Ba₂AsGaSe₅: A New Quaternary Selenide with the Novel [AsGaSe₅]^4– Cluster and Interesting Photocatalytic Properties

The new zero-dimensional selenide Ba₂AsGaSe₅ was synthesized via a solid-state reaction at 900 °C. It belongs to the orthorhombic space group <i>Pnma</i> with <i>a</i> = 12.632(3) Å, <i>b</i> = 8.9726(18) Å, <i>c</i> = 9.2029(18) Å, and <i>Z</i> = 4. In the structure, the As atom adopts trigonal-pyramidal coordination owing to the stereochemically active 4s² lone pair electrons and the Ga atom is tetrahedrally coordinated with four Se atoms. The AsSe₃ trigonal pyramids share edges with GaSe₄ tetrahedra to form novel [AsGaSe₅]^4– clusters, which are further separated from each other by Ba²⁺ cations. The optical band gap was determined as 1.39 eV according to UV–vis–NIR diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Interestingly, the photocatalytic behavior investigated by decomposing rhodamine B indicates that the compound displays a 6.5 times higher photocatalytic activity than does P25

Simulated microgravity does not disorder microfilaments organization and function in mouse oocytes.

<p>Immunofluorescence localization of microfilaments (red) in mouse oocytes cultured at 16 hours under 1 g gravity (a, b) and simulated microgravity (c, d, e). a) Microfilaments formed the actins cap, the bright red stain area near the chromosomes (blue). Chromosomes arranged on the plate. b) Oocyte extruded first polar body, microfilaments aggregated in the cortex. c) Microfilaments formed actins cap near the chromosomes. Chromosomes condensed abnormally. d) Oocyte extruded the first polar body. Microfilaments aggregated in the cortex. e) Oocyte formed a protrusion with microfilaments aggregated in the oolemma near the abnormal chromosomes. Scale bar = 10 µm.</p

Simulated microgravity disorders γ-tubulin in mouse oocytes.

<p>A. Location of γ-tubulin in mouse oocytes during meiosis cultured at different stages under 1 g gravity (a–c) and simulated microgravity (d–f).At 6 (a), 9 (b) and 16 (c) hours, γ-Tubulin accumulated at the spindle poles. d) At 6 hours, γ-Tubulin aggregated around the chromosomes. e) At 9 hours, γ-Tubulin dotted in cytoplasm markedly. f) At 16 hours, γ-Tubulin concentrated into two dots and located in the cytoplasm far away chromosomes. Blue = chromosomes, green = γ-tubulin. Each experiment was replicated 3 times with a minimum of 18 oocytes each group. B. Percent of disorder γ-tubulin configuration in mouse oocytes cultured at different time points under 1 g (control) and simulated microgravity (smg). At 6 h, n = 60(control), n = 91(smg). At 9 h, n = 79(control), n = 128(smg). At 16 h, n = 84(control), n = 117(smg). Every time point experiment was repeated 3 times. Different letters denote statistical differences between groups. a vs b, P<0.01; c vs d, P<0.05.</p

Additional file 1: Figure S1. of Molecular cloning and expression analysis of adiponectin and its receptors (AdipoR1 and AdipoR2) in the hypothalamus of the Huoyan goose during different stages of the egg-laying cycle

Nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of adiponectin. The nucleotide (black) and deduced amino acid (blue) sequences are shown and numbered on the left. The nucleotide sequence is numbered from the 5’ end. The first methionine (M) is the first deduced amino acid. The C1Q domain (amino acids 105–241) is shaded. The start codons (ATG) and the stop codons (TAA) are marked in bold red. (TIFF 315 kb

Development of GV oocytes under simulated microgravity.

<p>Oocytes were cultured in 1 g gravity (control) and simulated microgravity (smg). After 16 hours cultured, the percentage of different phenotypes were analyzed. This experiment was repeated more than 3 times. Different letters denote statistical differences between groups. a vs b, P<0.01; c vs d, P<0.05.</p

Simulated microgravity disrupts microtubules aggregation in mouse oocytes.

