A Pretreatment‐Free,Polymer‐Based Platform Prepared by Molecular Imprinting and Post‐Imprinting Modifications for Sensing Intact Exosomes

Exosomes are small (30–100 nm) membrane vesicles that serve as regulatory agents for intercellular communication in cancers. Currently, exosomes are detected by immuno‐based assays with appropriate pretreatments like ultracentrifugation and are time consuming (>12 h). We present a novel pretreatment‐free fluorescence‐based sensing platform for intact exosomes, wherein exchangeable antibodies and fluorescent reporter molecules were aligned inside exosome‐binding cavities. Such antibody‐containing fluorescent reporter‐grafted nanocavities were prepared on a substrate by well‐designed molecular imprinting and post‐imprinting modifications to introduce antibodies and fluorescent reporter molecules only inside the binding nanocavities, enabling sufficiently high sensitivity to detect intact exosomes without pretreatment. The effectiveness of the system was demonstrated by using it to discriminate between normal exosomes and those originating from prostate cancer and analyze exosomes in tear drops.     

A Pretreatment‐Free,Polymer‐Based Platform Prepared by Molecular Imprinting and Post‐Imprinting Modifications for Sensing Intact Exosomes

Exosomes are small (30–100 nm) membrane vesicles that serve as regulatory agents for intercellular communication in cancers. Currently, exosomes are detected by immuno‐based assays with appropriate pretreatments like ultracentrifugation and are time consuming (>12 h). We present a novel pretreatment‐free fluorescence‐based sensing platform for intact exosomes, wherein exchangeable antibodies and fluorescent reporter molecules were aligned inside exosome‐binding cavities. Such antibody‐containing fluorescent reporter‐grafted nanocavities were prepared on a substrate by well‐designed molecular imprinting and post‐imprinting modifications to introduce antibodies and fluorescent reporter molecules only inside the binding nanocavities, enabling sufficiently high sensitivity to detect intact exosomes without pretreatment. The effectiveness of the system was demonstrated by using it to discriminate between normal exosomes and those originating from prostate cancer and analyze exosomes in tear drops.     

Molecularly imprinted polymers bearing spiropyran‐based photoresponsive binding sites capable of photo‐triggered switching for molecular recognition activity

Photoresponsive molecularly imprinted nanocavities were prepared using a newly designed functional monomer bearing a photoresponsive spiropyran moiety with a carboxy group that can interact with atrazine (the template molecule), in which the spiropyran moiety was incorporated into the binding cavities. Spectrophotometric analysis confirmed that the spiropyran moiety was photoresponsive even after polymerization. The selectivity of the EDMA‐based molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP_EDMA) was tested to examine the binding behavior of atrazine and other agrochemicals, revealing that the atrazine‐imprinted polymer can bind selectively to triazine herbicides. Photo‐triggered switching of the binding activity in MIP_EDMA was investigated, and the binding activity was found to decrease dramatically after UV light irradiation, suggesting that the spiropyran moiety in the binding cavities was transformed to the merocyanine form, resulting in unfavorable translocation of the carboxy group for atrazine binding. Consequently, the spiropyran‐based MIP_EDMA demonstrated in this study could open a way to realizing reliable photoresponsive smart materials. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016 , 54, 1637–1644     

BTZO-1, a cardioprotective agent, reveals that macrophage migration inhibitory factor regulates ARE-mediated gene expression

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Highlights? ARE activation is involved in cellular protection against oxidative stress ? MIF is a ubiquitous protein with conserved nucleophilic Pro1 in a hydrophobic pocket ? BTZO-1 selectively binds to MIF, and its binding required the intact N-terminal Pro1 ? Binding of BTZO-1 to MIF leads to the ARE activation in cardiomyocytes.     

Bulk GaN crystals grown by HVPE

We succeeded in preparing very thick c-plane bulk gallium nitride (GaN) crystals grown by hydride vapor phase epitaxy. Growth of the bulk GaN crystals was performed on templates with 3 μm GaN layer grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition on (0 0 0 1) sapphire substrates. Colorless freestanding bulk GaN crystals were obtained through self-separation processes. The crystal's diameter and thickness were about 52 and 5.8 mm, respectively. No surface pits were observed within an area of 46 mm diameter of the bulk GaN crystal. The dislocation density decreased with growth direction (from N-face side to Ga-face side) and ranged from 5.1×10⁶ cm⁻² near the N-face surface to 1.2×10⁶ cm⁻² near the Ga-face. A major impurity was Si, and other impurities (O, C, Cl, H, Fe, Ni and Cr) were near or below the detection limits by SIMS measurements.     

Association of tris(pentane-2,4-dionato)chromium(III) with modifiers of hydrogen-bond donors in supercritical carbon dioxide.

The solubility of tris(pentane-2,4-dionato)chromium(III) (Cr(acac)(3)) in supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO(2)) containing organic modifiers (1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFP) and 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenol (BTMP)) of hydrogen-bond donors was investigated by UV/VIS spectrophotometry. A great solubility enhancement of Cr(acac)(3) in SC-CO(2) was accomplished by adding HFP and BTMP. The association constant of Cr(acac)(3) with HFP and BTMP in SC-CO(2) could be determined from the relationship of the solubility enhancement against the concentration of the modifier. The association constant linearly increases with an increase in the acid dissociation constant of the modifiers.     

Electrochemically controlled detection of adrenaline on poly(2‐aminobenzylamine) thin films by surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy and quartz crystal microbalance

In this study, we present an electrochemically controlled surface plasmon resonance (EC‐SPR) biosensor to detect adrenaline on poly(2‐aminobenzylamine) (P2ABA) thin films. The P2ABA thin films are stable and display electroactivity in a neutral PBS solution. Specific detection of adrenaline was performed on P2ABA thin films because the benzylamine groups in the P2ABA structure could specifically react with adrenalines. Adrenaline was detected in real time by EC‐SPR spectroscopy, which provides an EC‐SPR reflectivity change on the P2ABA thin film upon adrenaline injection. The measured responses were quite different from those for uric acid and ascorbic acid, which are major interferences in adrenaline detection. The electrochemically applied potential facilitates the specific detection of adrenaline. In addition, the detection of adrenaline on the P2ABA thin films was investigated by a quartz crystal microbalance technique. The detection limit for adrenaline at open circuit potential was 10 pM. The present study provides a useful information on the detection of adrenaline on the P2ABA thin films. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Selectivity control of Stark-ladder transitions in asymmetric double-well GaAs/AlAs superlattices by barrier sequence modulation

We have investigated field-induced features of optical transitions in asymmetric double-well superlattices (ADW-SLs) with and without barrier sequence modulation by low-temperature photocurrent (PC) spectroscopy. The difference between the heavy-hole confinement energies in the wide and narrow wells results in two types of Stark-ladder transitions, so that four ±1st-order spatially indirect transitions are expected to exist in the ADW-SL. The oscillator strength of these indirect transitions is affected by the strength and the direction of coupling between the wide and narrow wells. The introduction of the barrier sequence modulation into the ADW-SL realizes the control of these coupling mechanisms. This technique is a new method to modulate the oscillator strength of the indirect Stark-ladder transitions.