Discovery of a Noncovalent Cell-Penetrating Bicyclic Peptide Inhibitor Targeting SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease.

Macrocyclic peptides have garnered significant attention as promising drug candidates. However, they typically face challenges in achieving and enhancing cell permeability for access to intracellular targets. In this study, we focused on the screening of macrocyclic peptide inhibitors against the main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2 and identified novel noncovalently bound macrocyclic peptides that effectively inhibit proteolytic activity.

Effects of Dietary Inclusion of Enzymatically Hydrolyzed Compound Soy Protein on the Growth Performance and Intestinal Health of Juvenile American Eels ().

The enzymatic hydrolysis of soybeans could enhance their application as an ingredient and alternative to fishmeal in aquafeeds. Here, a 10-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the impacts of different dietary inclusion levels of enzymatically hydrolyzed compound soy protein (EHCS) on the growth performance and intestinal health of juvenile American eels (). Five experimental diets were formulated with graded EHCS inclusion levels at 0% (EHCS0), 8% (EHCS8), 16% (EHCS16), 24% (EHCS24), and 32% (EHCS32).

A Flexible Phosphonate Metal-Organic Framework for Enhanced Cooperative Ammonia Capture.

Ammonia (NH) production in 2023 reached 150 million tons and is associated with potential concomitant production of up to 500 million tons of CO each year. Efforts to produce green NH are compromised since it is difficult to separate using conventional condensation chillers, but in situ separation with minimal cooling is challenging. While metal-organic framework materials offer some potential, they are often unstable and decompose in the presence of caustic and corrosive NH.

Shared genetic associations and etiology between obstructive sleep apnea and CVDs: A genome-wide cross-trait analysis and bidirectional Mendelian randomization analysis.

Aims: To investigate the genetic correlations and potential causal relationships between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and various cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), aiming to enhance understanding of shared genetic mechanisms and improve recognition and treatment of OSA in patients with CVDs.

Methods: Utilizing genome-wide association study (GWAS) data, we analyzed shared genetics between OSA and CVDs using linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC), multi-trait analysis of GWAS (MTAG), and genotype-tissue expression analysis (GTEx TSEA). We further investigated causal relationships using Bayesian colocalization tests, bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR), and latent causal variable (LCV) analysis.

Preparation of Zirconium-Based MOF-Derived Phosphide on GO/MXene Double Substrates for High-Performance Asymmetric Supercapacitors.

At present, it is very necessary to select and prepare suitable positive and negative electrode materials to fabricate high-performance asymmetric supercapacitors. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have garnered significant attention in the energy storage field due to their high conductivity. As a branch, the zirconium organic framework (UIO-66) is a promising porous material due to its large specific surface area and abundant Zr centers.

Role and mechanism of Lactobacillus casei in the modulation of alcohol preference in mice.

Background: Prolonged alcohol consumption may lead to gastrointestinal tract dysfunction and cause abnormalities in the associated nervous system activity, thereby increasing the body's craving for alcohol. Lactobacillus casei is a probiotic that has been shown to reduce the incidence of alcohol-related diseases. However, it is unclear whether Lactobacillus casei can delay the development of alcohol dependence.

Increased ferroptosis of erythrocytes is associated with myelodysplastic syndromes.

Anemia is the most common symptom in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Programmed cell death of erythrocytes is one of the contributing factors to anemia. Ferroptosis is a newly identified form of iron-dependent cell death.

Insight into the Manipulation Mechanism of Polymorphic Transformation by Polymers: A Case of Cimetidine.

Purpose: Employing polymer additives is an effective strategy to realize the manipulation of polymorphic transformation. However, the manipulation mechanism is still not clear, which limit the precise selection of polymeric excipients and the development of pharmaceutical formulations.

Methods: The solubility of cimetidine (CIM) in acetonitrile/water mixtures were measured.

Unraveling novel umami peptides from yeast extract (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) using peptidomics and molecular interaction modeling.

Yeast extract is increasingly becoming an attractive source for unraveling novel umami peptides that are healthier and more nutritious than traditional seasonings. In the present study, a strategy for screening novel umami peptides was established using mass spectrometry-based peptidomics combined with molecular interaction modeling, emphasizing on smaller peptides than previously reported. Four representative novel umami peptides of FE, YDQ, FQEY, and SPFSQ from yeast extract (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) were identified and validated by sensory evaluation, with thresholds determined as 0.

