1
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Varnava CK, Persianis P, Ieropoulos I, Tsipa A. Electricity generation and real oily wastewater treatment by Pseudomonas citronellolis 620C in a microbial fuel cell: pyocyanin production as electron shuttle. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 2024; 47:903-917. [PMID: 38630261 PMCID: PMC11101561 DOI: 10.1007/s00449-024-03016-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
In the present study, the potential of Pseudomonas citronellolis 620C strain was evaluated, for the first time, to generate electricity in a standard, double chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC), with oily wastewater (OW) being the fuel at 43.625 mg/L initial chemical oxygen demand (COD). Both electrochemical and physicochemical results suggested that this P. citronellolis strain utilized efficiently the OW substrate and generated electricity in the MFC setup reaching 0.05 mW/m2 maximum power. COD removal was remarkable reaching 83.6 ± 0.1%, while qualitative and quantitative gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis of the OW total petroleum and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and fatty acids revealed high degradation capacity. It was also determined that P. citronellolis 620C produced pyocyanin as electron shuttle in the anodic MFC chamber. To the authors' best knowledge, this is the first study showing (phenazine-based) pyocyanin production from a species other than P. aeruginosa and, also, the first time that P. citronellolis 620C has been shown to produce electricity in a MFC. The production of pyocyanin, in combination with the formation of biofilm in the MFC anode, as observed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis, makes this P. citronellolis strain an attractive and promising candidate for wider MFC applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constantina K Varnava
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Panagiotis Persianis
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Ioannis Ieropoulos
- Water and Environmental Engineering Group, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO16 7QF, UK
| | - Argyro Tsipa
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus.
- Nireas International Water Research Centre, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus.
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2
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Antoniou IM, Ioannou N, Panagiotou N, Georgiades SN. LED-induced Ru-photoredox Pd-catalyzed C-H arylation of (6-phenylpyridin-2-yl)pyrimidines and heteroaryl counterparts. RSC Adv 2024; 14:12179-12191. [PMID: 38628490 PMCID: PMC11019410 DOI: 10.1039/d4ra02173h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
N-heterocycles are essential building blocks and scaffolds in medicinal chemistry. A Pd-catalyzed, Ru-photoredox-mediated C-H arylation is applied herein, for converting a series of functionality-inclusive (6-phenylpyridin-2-yl)pyrimidines to single arylated derivatives, using phenyldiazonium tetrafluoroborate as aryl source. This green chemistry-compliant transformation is induced by LED light. The drug-like modular substrates are constructed via combination of Biginelli multi-component condensation and Suzuki C-C cross-coupling, in order to strategically install, adjacent to the Ph-ring intended to undergo C-H arylation, a (6-pyridin-2-yl)pyrimidine that plays the role of a chelating directing moiety for the C-H arylation catalyst. The scope has been demonstrated on a series of 26 substrates, comprising diverse Ph-ring substituents and substitution patterns, as well as with 13 different aryl donors. Substrates in which the Ph-ring (arylation acceptor) was replaced by an electron-rich heteroaryl counterpart (2-/3-thiophene or -benzofuran) have also been examined and found to undergo arylation regioselectively. End-product conformations afford interesting motifs for occupying 3D chemical space, as implied by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, which has allowed the elucidation of six structures of aryl derivatives and one of an unprecedented pyrimidine-pyridine-benzofuran carbopalladated complex, believed to be a C-H activation derivative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioakeim M Antoniou
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cyprus 1 Panepistimiou Avenue, Aglandjia 2109 Nicosia Cyprus
| | - Natalia Ioannou
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cyprus 1 Panepistimiou Avenue, Aglandjia 2109 Nicosia Cyprus
| | - Nikos Panagiotou
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cyprus 1 Panepistimiou Avenue, Aglandjia 2109 Nicosia Cyprus
| | - Savvas N Georgiades
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cyprus 1 Panepistimiou Avenue, Aglandjia 2109 Nicosia Cyprus
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3
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Fountoglou A, Deltas C, Siomou E, Dounousi E. Genome-wide association studies reconstructing chronic kidney disease. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2024; 39:395-402. [PMID: 38124660 PMCID: PMC10899781 DOI: 10.1093/ndt/gfad209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major health problem with an increasing epidemiological burden, and is the 16th leading cause of years of life lost worldwide. It is estimated that more than 10% of the population have a variable stage of CKD, while about 850 million people worldwide are affected. Nevertheless, public awareness remains low, clinical access is inappropriate in many circumstances and medication is still ineffective due to the lack of clear therapeutic targets. One of the main issues that drives these problems is the fact that CKD remains a clinical entity with significant causal ambiguity. Beyond diabetes mellitus and hypertension, which are the two major causes of kidney disease, there are still many gray areas in the diagnostic context of CKD. Genetics nowadays emerges as a promising field in nephrology. The role of genetic factors in CKD's causes and predisposition is well documented and thousands of genetic variants are well established to contribute to the high burden of disease. Next-generation sequencing is increasingly revealing old and new rare variants that cause Mendelian forms of chronic nephropathy while genome-wide association studies (GWAS) uncover common variants associated with CKD-defining traits in the general population. In this article we review how GWAS has revolutionized-and continues to revolutionize-the old concept of CKD. Furthermore, we present how the investigation of common genetic variants with previously unknown kidney significance has begun to expand our knowledge on disease understanding, providing valuable insights into disease mechanisms and perhaps paving the way for novel therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasios Fountoglou
