Chemical Proteomics and Phenotypic Profiling Identifies the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor as a Molecular Target of the Utrophin Modulator Ezutromid

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a fatal muscle‐wasting disease arising from mutations in the dystrophin gene. Upregulation of utrophin to compensate for the missing dystrophin offers a potential therapy independent of patient genotype. The first‐in‐class utrophin modulator ezutromid/SMT C1100 was developed from a phenotypic screen through to a Phase 2 clinical trial. Promising efficacy and evidence of target engagement was observed in DMD patients after 24 weeks of treatment, however trial endpoints were not met after 48 weeks. The objective of this study was to understand the mechanism of action of ezutromid which could explain the lack of sustained efficacy and help development of new generations of utrophin modulators. Using chemical proteomics and phenotypic profiling we show that the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a target of ezutromid. Several lines of evidence demonstrate that ezutromid binds AhR with an apparent K_D of 50 nm  and behaves as an AhR antagonist. Furthermore, other reported AhR antagonists also upregulate utrophin, showing that this pathway, which is currently being explored in other clinical applications including oncology and rheumatoid arthritis, could also be exploited in future DMD therapies.     

适用于本科教学的BET比表面测定实验

采用自组装的流动吸附仪建立了基于BET吸附原理的快速测定固体比表面积的实验方法(单点法),对同一活性炭样品,在多功能气体吸附系统上进行对照实验(多点法)。实验结果表明,采用流动吸附仪测定比表面积方便易行,数据稳定可靠,实验教学效果良好。本文介绍这一特色实验,期望对从事物理化学实验教学的同行有所助益。     

Compounds with inhibitory activity on peristalsis from the seeds of Holarrhena antidysenterica

Eight compounds were isolated from the seeds of Holarrhena antidysenterica Wall.ex A.DC. On the basis of physico-chemical properties and spectroscopic data, holarrhenanan (1) was identified as a new compound, compounds 2–3 were isolated from H. antidysenterica for the first time, and five known compounds were also obtained. Inhibitory effects of some compounds and extracts to the intestinal peristalsis were evaluated. Results showed that the extracts and compounds 4, 6 exhibited remarkable inhibitory effects with tension inhibition rate of 32.77, 32.77% and amplitude inhibition rate of 59.51, 55.98%, respectively on the vitro rabbit intestinal peristalsis.     

基质辅助激光解析/电离飞行时间质谱(MALDI-TOF MS)在微生物鉴定中的应用*

基质辅助激光解析/电离飞行时间质谱(MALDI-TOF MS)是一种新型软电离生物质谱,具有检测速度快、操作简便、结果准确等优点,目前已成为可靠的微生物快速鉴定技术。就工作流程而言,与常规生化方法相比,MALDI-TOF MS可以将微生物鉴定的时间缩短为一天甚至更短。对于具有抗生素耐药性的微生物,使用MALDI-TOF MS鉴定也有很好的准确性。在病毒鉴定中,MALDI-TOF MS也可以发挥作用,已有报道将MALDI-TOF MS和机器学习(ML)分析方法结合来检测鼻拭子中SARS-CoV-2。此外,MALDI-TOF MS还可用于细菌的无光谱库鉴定。目前,MALDI-TOF MS正通过与其他技术(例如傅里叶红外光谱FTIR)相结合进一步扩大微生物鉴定范围。     

Logistic和Lotka-Volterra模型参数的灰色估计方法研究

根据灰色系统建模原理,对Logistic模型中的参数进行了估计,将此方法应用于Gause(1934)草履虫实验数据的拟合,并与已有拟合结果对比,说明此方法是有效的.然后将其推广至两种群的Lotka—Volterra模型参数的确定,来研究山西省人口—经济系统的发展演化状况,得出了满意的结果.     

基于深度学习的太赫兹时域光谱识别研究

太赫兹时域光谱技术,由于其具有物质"指纹谱"特性,是一种可以快速无损地鉴别物质的重要手段,在毒品和爆炸物的无损检测等方面有广阔的应用前景.其中,光谱识别是太赫兹时域光谱技术应用研究的重要方向之一.现有的光谱识别方法多是依靠手工选取特征后进行机器学习分类,或是通过设置吸收峰阈值门限进行判断.由于一些物质在太赫兹波段内并没...     

EMD与神经网络在气液两相流流型识别中的应用

本文提出了EMD与Elman神经网络相结合的气液两相流流型识别的新方法.将压差波动信号经验模态分解(EMD)后的固有模态函数(IMF)进行分析、提取IMF能量作为Elman神经网络的输入特征向量,对水平管内的气液两相流流型进行识别.实验结果表明:该方法优于BP网络且稳定、识别率高,具有可行性.     

N-乙酰氨基葡萄糖水溶液变旋过程的液质联用和旋光研究

研究N-乙酰氨基葡萄糖在水溶液中的变旋行为.通过液质联用及比旋度分析,监测N-乙酰氨基葡萄糖水溶液的变旋情况.得到基于APCI离子源的N-乙酰氨基葡萄糖的多级质谱图,确认其水溶液变旋稳定时间及稳定状态下的差向异构体组成比例,并对N-乙酰氨基葡萄糖HPLC图中的差向异构体色谱峰进行指认.为存在变旋行为的糖及糖苷类化合物的研究提供了准确可行的方法.     

Encapsulation of nanocrystals with responsive gels for spatial optical identification

A tripeptide (β-AspFF) gelator was designed and synthesised using solid-phase peptide synthesis. The as-prepared gelator formed a stable and clear multi-responsive gel in toluene solution. Encapsulating the quantum dots with β-AspFF effectively increased stability and antioxidisation ability which are beneficial for optical identification.     

Engineered-membranes: A novel concept for clustering of native lipid bilayers

A strategy for clustering of native lipid membranes is presented. It relies on the formation of complexes between hydrophobic chelators embedded within the lipid bilayer and metal cations in the aqueous phase, capable of binding two (or more) chelators simultaneously Fig. 1. We used this approach with purple membranes containing the light driven proton pump protein bacteriorhodopsin (bR) and showed that patches of purple membranes cluster into mm sized aggregates and that these are stable for months when incubated at 19 °C in the dark. The strategy may be general since four different hydrophobic chelators (1,10-phenanthroline, bathophenanthroline, Phen-C10, and 8-hydroxyquinoline) and various divalent cations (Ni²⁺, Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺, Mn²⁺, and Cu²⁺) induced formation of membrane clusters. Moreover, the absolute requirement for a hydrophobic chelator and the appropriate metal cations was demonstrated with light and atomic force microscopy (AFM); the presence of the metal does not appear to affect the functional state of the protein. The potential utility of the approach as an alternative to assembled lipid bilayers is suggested.