The nutrient-sensitive protein kinases AMPK and mTORC1 form a fundamental negative feedback loop that governs cell growth and proliferation. mTORC1 phosphorylates α2-S345 in the AMPK αβγ heterotrimer to suppress its activity and promote cell proliferation under nutrient stress conditions. Whether AMPK contains other functional mTORC1 substrates is unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdenine nucleotides (AXPs, also referred to as adenosines or adenylates) are a group of organic molecules including adenosine 5'- mono-, di-, and tri-phosphate (AMP, ADP, and ATP, respectively) that, combined, resembles an electrochemical storage cell to facilitate cellular energy storage and transfer. ATP, generated from ADP by photosynthesis, anaerobic respiration, and oxidative phosphorylation, powers many energy-requiring processes in the cell through hydrolysis of its terminal (γ) phosphate, whereas ADP is equilibrated with AMP and ATP by the adenylate kinase reaction. AXPs are major signaling molecules that regulate a wide range of anabolic and catabolic enzymes including AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), phosphofructokinase, and pyruvate dehydrogenase.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFV-set and immunoglobulin domain-containing 4 (VSIG4) positive tumor-associated macrophage (VSIG4 TAM) is an immunosuppressive subpopulation newly identified in aggressive cancers. However, the mechanism how VSIG4 TAMs mediate immune evasion in aggressive cancers have not been fully elucidated. In our study, we found targeting VSIG4 TAMs by VSIG4 deficiency or blockade remarkably limited tumor growth and metastasis, especially those derived from anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) and pancreatic cancer, two extremely aggressive types.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The interaction between soil characteristics and microbial communities is crucial for poplar growth under different planting densities. Yet, little is understood about their relationships and how they respond to primary environmental drivers across varying planting densities.
Results: In this study, we investigated poplar growth metrics, soil characteristics, and community assembly of soil bacterial and fungal communities in four poplar genotypes (M1316, BT17, S86, and B331) planted at low, medium, and high densities.
Previous studies have found that the self-assembled supramolecules of meat peptides have antioxidant effects. Therefore, this study aims to isolate and identify novel antioxidant peptides with self-assembly characteristics and analyze their structure-activity relationship through molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation. The in vitro results show that as the purification steps increased, the antioxidant activity of peptides became stronger.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBacterially infected wounds are a serious threat to patients' lives and health, and multifunctional dressings with antimicrobial properties and healing promotion are urgently needed. Thus, we used the cationic and anionic properties of chitosan (CS)-nerol (N) derivative (CSN) and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) to prepare asymmetric layer-by-layer self-assembled (LBL) composite films (CSN-CMC LBL films) with antibacterial and healing properties using a spin-coating method. SEM images showed that the CSN-CMC LBL films had completely different degrees of roughness at the bottom (hydrophilic layer) and at the top (hydrophobic layer), with the roughness at the top increasing as the number of layers increased.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMany cities face unprecedented high temperatures with increasing extreme events. Heatwaves pose significant health risks, including cardiovascular diseases, heatstroke, and dehydration. Mapping urban near-surface air temperature (Tair) is crucial for understanding thermal exposure and addressing climate change.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNanoplastics (NPs) have been identified as an emerging concern for the environment and our food chains in recent years. Monitoring the concentration and size of nanoplastics is essential to assess the potential risks that nanoplastic particles may pose. In this study, we presented a multi-technique based analytical platform to identify, characterize and quantify nanoplastics in water samples through a combination of sample pre-concentration, asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation coupled with multi-angle light scattering (AF4-MALS) and pyrolysis-GC/MS (Py-GC/MS).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNisin, a bacteriocin produced through fermentation using bacterium , has several commercial variants such as nisin A and nisin Z. Nisin serves as a natural preservative with antimicrobial properties in various food products, including dairy and beverages, for extending product shelf life. The efficacy and safety of nisin A as a bacteriocin has been well characterized.