Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hiroya Nishikawa, Fumito Araoka
Summary: A novel chiral nematic phase Np* with a polar helical order has been realized, which is characterized by a continuously twisted polarization and ultrafast electro-optic switching performance. The properties of Np* differ from conventional cholesteric phases and have been confirmed through transmission spectroscopy and measurements. This unique Np*LC structure suggests new potential applications for electrically interchangeable photonic bandgaps.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Danim Lim, Wonchul Lee, Jungwoo Hong, Jintaek Gong, Jonghoon Choi, Jaewook Kim, Seolhee Lim, Sung Hyun Yoo, Yunho Lee, Hee-Seung Lee
Summary: We introduce a novel cyclic β-amino acid, trans-(3S,4R)-4-aminotetrahydrothiophene-3-carboxylic acid (ATTC), as a versatile building block for designing peptide foldamers with controlled secondary structures. Our findings reveal that ATTC-containing foldamers can adopt 12-helical conformations similar to their isosteres and offer the possibility of fine-tuning their properties via post-synthetic modifications. In particular, chemoselective conjugation strategies demonstrate that ATTC provides unique post-synthetic modification opportunities, which expand their potential applications across diverse research areas.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Ma Su, Yifan Zhu, Wei Wang, Feng Liu, Huanqiu Li
Summary: γ-AApeptides, a new class of peptidomimetics based on peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) backbone, have advantages such as resistance to degradation, enhanced chemodiversity, good selectivity, and outstanding bioactivity, making them promising candidates for drug development and molecular probe applications. Their development has been driven by structure-based design, combinatorial library screening, and peptides selfassembly and folding, leading to applications in a variety of fields including antibiotic and antiviral agents, nanomaterials, and supramolecular structures.
CURRENT TOPICS IN MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Mihai Daniel Moraru, Iulian Patrascu, Anton A. Kiss, Costin Sorin Bildea
Summary: This article introduces a new class of control structures applicable to heterogeneous reactive distillation, which are based on monitoring reactant inventory to balance reaction stoichiometry. Case studies demonstrate that this control philosophy is simple and easy to implement, and its performance can be as good as the existing control structures for certain systems.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING AND PROCESSING-PROCESS INTENSIFICATION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Weijie Zhang, Ayman Nafady, Chuan Shan, Lukasz Wojtas, Yu-Sheng Chen, Qigan Cheng, X. Peter Zhang, Shengqian Ma
Summary: This study reported a novel metal-metalloporphyrin framework catalyst utilizing halogen bonding as a donor for catalyzing Diels-Alder reactions, showing high efficiency and uniqueness in facilitating organic transformations. Through experimental and computational studies, the substrate molecules were demonstrated to diffuse through the pores of the framework, establishing a host-guest system via the C-Br...pi interaction, which plays a key role in boosting catalytic efficiency. Furthermore, the unique capability of the metal-metalloporphyrin framework highlights new opportunities in using artificial non-covalent binding pockets as highly tunable and selective catalytic materials.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Songyi Xue, Lei Wang, Jianfeng Cai
Summary: Sulfono-gamma-AApeptides are a new class of foldamers with well-defined helical structure, capable of mimicking protein helical domains and disrupting biomedically relevant protein-protein interactions (PPIs). Two sulfono-gamma-AApeptides, V2 and V3, were designed based on the VEGF N-terminal helix alpha 1 known to interact with VEGFRs. V2 demonstrated pro-angiogenic effects, while V3 showed potent angiogenesis inhibition, potentially through selective binding to VEGFFN and VEGFR2, respectively. These findings suggest sulfono-gamma-AApeptides as lead molecules for potential therapeutic agents and molecular probes, offering an alternative paradigm to modulate a wide variety of PPIs.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Aimee J. Horsfall, Daniel P. McDougal, Denis B. Scanlon, John B. Bruning, Andrew D. Abell
