1
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Arora N, Mu H, Liang H, Zhao W, Zhou Y. RAS G-domains allosterically contribute to the recognition of lipid headgroups and acyl chains. J Cell Biol 2024; 223:e202307121. [PMID: 38334958 PMCID: PMC10857904 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202307121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Mutant RAS are major contributors to cancer and signal primarily from nanoclusters on the plasma membrane (PM). Their C-terminal membrane anchors are main features of membrane association. However, the same RAS isoform bound to different guanine nucleotides spatially segregate. Different RAS nanoclusters all enrich a phospholipid, phosphatidylserine (PS). These findings suggest more complex membrane interactions. Our electron microscopy-spatial analysis shows that wild-types, G12V mutants, and membrane anchors of isoforms HRAS, KRAS4A, and KRAS4B prefer distinct PS species. Mechanistically, reorientation of KRAS4B G-domain exposes distinct residues, such as Arg 135 in orientation state 1 (OS1) and Arg 73/Arg 102 in OS2, to the PM and differentially facilitates the recognition of PS acyl chains. Allele-specific oncogenic mutations of KRAS4B also shift G-domain reorientation equilibrium. Indeed, KRAS4BG12V, KRAS4BG12D, KRAS4BG12C, KRAS4BG13D, and KRAS4BQ61H associate with PM lipids with headgroup and acyl chain specificities. Distribution of these KRAS4B oncogenic mutants favors different nanoscale membrane topography. Thus, RAS G-domains allosterically facilitate membrane lateral distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Arora
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Huanwen Mu
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hong Liang
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Wenting Zhao
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Institute for Digital Molecular Analytics and Science, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yong Zhou
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Program of Molecular and Translational Biology, Graduate School of Biological Sciences, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
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2
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Wang H, Tan HY, Lian J, Zhou K. Nanopore sequencing improves construction of customized CRISPR-based gene activation libraries. Biotechnol Bioeng 2024; 121:1543-1553. [PMID: 38293815 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based screening has emerged as a powerful tool for identifying new gene targets for desired cellular phenotypes. The construction of guide RNA (gRNA) pools largely determines library quality and is usually performed using Golden Gate assembly or Gibson assembly. To date, library construction methods have not been systematically compared, and the quality check of each batch has been slow. In this study, an in-house nanopore sequencing workflow was established for assessing the current methods of gRNA pool construction. The bias of pool construction was reduced by employing the polymerase-mediated non-amplifying method. Then, a small gRNA pool was utilized to characterize stronger activation domains, specifically MED2 (a subunit of mediator complex) and HAP4 (a heme activator protein), as well as to identify better gRNA choices for dCas12a-based gene activation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Furthermore, based on the better CRISPRa tool identified in this study, a custom gRNA pool, which consisted of 99 gRNAs targeting central metabolic pathways, was designed and employed to screen for gene targets that could improve ethanol utilization in S. cerevisiae. The nanopore sequencing-based workflow demonstrated here should provide a cost-effective approach for assessing the quality of customized gRNA library, leading to faster and more efficient genetic and metabolic engineering in S. cerevisiae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Handing Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Heng Yih Tan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jiazhang Lian
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Kang Zhou
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Cluster of Food, Chemical and Biotechnology, Singapore Institute of Technology, Singapore
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3
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Song J. Adenosine Triphosphate: The Primordial Molecule That Controls Protein Homeostasis and Shapes the Genome-Proteome Interface. Biomolecules 2024; 14:500. [PMID: 38672516 PMCID: PMC11048592 DOI: 10.3390/biom14040500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) acts as the universal energy currency that drives various biological processes, while nucleic acids function to store and transmit genetic information for all living organisms. Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) represents the common principle for the formation of membrane-less organelles (MLOs) composed of proteins rich in intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) and nucleic acids. Currently, while IDRs are well recognized to facilitate LLPS through dynamic and multivalent interactions, the precise mechanisms by which ATP and nucleic acids affect LLPS still remain elusive. This review summarizes recent NMR results on the LLPS of human FUS, TDP-43, and the viral nucleocapsid (N) protein of SARS-CoV-2, as modulated by ATP and nucleic acids, revealing the following: (1) ATP binds to folded domains overlapping with nucleic-acid-binding interfaces; (2) ATP and nucleic acids interplay to biphasically modulate LLPS by competitively binding to overlapping pockets of folded domains and Arg/Lys within IDRs; (3) ATP energy-independently induces protein folding with the highest efficiency known so far. As ATP likely emerged in the prebiotic monomeric world, while LLPS represents a pivotal mechanism to concentrate and compartmentalize rare molecules for forming primordial cells, ATP appears to control protein homeostasis and shape genome-proteome interfaces throughout the evolutionary trajectory, from prebiotic origins to modern cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianxing Song
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 10 Kent Ridge Crescent, Singapore 119260, Singapore
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4
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Pei Z, Zhang H, Guo Y, Luan D, Gu X, Lou XWD. Atomically Dispersed Fe Sites Regulated by Adjacent Single Co Atoms Anchored on N-P Co-Doped Carbon Structures for Highly Efficient Oxygen Reduction Reaction. Adv Mater 2024; 36:e2306047. [PMID: 37496431 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202306047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Manipulating the coordination environment and electron distribution for heterogeneous catalysts at the atomic level is an effective strategy to improve electrocatalytic performance but remains challenging. Herein, atomically dispersed Fe and Co anchored on nitrogen, phosphorus co-doped carbon hollow nanorod structures (FeCo-NPC) are rationally designed and synthesized. The as-prepared FeCo-NPC catalyst exhibits significantly boosted electrocatalytic kinetics and greatly upshifts the half-wave potential for the oxygen reduction reaction. Furthermore, when utilized as the cathode, the FeCo-NPC catalyst also displays excellent zinc-air battery performance. Experimental and theoretical results demonstrate that the introduction of single Co atoms with Co-N/P coordination around isolated Fe atoms induces asymmetric electron distribution, resulting in the suitable adsorption/desorption ability for oxygen intermediates and the optimized reaction barrier, thereby improving the electrocatalytic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihao Pei