- Department of Nephrology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Constantinos Deltas
- School of Medicine and biobank.cy Center of Excellence in Biobanking and Biomedical Research, University of Cyprus, Nicosia 2109, Cyprus
| | - Ekaterini Siomou
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Evangelia Dounousi
- Department of Nephrology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
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4
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Topcu C, Georgiou V, Rodosthenous JH, Siakallis G, Gavala EK, Dimitriou CR, Zeniou E, Foley BT, Kostrikis LG. Comprehensive Genetic Characterization of Four Novel HIV-1 Circulating Recombinant Forms (CRF129_56G, CRF130_A1B, CRF131_A1B, and CRF138_cpx): Insights from Molecular Epidemiology in Cyprus. Viruses 2023; 16:19. [PMID: 38275954 PMCID: PMC10819958 DOI: 10.3390/v16010019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Molecular investigations of the HIV-1 pol region (2253-5250 in the HXB2 genome) were conducted on sequences obtained from 331 individuals infected with HIV-1 in Cyprus between 2017 and 2021. This study unveiled four distinct HIV-1 putative transmission clusters, encompassing 19 previously unidentified HIV-1 recombinants. These recombinants, each comprising eight, three, four, and four sequences, respectively, did not align with previously established Circulating Recombinant Forms (CRFs). To characterize these novel HIV-1 recombinants, near-full-length genome sequences were successfully obtained for 16 of the 19 recombinants (790-8795 in the HXB2 genome) using an in-house-developed RT-PCR assay. Phylogenetic analyses, employing MEGAX and Cluster-Picker, along with confirmatory neighbor-joining tree analyses of subregions, were conducted to identify distinct clusters and determine subtypes. The uniqueness of the HIV-1 recombinants was evident in their exclusive clustering within generated maximum likelihood trees. Recombination analyses highlighted the distinct chimeric nature of these recombinants, with consistent mosaic patterns observed across all sequences within each of the four putative transmission clusters. Conclusive genetic characterization identified four novel HIV-1 CRFs: CRF129_56G, CRF130_A1B, CRF131_A1B, and CRF138_cpx. CRF129_56G exhibited two recombination breakpoints and three fragments of subtypes CRF56_cpx and G. Both CRF130_A1B and CRF131_A1B featured seven recombination breakpoints and eight fragments of subtypes A1 and B. CRF138_cpx displayed five recombination breakpoints and six fragments of subtypes CRF22_01A1 and F2, along with an unclassified fragment. Additional BLAST analyses identified a Unique Recombinant Form (URF) of CRF138_cpx with three additional recombination sites, involving subtype F2, a fragment of unknown subtype origin, and CRF138_cpx. Post-identification, all putative transmission clusters remained active, with CRF130_A1B, CRF131_A1B, and CRF138_cpx clusters exhibiting further growth. Furthermore, international connections were identified through BLAST analyses, linking one sequence from the USA to the CRF130_A1B strain, and three sequences from Belgium and Cameroon to the CRF138_cpx strain. This study contributes valuable insights into the dynamic landscape of HIV-1 diversity and transmission patterns, emphasizing the need for ongoing molecular surveillance and global collaboration in tracking emerging viral variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cicek Topcu
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, 1 University Avenue, Aglantzia, 2109 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Vasilis Georgiou
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, 1 University Avenue, Aglantzia, 2109 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Johana Hezka Rodosthenous
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, 1 University Avenue, Aglantzia, 2109 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | | | - Elena Katerina Gavala
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, 1 University Avenue, Aglantzia, 2109 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Christiana Reveka Dimitriou
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, 1 University Avenue, Aglantzia, 2109 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Evgenia Zeniou
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, 1 University Avenue, Aglantzia, 2109 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Brian Thomas Foley
- T-6 Theoretical Biology and Biophysics, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
| | - Leondios G. Kostrikis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, 1 University Avenue, Aglantzia, 2109 Nicosia, Cyprus
- Cyprus Academy of Sciences, Letters, and Arts, 60–68 Phaneromenis Street, 1011 Nicosia, Cyprus
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5
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Nicolaidou E, Parker AW, Sazanovich IV, Towrie M, Hayes SC. Unraveling Excited State Dynamics of a Single-Stranded DNA-Assembled Conjugated Polyelectrolyte. J Phys Chem Lett 2023; 14:9794-9803. [PMID: 37883808 PMCID: PMC10641883 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c01803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Revised: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Conformational templating of conjugated polyelectrolytes with single-stranded DNAs (ssDNAs) has the prospect of tailoring excited state dynamics for specific optoelectronic applications. We use ultrafast time-resolved infrared spectroscopy to study the photophysics of a cationic polythiophene assembled with different ssDNAs, inducing distinct conformations (flexible disordered structures vs more rigid complexes with increased backbone planarity). Intrachain polarons are always produced upon selective excitation of the polymer, the extent being dependent on backbone torsional order. Polaron formation and decay were monitored through evolution of IR-active vibrational modes that interfere with mid-IR polaron electronic absorption giving rise to Fano-antiresonances. Selective UV excitation of ssDNAs revealed that stacking interactions between thiophene rings and nucleic acid bases can promote the formation of an intermolecular charge transfer complex. The findings inform designers of functional conjugated polymers by identifying that involvement of the scaffold in the photophysics needs to be considered when developing such structures for optoelectronic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliana Nicolaidou
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Cyprus, P.O. Box 20537, 1678 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Anthony W. Parker
- Central
Laser Facility, Research Complex at Harwell, Science and Technology
Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Oxford, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, U.K.
