snail four zinc finger domain was crystallized in order to understand the nuclear transport mechanism of Snail.

Expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of the human NORE1 SARAH domain.

NORE1 is an important tumour suppressor in human cancers that interacts with the pro-apoptotic protein kinase MST1/2 through SARAH domains. The SARAH domain (residues 366-413) of human NORE1 was expressed in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. The crystal diffracted to 2.

Overexpression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of the periplasmic domain of outer membrane protein A from Acinetobacter baumannii.

Outer membrane protein A from Acinetobacter baumannii (AbOmpA) is a major outer membrane protein and a key player in the bacterial pathogenesis that induces host cell death. AbOmpA is presumed to consist of an N-terminal β-barrel transmembrane domain and a C-terminal periplasmic OmpA-like domain. In this study, the recombinant C-terminal periplasmic domain of AbOmpA was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized using the vapour-diffusion method.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic study of the human MST2 SARAH domain.

The SARAH domain at the C-terminus of human MST2 (residues 436-484) was overproduced and purified using an Escherichia coli expression system. The purified domain was crystallized using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion technique. Two crystal forms were obtained.

Crystal structure of prephenate dehydrogenase from Streptococcus mutans.

Prephenate dehydrogenase (PDH) is a bacterial enzyme that catalyzes conversion of prephenate to 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate through the oxidative decarboxylation pathway for tyrosine biosynthesis. This enzymatic pathway exists in prokaryotes but is absent in mammals, indicating that it is a potential target for the development of new antibiotics. The crystal structure of PDH from Streptococcus mutans in a complex with NAD(+) shows that the enzyme exists as a homo-dimer, each monomer consisting of two domains, a modified nucleotide binding N-terminal domain and a helical prephenate C-terminal binding domain.

Surface modification of and selective protein attachment to a flexible microarray pattern using atmospheric plasma with a reactive gas.

The hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties of the surface of poly-ether sulfone (PES) films were controlled by an atmospheric pressure plasma (AP) treatment using reactive gases (Ar/H(2) and Ar/O(2)). The surface properties of the Ar/H(2) and Ar/O(2) in series AP-treated PES films showed higher surface roughness (approximately 120%), surface energy (approximately 30%) and hydrophilic properties (oxygen content approximately 10%) than the Ar/O(2) AP-treated PES film. The protein staining results confirmed that an activated region on the patterned PES film with high selectivity and sensitivity was well-defined and formed.