Discovery of a Novel Aminopeptidase N Inhibitor Dino-Leucine Borate

Aminopeptidase N(APN/CD13), a Zn2+-dependent ectopeptidase localized on the cell surface, is widely considered to influence the invasion of tumor cells. We found that boroleucine and dino-leucine borate exhibited a strong inhibitory effect on the enzyme activity of aminopeptidase N. The tested assay indicated that both compounds had an anti-proliferative effect on triple-negative breast cancer cells. Wound healing assay, migration test and matrigel-coated transwell assay showed that both boroleucine and dino-leucine borate inhibited the migration and invasion of breast cancer cells. Immunoblot analysis showed that both compounds down-regulated the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2/9. In the capillary tube formation assay of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), dino-leucine borate showed better antiangiogenic activity than ubenimex even at a low concentration (10 μM). Moreover, compared with ubenimex, the anti-metastatic activity of dino-leucine borate in vivo was similar to or even better than that of ubenimex in the H22 pulmonary metastasis mouse model. In this paper, we found the novel APN inhibitors to markedly suppress the enzyme activity of APN and inhibit the migration and invasion of tumor cells in vitro and in vivo.

Near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy reveals wide variation in major components of sesame seeds from Africa and Asia

Sesame is an important oilseed crop in Africa and Asia, owing to its high nutritional quality seed and market value. Variation in sesame seed components including oil, oleic acid,linoleic acid, and protein was investigated by near-infrared reflectance spectrometry in 139 samples collected from different countries. Oil and protein contents were between 40.8%and 60.3%(mean 53.0%) and 15.5% to 25.5%(mean 20.4%), respectively. Linoleic acid,ranging from 31.8% to 52.4%(mean 46%) was more abundant than oleic acid(31.8%–50.6%,mean 38.1%). Light-seeded samples displayed higher nutritional quality, as they were richer in oil, protein, and linoleic acid than dark seeds. Samples from Africa had higher oil and linoleic acid contents, while Asian samples had higher oleic content. The analysis revealed West African sesame cultivars containing especially high levels of seed components, which may command high market values. Two clusters of sesame samples grouped by seed composition were obtained, including one cluster with high oil and oleic acid content and the other with high protein and linoleic acid content. This study revealed that sesame samples from Africa and Asia harbor high variation for major seed components and also provided background information for breeding high-nutrition varieties according to the demands of sesame seed markets.

Molecular analysis of the chloroplast Cu/Zn-SOD gene(AhCSD2) in peanut

Superoxide dismutase(SOD, EC 1.15.1.1) plays a key role in response to drought stress, and differences in SOD activity changes among cultivars are important under drought conditions. We obtained the full-length DNA of the chloroplast Cu/Zn-SOD gene(Ah CSD2)from 11 allotetraploid cultivars and 5 diploid wild species in peanut. BLAST search against the peanut genome showed that the Ah CSD2 genes g CSD2-1 and g CSD2-2 are located at the tops of chromosome A03(A genome) and B03(B genome), respectively, and both contain 8exons and 7 introns. Nucleotide sequence analyses indicated that g CSD2-2 sequences were identical among all the tested cultivars, while g CSD2-1 sequences showed allelic variations.The amino acid sequences deduced from g CSD2-1 and g CSD2-2 both contain a chloroplast transit peptide and are distinguished by 6 amino acid(aa) residue differences. The other 2aa residue variations in the mature peptide regions give rise to three-dimensional structure changes of the protein deduced from the genes g CSD2-1 and g CSD2-2. Sequences analyses of cultivars and wild species showed that g CSD2-2 of Arachis hypogaea and g Aip CSD2(Arachis ipaensis) are identical, and despite the abundant polymorphic loci between g CSD2-1 of A.hypogaea and sequences from A genome wild species, the deduced amino acid sequence of Ah CSD2-1(A. hypogaea) is identical to that of Adu CSD2(Arachis duranensis), whereas Aco CSD2(Arachis correntina) and Aca CSD2(Arachis cardenasii) both have 2 aa differences in the transit peptide region compared with Ah CSD2-1(A. hypogaea). Based on the Peanut Genome Project, promoter prediction revealed many stress-related cis-acting elements within the potential promoter regions(pp-A and pp-B). pp-A contains more binding sites for drought-associated transcriptional factors than pp-B. We hypothesize that the marked changes in SOD activity in different cultivars under drought stress are tightly regulated by transcription factors through transcription and expression of Ah CSD2 genes.

