Chemistry & Biology[JOURNAL]
Sun
200 papers
Filamentous fungi as eco-friendly precursors for the synthesis of luminescent green-emitting carbon dots.
Soares M, Rigoli I, da Silva AF … +2 more , Malta M, Geris R
J Photochem Photobiol B · 2026 May · PMID 41864137 · Publisher ↗
This study reports the synthesis and characterization of fungal carbon dots (F-CDs) derived from filamentous microfungi belonging to the subphylum Pezizomycotina. Carbon dots were synthesized from a cell-free aqueous fun...
This study reports the synthesis and characterization of fungal carbon dots (F-CDs) derived from filamentous microfungi belonging to the subphylum Pezizomycotina. Carbon dots were synthesized from a cell-free aqueous fungal homogenate obtained from the mycelial biomass of Phialomyces macrosporus, Penicillium spp., and Fusarium sp. The water-soluble mycelial fraction, containing intracellular metabolites, soluble proteins, and other low-molecular-weight compounds released upon cell disruption, was used directly as a carbon precursor in a hydrothermal synthesis. The resulting F-CDs exhibited intense green fluorescence with excitation-dependent emission, as confirmed by UV-Vis absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Transmission electron microscopy revealed spherical nanoparticles with an average diameter of 3.9 ± 1.1 nm and crystalline domains with an interplanar spacing of 0.26 nm. Zeta potential measurements indicated negatively charged surfaces (-15.6 to -18.4 mV), suggesting good colloidal stability and potential for biological interactions. Fluorescence microscopy demonstrated efficient uptake of F-CDs by Aspergillus niger hyphae, resulting in bright green staining and indicating high cellular compatibility. These results establish filamentous microfungi as previously unexplored and versatile carbon precursors for the sustainable production of green-emitting carbon dots with promising applications in bioimaging.
Geographical variation of chemical signals and odor discrimination in the great Himalayan leaf-nosed bat (Hipposideros armiger).
Sun C, Zheng Z, Lucas JR … +4 more , Li A, Feng J, Zhang C, Jiang T
BMC Biol · 2026 Mar · PMID 41857631 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Signal divergence and sensory preferences may cause reproductive isolation and eventually speciation between animal populations. These patterns are particularly well known in systems with acoustic or visual s...
BACKGROUND: Signal divergence and sensory preferences may cause reproductive isolation and eventually speciation between animal populations. These patterns are particularly well known in systems with acoustic or visual signals. However, relatively few studies have quantified the patterns, causes and consequences of geographical variation of chemical signals, especially in mammalian populations. RESULTS: We examined Hipposideros armiger (the great Himalayan leaf-nosed bat) and collected secretions from the forehead glands of males. We selected nine colonies across a large geographic area and investigated both the potential causes and patterns of variation in chemical signals from that gland between these colonies. We also examined whether or not males could tell the difference between gland scents from a foreign colony and their own colony using habituation-discrimination tests. To determine whether females preferred the scent of local versus foreign males, we performed two-choice tests. Overall, we found significant colony-level differences in the concentrations of compounds and in general compound categories. We show that symbiotic microbes inhabiting odor glands may explain the observed chemical variation between colonies. Moreover, behavioral studies indicated that males were able to discriminate between gland scents from their own colony and those from a distant colony. Finally, females were more attracted to scents of local males from their own colony compared to scents from foreign colonies. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate significant geographical variation in colony chemical signals linked to gland symbiotic microbes, with males discriminating colony-specific scents and females preferring the gland scents of local males. This study expands our limited knowledge of geographical variation of mammalian chemical signals and highlights the importance of bacterial communities in shaping chemical divergence.
Effectiveness of photodynamic therapy against Escherichia coli: Influence of light dose fractionation in the presence of porphyrins, methylene blue and zinc phthalocyanine disulfonate.
Bajgar R, Valkova L, Kolarikova M … +4 more , Tomankova KB, Vecerova R, Kolar M, Kolarova H
J Photochem Photobiol B · 2026 May · PMID 41833221 · Publisher ↗
Excessive use of antibiotics contributes to the development of multidrug-resistant microorganisms, making bacterial infections more difficult to treat. As an alternative method, photodynamic therapy is being explored. Th...
