Hu P, Jin L, Li L, Pan X, Hu J, Shi G, Jiang M, Wu J, Xiong C, Chen S, Ji H.

Inorg Chem

PMID:42012863

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The removal of trace alkane impurities remains challenging due to their similar molecular properties. Here we propose a self-boosting kinetic separation process enabled by a "molecular lubrication" strategy, in which trace propane acts as a dynamic lubricant within a tailored Fe-based MOF featuring a bottleneck pore structure. Using in situ synchrotron XRD, DFT, and molecular simulations, we show that propane preferentially occupies the wide cavities rather than the narrow pore necks, smoothing the diffusion pathway and lowering the energy barrier. This leads to a volcano-shaped pressure dependence of diffusivity with an optimum at ∼5 kPa. Breakthrough experiments with a natural-gas mixture (CH4/C2H6/C3H8 = 85/10/5, v/v/v) yield methane purity ≥99.99%. Six-bed vacuum pressure-swing adsorption simulations further demonstrate a high CH4 recovery (80.4%), purity (≥99.95%), and productivity (4.04 mol kg-1 h-1). This work illustrates how trace-impurity-induced lubrication can be harnessed to design MOFs with enhanced diffusion kinetics for gas separation.

Wang Y, Tang M, Song X, Xie W, Yin Y, Gao J, Liu Y, Zhou H, Yu H.

Anal Chem

PMID:42011140

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Protein N -phosphorylation, especially in eukaryotes, plays a critical role in cell signal transduction and tumorigenesis. However, the N -phosphoproteome has not been extensively profiled due to its low abundance and chemical lability. Herein, we developed a potassium phosphoramidate (PPA)-based strategy for the generation of high-quality N -phosphorylation spectral libraries to profile the N -phosphoproteome. This approach relies on the chemical phosphorylation of basic amino acid residues (lysine, arginine, and histidine) by PPA, followed by peptide-level fractionation, phosphopeptide enrichment, spectral library generation, and data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry (DIA-MS) analysis. To develop this method, the feasibility and reproducibility were first validated using N -phosphorylated bovine serum albumin ( N -pho-BSA). Phosphoproteome analysis of HEK293T lysates further demonstrated that the PPA-based library data-independent acquisition (PAlibDIA) achieved superior coverage and quantification reproducibility compared with conventional data-dependent acquisition (DDA) and direct DIA. This PAlibDIA approach was then employed to characterize N -phosphosites in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), resulting in 493 pHis, 714 pLys, and 557 pArg sites; 85% are novel sites that were not previously reported. Further data analysis revealed that differentially regulated N -phosphosites were associated with RNA splicing, chromatin remodeling, nucleosome assembly, and multiple signaling pathways. Together, our PAlibDIA has great potential for comprehensive and in-depth analysis of the N -phosphoproteome, offering new opportunities to uncover regulatory mechanisms and identify potential therapeutic targets.

Brunet T, De Boni R, Massias J, Rodrigues L, Rossignol G, Salvador A, Clément Y, Sorgi C, Ayciriex S.

ACS Omega

PMID:PMC13084450

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Juybari EA, Farimani MM, Asadollahi M.

Sci Rep

PMID:42009700

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Euphorbia hebecarpa has been valued in traditional Iranian medicine; however, its carbohydrate composition has remained largely unexplored. The present study aimed to isolate, identify, and investigate selected biological properties of a carbohydrate fraction (EHC-1) from E. hebecarpa. EHC-1 was extracted using hot water extraction, followed by a two-step chromatographic procedure utilizing DEAE-52 cellulose and Sephadex G-200 columns. Partial structural characterization was performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), high-performance liquid chromatography- refractive index (HPLC-RID), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID). In addition, X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the semi-crystalline nature of the polysaccharide, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was employed to evaluate its thermal stability. Compositional analyses identified EHC-1 as a polysaccharide with an average molecular weight of approximately 148 kDa. The relative monosaccharide composition comprised glucose (51.50%), fructose (35.70%), galactose (5.79%), arabinose (5.86%), and galacturonic acid (1.13%), as determined by the corrected peak area method incorporating relative response factors (RRFs). In vitro assays revealed that EHC-1 demonstrated concentration-dependent antioxidant activity in DPPH, ABTS, and hydroxyl radical scavenging assays, with relatively higher efficacy against hydroxyl radicals (IC 50 = 2.43 ± 0.066 mg/mL). Furthermore, EHC-1 showed moderate antibacterial effects against both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus strains, with stronger effects against the latter.

Jana SK, Bhunia S, Ghosh D, Guha D, Mondal S, Sarkar HS, Gupta S, Samanta S, Sahoo P, Mandal S.

Appl Environ Microbiol

PMID:42007717

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The increasing prevalence of fungal phytopathogens and the widespread emergence of fungicide resistance necessitate the development of alternative antifungal strategies with reduced environmental impact. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of a novel antifungal metabolite, SM06, produced by the rice seed-associated endophytic bacterium Phytobacter sp. RSE02. SM06 exhibited broad-spectrum antifungal activity against plant and human pathogenic fungi, including Curvularia lunata , Fusarium oxysporum , and Candida albicans . In vitro assays and micromorphological analyses revealed that SM06, an indole dimer, disrupts fungal cell membrane integrity, while in planta experiments demonstrated significant suppression of brown leaf spot disease in tomato and rice. Molecular docking suggested that SM06 binds to lanosterol 14α-demethylase (ERG11), a key enzyme in fungal sterol biosynthesis. Consistent with this prediction, LC-MS-based analyses confirmed a significant reduction in ergosterol content in SM06-treated fungal cells. Together, these findings identify SM06 as a biologically active antifungal metabolite produced by a plant-associated bacterium, highlighting its potential application in sustainable fungal disease management.IMPORTANCEFungal diseases cause major losses in crop production and contribute to the growing challenge of antifungal resistance, underscoring the need for sustainable alternatives to chemical fungicides. This study identifies SM06, a novel indole dimer produced by the rice seed endophyte Phytobacter sp. RSE02, with strong antifungal activity against economically important plant pathogens and clinically relevant fungi. Through integrated chemical, cellular, and in planta analyses, we demonstrate that SM06 disrupts fungal membrane integrity by inhibiting ergosterol biosynthesis. The compound is biocompatible, stable, and effective in plant disease suppression, highlighting its translational potential for crop protection. These findings reveal seed endophytes as an important yet underexplored source of antifungal metabolites and provide a mechanistic foundation for developing eco-friendly biocontrol strategies with implications beyond agriculture.