Chlorophyll Fluorescence, Photosynthetic and Morphological Characteristics of Waterlogged Sesame Seedlings

Two sesame accessions, ZZM2541 and Ezhi-2, with different tolerance to waterlogging were selected, and the seedlings at the 4-true leaf stage were treated by waterlogging for 48 h. Growth parameters were evaluated 1 d before the beginning of waterlogging and on the 3^(rd)day after the removal of waterlogging(DARW). Morphological characteristics of root and chlorophyll fuorescence were measured on the 3^(rd)DARW and leaf gas exchange was measured on the zero, 3^(rd)and 15^(th) DARW. Results showed that sesame accessions ZZM2541 and Ezhi-2 responded to waterlogging in considerably different performance. The stress induced leaf chlorosis and abscission and slowed growth of plant height in both accessions, but symptom occurred seriously in the susceptive Ezhi-2. In the more tolerant ZZM2541, plentiful of adventitious roots formed above the level.All of the average values of maximum fuorescence yield(F_m), quantum efficiency of open PSII centres(F_v/F_m), initial fluorescence(F_v/F_0) and chlorophyll content(Chl) decreased at the 4-true leaf stage in both accessions after suffering to the stress.The decreases of F_m, F_v/F_0 and Chl were more pronounced in Ezhi-2 than in ZZM2541. Less reductions of mean photosynthetic rate(Pn), transpiration rate(Tr), and stomatal conductance(gs) were observed in the leaves of waterlogged ZZM2541 than in waterlogged Ezhi-2(compared to controls), and the leaves of Ezhi-2 showed a higher water use efficiency(WUE) after the removal of waterlogging. Based on the results, it was concluded that the tolerance to waterlogging of ZZM2541 appears to depend on a combination of photosynthetic characteristics responses and morphological adaption.

Biochemical and physio-morphological indices for sesame drought resistance germplasm selection

In order to efficiently screen drought resistant varieties from a large scale of sesame germplasm, key traits were identified in this study. Six varieties with different drought resistance levels were submitted to a repeated drought stress experiment followed by rehydration phases at seedling stage. Results revealed that ‘ZZM5396', ‘ZZM1446' and‘ZZM0635' showed highest drought resistance features by phenotypic, physiological and biochemical detection. Peroxidase(POD) and catalase(CAT) activities, photosynthetic rate(Photo), root and stem dry matters are indices for drought resistance screening in sesame.Our results from seedling stage were consistent with that from germination stage, despite the fact that ‘ZZM1446' appeared to be superior under drought at seedling stage. The identified genotypes may be useful for breeding towards drought resistance and relevant molecular analysis in sesame.

Urinary metabolomics study of Xiangdan submicron emulsions on a rat model of myocardial ischaemia

Objective:The aim of this study was to discover the potential biomarkers changes on a rat model of isoproterenol (ISO) induced myocardial ischaemia before and after treatment with a Xiangdan submicron emulsion and to explore the unclearing mechanisms by urinary metabolomics.Methods:Three active traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) ingredients were formulated into a lyophilized submicron emulsion powder with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin encapsulation by high pressure homogenization technology.The three ingredients were given both separately and combined,and the corresponding effects of the three drugs were compared.Principal component analysis (PCA) and the HPLC-UV analytical method was applied to explore the change of composition of urine metabolites in a rat model of isoproterenol induced myocardial ischaemia.Results:Analytical methods measuring the three active ingredients in urine samples were established.PCA score plots revealed that the therapeutic effect of the Xiangdan submicron emulsion was more significant than that of the Xiangdan injection.There was a synergistic effect among the three active ingredients.Furthermore,studies of rat metabolism changes and structure analysis of biological markers indicated that the mechanism of Xiangdan formulations was related to the inhibition of abnormal tryptophan metabolism.Conclusion:Xiangdan preparations had a confirmed effect in the treatment of coronary heart disease,especially with the novel Xiangdan submicron emulsion formulation.Urinary metabolomics methods to monitor special biomarker changes is an excellent method to reveal the mechanism of action of TCM drugs.

Association Analysis for Quality Traits in a Diverse Panel of Chinese Sesame(Sesamum indicum L.)Germplasm

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of a sesame （Sesamum indicum L.） panel for association analysis, and investigate the genetic basis of oil content （OC）, protein content, oleic acid concentration, and linoleic acid concentration using association mapping. A panel of 216 sesame accessions was phenotyped in a multi-environment trial and fingerprinted with 608 polymorphic loci produced by 79 primers, including simple sequence repeats （SSRs）, sequence-related amplified polymorphisms （SRAPs）, and amplified fragment length polymorphisms （AFLPs）. Population structure analysis revealed two subgroups in the population. The Q model performed better for its ability to re-identify associations for the four traits at highly significant P-values compared to the other three mixed models. And a total of 35 and 25 associations for the four traits in 2010 and 2011 were identified, respectively, with the Q model after Bonferroni correction. Among those associations, only one for OC was re-identified in two environments, and several markers associated simultaneously with multiple traits were discovered. These results suggest the power and stability of the Q model for association analysis of nutritional traits in this sesame panel for its slight population stratification and familial relationship, which could aid in dissecting complex traits, and could help to develop strategies for improving nutritional quality.