Excessive use of antibiotics contributes to the development of multidrug-resistant microorganisms, making bacterial infections more difficult to treat. As an alternative method, photodynamic therapy is being explored. This therapy relies on generating cytotoxic concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during the interaction of a photosensitizer with light and molecular oxygen. In the presented work, we investigated the antibacterial efficacy of four different photosensitizers: 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(1-methylpyridinium-4-yl)porphyrin (TmPyP), 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin zinc (ZnTPPS), zinc phthalocyanine disulfonate (ZnPcS), and tetramethylthionine chloride (methylene blue, MB) on Escherichia coli. The results showed that this type of bacteria is susceptible to all of the studied photosensitizers. Our measurements revealed that a bacteriostatic or bactericidal effect can be achieved either by exposure to high-dose (50 J/cm) violet (414 nm) light or by combining high-dose violet light with TmPyP or ZnTPPS. However, when using red-light-sensitive ZnPcS or MB, significant inhibition of bacterial growth occurred after three cycles of light exposure at a relatively low individual light dose (10 J/cm), rather than a single high dose (50 J/cm). Additionally, the fluorescent probe CellROX Red, which monitors ROS production, showed a significant increase in fluorescence in the presence of porphyrin photosensitizers as early as after the first irradiation.
Inactivation kinetics for plasmonic photothermal based eradication of ESKAPE and Candida albicans pathogens.
Kaur S, Kaur P, Dadwal R … +2 more , Nandanwar H, Soni S
J Photochem Photobiol B · 2026 May · PMID 41825270 · Publisher ↗
Leading cause of nosocomial infections worldwide i.e., Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter species collectively referred as ES...
Leading cause of nosocomial infections worldwide i.e., Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter species collectively referred as ESKAPE and Candida albicans that are associated with high morbidity and mortality rates, tends to develop resistance or escape conventional antimicrobial strategies. This study presents, for the first time, a detailed temperature-time kinetic analysis of the plasmonic photothermal technique against the entire spectrum of ESKAPE and C. albicans pathogens, both individually and in complex combinations thereof. Literature reports inactivation kinetics based on isothermal and non-isothermal principles which involve water baths, oil baths, or thermoresistometer, etc. to obtain the desired inactivation. Here, inactivation kinetics of combination of pathogens, ESKAPE and Candida albicans (with initial load of 5 × 10 CFU/mL of each pathogen) using plasmonic photothermal technique (broadband irradiation in the presence triangular silver nanoplates) are investigated in detail. The result showed complete eradication of the pathogens combination within ∼10 min at 74 °C. Further, effective killing/inactivation of individual pathogens was achieved in merely 3-7.5 min (∼48 °C - 60 °C). The obtained inactivation kinetics revealed key aspects of the pathogen like major morphological changes/alterations including the presence of injured or thermotolerant populations, which were evidenced by shoulder, tailing, and sigmoidal patterns in the survival curves. However, broadband irradiation alone and triangular silver nanoplates alone provided non-significant antimicrobial effect even after 15 min of exposure duration. Further, assessment of inactivation mechanism of pathogens on plasmonic photothermal technique demonstrated reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and cytoplasmic DNA efflux, thereby revealing synergistic effect of temperature elevation and oxidative stress leading to complete killing/inactivation of the pathogens. The study emphasizes the crucial role of temperature-time process parameters of plasmonic photothermal technique to eliminate broad spectrum pathogens of considerably high initial loadings within few minutes (10 min) at considerably lower temperatures which is 74 °C in comparison to the conventional autoclave which requires operating temperature of 121 °C.
Glycosylation and ESIPT synergistically regulate the antioxidant activity of flavonoids.
Cao B, Yang X, Geng Q … +2 more , Zhou Q, Shi Y
J Photochem Photobiol B · 2026 May · PMID 41825269 · Publisher ↗
Flavonoids with photoluminescence were widely recognized as naturally occurring polyphenolic compounds, celebrated for their potent antioxidant properties. The antioxidant efficacy of these flavonoids can be precisely tu...
Flavonoids with photoluminescence were widely recognized as naturally occurring polyphenolic compounds, celebrated for their potent antioxidant properties. The antioxidant efficacy of these flavonoids can be precisely tuned by structural modification, a finding with profound implications for biomedicine, particularly in cancer diagnosis and anticancer drug development. However, despite their promising prospects, the clinical translation of flavonoids is hampered by their suboptimal aqueous solubility, low gastrointestinal bioavailability, rapid systemic clearance, and limited targeted delivery capabilities. Fortunately, glycosylation offers a promising strategy to ameliorate these constraints, thereby potentiating their pharmacodynamic activity. In the present investigation, density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) were utilized. A comprehensive evaluation of the antioxidant properties was conducted for baicalein exhibiting excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) with a non-existent enol state fluorescence and 6,7,4'-trihydroxyisoflavone without ESIPT characteristics, both in aqueous solution. Research indicates that the antioxidant activity of flavonoids is significantly enhanced in their excited states. Attributed to their ESIPT properties, baicalein and its derivatives exhibit superior antioxidant performance in their keto* state. Additionally, glycosylation was found to contribute to the further enhancement of the flavonoid's antioxidant activity. These findings underscore the pivotal role of ESIPT and glycosylation in the design of high-efficacy flavonoid-based antioxidants.
