<p>Shiv Nadar University is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary, research-focused, and student-centric University offering a full range of academic programs at the undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral level. With state-of-the-art infrastructure, the University comprises of academic wings, sophisticated labs, international standard sports facilities, amphitheaters, auditorium, conference rooms and smart classrooms. The University&rsquo;s goal is to become internationally recognized for the quality of its research and creative endeavors and their applicability to improving quality of life, generating new insights and expanding the boundaries of human knowledge creativity. Committed to excellence in teaching, research and service, the University aims to serve the higher education needs of India and the world beyond.</p>

Shiv Nadar University

(SoNS) School of Natural Sciences

Ionic liquids based on doubly charged cations, often termed dicationic ionic liquids (DILs), offer robust physicochemical properties and low toxicity than conventional monocationic ionic liquids. In this design-based study, we used solid-state NMR spectroscopy to provide the interaction mechanism of two DILs, 1,n-bis(3-alkylimidazolium-1-yl) alkane dibromide ([C2n(C7-nIM)2]2+·2Br-, n = 1, 6), with 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(1′-rac-glycerol) (POPG) phospholipid membranes, to explain the low toxicity of DILs toward HeLa, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell lines. Dications with a short linker and long terminal chains cause substantial perturbation to the bilayer structure, making them more membrane permeabilizing, as shown by fluorescence-based dye leakage assays. The structural perturbation is even higher than [C12(MIM)]+monocations, which carry a single 12-carbon long chain and exhibit a much higher membrane affinity, permeability, and cytotoxicity. These structural details are a crucial contribution to the design strategies aimed at harnessing the biological activity of ionic liquids. © 2022 American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.

World University root node

Physics

Langmuir

How 1, n-Bis(3-alkylimidazolium-1-yl) Alkane Interacts with the Phospholipid Membrane and Impacts the Toxicity of Dicationic Ionic Liquids

This review explains various strategies for developing fluorescent probes to detect reactive carbonyl species (RCS). There are several mono and diacarbonyls among 30 varieties of reactive carbonyl species (RCSs) so far discovered, which play pivotal roles in pathological processes such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular disease, renal failure, and diabetes mellitus. These RCSs play essential roles in maintaining ion channel regulation, cellular signaling pathways, and metabolisms. Among RCSs, carbon monoxide (CO) is also utilized for its cardioprotective, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects. Fluorescence-based non-invasive optical tools have come out as one of the promising methods for analyzing the concentrations and co-localizations of these small metabolites. There has been a tremendous eruption in developing fluorescent probes for selective detection of specific RCSs within cellular and aqueous environments due to their high sensitivity, high spatial and temporal resolution of fluorescence imaging. Fluorescence-based sensing mechanisms such as intramolecular charge transfer (ICT), photoinduced electron transfer (PeT), excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT), and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) are described. In particular, probes for dicarbonyls such as methylglyoxal (MGO), malondialdehyde (MDA), along with monocarbonyls that include formaldehyde (FA), carbon monoxide (CO) and phosgene are discussed. One of the most exciting advances in this review is the summary of fluorescent probes of dicarbonyl compounds. © 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.

Chemistry

Chemistry - An Asian Journal

Activity-Based Fluorescent Probes for Sensing and Imaging of Reactive Carbonyl Species (RCSs)

Triplet energy harvesting via either thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) or room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) from pure organic systems has attracted great attention in the field of organic light-emitting diodes, sensing, and bioimaging. However, the realization of dual electroluminescence via TADF and RTP in single molecules remains elusive. Herein, we report two phenoxazine-quinoline conjugates (DPQ and DPQM) in which two phenoxazine donors are covalently attached to the 6,8-positions of 2,4-diphenylquinoline and/or 7-methyl-2,4-diphenylquinoline acceptors. Experimental and quantum chemistry calculations combining reference compounds (o-PQP, p-PQP, Phox, and QPP) reveal that both conjugates show TADF (with different rate constants of reverse intersystem crossing, krISC= 0.43-1.30 × 106s-1) via reverse intersystem crossing from the charge transfer triplet (3CT) to singlet (1CT) states mediated by vibronic coupling among 1CT, local triplet (3LE), and 3CT states due to close energy gaps. Further, RTP with quantum yields (φP) of ca. 21-24% features was also observed due to the radiative decay of 3LE states. Phosphorescence measurements of DPQM at low temperatures (T = 77, 10 K) ensure a distinct zero-field splitting of T1(CT) into substates. Both compounds showed dual electroluminescence with external quantum efficiencies of ca. 11-12% due to the efficient triplet harvesting from both TADF and RTP channels. © 2022 American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.

