Characterization of a Novel, Cold-Adapted, and Thermostable Laccase-Like Enzyme With High Tolerance for Organic Solvents and Salt and Potent Dye Decolorization Ability, Derived From a Marine Metagenomic Library

Synthetic dyes are widely used in many industries, but they cause serious environmental problems due to their carcinogenic and mutagenic properties. In contrast to traditional physical and chemical treatments, biodegradation is generally considered an environmental-friendly, efficient, and inexpensive way to eliminate dye contaminants. Here, a novel laccase-like enzyme Lac1326 was cloned from a marine metagenomic library. It showed a maximum activity at 60°C, and it retained more than 40% of its maximal activity at 10°C and more than 50% at 20–70°C. Interestingly, the laccase behaved stably below 50°C, even in commonly used water-miscible organic solvents. The enzyme decolorized all tested dyes with high decolorization efficiency. This thermostable enzyme with high decolorization activity and excellent tolerance of organic solvents and salt has remarkable potential for bioremediation of dye wastewater. It is thus proposed as an industrial enzyme

The surface structure and hydrophobic recovery of poly-dimethylsioxane insulator after ar plasma treatment

The effect of small molecules in poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) on the hydrophobic recovery has been studied. Soxhlet extraction was employed to remove the small molecules. The original and extracted samples were probed by positron annihilation and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results confirmed that the surface of unmodified PDMS is covered by the small molecules. PDMSwith varying octamethylsiloxane (D4) content was modified by argon plasma. The variation of contact angle with the ageing time for different samples was studied by contact angle measurement. As a result it was shown that all the samples can recover to the original hydrophobic surface state after sufficient ageing time. Samples with higher D4 content exhibit a faster hydrophobic recovery. For the sample extracted first and then plasma modified, the hydrophobic recovery rate is very low, and such samples did not return to the untreated hydrophobic state. 1

Cuproptosis-related genes signature and validation of differential expression and the potential targeting drugs in temporal lobe epilepsy

Introduction: Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most common subtype of epilepsy in adults and is characterized by neuronal loss, gliosis, and sprouting mossy fibers in the hippocampus. But the mechanism underlying neuronal loss has not been fully elucidated. A new programmed cell death, cuproptosis, has recently been discovered; however, its role in TLE is not clear.Methods: We first investigated the copper ion concentration in the hippocampus tissue. Then, using the Sample dataset and E-MTAB-3123 dataset, we analyzed the features of 12 cuproptosis-related genes in TLEs and controls using the bioinformatics tools. Then, the expression of the key cuproptosis genes were confirmed using real-time PCR and immunohistochemical staining (IHC). Finally, the Enrichr database was used to screen the small molecules and drugs targeting key cuproptosis genes in TLE.Results: The Sample dataset displayed four differentially expressed cuproptosis-related genes (DECRGs; LIPT1, GLS, PDHA1, and CDKN2A) while the E-MTAB-3123 dataset revealed seven DECRGs (LIPT1, DLD, FDX1, GLS, PDHB, PDHA1, and DLAT). Remarkably, only LIPT1 was uniformly upregulated in both datasets. Additionally, these DECRGs are implicated in the TCA cycle and pyruvate metabolism—both crucial for cell cuproptosis—as well as various immune cell infiltrations, especially macrophages and T cells, in the TLE hippocampus. Interestingly, DECRGs were linked to most infiltrating immune cells during TLE’s acute phase, but this association considerably weakened in the latent phase. In the chronic phase, DECRGs were connected with several T-cell subclasses. Moreover, LIPT1, FDX1, DLD, and PDHB were related to TLE identification. PCR and IHC further confirmed LIPT1 and FDX1’s upregulation in TLE compared to controls. Finally, using the Enrichr database, we found that chlorzoxazone and piperlongumine inhibited cell cuproptosis by targeting LIPT1, FDX1, DLD, and PDHB.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that cuproptosis is directly related to TLE. The signature of cuproptosis-related genes presents new clues for exploring the roles of neuronal death in TLE. Furthermore, LIPT1 and FDX1 appear as potential targets of neuronal cuproptosis for controlling TLE’s seizures and progression

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

MiR-23a Functions as a Tumor Suppressor in Osteosarcoma

Background: Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone malignancy in children and adolescents, and the pathogenesis of this cancer remains unclear. Therefore, the discovery of new biomarkers for the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of osteosarcoma remains an important but unmet clinical need. Method: Quantitative real-time PCR was carried out to examine the expression of miR-23a. Methylation-specific PCR was performed to evaluate the DNA methylation status of the miR-23a promoter. Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were examined by cell counting assays, wound healing assays, and cell invasion assays, respectively. Western blot analysis and luciferase reporter assays were performed to identify miR-23 target genes. Nude mice were used to investigate the function of miR-23a in vivo. Results: The expression of miR-23a was decreased in osteosarcoma cells and tissues compared to normal controls. The promoter region of the miR-23a gene was hypermethylated in osteosarcoma cells, and demethylase treatment increased the expression of miR-23a. The ectopic expression of miR-23a led to retarded proliferation, migration, and invasion of osteosarcoma cells, whereas the depletion of miR-23a resulted in the opposite effects. MiR-23a suppressed the transcription of RUNX2 and CXCL12 by binding to the 3' UTRs of these mRNAs. The cellular function of miR-23a is RUNX2/CXCL12-dependent, and the overexpression of RUNX2 or CXCL12 rescued the impaired cell growth, migration, and invasion induced by miR-23a. Nude mouse experiments indicated that miR-23a may inhibit the proliferation of osteosarcoma cells in vivo. Conclusion: We identified miR-23a as a tumor suppressor in osteosarcoma. Our data clarify the mechanism of osteosarcoma progression and demonstrated the potential for exploiting miR-23a as a diagnostic marker for osteosarcoma