1
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Oluwatoba DS, Safoah HA, Do TD. The rise and fall of adenine clusters in the gas phase: a glimpse into crystal growth and nucleation. Anal Bioanal Chem 2024:10.1007/s00216-024-05442-2. [PMID: 39031229 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-024-05442-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/22/2024]
Abstract
The emergence of a crystal nucleus from disordered states is a critical and challenging aspect of the crystallization process, primarily due to the extremely short length and timescales involved. Methods such as liquid-cell or low-dose focal-series transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are often employed to probe these events. In this study, we demonstrate that ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry (IMS-MS) offers a complementary and insightful perspective on the nucleation process by examining the sizes and shapes of small clusters, specifically those ranging from n = 2 to 40. Our findings reveal the significant role of sulfate ions in the growth of adeninediium sulfate clusters, which are the precursors to the formation of single crystals. Specifically, sulfate ions stabilize adenine clusters at the 1:1 ratio. In contrast, guanine sulfate forms smaller clusters with varied ratios, which become stable as they approach the 1:2 ratio. The nucleation size is predicted to be between n = 8 and 14, correlating well with the unit cell dimensions of adenine crystals. This correlation suggests that IMS-MS can identify critical nucleation sizes and provide valuable structural information consistent with established crystallographic data. We also discuss the strengths and limitations of IMS-MS in this context. IMS-MS offers rapid and robust experimental protocols, making it a valuable tool for studying the effects of various additives on the assembly of small molecules. Additionally, it aids in elucidating nucleation processes and the growth of different crystal polymorphs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Happy Abena Safoah
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - Thanh D Do
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA.
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2
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Stroganova I, Willenberg H, Tente T, Depraz Depland A, Bakels S, Rijs AM. Exploring the Aggregation Propensity of PHF6 Peptide Segments of the Tau Protein Using Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry Techniques. Anal Chem 2024; 96:5115-5124. [PMID: 38517679 PMCID: PMC10993201 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c04974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
Peptide and protein aggregation involves the formation of oligomeric species, but the complex interplay between oligomers of different conformations and sizes complicates their structural elucidation. Using ion mobility mass spectrometry (IM-MS), we aim to reveal these early steps of aggregation for the Ac-PHF6-NH2 peptide segment from tau protein, thereby distinguishing between different oligomeric species and gaining an understanding of the aggregation pathway. An important factor that is often neglected, but which can alter the aggregation propensity of peptides, is the terminal capping groups. Here, we demonstrate the use of IM-MS to probe the early stages of aggregate formation of Ac-PHF6-NH2, Ac-PHF6, PHF6-NH2, and uncapped PHF6 peptide segments. The aggregation propensity of the four PHF6 segments is confirmed using thioflavin T fluorescence assays and transmission electron microscopy. A novel approach based on post-IM fragmentation and quadrupole selection on the TIMS-Qq-ToF (trapped ion mobility) spectrometer was developed to enhance oligomer assignment, especially for the higher-order aggregates. This approach pushes the limits of IM identification of isobaric species, whose signatures appear closer to each other with increasing oligomer size, and provides new insights into the interpretation of IM-MS data. In addition, TIMS collision cross section values are compared with traveling wave ion mobility (TWIMS) data to evaluate potential instrumental bias in the trapped ion mobility results. The two IM-MS instrumental platforms are based on different ion mobility principles and have different configurations, thereby providing us with valuable insight into the preservation of weakly bound biomolecular complexes such as peptide aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iuliia Stroganova
- Division
of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands
- Centre
for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1098 XH, The Netherlands
| | - Hannah Willenberg
- Division
of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Thaleia Tente
- Division
of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Agathe Depraz Depland
- Division
of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands
- Centre
for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1098 XH, The Netherlands
| | - Sjors Bakels
- Division
of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands
- Centre
for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1098 XH, The Netherlands
| | - Anouk M. Rijs
- Division
of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands
- Centre
for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1098 XH, The Netherlands
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3
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Tammara V, Das A. The Molecular Mechanism of PSMα3 Aggregation: A New View. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:8317-8330. [PMID: 37734054 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c03806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of a novel cross-α fibrillar structure, unlike the commonly observed sequence-independent cross-β one, of a 22-residue bacterial virulent amphipathic α-helical peptide of the phenol soluble modulin (PSM) family, PSMα3, with many deleterious effects on human life, has infused uncertainty to the paradigm of the intrinsically polymorphic, multivariate, multiphasic, and cross-sequence-cross-disease entangled protein aggregation landscape and hence on the identity of the therapeutic target. We, here, deconvolute the factors contributing to the genesis and hence the transition of lower to higher order aggregates of PSMα3 in its natural state and three noncanonical designed variants using conventional and enhanced sampling approach-based atomistic simulations. PSMα3 shows structural polymorphism with nominal α-helicity, substantial β-propensity, and dominant random-coil features, irrespective of the extent of aggregation. Moreover, the individual features of the overall amphipathicity operate alternatively depending on the extent and organization of aggregation; the dominance gradually moves from charged to hydrophobic residues with the progressive generation of higher order aggregates (dimer to oligomer to fibril) and with increasing orderedness of the self-assembled construct (oligomer vs dimer/fibril). Similarly, the contribution of interchain salt bridges decreases with increasing order of aggregation (dimer to oligomer to fibril). However, the intrachain salt bridges consistently display their role in all phases of aggregation. Such phase-independent features also include equivalent roles of electrostatic and van der Waals forces on intrachain interactions, sole contribution of van der Waals forces on interchain cross-talk, and negligible peptide-water relationship. Finally, we propose a conjugate peptide-based aggregation suppressor having a single-point proline mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vaishnavi Tammara
