Synthetic peptides for the precise transportation of proteins of interests to selectable subcellular areas.

Proteins, as gifts from nature, provide structure, sequence, and function templates for designing biomaterials. As first reported here, one group of proteins called reflectins and derived peptides were found to present distinct intracellular distribution preferences. Taking their conserved motifs and flexible linkers as Lego bricks, a series of reflectin-derivates were designed and expressed in cells. The selective intracellular localization property leaned on an RMs (canonical conserved reflectin motifs)-replication-determined manner, suggesting that these linkers and motifs were constructional fragments and ready-to-use building blocks for synthetic design and construction. A precise spatiotemporal application demo was constructed in the work by integrating RLNto2 (as one representative of a synthetic peptide derived from RfA1) into the Tet-on system to effectively transport cargo peptides into nuclei at selective time points. Further, the intracellular localization of RfA1 derivatives was spatiotemporally controllable with a CRY2/CIB1 system. At last, the functional homogeneities of either motifs or linkers were verified, which made them standardized building blocks for synthetic biology. In summary, the work provides a modularized, orthotropic, and well-characterized synthetic-peptide warehouse for precisely regulating the nucleocytoplasmic localization of proteins.

Tunable Cellular Localization and Extensive Cytoskeleton-Interplay of Reflectins.

Reflectin proteins are natural copolymers consisting of repeated canonical domains. They are located in a biophotonic system called Bragg lamellae and manipulate the dynamic structural coloration of iridocytes. Their biological functions are intriguing, but the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. Reflectin A1, A2, B1, and C were found to present distinguished cyto-/nucleoplasmic localization preferences in the work. Comparable intracellular localization was reproduced by truncated reflectin variants, suggesting a conceivable evolutionary order among reflectin proteins. The size-dependent access of reflectin variants into the nucleus demonstrated a potential model of how reflectins get into Bragg lamellae. Moreover, RfA1 was found to extensively interact with the cytoskeleton, including its binding to actin and enrichment at the microtubule organizing center. This implied that the cytoskeleton system plays a fundamental role during the organization and transportation of reflectin proteins. The findings presented here provide evidence to get an in-depth insight into the evolutionary processes and working mechanisms of reflectins, as well as novel molecular tools to achieve tunable intracellular transportation.

A double-J stent misguided by zebra guidewire into ileum: A case report and literature review.

The case is a 70-year-old man who underwent a left nephroureterectomy and cutaneous ureterostomy on the contralateral side for invasive bladder cancer had to be accepted replacement of the double-J stent because of stomal stenosis.When replacing the double-J stent, a severe complication that the double-J stent misguided into the ileum occurred. The patient underwent gastrointestinal motility drugs, and the double-J stent was excreted with the feces after 12 hours. Unfortunately，patient suffered a uretero-ileal fistula and died of septic shock finally.The diagnosis and management of Uretero-ileal fistula as an iatrogenic complication of zebra guidewire use is discussed.

Transurethral Incision of the Bladder Neck at Three Points with a Needle-Type Electrode for Bladder Neck Contracture.

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of transurethral incision of the bladder neck (TUIBN) at three points with a needle-type electrode for treatment of bladder neck contracture (BNC). Materials and Methods: Between January 2016 and April 2021, the bladder necks of 53 patients with BNC after surgery were incised by the needle-type electrode at the 5, 7, and 12 O'clock positions. Patient's preoperational characteristics, peri- and postsurgical outcomes, such as time of operation, postoperative bladder irrigation, and postoperative hospital stay, and data of the international prostate symptom score (IPSS), maximum flow rate (Qmax), and postvoid residual (PVR) were recorded 3 and 6 months after surgery. Results: All 53 cases of BNC were successfully treated in 35.00 (25.00, 45.00) min with 18.00 (14.00, 21.00) h for postoperative bladder irrigation with little intraoperative bleeding (less than 50 mL). The postoperative hospital stay ranged from 2 to 8 days, a mean of 3.50 (3.00, 5.00) days. No major intraoperative or postoperative complications were observed. All cases that underwent follow-up assessment at 3 and 6 months after the surgery showed significantly decreased IPSS and PVR and increased Qmax compared to preoperation ones (p ≤ 0.001). Of these 53 patients, there was no recurrence in severe BNC patients, but 5 of 53 (9.4%) BNC patients developed BNC again within 6 months and required repeated TUIBN. Thirty patients comprised five recurrent cases with a follow-up period of more than 1 year. Conclusions: TUIBN at three points provides a safe, effective, and reliable option in treating patients with BNC.

Effects of L.plantarum dy-1 fermentation time on the characteristic structure and antioxidant activity of barley ß-glucan in vitro.

This article explored the effect of Lactobacillus plantarum dy-1 (L. plantarum dy-1) fermentation on the basic physicochemical properties and associated in vitro antioxidant activity of barley ß-glucan, including its molecular weight, monosaccharide composition, characteristic structure and rheology. Its DPPH, ABTS, hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity, and ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) were measured at different fermentation times. The results showed that the molecular weight of barley ß-glucan was decreased from 1.052 × 105 Da to 4.965 × 104 Da within 0-24 h by L. plantarum dy-1 fermentation, but there was no effect on its characteristic structure. The water- and oil-holding properties of barley ß-glucan were significantly enhanced with increased fermentation time, and the fluid viscous behavior of barley ß-glucan was enhanced at 6% concentration, while elastic characteristics were weakened. The fermentation had no significant effect on the scavenging effect of DPPH and ABTS radicals of barley ß-glucan, but the hydroxyl radical scavenging activity and total antioxidant capacity of FRAP were enhanced with increased fermentation time. Fermentation time may change the physicochemical properties and enhance antioxidant activity of barley ß-glucan by reducing its molecular weight.

Rose Pistil Stigma: Hierarchical Superhydrophobic Surfaces with Hydrophilic Microtips for Microdroplet Manipulation.

Finger-like radial hierarchical micropillars with folded tips are observed on the surface of the rose pistil stigma (RPS). Impressively, a water droplet on the surface of the RPS presents a spherical shape and it still hangs on the surface even when the RPS is turned over. Superhydrophobicity and high adhesion to water are demonstrated on the RPS, which is beneficial for the RPS to remain clean and fresh. The special wetting behavior of the RPS is highly related to its hierarchical microstructures and surface chemistry. Finger-like hierarchical micropillars with a high aspect ratio are capable of retaining air to support superhydrophobicity while the microgap between the micropillars and on the hydrophilic tips enables the RPS to retain a high adhesion to water. These findings about the unique wetting behaviors of the RPS may provide inspiration for the design and fabrication of functional wetting surfaces for diverse applications such as microdroplet manipulation, three-dimensional cell culture, and microfluidics.