Red/far-red light optogenetics: technological principles and biomedical applications.
Qian S, Han X, Qiu X
J Photochem Photobiol B · 2026 May · PMID 41825268 · Publisher ↗
As an interdisciplinary frontier integrating optical technologies and genetic principles, optogenetics enables precise spatiotemporal control of gene expression and neuronal activity via light-sensitive molecular assembl...
As an interdisciplinary frontier integrating optical technologies and genetic principles, optogenetics enables precise spatiotemporal control of gene expression and neuronal activity via light-sensitive molecular assemblies, thereby driving transformative advancements in biomedical fields. Red/far-red light optogenetic tools, by virtue of the advantages of long wavelengths, have emerged as powerful platforms for deep-tissue manipulations for both basic researches and clinical applications. Although a number of in-depth studies on various red/far-red light optogenetic tools and their biomedical applications have been published, there has not yet been a comprehensive review that systematically summarizes the advancements of diverse researches on this type of optogenetics. This article systematically delineates the technology of red/far-red light optogenetics, focusing on the molecular mechanisms and biomedical applications of two core photoreceptor protein families: phytochromes and channelrhodopsins. Phytochromes distributed in plants, bacteria and fungi undergo reversible red/far-red light-driven conformational conversion, initiating downstream signaling cascades that support various optogenetic technologies. Channelrhodopsins, originally microalgal blue-light-gated cation channels, are engineered into red-shifted variants, enabling rapid and non-invasive red/far-red light-controlled neuronal excitability manipulation at precise spatiotemporal resolution. The representative case studies of applications of phytochromes-based optogenetic tools in gene editing, transcriptional regulation, light-gated drug delivery and deep tissue imaging and diagnosis; as well as applications of red-shifted channelrhodopsins-based optogenetic tools in spatiotemporally precise neuromodulation are discussed in detail. Moreover, the main technical challenges in the utilization of red/far-red light optogenetic tools are analyzed. With continuous advancements of wavelength-optimized actuators and closed-loop control architectures, red/far-red light optogenetic techniques are poised to drive multidisciplinary convergence, offering unprecedented tools for decoding cellular dynamics and accelerating therapeutic discoveries.
Upregulation of Key Metabolic and Stress-Response Genes Enhanced Growth and High-Temperature Ethanol Fermentation of Thermotolerant 200M and PYK.
Charoenpunthuwong K, Klanrit P, Thanonkeo S … +2 more , Yamada M, Thanonkeo P
Biology (Basel) · 2026 Feb · PMID 41823832 · Full text
Among various ethanologenic microorganisms, thermotolerant has emerged as a promising candidate for industrial ethanol production at elevated temperatures. However, the comparative fermentation efficiency and the underl...
Among various ethanologenic microorganisms, thermotolerant has emerged as a promising candidate for industrial ethanol production at elevated temperatures. However, the comparative fermentation efficiency and the underlying molecular mechanisms driving thermotolerance in newly developed strains remain largely unexplored, hindering their industrial application. In this study, the recently developed thermotolerant strains 200M and PYK exhibited critical high temperatures for growth approximately 2.0 and 2.5 °C higher than the wild-type, respectively. While 40 °C represents severe heat stress that completely inhibits the growth of the wild-type, the thermotolerant strains remained viable, exhibiting significantly shorter cell lengths under these conditions. This study provides the first evidence of their superior multi-stress tolerance toward heat, ethanol, acetic acid, formic acid, and HO. Furthermore, the thermotolerant strains exhibited significantly higher ethanol fermentation efficiencies than the wild-type. At 40 °C, 200M produced approximately 5.8-fold and 3.0-fold more ethanol than the wild-type after 24 and 48 h, respectively, while PYK yielded 6.4-fold and 3.1-fold increases. Novel transcriptional insights via RT-qPCR revealed the simultaneous overexpression of genes involved in ethanol production, protein quality control, and signal transduction, particularly during the exponential phase under heat stress. Collectively, these findings bridge the gap between strain development and molecular understanding, suggesting that the coordinated upregulation of these genetic pathways enhances the adaptive capacity and fermentation efficiency of these thermotolerant strains during sustained growth at 40 °C.
Canned Fish in Brine-Variability in Macronutrient and Fatty Acid Composition.
Chrpová D, Ilko V, Růžičková M … +5 more , Potůčková M, Kouřimská L, Kohout P, Pánek J, Doležal M
Biology (Basel) · 2026 Feb · PMID 41823809 · Full text
Marine fish are a good dietary source of important macro- and micronutrients. In addition to fresh fish, fish with varying degrees of industrial processing-frozen, marinated, smoked, canned, etc.-is used extensively in t...
