1-Phenyl-1-[(1-phenyl­ethyl)sulfonyl­methyl­sulfon­yl]ethane

There are two mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit of the title compound, C17H20O4S2. There are slight differences in the twist of the two rings relative to the S–C–S chain [dihedral angles of 48.41 (18) and 87.58 (16)° in the first mol­ecule and 45.98 (18) and 87.02 (18)° in the second] and the difference in the C—S—C—S torsion angles [176.68 (17) and −77.6 (2)° for the two independent mol­ecules]

Revealing the molecular structure of single-molecule junctions in different conductance states by fishing-mode tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

The conductance of single-molecule junctions may be governed by the structure of the molecule in the gap or by the way it bonds with the leads, and the information contained in a Raman spectrum is ideal for examining both. Here we demonstrate that molecule-to-surface bonding may be characterized during electron transport by 'fishing-mode' tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (FM-TERS). This technique allows mutually verifiable single-molecule conductance and Raman signals with single-molecule contributions to be acquired simultaneously at room temperature. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the most significant spectral change seen for a gold-4,4′-bipyridine-gold junction results from the deformation of the pyridine ring in contact with the drain electrode at high voltage, and these calculations suggest that a stronger bonding interaction between the molecule and the drain may account for the nonlinear dependence of conductance on bias voltage. FM-TERS will lead to a better understanding of electron-transport processes in molecular junctions

Plastrum Testudinis Extracts Promote BMSC Proliferation and Osteogenic Differentiation by Regulating Let-7f-5p and the TNFR2/PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway

Background/Aims: Plastrum testudinis extracts (PTE) show osteoprotective effects on glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis in vivo and in vitro. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of PTE in promoting osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) is unclear. Methods: BMSC proliferation was investigated using the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. BMSC differentiation and osteogenic mineralization were assayed using alkaline phosphatase and Alizarin red staining, respectively. The mRNA expression levels of Let-7f-5p, Tnfr2, Traf2, Pi3k, Akt, β-catenin, Gsk3β, Runx2, and Ocn were measured using real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Protein levels of TNFR2, TRAF2, p-PI3K, p-AKT, p-β-CATENIN, and p-GSK3β were analyzed by western blotting. The functional relationship of Let-7f-5p and Tnfr2 was determined by luciferase reporter assays. Results: The optimum concentration for PTE was 30 μg/ml. PTE significantly promoted BMSC osteogenic differentiation and mineralization after 7 and 14 days in culture, respectively. The combination of PTE and osteogenic induction exhibited significant synergy. PTE upregulated Let-7f-5p, β-catenin, Runx2, and Ocn mRNA expression, and downregulated Tnfr2, Traf2, Pi3k, Akt, and Gsk3β mRNA expression. PTE inhibited TNFR2, TRAF2, and p-β-CATENIN protein expression, and promoted p-PI3K, p-AKT, and p-GSK3β protein expression. In addition, Tnfr2 was a functional target of Let-7f-5p in 293T cells. Conclusions: Our results suggested that PTE may promote BMSC proliferation and osteogenic differentiation via a mechanism associated with the regulation of Let-7f-5p and the TNFR2/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway

Fine-mapping of the HNF1B multicancer locus identifies candidate variants that mediate endometrial cancer risk.

Common variants in the hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 homeobox B (HNF1B) gene are associated with the risk of Type II diabetes and multiple cancers. Evidence to date indicates that cancer risk may be mediated via genetic or epigenetic effects on HNF1B gene expression. We previously found single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at the HNF1B locus to be associated with endometrial cancer, and now report extensive fine-mapping and in silico and laboratory analyses of this locus. Analysis of 1184 genotyped and imputed SNPs in 6608 Caucasian cases and 37 925 controls, and 895 Asian cases and 1968 controls, revealed the best signal of association for SNP rs11263763 (P = 8.4 × 10(-14), odds ratio = 0.86, 95% confidence interval = 0.82-0.89), located within HNF1B intron 1. Haplotype analysis and conditional analyses provide no evidence of further independent endometrial cancer risk variants at this locus. SNP rs11263763 genotype was associated with HNF1B mRNA expression but not with HNF1B methylation in endometrial tumor samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Genetic analyses prioritized rs11263763 and four other SNPs in high-to-moderate linkage disequilibrium as the most likely causal SNPs. Three of these SNPs map to the extended HNF1B promoter based on chromatin marks extending from the minimal promoter region. Reporter assays demonstrated that this extended region reduces activity in combination with the minimal HNF1B promoter, and that the minor alleles of rs11263763 or rs8064454 are associated with decreased HNF1B promoter activity. Our findings provide evidence for a single signal associated with endometrial cancer risk at the HNF1B locus, and that risk is likely mediated via altered HNF1B gene expression