| | - Igor V. Sazanovich
- Central
Laser Facility, Research Complex at Harwell, Science and Technology
Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Oxford, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, U.K.
| | - Michael Towrie
- Central
Laser Facility, Research Complex at Harwell, Science and Technology
Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Oxford, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, U.K.
| | - Sophia C. Hayes
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Cyprus, P.O. Box 20537, 1678 Nicosia, Cyprus
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6
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Constantinou E, Vlemincx E, Panayiotou G. Testing emotional response coherence assumptions: Comparing emotional versus non-emotional states. Psychophysiology 2023; 60:e14359. [PMID: 37282750 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Although central to theories of emotion, emotional response coherence, that is, coordination among various emotion response systems, has received inconsistent empirical support. This study tests a basic assumption of response coherence, that is, that it characterizes emotional states defining their beginning and end. To do so, we (a) compare response coherence between emotional versus non-emotional states and (b) examine how emotional coherence changes over time, before, during, and after an emotional episode. Seventy-nine participants viewed neutral, pleasant, and unpleasant film clips and rated continuously how pleasant they felt (experience) before (anticipation), during, and after (recovery) each clip. Autonomic physiological arousal responses (skin conductance level, heart rate; physiology) and facial expressions (corrugator, zygomatic activity; expression) were recorded. Within-person cross-correlations between all emotional response pairs were calculated for each phase. Analyses comparing coherence during emotional versus neutral film viewing showed that only experience-expression coherence was higher for emotional versus neutral films, indicating specificity for emotional states. Examining coherence across phases indicated that coherence increased from anticipation to emotional film viewing, as expected, for experience-expression and experience-physiology pairs (SCL only). Of those pairs, increased coherence returned to baseline during recovery, as theoretically assumed, only for experience-corrugator activity coherence. Current findings provide empirical support for theoretical views of response coherence as a defining feature of emotional episodes, but mostly for the coherence between experience and facial expressions. Further research needs to investigate the role of sympathetic arousal indices, as well as the role of response coherence in emotional recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Constantinou
- Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Elke Vlemincx
- Department of Health Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam Movement Sciences Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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7
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Papachristodoulou E, Kakoullis L, Christophi C, Psarelis S, Hajiroussos V, Parperis K. The relationship of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio with health-related quality of life, depression, and disease activity in SLE: a cross-sectional study. Rheumatol Int 2023; 43:1841-1848. [PMID: 37405441 PMCID: PMC10435585 DOI: 10.1007/s00296-023-05381-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) emerged as a potential biomarker in SLE, but its association with several outcomes remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between NLR and SLE disease activity, damage, depression, and health-related quality of life. A cross-sectional study was conducted, including 134 patients with SLE who visited the Division of Rheumatology between November 2019 and June 2021. Demographics and clinical data including NLR, Safety of Estrogens in Lupus Erythematosus National Assessment-Systemic Lupus disease activity index (SELENA-SLEDAI), Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index (SDI), physician global assessment (PhGA), patient global assessment (PGA), patient health questionnaire (PHQ)-9, patient self-rated health, and lupus quality of life (LupusQoL) scores, were collected. Patients were stratified into two groups and compared using the NLR cut-off of 2.73, the 90th percentile value of healthy individuals. The analysis included t-test for continuous variables, χ2-test for categorical variables, and logistic regression adjusting for age, sex, BMI, and glucocorticoid use. Among the 134 SLE patients, 47 (35%) had an NLR ≥ 2.73. The NLR ≥ 2.73 group had significantly higher rates of severe depression (PHQ ≥ 15), poor/fair self-rated health, and the presence of damage (SDI ≥ 1). These patients also scored significantly lower in LupusQoL domains (physical health, planning, and body image), and higher in SELENA-SLEDAI, PhGA, and PGA. Logistic regression confirmed that high NLR is associated with severe depression (PHQ ≥ 15) (OR:7.23, 2.03-25.74), poor/fair self-rated health (OR:2.77,1.29-5.96), high SELENA-SLEDAI score(≥ 4) (OR:2.22,1.03-4.78), high PhGA (≥ 2) (OR:3.76, 1.56-9.05), and presence of damage (SDI ≥ 1) (OR:2.67, 1.11-6.43). High NLR in SLE may indicate depression, worse quality of life, active disease, and the presence of damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Papachristodoulou
- Department of Medicine, University of Cyprus Medical School, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Department of Medicine, University of Patras School of Health Sciences, Patras, Greece
| | - Loukas Kakoullis
- Department of Internal Medicine, Mount Auburn Hospital, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Costas Christophi
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus
| | - Savvas Psarelis
- Department of Rheumatology, Nicosia General Hospital, University of Cyprus Medical School, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | | | - Konstantinos Parperis
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of Cyprus Medical School, Palaios Dromos Lefkosias Lemesou No. 215/6, Aglantzia, 2029, Nicosia,, Cyprus.
