Permeability and selectivity synergistically enhanced nanofluidic membrane for osmotic energy harvesting

For the porous‐membrane‐based osmotic energy generator,the potential synergistic enhancement mechanism of various key parameters is still controversial,especially because optimizing the trade‐off between permeability and selectivity is still a challenge.Here,to construct a permeability and selectivity synergistically enhanced osmotic energy generator,the twodimensional porous membranes with tunable charge density are prepared by inserting sulfonated polyether sulfone into graphene oxide.Influences of charge density and pore size on the ion transport are explored,and the ionic behaviors in the channel are calculated by numerical simulations.The mechanism of ion transport in the process is studied in depth,and the fundamental principles of energy conversion are revealed.The results demonstrate that charge density and pore size should be matched to construct the optimal ion channel.This collaborative enhancement strategy of permeability and selectivity has significantly improved the output power in osmotic energy generation;compared to the pure graphene oxide membrane,the composite membrane presents almost 20 times improvement.

Molecular Basis for Stereospecific Hydrolysis of Ethyl Mandelate by Thermophilic Esterase

The stereospecific hydrolysis of mandelate can be effectively catalyzed by hyperthermophilic acylpeptide esterase APE 1547（Aeropyrum pernix esterase 1547）. APE 1547 used in this reaction showed a remarkable stereodi-scrimination in favour of R-mandelic acid（99% e.e.） with an enantiomeric ratio E〉200. The results of computer simulation are consistent with the experimental results. It can be inferred that the R-substrate adopted a binding mode productive of the reaction due to the formation of the hydrogen bond at the active site of APE 1547.

Discovery of Kaempferol,a Novel ADAM10 Inhibitor,as a Potential Treatment for Staphylococcus aureus Infection

Host-directed therapy(HDT)is an emerging novel approach for treating multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(S.aureus)infection.Functioning as the indispensable specific cellular receptor for a-toxin(Hla),a-disintegrin and metalloproteinase 10(ADAM10)is exploited to accelerate S.aureus infection through diverse mechanisms.The extraordinary contribution of ADAM10 to S.aureus pathogenesis renders it an attractive HDT target for combating S.aureus infection.Our study is the first to demonstrate the indispensable role of ADAM10 in S.aureus-induced necroptosis,and it enhances our knowledge of the role of ADAM10 in S.aureus infection.Using a fluorogenic substrate assay,we further identified kaempferol as a potent ADAM10 inhibitor that effectively protected mice from S.aureus infection by suppressing Hla-mediated barrier disruption and necroptosis.Collectively,our work presents a novel hostdirected therapeutic strategy for using the promising candidate kaempferol to treat S.aureus infection and other diseases relevant to the disordered upregulation of ADAM10.

High-throughput Screening of the Enantioselectivity of Hyperthermophilic Mutant Esterases from Archaeon Aeropyrum pernix K1 for Resolution of (R,S)-2-Octanol Acetate

To identify the desired hypertherrnophilic variants within a mutant esterase library for the resolution of （R, S）-2- octanol acetate, a simple, reliable, and versatile method was developed in this study. We built a screening strategy including two steps, first we selected agar plate with substrate to screen the enzymatic activity; secondly we used a pH indicator to screen the enantioselectivity. This method could rapidly detect favorable mutants with high activity and enantioselectivity. A total of 96. 2% of tedious screening work can be precluded using this screening strategy. It is an effective screening for alkyl ester and can be applied to relative screening researches. The four improved mutants were screened from the mutant esterase library. Their enantioselectivities, activities, and structures were investigated at different temperatures.

Caspase-9 Activation—Critical for Betulin-induced Apoptosis of Human Hepatoma Cells

Betulinic acid and its derivatives have been extensively studied in the past for their anti-tumor effects, but relatively little is known about its precursor betulin. In this study we showed that betulin, an abundant natural product, significantly inhibits the cell growth of human hepatoma HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner. In the presence of 10 μg/mL betulin, HepG2 cells undergo an apoptosis, as evidenced by apoptotic morphology such as cell shrinkage, membrane blebbing, nuclear condensation and fragmentation, apoptotic body formation, and caspase activation. Kinetics analysis shows that the depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane potential and the release of the mito- chondrial apoptotic protein cytochrome c occurred as early as 2 h post treatment of HepG2 cells with 10 μg/mL betulin. Proteolytic activation of caspase-9, but not caspase-8, was observed in this apoptosis process. Moreover, the inactivation of caspase-9 by its specific siRNA dramatically reduced betulin-induced caspase-3 activation and apoptosis. Taken together, our observations indicate that the activation of caspase-9 is critical for betulin-induced apoptosis of human hepatoma HepG2 cells.

