Selective aggregation of natural ligands into efficient AIEgens on a human telomeric duplex-G-quadruplex junction.

DNA structures with the potential to concurrently recruit multiple ligands are promising in pharmaceutical and sensing applications when concentrated in a local environment. Herein, we found that human telomeric G-quadruplex (htG4) structures with a junction can selectively aggregate a natural ligand of tetrahydropalmatine (THP) into AIEgens. The htG4 monomer favors formation of a THP dimer emitting at ∼525 nm.

Does lexical category matter in effects of emotionality on L2 word processing in late proficient Chinese-English bilinguals? An ERP study.

Although the effects of emotionality on word processing might be modulated by lexical category, a body of extant literature has tended to obviate the need of considering this factor. In this study, we attempted to address how lexical category modulates the effects of emotionality on L2 word processing. To this end, event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded from a group of late proficient Chinese-English bilinguals while they performed a lexical decision task with a set of tightly matched negative, positive, and neutral words across three lexical categories (nouns, verbs, adjectives).

Biochemical characterization of the Eya and PP2A-B55α interaction.

The eyes absent (Eya) proteins were first identified as co-activators of the six homeobox family of transcription factors and are critical in embryonic development. These proteins are also re-expressed in cancers after development is complete, where they drive tumor progression. We have previously shown that the Eya3 N-terminal domain (NTD) contains Ser/Thr phosphatase activity through an interaction with the protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A)-B55α holoenzyme and that this interaction increases the half-life of Myc through pT58 dephosphorylation.

Selected humanization of yeast U1 snRNP leads to global suppression of pre-mRNA splicing and mitochondrial dysfunction in the budding yeast.

The recognition of the 5' splice site (5' ss) is one of the earliest steps of pre-mRNA splicing. To better understand, the mechanism and regulation of 5' ss recognition, we selectively humanized components of the yeast U1 (yU1) snRNP to reveal the function of these components in 5' ss recognition and splicing. We targeted U1C and Luc7, two proteins that interact with and stabilize the yU1 snRNA and the 5' ss RNA duplex.

Ratiometric G-quadruplex/hemin DNAzymes with low-dosage associative substrates.

Background: G-quadruplex (G4)/hemin DNAzymes with conversion of substrates into colorimetric readouts are well recognized as convenient biocatalysis tools in sensor development. However, the previously developed colorimetric G4/hemin DNAzymes are diffusive substrate-based DNAzymes (DSBDs). The current colorimetric DSBDs have several drawbacks including high dosage (∼mM) of diffusive substrates (DSs), colorimetric product toxicity, and single colorimetric readout without tolerance to fluctuation of experimental factors and background.

Selected humanization of yeast U1 snRNP leads to global suppression of pre-mRNA splicing and mitochondrial dysfunction in the budding yeast.

The recognition of 5' splice site (5' ss) is one of the earliest steps of pre-mRNA splicing. To better understand the mechanism and regulation of 5' ss recognition, we selectively humanized components of the yeast U1 snRNP to reveal the function of these components in 5' ss recognition and splicing. We targeted U1C and Luc7, two proteins that interact with and stabilize the yeast U1 (yU1) snRNA and the 5' ss RNA duplex.

Isolation and antihyperglycemic effects of garcibractinols A-H, intricate polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols from the fruits of Garcinia bracteata.

Eight previously undescribed polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols (PPAPs) were isolated from the fruits of Garcinia bracteata and named garcibractinols A-H. Garcibractinols A-F (compounds 1-6) were bicyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols (BPAPs) sharing a rare bicyclo[4.3.

Scalemic diacetylenic spiroacetal enol ethers from the flowers of Tanacetum tatsienense.

Six scalemic mixtures of previously undescribed diacetylenic spiroacetal enol ethers (DSEEs) and six scalemic mixtures of known DSEEs were isolated from the flowers of Tanacetum tatsienense. Except for E-epidendranthemenol, Z-O-acetyl-epi dendranthemenol, and Z-O-isovaleryl-epidendranthemenol, the remaining scalemic mixtures of DSEEs were resolved by chiral HPLC, and their structures were determined through an analysis of HR-ESI-MS and NMR data. The absolute configurations of seven pairs of enantiomers and one pair of epimers were determined by comparing the experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra.

Molecular insight into the specific interactions of the SARS-Coronavirus-2 nucleocapsid with RNA and host protein.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) nucleocapsid protein is the most abundantly expressed viral protein during infection where it targets both RNA and host proteins. However, identifying how a single viral protein interacts with so many different targets remains a challenge, providing the impetus here for identifying the interaction sites through multiple methods. Through a combination of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), electron microscopy, and biochemical methods, we have characterized nucleocapsid interactions with RNA and with three host proteins, which include human cyclophilin-A, Pin1, and 14-3-3τ.