Summary: The introduction of a bimane-containing linker into a peptide targeting Estrogen Receptor alpha was shown to stabilize alpha-helical geometry, with the constrained peptide adopting a 3(10)-helical structure in solution. The study also revealed that the bimane modification influences peptide structure in a sequence dependent manner, with fluorescence intensity of the bimane being influenced by peptide conformation.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marco Persico, Paola Galatello, Maria Grazia Ferraro, Carlo Irace, Marialuisa Piccolo, Avazbek Abduvakhidov, Oleh Tkachuk, Maria Luisa d'Aulisio Garigliota, Pietro Campiglia, Patrizia Iannece, Michela Varra, Anna Ramunno, Caterina Fattorusso
Summary: A series of tetrasubstituted pyrrole derivatives (TSPs) were synthesized based on a previous hypothesis and showed significant toxicity against human epithelial melanoma A375 cells. The most active compound, 10a, resulted as the most soluble among previous and present TSPs and exhibited apoptotic cell-death pathways activation. The molecular mechanism of action based on the ability of TSPs to mimic the hydrophobic side chains of protein motifs was suggested.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Maritess Arancillo, Jaru Taechalertpaisarn, Xiaowen Liang, Kevin Burgess
Summary: The research focused on developing small molecule probes using piptides, which are easily accessible and stable, resulting in the discovery of piptides that can disrupt protein-protein interaction targets successfully.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Xiao Shen, Zijun Yang, Sheng Chen, Guangli Yang, Liaolin Zhang, Wei Wei
Summary: In this study, a Nd3+-doped phosphate glass large mode area (LMA) fiber with heterogeneous helical claddings (HHC) was successfully fabricated for the first time, showing potential applications in solving nonlinear problems in high power fiber lasers. Experimental results indicate that the loss coefficient is related to the helix pitch and fiber core radius, while the net gain coefficient is positively correlated with the fiber core radius. The all-solid-state structure of HHC fiber makes it easy to fabricate and convenient for various purposes, showcasing its potential in the field of fiber lasers.
IEEE PHOTONICS JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Computer Science, Hardware & Architecture
Xiaoyi Pang, Zhibo Wang, Zeqing He, Peng Sun, Meng Luo, Ju Ren, Kui Ren
Summary: Heterogeneous Model Aggregation (HMA) is an effective approach to integrate on-device models with different architectures and target tasks. However, existing methods neglect the privacy risks caused by the disclosure of learned features and the class bias issue in the aggregated model. To address these problems, we propose a response-based class-balanced HMA mechanism (CBHMA) that preserves privacy and mitigates class bias.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON DEPENDABLE AND SECURE COMPUTING
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Baojian Zhang, Maomao Ren, Yang Xiong, Haonan Li, Yong Wu, Ying Fu, Dongting Zhangsun, Shuai Dong, Sulan Luo
Summary: Six analogs of alpha-Conotoxin TxIB were successfully synthesized with moderate isolated yields ranging from 55% to 65%, which is four times higher than traditional two-step oxidation with orthogonal protection on cysteines. The cysteine [2,4] modified analogs, with higher stability in human serum than native TxIB, showed significant inhibitory effect and selectivity on alpha 6/alpha 3 beta 2 beta 3 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Qingfang He, Guang Cheng, Huimin Ju
Summary: Breast cancer is the cancer with the highest incidence of malignant tumors in women. With the help of computer vision technology, an eight-class classification breast pathology diagnosis model BCDnet is designed to assist doctors in rapid and accurate diagnosis. The model uses deep convolutional neural network, model ensembleing, transfer learning, and feature fusion technology to achieve over 98% correct recognition rate in diagnosing breast pathological tissue images.
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Mingkai He, Weike Pan, Zhong Ming
Summary: This paper focuses on the sequential heterogeneous one-class collaborative filtering (SHOCCF) problem and proposes a generic solution called behavior-aware recommendation (BAR). BAR improves the performance of existing sequential recommendation methods in SHOCCF by providing behavior information. Empirical studies show that BAR significantly enhances the performance of sequential recommendation methods in SHOCCF.
