Lithium metal batteries (LMBs), with high energy densities, are strong contenders for the next generation of energy storage systems. Nevertheless, the unregulated growth of lithium dendrites and the unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) significantly hamper their cycling efficiency and raise serious safety concerns, rendering LMBs unfeasible for real-world implementation. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and their derivatives have emerged as multifunctional materials with significant potential for addressing the inherent problems of the anode electrode of the lithium metal.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGreat yield-enhancing prospects of autotetraploid rice was restricted by various polyploidy-induced reproductive dysfunction. To surmount these challenges, our group has generated a series of valuable fertile tetraploid lines (denoted as neo-tetraploid rice) through 20-year efforts. With this context, a G-type lectin receptor-like kinase, OsNRFG6, was identified as a pivotal factor associated with reproductive regulation in neo-tetraploid rice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDeubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) are promising targets for cancer therapy because of their pivotal roles in various physiological and pathological processes. Among these, ubiquitin-specific peptidase 26 (USP26) is a protease with crucial regulatory functions. Our study sheds light on the upregulation of USP26 in colorectal cancer (CRC), in which its increased expression correlates with an unfavorable prognosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCovalent organic frameworks (COFs) have attracted considerable interest in the field of rechargeable batteries owing to their three-dimensional (3D) varied pore sizes, inerratic porous structures, abundant redox-active sites, and customizable structure-adjustable frameworks. In the context of metal-ion batteries, these materials play a vital role in electrode materials, effectively addressing critical issues such as low ionic conductivity, limited specific capacity, and unstable structural integrity. However, the electrochemical characteristics of the developed COFs still fall short of practical battery requirements due to inherent issues such as low electronic conductivity, the tradeoff between capacity and redox potential, and unfavorable micromorphology.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
December 2023
Metastasis is a major cause of cancer therapy failure and mortality. However, targeting metastatic seeding and colonization remains a significant challenge. In this study, we identified NSD2, a histone methyltransferase responsible for dimethylating histone 3 at lysine 36, as being overexpressed in metastatic tumors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFerroptosis, which is caused by iron-dependent accumulation of lipid peroxides, is an emerging form of regulated cell death and is considered a potential target for cancer therapy. However, the regulatory mechanisms underlying ferroptosis remain unclear. This study defines a distinctive role of ferroptosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInhibitory immune receptors set thresholds for immune cell activation, and their deficiency predisposes a person to autoimmune responses. However, the agonists of inhibitory immune receptors remain largely unknown, representing untapped sources of treatments for autoimmune diseases. Here, we show that V-set and transmembrane domain-containing 1 (VSTM1) is an inhibitory receptor and that its binding by the competent ligand soluble galectin-1 (Gal1) is essential for maintaining neutrophil viability mediated by downregulated reactive oxygen species production.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe aimed to investigate the genetic defects related to pollen development and infertility in , a novel tetraploid rice germplasm known as Neo-tetraploid rice. This rice variety was created through the crossbreeding and selective breeding of various autotetraploid rice lines and has previously shown high fertility. Our previous research has revealed that the gene, encoding a eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 subunit E, regulates pollen fertility.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAutophagy is a conserved and tightly regulated intracellular quality control pathway. ULK is a key kinase in autophagy initiation, but whether ULK kinase activity also participates in the late stages of autophagy remains unknown. Here, we found that the autophagosomal SNARE protein, STX17, is phosphorylated by ULK at residue S289, beyond which it localizes specifically to autophagosomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
May 2023
Among the current five Variants of Concern, infections caused by SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPerturbations in transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling can lead to a plethora of diseases, including cancer. Mutations and posttranslational modifications (PTMs) of the partner of SMAD complexes contribute to the dysregulation of TGF-β signaling. Here, we reported a PTM of SMAD4, R361 methylation, that was critical for SMAD complexes formation and TGF-β signaling activation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe purpose of this study was to investigate the effect and mechanism of blue light irradiation on bovine subcutaneous preadipocytes. In this study, preadipocytes were divided into dark group (control) and blue light group. Results show that blue light exposure time-dependently reduced the viability of preadipocytes and induced mitochondrial damage, in accompaniment with the accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe objective of this study was to investigate the protective effects and potential molecular mechanisms of procyanidin B2 (PB2) in MAC-T (mammary alveolar cells-large T antigen) cells during heat stress (HS). The MAC-T cells were divided into three treatment groups: control (37 °C), HS (42 °C), and PB2 + HS (42 °C). Compared with MAC-T cells that were consistently cultured at 37 °C, acute HS treatment remarkably decreased cell viability, reduced activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and elevated intracellular levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRIO Kinase 1 (RIOK1) is involved in various pathologies, including cancer. However, the role of RIOK1 in radioresistance of colorectal cancer (CRC) remains largely unknown. In this study, we reported that RIOK1 was overexpressed in rectal cancer tissue with weaker tumor regression after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (neoCRT).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFlavonoids are natural polyphenolic compounds with a diverse array of biological activities and health-promoting effects. Recent studies have found that 4,4'-dimethoxychalcone (DMC) promoted longevity via autophagy; however, its targets are currently unknown. Herein, we employed an unbiased thermal proteome profiling (TPP) method and identified multiple targets of DMC, including ALDH1A3, ALDH2, and PTGES2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTo investigate the correlation between serum renin-angiotensin system (RAS) level and Symptoms of anxiety and depression in Parkinson disease patients (PD). A number of 90 PD patients (47 males and 43 females) were collected on an empty stomach 12 h after stopping taking anti-PD medicines. ELISA has been found in Serum RAS ((Ang) I, Ang II, Ang (1-7), Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), ACE2).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTumor angiogenesis plays vital roles in tumorigenesis and development; regulatory mechanism of angiogenesis is still not been fully elucidated. NSD2, a histone methyltransferase catalyzing di-methylation of histone H3 at lysine 36, has been proved a critical molecule in proliferation, metastasis, and tumorigenesis. But its role in tumor angiogenesis remains unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMany Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients suffer from persistent neuropathic pain (NP), which is mediated, at least partially, but microglia. Nevertheless, the exact underlying mechanism is unknown. Moreover, a clinically translatable approach through modulating microglia for treating AD-associated NP is not available.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMultiple microRNAs (miRs) have also been implicated in ischemic brain injury. This research intended to probe the regulatory function and the mechanism of miR-15a on the ischemic brain injury induced by oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) in neurons of rats. The OGD/R model was established with the cortical neurons separated from rats.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe aimed to assess the possible relations between serum levels of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), a central cytokine of the innate immunity and inflammatory response, and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) risk and BPPV recurrence events. In the present study, 154 patients with BPPV, and 100 age-and sex-matched control subjects were enrolled in the study. All the patients and controls underwent a complete audio-vestibular test battery including the Dix-Hallpike maneuver and supine roll test.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The purpose of this work is to explore the correlation between Hsp90-beta level in broncheoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung cancer.
Methods: Hsp90-beta level was measured by immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Sensitivity and specificity of Hsp90-beta were calculated by receiver operator characteristic curve.