High‐Temperature Shock Enabled Nanomanufacturing for Energy‐Related Applications

Functional nanomaterials are playing a crucial role in the emerging field of energy‐related devices. Recently, as a novel synthesis method, high‐temperature shock (HTS), which is rapid, low cost, eco‐friendly, universal, scalable, and controllable, has provided a promising option for the rational design and synthesis of various high‐quality nanomaterials. In this report, the HTS technique, including the equipment setup and operating principle, is systematically introduced, and recent progress in the synthesis of nanomaterials for energy storage and conversion applications using this HTS method is summarized. The growth mechanisms of nanoparticles and carbonaceous nanomaterials are thoroughly discussed, followed by the summary of the characteristic advantages of the HTS strategy. A series of nanomaterials prepared by the HTS method, including carbon‐based films, metal nanoparticles and compound nanoparticles, show high performance in the diverse applications of storage energy batteries, highly active catalysts, and smart energy devices. Finally, the future perspectives and directions of HTS in nanomanufacturing for broader applications are presented.     

Autophagy regulates apoptosis by targeting NOXA for degradation

Apoptosis and autophagy mutually regulate various cellular physiological and pathological processes. The crosstalk between autophagy and apoptosis is multifaceted and complicated. Elucidating the molecular mechanism of their crosstalk will advance the therapeutic applications of autophagy for treating cancer and other diseases. NOXA, a BH3-only member of the BCL-2 family, was reported to induce apoptosis and promote autophagy. Here, we report that autophagy regulates apoptosis by targeting NOXA for degradation. Inhibiting autophagy increases NOXA protein levels by extending the protein half-life. NOXA accumulation effectively suppresses tumor cell growth by inducing apoptosis, which is further enhanced when p53 is present. Mechanistically, NOXA is hijacked by p62 as autophagic cargo, and its three lysine residues at the C-terminus are necessary for NOXA degradation in lysosomes. Taken together, our study demonstrates that NOXA serves as a bridge in the crosstalk between autophagy and apoptosis and implies that autophagy inhibitors could be an effective therapy for cancer, especially wild-type p53-containing cancer.     

Specific interactions between adenosine and streptavidin/avidin

The screening of ligands against proteins plays important role in drug discovery and biological research. Using a dye labelled Streptavidin binding aptamer (SBA) as a competitive reporter probe, we found that adenosine bound to streptavidin specifically. Fluorescence spectral analysis showed that adenosine bound to both avidin and streptavidin with the K_ds in the range of 0.1–0.2 mM, and these bindings can be blocked by biotin. Although streptavidin and avidin are well-known and widely used in bioanalysis, their biological role is still a riddle so far. Since adenosine is a ubiquitous physiological regulator present in cells, our finding provides new clues for the understanding of the functions of both proteins.     

百年来直接与昆虫学有关的诺贝尔奖得主

本文介绍了 1 0名直接与昆虫学有关的诺贝尔奖得主的事迹 ,并简要讨论了百年诺贝尔奖历史带给人们的启示     

Mutations at the S1 sites of methionine aminopeptidases from Escherichia coli and Homo sapiens reveal the residues critical for substrate specificity

Methionine aminopeptidase (MetAP) catalyzes the removal of methionine from newly synthesized polypeptides. MetAP carries out this cleavage with high precision, and Met is the only natural amino acid residue at the N terminus that is accepted, although type I and type II MetAPs use two different sets of residues to form the hydrophobic S1 site. Characteristics of the S1 binding pocket in type I MetAP were investigated by systematic mutation of each of the seven S1 residues in Escherichia coli MetAP type I (EcMetAP1) and human MetAP type I (HsMetAP1). We found that Tyr-65 and Trp-221 in EcMetAP1, as well as the corresponding residues Phe-197 and Trp-352 in HsMetAP1, were essential for the hydrolysis of a thiopeptolide substrate, Met-S-Gly-Phe. Mutation of Phe-191 to Ala in HsMetAP1 caused inactivity in contrast to the full activity of EcMetAP1(Y62A), which may suggest a subtle difference between the two type I enzymes. The more striking finding is that mutation of Cys-70 in EcMetAP1 or Cys-202 in HsMetAP1 opens up the S1 pocket. The thiopeptolides Leu-S-Gly-Phe and Phe-S-Gly-Phe, with previously unacceptable Leu or Phe as the N-terminal residue, became efficient substrates of EcMetAP1(C70A) and HsMetAP1(C202A). The relaxed specificity shown in these S1 site mutants for the N-terminal residues was confirmed by hydrolysis of peptide substrates and inhibition by reaction products. The structural features at the enzyme active site will be useful information for designing specific MetAP inhibitors for therapeutic applications.     

Glycogen synthase kinase-3beta regulates growth, calcium homeostasis, and diastolic function in the heart

Glycogen synthase kinase (GSK) 3beta is a negative regulator of stress-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. It is not clear, however, if GSK-3beta plays any role in regulating normal cardiac growth and cardiac function. Herein we report that a transgenic mouse expressing wild type GSK-3beta in the heart has a dramatic impairment of normal post-natal cardiomyocyte growth as well as markedly abnormal cardiac contractile function. The most striking phenotype, however, is grossly impaired diastolic relaxation, which leads to increased filling pressures of the left ventricle and massive atrial enlargement. This is due to profoundly abnormal calcium handling, leading to an inability to normalize cytosolic [Ca2+] in diastole. The alterations in calcium handling are due at least in part to direct down-regulation of the sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA2a) by GSK-3beta, acting at the level of the SERCA2 promoter. These studies identify GSK-3beta as a regulator of normal growth of the heart and are the first of which we are aware, to demonstrate regulation of expression of SERCA2a, a critical determinant of diastolic function, by a cytosolic signaling pathway, the activity of which is dynamically modulated. De-regulation of GSK-3beta leads to severe systolic and diastolic dysfunction and progressive heart failure. Because down-regulation of SERCA2a plays a central role in the diastolic and systolic dysfunction of patients with heart failure, these findings have potential implications for the therapy of this disorder.