2-Hydroxylation is a chemical switch linking fatty acids to glucose-stimulated insulin secretion.

Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) in pancreatic β-cells is metabolically regulated and progressively diminished during the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D). This dynamic process is tightly coupled with fatty acid metabolism, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Fatty acid 2-hydroxylase (FA2H) catalyzes the conversion of fatty acids to chiral specific (R)-2-hydroxy fatty acids ((R)-2-OHFAs), which influences cell metabolism.

A molecular view of single-atom catalysis toward carbon dioxide conversion.

Carbon dioxide (CO) conversion has attracted much interest recently owing to its importance in both scientific research and practical applications, but still faces a bottleneck in selectivity control and mechanism understanding owing to diversified active sites. Single-atom catalysts (SACs) featuring isolated and well-defined active centers are proved to not only exhibit unparalleled performances in various processes of CO conversion but also provide excellent research paradigms by circumventing the heterogeneity of active sites. Herein, we will not only critically review recent progress on the application of SACs in chemical CO conversion based on previous comprehension of general thermodynamics and kinetics, but also try to offer a multi-level understanding of SACs from a molecular point of view in terms of the central atom, coordination environment, support effect and synergy with other active centers.

Effect of reduction pretreatment on the structure and catalytic performance of Ir-InO catalysts for CO hydrogenation to methanol.

InO has been found a promising application in CO hydrogenation to methanol, which is beneficial to the utilization of CO. The oxygen vacancy (O) site is identified as the catalytic active center of this reaction. However, there remains a great challenge to understand the relations between the state of oxygen species in InO and the catalytic performance for CO hydrogenation to methanol.

Recent progress in biomaterials-driven ferroptosis for cancer therapy.

Ferroptosis, first suggested in 2012, is a type of non-apoptotic programmed cell death caused by the buildup of lipid peroxidation and marked by an overabundance of oxidized poly unsaturated fatty acids. During the last decade, researchers have uncovered the formation of ferroptosis and created multiple drugs aimed at it, but due to poor selectivity and pharmacokinetics, clinical application has been hindered. In recent years, biomedical discoveries and developments in nanotechnology have spurred the investigation of ferroptosis nanomaterials, providing new opportunities for the ferroptosis driven tumours treatment.

Long noncoding RNA lncPostn links TGF-β and p53 signaling pathways to transcriptional regulation of cardiac fibrosis.

Cardiac fibroblasts are essential for the homeostasis of the extracellular matrix, whose remodeling in many cardiovascular diseases leads to fibrosis. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are associated with cardiac pathologies, but their functions in cardiac fibroblasts and contributions to cardiac fibrosis remain unclear. Here, we aimed to identify fibroblast-enriched lncRNAs essential in myocardial infarction (MI)-induced fibrosis and explore the molecular mechanisms responsible for their functions.

A human health risk assessment of rare earth elements through daily diet consumption from Bayan Obo Mining Area, China.

Rare earth elements (REEs) have been broad application in a range of industries, including the electronics industry, advanced materials, and medicine. However, health risks associated with REEs received increasing attention. 31 residents (16 males and 15 females) from Bayan Obo mining in Inner Mongolia, China, were enrolled in this study.

Global Analysis of 2-Hydroxy Fatty Acids by Gas Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Reveals Species-Specific Enrichment in Echinoderms.

Abnormal levels of 2-hydroxy fatty acids (2-OH FAs) are characterized in multiple diseases, and their quantification in foodstuffs is critical to identify the sources of supplementation for potential treatment. However, due to the structural complexity and limited available standards, the comprehensive profiling of 2-OH FAs remains an ongoing challenge. Herein, an innovative approach based on gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) was developed to determine the full profile of these FA metabolites.

Recent Progress in Extracellular Vesicle-Based Carriers for Targeted Drug Delivery in Cancer Therapy.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small, membrane-based vesicles released by cells that play a critical role in various physiological and pathological processes. They act as vehicles for transporting a variety of endogenous cargo molecules, enabling intercellular communication. Due to their natural properties, EVs have emerged as a promising "cell-free therapy" strategy for treating various diseases, including cancer.

Xylene Synthesis Through Tandem CO Hydrogenation and Toluene Methylation Over a Composite ZnZrO Zeolite Catalyst.