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8
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Broumidis E, Thomson CG, Gallagher B, Sotorríos L, McKendrick KG, Macgregor SA, Paterson MJ, Lovett JE, Lloyd GO, Rosair GM, Kalogirou AS, Koutentis PA, Vilela F. The Photochemical Mediated Ring Contraction of 4 H-1,2,6-Thiadiazines To Afford 1,2,5-Thiadiazol-3(2 H)-one 1-Oxides. Org Lett 2023; 25:6907-6912. [PMID: 37695021 PMCID: PMC10521009 DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.3c02673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
1,2,6-Thiadiazines treated with visible light and 3O2 under ambient conditions are converted into difficult-to-access 1,2,5-thiadiazole 1-oxides (35 examples, yields of 39-100%). Experimental and theoretical studies reveal that 1,2,6-thiadiazines act as triplet photosensitizers that produce 1O2 and then undergo a chemoselective [3 + 2] cycloaddition to give an endoperoxide that ring contracts with selective carbon atom excision and complete atom economy. The reaction was optimized under both batch and continuous-flow conditions and is also efficient in green solvents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanouil Broumidis
- Institute
of Chemical Sciences, School of Engineering & Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher G. Thomson
- Institute
of Chemical Sciences, School of Engineering & Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, United Kingdom
| | - Brendan Gallagher
- Institute
of Chemical Sciences, School of Engineering & Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, United Kingdom
| | - Lia Sotorríos
- Institute
of Chemical Sciences, School of Engineering & Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, United Kingdom
| | - Kenneth G. McKendrick
- Institute
of Chemical Sciences, School of Engineering & Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, United Kingdom
| | - Stuart A. Macgregor
- Institute
of Chemical Sciences, School of Engineering & Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, United Kingdom
| | - Martin J. Paterson
- Institute
of Chemical Sciences, School of Engineering & Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, United Kingdom
| | - Janet E. Lovett
- SUPA
School of Physics and Astronomy and BSRC, University of St Andrews, St.
Andrews, KY16 9SS, United Kingdom
| | - Gareth O. Lloyd
- Joseph
Banks Laboratories, School of Chemistry, University of Lincoln, Brayford
Pool, Lincoln LN6 7TS, United Kingdom
| | - Georgina M. Rosair
- Institute
of Chemical Sciences, School of Engineering & Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, United Kingdom
| | - Andreas S. Kalogirou
- Department
of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, European
University Cyprus, 6 Diogenes Str., Engomi, P.O. Box 22006, 1516 Nicosia, Cyprus
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Cyprus, P.O. Box 20537, 1678 Nicosia Cyprus
| | | | - Filipe Vilela
- Institute
of Chemical Sciences, School of Engineering & Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, United Kingdom
- Continuum
Flow Lab, School of Engineering & Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, United Kingdom
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9
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Athanasiou M, Manoli A, Papagiorgis P, Georgiou K, Berezovska Y, Othonos A, Bodnarchuk MI, Kovalenko MV, Itskos G. Flexible, Free-Standing Polymer Membranes Sensitized by CsPbX3 Nanocrystals as Gain Media for Low Threshold, Multicolor Light Amplification. ACS Photonics 2022; 9:2385-2397. [PMID: 35880075 PMCID: PMC9305998 DOI: 10.1021/acsphotonics.2c00426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) are highly suitable active media for solution-processed lasers in the visible spectrum, owing to the wide tunability of their emission from blue to red via facile ion-exchange reactions. Their outstanding optical gain properties and the suppressed nonradiative recombination losses stem from their defect-tolerant nature. In this work, we demonstrate flexible waveguides combining the transparent, bioplastic, polymer cellulose acetate with green CsPbBr3 or red-emitting CsPb(Br,I)3 NCs in simple solution-processed architectures based on polymer-NC multilayers deposited on polymer micro-slabs. Experiments and simulations indicate that the employment of the thin, free-standing membranes results in confined electrical fields, enhanced by 2 orders of magnitude compared to identical multilayer stacks deposited on conventional, rigid quartz substrates. As a result, the polymer structures exhibit improved amplified emission characteristics under nanosecond excitation, with amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) thresholds down to ∼95 μJ cm-2 and ∼70 μJ cm-2 and high net modal gain up to ∼450 and ∼630 cm-1 in the green and red parts of the spectrum, respectively. The optimized gain properties are accompanied by a notable improvement of the ASE operational stability due to the low thermal resistance of the substrate-less membranes and the intimate thermal contact between the polymer and the NCs. Their application potential is further highlighted by the membrane's ability to sustain dual-color ASE in the green and red parts of the spectrum through excitation by a single UV source, activate underwater stimulated emission, and operate as efficient white light downconverters of commercial blue LEDs, producing high-quality white light emission, 115% of the NTSC color gamut.