Marine fish are a good dietary source of important macro- and micronutrients. In addition to fresh fish, fish with varying degrees of industrial processing-frozen, marinated, smoked, canned, etc.-is used extensively in the food market. This study comprehensively characterizes the protein content, fat content, and fatty acid composition of various commercially available canned marine fish species. All canned fish muscle and cod liver were in salted brine, to eliminate the influence of other ingredients. All samples obtained from muscle had a relatively high protein content, mostly between 15 and 21 g/100 g. The fat content was highly variable, ranging from a few tenths to 15 g/100 g. Of the fatty acids, PUFAs predominated in almost all samples. The fatty acid composition of canned fish was very similar to the fatty acid composition of fresh fish. The fact that the content of highly oxylabile PUFAs practically did not differ compared to fresh fish indicates that the preservation process does not lead to significant oxidative damage to this type of product. A significant benefit of eating marine fish is the intake of highly unsaturated fatty acids EPA and DHA of the omega-3 fatty acid series. Mainly mackerel and sardines are an excellent source of these two acids. Atlantic salmon and sockeye salmon are also very good sources. As a result, consuming an average of 3 g of cod liver, 10 g of mackerel, 15 g of sardines, or 30 g of Atlantic and sockeye salmon is sufficient to ensure the recommended daily intake of EPA and DHA.
In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation of sp. Immunomodulatory Effects in Red Hybrid Tilapia, spp.
Cheong HA, Christianus A, de Cruz CR … +8 more , Low CF, Lee PT, Abdullah M, Md Yusoff F, Shaari K, Ismail IS, Ng GH, Chong CM
Biology (Basel) · 2026 Feb · PMID 41823802 · Full text
Diatoms are recognized as a valuable source of bioactive compounds that can stimulate the immune defense mechanisms of fish. This study aimed to assess the effects of sp. in modulating the specific and non-specific immu...
Diatoms are recognized as a valuable source of bioactive compounds that can stimulate the immune defense mechanisms of fish. This study aimed to assess the effects of sp. in modulating the specific and non-specific immunity of red hybrid tilapia through in vitro functional assays, an in vivo feeding trial, and a bacterial challenge. The in vitro experiment (Phase One) examined the immune response of tilapia cells exposed to sp. extract, while the in vivo experiment (Phase Two) evaluated the immune response following an 8-week dietary supplementation with sp. powder. In Phase One, an 8 mg/mL concentration of sp. extract demonstrated an overall enhancement in lysozyme activity and lymphocyte proliferation. In Phase Two, tilapia fed a diet containing 2% sp. showed significantly improved lysozyme activity, while the 5% supplemented group exhibited a significant increase in lymphoproliferation activity ( < 0.05). Growth performance parameters were generally comparable among dietary groups, indicating that supplementation did not adversely affect growth. Notably, the 2% diet also enhanced fish survivability following a challenge with . These findings highlight the immunomodulatory potential of the diatom sp. as a functional feed additive for freshwater fish, particularly red hybrid tilapia, and suggest its positive impact on fish health management in aquaculture.
Engineering C1q single-chain globular head variants for enhanced IgM binding.
John MM, Barthel A, Hawlin V … +2 more , Wozniak-Knopp G, Kunert R
BMC Biol · 2026 Mar · PMID 41820911 · Full text
BACKGROUND: The initiation of the classical complement pathway begins with the binding of the globular head of complement component 1q (C1q) to antigen-bound immunoglobulin M (IgM). To investigate the binding mechanism a...
BACKGROUND: The initiation of the classical complement pathway begins with the binding of the globular head of complement component 1q (C1q) to antigen-bound immunoglobulin M (IgM). To investigate the binding mechanism and sites of C1q, a single-chain protein mimetic of the globular head of C1q and variants thereof were designed. RESULTS: Two approaches were used to generate single-chain globular head C1q variants containing single point mutations potentially altering IgM/C1q binding. The rational protein engineering approach aimed to increase surface charge, considering the negatively charged IgM Cµ3 region and positively charged C1q globular heads. Further, a library of 646 variants with single point mutations in the C1q B-chain loops was designed and expressed using yeast surface display. Three rounds of panning in IgM-coated plates yielded twenty-eight sequenced yeast colonies. The His-tagged wild type variant and six of nine selected variants were stably expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells and purified using immobilized-metal affinity chromatography. All variants were tested for IgM interaction in competition with serum-derived C1q and in a complement activation assay to evaluate the C1q competition potential of the single-chain globular head proteins. CONCLUSIONS: Expression levels differed among the globular head C1q variants, and SDS-PAGE analysis revealed variations in migration mobility, suggesting conformational differences. Four variants showed enhanced IgM binding compared to the wild type variant indicated by improved C1q displacement in the competitive interaction assay. These results were further supported by an advanced complement activation assay, where these variants significantly inhibited complement activation. These findings underpin the critical role of specific amino acids for IgM/C1q interaction and highlight the potential of engineered C1q as a potent inhibitor or activator of the classical complement cascade.