Novel Selenium-containing Human Single-chain Variable Fragment with Glutathione Peroxidase Activity from Computer-aided Molecular Design

In order to enhance the glutathione peroxidase（GPX） catalytic activity of the selenium-containing single-chain variable fragments（Se-scFv）, a novel human scFv was designed on the basis of the structure of human antibody and optimized via bioinformatics methods such as homologous sequence analysis, three-dimensional（3D） model building, binding-site analysis and docking. The DNA sequence of the new human scFv was synthesized and cloned into the expression vector pET22b（＋）, then the scFv protein was expressed in soluble form in Escherichia coli BL21（DE3） and purified by Ni2＋-immobilized metal affinity chromatography（IMAC）. The serine residue of scFv in the active site was converted into selenocysteine（Sec） with the chemical modification method, thus, the human Se-scFv with GPX activity was obtained. The GPX activity of the Se-scFv protein was characterized. Compared with other Se-scFv, the new human Se-scFv showed similar efficiency for catalyzing the reduction of hydrogen peroxide by glutathione. It exhibited pH and temperature dependent catalytic activity and a typical ping-pong kinetic mechanism.

Statistical Optimization of Medium Components for Improved Product Ion of Recombinant Hyperthermophilic Esterase

The optimization of nutrient levels for the production of recombinant hyperthermophilie esterase by E. coli was carried out with response surface methodology（RSM） based on the central composite rotatable design（CCRD）. A 24 central composite rotatable design was used to study the combined effect of the nutritional constituents like yeast extract, peptone, mineral salt and trace metals. The P-value of the coefficient for the linear effect of peptone concentration was 0. 0081 and trace metals solution was less than 0. 0001, suggesting that these were the principal variables with significant effect on the hyperthermophilic esterase production. The predicted optimal hyperthermophilie esterase yield was 269. 17 U/mL, whereas an actual experimental value of 284. 58 U/mL was obtained.

A Study of Bioactivity of Corn Peptides with Low Molecular Weight Ⅱ: Effect on Plasma Free Amino Acid Concentrations in Rats

The effects of the ingestion of corn peptides with a low molecular weight(LMCP) prepared from zein on some plasma free amino acid concentrations in rats that had taken ethanol were investigated. LMCP(1 0 g/kg body weight) in 15% ethanol(10 mL/kg body weight) was given to Wister rats by intragastrical administration. The amino acid analysis showed that the concentrations of alanine, leucine, and proline in the plasma reached their maximum levels at 30 min for the LMCP-intake group. They are 582.39, 99.60 and 272.51 μg/L , respectively. But in the control group, the plasma free amino acid levels were not changed obviously. Therefore, LMCP could cause an increase in concentration of some free amino acids such as alanine, leucine and proline etc . in plasma of the rats that have taken ethanol.

Proline-based Amino Pyridine Dipeptides as Efficient Organocatalysts for Direct Aldol Reaction

A series of proline-based amino pyridine dipeptide organocatalysts was synthesized and applied in direct asymmetric intermolecular aldol reaction. These catalysts showed good solubility in organic solvents, good yields （73%--97%） and enantioselectivitives（74%--94%）. Among them, dipeptide organocatalyst（2） was found to be the most efficient one for the asymmetric aldol reaction between cyclohexanone and 4-nitrobeznaldehyde. After optimizing the catalytic reaction conditions, we found that the catalyst showed high yield（97%）, enantioselectivity（e.e., up to 92%） and anti-diastcreoselectivity（up to 95：5） at mild room temperature without any additives.

