A new type of phosphate-based phosphor Na3CsMg7(PO4)6:Eu2+/Mn2+ with high quantum efficiency and high thermostability.

The Eu2+ ion, with the 4f75d1 electronic configuration, is one of the most important activated ions due to its symmetry-allowed 4f → 5d electron transition. Herein, we successfully prepared a new type of blue phosphor, Na3CsMg7(PO4)6:xEu2+ (NCMP:xEu2+), in which Eu2+ occupies the Na+ sites of the host lattice. Under 395 nm light excitation, a broad emission band from 410 to 550 nm can be seen, peaking at 458 nm, due to the 5d → 4f transition of Eu2+. Moreover, Eu2+ can be used as a sensitizer ion in an NCMP host. For co-doping phosphor NCMP:0.18Eu2+/0.4Mn2+, both Eu2+ and Mn2+ emission bands can be seen using 395 nm as the excitation wavelength for the occurrence of Eu2+ → Mn2+ charge transfer. The optimized concentration of Eu2+ for NCMP:xEu2+ is x = 0.18, with high internal (IQE) and external quantum efficiencies (EQE) of 66.4% and 22.8%. The luminescence of NCMP:0.18Eu2+ has high thermostability with 77.3% the intensity at 450 K compared to that at 300 K. Finally, a white illuminating lamp was produced using a 395 nm UV chip, blue phosphor NCMP:xEu2+, green phosphor (Sr,Ba)2SiO4:Eu2+ and red phosphor CaAlSiN3:Eu2+ with CIE coordinates of (0.378, 0.369), color temperature (CCT) of 3971 K, and color rendering index (Ra) of 79.8.

Protein composition analysis of polyhedra matrix of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) showed powerful capacity of polyhedra to encapsulate foreign proteins.

Polyhedra can encapsulate other proteins and have potential applications as protein stabilizers. The extremely stable polyhedra matrix may provide a platform for future engineered micro-crystal devices. However, the protein composition of the polyhedra matrix remains largely unknown. In this study, the occlusion-derived virus (ODV)-removed BmNPV polyhedra matrix fraction was subjected to SDS-PAGE and then an LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis using a Thermo Scientific Q Exactive mass spectrometer. In total, 28 host and 91 viral proteins were identified. The host components were grouped into one of six categories, i.e., chaperones, ubiquitin and related proteins, host helicases, cytoskeleton-related proteins, RNA-binding proteins and others, according to their predicted Pfam domain(s). Most viral proteins may not be essential for polyhedra assembly, as evidenced by studies in the literature showing that polyhedra formation occurs in the nucleus upon the disruption of individual genes. The structural role of these proteins in baculovirus replication will be of significant interest in future studies. The immobilization of enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) into the polyhedra by fusing with the C-terminus of BM134 that is encoded by open reading frame (ORF) 134 suggested that the polyhedra had a powerful capacity to trap foreign proteins, and BM134 was a potential carrier for incorporating proteins of interest into the polyhedra.

Inflammatory cytokines in neovascular eye diseases / 眼科新进展

Neovascular eye diseases are the leading cause of irreversible visual impairment in humans.Although intraocular anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy has become one of the most important treatments for these disease,the treatment itself is not stable and there are many potential risks and complications.So it is necessary to explore a clearer and more effective therapeutic target.Studies have shown that the inflammatory cytokines,especially TNF-α,IL-1,IL-6 and IL-18,are closely related to the onset of neovascular eye diseases.Therefore,a review on inflammatory cytokines in neovascular eye diseases will present in this article.

Characterization of aggregate/aggresome structures formed by polyhedrin of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus.

Virus infections often lead to formation of aggregates and aggresomes in host cells. In this study, production of aggregates and aggresomes by the highly expressed protein polyhedrin of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) at 24 h postinfection (p.i.) was detected with a fluorescent molecular dye, and verified by colocalization of polyhedrin with aggresomal markers, GFP-250 and γ-tubulin. Polyhedrin aggregates showed hallmark characteristics of aggresomes: formation was microtubule-dependent; they colocalized with heat shock cognates/proteins of the 70-kDa family (HSC/HSP70s), ubiquitinated proteins and recruited the mitochondria. Aggregated polyhedrin protein gradually gained its active conformation accompanying progress of BmNPV infection. At 48 h p.i. recovered polyhedrin bound directly to Bombyx mori microtubule-associated protein 1-light chain 3 (BmLC3), an autophagosome marker, and was colocalized with BmLC3 to the isolation membrane of autophagosome, implying the involvement of polyhedrin in cellular autophagy. Inhibition of autophagy by 3-methyladenine (3-MA) dramatically resulted in decrease of polyhedrin expression and polyhedra particle production. These observations suggested that highly expressed polyhedrin forms aggregate to get involved in cellular autophagy then play an important role in polyhedra production.