Circular RNA circMAN2B2 facilitates lung cancer cell proliferation and invasion via miR-1275/FOXK1 axis.

Lung cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. In the past years, increasing reports indicate that circular RNAs (circRNAs) exert a great important role in human cancers, including lung cancer. However, the knowledge about circRNA in lung cancer remains very little so far. In the present study, we screened out a highly expressed novel circRNA named circMAN2B2 in lung cancer tissues. We investigated the function of circMAN2B2 and found that circMAN2B2 knockdown significantly inhibited cell proliferation and invasion in both H1299 and A549 lung cancer cells. Mechanistically, we found that circMAN2B2 could sponge miR-1275 to inhibit its level. Through a series of functional experiments, we dissected the role of miR-1275 in lung cancer and proved the anti-tumor role of miR-1275. Furthermore, we found that miR-1275 exerted its role in lung cancer by regulating FOXK1 expression. In addition, we demonstrated that restoration of FOXK1 could rescue circMAN2B2 knockdown-induced repression of cell proliferation and invasion. Taken together, our study demonstrated that circMAN2B2 acts as an oncogenic role in lung cancer through promoting FOXK1 expression by sponging miR-1275.

Amphiphilic hollow carbonaceous microsphere-encapsulated enzymes: Facile immobilization and robust biocatalytic properties.

This study reports a general strategy for the encapsulation of various enzymes in amphiphilic hollow carbonaceous microspheres (CMs). We found that enzymes could be spontaneously encapsulated in the interior cavity of the CMs via hydrophobic interactions. Due to strong hydrophobic interactions and robust confinement, leaching of the physically adsorbed enzymes is substantially restricted. As a novel immobilization matrix, the CMs display many significant advantages. They are capable of encapsulating a wide range of proteins/enzymes of different sizes, which can then be used in both aqueous and organic media and retain high activity, stability, and excellent reusability. Moreover, CMs could be considered as efficient microreactors that provide a favorable microaqueous environment for enzymes in organic systems. Therefore, this doubly effective and simple immobilization approach can be easily expanded to many other enzymes and has great potential in a variety of enzyme applications.

Three hydroxy aurone compounds as chemosensors for cyanide anions.

Three new 4-hydroxy aurone compounds 1-3 with dimethylamino (1), bromine (2) and cyano (3) as terminal group have been synthesized. Their photophysical properties as well as recognition properties for cyanide anions in acetonitrile and aqueous solution have also been examined. These compounds exhibit remarkable response to cyanide anions with obvious color and fluorescence change owing to hydrogen bonding reaction between cyanide anions and the O-H moiety of the sensors, which allows naked eye detection of cyanide anions.

Synthesis, crystal structure and two-photon excited fluorescence properties of three aurone derivatives.

Three aurone derivatives, Z-2-[(4-N,N-dimethylaminophenyl)methylene] benzofuran-3-one (1), Z-2-[(N-ethylcarbazol-3-yl)methylene]benzofuran-3-one (2) and Z-2-[(pyren-1-yl)methylene]benzofuran-3-one (3) have been synthesized by the cyclization of 2'-hydroxychalcones. Their crystal structure, single- and two-photon related absorption and fluorescence properties have been examined. Pumped by 860 nm laser pulses in femtosecond regime, the compounds exhibit strong yellow-green two-photon excited fluorescence at 539 nm (1), 505 nm (2) and 524 nm (3) in THF with two-photon absorption (TPA) cross-section being 1536GM (1), 608GM (2) and 236GM (3).