Differential Expression of Molecular Chaperones in PC12 Cells Treated with PSI

Parkinson＇s disease（PD） is a common neurodegenerative disorder whose primary pathology features are the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta（SNc） and the presence of eosinophilic inclusions called Lewy body in the cytoplasm of the remained neurons. Growing evidence suggests that dysfunction of the ubiquitin-proteasome system（UPS） is involved in the etiopathogenesis of PD. In order to investigate the pathogenetic mechanism of ubiquitin-proteasome dysfunction in PD, 2D-differential gel electrophoresis（2D-DIGE） and MALDI-TOF Pro MS were used to determine the proteins, which were differentially expressed, in PC12 cells that had undergone a synthetic proteasomal inhibitor PSI（10 μmol/L） treatment for 24 h. Forty-six protein spots were differentially expressed in response to PSI administration, of which 34 were increased and 12 decreased. Six of these were identified as molecular charperones： endoplasmin precursor（GRP94）, heat shock protein 105（HSP105）, HSC-70-psl, glucose ruglated protein 75（GRP75）, glucose ruglated protein 58（GRP58） and heat shock 27000 protein l（HSP27）. The results suggest that the molecular chaperones play an important role in the PD model induced by proteasomal inhibitor.

Degradation of amyloid β-peptides catalyzed by nattokinase in vivo and in vitro

Amyloid-β 1-42(Aβ42)plays a pivotal role in Alzheimer disease(AD)pathogenesis. Peripheral clearance of Aβ42 largely affects its level in the brain and affects AD progression. Although nattokinase(NK)degrades Aβ40, the details of NK's capture of various Aβ species and reduction of plasma Aβ42/Aβ40 are uncharacterized. In this study, the Aβ42/Aβ40-degrading ability of NK was investigated using five Aβs and AD model mice. The C-terminal region of Aβ42/Aβ40(Gly29 to Val40)was primarily required for NK capture, and the integrated conformation in Aβ42/Aβ40 aggregates was a more efficient target for NK catalysis. Further, suspended Aβ42/Aβ40 oligomers were more easily captured by NK than suspended Aβ42/Aβ40 fibrils, while deposited Aβ42/Aβ40 fibrils recruited more NK than deposited Aβ42/Aβ40 oligomers. Although most NK was likely lost during NK uptake and/or entry into the blood, a small fraction of NK showed good plasma Aβ42/Aβ40-degrading efficacy after entering the blood due to NK's stability in the plasma of AD mice for at least 9 days. It was concluded that oral administration of NK is a feasible approach for peripheral Aβ42/Aβ40 clearance. This implies that NK might serve as an anti-Aβ42 agent for the treatment of Aβ42/Aβ40-related diseases such as AD.

Light/pH dual-responsive magnetic metal-organic frameworks composites for phosphorylated peptide enrichment

Metal-organic frameworks(MOFs)combined with specific ligands are highly adaptable smart materials that can respond to external and physiological stimuli.In this study,we introduced a pyridinyl zwitterionic ligand with light/pH dual response into magnetic MOF composite(Fe_(3)O_(4)@ZW-MOF)for enrichment of phosphorylated peptides for the first time.The introduction of the developed ligand gives MOF material dual response properties.Light stimulation affects the generation/disappearance of free radicals of the pyridine derivative,resulting in a change in the charge gradient of the zwitterion,and zwitterion can also regulate the p H of the solution by adding acid or base.Therefore,the reversible capture and release of phosphorylated peptides can be easily achieved by adjusting light and pH.The established phosphorylated peptide enrichment platform exhibits high sensitivity(detection limit of 1 fmol),high selectivity(β-casein:BSA,1:1000),and good reusability(7 cycles).In addition,the method was applied to the enrichment of phosphorylated peptides in complex systems(non-fat milk and human serum),demonstrating the feasibility of this method for phosphoproteom analysis.In conclusion,the synthesized Fe_(3)O_(4)@ZW-MOF is a promising MOF material,which provides the possibility to advance the application of responsive MOFs materials in proteomics.

Erratum to:Molecular dynamics simulation reveals DNA-specific recognition mechanism via c-Myb in pseudo-palindromic consensus of mim-1 promoter

Erratum to:J Zhejiang Univ-Sci B(Biomed&Biotechnol)202324(10):883-895 https://doi.0rg/10.1631/jzus.B2200634.The original version of this article(Weng et al.,2023)unfortunately contained a mistake.In Acknowledgments,the number(No.226-2022-00213)of the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities is wrong.The correct number should be No.2022FZZX01-33.