BacScan: a novel genome-wide strategy for uncovering broadly immunogenic proteins in bacteria.

In response to the global threat posed by bacterial pathogens, which are the second leading cause of death worldwide, vaccine development is challenged by the diversity of bacterial serotypes and the lack of immunoprotection across serotypes. To address this, we introduce BacScan, a novel genome-wide technology for the rapid discovery of conserved highly immunogenic proteins (HIPs) across serotypes. Using bacterial-specific serum, BacScan combines phage display, immunoprecipitation, and next-generation sequencing to comprehensively identify all the HIPs in a single assay, thereby paving the way for the development of universally protective vaccines.

Rotenone-induced PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy: establishing a silkworm model for Parkinson's disease potential.

Parkinson's disease (PD), ranking as the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder globally, presents a pressing need for innovative animal models to deepen our understanding of its pathophysiology and explore potential therapeutic interventions. The development of such animal models plays a pivotal role in unraveling the complexities of PD and investigating promising treatment avenues. In this study, we employed transcriptome sequencing on BmN cells treated with 1 μg/ml rotenone, aiming to elucidate the underlying toxicological mechanisms.

Identification of diagnostic molecules and potential traditional Chinese medicine components for Alzheimer's disease by single cell RNA sequencing combined with a systematic framework for network pharmacology.

Background: Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) provides new perspectives and ideas to investigate the interactions between different cell types and organisms. By integrating scRNA-seq with new computational frameworks or specific technologies, better Alzheimer's disease (AD) treatments may be developed.

Methods: The single-cell sequencing dataset GSE158234 was obtained from the GEO database.

identification of bacterial antigens of a clinical isolate by combining use of proteosurfaceomics, secretomics, and BacScan technologies.

Background: Emerging infectious diseases pose a significant threat to both human and animal populations. Rapid identification of protective antigens from a clinical isolate and development of an antigen-matched vaccine is a golden strategy to prevent the spread of emerging novel pathogens.

Methods: Here, we focused on , which poses a serious threat to the pig industry, and developed a general workflow by integrating proteosurfaceomics, secretomics, and BacScan technologies for the rapid identification of bacterial protective proteins from a clinical isolate.

Molecular cloning and functional characterization of duck MRE11.

The human meiotic recombination 11 (MRE11) protein has been recognized as a cytosolic double-stranded DNA sensor that plays a critical role in the induction of type I interferon (IFN). However, the properties and functions of avian MRE11 in the innate immune response are not well understood. In this study, we cloned and characterized the full-length sequence of duck MRE11 (duMRE11) from duck embryo fibroblasts (DEFs) for the first time.

Dietary Eicosapentaenoic Acid Containing Phosphoethanolamine Plasmalogens Remodels the Lipidome of White Adipose Tissue and Suppresses High-Fat Diet Induced Obesity in Mice.

Scope: Dietary supplementation of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)/eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) can alter the lipidome profiles of adipocytes, thereby counteract obesity. DHA/EPA in the form of phospholipids demonstrates higher bioavailability than triglyceride or ethyl ester (EE), but their effects on the lipidome and metabolic changes during obesity are still unknown.

Methods And Results: High-fat diet-induced obese mice are treated with different molecular forms of EPA, and EPA supplemented as phosphoethanolamine plasmalogens (PlsEtn) has a superior effect on reducing fat mass accumulation than phosphatidylcholine (PC) or EE.

N-3 PUFA Deficiency from Early Life to Adulthood Exacerbated Susceptibility to Reactive Oxygen Species-Induced Testicular Dysfunction in Adult Mice.

Homeostasis of reactive oxygen species is required to maintain sperm maturation and capacitation. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is accumulated in testicles and spermatozoa and has the ability to manipulate the redox status. The effects of dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) deficiency from early life to adulthood on the physiological and functional properties of males under the redox imbalance of testicular tissue deserve attention.

Phosphatidylglucose alleviates atherosclerosis by increasing cholesterol alienation to bile acids and cholesterol efflux in ApoE mice.