- Physical and Materials Chemistry Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, Maharashtra 411008, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Atanu Das
- Physical and Materials Chemistry Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, Maharashtra 411008, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
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4
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Gray ALH, Norman V, Oluwatoba DS, Prosser RA, Do TD. Potential Protective Function of Aβ 42 Monomer on Tauopathies. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2023; 34:472-483. [PMID: 36693165 DOI: 10.1021/jasms.2c00343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
While soluble forms of amyloid-β (Aβ) and Tau work together to drive healthy neurons into a disease state, how their interaction may control the prion-like propagation and neurotoxicity of Tau is not fully understood. The cross-linking via disulfide bond formation is crucial for Tau oligomers to obtain stable conformers and spread between cells. This work thus focuses on how Aβ42 regulates this critical process. By studying the interactions between Aβ42 and TauPHF43, a construct that mimics the Tau R3 isoform, has a similar length to Aβ42, and contains one cysteine (Cys-322), we discovered that fresh Aβ42 could protect Tau against the formation of disulfide cross-linked dimers. We showed that the monomeric and small Aβ oligomers (the "nonamyloidogenic Aβ") efficiently disassembled tau dimers and heparin-induced Tau oligomers to recover Tau monomers. Interestingly, Aβ serves the role of an antioxidant to prevent disulfide bond formation, as supported by the experiments of Aβ with cystine. Furthermore, using cyclosporine A (CycA), a macrocyclic β-sheet disruptor, we demonstrated that targeting amyloidogenic Aβ with CycA does not affect the TauPHF43 disassembly driven by Aβ42. Separately, we assessed the initial toxicity of Aβ42 and TauPHF43 in acute brain slices and found that Aβ42 is more toxic than TauPHF43 or the two peptides combined. Our work highlights a potential protective role of Aβ42 monomers in AD that was previously overlooked while focusing on the mechanism behind Aβ42 aggregation leading to tau dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber L H Gray
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
| | - Victoria Norman
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
| | - Damilola S Oluwatoba
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
| | - Rebecca A Prosser
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
| | - Thanh D Do
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
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5
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Xuan Q, Zhou J, Jiang F, Zhang W, Wei A, Zhang W, Zhang Q, Shen H, Li H, Chen C, Wang P. Sappanwood-derived polyphenolic antidote of amyloidal toxins achieved detoxification via inhibition/reversion of amyloidal fibrillation. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 214:446-458. [PMID: 35752334 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.06.141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The formidable virulence of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have thrown great challenges to biomedicine, which mainly derives from their autocrine phenol-soluble modulins (PSMs) toxins, especially the most toxic member termed phenol-soluble modulins α3 (PSMα3). PSMα3 cytotoxicity is attributed to its amyloidal fibrillation and subsequent formation of cross-α sheet fibrils. Inspired by the multiple biological activity of Sappanwood, herein, we adopted brazilin, a natural polyphenolic compound originated from Caesalpinia sappan, as a potential antidote of PSMα3 toxins, and attempted to prove that the regulation of PSMα3 fibrillation was an effective alexipharmic way for MRSA infections. In vitro results revealed that brazilin suppressed PSMα3 fibrillation and disassembled preformed amyloidal fibrils in a dose-dependent manner, in which molar ratio (brazilin: PSMα3) of efficient inhibition and disassembly were both 1:1. These desired regulations dominated by brazilin benefited from its bonding to core fibrils-forming residues of PSMα3 monomers urged by hydrogen bonding and pi-pi stacking, and such binding modes facilitated brazilin-mediated inhibition or disruption of interactions between neighboring PSMα3 monomers. In this context, these inhibited and disassembled PSMα3 assemblies could not easily insert into cell membrane and subsequent penetration, and thus alleviating the membrane disruption, cytoplasmic leakage, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in normal cells. As such, brazilin dramatically decreased the cytotoxicity borne by toxic PSMα3 fibrils. In addition, in vivo experiments affirmed that brazilin relieved the toxicity of PSMα3 toxins and thus promoted the skin wound healing of mice. This study provides a new antidote of PSMα3 toxins, and also confirms the feasibility of the assembly-regulation strategy in development of antidotes against supramolecular fibrillation-dependent toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qize Xuan
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Biomedical Nanotechnology Center, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing Technology, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - JinFeng Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Biomedical Nanotechnology Center, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing Technology, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Feng Jiang
- Department of Orthopaedics, Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200233, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Biomedical Nanotechnology Center, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing Technology, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Anqi Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Biomedical Nanotechnology Center, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing Technology, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Wenxue Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Biomedical Nanotechnology Center, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing Technology, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Biomedical Nanotechnology Center, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing Technology, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Hao Shen
- Department of Orthopaedics, Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200233, China
| | - Hui Li
- Institute for Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.
