Search

Supplementary methods and figures

Type I interferons (IFN), which activate many IFN-stimulated genes (ISG), are known to regulate tumorigenesis. However, little is known regarding how various ISGs coordinate with one another in developing antitumor effects. Here, we report that the ISG UBA7 is a tumor suppressor in breast cancer. UBA7 encodes an enzyme that catalyzes the covalent conjugation of the ubiquitin-like protein product of another ISG (ISG15) to cellular proteins in a process known as “ISGylation.” ISGylation of other ISGs, including STAT1 and STAT2, synergistically facilitates production of chemokine-receptor ligands to attract cytotoxic T cells. These gene-activation events are further linked to clustering and nuclear relocalization of STAT1/2 within IFN-induced promyelocytic leukemia (PML) bodies. Importantly, this coordinated ISG–ISGylation network plays a central role in suppressing murine breast cancer growth and metastasis, which parallels improved survival in patients with breast cancer. These findings reveal a cooperative IFN-inducible gene network in orchestrating a tumor-suppressive microenvironment.Significance:We report a highly cooperative ISG network, in which UBA7-mediated ISGylation facilitates clustering of transcription factors and activates an antitumor gene-expression program. These findings provide mechanistic insights into immune evasion in breast cancer associated with UBA7 loss, emphasizing the importance of a functional ISG–ISGylation network in tumor suppression.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 327

Supplementary tables

Type I interferons (IFN), which activate many IFN-stimulated genes (ISG), are known to regulate tumorigenesis. However, little is known regarding how various ISGs coordinate with one another in developing antitumor effects. Here, we report that the ISG UBA7 is a tumor suppressor in breast cancer. UBA7 encodes an enzyme that catalyzes the covalent conjugation of the ubiquitin-like protein product of another ISG (ISG15) to cellular proteins in a process known as “ISGylation.” ISGylation of other ISGs, including STAT1 and STAT2, synergistically facilitates production of chemokine-receptor ligands to attract cytotoxic T cells. These gene-activation events are further linked to clustering and nuclear relocalization of STAT1/2 within IFN-induced promyelocytic leukemia (PML) bodies. Importantly, this coordinated ISG–ISGylation network plays a central role in suppressing murine breast cancer growth and metastasis, which parallels improved survival in patients with breast cancer. These findings reveal a cooperative IFN-inducible gene network in orchestrating a tumor-suppressive microenvironment. Significance: We report a highly cooperative ISG network, in which UBA7-mediated ISGylation facilitates clustering of transcription factors and activates an antitumor gene-expression program. These findings provide mechanistic insights into immune evasion in breast cancer associated with UBA7 loss, emphasizing the importance of a functional ISG–ISGylation network in tumor suppression. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 327

During prophase I of meiosis, chromosomes become organized as loop arrays around the proteinaceous chromosome axis. As homologous chromosomes physically pair and recombine, the chromosome axis is integrated into the tripartite synaptonemal complex (SC) as this structure’s lateral elements (LEs). While the components of the mammalian chromosome axis/LE—including meiosis-specific cohesin complexes, the axial element proteins SYCP3 and SYCP2, and the HORMA domain proteins HORMAD1 and HORMAD2—are known, the molecular organization of these components within the axis is poorly understood. Here, using expansion microscopy coupled with 2-color stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) imaging (ExSTORM), we address these issues in mouse spermatocytes at a resolution of 10 to 20 nm. Our data show that SYCP3 and the SYCP2 C terminus, which are known to form filaments in vitro, form a compact core around which cohesin complexes, HORMADs, and the N terminus of SYCP2 are arrayed. Overall, our study provides a detailed structural view of the meiotic chromosome axis, a key organizational and regulatory component of meiotic chromosomes.

Compared with ordinary Pulverized Coal Combustion (PC) fly ashes, Fluidized Bed Combustion (FBC) ashes have some special properties. The effect of FBC ashes content on the strength of cement mortar was studied, and the physical properties of FBC ashes-cement mortar with 30% FBC ashes were also investigated. The results show that the flexural and compressive strength at 7 and 28 days of the mortar gradually decreases with the increase of FBC ashes content. Under the same dosage, the strength of FBC ashes-cement mortar is greater than that of PC fly ashes-cement mortar. The FBC ashes-cement system presents a normal setting time but poor soundness with more than 3.5% SO3. This work confirms that the properties of FBC ashes-cement system are superior to those of PC fly ashes-cement system when SO3 content is no more than 3.5%.

The destructive expansion of CFBC ash is the bottleneck problem for its utilization in building materials. The addition of chemical substances and autoclave curing were used to inhibit the expansion in the paper. The results show that the addition of 1% CaCl2 or 1% Na2CO3 can decrease the 28 d linear expansion ratio of CFBC ash-water mortars by about 19%, with no disadvantage influence on the compressive strength. Moreover, the linear expansion ratio of CFBC ash-clinker-water pastes was below 5×10-4 after autoclave curing. The work confirms that the expansion of CFBC ash can be inhibited effectively by the way of autoclave curing.

The effect of anhydrite on the hydration of CFBC ash-clinker-water system was investigated by ettringite content, chemically combined water content and X-ray diffraction. The results show that the effect of anhydrite on ettringite content at earlier age is significantly greater than that at later age. This work confirms that anhydrite plays a significant role in promoting the hydration of CFBC ash-clinker-water system.