Enhanced Effects of TRAIL-endostatin-based Double-gene-radiotherapy on Suppressing Growth, Promoting Apoptosis and Inducing Cell Cycle Arrest in Vascular Endothelial Cells

This study examined the effects of TRAIL-endostatin-based gene-radiotherapy on cellu-lar growth, apoptosis and cell cycle progression in human vascular endothelial cells ECV304 in vitro. The expression of TRAIL and endostatin protein in ECV304 cells was detected by ELISA after the transfection of recombinant plasmid pshuttle-Egr1-shTRAIL-shES and X-ray irradiation. Then MTT assay was used for determining the cellular proliferation, and flow cytometry (FCM) plus Annexin V and propidium iodide (PI) double-staining or PI single-staining were employed for the detection of apoptosis and cell cycle progression. The results showed that expression of TRAIL and endostatin protein exhibited a time- and dose-dependent change in ECV304 cells after pshut-tle-Egr1-shTRAIL-shES transfection in conjunction with irradiation. In the TRAIL-endostatin-based single- or double-gene-radiotherapy, the cell viability declined in a time- and dose-dependent manner, the percentage of cells at G2/M phase and apoptotic rate was increased, and the percentage of cells at G0/G1 phase was lowered as compared with those receiving radiotherapy alone. Moreover, TRAIL-endostatin-based double-gene-radiotherapy demonstrated better effects on growth inhibition, promotion of apoptosis and induction of cell cycle arrest in ECV304 cells than single-gene-radiotherapy.

Mitochondrial Modulation of Apoptosis Induced by Low-dose Radiation in Mouse Testicular Cells

Objective To investigate whether apoptosis induced by low-dose radiation （LDR） is regulated by mitochondrial pathways in testicular cells. Methods Male mice were exposed to whole-body LDR, and changes in mitochondrial function and in expression of apoptotic factors were analyzed in the testicular cells as follows. Total nitric-oxide synthase （T-NOS） and Na＋/K＋ ATPase activities were biochemically assayed. Reactive oxygen species （ROS） and mitochondrial membrane potential （Adjm） were determined by flow cytometry using fluorescent probes. Levels of mRNAs encoding cytochrome c （Cyt c） and apoptosis-inducing factor （AIF） were quantified by real-time reverse-transcription PCR （RT-PCR）. Expression of Cyt c, AIF, caspase-9, and caspase-3 at the protein level was assessed by western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Results LDR induced an increase in T-NOS activity and ROS levels, and a decrease in Na＋/K~ ATPase activity and mitochondrial A^m, in the testicular cells. The intensity of these effects increased with time after irradiation and with dose. The cells showed remarkable swelling and vacuolization of mitochondria, and displayed a time- and dose-dependent increase in the expression of Cyt c, AIF, procaspase-9, and procaspase-3. Activation of the two procaspases was confirmed by detection of the cleaved caspases. The changes in expression of the four apoptotic factors were mostly limited to spermatogonia and spermatocytes. Conclusion LDR can induce testicular cell apoptosis through mitochondrial signaling pathways

Antioxidant Effect of Human Selenium-containing Single-chain Fv in Rat Cardiac Myocytes

Reactive oxygen species（ROS） plays a key role in human heart diseases. Glutathione peroxidase（GPX） functions as an antioxidant as it catalyzes the reduction of hydroperoxide. In order to investigate the antioxidant effect of human selenium-containing single-chain Fv（Se-scFv-B3）, a new mimic of GPX, a model system of hydrogen peroxide（H202）-induced rat cardiac myocyte damage was established. The cardiac myocyte damage was characte- rized in terms of cell viability, lipid peroxidation, cell membrane integrity, and intracellular H202 level. The Se-scFv-B3 significantly reduced H2O2-induced cell damage as shown by the increase of cell viability, the decline of malondialdehyde（MDA） production, lactate dehydrogenase（LDH） release, and intracellular H2O2 level. So Se-scFv-B3 may have a great potential in the treatment of human heart diseases induced by ROS.

