A Nucleolar Protein, MoRRP8 Is Required for Development and Pathogenicity in the Rice Blast Fungus

The nucleolus is the largest, membrane-less organelle within the nucleus of eukaryotic cell that plays a critical role in rRNA transcription and assembly of ribosomes. Recently, the nucleolus has been shown to be implicated in an array of processes including the formation of signal recognition particles and response to cellular stress. Such diverse functions of nucleolus are mediated by nucleolar proteins. In this study, we characterized a gene coding a putative protein containing a nucleolar localization sequence (NoLS) in the rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae. Phylogenetic and domain analysis suggested that the protein is orthologous to Rrp8 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. MoRRP8-GFP (translational fusion of MoRRP8 with green fluorescence protein) co-localizes with a nucleolar marker protein, MoNOP1 fused to red fluorescence protein (RFP), indicating that MoRRP8 is a nucleolar protein. Deletion of the MoRRP8 gene caused a reduction in vegetative growth and impinged largely on asexual sporulation. Although the asexual spores of ΔMorrp8 were morphologically indistinguishable from those of wild-type, they showed delay in germination and reduction in appressorium formation. Our pathogenicity assay revealed that the MoRRP8 is required for full virulence and growth within host plants. Taken together, these results suggest that nucleolar processes mediated by MoRRP8 is pivotal for fungal development and pathogenesis.</p

Visualization 1.mp4

3D whole-eye OCT image of the left eye of a 26-year-old volunteer, containing the visual axis, the optical axis, and the pupillary axis

Light Trapping Color Filters for Semitransparent Solar Cells

Semitransparent colorful solar cells equipped with photonically tailored Fabry–Perot (FP) cavities as the back electrode have garnered attention for their prospective application in building integrated photovoltaics (BIPVs). These cells transmit colored light at the FP resonance while reflecting nonresonant light back into the cell, a significant portion of which is also lost into air. Herein, we present a method to enhance light trapping in colorful semitransparent solar cells using closely packed Ag-coated silica particles on a thin Ag layer. This structure simultaneously acts as an effective FP cavity and color filter, scattering off-resonant light to high angles while transmitting the targeted colors. We show that the high-angle scattering originates from antiparallel out-of-plane electric dipoles unique to our design, which promote light trapping. When applied onto a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), our effective Fabry–Perot (EFP) color filters provided a maximum of ∼7% more short-circuit current density (Jsc) than those from DSSCs equipped with planar filters. Furthermore, compared to bare DSSCs and DSSCs including conventional scattering layers, DSSCs equipped with EFP filters showed a maximum of 14.6 and 5.9% higher cell efficiencies (η), respectively. The ability to filter color and improve light trapping suggests alternative pathways for engineering colorful semitransparent solar cells

OFF–ON Fluorescence Sensing of Fluoride by Donor–Antimony(V) Lewis Acids

A series of triarylmethylstibonium Lewis acids of general formula [Ph₂MeSb-(<i>p</i>-(C₆H₄))-FLUO]⁺ bearing a peripheral electron-rich fluorophore (FLUO = 10<i>H</i>-phenoxazine ([<b>3a</b>]⁺), diphenylamine ([<b>3b</b>]⁺), and 9<i>H</i>-carbazole ([<b>3c</b>]⁺)) have been synthesized and investigated for the fluorescence turn-on sensing of fluoride anions. Treatment of the stibonium cations with fluoride anions leads to the corresponding fluorostiboranes (<b>3a</b>-F–<b>3c</b>-F). While the stibonium cations are almost nonemissive, the fluorostiboranes display fluorophore-centered emissions arising from the corresponding π–π* excited state. The carbazole-containing derivative [<b>3c</b>]⁺ exhibits the most intense fluorescence turn-on response. It also displays a high binding constant (<i>K</i> > 10⁷ M^–1) in MeCN and shows compatibility with protic media such as MeOH (<i>K</i> = 950(±50) M^–1). Computational studies aimed at identifying the origin of the turn-on response show that the excited state of the stibonium cations is best described as charge transfer in nature with the π system of the fluorophore acting as the donor and the π*−σ* system of the stibonium unit acting as the acceptor. This π­(FLUO)−π*/σ*­(Ph₂MeSb-(<i>p</i>-(C₆H₄))) excited state is nonemissive, making these cations dark in the absence of fluoride anions. Conversion to the fluorostiboranes occurs via donation of a fluoride lone pair into the antimony-centered σ*. Formation of this Sb–F bond modifies the electronic structure of the platform and restores the emissive π–π* excited state of the fluorophore, thus accounting for the observed OFF–ON fluorescence response

