Small molecule produced by interferes with ubiquinone biosynthesis in Gram-negative bacteria.

Unlabelled: We report the identification of 3,6-dihydroxy-1,2-benzisoxazole (DHB) in a screen of and , whose symbiotic relationship with eukaryotic nematodes favors secondary metabolites that meet several requirements matching those for clinically useful antibiotics. DHB is produced by and is selective against the Gram-negative species and . It is inactive against anaerobic gut bacteria and nontoxic to human cells.

A family of olfactory receptors uniquely expanded in marsupial and monotreme genomes are expressed by a T cell subset also unique to marsupials and monotremes.

Olfactory receptors (OR), expressed on olfactory neurons, mediate the sense of smell. Recently, OR have also been shown to be expressed in non-olfactory tissues, including cells of the immune system. An analysis of single-cell transcriptomes of splenocytes of the grey short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica) found OR are expressed on a subset of T cells, the γμ T cells, that are unique to marsupials and monotremes.

Softening of PEO-LiTFSI/LLZTO Composite Polymer Electrolytes for Solid-State Batteries under Cyclic Compression.

Composite polymer electrolytes (CPEs) strike an effective balance between ionic conductivity and mechanical flexibility for lithium-ion solid-state batteries. Long-term performance, however, is limited by capacity fading after hundreds of charge and discharge cycles. The causes of performance degradation include multiple contributing factors such as dendrite formation, physicochemical changes in electrolytes, and structural remodeling of porous electrodes.

Comparative genomics of the T cell receptor μ locus in marsupials and monotremes.

T cells are a primary component of the vertebrate adaptive immune system. There are three mammalian T cell lineages based on their T cell receptors (TCR). The αβ T cells and γδ T cells are ancient and found broadly in vertebrates.

Linking Interfacial Bonding and Thermal Conductivity in Molecularly-Confined Polymer-Glass Nanocomposites with Ultra-High Interfacial Density.

Thermal transport in polymer nanocomposites becomes dependent on the interfacial thermal conductance due to the ultra-high density of the internal interfaces when the polymer and filler domains are intimately mixed at the nanoscale. However, there is a lack of experimental measurements that can link the thermal conductance across the interfaces to the chemistry and bonding between the polymer molecules and the glass surface. Characterizing the thermal properties of amorphous composites are a particular challenge as their low intrinsic thermal conductivity leads to poor measurement sensitivity of the interfacial thermal conductance.

Computational identification of a systemic antibiotic for gram-negative bacteria.

Discovery of antibiotics acting against Gram-negative species is uniquely challenging due to their restrictive penetration barrier. BamA, which inserts proteins into the outer membrane, is an attractive target due to its surface location. Darobactins produced by Photorhabdus, a nematode gut microbiome symbiont, target BamA.

3D nanoprinting via spatially controlled assembly and polymerization.

Macroscale additive manufacturing has seen significant advances recently, but these advances are not yet realized for the bottom-up formation of nanoscale polymeric features. We describe a platform technology for creating crosslinked polymer features using rapid surface-initiated crosslinking and versatile macrocrosslinkers, delivered by a microfluidic-coupled atomic force microscope known as FluidFM. A crosslinkable polymer containing norbornene moieties is delivered to a catalyzed substrate where polymerization occurs, resulting in extremely rapid chemical curing of the delivered material.

Comparison of Reptilian Genomes Reveals Deletions Associated with the Natural Loss of γδ T Cells in Squamates.

T lymphocytes or T cells are key components of the vertebrate response to pathogens and cancer. There are two T cell classes based on their TCRs, αβ T cells and γδ T cells, and each plays a critical role in immune responses. The squamate reptiles may be unique among the vertebrate lineages by lacking an entire class of T cells, the γδ T cells.

Developmental and comparative immunology single-cell transcriptome analysis of the B-cell repertoire reveals the usage of immunoglobulins in the gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica).

B-cells are key to humoral immunity, are found in multiple lymphoid organs, and have the unique ability to mediate the production of antigen-specific antibodies in the presence of pathogens. The marsupial immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy (H) chain locus encodes four constant region isotypes, IgA, IgG, IgM and IgE, but no IgD, and there are two light (L) chain isotypes, lambda (Igλ) and kappa (Igκ). To gain an understanding of the marsupial humoral immune system, B-cell transcriptomes generated by single-cell RNA sequencing from gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica) splenocytes, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were analysed.

The molecular assembly of the marsupial γμ T cell receptor defines a third T cell lineage.

αβ and γδ T cell receptors (TCRs) are highly diverse antigen receptors that define two evolutionarily conserved T cell lineages. We describe a population of γμTCRs found exclusively in non-eutherian mammals that consist of a two-domain (Vγ-Cγ) γ-chain paired to a three-domain (Vμ-Vμj-Cμ) μ-chain. γμTCRs were characterized by restricted diversity in the Vγ and Vμj domains and a highly diverse unpaired Vμ domain.

Inhibition of f. sp. Growth by Phenylpropanoid Pathway Intermediates.