Human PRPF39 is an alternative splicing factor recruiting U1 snRNP to weak 5' splice sites.

Human PRPF39 is a homolog of the yeast Prp39 and Prp42 paralogs. We have previously shown that human PRPF39 forms a homodimer that interacts with the CTD of U1C, mirroring the yeast Prp39/Prp42 heterodimer. We demonstrate here that PRPF39 knockdown in HEK293 cells affects many alternative splicing events primarily by reducing the usage of weak 5'ss.

Features of gut microbiota in patients with anorexia nervosa.

Background: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a psychological disorder, which is characterized by the misunderstanding of body image, food restriction, and low body weight. An increasing number of studies have reported that the pathophysiological mechanism of AN might be associated with the dysbiosis of gut microbiota. The purpose of our study was to explore the features of gut microbiota in patients with AN, hoping to provide valuable information on its pathogenesis and treatment.

Chemical constituents from the seeds of and their hypoglycemic activities.

The seeds of Freyn et Sint. are traditional Uygur medicine used for the treatment of diabetes. However, the active anti-diabetic constituents in the seeds of remain unclear.

Polyprenylated Acylphloroglucinols With Different Carbon Skeletons From the Fruits of .

Eleven new polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols (PPAPs, -) and three new monocyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols (MPAPs, -), together with ten known analogues were isolated from the fruits of . These PPAPs belong to three types including the bicyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols (BPAPs), the caged PPAPs, and the complicated PPAPs. Their structures and absolute configurations were determined through HRESIMS, NMR spectroscopy data, electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations, and gauge-independent atomic orbital (GIAO) NMR calculations with DP4+ analyses.

Detecting circRNA in purified spliceosomal P complex.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) generated from back-splicing of exons have been found in a wide range of eukaryotic species and exert a variety of biological functions. Unlike canonical splicing, the mechanism of back-splicing has long remained elusive. We recently determined the cryo-EM structure of the yeast spliceosomal E complex assembled on introns, leading us to hypothesize that the same E complex can assemble across an exon forming the exon-definition complex.

Impact of N-Acetylcysteine on the Gut Microbiota in the Piglets Infected With Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus.

This study was to investigate the impact of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on the gut microbiota in the healthy piglets and the piglets infected with porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV). Forty seven-day-old piglets were allocated into four groups: control group, NAC group (supplemented with 50 mg/kg body weight NAC), PEDV group (inoculated with 10 TCID PEDV), and PEDV+NAC group (PEDV infection + NAC supplementation). The intestinal content was collected for DNA extraction and Illumina sequencing.

Disturbed Resting-State Whole-Brain Functional Connectivity of Striatal Subregions in Bulimia Nervosa.

Background: Disturbed self-regulation, taste reward, as well as somatosensory and visuospatial processes were thought to drive binge eating and purging behaviors that characterize bulimia nervosa. Although studies have implicated a central role of the striatum in these dysfunctions, there have been no direct investigations on striatal functional connectivity in bulimia nervosa from a network perspective.

Methods: We calculated the functional connectivity of striatal subregions based on the resting-state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging data of 51 bulimia nervosa patients and 53 healthy women.

A unified mechanism for intron and exon definition and back-splicing.

The molecular mechanisms of exon definition and back-splicing are fundamental unanswered questions in pre-mRNA splicing. Here we report cryo-electron microscopy structures of the yeast spliceosomal E complex assembled on introns, providing a view of the earliest event in the splicing cycle that commits pre-mRNAs to splicing. The E complex architecture suggests that the same spliceosome can assemble across an exon, and that it either remodels to span an intron for canonical linear splicing (typically on short exons) or catalyses back-splicing to generate circular RNA (on long exons).

Abnormal structural brain network and hemisphere-specific changes in bulimia nervosa.

Bulimia nervosa (BN) is characterized by episodic binge eating and purging behaviors. Disrupted neural processes of self-regulation, taste-rewarding, and body image has been associated with the pathogenesis of BN. However, the structural basis for these behavioral and functional deficits remains largely unknown.

Author Correction: Eya3 partners with PP2A to induce c-Myc stabilization and tumor progression.

In the original version of this Article, the title of the legend to Fig. 7 incorrectly read 'Knockdown of B55α increases breast cancer metastasis' instead of 'Knockdown of B55α decreases breast cancer metastasis'. This has now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.

CPP-E1A fusion peptides inhibit CtBP-mediated transcriptional repression.

The carboxyl-terminal binding proteins (CtBP) are transcriptional corepressors that regulate the expression of multiple epithelial-specific and pro-apoptotic genes. Overexpression of CtBP occurs in many human cancers where they promote the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, stem cell-like features, and cell survival, while knockdown of CtBP in tumor cells results in p53-independent apoptosis. CtBPs are recruited to their target genes by binding to a conserved PXDLS peptide motif present in multiple DNA-binding transcription factors.