Arabidopsis ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR 8 (ERF8) has dual functions in ABA signaling and immunity.

Background: ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR (ERF) 8 is a member of one of the largest transcription factor families in plants, the APETALA2/ETHYLENE RESPONSIVE FACTOR (AP2/ERF) superfamily. Members of this superfamily have been implicated in a wide variety of processes such as development and environmental stress responses.

Results: In this study we demonstrated that ERF8 is involved in both ABA and immune signaling.

Fluorescence light-up AIE probe for monitoring cellular alkaline phosphatase activity and detecting osteogenic differentiation.

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is an important monophosphate hydrolase during cell mineralization and osteogenic differentiation. Though traditional methods are provided for evaluating the ALP expression in the fixed and lysed cells, at present it is still challenging to monitor the ALP activity in living cells. In this work, three phosphorylated tetraphenylethylene (TPE) probes (TPE-PA, TPE-2PA and TPE-4PA) with different numbers of -POH groups were synthesized for monitoring the ALP activity.

A smart fluorescence nanoprobe for the detection of cellular alkaline phosphatase activity and early osteogenic differentiation.

In the past decades, biomaterials were designed to induce stem cell toward osteogenic differentiation. However, conventional methods for evaluation osteogenic differentiation all required a process of cell fixation or lysis, which induce waste of a large number of cells. In this study, a fluorescence nanoprobe was synthesized by combining phosphorylated fluoresceinamine isomer I (FLA) on the surface of mesoporous silica-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide (Fe3O4@mSiO2) nanoparticles.

Rational design of multifunctional magnetic mesoporous silica nanoparticle for tumor-targeted magnetic resonance imaging and precise therapy.

In this paper, a multifunctional theranostic magnetic mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MMSN) with magnetic core was developed for magnetic-enhanced tumor-targeted MR imaging and precise therapy. The gatekeeper β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) was immobilized on the surface of mesoporous silica shell via platinum(IV) prodrug linking for reduction-triggered intracellular drug release. Then Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) peptide ligand was further introduced onto the gatekeeper β-CD via host-guest interaction for cancer targeting purpose.

Photo-Activatable Substrates for Site-Specific Differentiation of Stem Cells.

In this report, a UV sensitive, PEGylated PFSSTKTC (Pro-Phe-Ser-Ser-Thr-Lys-Thr-Cys) peptide was modified on quartz substrate to investigate the spatial controlled differentiation of stem cells. This substrate could restrict the cell adhesion due to the steric hindrance of PEG shell. With UV irradiation, PFSSTKTC became exposed owing to the breakage of o-nitrobenzyl group with the detachment of PEG shell.

A novel function of BMHP1 and cBMHP1 peptides to induce the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells.

Bone marrow homing peptide 1 (BMHP1), which was derived from a phage display peptide library (PDPL), is known to be home to bone marrow and bind to stem cells. For the first time, the effect of BMHP1 on the differentiation behavior of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) was evaluated. BMHP1 was tethered to modified quartz substrates, and MSCs were seeded on the substrates.

Evaluating the effects of charged oligopeptide motifs coupled with RGD on osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells, due to their multilineage differentiation potential, have emerged as a promising cell candidate for cell-based therapy. In recent years, biomaterials were artificially synthesized to control the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. In this study, a series of charged or neutral oligopeptide motifs coupled with RGD were synthesized and used for surface modification using quartz substrates as model.

The synergistic effect of a BMP-7 derived peptide and cyclic RGD in regulating differentiation behaviours of mesenchymal stem cells.

Precisely controlling the behaviours of stem cells has far-reaching application potential in clinical trials. In this study, we have developed a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of a cyclic RGD peptide (cycRGD) and bone forming peptide-1 (BFP-1) on a quartz substrate to regulate the behaviours of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The results demonstrated that cycRGD can accelerate the cell adhesion on the substrate, thereby enhancing the ability of BFP-1 in mediating the osteogenic activity.

Photoresponsive smart template for reversible cell micropatterning.

A novel micropatterned smart template based on transparency photolithography allows the spatial control of cell micropatterning. By utilizing the photoinduced reaction of azobenzene ligands and cyclodextrin-terminated alkanesilane via host-guest recognitions, cells can be easily controlled to adhere reversibly in well defined areas.

The roles of ABA in plant-pathogen interactions.

Defence against abiotic and biotic stresses is crucial for the fitness and survival of plants under adverse or suboptimal growth conditions. The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) is not only important for mediating abiotic stress responses, but also plays a multifaceted and pivotal role in plant immunity. This review presents examples demonstrating the importance of crosstalk between ABA and the key biotic stress phytohormone salicylic acid in determining the outcome of plant--pathogen interactions.