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637459
| | - Huabin Zhang
- KAUST Catalysis Center (KCC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Yan Guo
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China
| | - Deyan Luan
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Xiaojun Gu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China
| | - Xiong Wen David Lou
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China
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5
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Cheng EMY, Cheng CML, Choo J, Yan Y, Carrasco LR. Biodiversity footprints of 151 popular dishes from around the world. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0296492. [PMID: 38381742 PMCID: PMC10880993 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Habitat loss for food production is a key threat to global biodiversity. Despite the importance of dietary choices on our capacity to mitigate the on-going biodiversity crisis, unlike with specific ingredients or products, consumers have limited information on the biodiversity implications of choosing to eat a certain popular dish. Here we estimated the biodiversity footprints of 151 popular local dishes from around the world when globally and locally produced and after calorical content standardization. We find that specific ingredients (beef, legumes, rice) encroaching on biodiversity hotspots with already very high agricultural pressure (e.g. India) lead to high biodiversity footprint in the dishes. Examples of high-biodiversity-footprint popular dishes were beef dishes such as fraldinha (beef cut dish) originating from Brazil and legume dishes such as chana masala (chickpea curry) from India. Regardless of assuming locally or globally produced, feedlot or pasture livestock production, vegan and vegetarian dishes presented lower biodiversity footprints than dishes containing meat. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of analysing biodiversity footprint at the dish level across multiple countries, making sustainable eating decisions more accessible to consumers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elissa M. Y. Cheng
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Carina M. L. Cheng
- Department of Statistics and Data Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jacqueline Choo
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yanyun Yan
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Luis Roman Carrasco
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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6
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Li Y, Guo Y, Fan G, Luan D, Gu X, Lou XWD. Single Zn Atoms with Acetate-Anion-Enabled Asymmetric Coordination for Efficient H 2 O 2 Photosynthesis. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202317572. [PMID: 38116911 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202317572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Exploring unique single-atom sites capable of efficiently reducing O2 to H2 O2 while being inert to H2 O2 decomposition under light conditions is significant for H2 O2 photosynthesis, but it remains challenging. Herein, we report the facile design and fabrication of polymeric carbon nitride (CN) decorated with single-Zn sites that have tailorable local coordination environments, which is enabled by utilizing different Zn salt anions. Specifically, the O atom from acetate (OAc) anion participates in the coordination of single-Zn sites on CN, forming asymmetric Zn-N3 O moiety on CN (denoted as CN/Zn-OAc), in contrast to the obtained Zn-N4 sites when sulfate (SO4 ) is adopted (CN/Zn-SO4 ). Both experimental and theoretical investigations demonstrate that the Zn-N3 O moiety exhibits higher intrinsic activity for O2 reduction to H2 O2 than the Zn-N4 moiety. This is attributed to the asymmetric N/O coordination, which promotes the adsorption of O2 and the formation of the key intermediate *OOH on Zn sites due to their modulated electronic structure. Moreover, it is inactive for H2 O2 decomposition under both dark and light conditions. As a result, the optimized CN/Zn-OAc catalyst exhibits significantly improved photocatalytic H2 O2 production activity under visible light irradiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunxiang Li
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637459, Singapore
| | - Yan Guo
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China
| | - Guilan Fan
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China
| | - Deyan Luan
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiaojun Gu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China
| | - Xiong Wen David Lou
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong, China
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7
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Lim L, Kang J, Song J. Extreme diversity of 12 cations in folding ALS-linked hSOD1 unveils novel hSOD1-dependent mechanisms for Fe 2+/Cu 2+-induced cytotoxicity. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19868. [PMID: 37964005 PMCID: PMC10645853 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47338-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
153-Residue copper-zinc superoxide dismutase 1 (hSOD1) is the first gene whose mutation was linked to FALS. To date, > 180 ALS-causing mutations have been identified within hSOD1, yet the underlying mechanism still remains mysterious. Mature hSOD1 is exceptionally stable constrained by a disulfide bridge to adopt a Greek-key β-barrel fold that accommodates copper/zinc cofactors. Conversely, nascent hSOD1 is unfolded and susceptible to aggregation and amyloid formation, requiring Zn2+ to initiate folding to a coexistence of folded and unfolded states. Recent studies demonstrate mutations that disrupt Zn2+-binding correlate with their ability to form toxic aggregates. Therefore, to decode the role of cations in hSOD1 folding provides not only mechanistic insights, but may bear therapeutic implications for hSOD1-linked ALS. Here by NMR, we visualized the effect of 12 cations: 8 essential for humans (Na+, K+, Ca2+, Zn2+, Mg2+, Mn2+, Cu2+, Fe2+), 3 mimicking zinc (Ni2+, Cd2+, Co2+), and environmentally abundant Al3+. Surprisingly, most cations, including Zn2+-mimics, showed negligible binding or induction for folding of nascent hSOD1. Cu2+ exhibited extensive binding to the unfolded state but led to severe aggregation. Unexpectedly, for the first time Fe2+ was deciphered to have Zn2+-like folding-inducing capacity. Zn2+ was unable to induce folding of H80S/D83S-hSOD1, while Fe2+ could. In contrast, Zn2+ could trigger folding of G93A-hSOD1, but Fe2+ failed. Notably, pre-existing Fe2+ disrupted the Zn2+-induced folding of G93A-hSOD1. Comparing with the ATP-induced folded state, our findings delineate that hSOD1 maturation requires: (1) intrinsic folding capacity encoded by the sequence; (2) specific Zn2+-coordination; (3) disulfide formation and Cu-load catalyzed by hCCS. This study unveils a previously-unknown interplay of cations in governing the initial folding of hSOD1, emphasizing the pivotal role of Zn2+ in hSOD1-related ALS and implying new hSOD1-dependent mechanisms for Cu2+/Fe2+-induced cytotoxicity, likely relevant to aging and other diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liangzhong Lim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119260, Republic of Singapore
| | - Jian Kang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119260, Republic of Singapore
| | - Jianxing Song
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119260, Republic of Singapore.