The effects of titanium modification, which was added along with the pouring liquid in ladles, on the shrinkage porosity and cavity of cast steel ZG35 smelted in intermediate frequency induction furnace were studied. Proper content of titanium could effectively increase the volume of concentrated shrinkage cavity, and restrain the forming of shrinkage porosity. The concentrated shrinkage cavity was analyzed quantitatively by stuffing wet gluten and draining water method. The maximal cavity arrived at 0.15wt.% titanium modification. By scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy disperse spectroscope (EDS) analysis, it was found that TiC, acting as heterogeneous nuclei, could refine the structure grains, diminish the strong dendrites, and increase the fluidity and feeding capacity of steel liquid. However, overdoes titanium modification easily caused mass nitrides or oxides, which kept solid phases with high meting point in metal liquid to increase its viscosity and decrease the fluidity. On the other hand, these solid state titanium compounds enlarged the composition supercooling, so the metal liquid changed from sequential solidification to simultaneous solidification, resulting in inadequate metal liquid feeding, less oncentrated shrinkage cavity and serious shrinkage porosity.

The effects of titanium modification, which was added along with the pouring liquid in ladles, on the shrinkage porosity and cavity of cast steel ZG45 smelted in intermediate frequency induction furnace were studied. The metal liquid fluidity was measured by casting spiral samples. 0.2 wt.% titanium modification achieved the highest fluidity for steel liquid. Proper content of titanium could effectively increase the volume of concentrated shrinkage cavity, and restrain the forming of shrinkage porosity. By scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy disperse spectroscope (EDS) analysis, it was found that TiC, acting as heterogeneous nuclei, could refine the structure grains, diminish the strong dendrite, and increase the fluidity and feeding capacity of steel liquid. However, overdoes titanium modification easily caused mass oxide TiO2, which kept solid phases with high meting point in metal liquid to increase its viscosity and decrease the fluidity. Meanwhile, these solid state titanium compounds enlarged the composition supercooling, so the metal liquid changed from sequential solidification to simultaneous solidification, resulting in inadequate metal liquid feeding, less oncentrated shrinkage cavity and serious shrinkage porosity.

This study uncovered microbial characteristics of bioelectricity generation and dye decolorization in single-chamber microbial fuel cells (MFCs) using activated sludge for wine-containing wastewater treatment. Phylogenetic tree analysis on 16S rRNA gene fragments indicated that the predominant strains on anodic biofilm in acclimatized MFCs were Gamma-Proteobacteria Aeromonas punctata NIU-P9, Pseudomonas plecoglossicida NIU-Y3, Pseudomonas koreensis NIU-X8, Acinetobacter junii NIU-Y8, Stenotrophomonas maltophila NIU-X2. Our findings showed that the current production capabilities of these pure strains were only ca. 10% of those of their mother activated sludge, indicating that synergistic interactions among microbes might be the most influential factor to maximize power generation in MFCs. Plus, these electrochemically active strains also performed reductive decolorization of C.I. reactive blue 160, suggesting that bioelectricity generation might be directly associated to azo dye decolorization to deal with electron transfer on anodic biofilm in MFCs.

This study tended to explore factors (e.g., initial substrate concentration, microbial species) affecting electricity generation of air-cathode single-chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC) under fed-batch mode of operation. The maximum coulombic efficiency (CE) and power density taking place at initial concentration of 300 mg COD/L were 8.16% and 68.5 mW/m2, respectively. Rich media would stably provide power output in MFC for long periods of time. As part of COD removal was used for aerobic degradation rather than bioelectricity generation, lower CE values (max. 8.16%) in MFCs were revealed. According to profiles of protein expression and PCR-augmented 16S rRNA analyses for strain identification, >99.5% of nucleotide sequence of predominant pure strains in MFC was identical to type strain Aeromonas punctata.

Micromagnetic simulations based on the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation are presented to study spin-polarized current induced magnetization switching in a symmetric nanoring-shaped magnetic tunnel junctions. The results show that in an a noring with an intermediate eccentric distance S, the critical switching voltage V(C) reaches the minimum whose magnitude is less than half of the voltage for a symmetric nanoring. In addition to the spin-transfer torque, the current induced Ampere ere. field is found to play a crucial part in the switching process. Analysis is given to explain the existence of such an energy valley that leads to the minimal voltage. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

This study explored dye decolorization and bioelectricity generation of indigenous Proteus hauseri ZMd44 for dye-bearing wastewater treatment. Chemical structures of azo dyes apparently affected the performance of dye biodecolorization. Additions of diazo dye C.I. reactive blue 160 (RBu160) stimulated simultaneous dye decolorization and bioelectricity generation of ZMd44 in single chamber microbial fuel cells (MFCs). However, high-level additions of RBu160 repressed capabilities of power production in MFC due to competition of electrons used for reductive decolorization. Decolorized intermediates of RBu160-phenyl methadiamine and 5-sulfoanthranilic acid as electron shuttles might mediate electron transport for current generation in MFC.

This study provides a first attempt to explore indigenous strains with excellent decolorization capability from the most biodiverse region in Taiwan for dye-bearing wastewater treatment. Bacterial isolates were obtained via serial selections under selection pressure of the fungicide nystatin and model textile dye(s). According to profiles of protein expression and PCR-augmented 16S rRNA gene analyses for strain identification, >99% of nucleotide sequences in isolated strains were identical to type strains Aeromonas hydrophila, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cancerogenus, Proteus hauseri, Acinetobacter johnsonii. This first-attempt study not only explored most abundant decolorizers in Taiwan, but also compared their color removal performance for further applications.