Transient Directing Group-Assisted Palladium-Catalyzed C4-Alkynylation of Indoles.

Pd-catalyzed C4-selective alkynylation of indoles was established by employing glycine as a transient directing group. This reaction exhibits high regioselectivity with the tolerance of a wide scope of functional groups to afford diverse alkynylated indoles in moderate to good yields. Moreover, the readily accessible scale-up synthesis and further decorations to achieve multifunctionalized indoles demonstrate the synthetic potential of this protocol.

A Robotic Teleoperation System Enhanced by Augmented Reality for Natural Human-Robot Interaction.

Telekinesis, as commonly portrayed in science fiction literature and cinema, is a super power wherein users control and manipulate objects absent in physical interaction. In real world, enhancing human-robot interaction needs the synthesis of human intuitive processes with robotic arm. This paper introduces a robotic teleoperation system achieving the essence of telekinetic operations, combining the profound capabilities of augmented reality (AR) with the robotic arm operations.

New mechanistic insights into soil ecological risk assessment of arsenite (III) and arsenate (V)：Cellular and molecular toxicity responses in Eisenia fetida.

Inorganic arsenic (iAs) is a persistent bioaccumulation carcinogen that is most abundant in soils in the form of arsenite-As (III) and arsenate-As (V). However, there is currently very little explicit evidence about cytotoxicity of As on soil organisms. Moreover, toxicological data for iAs and proteotoxicity is shortage.

A De Novo Auto-Activated Solar-Driven Biohybrid System for Hydrogen Production in Methanotrophic Cells.

Climate change driving by greenhouse gas emissions from petroleum-based energy has garnered significant attention. Renewable energy production via a sustainable system that integrates the cell factory and visible-light-driven photocatalysts offers a novel approach for upcycling methane and addressing global energy challenges. Here, an auto-activated biohybrid system driven by solar energy is developed for converting methane into hydrogen fuel, which incorporated thienoviologen (S-MV) and genetically engineered methanotrophic bacteria.

Scalable Electro-Biosynthesis of Ectoine from Greenhouse Gases.

Converting greenhouse gases into valuable products has become a promising approach for achieving a carbon-neutral economy and sustainable development. However, the conversion efficiency depends on the energy yield of the substrate. In this study, we developed an electro-biocatalytic system by integrating electrochemical and microbial processes to upcycle CO into a valuable product (ectoine) using renewable energy.

[Research progress in bioconversion of C1 gases into oleochemicals].

The utilization of C1 gases (CH, CO, and CO) for the production of oleochemicals applied in the energy and platform chemicals through microbial engineering has emerged as a promising approach to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and decrease dependence on fossil fuel. C1 gas-utilizing microorganisms, such as methanotrophs, microalgae, and acetogens, are capable of converting C1 gases as the sole substrates for cell growth and oleochemical synthesis with different carbon-chain lengths, garnering considerable attention from both scientific community and industry field for sustainable biomanufacturing. This paper comprehensively reviews recent advancements in the development of engineered cell factories utilizing C1 gases for the production of oleochemicals, elucidating the key metabolic pathways of biosynthesis.

Bioupcycling Methane and CO for Succinate Production by an Engineered Type I Methanotrophic Bacterium.

Methane, a byproduct of agricultural activities, has shown potential as a nonedible substrate for biomanufacturing. The production of succinate by a methanotrophic bacterium utilizing methane presents an innovative route for the sustainable synthesis of chemicals. In this study, 5GB1S was genetically modified through the reconstruction of an artificial serine cycle to enable the bioconversion of both methane and CO into succinate.

Sustainable production of C50 carotenoid bacterioruberin from methane using soil-enriched microbial consortia.

Bacterioruberin is widely used in medicine, food, and cosmetics owing to its prominent characteristics of antioxidants and bioactivities. Bioconversion of methane into bacterioruberin is a promising way to address biomanufacturing substrate costs and greenhouse gas emissions but has not been achieved yet. Herein, this study aimed to upcycle methane to bacterioruberin by microbial consortia.

New molecular mechanism of nanoplastics affecting cadmium protein toxicity: Conformational response and differential binding of human serum albumin.