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8
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Zeng Y, Pei Z, Guo Y, Luan D, Gu X, Lou XWD. Zincophilic Interfacial Manipulation against Dendrite Growth and Side Reactions for Stable Zn Metal Anodes. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202312145. [PMID: 37728430 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202312145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
Constructing multifunctional interphases to suppress the rampant Zn dendrite growth and detrimental side reactions is crucial for Zn anodes. Herein, a phytic acid (PA)-ZnAl coordination compound is demonstrated as a versatile interphase layer to stabilize Zn anodes. The zincophilic PA-ZnAl layer can manipulate Zn2+ flux and promote rapid desolvation kinetics, ensuring the uniform Zn deposition with dendrite-free morphology. Moreover, the robust PA-ZnAl protective layer can effectively inhibit the hydrogen evolution reaction and formation of byproducts, further contributing to the reversible Zn plating/stripping with high Coulombic efficiency. As a result, the Zn@PA-ZnAl electrode shows a lower Zn nucleation overpotential and higher Zn2+ transference number compared with bare Zn. The Zn@PA-ZnAl symmetric cell exhibits a prolonged lifespan of 650 h tested at 5 mA cm-2 and 5 mAh cm-2 . Furthermore, the assembled Zn battery full cell based on this Zn@PA-ZnAl anode also delivers decent cycling stability even under harsh conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinxiang Zeng
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637459, Singapore
| | - Zhihao Pei
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637459, Singapore
| | - Yan Guo
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China
| | - Deyan Luan
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiaojun Gu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China
| | - Xiong Wen David Lou
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong, China
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9
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Li Y, Guo Y, Luan D, Gu X, Lou XWD. An Unlocked Two-Dimensional Conductive Zn-MOF on Polymeric Carbon Nitride for Photocatalytic H 2 O 2 Production. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202310847. [PMID: 37698180 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202310847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Developing highly efficient catalytic sites for O2 reduction to H2 O2 , while ensuring the fast injection of energetic electrons into these sites, is crucial for artificial H2 O2 photosynthesis but remains challenging. Herein, we report a strongly coupled hybrid photocatalyst comprising polymeric carbon nitride (CN) and a two-dimensional conductive Zn-containing metal-organic framework (Zn-MOF) (denoted as CN/Zn-MOF(lc)/400; lc, low crystallinity; 400, annealing temperature in °C), in which the catalytic capability of Zn-MOF(lc) for H2 O2 production is unlocked by the annealing-induced effects. As revealed by experimental and theoretical calculation results, the Zn sites coordinated to four O (Zn-O4 ) in Zn-MOF(lc) are thermally activated to a relatively electron-rich state due to the annealing-induced local structure shrinkage, which favors the formation of a key *OOH intermediate of 2e- O2 reduction on these sites. Moreover, the annealing treatment facilitates the photoelectron migration from the CN photocatalyst to the Zn-MOF(lc) catalytic unit. As a result, the optimized catalyst exhibits dramatically enhanced H2 O2 production activity and excellent stability under visible light irradiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunxiang Li
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637459, Singapore
| | - Yan Guo
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China
| | - Deyan Luan
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiaojun Gu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China
| | - Xiong Wen David Lou
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong, China
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10
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Jiang Y, Zhang Y, Lee BC, Koh MJ. Diversification of Glycosyl Compounds via Glycosyl Radicals. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202305138. [PMID: 37278303 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202305138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Glycosyl radical functionalization is one of the central topics in synthetic carbohydrate chemistry. Recent advances in metal-catalyzed cross-coupling chemistry and metallaphotoredox catalysis provided powerful platforms for glycosyl radical diversification. In particular, the discovery of new glycosyl radical precursors in conjunction with these advanced reaction technologies have significantly expanded the space for glycosyl compound synthesis. In this Review, we highlight the most recent progress in this area starting from 2021, and the reports included will be categorized based on different reaction types for better clarity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Jiang
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 4 Science Drive 2, Singapore, 117544, Republic of Singapore
| | - Yijun Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 4 Science Drive 2, Singapore, 117544, Republic of Singapore
- Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, 1088 Xueyuan Road, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Boon Chong Lee
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 4 Science Drive 2, Singapore, 117544, Republic of Singapore
| | - Ming Joo Koh
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 4 Science Drive 2, Singapore, 117544, Republic of Singapore
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11
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Wang C, He T, Zhou H, Zhang Z, Lee C. Artificial intelligence enhanced sensors - enabling technologies to next-generation healthcare and biomedical platform. Bioelectron Med 2023; 9:17. [PMID: 37528436 PMCID: PMC10394931 DOI: 10.1186/s42234-023-00118-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The fourth industrial revolution has led to the development and application of health monitoring sensors that are characterized by digitalization and intelligence. These sensors have extensive applications in medical care, personal health management, elderly care, sports, and other fields, providing people with more convenient and real-time health services. However, these sensors face limitations such as noise and drift, difficulty in extracting useful information from large amounts of data, and lack of feedback or control signals. The development of artificial intelligence has provided powerful tools and algorithms for data processing and analysis, enabling intelligent health monitoring, and achieving high-precision predictions and decisions. By integrating the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and health monitoring sensors, it becomes possible to realize a closed-loop system with the functions of real-time monitoring, data collection, online analysis, diagnosis, and treatment recommendations. This review focuses on the development of healthcare artificial sensors enhanced by intelligent technologies from the aspects of materials, device structure, system integration, and application scenarios. Specifically, this review first introduces the great advances in wearable sensors for monitoring respiration rate, heart rate, pulse, sweat, and tears; implantable sensors for cardiovascular care, nerve signal acquisition, and neurotransmitter monitoring; soft wearable electronics for precise therapy. Then, the recent advances in volatile organic compound detection are highlighted. Next, the current developments of human-machine interfaces, AI-enhanced multimode sensors, and AI-enhanced self-sustainable systems are reviewed. Last, a perspective on future directions for further research development is also provided. In summary, the fusion of artificial intelligence and artificial sensors will provide more intelligent, convenient, and secure services for next-generation healthcare and biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chan Wang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore, 117576, Singapore