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe EU has approved the usage of gold as a food additive (E175) and it has been applied in numerous foods for coloring and decoration purposes. Different from the general assumption that edible gold is mainly present in the form of flakes or external coating in foods, this work demonstrated that gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) can be released from gold flakes and extracted under optimized conditions. To support future risk assessment associated with the exposure of Au NPs to human health, an effective approach was established in this study for both size characterization and mass determination of Au NPs released in a commercial gold-containing liquor using Asymmetric Flow Field-flow Fractionation (AF4) hyphenated with Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study explores the sphingolipid class of oligohexosylceramides (OHCs), a rarely studied group, in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) through a new lipidomics approach. Profiling identified 45 OHCs in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPolyimide aerogel fibers hold promise for intelligent thermal management fabrics, but their scalable production faces challenges due to the sluggish gelation kinetics and the weak backbone strength. Herein, a strategy is developed for fast and scalable fabrication of crosslinked polyimide (CPI) aerogel fibers by wet-spinning and ambient pressure drying via UV-enhanced dynamic gelation strategy. This strategy enables fast sol-gel transition of photosensitive polyimide, resulting in a strongly-crosslinked gel skeleton that effectively maintains the fiber shape and porous nanostructure.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlasminogen (Plg), the zymogen of plasmin (Plm), is a glycoprotein involved in fibrinolysis and a wide variety of other physiological processes. Plg dysregulation has been implicated in a range of diseases. Classically, human Plg is categorized into two types, supposedly having different functional features, based on the presence (type I) or absence (type II) of a single N-linked glycan.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe extracted Sal B and TIIA from using enzymatic-assisted ethanol extraction. ACONN predicted optimal process conditions. Enzymolysis and alcohol extraction were used, optimizing conditions and evaluating antioxidant activity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have altered the clinical management of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the low response rate, severe immune-related adverse events (irAEs), and hyperprogressive disease following ICIs monotherapy require attention. Combination therapy may overcome these limitations and traditional Chinese medicine with immunomodulatory effects provides a promising approach.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArtif Intell Life Sci
December 2023
Single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technologies provide researchers with an unprecedented opportunity to exploit cell heterogeneity. For example, the sequenced cells belong to various cell lineages, which may have different cell fates in stem and progenitor cells. Those cells may differentiate into various mature cell types in a cell differentiation process.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPeptide self-assembling materials have received significant attention from researchers in recent years, emerging as a popular field in biological, environmental, medical, and other new materials studies. In this study, we utilized controllable enzymatic hydrolysis technology (animal proteases) to obtain supramolecular peptide self-assembling materials (CAPs) from the Pacific oyster (). We conducted physicochemical analyses to explore the pro-healing mechanisms of CAPs on skin wounds in both in vitro and in vivo experiments through a topical application.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFConstruction of advanced electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials with miniaturized, programmable structure and low reflection are promising but challenging. Herein, an integrated transition-metal carbides/carbon nanotube/polyimide (gradient-conductive MXene/CNT/PI, GCMCP) aerogel frame with hierarchical porous structure and gradient-conductivity has been constructed to achieve EMI shielding with ultra-low reflection. The gradient-conductive structures are obtained by continuous 3D printing of MXene/CNT/poly (amic acid) inks with different CNT contents, where the slightly conductive top layer serves as EM absorption layer and the highly conductive bottom layer as reflection layer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn order to improve the antibacterial activity of chitosan and change its solubility, a novel water-soluble chitosan (CS)-nerol (N) derivative (CS-N) was prepared via Schiff base reaction and grafting reaction. FT-IR, NMR, XRD, TGA and SEM were used to characterize the structure and physicochemical properties, and in vitro antibacterial, antioxidant, and cellular assays were used to test for bioactivity and safety. The results revealed that the C6 hydroxyl group of CS was substituted with N, with a degree of substitution of 38 % for CS-N.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHolothurian glycosaminoglycan (hGAG) is extracted from the body wall of the sea cucumber, and previous studies have shown many unique bioactivities of hGAG, including antitumor, anti-angiogenesis, anti coagulation, anti thrombosis, anti-inflammation, antidiabetic effect, antivirus, and immune regulation. The effects of 3W and 5W molecular weights hGAG with hematoporphyrin derivative-photodynamic therapy (HPD-PDT) on lung cancer were investigated. Human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells were divided into 6 groups: control group, 3W molecular weight hGAG group, 5W molecular weight hGAG group, HPD-PDT group, 3W molecular weight hGAG + HPD-PDT group, and 5W molecular weight hGAG + HPD-PDT group.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEvidence is mounting that chronic high-fructose diets (HFrD) can lead to metabolic abnormalities and cause a variety of diseases. However, the underlying mechanism by which long-term high fructose intake influencing systemic metabolism remains unclarified. This study, therefore, attempted to investigate the impact of a high-fructose diet on metabolic profile.
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