Development of CeO₂/Fe₂O₃ nanocomposite for photocatalytic and biological studies.
Gajendra BO, Sowbhagya, Mylarappa M … +1 more , Umesha B
J Photochem Photobiol B · 2026 May · PMID 41819759 · Publisher ↗
A CeO₂/Fe₂O₃ heterojunction nanocomposite was synthesized via a solution combustion route to engineer enhanced photo-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation for environmental and biological applications. Structu...
A CeO₂/Fe₂O₃ heterojunction nanocomposite was synthesized via a solution combustion route to engineer enhanced photo-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation for environmental and biological applications. Structural and spectroscopic analyses confirmed the formation of a well-integrated heterostructure with reduced crystallite size (∼15.78 nm), narrowed band gap (2.81 eV), and increased oxygen-vacancy concentration. Photoluminescence quenching and XPS results demonstrated improved interfacial charge separation and redox-active Ce/Ce-Fe coupling. Under UV irradiation, the composite achieved 89.93% degradation of Brilliant Cresyl Blue (BCB) dye within 60 min (k = 0.04241 min), outperforming individual oxides due to enhanced ROS production. Scavenger and LC-MS analyses confirmed that •O₂, •OH, and h species were responsible for efficient dye mineralization. Importantly, the elevated ROS generation also translated into pronounced antimicrobial and DNA-damaging effects, demonstrating a direct correlation between heterojunction-mediated charge dynamics and biological activity. These findings highlight the CeO₂/Fe₂O₃ system as a rationally engineered photochemical platform for integrated wastewater remediation and ROS-based antimicrobial applications.
Use of 940 nm diode laser irradiation on conventional and cerium oxide-reinforced orthodontic adhesive before light-activated polymerization on the degree of conversion, and adhesive strength of orthodontic brackets. A scanning Electron microscope assessment.
Alnazeh AA
J Photochem Photobiol B · 2026 May · PMID 41797109 · Publisher ↗
AIM: This study examines the impact of 940 nm diode laser (DL) pre-irradiation prior to LED photopolymerization on the efficacy of orthodontic adhesives. The research assesses micro tensile bond strength (μTBS), resin ta...
AIM: This study examines the impact of 940 nm diode laser (DL) pre-irradiation prior to LED photopolymerization on the efficacy of orthodontic adhesives. The research assesses micro tensile bond strength (μTBS), resin tag length (RTL), and degree of conversion (DC) of both conventional and CeO2-modified adhesives adhered to enamel. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-two single-rooted premolar teeth exhibiting an intact enamel surface were obtained. The enamel surfaces were subjected to etching with a 37% phosphoric acid gel, followed by primer application. The specimens were categorized into four groups based on the different modification techniques for bonding brackets. Group 1: (B + LED), Group 2: (B + DL + LED), Group 3: B via adhesive modified CeO₂NPs + LED, and Group 4: B via adhesive modified CeO₂NPs + DL + LED. CeO₂NPs Surface characterization and RTL at the bracket enamel interface were assessed using SEM. The bond strength and failure modes evaluation were conducted using a Universal Testing Machine and an optical microscope. DC assessment was performed through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), along with a post hoc test, was implemented to assess the differences in means across the various groups under investigation. (p < 0.05). RESULT: Samples in Group 4: B via adhesive modified CeO₂NPs + DL + LED (110.56 ± 2.11 μm) presented the longest resin tags and highest bond strength (10.45 ± 0.27 MPa). Whereas Group 1: (B + LED) displayed the shortest tag length (67.25 ± 0.69 μm) and the lowest scores of μTBS (8.71 ± 0.53 MPa). The highest DC was observed in(B + DL + LED) (74.26 ± 1.32%). Whereas the lowest DC was observed in Group 3: B via adhesive modified CeO₂NPs + LED (70.76 ± 0.36%). CONCLUSION: Diode laser pre-irradiation of orthodontic adhesive resin before photopolymerization using a light-emitting diode promotes better penetration of resin adhesive into the enamel surface and enhances the bond strength of orthodontic brackets.
New conjugates of natural chlorins with doxorubicin featuring controlled release for combined photodynamic and chemotherapeutic treatment.
Ostroverkhov P, Plotnikova E, Medvedev D … +10 more , Durnev D, Polyanskikh I, Eshtukova-Shcheglova E, Asilova N, Neryabova E, Chmelyuk N, Usachev M, Bezborodova O, Filonenko E, Grin M
J Photochem Photobiol B · 2026 May · PMID 41793941 · Publisher ↗
The search for ways to enhance the efficacy and reduce the side toxicity of chemotherapeutic drugs is a pressing task. In this work, a strategy for synthesizing conjugates combining derivatives of natural chlorins, effec...