Fusarium wilt in tobacco caused by the fungus f. sp. is a disease‑management challenge worldwide, as there are few effective and environmentally benign chemical agents for its control.

Identification of regenerative processes in neonatal spinal cord injury in the opossum (Monodelphis domestica): A transcriptomic study.

This study investigates the response to spinal cord injury in the gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica). In opossums spinal injury early in development results in spontaneous axon growth through the injury, but this regenerative potential diminishes with maturity until it is lost entirely. The mechanisms underlying this regeneration remain unknown.

Marsupial and monotreme milk-a review of its nutrient and immune properties.

All mammals are characterized by the ability of females to produce milk. Marsupial (metatherian) and monotreme (prototherian) young are born in a highly altricial state and rely on their mother's milk for the first part of their life. Here we review the role and importance of milk in marsupial and monotreme development.

Analysis of the Chinese Alligator TCRα/δ Loci Reveals the Evolutionary Pattern of Atypical TCRδ/TCRμ in Tetrapods.

Atypical TCRδ found in sharks, amphibians, birds, and monotremes and TCRμ found in monotremes and marsupials are TCR chains that use Ig or BCR-like variable domains (VHδ/Vμ) rather than conventional TCR V domains. These unconventional TCR are consistent with a scenario in which TCR and BCR, although having diverged from each other more than 400 million years ago, continue to exchange variable gene segments in generating diversity for Ag recognition. However, the process underlying this exchange and leading to the evolution of these atypical TCR receptor genes remains elusive.

Opossum Mammary Maturation as It Relates to Immune Cell Infiltration and Nutritional Gene Transcription.

The mammary gland has evolved to accommodate the developmental needs of offspring in species-specific ways. This is particularly true for marsupials. Marsupial milk content changes dramatically throughout lactation in ways appearing timed with neonatal ontogeny and behavior.

Surface Initiated Polymer Thin Films for the Area Selective Deposition and Etching of Metal Oxides.

The area selective growth of polymers and their use as inhibiting layers for inorganic film depositions may provide a valuable self-aligned process for fabrication. Polynorbornene (PNB) thin films were grown from surface-bound initiators and show inhibitory properties against the atomic layer deposition (ALD) of ZnO and TiO. Area selective control of the polymerization was achieved through the synthesis of initiators that incorporate surface-binding ligands, enabling their selective attachment to metal oxide features silicon dielectrics, which were then used to initiate surface polymerizations.

Evidence for regulation of the complement system during pregnancy being ancient and conserved in mammals.

Here we demonstrate that regulation of the Complement (C') components of the immune system is an ancient and conserved feature of mammalian pregnancy. Transcript levels were reduced for complement components C3 and C4 throughout pregnancy in a marsupial, Monodelphis domestica. Downstream C' component transcripts were significantly less abundant relative to non-pregnant controls at the start of pregnancy but increased during late pregnancy, in some cases peaking close to parturition.

Growing Patterned, Cross-linked Nanoscale Polymer Films from Organic and Inorganic Surfaces Using Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization.

The ability to modify substrates with thin polymer films allows for the tailoring of surface properties, and through combination of patterning finds use in a large variety of applications such as electronics and lab-on-chip devices. Although many techniques can be used to afford polymer-modified surfaces such as surface-initiated polymerization or layer-by-layer methodologies, their stability in a wide range of environments as well as their ability to target specific chemistry are critical factors to enable their successful application. In this paper, we report a facile technique in creating nanoscale polymer thin films using solid-state continuous assembly of polymers via ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ssCAP) directly from surfaces functionalized through silanization.

γδ T cells are the predominant T cell type in opossum mammaries during lactation.

Milk provides mammalian neonates with nutritional support and passive immunity. This is particularly true in marsupials where young are born highly altricial and lacking many components of a fully functional adaptive immune system. Here we investigated the T cell populations in the mammaries of a lactating marsupial, the gray short-tailed opossum Monodelphis domestica.

Opossum milk IgG is from maternal circulation and timing of transfer correlates with neonatal immune development.

Marsupials, with short gestation times, have more complex and changing patterns of milk composition than eutherians. Maternal immunoglobulins (Ig) that confer immunity on offspring are among the components that change during marsupial lactation. In the present study we quantified the abundance of mammary transcripts encoding Ig heavy chains and their corresponding transporters in the laboratory opossum Monodelphis domestica.

A 'devil' of a problem.

The discovery of a second facial tumor disease in the Tasmanian devil has provided insights into the emergence of contagious cancers.

Electrically Conductive Copper Core-Shell Nanowires through Benzenethiol-Directed Assembly.

Ultrathin nanowires with <3 nm diameter have long been sought for novel properties that emerge from dimensional constraint as well as for continued size reduction and performance improvement of nanoelectronic devices. Here, we report on a facile and large-scale synthesis of a new class of electrically conductive ultrathin core-shell nanowires using benzenethiols. Core-shell nanowires are atomically precise and have inorganic five-atom copper-sulfur cross-sectional cores encapsulated by organic shells encompassing aromatic substituents with ring planes oriented parallel.