- Center for Intelligent Sensors and MEMS (CISM), National University of Singapore, 5 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore, 117608, Singapore
| | - Tianyiyi He
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore, 117576, Singapore
- Center for Intelligent Sensors and MEMS (CISM), National University of Singapore, 5 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore, 117608, Singapore
| | - Hong Zhou
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore, 117576, Singapore
- Center for Intelligent Sensors and MEMS (CISM), National University of Singapore, 5 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore, 117608, Singapore
| | - Zixuan Zhang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore, 117576, Singapore
- Center for Intelligent Sensors and MEMS (CISM), National University of Singapore, 5 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore, 117608, Singapore
| | - Chengkuo Lee
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore, 117576, Singapore.
- Center for Intelligent Sensors and MEMS (CISM), National University of Singapore, 5 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore, 117608, Singapore.
- NUS Suzhou Research Institute (NUSRI), Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou, 215123, China.
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117456, Singapore.
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12
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Li Y, Pei Z, Luan D, Lou XWD. Superhydrophobic and Conductive Wire Membrane for Enhanced CO 2 Electroreduction to Multicarbon Products. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202302128. [PMID: 36849633 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202302128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
Gas-liquid-solid triple-phase interfaces (TPI) are essential for promoting electrochemical CO2 reduction, but it remains challenging to maximize their efficiency while integrating other desirable properties conducive to electrocatalysis. Herein, we report the elaborate design and fabrication of a superhydrophobic, conductive, and hierarchical wire membrane in which core-shell CuO nanospheres, carbon nanotubes (CNT), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) are integrated into a wire structure (designated as CuO/F/C(w); F, PTFE; C, CNT; w, wire) to maximize their respective functions. The realized architecture allows almost all CuO nanospheres to be exposed with effective TPI and good contact to conductive CNT, thus increasing the local CO2 concentration on the CuO surface and enabling fast electron/mass transfer. As a result, the CuO/F/C(w) membrane attains a Faradaic efficiency of 56.8 % and a partial current density of 68.9 mA cm-2 for multicarbon products at -1.4 V (versus the reversible hydrogen electrode) in the H-type cell, far exceeding 10.1 % and 13.4 mA cm-2 for bare CuO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunxiang Li
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637459, Singapore
| | - Zhihao Pei
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637459, Singapore
| | - Deyan Luan
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637459, Singapore
| | - Xiong Wen David Lou
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong, China
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13
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Demkowicz MJ, Liu M, McCue ID, Seita M, Stuckner J, Xie K. Quantitative multi-image analysis in metals research. MRS Commun 2022; 12:1030-1036. [PMID: 36474648 PMCID: PMC9718709 DOI: 10.1557/s43579-022-00265-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Quantitative multi-image analysis (QMA) is the systematic extraction of new information and insight through the simultaneous analysis of multiple, related images. We present examples illustrating the potential for QMA to advance materials research in multi-image characterization, automatic feature identification, and discovery of novel processing-structure-property relationships. We conclude by discussing opportunities and challenges for continued advancement of QMA, including instrumentation development, uncertainty quantification, and automatic parsing of literature data. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1557/s43579-022-00265-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. J. Demkowicz
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843 USA
| | - M. Liu
- Physics and Engineering Department, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA 24450 USA
| | - I. D. McCue
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 USA
| | - M. Seita
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 639798 Singapore
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 639798 Singapore
| | - J. Stuckner
- Materials and Structures Division, NASA Glenn Research Center, 21000 Brookpark Rd, Cleveland, OH 44135 USA
| | - K. Xie
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843 USA
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14
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Abstract
Alkynes represent a family of pivotal and sustainable feedstocks for various industries such as pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and materials, and they are widely used as important starting materials for the production of a broad range of chemical entities. Nevertheless, efficient structural elaborations of alkynes in chemical synthesis, especially asymmetric multifunctionalization of alkynes, remain largely unexplored. It is thus imperative to develop new asymmetric synthetic approaches, making use of these richly available chemical feedstocks, and enabling their conversion to value-added chiral molecules. Here, we disclose our findings on highly enantioselective multifunctionalization of alkynes by merging photochemistry and chiral phosphoric acid catalysis. Our reported one-pot synthetic protocol is applicable to all types of alkyne substrates, incorporating all three reactants in a fully atom-economic fashion to produce optically enriched tetrasubstituted triaryl- and diarylmethanes, important structural scaffolds in medicinal chemistry and biological sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Dai
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Jiami Guo
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
- Joint School of National University of Singapore and Tianjin University, International Campus of Tianjin University, Binhai New City, Fuzhou, Fujian 350207, China
| | - Qingqin Huang
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
- Joint School of National University of Singapore and Tianjin University, International Campus of Tianjin University, Binhai New City, Fuzhou, Fujian 350207, China
| | - Yixin Lu
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
- Joint School of National University of Singapore and Tianjin University, International Campus of Tianjin University, Binhai New City, Fuzhou, Fujian 350207, China
- Corresponding author.
