Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Joanna Czescik, Susanna Zamolo, Tamis Darbre, Riccardo Rigo, Claudia Sissi, Adam Pecina, Laura Riccardi, Marco De Vivo, Fabrizio Mancin, Paolo Scrimin
Summary: Gold nanoparticles can efficiently catalyze chemical reactions as nanozymes, exhibiting the highest efficiency in cleaving plasmid DNA. By successfully mimicking the suggested structure of natural metallonucleases, this study provides important insights into the catalytic mechanism.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Karthik Murugan, Shravanti K. Suresh, Arun S. Seetharam, Andrew J. Severin, Dipali G. Sashital
Summary: Cas9 variants differ in their cleavage rates and ability to create double-strand breaks at targets with multiple mismatches, which may contribute to the variations in specificities observed in genome editing studies.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Sandeep Kumar, Zhan-Bin Liu, Nathalie Sanyour-Doyel, Brian Lenderts, Andrew Worden, Ajith Anand, Hyeon-Je Cho, Joy Bolar, Charlotte Harris, Lingxia Huang, Aiqiu Xing, Alexandra Richardson
Summary: This study reports a selectable marker-free gene targeting system in soybean, which is fast, efficient, reproducible, and capable of generating nonchimeric plants with heritable gene targeting. This system is of great significance in soybean precision breeding.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Reto Eggenschwiler, Thomas Gschwendtberger, Christian Felski, Christopher Jahn, Florian Langer, Jared Sterneckert, Andreas Hermann, Jonathan Luehmann, Doris Steinemann, Alexandra Haase, Ulrich Martin, Susanne Petri, Tobias Cantz
Summary: CRISPR prime-editors are novel tools for genome editing, offering a versatile alternative to existing approaches. Proper expression levels and optimized transfection protocols are crucial for editing efficiency. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of piggyBac prime-editing in hiPSCs, showing over 50% editing efficiency and the ability to estimate pegRNA effectiveness quickly. Overall, the study presents a robust prime-editing toolbox for efficient genome editing in various cell lines.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Jac A. Nickoloff, Neelam Sharma, Lynn Taylor, Sage J. Allen, Robert Hromas
Summary: Cells need to accurately replicate and segregate DNA to prevent cancer, but replication forks can encounter obstacles leading to replication stress. Cells respond by activating DNA damage response pathways to delay cell cycle progression, stimulate repair and replication fork restart, or induce apoptosis. Resection of single-ended double-strand breaks (seDSBs) and accurate fork restart by homologous recombination are crucial in maintaining genome stability.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Zhiquan Liu, Siyu Chen, Wanhua Xie, Yuning Song, Jinze Li, Liangxue Lai, Zhanjun Li
Summary: This study demonstrates the potential of compact CRISPR-Cas9 systems for gene therapy. The researchers optimized and expanded the targeting scope of a small Cas9 ortholog called SpaCas9, which showed efficient genome editing in vivo. They also engineered SpaCas9 variants to further expand the capabilities of compact Cas9 systems. The results showed that SpaCas9 has distinct protospacer adjacent motifs (PAMs) and a small size, making it a valuable tool for gene modifications and therapeutic applications.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zsolt Bodai, Alena L. Bishop, Valentino M. Gantz, Alexis C. Komor
Summary: Programmable double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs) can be harnessed for precision genome editing through manipulation of the homology-directed repair (HDR) pathway. This study introduces a general strategy called the double tap method, which improves HDR-mediated precision editing efficiency by taking advantage of the reproducible nature of indel sequences. The method utilizes multiple gRNAs, including a primary gRNA that targets the wild-type genomic sequence and one or more secondary gRNAs that target the most common indel sequence(s).
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
So Young Bak, Youngri Jung, Jinho Park, Keewon Sung, Hyeon-Ki Jang, Sangsu Bae, Seong Keun Kim
Summary: This study utilized single-molecule FRET assay to investigate the dynamics of DNA:RNA heteroduplexation for various engineered Cas9 variants, revealing a strong correlation between their conformational structure and nuclease activity. Quantitative analysis showed that these engineered Cas9 variants exhibit a more rapid decrease in cleavage-competent state with increasing base-pair mismatch, leading to enhanced target specificity. The critical specificity enhancement step was found to be activated during DNA:RNA heteroduplexation for some variants, highlighting the importance of conformational dynamics in Cas9 target specificity.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Caroline P. P. Shepard, Raymond G. G. Emehiser, Saswata Karmakar, Patrick J. J. Hrdlicka
Summary: The development of chemically modified oligonucleotides that can recognize complementary chromosomal DNA regions without sequence restrictions has long been a goal for scientists. In this study, Invader probes modified with intercalator-functionalized nucleotides were found to efficiently recognize chromosomal DNA targets with excellent binding specificity. The insights gained from this study will facilitate the design of efficient Invader probes for applications in the life sciences.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Young-hoon Kim, Nahye Kim, Ikenna Okafor, Sungchul Choi, Seonwoo Min, Joonsun Lee, Seung-Min Bae, Keunwoo Choi, Janice Choi, Vinayak Harihar, Youngho Kim, Jin-Soo Kim, Benjamin P. Kleinstiver, Jungjoon K. Lee, Taekjip Ha, Hyongbum Henry Kim
Summary: Researchers have developed an improved version of Sniper-Cas9, called Sniper2L, which combines high specificity with retained high activity for efficient and specific genome editing at a large number of target sequences.