<p>A. Spindle morphology of mouse oocytes during meiosis cultured under 1 g gravity (a–c) and simulated microgravity (d–f). a) A mouse oocyte cultured at 6 hours. The barrel-shaped MI spindle is seen with microtubules and chromosomes, arranged on the equatorial plate. b) At 8 hours, chromosomes were separating. c) At 16 hours, the mouse oocyte extruded the first polar body and formed the second spindle. d) At 16 hours, the mouse oocyte showed chromosomes attached with few disordered microtubules. e) At 16 hours, chromosomes without microtubules attachment migrated. f) At 16 hours, the mouse oocyte extruded the first polar body and formed the second spindle. Blue = chromosomes, green = microtubules; Scale bar = 10 µm. B. Percent of microtubules subtypes. Oocytes were cultured in 1 g gravity (control, n = 98) and simulated microgravity (smg, n = 136). After 16 hours cultured, the percentage of different phenotypes were analyzed. Little unordered MTs means that there were little unordered microtubules attached to the chromosomes. Unseen MTs means that there were no obvious microtubules attached to chromosomes. This experiment was repeated 3 times. Different letters denote statistical differences between groups. a vs b, P<0.01; c vs d, P<0.05.</p

Additional file 6: Figure S6. of Molecular cloning and expression analysis of adiponectin and its receptors (AdipoR1 and AdipoR2) in the hypothalamus of the Huoyan goose during different stages of the egg-laying cycle

Multiple amino acid sequence alignment of the Huoyan goose AdipoR2 protein with other vertebrate species. The colour black denotes 100 % conserved sequences, and the colour grey indicates non-conservative sequences. Gaps (−) were introduced to maximize the alignment. Sequences for the alignment were obtained from GenBank (accession numbers are in brackets): Anas platyrhynchos (ABC75392.1); Bos taurus (NP_001035589.1); Canis lupus familiaris (XP_005637426); Felis catus (XP_011282054.1); Gallus (NP_001007855.1); Homo sapiens (NP_078827.2); Meleagris gallopavo (XP_003202489.1); Mus musculus (NP_932102.2); and Sus scrofa (NP_001007193.1). (TIFF 5171 kb

Additional file 2: Figure S2. of Molecular cloning and expression analysis of adiponectin and its receptors (AdipoR1 and AdipoR2) in the hypothalamus of the Huoyan goose during different stages of the egg-laying cycle

Nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of AdipoR1. The nucleotide (black) and deduced amino acid (blue) sequences are shown and numbered on the left. The nucleotide sequence is numbered from the 5’ end. The first methionine (M) is the first deduced amino acid. The start codons (ATG) and the stop codons (TAA) are marked in bold red. (TIFF 727 kb

Additional file 9: Figure S9. of Molecular cloning and expression analysis of adiponectin and its receptors (AdipoR1 and AdipoR2) in the hypothalamus of the Huoyan goose during different stages of the egg-laying cycle

The phylogenetic tree of the AdipoR2 protein was constructed using the neighbour-joining method with MEGA4. The amino acid sequences of adiponectin for these species were downloaded from the NCBI protein database. Their corresponding accession numbers are the same as those given in Table 2. The number at the branches denotes the bootstrap majority consensus values on 1000 replicates; the branch lengths represent the relative genetic distances among these species. (TIFF 7477 kb

Additional file 5: Figure S5. of Molecular cloning and expression analysis of adiponectin and its receptors (AdipoR1 and AdipoR2) in the hypothalamus of the Huoyan goose during different stages of the egg-laying cycle

Multiple amino acid sequence alignment of the Huoyan goose AdipoR1 protein with other vertebrate species. The colour black denotes 100 % conserved sequences, and the colour grey indicates non-conservative sequences. Gaps (−) were introduced to maximize the alignment. Sequences for the alignment were obtained from GenBank (accession numbers are in brackets): Anas platyrhynchos (ABI49513.2); Ovis aries (AHV91022.1); Canis lupus familiaris (XP_005622230.1); Felis catus (NP_001128153.1); Gallus (NP_001026198.1); Homo sapiens (NP_001277558.1); Taeniopygia guttata (XP_002198547.1); Mus musculus (NP_082596.2); and Sus scrofa (NP_001007194.1). (TIFF 4230 kb