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15
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Sun B, Bte Rahmat JN, Kim HJ, Mahendran R, Esuvaranathan K, Chiong E, Ho JS, Neoh KG, Zhang Y. Wirelessly Activated Nanotherapeutics for In Vivo Programmable Photodynamic-Chemotherapy of Orthotopic Bladder Cancer. Adv Sci (Weinh) 2022; 9:e2200731. [PMID: 35393785 PMCID: PMC9165499 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202200731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Photochemical internalization (PCI) is a promising intervention using photodynamic therapy (PDT) to enhance the activity of chemotherapeutic drugs. However, current bladder cancer treatments involve high-dose chemotherapy and high-irradiance PDT which cause debilitating side effects. Moreover, low penetration of light and drugs in target tissues and cumbersome light delivery procedures hinder the clinical utility of PDT and chemotherapy combination for PCI. To circumvent these challenges, a photodynamic-chemotherapy approach is developed comprising tumor-targeting glycosylated nanocarriers, coloaded with chlorin e6 (Ce6) and gemcitabine elaidate (GemE), and a miniaturized implantable wirelessly powered light-emitting diode (LED) as a light source. The device successfully delivers four weekly light doses to the bladder while the nanocarrier promoted the specific accumulation of drugs in tumors. This approach facilitates the combination of low-irradiance PDT (1 mW cm-2 ) and low-dose chemotherapy (≈1500× lower than clinical dose) which significantly cures and controls orthotopic disease burden (90% treated vs control, 35%) in mice, demonstrating a potential new bladder cancer treatment option.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bowen Sun
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringCollege of Design and EngineeringNational University of SingaporeSingapore117585Singapore
| | - Juwita Norasmara Bte Rahmat
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringCollege of Design and EngineeringNational University of SingaporeSingapore117583Singapore
| | - Han Joon Kim
- Department of Electrical and Computer EngineeringCollege of Design and EngineeringNational University of SingaporeSingapore117583Singapore
| | - Ratha Mahendran
- Department of SurgeryYong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingapore119228Singapore
| | - Kesavan Esuvaranathan
- Department of SurgeryYong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingapore119228Singapore
- Department of UrologyNational University Health SystemSingapore119228Singapore
| | - Edmund Chiong
- Department of SurgeryYong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingapore119228Singapore
- Department of UrologyNational University Health SystemSingapore119228Singapore
| | - John S. Ho
- Department of Electrical and Computer EngineeringCollege of Design and EngineeringNational University of SingaporeSingapore117583Singapore
- Institute for Health Innovation and TechnologyNational University of SingaporeSingapore119276Singapore
- The N.1 Institute for HealthNational University of SingaporeSingapore117456Singapore
| | - Koon Gee Neoh
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringCollege of Design and EngineeringNational University of SingaporeSingapore117585Singapore
| | - Yong Zhang
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringCollege of Design and EngineeringNational University of SingaporeSingapore117583Singapore
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16
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Chen JI, He TS, Liao HY. Does speech rate influence intertemporal decisions? an experimental investigation. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0264356. [PMID: 35213622 PMCID: PMC8880867 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper experimentally examines the effect of speech rate on intertemporal decisions. In a delay-discounting task, subjects made a series of intertemporal choices between smaller-sooner and larger-delayed rewards and were asked to listen to a voice recording verbalizing the information for payoff options. We manipulated the speech rate of the voice recordings and administered two treatment conditions: Slow and Fast. We did not find an overall treatment effect in the acoustic manipulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josie I. Chen
- Department of Economics, National Taiwan University, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Tai-Sen He
- Economics Programme, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- * E-mail:
| | - Hsin-Ya Liao
- Department of Economics, National Taiwan University, Taipei City, Taiwan
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17
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Song J. Adenosine triphosphate energy-independently controls protein homeostasis with unique structure and diverse mechanisms. Protein Sci 2021; 30:1277-1293. [PMID: 33829608 PMCID: PMC8197423 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Proteins function in the crowded cellular environments with high salt concentrations, thus facing tremendous challenges of misfolding/aggregation which represents a pathological hallmark of aging and an increasing spectrum of human diseases. Recently, intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) were recognized to drive liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), a common principle for organizing cellular membraneless organelles (MLOs). ATP, the universal energy currency for all living cells, mysteriously has concentrations of 2-12 mM, much higher than required for its previously-known functions. Only recently, ATP was decoded to behave as a biological hydrotrope to inhibit protein LLPS and aggregation at mM. We further revealed that ATP also acts as a bivalent binder, which not only biphasically modulates LLPS driven by IDRs of human and viral proteins, but also bind to the conserved nucleic-acid-binding surfaces of the folded proteins. Most unexpectedly, ATP appears to act as a hydration mediator to antagonize the crowding-induced destabilization as well as to enhance folding of proteins without significant binding. Here, this review focuses on summarizing the results of these biophysical studies and discussing their implications in an evolutionary context. By linking triphosphate with unique hydration property to adenosine, ATP appears to couple the ability for establishing hydrophobic, π-π, π-cation and electrostatic interactions to the capacity in mediating hydration of proteins, which is at the heart of folding, dynamics, stability, phase separation and aggregation. Consequently, ATP acquired a category of functions at ~mM to energy-independently control protein homeostasis with diverse mechanisms, thus implying a link between cellular ATP concentrations and protein-aggregation diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianxing Song
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of ScienceNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
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18
