Macrocyclic colibactin induces DNA double-strand breaks via copper-mediated oxidative cleavage.

Colibactin is an assumed human gut bacterial genotoxin, whose biosynthesis is linked to the clb genomic island that has a widespread distribution in pathogenic and commensal human enterobacteria. Colibactin-producing gut microbes promote colon tumour formation and enhance the progression of colorectal cancer via cellular senescence and death induced by DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs); however, the chemical basis that contributes to the pathogenesis at the molecular level has not been fully characterized. Here, we report the discovery of colibactin-645, a macrocyclic colibactin metabolite that recapitulates the previously assumed genotoxicity and cytotoxicity. Colibactin-645 shows strong DNA DSB activity in vitro and in human cell cultures via a unique copper-mediated oxidative mechanism. We also delineate a complete biosynthetic model for colibactin-645, which highlights a unique fate of the aminomalonate-building monomer in forming the C-terminal 5-hydroxy-4-oxazolecarboxylic acid moiety through the activities of both the polyketide synthase ClbO and the amidase ClbL. This work thus provides a molecular basis for colibactin's DNA DSB activity and facilitates further mechanistic study of colibactin-related colorectal cancer incidence and prevention

Topochemical reduction of YMnO3 into a composite structure

Topochemical modification methods for solids have shown great potential in generating metastable structures inaccessible through classical synthetic routes. Here, we present the enhanced topotactic reduction of the multiferroic compound YMnO3. At moderate temperature in ammonia flow, the most reduced YMnO3-δ (δ = 0.5) phase could be stabilized. XRD, PND, and HREM results show that phase separation occurs into two intimately intergrown layered sublattices with nominal compositions ∞[YMn(2+)O2+x]((1-2x)+) and ∞[YMn(2+)O3-x]((1-2x)-) containing versatile Mn(2+) coordinations. The former sublattice shows original AA stacking between Mn layers, while AB stacking in the latter results from oxygen removal from the parent YMnO3 crystal structure

Proteasome Activity Influences UV-Mediated Subnuclear Localization Changes of NPM

Peer reviewe

Photoluminescence properties of rare earth (Nd, Yb, Sm, Pr)-doped CeO2 pellets prepared by solid-state reaction

Several structural and optical properties of ceria (band gap, refractive index and lattice parameter) make this material very promising for applications in optoelectronics and photovoltaics. In this paper, we show that CeO2 can be efficiently functionalized by doping with trivalent rare earth ions to give rise to photon management properties. The trivalent ions can be successfully inserted by solid-state reaction of the elementary oxide powders. By combining the information obtained from the absorbance spectra with that of the PL excitation spectra, we demonstrate the presence of the trivalent ions in CeO2 and provide insight in the electronic level structure and transfer mechanism. In particular, we prove that both the complex absorption spectra and the energy transfer mechanisms cannot be fully explained without considering the presence of isolated Ce3+ ions in CeO2

Identification of Novel p53 Pathway Activating Small-Molecule Compounds Reveals Unexpected Similarities with Known Therapeutic Agents

Peer reviewe

Photoluminescence of Nd-doped SnO2 thin films

Structural, optical, and electrical properties of Nd-doped SnOx thin films are reported. The atomic structure was characterized by x-ray diffraction and infrared absorption spectrometry. Investigation of the photoluminescence properties revealed Nd-related bands at 920 and 1100 nm for samples annealed at 700 degrees C, which present the tetragonal structure of the SnO2 rutile phase. Nd3+ ions can be indirectly excited and no concentration quenching was observed up to 3 at. %. It is concluded that Nd3+ ions are efficient optically active dopants in addition to be responsible of the observed electric conductivity improvement. These materials are then interesting for solar cell applications

Nanometric nickel exsolution in the hexagonal perovskite Ba8Ta6NiO24: Survey of the structural, magnetic and catalytic features

Nickel nanoparticles that decorate the surface of a parent oxide are well known to be developed by some cubic-type perovskites from the exsolution of their intrinsic Ni2+ species in reducing conditions with subsequent catalytic properties. In this work, we show similar phenomenon in a hexagonal-type perovskite. The reducing treatment in ammonia of Ba8Ta6NiO24, a hexagonal perovskite-type oxide, leads to the exsolution of nickel nano-sized particles at the surface of the precursor leaving oxygen vacancies and partially depleted but rearranged Ni/Ta sites. Spectroscopic methods, X-ray diffraction, TEM and TGA were employed to investigate the Ni exsolution while TGA was used to investigate the thermal behavior and its reversibility. 50% of the initial nickel content transferred into Ni-0 nanoparticles as determined from M(H) magnetization plots and TGA, in agreement with the concomitant creation of oxygen vacancies in the preserved Ni2(+) coordination (50%). The cationic vacancies (V-c) involve face-sharing octahedral dimers in which Ni/Ta/Vc rearranged through the shared face window, but preserved a non-centrosymmetric cationic partition. Ni exsoluted oxides often show a catalytic activity; we present here an original example of a hexagonal perovskite with catalytic activity toward syngas production by dry reforming of methane with carbon dioxide. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Structural, optical, and electrical properties of Yb-doped ZnO thin films prepared by spray pyrolysis method

Yb-doped ZnO thin films were prepared on glass substrates by spray pyrolysis technique in order to investigate the insertion of Yb ions in the ZnO matrix and the related optical properties of the films. The molar ratio of Yb in the spray solution was varied in the range of 0-5 at. %. X-ray diffraction patterns showed that the undoped and Yb-doped ZnO films exhibit the hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure with a preferential orientation along [002] direction. No secondary phase is observed in Yb-doped ZnO films. All films exhibit a transmittance between 75 and 90% in the visible range with a sharp absorption onset about 375 nm corresponding to the fundamental absorption edge at 3.3 eV. The photoluminescence measurements show a clear luminescence band at 980 nm that is characteristic of Yb(3+) transition between the electronic levels (2)F(5/2) and (2)F(7/2). This is an experimental evidence for an efficient energy transfer from ZnO matrix to Yb(3+). Hall effect measurements showed low resistivities and high carrier mobilities which makes these films of interest to photovoltaic devices.This work is supported by the program interdisciplinaire énergie du CNRS Grant No. PE10-2.1.2-2

Optical and structural properties of Nd doped SnO2 powder fabricated by the sol-gel method

We report on the structural and optical properties of undoped and neodymium doped SnO2 powders (0, 1, 3, and 5 at% of Nd) synthesized by the sol-gel method. SEM and TEM microscopy techniques reveal a nanometric scale of the powders. We show that the tetragonal rutile phase is achieved after annealing at 700 degrees C. The crystallite size of the doped SnO2 is found to decrease gradually with the increase of Nd content without changing the SnO2 structure. A strong decrease in the intensity of the Raman peaks is noted for doped powders, which can be attributed to the location of Nd3+ ions at the Sn sites indicating Nd incorporation into the host matrix. For the first time the optical properties were studied by UV-VisNIR spectroscopy and revealed Nd related absorption bands in the SnO2 matrix. The investigation of the photoluminescence properties shows broad emission centred around 550-650 nm originating from defects present in the SnO2 host matrix. Under 325 nm laser excitation, a strong photoluminescence of trivalent Nd is observed in the infrared region and shows Nd related emission peaks at 885, 1065, and 1336 nm. Such a strong PL signal under laser excitation indicates that Nd3+ is optically active. The excitation dependent PL (PLE) recorded in the 450-700 nm range confirms the presence of active Nd3+ successfully inserted into the SnO2 host matrix