Self‐Assembled BiFeO3‐ε‐Fe2O3 Vertical Heteroepitaxy for Visible Light Photoelectrochemistry

Self‐assembled vertical heterostructure with a high interface‐to‐volume ratio offers tremendous opportunities to realize intriguing properties and advanced modulation of functionalities. Here, a heterostructure composed of two visible‐light photocatalysts, BiFeO₃ (BFO) and ε‐Fe₂O₃ (ε‐FO), is designed to investigate its photoelectrochemical performance. The structural characterization of the BFO‐FO heterostructures confirms the phase separation with BFO nanopillars embedded in the ε‐FO matrix. The investigation of band structure of the heterojunction suggests the assistance of photoexcited carrier separation, leading to an enhanced photoelectrochemical performance. The insights into the charge separation are further revealed by means of ultrafast dynamics and electrochemical impedance spectroscopies. This work shows a delicate design of the self‐assembled vertical heteroepitaxy by taking advantage of the intimate contact between two phases that can lead to a tunable charge interaction, providing a new configuration for the optimization of photoelectrochemical cell.     

Functional diversity of potassium channel voltage-sensing domains

Voltage-gated potassium channels or Kv's are membrane proteins with fundamental physiological roles. They are composed of 2 main functional protein domains, the pore domain, which regulates ion permeation, and the voltage-sensing domain, which is in charge of sensing voltage and undergoing a conformational change that is later transduced into pore opening. The voltage-sensing domain or VSD is a highly conserved structural motif found in all voltage-gated ion channels and can also exist as an independent feature, giving rise to voltage sensitive enzymes and also sustaining proton fluxes in proton-permeable channels. In spite of the structural conservation of VSDs in potassium channels, there are several differences in the details of VSD function found across variants of Kvs. These differences are mainly reflected in variations in the electrostatic energy needed to open different potassium channels. In turn, the differences in detailed VSD functioning among voltage-gated potassium channels might have physiological consequences that have not been explored and which might reflect evolutionary adaptations to the different roles played by Kv channels in cell physiology.     

Modulation of Cav3.2 T-type calcium channel permeability by asparagine-linked glycosylation

Low-voltage-gated T-type calcium channels are expressed throughout the nervous system where they play an essential role in shaping neuronal excitability. Defects in T-type channel expression have been linked to various neuronal disorders including neuropathic pain and epilepsy. Currently, little is known about the cellular mechanisms controlling the expression and function of T-type channels. Asparagine-linked glycosylation has recently emerged as an essential signaling pathway by which the cellular environment can control expression of T-type channels. However, the role of N-glycans in the conducting function of T-type channels remains elusive. In the present study, we used human Ca_v3.2 glycosylation-deficient channels to assess the role of N-glycosylation on the gating of the channel. Patch-clamp recordings of gating currents revealed that N-glycans attached to hCa_v3.2 channels have a minimal effect on the functioning of the channel voltage-sensor. In contrast, N-glycosylation on specific asparagine residues may have an essential role in the conducting function of the channel by enhancing the channel permeability and / or the pore opening of the channel. Our data suggest that modulation of N-linked glycosylation of hCa_v3.2 channels may play an important physiological role, and could also support the alteration of T-type currents observed in disease states.     

Determinants of frequency-dependent regulation of Kv1.2-containing potassium channels

Voltage-gated potassium channels are important regulators of electrical excitation in many tissues, with Kv1.2 standing out as an essential contributor in the CNS. Genetic deletion of Kv1.2 invariably leads to early lethality in mice. In humans, mutations affecting Kv1.2 function are linked to epileptic encephalopathy and movement disorders. We have demonstrated that Kv1.2 is subject to a unique regulatory mechanism in which repetitive stimulation leads to dramatic potentiation of current. In this study, we explore the properties and molecular determinants of this use-dependent potentiation/activation. First, we examine how alterations in duty cycle (depolarization and repolarization/recovery times) affect the onset and extent of use-dependent activation. Also, we use trains of repetitive depolarizations to test the effects of a variety of Thr252 (S2-S3 linker) mutations on use-dependent activation. Substitutions of Thr with some sterically similar amino acids (Ser, Val, and Met, but not Cys) retain use-dependent activation, while bulky or charged amino acid substitutions eliminate use-dependence. Introduction of Thr at the equivalent position in other Kv1 channels (1.1, 1.3, 1.4), was not sufficient to transfer the phenotype. We hypothesize that use-dependent activation of Kv1.2 channels is mediated by an extrinsic regulator that binds preferentially to the channel closed state, with Thr252 being necessary but not sufficient for this interaction to alter channel function. These findings extend the conclusions of our recent demonstration of use-dependent activation of Kv1.2-containing channels in hippocampal neurons, by adding new details about the molecular mechanism underlying this effect.     

