Molecular clustering behaviour in the cybotactic nematic phase of a spin-labelled liquid crystal

A newly synthesised liquid crystalline nitroxide radical (LC-NR) with a terminal trifluoromethyl group as spin-labelled LC compounds exhibits an anomalous phase transition behaviour. It is likely attributed to non-covalent interactions between the trifluoromethyl groups of the adjacent molecules. X-ray diffractometry of the LC-NR suggests the existence of a cybotactic nematic (Ncyb) phase with a transient and local layer order between the normal nematic (N) and smectic A (SmA) phases. The EPR spectroscopy of the spin-labelled LC implies no discontinuity in magnetic susceptibility around the N-to-Ncyb phase transition. Intermolecular contacts between nitroxide radicals seem to change continuously. These results imply that the interactions between trifluoromethyl groups induce the cybotactic clusters, where molecules move in and out.Uchida Y., Akita T., Hanada K., et al. Molecular clustering behaviour in the cybotactic nematic phase of a spin-labelled liquid crystal. Journal of Materials Chemistry C 10 , 6621 (2022); https://doi.org/10.1039/d2tc00626j

The HIV-1 Tat Protein is Monomethylated at Lysine 71 by the Lysine Methyltransferase KMT7

The HIV-1 transactivator protein Tat is a critical regulator of HIV transcription primarily enabling efficient elongation of viral transcripts. Its interactions with RNA and various host factors are regulated by ordered, transient post-translational modifications. Here, we report a novel Tat modification, monomethylation at lysine 71 (K71). We found that Lys-71 monomethylation (K71me) is catalyzed by KMT7, a methyltransferase that also targets lysine 51 (K51) in Tat. Using mass spectrometry, in vitro enzymology, and modification-specific antibodies, we found that KMT7 monomethylates both Lys-71 and Lys-51 in Tat. K71me is important for full Tat transactivation, as KMT7 knockdown impaired the transcriptional activity of wild type (WT) Tat but not a Tat K71R mutant. These findings underscore the role of KMT7 as an important monomethyltransferase regulating HIV transcription through Tat

The whole blood transcriptional regulation landscape in 465 COVID-19 infected samples from Japan COVID-19 Task Force

「コロナ制圧タスクフォース」COVID-19患者由来の血液細胞における遺伝子発現の網羅的解析 --重症度に応じた遺伝子発現の変化には、ヒトゲノム配列の個人差が影響する--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-23.Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a recently-emerged infectious disease that has caused millions of deaths, where comprehensive understanding of disease mechanisms is still unestablished. In particular, studies of gene expression dynamics and regulation landscape in COVID-19 infected individuals are limited. Here, we report on a thorough analysis of whole blood RNA-seq data from 465 genotyped samples from the Japan COVID-19 Task Force, including 359 severe and 106 non-severe COVID-19 cases. We discover 1169 putative causal expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) including 34 possible colocalizations with biobank fine-mapping results of hematopoietic traits in a Japanese population, 1549 putative causal splice QTLs (sQTLs; e.g. two independent sQTLs at TOR1AIP1), as well as biologically interpretable trans-eQTL examples (e.g., REST and STING1), all fine-mapped at single variant resolution. We perform differential gene expression analysis to elucidate 198 genes with increased expression in severe COVID-19 cases and enriched for innate immune-related functions. Finally, we evaluate the limited but non-zero effect of COVID-19 phenotype on eQTL discovery, and highlight the presence of COVID-19 severity-interaction eQTLs (ieQTLs; e.g., CLEC4C and MYBL2). Our study provides a comprehensive catalog of whole blood regulatory variants in Japanese, as well as a reference for transcriptional landscapes in response to COVID-19 infection

DOCK2 is involved in the host genetics and biology of severe COVID-19

「コロナ制圧タスクフォース」COVID-19疾患感受性遺伝子DOCK2の重症化機序を解明 --アジア最大のバイオレポジトリーでCOVID-19の治療標的を発見--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-10.Identifying the host genetic factors underlying severe COVID-19 is an emerging challenge. Here we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) involving 2, 393 cases of COVID-19 in a cohort of Japanese individuals collected during the initial waves of the pandemic, with 3, 289 unaffected controls. We identified a variant on chromosome 5 at 5q35 (rs60200309-A), close to the dedicator of cytokinesis 2 gene (DOCK2), which was associated with severe COVID-19 in patients less than 65 years of age. This risk allele was prevalent in East Asian individuals but rare in Europeans, highlighting the value of genome-wide association studies in non-European populations. RNA-sequencing analysis of 473 bulk peripheral blood samples identified decreased expression of DOCK2 associated with the risk allele in these younger patients. DOCK2 expression was suppressed in patients with severe cases of COVID-19. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis (n = 61 individuals) identified cell-type-specific downregulation of DOCK2 and a COVID-19-specific decreasing effect of the risk allele on DOCK2 expression in non-classical monocytes. Immunohistochemistry of lung specimens from patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia showed suppressed DOCK2 expression. Moreover, inhibition of DOCK2 function with CPYPP increased the severity of pneumonia in a Syrian hamster model of SARS-CoV-2 infection, characterized by weight loss, lung oedema, enhanced viral loads, impaired macrophage recruitment and dysregulated type I interferon responses. We conclude that DOCK2 has an important role in the host immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the development of severe COVID-19, and could be further explored as a potential biomarker and/or therapeutic target