Selective synthesis of specific value-added aromatics from CO hydrogenation is of paramount interest for mitigating energy and climate problems caused by CO emission. Herein, we report a highly active composite catalyst of ZnZrO and HZSM-5 (ZZO/Z5-SG) for xylene synthesis from CO hydrogenation via a coupling reaction in the presence of toluene, achieving a xylene selectivity of 86.5 % with CO conversion of 10.

Mitochondrial respiratory complex I deficiency inhibits brown adipogenesis by limiting heme regulation of histone demethylation.

Mitochondrial functions play a crucial role in determining the metabolic and thermogenic status of brown adipocytes. Increasing evidence reveals that the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) system plays an important role in brown adipogenesis, but the mechanistic insights are limited. Herein, we explored the potential metabolic mechanisms leading to OXPHOS regulation of brown adipogenesis in pharmacological and genetic models of mitochondrial respiratory complex I deficiency.

Recent Progress of Rational Modified Nanocarriers for Cytosolic Protein Delivery.

Therapeutic proteins garnered significant attention in the field of disease treatment. In comparison to small molecule drugs, protein therapies offer distinct advantages, including high potency, specificity, low toxicity, and reduced carcinogenicity, even at minimal concentrations. However, the full potential of protein therapy is limited by inherent challenges such as large molecular size, delicate tertiary structure, and poor membrane penetration, resulting in inefficient intracellular delivery into target cells.

Functional L-Arginine Derivative as an Efficient Vector for Intracellular Protein Delivery for Potential Cancer Therapy.

The utilization of cytosolic protein delivery is a promising approach for treating various diseases by replacing dysfunctional proteins. Despite the development of various nanoparticle-based intracellular protein delivery methods, the complicated chemical synthesis of the vector, loading efficiency and endosomal escape efficiency of proteins remain a great challenge. Recently, 9-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl (Fmoc)-modified amino acid derivatives have been used to self-assemble into supramolecular nanomaterials for drug delivery.

Analysis of Dietary Supplement Use and Influencing Factors in the Mongolian Population.

Objective: Dietary supplements (DS) may improve micronutrient deficiencies, but the unique eating habits and cultural customs of the Chinese Mongolian population affect their choice of DS. Therefore, this study adopted a cross-sectional method to explore the current status of DS use and to assess the influencing factors in the Mongolian population in Inner Mongolia, China.

Methods: We used a multistage random cluster sampling method to select 1,434 Mongolian people aged ≥ 18 years in Hohhot and Xilinhot, Inner Mongolia.

Characterization of drinking groundwater quality in rural areas of Inner Mongolia and assessment of human health risks.

Groundwater is an important natural resource of drinking water in rural areas in Inner Mongolia, China. In this study, 4438 drinking groundwater samples were collected from the rural areas of 81 counties in Inner Mongolia, and were analyzed for 16 parameters, including pH, total hardness (TH), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total dissolved solids (TDS), sulfate (SO), chloride (Cl), fluoride (F), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), hexavalent chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), aluminum (Al), cuprum (Cu), zinc (Zn). The groundwater quality was evaluated with water quality index (WQI) and human health risk assessment (HRA).

The Impact of Risk Factor Control on Health-Related Quality of Life in Individuals with High Cardiovascular Disease Risk: A Cross-sectional Study Based on EQ-5D Utility Scores in Inner Mongolia, China.

Objectives: To assess the impact of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor control on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), as well as the other influencing factors of HRQoL among high CVD risk individuals.

Methods: From 2015 to 2017, residents of six villages or communities in Inner Mongolia, selected using a multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling method, were invited to complete a questionnaire and undergo physical examination and laboratory testing. We selected participants whose predicted 10-year risk for CVD exceeded 10% as those with high CVD risk.

Stearoyl CoA Desaturase 1 and Inositol-Requiring Protein 1 Determine the Efficiency of Oleic Acid in Alleviating Silica Nanoparticle-Induced Insulin Resistance.

Despite the widespread use of silica nanoparticles (SiNPs), their metabolic impact and mechanisms of action have not been well studied. Exposure to SiNPs induces insulin resistance (IR) in hepatocytes by endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress via inositol-requiring protein 1 (IRE1) activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK). It has been well established that stearoyl CoA desaturase (SCD1) and its major product oleic acid elicited beneficial effects in restoring ER homeostasis.

2-Hydroxylation of Fatty Acids Represses Colorectal Tumorigenesis and Metastasis via the YAP Transcriptional Axis.