The search for ways to enhance the efficacy and reduce the side toxicity of chemotherapeutic drugs is a pressing task. In this work, a strategy for synthesizing conjugates combining derivatives of natural chlorins, effectively used for photodynamic therapy, and doxorubicin - a first-line cytostatic agent for the treatment of various tumors - is proposed. The obtained conjugates of chlorin e derivatives with doxorubicin utilized various types of linker molecules containing amide bonds, as well as disulfide and thioketal fragments. The latter are sensitive to reductive and oxidative conditions, respectively. The work also presents the results of studying the cleavage of labile conjugates under model conditions, confirming the controlled release of doxorubicin. In vitro assessment of photo-induced and dark cytotoxicity on human breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7 cells revealed the ability of the conjugates to internalize into cells and exhibit cytotoxicity, induced both under irradiation and without light exposure. Analysis of intracellular distribution using fluorescence microscopy also indicated the release of doxorubicin from conjugates containing labile linkers, and its subsequent accumulation in the nuclei. The proposed approach to creating this type of conjugate demonstrates promise for the development of new anticancer agents with a combined mechanism of action.
Development of a self-assembling aggregation-induced emission nanoprobe for targeted therapy and real-time imaging in non-small cell lung cancer.
Ren Z, Li S, Cui T … +4 more , Zhu T, Ding D, Zhao J, Yuan H
J Photochem Photobiol B · 2026 May · PMID 41793940 · Publisher ↗
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, characterized by poor prognosis and high relapse rates due to the limited therapeutic efficacy and tumor specificity of ex...
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, characterized by poor prognosis and high relapse rates due to the limited therapeutic efficacy and tumor specificity of existing treatments. In this study, we developed a novel self-assembling aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-based nanomaterial (AIEnp) designed to target c-Met, a receptor tyrosine kinase that plays a critical role in tumor progression and resistance in NSCLC. The AIEnp system exhibits dual functionality: it enables fluorescence tracing for real-time imaging and provides targeted c-Met inhibition for therapeutic intervention. In vitro experiments demonstrated that AIEnp significantly reduced the viability of A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells in a concentration-dependent manner, while exhibiting minimal cytotoxicity toward HEK293T somatic cells. Mechanistically, AIEnp downregulated c-Met expression and its downstream signaling pathways, including FAK, MAPK, RAF, and STAT, thereby effectively disrupting multiple oncogenic cascades. The AIE-based design facilitated tumor-specific accumulation and fluorescence tracing, addressing the limitations of poor tumor penetration and non-specific distribution commonly observed in conventional therapies. These findings suggest that AIEnp represents a promising multifunctional platform for NSCLC treatment, combining targeted therapy with real-time imaging capabilities. Future studies will focus on in vivo validation and exploring the potential of AIEnps in combination therapies to further enhance their clinical applicability.
Ischemic stroke triggers brain-wide synaptic remodeling within four hours.
Chen H, Wei Y, Ruje L … +5 more , Du F, Feng Z, Wan Q, Spivakov M, Glebov OO
PLoS Biol · 2026 Mar · PMID 41770794 · Full text
Physiological mechanisms of the key hyperacute (0-24 hours) stage of stroke are poorly understood, hampering the development of new therapies. Synaptic plasticity has been strongly implicated in early stages of neurodege...
Physiological mechanisms of the key hyperacute (0-24 hours) stage of stroke are poorly understood, hampering the development of new therapies. Synaptic plasticity has been strongly implicated in early stages of neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders, yet its relevance in early stroke remains unclear. Here, we describe the emergence of distinct region-specific forms of synaptic remodeling following middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats, arising within the critical 4-hour period. Synapses within the severely ischemic core region were rapidly lost, while those in the mildly ischemic penumbra, albeit largely structurally intact, were functionally diminished. In contrast, the contralateral cortex exhibited increased synaptic staining and synaptic vesicle cycling. Systemic pharmacological blockade of NMDA-type glutamate receptors abolished contralateral synaptic increase and exacerbated synaptic decline in the penumbra. Proteomic and transcriptomic analyses showed that cross-brain synaptic plasticity is independent of local gene expression and revealed metabolic rearrangement and synaptic downregulation in the penumbra. These findings identify brain-wide synaptic rebalancing as a potential mechanism for rapid functional compensation in hyperacute stroke, highlighting the extent of brain response to acute perturbation.
Protective effects of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench) seed extract against acute and chronic UV-induced skin damage, implicating PLD-associated lipid signaling.
Li W, Li X, Liu J … +2 more , Xu H, Zhao X
J Photochem Photobiol B · 2026 Apr · PMID 41759312 · Publisher ↗
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a major environmental factor driving skin photoaging and dermal injury, with implications for cutaneous function and appearance. In this study, the protective potential of okra (Abelmoschus...