Fabrication of macroporous silicon carbide ceramics by intramolecular carbothermal reduction of phenyl-bridged polysilsesquioxane

Macroporous SiC ceramics were obtained from porous phenyl-bridged polysilsesquioxane prepared by a sol-gel method accompanied by spinodal decomposition subsequently subjected to intramolecular carbothermal reduction. By this method, we can obtain macroporous SiC ceramics with improved atomic-level homogeneity and controlled pore size more easily than by intermolecular carbothermal reduction using a mixture of SiO2 and carbon powder. Therefore, the resultant SiC ceramics have sufficiently high purity without washing with hydrofluoric acid to remove residual SiO 2

Macro- and microporous carbon monoliths with high surface areas pyrolyzed from poly(divinylbenzene) networks

Carbon monoliths with well-defined macropores and high surface areas were prepared by carbonization of macroporous poly(divinylbenzene) (PDVB) monoliths. The carbonization reactions of PDVB networks are studied by thermal analysis and FT-IR measurements. According to the measurement results, the PDVB networks are mostly pyrolyzed at 430 °C and their structures dynamically change to graphite-like structure between 600 and 700 °C. The macropore structure retained while the mesopores disappeared after carbonization. In addition, the surface area of the obtained carbons dramatically increased over 900 °C. The typical carbon monolith carbonized at 1000 °C for 2 h had a surface area of 1500 m2 g−1 and uniform macropores with a diameter of 1 μm

Facile preparation of transparent monolithic titania gels utilizing a chelating ligand and mineral salts

Highly homogeneous transparent titania gels have been successfully prepared from titanium alkoxide by a sol–gel method utilizing chelating agent, ethyl acetylacetate (EtAcAc), in the presence of strong acid anions. Only catalytic amount of a strong acid anion suppress the rapid hydrolysis of titanium alkoxide by blocking the nucleophilic attack of HO− and H2O, and the resultant moderate sol–gel reactions thus afford homogeneous gelation, leading to transparent monolithic titania gels. Gelation time can be widely controlled by changing amounts of water, chelating agent and salt. The ability of salts to suppress the too abrupt sol–gel reactions is strongly dependent on the electronegativity of anions and valence of cations. With employing NH4NO3 as a suppressing electrolyte, the obtained titania gels can be converted to pure TiO2 by simple washing and heat-treatment, and transformations to anatase and rutile structures were found to start at 400 and 600 °C, respectivel

In situ SAXS observation on metal-salt-derived alumina sol-gel system accompanied by phase separation.

The structure formation process of hierarchically porous alumina gels has been investigated by in situ small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The measurement was performed on the sol-gel solution containing aluminum chloride hexahydrate (AlCl(3)·6H(2)O), poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), and propylene oxide (PO). The temporal divergence of scattering intensity in the low q regime was observed in the early stage of reaction, indicating that the occurrence of spinodal-decomposition-type phase separation. Detailed analysis of the SAXS profiles revealed that phase separation occurs between weakly branched polymerizing aluminum hydroxide (AH) and PEO. Further progress of the condensation reaction forms phase-separated two phases, that is, AH-rich phase and PEO-rich phase with the micrometer-range heterogeneity. The growth and aggregation of primary particles occurs in the phase-separated AH-rich domain, and therefore, the addition of PEO influences on the structure in nanometer regime as well as micrometer regime. The moderate stability of oligomeric species allows homogeneous condensation reaction parallel to phase separation and successful formation of hierarchically porous alumina gel

Transition from transparent aerogels to hierarchically porous monoliths in polymethylsilsesquioxane sol-gel system.

A transition from hierarchical pore structures (macro- and meso-pores) to uniform mesopores in monolithic polymethylsilsesquioxane (PMSQ, CH(3)SiO(1.5)) gels has been investigated using a sol-gel system containing surfactant Pluronic F127. The precursor methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) undergoes an acid/base two-step reaction, in which hydrolysis and polycondensation proceed in acidic and basic aqueous media, respectively, as a one-pot reaction. Porous morphology is controlled by changing the concentration of F127. Sufficient concentrations of F127 inhibit the occurrence of micrometer-scale phase separation (spinodal decomposition) of hydrophobic PMSQ condensates and lead to well-defined mesoporous transparent aerogels with high specific pore volume as a result of the colloidal network formation in a large amount of solvent. Phase separation regulates well-defined macropores in the micrometer range on decreasing concentrations of F127. In the PMSQ-rich gelling domain formed by phase separation, the PMSQ colloidal network formation forms mesopores, leading to monolithic PMSQ gels with hierarchical macro- and meso-pore structures. Mesopores in these gels do not collapse on evaporative drying owing to the flexible networks and repulsive interactions of methyl groups in PMSQ

Monolithic electrode for electric double-layer capacitors based on macro/meso/microporous S-Containing activated carbon with high surface area

Macro/meso/microporous carbon monoliths doped with sulfur have been prepared from sulfonated poly(divinylbenzene) networks followed by the activation with CO_2 resulted in the activated carbon monoliths with high surface area of 2400 m^2 g^[−1]. The monolithic electrode of the activated carbon shows remarkably high specific capacitance (175 F g^[−1] at 5 mV_s^[−1] and 206F_g^[−1] at 0.5 Ag^[−1])