Alteration in lipid composition is an important metabolic adaptation by cancer cells to support tumorigenesis and metastasis. Fatty acid 2-hydroxylase (FA2H) introduces a chiral hydroxyl group at the second carbon of fatty acid (FA) backbones and influences lipid structures and metabolic signaling. However, the underlying mechanisms through which FA 2-hydroxylation is coupled to metabolic adaptation and tumor growth remain elusive.

Excess diacylglycerol at the endoplasmic reticulum disrupts endomembrane homeostasis and autophagy.

Background: When stressed, eukaryotic cells produce triacylglycerol (TAG) to store nutrients and mobilize autophagy to combat internal damage. We and others previously reported that in yeast, elimination of TAG synthesizing enzymes inhibits autophagy under nitrogen starvation, yet the underlying mechanism has remained elusive.

Results: Here, we show that disruption of TAG synthesis led to diacylglycerol (DAG) accumulation and its relocation from the vacuolar membrane to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER).

Tuning reactivity of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis by regulating TiO overlayer over Ru/TiO nanocatalysts.

The activity of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) on metal-based nanocatalysts can be greatly promoted by the support of reducible oxides, while the role of support remains elusive. Herein, by varying the reduction condition to regulate the TiO overlayer on Ru nanocatalysts, the reactivity of Ru/TiO nanocatalysts can be differentially modulated. The activity in FTS shows a volcano-like trend with increasing reduction temperature from 200 to 600 °C.

The Patatin-Like Phospholipase Domain Containing Protein 7 Facilitates VLDL Secretion by Modulating ApoE Stability.

Background And Aims: The regulation of hepatic very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) secretion is vital for lipid metabolism whose pathogenetic status is involved in fatty liver disease and dyslipidemia seen in hepatic steatosis. Accumulated evidence suggest that apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is closely related to hepatic VLDL secretion. Here, we report that the expression of patatin-like phospholipase domain containing protein 7 (PNPLA7) is strongly induced by hepatic steatosis and positively correlates with plasma triacylglycerol (TAG) levels in the human subjects, whereas the role of PNPLA7 in hepatic VLDL secretion is unknown.

Peroxisomal regulation of redox homeostasis and adipocyte metabolism.

Peroxisomes are ubiquitous cellular organelles required for specific pathways of fatty acid oxidation and lipid synthesis, and until recently their functions in adipocytes have not been well appreciated. Importantly, peroxisomes host many oxygen-consumption reactions and play a major role in generation and detoxification of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), influencing whole cell redox status. Here, we review recent progress in peroxisomal functions in lipid metabolism as related to ROS/RNS metabolism and discuss the roles of peroxisomal redox homeostasis in adipogenesis and adipocyte metabolism.

Fatty acid 2-hydroxylation inhibits tumor growth and increases sensitivity to cisplatin in gastric cancer.

Background: Most gastric cancers are diagnosed at an advanced or metastatic stage with poor prognosis and survival rate. Fatty acid 2-hydroxylase (FA2H) with high expression in stomach generates chiral (R)-2-hydroxy FAs ((R)-2-OHFAs) and regulates glucose utilization which is important for cell proliferation and invasiveness. We hypothesized that FA2H impacts gastric tumor growth and could represent a novel target to improve gastric cancer therapy.

Single-Atom Catalysis toward Efficient CO Conversion to CO and Formate Products.

Simply yet powerfully, single-atom catalysts (SACs) with atomically dispersed metal active centers on supports have received a growing interest in a wide range of catalytic reactions. As a specific example, SACs have exhibited distinctive performances in CO chemical conversions. The unique structures of SACs are appealing for adsorptive activation of CO molecules, transfer of intermediates from support to active metal sites, and production of desirable products in CO conversion.

C. Elegans Fatty Acid Two-Hydroxylase Regulates Intestinal Homeostasis by Affecting Heptadecenoic Acid Production.

Background/aims: The hydroxylation of fatty acids at the C-2 position is the first step of fatty acid α-oxidation and generates sphingolipids containing 2-hydroxy fatty acyl moieties. Fatty acid 2-hydroxylation is catalyzed by Fatty acid 2-hydroxylase (FA2H) enzyme. However, the precise roles of FA2H and fatty acid 2-hydroxylation in whole cell homeostasis still remain unclear.