Steel Anti-Corrosion Strategy Enables Long-Cycle Zn Anode

The progress of aqueous zinc batteries (AZBs) is limited by the poor cycling life due to Zn anode instability, including dendrite growth, surface corrosion, and passivation. Inspired by the anti-corrosion strategy of steel industry, a compounding corrosion inhibitor (CCI) is employed as the electrolyte additive for Zn metal anode protection. It is shown that CCI can spontaneously generate a uniform and ≈30 nm thick solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer on Zn anode with a strong adhesion via Zn O bonding. This SEI layer efficiently prohibits water corrosion and guides homogeneous Zn deposition without obvious dendrite formation. This enables reversible Zn deposition and dissolution for over 1100 h under the condition of 1 mA cm⁻² and 1 mAh cm⁻² in symmetric cells. The Zn-MnO₂ full cells with CCI-modified electrolyte deliver an ultralow capacity decay rate (0.013% per cycle) at 0.5 A g⁻¹ over 1000 cycles. Such an innovative strategy paves a low-cost way to achieve AZBs with long lifespan.     

Perspectives on the nanocarriers with miRNAs for targeting melanoma stemness through epigenetic regulation

Several research reports delineated the significant role of miRNAs in cancer proliferation, and their modulatory role in cancer mitigation, and drug resistance. Melanoma cells have been acquiring stemness to several chemotherapeutic agents through drug efflux proteins, epigenetic modulation, and DNA repair. miRNAs could be applied as novel therapeutic modalities for treating several kinds of cancers to modulate these mechanisms involved in stemness. Nanocarriers to carry these tumor-targeting miRNAs to modulate stemness are a prominent strategy to overcome their low penetrability, minimal stability, and nonspecificity. We have searched several public databases such as PubMed, Medline, Google scholar, and NLM and obtained the information pertinent to the miRNA-based nanocarrier systems to target stemness through epigenetic modulation in melanomas. This review delineates that various miRNAs can modulate the stemness in melanomas by specific intricate epigenetic signaling, and other cell-based signaling mechanisms. Specific nanocarrier formulations with specific miRNAs are optimal methods to deliver these miRNAs in order to achieve significant entrapment efficiency, loading efficiency, and stability. Furthermore, the combinatorial regimen of FDA-approved chemotherapeutic molecules with tumor-targeting miRNAs and chemotherapy combined with nanocarriers can efficiently deliver the utmost therapeutic window by targeting tumor matrix, invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis in melanomas. Substantial research should focus on the clinical application of this gene therapy in melanomas using these low immunogenic, highly degradable, and biocompatible combinatorial nanotherapeutic regimens.     

Genome-wide identification,classification, and expression profiling of serine esterases and other esterase-related proteins in the tobacco hornworm,Manduca sexta

Serine esterases (SEs) are hydrolases that catalyze the conversion of carboxylic esters into acids and alcohols. Lipases and carboxylesterases constitute two major groups of SEs. Although over a hundred of insect genomes are known, systematic identification and classification of SEs are rarely performed, likely due to large size and complex composition of the gene family in each species. Considering their key roles in lipid metabolism and other physiological processes, we have categorized 144 M. sexta SEs and SE homologs (SEHs), 114 of which contain a motif of GXSXG. Multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic tree analysis have revealed 39 neutral lipases (NLs), 3 neutral lipase homologs (NLHs), 11 acidic lipases (ALs), 3 acidic lipase homologs (ALHs), a lipase-3, a triglyceride lipase, a monoglyceride lipase, a hormone-sensitive lipase, and a GDSL lipase. Eighty-three carboxylesterase genes encode 29 α-esterases (AEs), 12 AEHs (e.g., SEH4-1–3), 20 feruloyl esterases (FEs), 2 FEHs, 2 β-esterases (BEs), 2 integument esterases (IEs), 1 IEH, 4 juvenile hormone esterases, 2 acetylcholinesterases, gliotactin, 6 neuroligins, neurotactin, and an uncharacteristic esterase homolog. In addition to these GXSXG proteins, we have identified 26 phospholipases and 13 thioesterases. Expression profiling of these genes in specific tissues and stages has provided insights into their functions including digestion, detoxification, hormone processing, neurotransmission, reproduction, and developmental regulation. In summary, we have established a framework of information on SEs and related proteins in M. sexta to stimulate their research in the model species and comparative investigations in agricultural pests or disease vectors.     

Fumarate mitigates disruption induced by fenpropathrin in the silkworm Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera): A metabolomics study

The silkworm Bombyx mori L. is a model organism of the order Lepidoptera. Understanding the mechanism of pesticide resistance in silkworms is valuable for Lepidopteran pest control. In this study, comparative metabolomics was used to analyze the metabolites of 2 silkworm strains with different pesticide resistance levels at 6, 12, and 24 h after feeding with fenpropathrin. Twenty-six of 27 metabolites showed significant differences after fenpropathrin treatment and were classified into 6 metabolic pathways: glycerophospholipid metabolism, sulfur metabolism, glycolysis, amino acid metabolism, the urea cycle, and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. After analyzing the percentage changes in the metabolic pathways at the 3 time points, sulfur metabolism, glycolysis, and the TCA cycle showed significant responses to fenpropathrin. Confirmatory experiments were performed by feeding silkworms with key metabolites of the 3 pathways. The combination of iron(II) fumarate + folic acid (IF-FA) enhanced fenpropathrin resistance in silkworms 6.38 fold, indicating that the TCA cycle is the core pathway associated with resistance. Furthermore, the disruption of several energy-related metabolic pathways caused by fenpropathrin was shown to be recovered by IF-FA in vitro. Therefore, IF-FA may have a role in boosting silkworm pesticide resistance by modulating the equilibrium between the TCA cycle and its related metabolic pathways.     

A short-chain carbonyl reductase mutant is an efficient catalyst in the production of (R)-1,3-butanediol

R-1,3-butanediol (R-1,3-BDO) is an important chiral intermediate of penem and carbapenem synthesis. Among the different synthesis methods to obtain pure enantiomer R-1,3-BDO, oxidation–reduction cascades catalysed by enzymes are promising strategies for its production. Dehydrogenases have been used for the reduction step, but the enantio-selectivity is not high enough for further organic synthesis efforts. Here, a short-chain carbonyl reductase (LnRCR) was evaluated for the reduction step and developed via protein engineering. After docking result analysis with the substrate 4-hydroxy-2-butanone (4H2B), residues were selected for virtual mutagenesis, their substrate-binding energies were compared, and four sites were selected for saturation mutagenesis. High-throughput screening helped identify a Ser154Lys mutant which increased the catalytic efficiency by 115% compared to the parent enzyme. Computer-aided simulations indicated that after single residue replacement, movements in two flexible areas (VTDPAF and SVGFANK) facilitated the volumetric compression of the 4H2B-binding pocket. The number of hydrogen bonds between the stabilized 4H2B-binding pocket of the mutant enzyme and substrate was higher (from four to six) than the wild-type enzyme, while the substrate-binding energy was decreased (from −17.0 kJ/mol to −29.1 kJ/mol). Consequently, the catalytic efficiency increased by approximately 115% and enantio-selectivity increased from 95% to 99%. Our findings indicate that compact and stable substrate-binding pockets are critical for enzyme catalysis. Lastly, the utilization of a microbe expressing the Ser154Lys mutant enzyme was proven to be a robust process to conduct the oxidation–reduction cascade at larger scales.