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a major environmental factor driving skin photoaging and dermal injury, with implications for cutaneous function and appearance. In this study, the protective potential of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench) seed extract against UVA/UVB-induced skin damage was investigated, integrating network pharmacology, in vitro cell assays, in vivo mice models, and metabolomic profiling to explore potential mechanisms. LC-MS/MS analysis identified ten major bioactive compounds in the okra seed extract, including 10-nitro-9E-octadecenoic acid, 9 s,13r-12-oxophytodienoic acid, octadecanedioic acid among others. In vitro, okra seed extract showed low cytotoxicity and promoted HaCaT cell proliferation and migration. In both acute and chronic UV exposure mouse models, treatment with okra seed extract markedly alleviated epidermal thickening and dermal collagen disruption, was associated with normalization of UV-induced alterations in COL1 and COL3 expression, and attenuated UV-associated increases in MMP3 levels. Mechanistically, integrated metabolomic and network pharmacology analyses suggested the involvement of PLD-associated lipid signaling, accompanied by alterations in lipid metabolites. Collectively, these findings highlight okra seed extract as a promising plant-derived photoprotective agent, providing mechanistic insight and supporting its potential translation into interventions for skin health preservation.
BiToxNet: a deep learning framework integrating multimodal features for accurate identification of neurotoxic peptides and proteins.
Wang F, Xie P, Lin X … +7 more , Guan J, Liu C, He X, Lee TY, Wei L, Liu X, Yao L
BMC Biol · 2026 Feb · PMID 41749211 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Accurate prediction of the neurotoxicity of peptides and proteins is critically important for the safety assessment of protein therapeutics and the development of protein-based drugs. Although experimental me...
BACKGROUND: Accurate prediction of the neurotoxicity of peptides and proteins is critically important for the safety assessment of protein therapeutics and the development of protein-based drugs. Although experimental methods can reliably identify neurotoxic peptides and neurotoxins, they are labor-intensive, costly, and unsuitable for large-scale screening. Existing computational approaches are often limited by shallow feature engineering and suboptimal multimodal fusion strategies, which restrict their predictive accuracy and generalizability in real-world applications. RESULTS: In this study, we propose BiToxNet, a deep learning framework that integrates evolutionary embeddings derived from a protein large language model with ten handcrafted biochemical descriptors through a bilinear attention network (BAN). This design enables effective modeling of cross-modal interactions and residue-level dependencies critical for neurotoxicity prediction. BiToxNet was evaluated on three datasets of different sequence lengths, namely Protein, Peptide, and Combined datasets, achieving accuracies of 92.3%, 96.0%, and 92.7%, respectively, and consistently outperforming existing state-of-the-art methods. Ablation studies confirmed the importance of both evolutionary embeddings and handcrafted features, as well as the critical role of BAN in feature fusion. Visualization analyses using t-SNE and hierarchical clustering further demonstrated that BiToxNet learns highly discriminative representations without reliance on domain-specific prior knowledge. Additional evaluation on an external imbalanced dataset validated the robustness and strong generalization capability of the proposed framework. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, BiToxNet provides a powerful and generalizable computational framework for the accurate identification of neurotoxic peptides and proteins. By effectively integrating evolutionary and biochemical information through bilinear attention, BiToxNet offers a valuable tool for neurotoxin screening and protein drug safety assessment, and presents a distinctive modeling strategy applicable to a wide range of biological sequence analysis tasks.
Community Structure and Soil Environmental Drivers of Rhizosphere and Root Endophytic Microbiota of in a Temperate Grassland.
Ren Y, Zhang B, Jin H … +6 more , Yang X, Xu Z, Yuan Y, Hua C, Yan Z, Qin B
Biology (Basel) · 2026 Feb · PMID 41744668 · Full text
Understanding the ecological drivers of plant-associated microbiota is essential for predicting grassland ecosystem resilience. This study aimed to characterize the community structure, functional potential, and soil env...
