Cardioprotection by isosteviol derivate JC105: A unique drug property to activate ERK1/2 only when cells are exposed to hypoxia‐reoxygenation

In the present study, we have investigated potential cardioprotective properties of Isosteviol analogue we recently synthesized and named JC105. Treatment of heart embryonic H9c2 cells with JC105 (10 μM) significantly increased survival of cells exposed to hypoxia‐reoxygenation. JC105 (10 μM) activated ERK1/2, DRP1 and increased levels of cardioprotective SUR2A in hypoxia‐reoxygenation, but did not have any effects on ERK1/2, DRP1 and/or SUR2A in normoxia. U0126 (10 μM) inhibited JC105‐mediated phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and DRP1 without affecting AKT or AMPK, which were also not regulated by JC105. Seahorse bioenergetic analysis demonstrated that JC105 (10 μM) did not affect mitochondria at rest, but it counteracted all mitochondrial effects of hypoxia‐reoxygenation. Cytoprotection afforded by JC105 was inhibited by U0126 (10 μM). Taken all together, these demonstrate that (a) JC105 protects H9c2 cells against hypoxia‐reoxygenation and that (b) this effect is mediated via ERK1/2. The unique property of JC105 is that selectively activates ERK1/2 in cells exposed to stress, but not in cells under non‐stress conditions.     

New Strategies for Defect Passivation in High‐Efficiency Perovskite Solar Cells

Lead halide perovskite solar cells now show excellent efficiencies and encouraging levels of stability. Further improvements in performance require better control of the trap states which are considered to be associated with vacancies and defects at crystallite surfaces. Herein, a reflection on the ways in which these traps can be mitigated is presented by improving the quality of the perovskite layer and interfaces in fully assembled device configurations. In this review, the most recent design strategies reported in the literature, which have been explored to tune grain orientation, to passivate defects, and to improve charge‐carrier lifetimes, are presented. Specifically, the advances made with single‐cation, mixed‐cation and/or mixed‐halide, and 3D/2D bilayer‐based light absorbers are discussed. The interfacial, compositional, and band alignment engineering along with their consequent effects on the open‐circuit voltage, power conversion efficiency, and stability are a particular focus.     

Retention of functional characteristics of glutathione-S-transferase and lactate dehydrogenase-A in fusion protein

A paradigm shift toward fusion proteins to render multiple functionalities and applications on a single platform has been incurred in enzyme based diagnosis. Herein, we report development and systematic characterizations of glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and human lactate dehydrogenase A (hLDHA) in a fusion protein (GST–hLDHA) to achieve functional activities of GST and hLDHA simultaneously. The GST-pGEX-4T-2 vector system was used for cloning and purification of hLDHA, utilizing the affinity based interaction between GST and GSH in column chromatography. Bacterially purified protein was subjected to the Western blot analysis and structural analysis by circular dichroism spectroscopy, which revealed intact structural framework of the fusion construct. Kinetic characterization of the fusion GST–hLDHA protein toward GSH and NADH, suggested retention of functional activities of GST and hLDHA in fused protein as indicated by the kinetic parameters k_m and k_cat/k_m. Further analysis of effect of temperature and pH on GST–hLDHA activity revealed maximum activity around human physiological conditions (37°C and pH 8). Preservation of the structural and functional characteristics of the fusion enzyme paves the way for potential application for the detection of NADH and GSH in conjunction as biomarkers for cancer diagnosis.     

EDC3 phosphorylation regulates growth and invasion through controlling P‐body formation and dynamics

Regulation of mRNA stability and translation plays a critical role in determining protein abundance within cells. Processing bodies (P‐bodies) are critical regulators of these processes. Here, we report that the Pim1 and 3 protein kinases bind to the P‐body protein enhancer of mRNA decapping 3 (EDC3) and phosphorylate EDC3 on serine (S)161, thereby modifying P‐body assembly. EDC3 phosphorylation is highly elevated in many tumor types, is reduced upon treatment of cells with kinase inhibitors, and blocks the localization of EDC3 to P‐bodies. Prostate cancer cells harboring an EDC3 S161A mutation show markedly decreased growth, migration, and invasion in tissue culture and in xenograft models. Consistent with these phenotypic changes, the expression of integrin β1 and α6 mRNA and protein is reduced in these mutated cells. These results demonstrate that EDC3 phosphorylation regulates multiple cancer‐relevant functions and suggest that modulation of P‐body activity may represent a new paradigm for cancer treatment.     

A hierarchical laplacian TWSVM using similarity clustering for leaf classification

Cluster Computing - This article introduces a multi-class hierarchical algorithm for semi-supervised classification. The proposed algorithm incorporates the benefits of tree-based classification...     

No detectable upper limit of mineral-associated organic carbon in temperate agricultural soils

Soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration is a promising climate change mitigation option. In this context, the formation of the relatively long-lived mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) is key. To date, soils are considered to be limited in their ability to accumulate MAOC, mainly by the amount of clay and silt particles present. Using the comprehensive German Agricultural Soil Inventory, we selected 189 samples with a wide range of SOC (5–118 g kg⁻¹) and clay contents (30–770 g kg⁻¹) to test whether there is a detectable upper limit of MAOC content. We found that the proportion of MAOC was surprisingly stable for soils under cropland and grassland use across the whole range of bulk SOC contents. Soil texture influenced the slope of the relationship between bulk SOC and MAOC, but no upper limit was observed in any texture class. Also, C content in the fine fraction (g C kg⁻¹ fraction) was negatively correlated to fine fraction content (g kg⁻¹ bulk soil). Both findings challenge the notion that MAOC accumulation is limited by soil fine fraction content per se.     

Genetically encoded FRET-based optical sensor for Hg2+ detection and intracellular imaging in living cells

Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology - Due to the potential toxicity of mercury, there is an immediate need to understand its uptake, transport and flux within living cells....