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Affiliation(s)
- Modestos Athanasiou
- Experimental
Condensed Matter Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cyprus, Nicosia 1678, Cyprus
| | - Andreas Manoli
- Experimental
Condensed Matter Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cyprus, Nicosia 1678, Cyprus
| | - Paris Papagiorgis
- Experimental
Condensed Matter Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cyprus, Nicosia 1678, Cyprus
| | - Kyriacos Georgiou
- Department
of Physics, Laboratory of Ultrafast Science, University of Cyprus, Nicosia 1678, Cyprus
| | - Yuliia Berezovska
- Laboratory
for Thin Films and Photovoltaics, Empa—Swiss
Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 129, Dübendorf CH-8600, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Othonos
- Department
of Physics, Laboratory of Ultrafast Science, University of Cyprus, Nicosia 1678, Cyprus
| | - Maryna I. Bodnarchuk
- Laboratory
for Thin Films and Photovoltaics, Empa—Swiss
Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 129, Dübendorf CH-8600, Switzerland
| | - Maksym V. Kovalenko
- Institute
of Inorganic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zürich, Zürich CH-8093, Switzerland
- Laboratory
for Thin Films and Photovoltaics, Empa—Swiss
Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 129, Dübendorf CH-8600, Switzerland
| | - Grigorios Itskos
- Experimental
Condensed Matter Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cyprus, Nicosia 1678, Cyprus
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10
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Zenios SA. The risks from climate change to sovereign debt. Clim Change 2022; 172:30. [PMID: 35692216 PMCID: PMC9174924 DOI: 10.1007/s10584-022-03373-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED The exposure of sovereigns to climate risks is priced and can affect credit ratings and debt servicing costs. I argue that the climate risks to fiscal stability are not receiving adequate attention and discuss how to remedy the situation. After providing evidence of divergent climate risks to advanced economies, I describe the transmission channels from climate change to public finance. Then, I suggest how integrated assessment models (IAMs) can be linked with stochastic debt sustainability analysis (DSA) to inform our understanding of climate risks to sovereign debt dynamics and assess the available fiscal space to finance climate policies. I argue for adopting the narrative scenario architecture developed within the IPCC to bring structure and transparency to the analysis. The analysis is complicated by deep uncertainty -risks, ambiguity, and mis-specifications- of climate change. Using scenario trees, narrative scenarios, and ensembles of models, respectively, we can deal with these three challenges. I illustrate using two prominent IAMs to generate the debt dynamics of a high-debt country under climate risks to economic growth and find adverse effects from as early as 2030. I conclude with the policy implications for fiscal stability authorities. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10584-022-03373-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stavros A. Zenios
- University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Cyprus Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Bruegel, Brussels, Belgium
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11
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Valianti S, Skourtis SS. The Role of Bridge-State Intermediates in Singlet Fission for Donor-Bridge-Acceptor Systems: A Semianalytical Approach to Bridge-Tuning of the Donor-Acceptor Fission Coupling. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:939-946. [PMID: 35050642 PMCID: PMC9836358 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c03700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
We describe a semianalytical/computational framework to explore structure-function relationships for singlet fission in Donor (D)-Bridge (B)-Acceptor (A) molecular architectures. The aim of introducing a bridging linker between the D and A molecules is to tune, by modifying the bridge structure, the electronic pathways that lead to fission and to D-A-separated correlated triplets. We identify different bridge-mediation regimes for the effective singlet-fission coupling in the coherent tunneling limit and show how to derive the dominant fission pathways in each regime. We describe the dependence of these regimes on D-B-A many-electron state energetics and on D-B (A-B) one-electron and two-electron matrix elements. This semianalytical approach can be used to guide computational and experimental searches for D-B-A systems with tuned singlet fission rates. We use this approach to interpret the bridge-resonance effect of singlet fission that has been observed in recent experiments.
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12
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Quaglia F, Mészáros B, Salladini E, Hatos A, Pancsa R, Chemes LB, Pajkos M, Lazar T, Peña-Díaz S, Santos J, Ács V, Farahi N, Fichó E, Aspromonte M, Bassot C, Chasapi A, Davey N, Davidović R, Dobson L, Elofsson A, Erdős G, Gaudet P, Giglio M, Glavina J, Iserte J, Iglesias V, Kálmán Z, Lambrughi M, Leonardi E, Longhi S, Macedo-Ribeiro S, Maiani E, Marchetti J, Marino-Buslje C, Mészáros A, Monzon A, Minervini G, Nadendla S, Nilsson JF, Novotný M, Ouzounis C, Palopoli N, Papaleo E, Pereira P, Pozzati G, Promponas V, Pujols J, Rocha AS, Salas M, Sawicki LR, Schad E, Shenoy A, Szaniszló T, Tsirigos K, Veljkovic N, Parisi G, Ventura S, Dosztányi Z, Tompa P, Tosatto SCE, Piovesan D. DisProt in 2022: improved quality and accessibility of protein intrinsic disorder annotation. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:D480-D487. [PMID: 34850135 PMCID: PMC8728214 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab1082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The Database of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins (DisProt, URL: https://disprot.org) is the major repository of manually curated annotations of intrinsically disordered proteins and regions from the literature. We report here recent updates of DisProt version 9, including a restyled web interface, refactored Intrinsically Disordered Proteins Ontology (IDPO), improvements in the curation process and significant content growth of around 30%. Higher quality and consistency of annotations is provided by a newly implemented reviewing process and training of curators. The increased curation capacity is fostered by the integration of DisProt with APICURON, a dedicated resource for the proper attribution and recognition of biocuration efforts. Better interoperability is provided through the adoption of the Minimum Information About Disorder (MIADE) standard, an active collaboration with the Gene Ontology (GO) and Evidence and Conclusion Ontology (ECO) consortia and the support of the ELIXIR infrastructure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Quaglia
- Institute of Biomembranes, Bioenergetics and Molecular Biotechnologies, National Research Council (CNR-IBIOM), Bari, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Bálint Mészáros
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg 69117, Germany
| | - Edoardo Salladini
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - András Hatos
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Rita Pancsa
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest 1117, Hungary
| | - Lucía B Chemes
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas (IIBiO-CONICET), Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Av. 25 de Mayo y Francia, CP1650 Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mátyás Pajkos
- Department of Biochemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter stny 1/c, Budapest H-1117, Hungary
| | - Tamas Lazar
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnology, Brussels, Belgium
- Structural Biology Brussels (SBB), Bioengineering Sciences Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Samuel Peña-Díaz
- Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jaime Santos
- Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Veronika Ács
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest 1117, Hungary
| | - Nazanin Farahi
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnology, Brussels, Belgium
- Structural Biology Brussels (SBB), Bioengineering Sciences Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Erzsébet Fichó
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest 1117, Hungary