NATURE CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Shuvankar Naskar, Jens Mueller
Summary: Metal-mediated base pairs allow for the site-specific incorporation of transition metal ions into nucleic acid structures, creating nucleic acid-metal complexes with metal-based functionality. The design of nucleic acids with externally triggered metal-binding affinity, such as copper(II) ions upon light irradiation, can lead to the regulation of functionality in nucleic acids.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Zhengjing Zhang, Wenjie Zeng, Wenxin Zhang, Jing Li, Dali Kong, Lei Zhang, Rui Wang, Fangnan Peng, Zhe Kong, Yongping Ke, Heng Zhang, Chanhong Kim, Huiming Zhang, Jose Ramon Botella, Jian-Kang Zhu, Daisuke Miki
Summary: The study established a CRISPR/Cas9-mediated technique for heritable gene targeting in Arabidopsis, achieving precise GT using the sequential transformation method and obtaining vector-free GT plants. The research sheds light on the molecular mechanisms of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated GT in Arabidopsis and provides a broadly applicable technology for precise genome manipulation.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
A. Sakthivel, B. Thangagiri, N. Raman, J. Joseph, Ramu Guda, Mamatha Kasula, L. Mitu
Summary: Novel macrocyclic Schiff base complexes with different metal ions have been synthesized and characterized, showing promising antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer activities. The interaction of the complexes with DNA through the macrocyclic ligand and the inhibitory effects on target proteins such as EGFR and HER2 have been investigated and demonstrated.
JOURNAL OF BIOMOLECULAR STRUCTURE & DYNAMICS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Peter Istvan Kulcsar, Andras Talas, Zoltan Ligeti, Sarah Laura Krausz, Ervin Welker
Summary: The study characterizes the on-target activity and off-target propensity of SuperFi-Cas9 in mammalian cells, revealing significantly reduced activity but high fidelity features.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Review
Biochemical Research Methods
Jack P. K. Bravo, Grace N. Hibshman, David W. Taylor
Summary: This article outlines the recent advancements in CRISPR-Cas9 system and its applications, focusing on the rational redesign of Cas9 variants based on the mechanistic understanding and the potential of multisubunit CRISPR effector complexes in genome editing.
CURRENT OPINION IN BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Vaibhav Bedi, Dipendu Mandal, Zahid Hussain, Shi-Ming Chen, Yile Wu, Zheng-Wang Qu, Stefan Grimme, Douglas W. Stephan
Summary: The reaction of (tBuO(2)CN)(2) with 9-BBN leads to the formation of a bicyclic heterocyclic compound, while its reactions with BF3 or [Et3Si][B(C6F5)(4)] result in the isolation of different compounds. Computational studies reveal that the steric and electronic properties of the Lewis acid are important in the formation of one of the compounds.
DALTON TRANSACTIONS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Chisa Itoh, Haruka Yoshino, Taku Kitayama, Wataru Kosaka, Hitoshi Miyasaka
Summary: A new synthetic route for constructing functional paddlewheel diruthenium(II,II) complexes was developed, utilizing Schiff base condensation reactions. The attached Schiff base groups significantly affected the electronic states of the resulting complexes, as revealed by cyclic voltammetry and DFT calculations.
DALTON TRANSACTIONS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Danrui Ni, Haozhe Wang, Xianghan Xu, Weiwei Xie, Robert J. Cava
Summary: A layered rhombohedral polymorph of indium(iii) triiodide is synthesized at high pressure and temperature. It has an orange color, which is different from ambient pressure InI3, which has a monoclinic molecular structure and a light-yellow color.
DALTON TRANSACTIONS
(2024)
Review
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Juan Carlos Perez-Sanchez, Raquel P. Herrera, M. Concepcion Gimeno
Summary: Gold(II) complexes have been less utilized in catalysis compared to their gold(I) and gold(III) counterparts. However, gold(II) complexes offer potential in homo-coupling and cross-coupling reactions, as they are more easily accessible through simplified oxidation and reduction processes. Gold(II) exhibits characteristics of both soft acid gold(I) and hard acid gold(III). This review explores the unique reactivity and potential applications of gold(II) species, highlighting their significance in catalytic transformations.
DALTON TRANSACTIONS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Nighat Yousuf, Yanping Ma, Qaiser Mahmood, Wenjuan Zhang, Yizhou Wang, Hassan Saeed, Wen-Hua Sun
Summary: In this study, a series of structurally rigid cyclooctyl-fused iminopyridine iron complexes were synthesized and used with methylaluminoxane for isoprene polymerization. The extent of steric hindrance of the ligand framework was found to significantly affect catalytic performance, with less hindrance leading to better activity and stability.