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Latrubesse EM, Park E, Kästner K. The Ayeyarwady River (Myanmar): Washload transport and its global role among rivers in the Anthropocene. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0251156. [PMID: 33983980 PMCID: PMC8118563 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) is the second largest river of Southeast Asia and one of the rivers with the highest load of suspended sediment delivered to the sea in the world. The Ayeyarwady is the lifeline of Myanmar which concentrates the majority of the population and GDP of the country. It is the main way of transport, a source of fluvial aggregates for development projects, hydropower, and the basin plays a major role in food supply and irrigation. Despite the Ayeyarwady ranking amongst the world’s largest rivers and its vital importance to Myanmar, scarce research has been undertaken to understand its morphodynamics and sediment transport regime. Current load estimates still heavily rely on the only systematic study of sediment transport dating back to the 19th century. Here, we provide a novel estimate for the recent washload sediment transport based on a field calibrated remote sensing model of surface suspended sediments concentrations. We show that the Ayeyarwady has likely become the river with the second or third largest delivery of washload to the sea in the world since it has so far been much less affected by damming compared to the vast majority of other rivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edgardo M. Latrubesse
- Graduate Program in Environmental Sciences-CIAMB, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
- * E-mail:
| | - Edward Park
- National Institute of Education and Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Karl Kästner
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Brandenburg University of Technology, Cottbus, Germany
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19
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Li X, Liu L, Ren X, Gao J, Huang Y, Liu B. Microenvironment modulation of single-atom catalysts and their roles in electrochemical energy conversion. Sci Adv 2020; 6:eabb6833. [PMID: 32967833 PMCID: PMC7531890 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abb6833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have become the most attractive frontier research field in heterogeneous catalysis. Since the atomically dispersed metal atoms are commonly stabilized by ionic/covalent interactions with neighboring atoms, the geometric and electronic structures of SACs depend greatly on their microenvironment, which, in turn, determine the performances in catalytic processes. In this review, we will focus on the recently developed strategies of SAC synthesis, with attention on the microenvironment modulation of single-atom active sites of SACs. Furthermore, experimental and computational advances in understanding such microenvironment in association to the catalytic activity and mechanisms are summarized and exemplified in the electrochemical applications, including the water electrolysis and O2/CO2/N2 reduction reactions. Last, by highlighting the prospects and challenges for microenvironment engineering of SACs, we wish to shed some light on the further development of SACs for electrochemical energy conversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuning Li
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637459, Singapore
| | - Linghui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Xinyi Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Jiajian Gao
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637459, Singapore
| | - Yanqiang Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China.
| | - Bin Liu
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637459, Singapore.
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20
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Nai J, Wang S, Lou XW(D. Ordered colloidal clusters constructed by nanocrystals with valence for efficient CO 2 photoreduction. Sci Adv 2019; 5:eaax5095. [PMID: 31853497 PMCID: PMC6910840 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aax5095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The ability to construct discrete colloidal clusters (CCs) as complex as molecular clusters is limited due to the lack of available colloidal building blocks and specific directional bonds. Here, we explore a strategy to organize anisotropic Prussian blue analog nanocrystals (NCs) toward CCs with open and highly ordered structures, experimentally realizing colloidal analogs to zeolitic clathrate structures. The directional interactions are derived from either crystallographic or morphological anisotropy of the NCs and achieved by the interplay of epitaxial growth, oriented attachment, and local packing. We attribute these interparticle interactions to enthalpic and entropic valences that imitate hybridized atomic orbitals of sp 3 d 2 octahedron and sp 3 d 3 f cube. Benefiting from the ordered multilevel porous structures, the obtained CCs exhibit greatly enhanced catalytic activity for CO2 photoreduction. Our work offers some fundamental insights into directional bonding among NCs and opens an avenue that promises access to unique CCs with unprecedented structures and applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianwei Nai
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637459, Singapore
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Sibo Wang
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637459, Singapore
| | - Xiong Wen (David) Lou
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637459, Singapore
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21
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Abstract
Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) provides energy for cellular processes but has recently been found to act also as a hydrotrope to maintain protein homeostasis. ATP bivalently binds the disordered domain of FUS containing the RG/RGG sequence motif and thereby affects FUS liquid-liquid phase separation. Here, using NMR spectroscopy and molecular docking studies, we report that ATP specifically binds also to the well-folded RRM domain of FUS at physiologically relevant concentrations and with the binding interface overlapping with that of its physiological ssDNA ligand. Importantly, although ATP has little effect on the thermodynamic stability of the RRM domain or its binding to ssDNA, ATP kinetically inhibits the RRM fibrillization that is critical for the gain of cytotoxicity associated with ALS and FTD. Our study provides a previously unappreciated mechanism for ATP to inhibit fibrillization by specific binding, and suggests that ATP may bind additional proteins other than the classic ATP-dependent enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Kang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 10 Kent Ridge Crescent, Singapore, 119260 Singapore
| | - Liangzhong Lim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 10 Kent Ridge Crescent, Singapore, 119260 Singapore
| | - Jianxing Song
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 10 Kent Ridge Crescent, Singapore, 119260 Singapore
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22
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Kang J, Lim L, Lu Y, Song J. A unified mechanism for LLPS of ALS/FTLD-causing FUS as well as its modulation by ATP and oligonucleic acids. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e3000327. [PMID: 31188823 PMCID: PMC6590835 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2018] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
