Early steps in the DNA base excision/single-strand interruption repair pathway in mammalian cells

Base excision repair （BER） is an evolutionarily conserved process for maintaining genomic integrity by eliminating several dozen damaged （oxidized or aikylated） or inappropriate bases that are generated endogenously or induced by genotoxicants, predominantly, reactive oxygen species （ROS）. BER involves 4-5 steps starting with base excision by a DNA glycosylase, followed by a common pathway usually involving an AP-endonuclease （APE） to generate 3＇ OH terminus at the damage site, followed by repair synthesis with a DNA polymerase and nick sealing by a DNA iigase. This pathway is also responsible for repairing DNA single-strand breaks with blocked termini directly generated by ROS. Nearly all glycosylases, far fewer than their substrate lesions particularly for oxidized bases, have broad and overlapping substrate range, and could serve as back-up enzymes in vivo. In contrast, mammalian cells encode only one APE, APEI, unlike two APEs in lower organisms. In spite of overall similarity, BER with distinct subpathways in the mammals is more complex than in E. coli. The glycosylases form complexes with downstream proteins to carry out efficient repair via distinct subpathways one of which, responsible for repair of strand breaks with 3＇ phosphate termini generated by the NEIL family glycosylases or by ROS, requires the phosphatase activity of polynucleotide kinase instead of APE1. Different complexes may utilize distinct DNA polymerases and iigases. Mammalian glycosylases have nonconserved extensions at one of the termini, dispensable for enzymatic activity but needed for interaction with other BER and non-BER proteins for complex formation and organeile targeting. The mammalian enzymes are sometimes covalently modified which may affect activity and complex formation. The focus of this review is on the early steps in mammalian BER for oxidized damage.

Covalently tethering disulfonic acid moieties onto polyoxometalate boosts acid strength and catalytic performance for hydroxyalkylation/alkylation reaction

Solid acid catalysts are widely used in the production of various high-value added and industrially important chemicals.Although the use of organosilicon compounds to modify the vacancy site has been extensively studied,the covalent tethering-SO_(3)H functionalized organosilicon modified polyoxometalates(POMs)has been rarely reported.In this work,two catalysts(TBA_(4)[SiW_(11)O_(39)(O(SiC_(3)H_(6)SO_(3)H)_(2))](compound 2)and TBA_(4)[SiW_(11)O_(39)(O(SiC_(8)H_(8)SO_(3)H)_(2))](compound 3))were synthesized successfully through covalently grafting different sulfonic acid(-SO_(3)H)groups onto[SiW_(11)O_(39)]^(8−)cluster,respectively.Compound 2 was achieved by surface grafting and in situ oxidation(3-mercaptopropyl)-trimethoxysilane,while compound 3 was achieved by surface grafting of 2-(4-chlorosulfonylphenyl)ethyltrimethoxysilane.Strong Brønsted acid strength of compounds 2 and 3 can be demonstrated by different methods including potentiometric titration,pyridine adsorption studies,and the ^(31)P trimethylphosphine oxides(TMPO)nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR).The systematic investigation of the relationship among POM structures,acid strength,and electron density was carried out based on density functional theory(DFT)calculation and experimental results,which revealed that covalent modification of compounds 2 and 3 decreased the electron density of the O-H bond,and promoted the release of H^(+).When applied in hydroxyalkylation/alkylation(HAA)reaction of 2-methylfuran(2-MF)with cyclohexanone,compound 2 exhibited better catalytic performance with conversion of ~93%,monocyclic fuel precursors(1a)yield of 79.9% and selectivity of 85.7% than compound 3,which can be attributed to strong Brønsted acid and the intramolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions between the neighboring -SO_(3)H moieties in compound 2.Finally,compound 2 also showed excellent catalytic activity in the HAA reaction of 2-MF with several different aldehydes and ketones(e.g.,furfuraldehyde,5-methylfurfuraldehyde,acetone,butyraldehyde and 4-methoxybenzaldehyde).This result opens a new pathway for design and fabrication of novel solid acid catalysts.

Facile fabrication of covalent organic framework functionalized superhydrophobic porous sponges for highly efficient water/oil separation

Considering the serious environmental pollution and economic losses caused by increasing oil spills and chemical leaks,effective and eco-friendly methods of oil/water separation should be urgently developed.Herein,a facile strategy(about 20 min)was developed for integrating covalent organic framework(COF)particles with melamine sponges(MS)by covalent bonding,and then a superhydrophobic COF/MS composite(denoted OA-CP@MS)could be further obtained by following modification with a 1-octadecylamine/water dispersion.Specifically,the synthesis process was developed under a mild condition that avoids the need for sealing and high-temperature treatments.It was proven that the fabricated OA-CP@MS presented a prominent absorption capacity for various organic reagents,in which adsorption capacity of chloroform could be up to 173 g/g.Owing to its excellent chemical robustness in strong alkaline and saline environments and in various organic solvents,the prepared OACP@MS showed a great potential to perform oil/water separation in complex practical conditions.Its rapid preparation process,fluorine-free treatment,and water-based modification would extend the application of COF materials in oil/water separation.

A Proximity-Triggered Strategy toward Transferable Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras

Over the past 20 years,great efforts have been invested in developing site-specific approaches to protein modification to dissect protein functions directly and accurately.Here,we report a proximitytriggered group transfer strategy from a sulfonium warhead to a Cysteine(Cys)residue of the target protein.With a guiding ligand,cargoes could be transferred selectively from a sulfonium center onto the Cys residue in the vicinity of their binding interface.The successful thalidomide transfer of sulfonium 1-X could be applied intracellularly for epidermal growth factor receptor degradation,highlighting the potential of group transfer strategy as a suite of chemical biology studies,including cell imaging,protein profiling,and protein degradation by simply employing different transferrable groups.

Emerging approaches to probing ion channel structure and function

Ion channels,as membrane proteins,are the sensors of the cell.They act as the first line of communication with the world beyond the plasma membrane and transduce changes in the external and internal environments into unique electrical signals to shape the responses of excitable cells.Because of their importance in cellular communication,ion channels have been intensively studied at the structural and functional levels.Here,we summarize the diverse approaches,including molecular and cellular,chemical,optical,biophysical,and computational,used to probe the structural and functional rearrangements that occur during channel activation（or sensitization）,inactivation（or desensitization）,and various forms of modulation.The emerging insights into the structure and function of ion channels by multidisciplinary approaches allow the development of new pharmacotherapies as well as new tools useful in controlling cellular activity.

Facile preparation of compact LTA molecular sieve membranes on polyethyleneimine modified substrates

A facile preparation strategy was proposed for preparation of compact zeolite LTA membranes on polyethyleneimine(PEI)modified substrates without seeding.Through the functionalization of substrates by using PEI,compact LTA membranes can be formed on various kinds of substrates.A well-intergrown and phase-pure LTA membrane with a thickness of about 3.0μm is successfully prepared on the a-Al_(2)O_(3)disk after crystallization for 24 h at 60℃.Besides LTA membrane,wellintergrown zeolite FAU membranes can also be formed on PEI-modified a-Al_(2)O_(3)substrates,suggesting the universality of this strategy.The zeolite LTA membranes synthesized on PEI-modified a-Al_(2)O_(3)tubes were evaluated for the separation of alcohols/water mixture through pervaporation.The as-synthesized zeolite LTA membranes display high pervaporation performances.For the separation of 10 wt%isopropanol/water solution at 90℃,a high separation factor of44991 and a water flux of 1.73 kg m^(-2)h^(-1)are achieved.