DALTON TRANSACTIONS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Chenghao Song, Huiwei Du, Menglei Xu, Jie Yang, Xinyu Zhang, Jungan Wang, Yuanfang Zhang, Chengjun Gu, Rui Li, Tao Hong, Jingji Zhang, Jiangying Wang, Yongchun Ye
Summary: This study improves the performance of perovskite solar cells by using a dual-hole transport layer strategy. This strategy enhances the charge transfer efficiency of the transport layer, reduces charge recombination, and improves the quality of the perovskite film layer. Ultimately, the stability of the device is enhanced.
DALTON TRANSACTIONS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Mahender Singh, Aakash Yadav, Ranjit Singh, Chullikkattil P. Pradeep
Summary: A new aryl selenonium polyoxometalate hybrid was developed and compared with an aryl sulfonium polyoxometalate hybrid in terms of their photocatalytic properties. It was found that the aryl selenonium hybrid exhibited better catalytic performance, which could be attributed to the larger atomic radii of selenium stabilizing the photogenerated electron-hole pair more efficiently. Additionally, the generation of elemental selenium through cleavage of C-Se bonds during catalysis was observed.
DALTON TRANSACTIONS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Yuhan Xie, Boyu Dong, Xuemin Wang, Siyuan Wang, Jinxi Chen, Yongbing Lou
Summary: This study successfully fabricated visible-light-responsive three-dimensional core-shell CoSe2/ZnIn2S4 heterostructures and achieved attractive activity in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. The presence of CoSe2 improved light absorption and accelerated charge transfer kinetics. The strong interaction between CoSe2 and ZnIn2S4 reduced charge recombination, further enhancing photocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution.
DALTON TRANSACTIONS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Andre L. de O. Batista, Joao Marcos T. Palheta, Mauricio J. Piotrowski, Celso R. C. Rego, Diego Guedes-Sobrinho, Alexandre C. Dias
Summary: This study presents a simulation protocol that provides a solid foundation for exploring two-dimensional materials. Using the TiBr2 2H monolayer as an example, the study reveals its promising properties for optoelectronic and valleytronic applications, including its stability, spin-orbit coupling effects, and optical helicity selection rule.
DALTON TRANSACTIONS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Jiang Jiang, Zi-Wei Li, Zhi-Zhuan Zhang, Bin Tan, Zhao-Feng Wu, Xiao-Ying Huang
Summary: In this work, two metal organic frameworks (MOFs) containing {Cu2I2} clusters, Eu-CuI-INA and Sr-K-CuI-INA, were synthesized and characterized. Both materials have a three-dimensional structure with {Cu2I2} clusters coordinated by INA(-) ligands and Eu3+ or Sr2+ ions. The Sr-K-CuI-INA material exhibited sensitive fluorescence sensing behaviors towards cysteine and nitro-bearing molecules, showing potential applications in bio and explosive molecule sensing. This work provides a good reference for designing fluorescent MOF probes containing CuI molecules.
DALTON TRANSACTIONS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Zhiya Lin, Jiasheng Wu, Qianwen Ye, Yulong Chen, Hai Jia, Xiaohui Huang, Shaoming Ying
Summary: Na-ion batteries (NIBs) have attracted great interest as a potential technology for grid-scale energy storage due to the wide distribution, low cost, and environmental friendliness of sodium resources. However, their implementation is hindered by low rate capability and cycling stability caused by the large ionic size of Na+. In this study, a three-dimensional nanoarchitectured coral-like CoSe2@N-doped carbon (CL-CoSe2@NC) was synthesized, and it exhibited improved sodium storage properties with better electrode kinetics and a stable SEI film.
DALTON TRANSACTIONS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Ya-Qiong Zhang, Yu Zhang, Guoping Zeng, Rong-Zhen Liao, Man Li
Summary: The mechanism and selectivity of CO2 reduction under visible light were investigated using density functional calculations. The results showed that a tetradentate PNNP-type Iridium(III) complex exhibited high activity and selectivity in the reaction.
DALTON TRANSACTIONS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Sanyukta Ghosh, Shubhanth Jain, Soumya Ranjan Mishra, Gerda Rogl, Peter Rogl, Ernst Bauer, B. S. Murty, A. Govindaraj, Ramesh Chandra Mallik
Summary: In this study, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was uniformly dispersed in the In0.5Co4Sb12 bulk material by ultrasonication, which effectively reduced the lattice thermal conductivity and improved the thermoelectric efficiency.
DALTON TRANSACTIONS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Mika Takeuchi, Yutaka Amao
Summary: This study developed an effective visible-light driven system for fumaric acid production using renewable resources such as biomass derivatives, providing an alternative to the current petroleum-based synthesis methods.
DALTON TRANSACTIONS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Juan Jian, Meiting Wang, Zhuo Wang, Jingwen Meng, Yuqin Yang, Limin Chang
Summary: Developing low-cost and self-supported bifunctional catalysts is crucial for highly efficient water splitting devices. In this study, nano-NiFe2O4 was directly grown onto iron foil surface and Sn4+ was introduced into the NiFe2O4. The resulting Sn-NiFe2O4/IF showed low overpotentials and high current densities during oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), making it a promising catalyst for large-scale hydrogen production.
DALTON TRANSACTIONS
(2024)