Pore-Environment Engineering in Multifunctional Metal-Organic Frameworks

Contents 1.Introduction 5102.Direct Synthesis 5102.1.Functional modification of ligands 5102.2.Functional modification of secondary buildingunits(SBU)5112.3.Multivariate metal-organic frameworks(MTV-MOF)5123.Post-Synthesis Modification(PSM)5123.1.Post-synthetic metal exchange(PSME)5133.2.Post-synthetic ligand exchange(PSLE)5133.3.Post-synthetic elimination and insertion(PSE&I)5144.Building Block Replacement(BBR)5144.1.Solvent-assisted linker exchange(SALE)5144.2.Non-bridged ligand replacement 5154.3.Transmetalation at nodes or within linkers 5165.Pore Space Partition in MOF(PSP)5175.1.Cage-within-Cage MOFs 5175.2.One-dimensional channel segmentation 5186.Construction of Multi-mesoporous MOF 5186.1.Linker thermolysis 5186.2.Chemical shear 5197.Dynamic Septal Ligand Insertion 5198.Conclusions and Perspectives 5201.Introduction Metal-Organic Frameworks(MOFs)are organic-inorganic hy-brid crystalline materials with intramolecular pores formed byself-assembly of organic ligands and inorganic metal ions or clus-ters through coordination bonds.[1]Compared with traditionalinorganic porous materials,MOFs have flexible ligands and metalnodes,large specific surface area,adjustable pore size,and modi-fiable structure,which show great potential in gas storage,sepa-ration,catalysis and energy technology applications.[2]At thesame time,the clear and adjustable crystal structure provides anideal platform for the study of material structure-activity(struc-ture-performance)relationship,which makes MOFs have greatadvantages in structural research and practical applications.

利用高度稳定的发光薄膜提高多晶硅太阳能电池的光伏效率（英文）

硅基太阳能电池已经主导了整个光伏市场,但是仍然面临着光电转化效率低的问题,其中部分原因是其对紫外线的利用率较低.稀土铕配合物能够将紫外光转化为可见光,有望提高硅基太阳能电池的光电转化效率.然而,这类配合物较低的稳定性限制了它们的实际应用.本文中,我们制备了一种高度稳定的EVA/Eu(ND)4-CTAC发光薄膜,将其覆盖在大尺寸的多晶硅太阳能电池表面(110 cm^2)可以使得光电转化效率从15.06%提高到15.57%.在500 h的加速老化实验中荧光性能几乎没有下降,证明了发光薄膜的超强稳定性.在如此大的有效面积上,发光薄膜使硅基太阳能电池的转换效率提高0.51%的绝对值,同时实现超高的稳定性,说明该发光膜在光伏工业上具有广阔的应用前景.

Establishment and evaluation of a peanut association panel and analysis of key nutritional traits

Breeding programs aim to improve the yield and quality of peanut （Arachis hypogaea L.）; using association mapping to identify genetic markers linked to these quantitative traits could facilitate selection efficiency. A peanut association panel was established consisting of 268 lines with extensive phenotypic and genetic variation, meeting the requirements for associa- tion analysis. These lines were grown over 3 years and the key agronomic traits, including protein and oil content were examined. Population structure （Q） analysis showed two subpopulations and clustering analysis was consistent with Q-based membership assignment and closely related to botanical type. Relative Kinship （K） indicated that most of the panel members have no or weak familial related- ness, with 52.78% of lines showing K=o. Linkagedisequilibrium （LD） analysis showed a high level of LD occurs in the panel. Model comparisons indicated false positives can be effectively controlled by taking Q and K into consideration and more false positives were generated by K than Q. A preliminary association analysis using a Q＋ K model found markers significantly associated with oil, protein, oleic acid, and linoleic acid, and identified a set of alleles with positive and negative effects. These results show that this panel is suitable for association analysis, providing a resource for marker-assisted selection for peanut improvement.

Two alkynyl functionalized Co（Ⅱ）-MOFs as fluorescent sensors exhibiting selectivity and sensitivity for Fe3+ and nitroaromatic compounds

Two Co(II)-MOFs with different structures were successfully synthesized under the premise of designing two ligands containing alkynyl functional groups. Complexes 1 ([Co(TEPA)(TPT)2/3]·2DMF·H2O) and 2 ([Co(EPA)(TPT)]·1.5DMF·1.5H2O) show excellent luminescence properties. Meanwhile, as fluorescent sensors, complexes 1 and 2 exhibit selectivity and sensitivity for Fe3+ with the Ksv of 1.520 ×104 L/mol and 3.543 ×104 L/mol, which can rapidly detect nitroaromatic compounds in methanol and ethanol, especially for 2,4-NPH through fluorescence quenching with high quenching efficiency. In particular, the Ksv value of complexes 1 and 2 towards 2,4-NPH can reach up to 1.627 ×105 L/mol and 9.600 ×104 L/mol, demonstrating that complexes 1 and 2 are good candidates for the identification and detection of Fe3+and nitroaromatic compounds.