A Study on Anti-oxidative Activity of Soybean Peptideswith Linoleic Acid Peroxidation Systems

Soybean bioactive peptides（SBPs） were prepared from the isolated soybean protein by proteolysis with an alkaline protease, alcalase, at 50℃ and pH = 8.0. The dependence of hydrolysis time on hydrolysis degree and molecular weight distribution were examined. The hydrolysate was fractionated on a Sephadex G-25 column and the anti-oxidative activities of the fractions were detected by the method of pyrogallol auto-oxidation. The average chain length of soybean peptides that have anti-oxidative activity was estimated to be about 7. The anti-oxidative properties of the soy- bean peptide were also studied by using linoleic acid peroxidation systems. The optimal condition of the peroxidation system was set up, Vc/Cu^2 ＋ as the inducer at pH = 7.4 and 25 ℃. In addition, soybean peptides show higher antioxidative activity compared with GSH.

Comparison Between the Effects of 2-Selenium Bridged β-Cyclodextrin and Ebselen on Treating SHRsp Stroke

A glutathione peroxidase（GPX） mimic, 2-selenium bridged β-cyclodextrin（2-SeCD）, was synthesized. In order to examine its role and mechanism in treating stroke we chose stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats（SHRsp） as animal model. 56 SHRsps of 8-week olds were randomly divided into several groups： test groups （low, moderate, high dose of 2-SeCD） and control groups（positive and negative）. After onset of the stroke, the rats in test groups were orally administrated with different amounts of 2-SeCD, the positive control group with ebselen, and the negative control group with drinking water. The treatment lasted two weeks, followed by observation of the rats for 10 days, meanwhile blood pressure, biochemical parameters of plasma, and the contents of nitric oxide（NO） and malondialdehyde（MDA） in plasma and brain were determined. The results show that there were significant differences in contents of NO and MDA in plasma and brain between the test groups（high, moderate dose of 2-SeCD） and negative control group. The NO contents of the test groups were obviously higher than that of the negative control group （P〈0.01）. The MDA contents of the test groups（high, moderate dose of 2-SeCD） were obviously lower than that of the negative control group（P〈0.01）. The mechanism of 2-SeCD in treating stroke was discussed, which maybe related to the increase of NO and the decrease of MDA in plasma and brain tissue, but the exact mechanism should be further studied. Moreover, the tendencies of changes in systolic blood pressure, contents of NO and MDA, and other physiological parameters for the test groups were shown to be much better than the corresponding parameters for the positive group（the group with ebselen）（P〈0.05）, indicating that the treatment effect of 2-SeCD is better than that of ebselen.

Iodine Determination by Microwave Plasma Torch Atomic Emission Spectrometer Coupled with Online Preconcentration Vapor Generation Technique

This article focuses on iodine determination by microwave plasma torch atomic emission spectrometry （MPT-AES） coupled with online preconcentration vapor generation method. A new desolvation device, multistrand Nafion dryer, was used as the substitute for condenser desolvation system. Some experimental conditions, such as preconcentration time, acidity of sample solution, rinsing solution acidity and dynamic linear range were investigated and optimized. The new desolvation system eliminates the problem of decreasing emission intensity of I（I） 206.238 nm line with the increase of working time on a conventional condenser desolvation system, thus greatly improving the reproducibility.

Preparation and Anti-oxidative Effects of Corn Peptides

Corn peptides(CP) were prepared from zein via proteolysis by means of a type of alkaline protease, Alcalase, at 50 ℃ and pH 8.0. The anti oxidative activity of the hydrolysate was examined. It was found that the anti oxidative activity reached the maximum at the fourth hour of the hydrolysis and then decreased. The effect of the enzyme dosage on the solubility of corn protein, the dependence of hydrolysis time on the degree of the hydrolysis(DH) and molecular weight distribution were examined respectively. 30% DH was controlled on the basis of anti oxidative activity. The hydrolysate was fractionated on a Sephadex G 15 column. The anti oxidative activities were examined for all the fractions. The main fraction for anti oxidative activity was collected and characterized by the methods of amino acid analysis, the measurement of average chain length and etc .. The main M W distribution of the main fraction was 300-600 Daltons. The anti oxidative properties of the small peptides in vitro were studied. It was found that they could inhibit the auto oxidation of pyrogallol and the oxidation of hemoglobin. The hemolysis degree of erythrocyte caused by hydroxyl free radicals was decreased greatly, indicating a protective effect of the anti oxidative peptides on the cell membrane damage of erythrocyte.