The significant health risks of nanoplastics (NPs) and cadmium (Cd) are currently attracting a great deal of attention and research. At present, the effects and mechanisms of NPs and Cd on human serum albumin (HSA), a key functional protein in the organism on transportation, remain unknown. Here, the differences in the effects and mechanisms of action of Cd alone and composite systems (NPsCd) were explored by enzyme activity assay, multi-spectroscopy analysis and molecular docking.

Nanoplastics composite norfloxacin induced changes in conformation and function of lysozyme and differential effects of co-exposure contamination.

The concurrent environmental contamination by nanoplastics (NPs) and norfloxacin (NOR) is a burgeoning concern, with significant accumulations in various ecosystems and potential ingress into the human body via the food chain, posing threats to both public health and ecological balance. Despite the gravity of the situation, studies on the co-exposure contamination effects of these substances are limited. Moreover, the response mechanisms of key functional proteins to these pollutants are yet to be fully elucidated.

Novel mechanistic insights into Cr(VI) and Cr(III) induced discrepancies of cellular toxicity and oxidative injury events in Eisenia fetida.

Chromium (Cr) poses a high ecological risk, however the toxic mechanisms of Cr in different valence states to soil organisms at cellular and molecular levels are not exactly. In this study, the Eisenia fetida coelomocytes and Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD) were chosen as the target subjects to investigate the effects and mechanisms of cellular toxicity induced by Cr(VI) and Cr(III). Results indicated that Cr(VI) and Cr(III) significantly reduced the coelomocytes viability.

The size-dependent effects of nanoplastics in mouse primary hepatocytes from cells to molecules.

Nanoplastics (NPs) are easily ingested by organisms and their major accumulation organ was determined to be liver. To date, the size-dependent cytotoxicity of NPs on mammalian hepatocytes remains unclear. This study utilized mouse primary hepatocytes and catalase (CAT) as specific receptors to investigate the toxicity of NPs from cells to molecules, focusing on size-dependent effects.

Biocatalysis of CO and CH: Key enzymes and challenges.

Mitigating greenhouse gas emissions is a critical challenge for promoting global sustainability. The utilization of CO and CH as substrates for the production of valuable products offers a promising avenue for establishing an eco-friendly economy. Biocatalysis, a sustainable process utilizing enzymes to facilitate biochemical reactions, plays a significant role in upcycling greenhouse gases.

Novel evidence on iodoacetic acid-induced immune protein functional and conformational changes: Focusing on cellular and molecular aspects.

Elevated levels of iodide occur in raw water in certain regions, where iodination disinfection byproducts are formed during chloramine-assisted disinfection of naturally iodide-containing water. Iodoacetic acid (IAA) is one of the typical harmful products. The mechanisms underlying IAA-induced immunotoxicity and its direct effects on biomolecules remained unclear in the past.

New mechanistic insights into halogen-dependent cytotoxic pattern of monohaloacetamide disinfection byproducts.

As highly toxic nitrogenous disinfection byproducts (DBPs), monohaloacetamides (monoHAcAms) generally exhibited a cytotoxic rank order of iodoacetamide ˃ bromoacetamide ˃ chloroacetamide. However, the mechanisms underlying the halogen-dependent cytotoxic pattern remain largely veiled as yet. In this work, oxidative stress/damage levels in monoHAcAm-treated Chinese hamster ovary cells were thoroughly analyzed, and binding interactions between monoHAcAms and antioxidative enzyme Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD) were investigated by multiple spectroscopic techniques and molecular docking.

The combined effects of polystyrene nanoplastics with nickel on oxidative stress and related toxic effects to earthworms from individual and cellular perspectives.

Nanoplastics may adsorb other pollutants in the environment due to their high specific surface area and small size. We used earthworms as experimental organisms to evaluate the ecotoxicity of NPs and Ni combined pollution at the individual and cellular levels. The results showed that when only 20 mg/L Ni was added to the combined pollution system, the antioxidant system of earthworm coelomocytes was destroyed to a certain extent, the ROS level increased, the cell viability decreased significantly, and the redox balance was destroyed.

Molecular mechanisms of nano-sized polystyrene plastics induced cytotoxicity and immunotoxicity in Eisenia fetida.