INFORMATION SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Animesh Roy, Eric Koesema, Thomas Kodadek
Summary: A powerful quality control method has been developed to distinguish efficiently cyclizing scaffolds during solid-phase synthesis of thioether macrocycles without the need for tedious liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis. This method can also identify linear impurities in a DNA-encoded library of macrocycles and establish a useful quality control protocol for re-synthesis of putative macrocyclic screening hits.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Ty Christoff-Tempesta, Yukio Cho, Dae-Yoon Kim, Michela Geri, Guillaume Lamour, Andrew J. Lew, Xiaobing Zuo, William R. Lindemann, Julia H. Ortony
Summary: The study introduces a small-molecule platform called aramid amphiphile, which exhibits stability and can self-assemble in water to form nanoribbons with high strength and toughness. These nanoribbons can be further organized into dry threads that can support 200 times their weight, extending small-molecule self-assembly to macroscopic materials and enabling new possibilities for solid-state applications.
NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yaxian Zhou, Peng Teng, Nathan T. Montgomery, Xiaolei Li, Weiping Tang
Summary: Targeted protein degradation (TPD) technology has become a focus of attention for researchers due to its potential as a new therapeutic modality and selective removal of various protein targets. Specifically, LYsosome TArgeting Chimera (LYTAC) has emerged as a promising technology for degrading extracellular protein targets, using the cation-independent mannose-6-phosphate receptor (CI-M6PR) to deliver them to lysosomes. This study successfully utilized the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) expressed on liver cells, with the ligand triantennary N-acetylgalactosamine (tri-GalNAc), to target extracellular proteins for degradation, demonstrating cell type specificity in liver cell lines.
ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Aurelio J. Dregni, Harrison K. Wang, Haifan Wu, Pu Duan, Jia Jin, William F. DeGrado, Mei Hong
Summary: Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease are characterized by pathological beta-sheet filaments of the tau protein, which spread prion-like in patient brains. Research using solid-state NMR spectroscopy has identified a massive beta-sheet core in full-length tau fibrils, which differs from known tau fibril structures. The study suggests that the C-terminal domain of tau may play a role in protecting against the formation of pathological tau fibrils.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Peng Teng, Mengmeng Zheng, Darrell Cole Cerrato, Yan Shi, Mi Zhou, Songyi Xue, Wei Jiang, Lukasz Wojtas, Li-June Ming, Yong Hu, Jianfeng Cai
Summary: This study demonstrated the solid-state right-handed helical propensity of the 4(13)-helix of L-alpha/L-sulfono-gamma-AA peptides, even as short as 11-mer, using high-resolution X-ray single crystallography. The atomic level folding conformation of the foldamers was elucidated by 2D NMR and circular dichroism, showing that the helical handedness of this class of foldamer is controlled by the chirality of their chiral side chains.
COMMUNICATIONS CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Instruments & Instrumentation
Eli D. Kinigstein, Guy Jennings, Charles A. Kurtz, Anne Marie March, Xiaobing Zuo, Lin X. Chen, Klaus Attenkofer, Xiaoyi Zhang
Summary: The study introduces a novel data acquisition technique, XMP DAQ, which can generate time-resolved x-ray absorption spectra at thousands of different pump-probe time delays simultaneously. By deploying two distinct DAQ schemes, the research achieves high accuracy and efficiency in measuring absorption spectra data.
REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Pu Duan, Kelly J. Chen, Gayani Wijegunawardena, Aurelio J. Dregni, Harrison K. Wang, Haifan Wu, Mei Hong
Summary: This study investigates the binding sites of a PET ligand, flutemetamol, to the 40-residue Alzheimer's beta-amyloid peptide (A beta 40) using F-19 and C-13 solid-state NMR. The results show that flutemetamol binds tightly to half of the peptides in the A beta 40 fibril polymorph and loosely to the other half. The study also reveals that specific segments in the peptide form multiple binding sites, and the ligand orientations and positions at these sites are consistent across different A beta polymorphs. These findings provide insights into the structural basis for the specificity of different PET tracers to different amyloid proteins.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Linhai Jiang, Xiaobing Zuo, Jianping Li, Nathaniel J. Traaseth, Kent Kirshenbaum
Summary: Despite recent progress, it remains challenging to program biomacromolecules to assemble into discrete nanostructures with pre-determined sizes and topologies. Researchers have developed a novel strategy using two orthogonal pairs of heterodimeric coiled coils as building blocks to construct discrete supramolecular assemblies. These assemblies were characterized experimentally and showed good agreement with the designs, expanding the design paradigms for peptide-based discrete supramolecular assemblies and providing a route for de novo fabrication of functional protein materials.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhidan Zeng, Jianguo Wen, Hongbo Lou, Xin Zhang, Liuxiang Yang, Lijie Tan, Benyuan Cheng, Xiaobing Zuo, Wenge Yang, Wendy L. Mao, Ho-Kwang Mao, Qiaoshi Zeng
Summary: A process of synthesizing nanostructured diamond capsules (NDCs) capable of permanently preserving volatiles at high pressures is reported. The preserved pressure of the sample inside NDCs can be tuned by controlling synthesis pressure.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Francis Berthias, Hayden A. Thurman, Gayani Wijegunawardena, Haifan Wu, Alexandre A. Shvartsburg, Ole N. Jensen
Summary: Advances in proteomics have shown the ubiquity and biological importance of diverse proteoforms. The ability to separate and analyze intact isomeric proteoforms is crucial for understanding their functions. A novel technique using trapped IMS was demonstrated to achieve baseline resolution of isomeric proteoforms, opening new avenues in proteomics and epigenetics.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Xin Shu, Qing-Qing Liao, Shang-Tong Li, Lu Liu, Xiajun Zhang, Lianqi Zhou, Long Zhang, Irene Coin, Lei Wang, Haifan Wu, Bing Yang
Summary: Post-translational modification of proteins by Ubiquitin (Ub) and Ubiquitin-like proteins (Ubls) can be reversed by deconjugating enzymes. Developing cell-permeable Ub/Ubl probes for live cell applications is challenging. Here, genetically encoded cross-linkable Ub/Ubl probes were developed to investigate deconjugating enzyme activity in physiological environments.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Peng Teng, Haodong Shao, Bo Huang, Junqiu Xie, Sunliang Cui, Kairong Wang, Jianfeng Cai
Summary: This study summarizes the development of small molecular mimetics of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) over the past two decades. These mimetics have the advantage of selectively disrupting bacterial membranes, which can overcome bacterial resistance. They are anticipated to attract interest and investment in discovering new antibiotics, contributing to the revitalization of the golden age of antibiotics.
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gayani Wijegunawardena, Erika Castillo, Brandy Henrickson, Regan Davis, Carlo Condello, Haifan Wu
Summary: Mutations in the microglia-associated gene TREM2 increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Traditional methods for studying TREM2 rely on recombinant proteins, but achieving site-specific labeling is challenging. In this study, we synthesized the 116 amino acid TREM2 ectodomain chemically and demonstrated its functional effects on microglial cells. We also investigated the importance of glycosylation in TREM2's stability. This method allows for site-specific labeling of TREM2 and further advances our understanding of its role in Alzheimer's disease.
ACS CHEMICAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Krishna C. Suddala, Janghyun Yoo, Lixin Fan, Xiaobing Zuo, Yun-Xing Wang, Hoi Sung Chung, Jinwei Zhang
Summary: T-box riboswitch RNAs directly bind to specific tRNA and regulate the transcription or translation of downstream genes in bacteria. Using single-molecule FRET and ensemble biophysical analyses, here the authors uncover a Venus flytrap-like mechanism where tRNA binding to a T-box riboswitch mRNA triggers its rapid domain closure.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xiaolin Niu, Ruirui Sun, Zhifeng Chen, Yirong Yao, Xiaobing Zuo, Chunlai Chen, Xianyang Fang
Summary: The study reveals that the length of long-range pseudoknot in flaviviral xrRNA modulates the Mg2+-dependence and significantly impacts its folding, conformational dynamics, and Xrn1 resistance.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Pu Duan, Kelly J. Chen, Gayani Wijegunawardena, Aurelio J. Dregni, Harrison K. Wang, Haifan Wu, Mei Hong
Summary: PET imaging is an important method for diagnosing neurodegenerative disorders, with various PET tracers showing different binding capacities and specificities to target proteins. Through NMR studies, the details of flutemetamol binding to Aβ40 were investigated, revealing insights into the interaction and comparison with other amyloid proteins.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
