Search

JC polyoma virus (JCPyV) is a ubiquitous polyoma virus that infects the individual to cause progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy and malignancies. Here, we found that T-antigen knockdown suppressed proliferation, glycolysis, mitochondrial respiration, migration, and invasion, and induced apoptosis and G2 arrest. The reverse was true for T-antigen overexpression, with overexpression of Akt, survivin, retinoblastoma protein, β-catenin, β-transducin repeat-containing protein (TRCP), and inhibitor of growth (ING)1, and the underexpression of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), phosphorylated (p)-mTOR, p-p38, Cyclin D1, p21, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), ING2, and ING4 in hepatocellular and pancreatic cancer cells and tissues. In lens tumor cells, T antigen transcriptionally targeted viral carcinogenesis, microRNAs in cancer, focal adhesion, p53, VEGF, phosphoinositide 3 kinase-Akt, and Forkhead box O signaling pathways, fructose and mannose metabolism, ribosome biosynthesis, and choline and pyrimidine metabolism. At a metabolomics level, it targeted protein digestion and absorption, aminoacryl-tRNA biosynthesis, biosynthesis of amino acids, and the AMPK signal pathway. At a proteomic level, it targeted ribosome biogenesis in eukaryotes, citrate cycle, carbon metabolism, protein digestion and absorption, aminoacryl-tRNA biosynthesis, extracellular-matrix-receptor interaction, and biosynthesis of amino acids. In lens tumor cells, T antigen might interact with various keratins, ribosomal proteins, apolipoproteins, G proteins, ubiquitin-related proteins, RPL19, β-catenin, β-TRCP, p53, and CCAAT-enhancer-binding proteins in lens tumor cells. T antigen induced a more aggressive phenotype in mouse and human cancer cells due to oncogene activation, inactivation of tumor suppressors, and disruption of metabolism, cell adhesion, and long noncoding RNA-microRNA-target axes.

The reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization is one of living radical polymerizations. In this study, four different 9 H -fluoren-9-yl benzodithiolates (FBDTs) were synthesized, and used along with azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN), a radical initiator, in polymerization of styrene (ST) at the molar ratio of 3:1. This new transfer agent exhibited the typical characteristic living free radical polymerization behaviors such as good control of molecule weight and narrow molecule weight distribution. It was concluded that the FBDTs can be used as the RAFT agents in free radical polymerization of vinyl monomers.

Stable nano-TiO2/polyurethane (PU) emulsions were prepared via in situ reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) emulsion polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA)-capped PU macromonomer, using azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as a radical initiator and 2-{[(butylsulfanyl)carbonothioyl]sulfanyl} propanoic acid (BCSPA) anchored onto TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2-BCSPA) as a RAFT agent. When the molar ratio of AIBN to TiO2-BCSPA was changed from 1:3 to 1:10, the polydispersity index (PDI) of polymers in the emulsions decreased from 1.83 to 1.06, due to more effective RAFT polymerization in the emulsions. The TiO2 nanofillers were well-dispersed throughout the polymer films. The tensile strengths of the nanocomposite films were significantly enhanced due to coordination bonding between the TiO2 nanofillers and the –COOH end groups of the polymers, as evidenced by the FT-IR spectral data.

Stable polyurethane–polystyrene (PU–PS) copolymer emulsions were prepared by the polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA)-capped PU macromonomer and styrene, using azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN), a radical initiator, and 4-((benzodithioyl)methyl)benzoic acid, a reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agent. As the molar ratio of the RAFT agent to AIBN increased, the zeta potential of the resulting copolymer emulsion increased, but the average size and size distribution of the emulsion droplets decreased. A living polymerization of HEA end-capped PU macromonomer and styrene was characterized by a linear increase in the molecular weight and decrease in the molecular weight distribution with consumption of monomers. The tensile strength, hardness and water-resistance of the copolymer films, prepared from the PU–PS copolymer emulsions, were much greater than those of the films prepared from the pure PU emulsion. The copolymer emulsions, prepared via the RAFT polymerization process, are expected to exhibit better storage stability than those prepared via the conventional free radical polymerization process, due to the presence of carboxyl groups derived from the RAFT agent at the PS block termini.

However, most ofthese methods suffer from the limited availability of startingmaterials, low reaction yields, drastic reaction conditions, ortedious work-up procedures.Herein, we report a synthetic route to 2-dithioacetal-methylene-3-oxobutyronitriles from 2-dithioacetalmethylene-3-oxobutyramides, as shown in Scheme 1. The resultingnitriles contain an unstable α-acetoketene dithioacetal moiety,belonging to a class of α-oxoketene dithioacetals which arewell-known for organic syntheses