Azobenzene-based ultrathin peptoid nanoribbons for the potential on highly efficient artificial light-harvesting

The development of artificial light-harvesting systems based on long-range ordered ultrathin organic nanomaterials(i.e., below3 nm), which were assembled from stimuli-responsive sequence-controlled biomimetic polymers, remains challenging. Herein,we report the self-assembly of azobenzene-containing amphiphilic ternary alternating peptoids to construct photo-responsive ultrathin peptoids nanoribbons(UTPNRs) with a thickness of ~2.3 nm and the length in several micrometers. The pendants hydrophobic conjugate stacking mechanism explained the formation of one-dimensional ultrathin nanostructures, whose thickness was highly dependent on the length of side groups. The photo-isomerization of azobenzene moiety endowed the aggregates with a reversible morphology transformation from UTPNRs to spherical micelles(46.5 nm), upon the alternative irradiation with ultraviolet and visible light. Donor of 4-(2-hydroxyethylamino)-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole(NBD) and acceptor of rhodamine B(RB) were introduced onto the hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions, respectively, to generate photocontrollable artificial light-harvesting systems. Compared with the spheres-based systems, the obtained NBD-UTPNRs@RB composite proved a higher energy transfer efficiency(90.6%) and a lower requirement of RB acceptors in water. A proof-ofconcept use as fluorescent writable ink demonstrated the potential of UTPNRs on information encryption.

Protein regulation mechanism of cold tolerance in Haemaphysalis longicornis

Ticks are external parasitic arthropods that can transmit a variety of pathogens by sucking blood.Low-temperature tolerance is essential for ticks to survive during the cold winter.Exploring the protein regulation mechanism of low-temperature tolerance of Haemaphysalis longicornis could help to explain how ticks survive in winter.In this study,the quantitative proteomics of several tissues of H.longicornis exposed to low temperature were studied by data independent acquisition technology.Totals of 3699,3422,and 1958 proteins were identified in the salivary gland,midgut,and ovary,respectively.The proteins involved in energy metabolism,cell signal transduction,protein synthesis and repair,and cytoskeleton synthesis changed under low-temperature stress.The comprehensive analysis of the protein regulation of multiple tissues of female ticks exposed to low temperature showed that maintaining cell homeostasis,maintaining cell viability,and enhancing cell tolerance were the most important means for ticks to maintain vital signs under low temperature.The expression of proteins involved in and regulating the above cell activities was the key to the survival of ticks under low temperatures.Through the analysis of a large amount of data,we found that the expression levels of arylamine N-acetyltransferase,inositol polyphosphate multikinase,and dual-specificity phosphatase were up-regulated under low temperature.We speculated that they might have important significance in low-temperature tolerance.Then,we performed RNA interference on the mRNA of these 3 proteins,and the results showed that the ability of female ticks to tolerate low temperatures decreased significantly.

Development of PREDAC-H1pdm to model the antigenic evolution of influenza A/(H1N1)pdm09 viruses

The Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus caused a global pandemic in 2009 and has circulated seasonally ever since.As the continual genetic evolution of hemagglutinin in this virus leads to antigenic drift,rapid identification of antigenic variants and characterization of the antigenic evolution are needed.In this study,we developed PREDAC-H1pdm,a model to predict antigenic relationships between H1N1pdm viruses and identify antigenic clusters for post-2009 pandemic H1N1 strains.Our model performed well in predicting antigenic variants,which was helpful in influenza surveillance.By mapping the antigenic clusters for H1N1pdm,we found that substitutions on the Sa epitope were common for H1N1pdm,whereas for the former seasonal H1N1,substitutions on the Sb epitope were more common in antigenic evolution.Additionally,the localized epidemic pattern of H1N1pdm was more obvious than that of the former seasonal H1N1,which could make vaccine recommendation more sophisticated.Overall,the antigenic relationship prediction model we developed provides a rapid determination method for identifying antigenic variants,and the further analysis of evolutionary and epidemic characteristics can facilitate vaccine recommendations and influenza surveillance for H1N1pdm.

Removal of bromate ion using powdered activated carbon

Bromate ion （BrO3-） removal from drinking water by powdered activated carbons （PACs） in bath mode was evaluated under various operational conditions. Six kinds of PACs, including wood-based carbon, fruit-based carbon, coal-based carbon, and these three carbons thermally deoxidized in a nitrogen atmosphere, were selected to investigate their capacity on BrO3- removal. With the highest zeta potential value and being richly mesoporous, coal-based carbon had a high and an excellent BrO3- adsorption efficiency. The removal content of BrO3- by per gram of coal-based carbon was 0.45 mg within 5 hr in 100 μg/L bromate solution. The surface characteristics of PACs and bromide formation revealed that both physical and chemical PACs properties simultaneously affected the adsorptionreduction process. Under acidic conditions, PACs possessed high zeta value and adequate basic groups and exhibited neutral or positive charges, promoting BrO3- adsorption-reduction on the carbon surface. Interestingly, the PACs thermally deoxidized in N2 atmosphere optimized their properties, e.g. increasing their zeta values and decreasing the oxygen content which accelerated the BrO3- removal rate. The maximum adsorption capacity of fruit-based carbon was the highest among all tested carbons （99.6 mg/g）, possibly due to its highest pore volume. Remarkably, the thermal regeneration of PACs in N2 atmosphere could completely recover the adsorption capacity of PACs. The kinetic data obtained from carbons was analyzed using pseudo second-order and intraparticle diffusion models, with results showing that the intraparticle diffusion was the more applicable model to describe adsorption of BrO3- onto PACs.

Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 is a CROPs-associated receptor for Clostridioides infection toxin B

As the leading cause of worldwide hospital-acquired infection,Clostridioides difficile(C.difficile)infection has caused heavy economic and hospitalized burden,while its pathogenesis is not fully understood.Toxin B(Tcd B)is one of the major virulent factors of C.difficile.Recently,CSPG4 and FZD2 were reported to be the receptors that mediate Tcd B cellular entry.However,genetic ablation of genes encoding these receptors failed to completely block Tcd B entry,implicating the existence of alternative receptor(s)for this toxin.Here,by employing the CRISPR-Cas9 screen in CSPG4-deficient He La cells,we identified LDL receptor-related protein-1(LRP1)as a novel receptor for Tcd B.Knockout of LRP1 in both CSPG4-deficient He La cells and colonic epithelium Caco2 cells conferred cells with increased Tcd B resistance,while LRP1 overexpression sensitized cells to Tcd B at a low concentration.Co-immunoprecipitation assay showed that LRP1 interacts with full-length Tcd B.Moreover,CROPs domain,which is dispensable for Tcd B’s interaction with CSPG4 and FZD2,is sufficient for binding to LRP1.As such,our study provided evidence for a novel mechanism of Tcd B entry and suggested potential therapeutic targets for treating C.difficile infection.