Understanding the ecological drivers of plant-associated microbiota is essential for predicting grassland ecosystem resilience. This study aimed to characterize the community structure, functional potential, and soil environmental drivers of rhizosphere and root endophytic microbiota associated with across three Hulunbuir Grassland sites. A nested sampling design was applied with three replicated plots per site, from which paired rhizosphere soil and root samples were collected. Each sample represented a composite of 15 plants, yielding six samples per site (total = 18) and allowing the separation of compartmental and environmental effects on community assembly. plays a key role in nutrient cycling and soil stability; however, its rhizosphere and root microbiomes remain poorly characterized. Fungal diversity was consistently higher in the root endosphere, whereas bacterial diversity was greater in rhizosphere soils. Fungal assemblages were dominated by Ascomycota and Mortierellomycota, primarily represented by and , while bacterial communities were dominated by Actinomycetota and Pseudomonadota, enriched in and . Community differentiation reflected strong compartmental filtering and responses to soil pH, organic carbon, nitrogen, and enzyme activities. Functional prediction indicated clear compartmental partitioning: in the rhizosphere, bacterial communities were enriched in pathways related to carbon and nitrogen metabolism and secondary metabolite biosynthesis, whereas in the root endosphere, functional profiles were more associated with transport, uptake, and fermentation; fungal communities were dominated by saprotrophic and symbiotrophic guilds. These findings demonstrate that soil biochemical gradients and host-driven filtering jointly structure the microbiome, providing ecological insights into plant-microbe-soil interactions and the maintenance of grassland ecosystem stability.
Analysis of Codon Usage Bias Between Entomopathogenic Fungus and Its Host, .
Yan J, Tang C, Tang H … +5 more , Jia B, Feng C, Qi J, Li Y, Li X
Biology (Basel) · 2026 Feb · PMID 41744655 · Full text
, a fungus parasitic on insects, attracts interest due to its unique medicinal applications and complex ecological interactions. The potential relationship between codon usage bias and the parasitic relationship between...
, a fungus parasitic on insects, attracts interest due to its unique medicinal applications and complex ecological interactions. The potential relationship between codon usage bias and the parasitic relationship between and was explored by analyzing the nuclear genomes and mitochondrial genomes of the two. The nuclear genomes showed contrasting preferences: sclerotium exhibited strong GC-ending codon bias (GC3 = 66.13%), while favored AT-ending codons (GC3 = 49.14%). Conversely, both mitochondrial genomes displayed a strong preference (>70% AT) for AT-ending codons. Optimal codon analysis revealed 25 (GC-ending) in and 28 (GC-ending) in nuclear genomes, with overlaps for Leu, Val, Ser, and Pro. The mitochondrial genomes had fewer optimal codons (16 and 13, AT-ending), showing limited overlap (Phe, Leu, Asp, Ser). Neutral plotting analysis, effective number of codons analysis, relative synonymous codon usage analysis, and parity bias analysis showed that the codon usage preferences of the nuclear genomes and mitochondrial genomes of and are jointly affected by selection and mutation pressure. Natural selection predominates in nuclear genomes, while mutation pressure dominates in mitochondrial genomes. This provides new molecular insights into their host-parasite specificity.
Effects of Harvesting Disturbance on Soil Nematode Diversity and Soil Properties in Excavation Areas of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
Tang H, Jia B, Tang C … +6 more , Tong Y, Yan J, Wang S, Qi J, Li Y, Li X
Biology (Basel) · 2026 Feb · PMID 41744648 · Full text
() is a valuable medicinal fungus distributed in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and adjacent high-altitude regions. Wild excavation has raised increasing concerns about its impact on fragile alpine soil ecosystems. Soil nemat...
() is a valuable medicinal fungus distributed in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and adjacent high-altitude regions. Wild excavation has raised increasing concerns about its impact on fragile alpine soil ecosystems. Soil nematodes are sensitive indicators of soil environmental change and can effectively reflect disturbance-induced shifts in soil biotic communities. Understanding the effects of excavation on soil nematode diversity is essential for assessing soil biological health and supporting sustainable management of alpine ecosystems. However, most existing studies are limited to single regions, and few have simultaneously analyzed changes in soil properties, nematode diversity, and soil-nematode relationships across heterogeneous landscapes. The goal of this study was to reveal the impacts of excavation on soil physicochemical properties, nematode diversity and community composition, as well as soil-nematode relationships in typical producing areas, and to assess the ecological risks of current harvesting practices. We investigated five typical -producing regions in Qinghai Province (Henan, Hualong, Maqin, Yushu, Zaduo) and compared excavated and non-excavated sites to evaluate disturbance effects. The results showed strong regional heterogeneity in soil responses to excavation. Soil available potassium (AK) was significantly and consistently lower in all excavated sites ( < 0.01), whereas changes in other soil nutrients varied by region. Nematode α-diversity was generally stable, with a significant decrease in the Shannon index only in Henan (from 2.91 to 2.46). Soil nematode community composition was highly similar between treatments, with more than 70% of shared genera and species remaining largely unchanged and dominant taxa unchanged. Correlation analysis indicated that excavation reshaped soil-nematode relationships, and AK may act as a potential influencing factor associated with nematode diversity in disturbed sites. Overall, under current excavation intensity, the impacts of harvesting on total soil nematode diversity are relatively limited. However, the widespread reduction in AK and localized diversity decline suggest potential long-term ecological risks under intensive or prolonged disturbance.
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