526-residue Fused in sarcoma (FUS) undergoes liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) for its functions, which can further transit into pathological aggregation. ATP and nucleic acids, the universal cellular actors, were shown to modulate LLPS of FUS in a unique manner: enhancement and then dissolution. Currently, the driving force for LLPS of FUS is still under debate, while the mechanism for the modulation remains completely undefined. Here, by NMR and differential interference contrast (DIC) imaging, we characterized conformations, dynamics, and LLPS of FUS and its domains and subsequently their molecular interactions with oligonucleic acids, including one RNA and two single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) molecules, as well as ATP, Adenosine monophosphate (AMP), and adenosine. The results reveal 1) both a prion-like domain (PLD) rich in Tyr but absent of Arg/Lys and a C-terminal domain (CTD) abundant in Arg/Lys fail to phase separate. By contrast, the entire N-terminal domain (NTD) containing the PLD and an Arg-Gly (RG)-rich region efficiently phase separate, indicating that the π-cation interaction is the major driving force; 2) despite manifesting distinctive NMR observations, ATP has been characterized to modulate LLPS by specific binding as oligonucleic acids but with much lower affinity. Our results together establish a unified mechanism in which the π-cation interaction acts as the major driving force for LLPS of FUS and also serves as the target for modulation by ATP and oligonucleic acids through specific binding. This mechanism predicts that a myriad of proteins unrelated to RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) but with Arg/Lys-rich disordered regions could be modulated by ATP and nucleic acids, thus rationalizing the pathological association of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)-causing C9ORF72 dipeptides with any nucleic acids to manifest cytotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Kang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Liangzhong Lim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yimei Lu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jianxing Song
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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23
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Ahmed SM, Ramani PD, Wong SQR, Zhao X, Ivanyi-Nagy R, Leong TC, Chua C, Li Z, Hentze H, Tan IB, Yan J, DasGupta R, Dröge P. The chromatin structuring protein HMGA2 influences human subtelomere stability and cancer chemosensitivity. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0215696. [PMID: 31067275 PMCID: PMC6505889 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0215696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The transient build-up of DNA supercoiling during the translocation of replication forks threatens genome stability and is controlled by DNA topoisomerases (TOPs). This crucial process has been exploited with TOP poisons for cancer chemotherapy. However, pinpointing cellular determinants of the best clinical response to TOP poisons still remains enigmatic. Here, we present an integrated approach and demonstrate that endogenous and exogenous expression of the oncofetal high-mobility group AT-hook 2 (HMGA2) protein exhibited broad protection against the formation of hydroxyurea-induced DNA breaks in various cancer cells, thus corroborating our previously proposed model in which HMGA2 functions as a replication fork chaperone that forms a protective DNA scaffold at or close to stalled replication forks. We now further demonstrate that high levels of HMGA2 also protected cancer cells against DNA breaks triggered by the clinically important TOP1 poison irinotecan. This protection is most likely due to the recently identified DNA supercoil constraining function of HMGA2 in combination with exclusion of TOP1 from binding to supercoiled substrate DNA. In contrast, low to moderate HMGA2 protein levels surprisingly potentiated the formation of irinotecan-induced genotoxic covalent TOP1-DNA cleavage complexes. Our data from cell-based and several in vitro assays indicate that, mechanistically, this potentiating role involves enhanced drug-target interactions mediated by HMGA2 in ternary complexes with supercoiled DNA. Subtelomeric regions were found to be extraordinarily vulnerable to these genotoxic challenges induced by TOP1 poisoning, pointing at strong DNA topological barriers located at human telomeres. These findings were corroborated by an increased irinotecan sensitivity of patient-derived xenografts of colorectal cancers exhibiting low to moderate HMGA2 levels. Collectively, we uncovered a therapeutically important control mechanism of transient changes in chromosomal DNA topology that ultimately leads to enhanced human subtelomere stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Moiz Ahmed
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | | | - Stephen Qi Rong Wong
- Biological Resource Centre, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Xiaodan Zhao
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Roland Ivanyi-Nagy
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Tang Choong Leong
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
| | - Clarinda Chua
- Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
- National Cancer Centre Singapore, Cancer Therapeutics Research Laboratory, Singapore
| | - Zhizhong Li
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Hannes Hentze
- Biological Resource Centre, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Iain BeeHuat Tan
- Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
- National Cancer Centre Singapore, Cancer Therapeutics Research Laboratory, Singapore
| | - Jie Yan
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Centre for Bioimaging Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ramanuj DasGupta
- Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Peter Dröge
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
- Nanyang Institute of Structural Biology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
- * E-mail:
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24
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Dang DKD, Patterson AC, Carrasco LR. An analysis of the spatial association between deforestation and agricultural field sizes in the tropics and subtropics. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0209918. [PMID: 30699139 PMCID: PMC6353091 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Tropical deforestation is one of the most pressing threats to biodiversity, and substantially reduces ecosystem services at the global scale. Little is known however about the global spatial distribution of the actors behind tropical deforestation. Newly available maps of global cropland field size offer an opportunity to gain understanding towards the spatial distribution of tropical deforestation actors. Here we use a map of global cropland field size and combine it with maps of forest loss to study the spatial association between field size and deforestation while accounting for other anthropogenic and geographical drivers of deforestation. We then use linear mixed–effects models and bootstrapping to determine what factors affect field sizes within deforested areas across all countries in the global tropics and subtropics. We find that field size within deforested areas is largely determined by country-level effects indicating the importance of socio-economic, cultural and institutional factors on the distribution of field sizes. Typically, small field sizes appear more commonly in deforested areas in Africa and Asia while the association was with larger field sizes in Australia and the Americas. In general, we find that smaller field sizes are associated with deforestation in protected areas and large field sizes with areas with lower agricultural value, although these results have low explanatory power. Our results suggest that the spatial patterns of actors behind deforestation are aggregated geographically which could help target conservation and sustainable land-use strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doan K. D. Dang