OFF–ON Fluorescence Sensing of Fluoride by Donor–Antimony(V) Lewis Acids

A series of triarylmethylstibonium Lewis acids of general formula [Ph₂MeSb-(<i>p</i>-(C₆H₄))-FLUO]⁺ bearing a peripheral electron-rich fluorophore (FLUO = 10<i>H</i>-phenoxazine ([<b>3a</b>]⁺), diphenylamine ([<b>3b</b>]⁺), and 9<i>H</i>-carbazole ([<b>3c</b>]⁺)) have been synthesized and investigated for the fluorescence turn-on sensing of fluoride anions. Treatment of the stibonium cations with fluoride anions leads to the corresponding fluorostiboranes (<b>3a</b>-F–<b>3c</b>-F). While the stibonium cations are almost nonemissive, the fluorostiboranes display fluorophore-centered emissions arising from the corresponding π–π* excited state. The carbazole-containing derivative [<b>3c</b>]⁺ exhibits the most intense fluorescence turn-on response. It also displays a high binding constant (<i>K</i> > 10⁷ M^–1) in MeCN and shows compatibility with protic media such as MeOH (<i>K</i> = 950(±50) M^–1). Computational studies aimed at identifying the origin of the turn-on response show that the excited state of the stibonium cations is best described as charge transfer in nature with the π system of the fluorophore acting as the donor and the π*−σ* system of the stibonium unit acting as the acceptor. This π­(FLUO)−π*/σ*­(Ph₂MeSb-(<i>p</i>-(C₆H₄))) excited state is nonemissive, making these cations dark in the absence of fluoride anions. Conversion to the fluorostiboranes occurs via donation of a fluoride lone pair into the antimony-centered σ*. Formation of this Sb–F bond modifies the electronic structure of the platform and restores the emissive π–π* excited state of the fluorophore, thus accounting for the observed OFF–ON fluorescence response

Additional file 4 of MetaCRAM: an integrated pipeline for metagenomic taxonomy identification and compression

Outcome of MetaCRAM. Additional file 2 illustrates detailed outcome of MetaCRAM, such as files and folders produced after compression and decompression, and an example of console output. (PDF 82 kb

Additional file 1: of Changes in views on digital intraoral scanners among dental hygienists after training in digital impression taking

Questionnaire. (PDF 300 kb

Effect of PGSP on cytokine expression in RAW264.7 macrophages.

The mRNA expression of iNOS (A) and COX-2 (B) was determined by real-time qPCR. (C) The protein expression of iNOS and COX-2 was determined by western blotting. All values are presented as the mean ± SD of three independent experiments (n = 3). A different letter (p < 0.05) reveals statistically significant differences within treatments.</p

Effect of PGSP on the viability of RAW264.7 macrophages.

Cell viability was determined by the EZ-Cytox Cell Viability Assay Kit. All values are presented as the mean ± SD of three independent experiments (n = 3). A different letter (p < 0.05) reveals statistically significant differences within treatments.</p

Effect of PGSP on cytokine expression in RAW264.7 macrophages.

The mRNA expression of cytokines was determined by real-time qPCR. All values are presented as the mean ± SD of three independent experiments (n = 3). A different letter (p < 0.05) reveals statistically significant differences within treatments.</p