Nanoplastics (NPs) are currently everywhere and environmental pollution by NPs is a pressing global problem. Nevertheless, until now, few studies have concentrated on the mechanisms and pathways of cytotoxic effects and immune dysfunction of NPs on soil organisms employing a multidimensional strategy. Hence, earthworm immune cells and immunity protein lysozyme (LZM) were selected as specific receptors to uncover the underlying mechanisms of cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and immunotoxicity resulting from exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs), and the binding mechanisms of PS-NPs-LZM interaction.

Environmental relevant concentrations of polystyrene nanoplastics and lead co-exposure triggered cellular cytotoxicity responses and underlying mechanisms in Eisenia fetida.

Heavy metal pollution of soils and the widespread use of plastics have caused environmental problems worldwide. Nanoplastics (NPs) contaminants in water and soil environments can adsorb heavy metals, thereby affecting the bioavailability and toxicity of heavy metals. In this paper, the effect of co-exposure of polystyrene microspheres with 100 nm particle size and lead acetate (Pb) on the Eisenia fetida coelomocytes was investigated.

Compound effect and mechanism of oxidative damage induced by nanoplastics and benzo [a] pyrene.

Nanoplastics and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous in soil environments. In order to objectively evaluate the toxic interaction between polystyrene nanoplastics (PS NPs) and benzo [a] pyrene (BaP), oxidative damage at the level of earthworm cells and biomacromolecules was investigated by experiments combined with molecular dynamics simulation. Studies on cells reveal that PS NPs and BaP had synergistic toxicity when it came to causing oxidative stress.

Decoding the biological toxicity of phenanthrene on intestinal cells of Eisenia fetida: Effects, toxicity pathways and corresponding mechanisms.

Phenanthrene is frequently detected and exists extensively in the soil environment, and its residues inevitably impose a significant threat to soil organisms. Exposure to and toxicity of phenanthrene on earthworms has been extensively studied before, however, the possible mechanisms and related pathways associated with phenanthrene-triggered toxicity at the intestinal cell level remain unclear. Herein, primary intestinal cells isolated from Eisenia fetida (Annelida, Oligochaeta) intestine were used as targeted receptors to probe the molecular mechanisms involved in ROS-mediated damaging effects and the potential pathways of phenanthrene-induced toxicity at cellular and sub-cellular levels.

Mechanistic insights into pyridine exposure induced toxicity in model Eisenia fetida species: Evidence from whole-animal, cellular, and molecular-based perspectives.

Pyridine and its derivatives are widely used in many applications and inevitably cause extreme scenarios of serious soil contamination, which pose a threat to soil organisms. Still, the eco-toxicological effects and underlying mechanisms of pyridine-caused toxicity toward soil fauna have not been well established. Thus, earthworms (Eisenia fetida), coelomocytes, and oxidative stress-related proteins were selected as targeted receptors to probe the ecotoxicity mechanism of extreme pyridine soil exposure targeted to earthworms by using a combination of in vivo animal experiments, cell-based in vitro tests, in vitro functional and conformational analyses, and in silico analyses.

Metabolic Degradation and Bioactive Derivative Synthesis of Phenazine-1-Carboxylic Acid by Genetically Engineered HT66.

Phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA) secreted by has been commercialized and widely employed as an antifungal pesticide. However, it displays potential hazards to nontarget microorganisms and the environment. Although the PCA degradation characteristics have received extensive attention, the biodegradation efficiency is still insufficient to address the environmental risks.

Palladium-Catalyzed Tandem Nucleophilic Addition/C-H Functionalization of Anilines and Bromoalkynes for the Synthesis of 2-Phenylindoles.

A novel and efficient palladium-catalyzed annulation of anilines with bromoalkynes for the synthesis of 2-phenylindoles has been described. This approach features excellent regio- and stereoselectivities and good functional group tolerance. Preliminary mechanistic studies indicate that anilines undergo -nucleophilic addition to bromoalkynes to generate ()--(2-bromo-1-phenylvinyl) anilines, followed by sequential C-H functionalization to deliver different substituted 2-phenylindoles.

Unraveling the biosynthesis of penicillenols by genome mining PKS-NRPS gene clusters in .

Penicillenols belong to the family of tetramic acids with anticancer and antibacterial activities. Here, we report the discovery of the biosynthetic gene cluster ( for penicillenol A and E in ATCC9849 by genome mining. We discover the cluster based on the results of gene deletions in and gene cluster heterologous expression in .