The tuning mechanism of pH can be extremely challenging to model computationally in complex biological systems, especially with respect to the photochemical properties. This article reports a protocol aimed at modeling pH-dependent photodynamics using a combination of constant-pH molecular dynamics and semiclassical nonadiabatic molecular dynamics simulations. With retinal photoisomerization in Anabaena sensory rhodopsin (ASR) as a testbed, we show that our protocol produces pH-dependent photochemical properties, such as the isomerization quantum yield or decay rates. We decompose our results into single-titrated residue contributions, identifying some key tuning amino acids. Additionally, we assess the validity of the single protonation state picture to represent the system at a given pH and propose the most populated protein charge state as a compromise between cost and accuracy.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jctc.3c00980 | DOI Listing |
ACS Appl Mater Interfaces
January 2025
Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville Campus, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.
Common treatment approaches for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) are associated with severe side effects due to the unfavorable biodistribution profile of potent chemotherapeutics. Here, we explored the potential of TNBC-targeting aptamer-decorated porous silicon nanoparticles (pSiNPs) as targeted nanocarriers for TNBC. A "salt-aging" strategy was employed to fabricate a TNBC-targeting aptamer functionalized pSiNP that was highly colloidally stable.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSoft Matter
January 2025
Faculty of Science and Letters, Department of Chemistry, Soft Materials Research Laboratory, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Maslak, 34469, Turkey.
A series of anionic poly(acrylamide--sodium acrylate)/poly(ethylene glycol), PAN/PEG, hybrids were conveniently synthesized free radical aqueous polymerization by integrating bentonite, kaolin, mica, graphene and silica, following a simple and eco-friendly crosslinking methodology. A comparative perspective was presented on how integrated nanofillers affect the physicochemical properties of hybrid gels depending on the differences in their structures. Among the five types of nanofillers, bentonite-integrated hybrid gel had the highest water absorbency, while graphene-integrated gel had the lowest.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlants (Basel)
December 2024
Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Damanhour University, Damanhour 22511, Egypt.
Biosorbents have demonstrated considerable potential for the remediation of metals in aqueous environments. An aqueous extract of L. (EiE) and its extract-coated silver nanoparticles have been prepared and employed for the removal of iron.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Pollut
January 2025
Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China.
Despite the significant benefits of aquatic passive sampling (low detection limits and time-weighted average concentrations), the use of passive samplers is impeded by uncertainties, particularly concerning the accuracy of sampling rates. This study employed a systematic evaluation approach based on the combination of meta-analysis and quantitative structure-property relationships (QSPR) models to address these issues. A comprehensive meta-analysis based on extensive data from 298 studies on the Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Sampler (POCIS) identified essential configuration parameters, including the receiving phase (type, mass) and the diffusion-limiting membrane (type, thickness, pore size), as key factors influencing uptake kinetic parameters.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Hazard Mater
January 2025
MOE Key Laboratory of Surficial Geochemistry, School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China. Electronic address:
Agricultural soils in karst regions present a remarkable paradox where high geochemical background levels of heavy metals correspond with unexpectedly low crop uptake, challenging traditional risk assessment frameworks and limiting agricultural development. To decode this paradox, we investigated the geochemical speciation of cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn) in soil-rice systems in southwestern China, which collectively constitute the world's largest continuous karst region and represent diverse soil weathering stages. We employed three chemical extraction methods that revealed reactive pools ranking as Cd (58.
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