Computational tool for the early screening of monoclonal antibodies for their viscosities

Highly concentrated antibody solutions often exhibit high viscosities, which present a number of challenges for antibody-drug development, manufacturing and administration. The antibody sequence is a key determinant for high viscosity of highly concentrated solutions; therefore, a sequence- or structure-based tool that can identify highly viscous antibodies from their sequence would be effective in ensuring that only antibodies with low viscosity progress to the development phase. Here, we present a spatial charge map (SCM) tool that can accurately identify highly viscous antibodies from their sequence alone (using homology modeling to determine the 3-dimensional structures). The SCM tool has been extensively validated at 3 different organizations, and has proved successful in correctly identifying highly viscous antibodies. As a quantitative tool, SCM is amenable to high-throughput automated analysis, and can be effectively implemented during the antibody screening or engineering phase for the selection of low-viscosity antibodies.     

Tunable emission,energy transfer and charge compensation in SrMoO4:Sm3+,Tb3+,Na+ phosphor

A series of SrMoO₄:Sm³⁺,Tb³⁺,Na⁺ phosphors was synthesized using a high‐temperature solid‐state reaction method in air. On excitation at 290 nm, SrMoO₄:Sm³⁺,Tb³⁺ phosphor emitted light that varied systematically from green to reddish‐orange on changing the Sm³⁺ and Tb³⁺ ion concentrations. The emission intensities of SrMoO₄:Sm³⁺ and SrMoO₄:Sm³⁺,Tb³⁺ phosphors were increased two to four times due to charge compensation when Na⁺ was added as a charge compensator. The luminescence mechanism and energy transfer could be explained using energy‐level diagrams of the MoO₄^2– group, Sm³⁺ and Tb³⁺ ions. SrMoO₄:Sm³⁺,Tb³⁺,Na⁺ could be used as reddish‐orange phosphor in white light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) based on an ~ 405 nm near‐UV LED chip. This research is helpful in adjusting and improving the luminescence properties of other phosphors. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Three pairs of weak interactions precisely regulate the G‐loop gate of Kir2.1 channel

Kir2.1 (also known as IRK1) plays key roles in regulation of resting membrane potential and cell excitability. To achieve its physiological roles, Kir2.1 performs a series of conformational transition, named as gating. However, the structural basis of gating is still obscure. Here, we combined site‐directed mutation, two‐electrode voltage clamp with molecular dynamics simulations and determined that H221 regulates the gating process of Kir2.1 by involving a weak interaction network. Our data show that the H221R mutant accelerates the rundown kinetics and decelerates the reactivation kinetics of Kir2.1. Compared with the WT channel, the H221R mutation strengthens the interaction between the CD‐ and G‐loops (E303‐R221) which stabilizes the close state of the G‐loop gate and weakens the interactions between C‐linker and CD‐loop (R221‐R189) and the adjacent G‐loops (E303‐R312) which destabilizes the open state of G‐loop gate. Our data indicate that the three pairs of interactions (E303‐H221, H221‐R189 and E303‐R312) precisely regulate the G‐loop gate by controlling the conformation of G‐loop. Proteins 2016; 84:1929–1937. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Probing the effect of nitro groups in nitramine based energetic molecules: a DFT and charge density study

The structure, electron density distribution, energetic and electrostatic properties of simple nitramine based energetic TMA, DMNA, MDA and TNA molecules were determined using density functional theory (B3LYP) with the 6-311G^** and aug-cc-pVDZ basis sets coupled with Bader's theory of atoms in molecules. In the NO₂ group substituted molecules, the N–N bond distance increases with the increase of NO₂ groups, whereas in C–N bonds, this effect is relatively less, and the distances are almost equal. The topological analysis of electron density reveals that the electron density ρ_bcp(r) of C–N and N–N bonds are significantly decreasing with the increase of NO₂ groups in the nitramine molecules. The Laplacian of electron density ▽²ρ_bcp(r) of N–NO₂ bonds [DMNA: ? 16.7 eÅ^? 5, MDA: ? 12.8 eÅ^? 5 and TNA: ? 7.9 eÅ^? 5] of the molecules are relatively less negative, and the values also decrease with the increase of NO₂ groups; this implies that the charge concentration decreases with the increase of NO₂ groups, which leads to weakening the N–N bonds of the molecules. The isosurface of molecular electrostatic potential displays high electronegative regions around the NO₂ groups. The oxygen balance OB₁₀₀ of the molecules increases as the number of NO₂ group increases in the molecules, in which, the TNA molecule having maximum OB₁₀₀ value [+7.89]. The band gap, heat of detonation, bond dissociation energy and charge imbalance are predominantly depends on the number of NO₂ group present in the molecule. The charge imbalance parameter (ν) has been calculated for all molecules, which reveals that TNA is a highly sensitive molecule, the corresponding ν value is 0.047.