47 research outputs found
Insights on the photocatalytic degradation processes supported by TiO2/WO3 systems. The case of ethanol and tetracycline
Hydrogen Bonding, π-Stacking, and Aurophilic Interactions in Two Dicyanoaurate(I)-Based Manganese(II) Complexes with Auxiliary Bis-Pyridine Ligands
Inorganic noncentrosymmetric building block for the construction of new NLO materials: a new perspective
Upstream stimulatory factors are involved in the P1 promoter directed transcription of the AbetaH-J-J locus
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Alternative splicing of the locus AβH-J-J generates functionally distinct proteins: the enzyme aspartyl (asparaginyl) β-hydroxylase (AAH), truncated homologs of AAH with a role in calcium homeostasis humbug and junctate and a structural protein of the sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes junctin. AAH and humbug are over expressed in a broad range of malignant neoplasms. We have previously reported that this locus contains two promoters, P1 and P2. While AAH and humbug are expressed in most tissues under the regulation of the P1 promoter, AAH, junctin and junctate are predominantly expressed in excitable tissues under the control of the P2 promoter. We previously demonstrated that Sp transcription factors positively regulate the P1 promoter.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In the present study, we extended the functional characterization of the P1 promoter of the AβH-J-J locus. We demonstrated by quantitative Real-time RT-PCR that mRNAs from the P1 promoter are actively transcribed in all the human cell lines analysed. To investigate the transcription mechanism we transiently transfected HeLa cells with sequentially deleted reporter constructs containing different regions of the -661/+81 P1 nucleotide sequence. Our results showed that (i) this promoter fragment is a powerful activator of the reporter gene in HeLa cell line, (ii) the region spanning 512 bp upstream of the transcription start site exhibits maximal level of transcriptional activity, (iii) progressive deletions from -512 gradually reduce reporter expression.</p> <p>The region responsible for maximal transcription contains an E-box site; we characterized the molecular interactions between USF1/2 with this E-box element by electrophoretic mobility shift assay and supershift analysis. In addition, our USF1 and USF2 chromatin immunoprecipitation results demonstrate that these transcription factors bind the P1 promoter <it>in vivo</it>.</p> <p>A functional role of USF1/USF2 in upregulating P1-directed transcription was demonstrated by analysis of the effects of (i) <it>in vitro </it>mutagenesis of the P1/E-box binding site, (ii) RNA interference targeting USF1 transcripts.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results suggest that USF factors positively regulate the core of P1 promoter, and, together with our previously data, we can conclude that both Sp and USF DNA interaction and transcription activity are involved in the P1 promoter dependent expression of AAH and humbug.</p
Anion···Anion [AuI4]-···[AuI2]- Complex Trapped in the Solid State by Tetramethylammonium Cations
Innovative Synthetic Approaches for Sulphate-Promoted Catalysts for Biomass Valorisation
In the present research, we report on an innovative and quick procedure for the synthesis
of metal oxides: a sol-gel procedure which is followed by two steps that are assisted by microwaves
(MW) heating. First, MW heating promotes gel drying and successively permits the calcination of the
xerogel in a few minutes, using a susceptor that rapidly reaches high temperatures. The procedure
was employed for the synthesis of zirconium dioxide (ZrO2), and MW-assisted calcination enables
the collection of tetragonal ZrO2, as confirmed by different experimental techniques (PXRD, HR-TEM
and Raman spectroscopy). Using this MW-assisted sol-gel procedure, a promoted sulphated zirconia
(SZ) has been obtained. Both the nature and strength of SZ surface acidity have been investigated with
FTIR spectroscopy using CO and 2,6-dimethylpyridine (2,6-DMP) as probe molecules. The obtained
materials were tested as catalysts in acid hydrolysis of glucose to give 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural
(5-HMF). One of the obtained catalysts exhibited a better selectivity towards 5-HMF with respect
to SZ material prepared by a classical precipitation route, suggesting that this procedure could be
employed to obtain a well-known catalyst with a less energy-consuming procedure. Catalytic results
also suggest that good selectivity to 5-HMF can be achieved in aqueous media in the presence of
weak Lewis and Brønsted sites
Biostimulants derived from organic urban wastes and biomasses: An innovative approach
We used humic and fulvic acids extracted from digestate to formulate nanohybrids with potential applications in agronomy. In order to obtain a synergic co-release of plant-beneficial agents, we functionalized with humic substances two inorganic matrixes: hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2, HP) and silica (SiO2) nanoparticles (NPs). The former is a potential controlled-release fertilizer of P, and the latter has a beneficial effect on soil and plants. SiO2 NPs are obtained from rice husks by a reproducible and fast procedure, but their ability to absorb humic substances is very limited. HP NPs coated with fulvic acid are instead a very promising candidate, based on desorption and dilution studies. The different dissolutions observed for HP NPs coated with fulvic and humic acids could be related to the different interaction mechanisms, as suggested by the FT-IR study