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Republic of Singapore
| | - Amy C. Patterson
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Republic of Singapore
| | - Luis R. Carrasco
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Republic of Singapore
- * E-mail:
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25
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Wu D, Tang X, Wang K, He Z, Li X. An Efficient and Effective Design of InP Nanowires for Maximal Solar Energy Harvesting. Nanoscale Res Lett 2017; 12:604. [PMID: 29177708 PMCID: PMC5701909 DOI: 10.1186/s11671-017-2354-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 10/25/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Solar cells based on subwavelength-dimensions semiconductor nanowire (NW) arrays promise a comparable or better performance than their planar counterparts by taking the advantages of strong light coupling and light trapping. In this paper, we present an accurate and time-saving analytical design for optimal geometrical parameters of vertically aligned InP NWs for maximal solar energy absorption. Short-circuit current densities are calculated for each NW array with different geometrical dimensions under solar illumination. Optimal geometrical dimensions are quantitatively presented for single, double, and multiple diameters of the NW arrays arranged both squarely and hexagonal achieving the maximal short-circuit current density of 33.13 mA/cm2. At the same time, intensive finite-difference time-domain numerical simulations are performed to investigate the same NW arrays for the highest light absorption. Compared with time-consuming simulations and experimental results, the predicted maximal short-circuit current densities have tolerances of below 2.2% for all cases. These results unambiguously demonstrate that this analytical method provides a fast and accurate route to guide high performance InP NW-based solar cell design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Wu
- OPTIMUS, Photonics Centre of Excellence, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798 Singapore
| | - Xiaohong Tang
- OPTIMUS, Photonics Centre of Excellence, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798 Singapore
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, 1088 Xueyuan Avenue, 518055 Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhubing He
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, 1088 Xueyuan Avenue, 518055 Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xianqiang Li
- OPTIMUS, Photonics Centre of Excellence, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798 Singapore
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Chang J, Symes WS, Lim F, Carrasco LR. International trade causes large net economic losses in tropical countries via the destruction of ecosystem services. Ambio 2016; 45:387-397. [PMID: 26961010 PMCID: PMC4824706 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-016-0768-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Revised: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 01/29/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Despite the large implications of the use of tropical land for exports ("land absorption") on ecosystem services (ES) and global biodiversity conservation, the magnitude of these externalities is not known. We quantify the net value of ES lost in tropical countries as a result of cropland, forestland and pastureland absorption for exports after deducting ES gains through imports ("land displacement"). We find that net ES gains occur only in 7 out of the 41 countries and regions considered. We estimate global annual net losses of over 1.7 x 10(12) international dollars (I$) (I$1.1 x 10(12) if carbon-related services are not considered). After deducting the benefits from agricultural, forest and livestock rents in land replacing tropical forests, the net annual losses are I$1.3 and I$0.7 x 10(12), respectively. The results highlight the large magnitude of tropical ES losses through international trade that are not compensated by the rents of land uses in absorbed land.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junning Chang
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543 Republic of Singapore
| | - William S. Symes
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543 Republic of Singapore
| | - Felix Lim
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543 Republic of Singapore
| | - L. Roman Carrasco
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543 Republic of Singapore
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Guan BY, Yu L, Li J, Lou XW(D. RETRACTED: A universal cooperative assembly-directed method for coating of mesoporous TiO(2) nanoshells with enhanced lithium storage properties. Sci Adv 2016; 2:e1501554. [PMID: 26973879 PMCID: PMC4783128 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1501554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2015] [Accepted: 01/05/2016] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
TiO2 is exceptionally useful, but it remains a great challenge to develop a universal method to coat TiO2 nanoshells on different functional materials. We report a one-pot, low-temperature, and facile method that can rapidly form mesoporous TiO2 shells on various inorganic, organic, and inorganic-organic composite materials, including silica-based, metal, metal oxide, organic polymer, carbon-based, and metal-organic framework nanomaterials via a cooperative assembly-directed strategy. In constructing hollow, core-shell, and yolk-shell geometries, both amorphous and crystalline TiO2 nanoshells are demonstrated with excellent control. When used as electrode materials for lithium ion batteries, these crystalline TiO2 nanoshells composed of very small nanocrystals exhibit remarkably long-term cycling stability over 1000 cycles. The electrochemical properties demonstrate that these TiO2 nanoshells are promising anode materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bu Yuan Guan
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637459, Singapore
| | - Le Yu
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637459, Singapore
| | - Ju Li
- Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Corresponding author. E-mail: (J.L.); (X.W.L.)
| | - Xiong Wen (David) Lou
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637459, Singapore
- Corresponding author. E-mail: (J.L.); (X.W.L.)
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