- Cytocast Kft., Vecsés, Hungary
| | - Maria Cristina Aspromonte
- Department of Woman and Child Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Pediatric Research Institute, Città della Speranza, Padova, Italy
| | - Claudio Bassot
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, 171 21 Solna, Sweden
| | - Anastasia Chasapi
- Biological Computation & Process Laboratory, Chemical Process & Energy Resources Institute, Centre for Research & Technology Hellas, Thermi, Thessalonica 57001, Greece
| | - Norman E Davey
- Institute of Cancer Research, Chester Beatty Laboratories, 237 Fulham Rd, Chelsea, London, UK
| | - Radoslav Davidović
- Laboratory for Bioinformatics and Computational Chemistry, Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, 11000Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Laszlo Dobson
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg 69117, Germany
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest 1117, Hungary
| | - Arne Elofsson
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, 171 21 Solna, Sweden
| | - Gábor Erdős
- Department of Biochemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter stny 1/c, Budapest H-1117, Hungary
| | - Pascale Gaudet
- Swiss-Prot group, SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Michelle Giglio
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine 670 W. Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Juliana Glavina
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas (IIBiO-CONICET), Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Av. 25 de Mayo y Francia, CP1650 Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Javier Iserte
- Bioinformatics Unit, Fundación Instituto Leloir, Buenos Aires, C1405BWE, Argentina
| | - Valentín Iglesias
- Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Zsófia Kálmán
- Faculty of Information Technology and Bionics, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Práter u. 50/A, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Matteo Lambrughi
- Cancer Structural Biology, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Strandboulevarden 49, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Emanuela Leonardi
- Department of Woman and Child Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Pediatric Research Institute, Città della Speranza, Padova, Italy
| | - Sonia Longhi
- Lab. Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques (AFMB), UMR 7257, Aix Marseille University and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), 163 Avenue de Luminy, Case 932, 13288, Marseille, France
| | - Sandra Macedo-Ribeiro
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Emiliano Maiani
- Cancer Structural Biology, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Strandboulevarden 49, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Julia Marchetti
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes - CONICET, Bernal, Buenos Aires B1876BXD, Argentina
| | | | - Attila Mészáros
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnology, Brussels, Belgium
- Structural Biology Brussels (SBB), Bioengineering Sciences Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | | | | | - Suvarna Nadendla
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine 670 W. Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Juliet F Nilsson
- Lab. Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques (AFMB), UMR 7257, Aix Marseille University and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), 163 Avenue de Luminy, Case 932, 13288, Marseille, France
| | - Marian Novotný
- Dep. of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Vinicna 7, 128 43, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Christos A Ouzounis
- Biological Computation & Process Laboratory, Chemical Process & Energy Resources Institute, Centre for Research & Technology Hellas, Thermi, Thessalonica 57001, Greece
- Biological Computation & Computational Biology Group, Artificial Intelligence & Information Analysis Lab, Department of Computer Science, Aristotle University of Thessalonica, Thessalonica 54124, Greece
| | - Nicolás Palopoli
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes - CONICET, Bernal, Buenos Aires B1876BXD, Argentina
| | - Elena Papaleo
- Cancer Structural Biology, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Strandboulevarden 49, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Cancer Systems Biology, Section for Bioinformatics, Department of Health and Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Pedro José Barbosa Pereira
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Gabriele Pozzati
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, 171 21 Solna, Sweden
| | - Vasilis J Promponas
- Bioinformatics Research Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Jordi Pujols
- Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Martin Salas
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes - CONICET, Bernal, Buenos Aires B1876BXD, Argentina
| | - Luciana Rodriguez Sawicki
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes - CONICET, Bernal, Buenos Aires B1876BXD, Argentina
| | - Eva Schad
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest 1117, Hungary
| | - Aditi Shenoy
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, 171 21 Solna, Sweden
| | - Tamás Szaniszló
- Department of Biochemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter stny 1/c, Budapest H-1117, Hungary
| | - Konstantinos D Tsirigos
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - Nevena Veljkovic
- Laboratory for Bioinformatics and Computational Chemistry, Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, 11000Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Gustavo Parisi
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes - CONICET, Bernal, Buenos Aires B1876BXD, Argentina
| | - Salvador Ventura
- Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- ICREA, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Zsuzsanna Dosztányi
- Department of Biochemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter stny 1/c, Budapest H-1117, Hungary
| | - Peter Tompa
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest 1117, Hungary
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnology, Brussels, Belgium
- Structural Biology Brussels (SBB), Bioengineering Sciences Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Damiano Piovesan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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13
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Maimaris G, Christodoulou A, Santama N, Lederer CW. Regulation of ER Composition and Extent, and Putative Action in Protein Networks by ER/NE Protein TMEM147. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:10231. [PMID: 34638576 PMCID: PMC8508377 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Nuclear envelope (NE) and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) collaborate to control a multitude of nuclear and cytoplasmic actions. In this context, the transmembrane protein TMEM147 localizes to both NE and ER, and through direct and indirect interactions regulates processes as varied as production and transport of multipass membrane proteins, neuronal signaling, nuclear-shape, lamina and chromatin dynamics and cholesterol synthesis. Aiming to delineate the emerging multifunctionality of TMEM147 more comprehensively, we set as objectives, first, to assess potentially more fundamental effects of TMEM147 on the ER and, second, to identify significantly TMEM147-associated cell-wide protein networks and pathways. Quantifying curved and flat ER markers RTN4 and CLIMP63/CKAP4, respectively, we found that TMEM147 silencing causes area and intensity increases for both RTN4 and CLIMP63, and the ER in general, with a profound shift toward flat areas, concurrent with reduction in DNA condensation. Protein network and pathway analyses based on comprehensive compilation of TMEM147 interactors, targets and co-factors then served to manifest novel and established roles for TMEM147. Thus, algorithmically simplified significant pathways reflect TMEM147 function in ribosome binding, oxidoreductase activity, G protein-coupled receptor activity and transmembrane transport, while analysis of protein factors and networks identifies hub proteins and corresponding pathways as potential targets of TMEM147 action and of future functional studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giannis Maimaris
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Nicosia 1678, Cyprus; (G.M.); (A.C.); (N.S.)