Background: Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is considered to be the major dietary source for choline, which is associated with atherosclerosis progress. Thus, phosphatidylglucose (PG) was prepared by enzymatic modification of PC to investigate the effects on atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E deficient (ApoE ) mice, as well as to investigate its dose-response relationship.

Results: The results showed that dietary PG significantly decreased the atherosclerotic lesion area in a dose-dependent manner.

Bipartite synchronization of Lur'e network with signed graphs based on intermittent control.

In this paper, the bipartite synchronization of signed Lur'e network is studied under intermittent control, where the communication relationship of these adjacent nodes in the network can be either cooperative or competitive. Assuming that the network is structurally balanced, bipartite synchronization can be reached with some conditions and coordinate transform criterion. Then, Based on Lyapunov stability theory, some important norms are established.

Eicosapentaenoic acid-enriched phospholipids alleviate glucose and lipid metabolism in spontaneously hypertensive rats with CD36 mutation: a precise nutrition strategy.

Previous studies have found that eicosapentaenoic acid-enriched phospholipids (EPA-PLs) alleviated glucose and lipid metabolism, which was accompanied by an increase of cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36). However, the effects of EPA-PLs on glucose and lipid metabolism in the case of CD36 mutation are unclear. Thus, spontaneously hypertensive rats/NCrl (SHR) were used as a CD36 mutation model to determine the effects of dietary 2% EPA-PLs for 4 weeks on glucose and lipid metabolism.

Preparation and properties of fucoxanthin-loaded liposomes stabilized by sea cucumber derived cholesterol sulfate instead of cholesterol.

The preparation of steady-state phospholipid liposomes requires cholesterol as a stabilizer, but excessive intake of cholesterol may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. The sulfated sterols extracted from sea cucumber, mainly including sulfated 24-methylene cholesterol and cholesterol sulfate, have been reported to have a variety of physiological activities. Sulfated sterols are similar to cholesterol in structure and have the potential to replace cholesterol to prepare novel stable multifunctional liposomes, allowing the liposomes to act as carriers for the delivery of less bioavailable nutrients while allowing sulfated sterols in the lipid bilayer to exert physiologically active effects.

The synergistic effect of sea cucumber saponins and caffeine on preventing obesity in high-fat diet-fed mice by extending the action duration of caffeine.

Background: Sea cucumber saponins (SCSs) exhibit a unique structure and high bioactivities and might have specialized implications on caffeine metabolic process by altering the activity of N-demethylation enzyme CYP1A2. The present study aimed to clarify the effects of SCS on caffeine metabolism in vivo and in vitro, as well as the synergistic anti-obesity effect of SCS and caffeine on high-fat diet-induced obese mice.

Results: Results found that SCS administration significantly postponed the elimination rate of caffeine and its metabolites in vivo, and further study found CYP1A2-mediated caffeine metabolism was remarkably inhibited in a dose-dependent manner in vitro.

Free astaxanthin-rich diets enhanced astaxanthin accumulation in egg yolks compared to esterified astaxanthin-rich diets.

As an oxycarotenoid with strong antioxidant properties, astaxanthin can considerably boost pigmentation and improve the nutritional value of eggs. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the comparative effects of different chemical structures of astaxanthin including free astaxanthin, monoester-enriched astaxanthin and diester-enriched astaxanthin on the nutritional enhancement of eggs within 20 days. The results showed that supplementation of free astaxanthin to laying hens was more effective in accumulating astaxanthin in egg yolks than supplementation with esterified astaxanthin.

A Comparative Study of the Anti-Obesity Effects of Dietary Sea Cucumber Saponins and Energy Restriction in Response to Weight Loss and Weight Regain in Mice.

Dietary supplementation of sea cucumber saponins and calorie restriction have been proved to be effective in alleviating obesity, but the differences of anti-obesity effects between sea cucumber saponins and energy restriction during weight loss and weight regain are still unknown. In the present study, high-fat-induced obesity mice were randomly divided into three groups, including a high-fat diet group (HF), an energy restriction by 40% group (HF-L), and a sea cucumber saponins group (HF-S), to compare the effects of dietary sea cucumber saponins and energy restriction on the weight, glucose, and lipid metabolism of obese mice during weight loss and weight regain. The results showed that dietary 0.