Electrosynthesis of Mussel-inspired Adhesive Polymers as a Novel Class of Transient Enzyme Stabilizers.

Multifunctional ortho-quinones are required for the formation of thiol-catechol-connectivities (TCC) but can be delicate to handle. We present the electrochemical oxidation of the dipeptide DiDOPA, achieving up to 92 % conversion efficiency of the catechols to ortho-quinones. Graphite and stainless steel could be employed as cost-efficient electrodes.

Phosphorylation-driven epichaperome assembly is a regulator of cellular adaptability and proliferation.

The intricate network of protein-chaperone interactions is crucial for maintaining cellular function. Recent discoveries have unveiled the existence of specialized chaperone assemblies, known as epichaperomes, which serve as scaffolding platforms that orchestrate the reconfiguration of protein-protein interaction networks, thereby enhancing cellular adaptability and proliferation. This study explores the structural and regulatory aspects of epichaperomes, with a particular focus on the role of post-translational modifications (PTMs) in their formation and function.

Spns1 is an iron transporter essential for megalin-dependent endocytosis.

Proximal tubule endocytosis is essential to produce protein-free urine as well as to regulate system-wide metabolic pathways, such as the activation of Vitamin D. We have determined that the proximal tubule expresses an endolysosomal membrane protein, protein spinster homolog1 (Spns1), which engenders a novel iron conductance that is indispensable during embryonic development. Conditional knockout of Spns1 with a novel Cre-LoxP construct specific to megalin-expressing cells led to the arrest of megalin receptor-mediated endocytosis as well as dextran pinocytosis in proximal tubules.

Polarity transitions of narrow bipolar events in thundercloud tops reaching the lower stratosphere.

Blue corona discharges are often generated in thunderclouds penetrating into the stratosphere and are the optical manifestation of narrow bipolar events (NBEs) observed in radio signals. While their production appears to depend on convection, the cause and nature of such discharges are not well known. Here we show the observations by a lightning detection array of unusual amounts of 982 NBEs during a tropical storm on the coastline of China.