| | - Andri Christodoulou
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Nicosia 1678, Cyprus; (G.M.); (A.C.); (N.S.)
| | - Niovi Santama
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Nicosia 1678, Cyprus; (G.M.); (A.C.); (N.S.)
| | - Carsten Werner Lederer
- Department of Molecular Genetics Thalassaemia, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus
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14
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Chrysostomou AC, Vrancken B, Koumbaris G, Themistokleous G, Aristokleous A, Masia C, Eleftheriou C, Iοannou C, Stylianou DC, Ioannides M, Petrou P, Georgiou V, Hatziyianni A, Lemey P, Vandamme AM, Patsalis PP, Kostrikis LG. A Comprehensive Molecular Epidemiological Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Cyprus from April 2020 to January 2021: Evidence of a Highly Polyphyletic and Evolving Epidemic. Viruses 2021; 13:1098. [PMID: 34207490 PMCID: PMC8227210 DOI: 10.3390/v13061098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) resulted in an extraordinary global public health crisis. In early 2020, Cyprus, among other European countries, was affected by the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic and adopted lockdown measures in March 2020 to limit the initial outbreak on the island. In this study, we performed a comprehensive retrospective molecular epidemiological analysis (genetic, phylogenetic, phylodynamic and phylogeographic analyses) of SARS-CoV-2 isolates in Cyprus from April 2020 to January 2021, covering the first ten months of the SARS-CoV-2 infection epidemic on the island. The primary aim of this study was to assess the transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 lineages in Cyprus. Whole SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequences were generated from 596 clinical samples (nasopharyngeal swabs) obtained from community-based diagnostic testing centers and hospitalized patients. The phylogenetic analyses revealed a total of 34 different lineages in Cyprus, with B.1.258, B.1.1.29, B.1.177, B.1.2, B.1 and B.1.1.7 (designated a Variant of Concern 202012/01, VOC) being the most prevalent lineages on the island during the study period. Phylodynamic analysis showed a highly dynamic epidemic of SARS-CoV-2 infection, with three consecutive surges characterized by specific lineages (B.1.1.29 from April to June 2020; B.1.258 from September 2020 to January 2021; and B.1.1.7 from December 2020 to January 2021). Genetic analysis of whole SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequences of the aforementioned lineages revealed the presence of mutations within the S protein (L18F, ΔH69/V70, S898F, ΔY144, S162G, A222V, N439K, N501Y, A570D, D614G, P681H, S982A and D1118H) that confer higher transmissibility and/or antibody escape (immune evasion) upon the virus. Phylogeographic analysis indicated that the majority of imports and exports were to and from the United Kingdom (UK), although many other regions/countries were identified (southeastern Asia, southern Europe, eastern Europe, Germany, Italy, Brazil, Chile, the USA, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Finland, Switzerland and Pakistan). Taken together, these findings demonstrate that the SARS-CoV-2 infection epidemic in Cyprus is being maintained by a continuous influx of lineages from many countries, resulting in the establishment of an ever-evolving and polyphyletic virus on the island.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas C. Chrysostomou
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Aglantzia, Nicosia 2109, Cyprus; (A.C.C.); (A.A.); (D.C.S.); (V.G.)
| | - Bram Vrancken
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (B.V.); (P.L.); (A.-M.V.)
| | - George Koumbaris
- NIPD Genetics Limited, Nicosia 2409, Cyprus; (G.K.); (M.I.); (P.P.P.)
| | - George Themistokleous
- Medical Laboratory of Ammochostos General Hospital, Ammochostos General Hospital, Paralimni 5386, Cyprus; (G.T.); (C.M.); (C.I.); (P.P.); (A.H.)
| | - Antonia Aristokleous
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Aglantzia, Nicosia 2109, Cyprus; (A.C.C.); (A.A.); (D.C.S.); (V.G.)
| | - Christina Masia
- Medical Laboratory of Ammochostos General Hospital, Ammochostos General Hospital, Paralimni 5386, Cyprus; (G.T.); (C.M.); (C.I.); (P.P.); (A.H.)
| | - Christina Eleftheriou
- Department of Health and Safety, University of Cyprus, Aglantzia, Nicosia 2109, Cyprus;
| | - Costakis Iοannou
- Medical Laboratory of Ammochostos General Hospital, Ammochostos General Hospital, Paralimni 5386, Cyprus; (G.T.); (C.M.); (C.I.); (P.P.); (A.H.)
| | - Dora C. Stylianou
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Aglantzia, Nicosia 2109, Cyprus; (A.C.C.); (A.A.); (D.C.S.); (V.G.)
| | - Marios Ioannides
- NIPD Genetics Limited, Nicosia 2409, Cyprus; (G.K.); (M.I.); (P.P.P.)
| | - Panagiotis Petrou
- Medical Laboratory of Ammochostos General Hospital, Ammochostos General Hospital, Paralimni 5386, Cyprus; (G.T.); (C.M.); (C.I.); (P.P.); (A.H.)
| | - Vasilis Georgiou
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Aglantzia, Nicosia 2109, Cyprus; (A.C.C.); (A.A.); (D.C.S.); (V.G.)
| | - Amalia Hatziyianni
- Medical Laboratory of Ammochostos General Hospital, Ammochostos General Hospital, Paralimni 5386, Cyprus; (G.T.); (C.M.); (C.I.); (P.P.); (A.H.)
| | - Philippe Lemey
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (B.V.); (P.L.); (A.-M.V.)
| | - Anne-Mieke Vandamme
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (B.V.); (P.L.); (A.-M.V.)