| | - Chao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Biomedical Nanotechnology Center, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing Technology, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China; Institute for Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.
| | - Ping Wang
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN 55108, USA
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6
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Oluwatoba DS, Islam MF, Som B, Sindt AJ, Smith MD, Shimizu LS, Do TD. Evaluating the Effects of Metal Adduction and Charge Isomerism on Ion-Mobility Measurements using m-Xylene Macrocycles as Models. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2022; 33:840-850. [PMID: 35471025 DOI: 10.1021/jasms.2c00033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Gas-phase ion-mobility spectrometry provides a unique platform to study the effect of mobile charge(s) or charge location on collisional cross section and ion separation. Here, we evaluate the effects of cation/anion adduction in a series of xylene and pyridyl macrocycles that contain ureas and thioureas. We explore how zinc binding led to unexpected deprotonation of the thiourea macrocyclic host in positive polarity ionization and subsequently how charge isomerism due to cation (zinc metal) and anion (chloride counterion) adduction or proton competition among acceptors can affect the measured collisional cross sections in helium and nitrogen buffer gases. Our approach uses synthetic chemistry to design macrocycle targets and a combination of ion-mobility spectrometry mass spectrometry experiments and quantum mechanics calculations to characterize their structural properties. We demonstrate that charge isomerism significantly improves ion-mobility resolution and allows for determination of the metal binding mechanism in metal-inclusion macrocyclic complexes. Additionally, charge isomers can be populated in molecules where individual protons are shared between acceptors. In these cases, interactions via drift gas collisions magnify the conformational differences. Finally, for the macrocyclic systems we report here, charge isomers are observed in both helium and nitrogen drift gases with similar resolution. The separation factor does not simply increase with increasing drift gas polarizability. Our study sheds light on important properties of charge isomerism and offers strategies to take advantage of this phenomenon in analytical separations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damilola S Oluwatoba
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
| | - Md Faizul Islam
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
| | - Bozumeh Som
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Ghana, P.O. Box LG 56, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Ammon J Sindt
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
| | - Mark D Smith
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
| | - Linda S Shimizu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
| | - Thanh D Do
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
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7
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Gray ALH, Sawaya MR, Acharyya D, Lou J, Edington EM, Best MD, Prosser RA, Eisenberg DS, Do TD. Atomic view of an amyloid dodecamer exhibiting selective cellular toxic vulnerability in acute brain slices. Protein Sci 2022; 31:716-727. [PMID: 34954854 PMCID: PMC8862425 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Atomic structures of amyloid oligomers that capture the neurodegenerative disease pathology are essential to understand disease-state causes and finding cures. Here we investigate the G6W mutation of the cytotoxic, hexameric amyloid model KV11. The mutation results into an asymmetric dodecamer composed of a pair of 30° twisted antiparallel β-sheets. The complete break between adjacent β-strands is unprecedented among amyloid fibril crystal structures and supports that our structure is an oligomer. The poor shape complementarity between mated sheets reveals an interior channel for binding lipids, suggesting that the toxicity may be due to a perturbation of lipid transport rather than a direct disruption of membrane integrity. Viability assays on mouse suprachiasmatic nucleus, anterior hypothalamus, and cerebral cortex demonstrated selective regional vulnerability consistent with Alzheimer's disease. Neuropeptides released from the brain slices may provide clues to how G6W initiates cellular injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber L. H. Gray
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - Michael R. Sawaya
- HHMIUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA,Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA,Department of Biological ChemistryUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA,Molecular Biology InstituteUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA,Department of Energy Institute for Genomics and ProteomicsUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Debalina Acharyya
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular BiologyUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - Jinchao Lou
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | | | - Michael D. Best
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - Rebecca A. Prosser
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular BiologyUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - David S. Eisenberg
- HHMIUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA,Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA,Department of Biological ChemistryUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA,Molecular Biology InstituteUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA,Department of Energy Institute for Genomics and ProteomicsUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Thanh D. Do
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
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8
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Zhang Y, Hu X, Wang Q, Zhang Y. Recent advances in microchip-based methods for the detection of pathogenic bacteria. CHINESE CHEM LETT 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cclet.2021.11.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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