- Center for Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Unidade de Microbiologia, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 1349-008 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Philippos P. Patsalis
- NIPD Genetics Limited, Nicosia 2409, Cyprus; (G.K.); (M.I.); (P.P.P.)
- Medical School, University of Nicosia, Nicosia 2417, Cyprus
| | - Leondios G. Kostrikis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Aglantzia, Nicosia 2109, Cyprus; (A.C.C.); (A.A.); (D.C.S.); (V.G.)
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15
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Matthaiou A, Poulli T, Deltas C. Prevalence of clinical, pathological and molecular features of glomerular basement membrane nephropathy caused by COL4A3 or COL4A4 mutations: a systematic review. Clin Kidney J 2020; 13:1025-1036. [PMID: 33391746 PMCID: PMC7769542 DOI: 10.1093/ckj/sfz176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients heterozygous for COL4A3 or COL4A4 mutations show a wide spectrum of disease, extending from familial isolated microscopic haematuria, as a result of thin basement membranes (TBMs), to autosomal dominant Alport syndrome (ADAS) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Many patients are mentioned in the literature under the descriptive diagnosis of TBM nephropathy (TBMN), in which case it actually describes a histological finding that represents the carriers of autosomal recessive Alport syndrome (ARAS), a severe glomerulopathy, as most patients reach ESRD at a mean age of 25 years. METHODS We performed a systematic literature review for patients with heterozygous COL4A3/A4 mutations with the aim of recording the spectrum and frequency of pathological features. We searched three databases (PubMed, Embase and Scopus) using the keywords 'Autosomal Dominant Alport Syndrome' OR 'Thin Basement Membrane Disease' OR 'Thin Basement Membrane Nephropathy'. We identified 48 publications reporting on 777 patients from 258 families. RESULTS In total, 29% of the patients developed chronic kidney disease (CKD) and 15.1% reached ESRD at a mean age of 52.8 years. Extrarenal features and typical Alport syndrome (AS) findings had a low prevalence in patients as follows: hearing loss, 16%; ocular lesions, 3%; basement membrane thickening, 18.4%; and podocyte foot process effacement, 6.9%. Data for 76 patients from 54 families emphasize extensive inter- and intrafamilial heterogeneity, with age at onset of ESRD ranging between 21 and 84 years (mean 52.8). CONCLUSIONS The analysis enabled a comparison of the clinical course of patients with typical ARAS or X-linked AS with those with heterozygous COL4A mutations diagnosed with TBMN or ADAS. Despite the consequence of a potential ascertainment bias, an important outcome is that TBM poses a global high risk of developing severe CKD, over a long follow-up, with a variable spectrum of other findings. The results are useful to practicing nephrologists for better evaluation of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Constantinos Deltas
- Molecular Medicine Research Center and Laboratory of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
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16
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Michael E, Polydorides S, Promponas VJ, Skourides P, Archontis G. Recognition of LD motifs by the focal adhesion targeting domains of focal adhesion kinase and proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2-beta: Insights from molecular dynamics simulations. Proteins 2020; 89:29-52. [PMID: 32776636 DOI: 10.1002/prot.25992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 06/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and the proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2-beta (PYK2) are implicated in cancer progression and metastasis and represent promising biomarkers and targets for cancer therapy. FAK and PYK2 are recruited to focal adhesions (FAs) via interactions between their FA targeting (FAT) domains and conserved segments (LD motifs) on the proteins Paxillin, Leupaxin, and Hic-5. A promising new approach for the inhibition of FAK and PYK2 targets interactions of the FAK domains with proteins that promote localization at FAs. Advances toward this goal include the development of surface plasmon resonance, heteronuclear single quantum coherence nuclear magnetic resonance (HSQC-NMR) and fluorescence polarization assays for the identification of fragments or compounds interfering with the FAK-Paxillin interaction. We have recently validated this strategy, showing that Paxillin mimicking polypeptides with 2 to 3 LD motifs displace FAK from FAs and block kinase-dependent and independent functions of FAK, including downstream integrin signaling and FA localization of the protein p130Cas. In the present work we study by all-atom molecular dynamics simulations the recognition of peptides with the Paxillin and Leupaxin LD motifs by the FAK-FAT and PYK2-FAT domains. Our simulations and free-energy analysis interpret experimental data on binding of Paxillin and Leupaxin LD motifs at FAK-FAT and PYK2-FAT binding sites, and assess the roles of consensus LD regions and flanking residues. Our results can assist in the design of effective inhibitory peptides of the FAK-FAT: Paxillin and PYK2-FAT:Leupaxin complexes and the construction of pharmacophore models for the discovery of potential small-molecule inhibitors of the FAK-FAT and PYK2-FAT focal adhesion based functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Michael
- Department of Physics, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | | | - Vasilis J Promponas
- Bioinformatics Research Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Paris Skourides
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
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