Journal of Physical Chemistry C

Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence and Room-Temperature Phosphorescence in Asymmetric Phenoxazine-Quinoline (D2-A) Conjugates and Dual Electroluminescence

Sulfur-doped graphite (S-DG) was synthesized using a sustainable method. Low-cost cellulose fiber and carbon disulfide (CS2) were used as precursors for carbon and sulfur (S) sources, respectively, and a multistep chemical and thermochemical synthesis process was employed to obtain S-DG. Advanced microscopic and spectroscopic techniques and porosimetry analyses were performed to probe the surface morphology, surface area, microstructures, and chemical bonding states of S-DG. Interestingly, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that the S loads were 3.81 and 7.02 atom % when reactions were carried out in aqueous and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) media, respectively. The specific surface areas were calculated as 522.77 and 693.27 m2g-1for the two materials, respectively. To our best knowledge, the 7.02 atom % S load is the highest S doping reported so far in a graphite material where laboratory chemicals have been used as precursors. Both materials, i.e., S-DGWaterand S-DGDMSO, were tested as supercapacitor electrodes in a portable electrochemical cell with a three-electrode system to check their potential and stability for the fabrication of renewable energy storage devices. Cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charging-discharging techniques were performed within a potential window of 1 V in the presence of 1 M Na2SO4as an electrolyte. The maximum specific capacitances (CSp) of S-DGWaterand S-DGDMSOwere obtained as 155.61 and 261.43 F g-1(at a scan rate of 10 mV s-1), respectively. The result concluded that the extent of S doping appeared to be the key factor for control of the peak current. Importantly, our investigation suggests that the S load in graphite facilitates a diffusion-driven storage mechanism and a higher amount of S may enhance surface-controlled storage as well. Both materials show excellent cyclic stability with &gt;98% retention of the initial specific capacitance over 10000 cycles of charging-discharging. © 2022 American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.

ACS Applied Nano Materials

Hydrothermally Synthesized Sulfur-Doped Graphite as Supercapacitor Electrode Materials

We propose an interacting non-Hermitian model described by a two-mode quadratic Hamiltonian along with an interaction term to locate and analyse the presence of an exceptional point in the system. Each mode is guided by a Swanson-like quadratic Hamiltonian and a suitable choice is made for the interaction term. The parity-time symmetric transformation is adopted in the standard way relevant for a coupled system. © Copyright © 2022 EPLA.

Fulltext

Exceptional point in a coupled Swanson system

Ferrocene-based compounds have recently gained widespread importance in cancer treatment becuase of their lower toxicity and cost-effective synthesis. However, ferrocene-based compounds do not exist in nature. Moreover, the synthesis of thianes containing ferrocene is quite rare. In the recent past, our group has reported iodine catalyzed synthesis of ferrocenated benzothiazole and β-ketooxothioacetal by the thermal reaction of ferrocenated β-chlorocinnamaldehyde with 2-aminothiophenol and 2-mercaptoethanol respectively.The molecular structure of both the compounds is quite interesting due to the presence of ferrocene which makes them highly important from an anticancer point of view. In this script, the synergistic effect of ferrocene and thiol has been observed in ferrocene functionalized thiols (Fenton reagents) for tumour growth suppression. The anticancer properties of both the compounds separately as well as in combination show a significant anticancer effect on cancer cell lines HCT116 (Colon), A549 (lung cancer), and MCF7 (Breast cancer). Both compounds and their combinations reflect cell death by generating ROS and depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential. Gene expression profiling and protein expression studies of apoptosis-related genes (cleaved caspase 9, cleaved caspase 3, cleaved PARP and Bcl-2) were also evaluated. Results indicated that ferrocenated benzothiozole and β-ketooxothioacetal induced apoptosis through oxidative stress-mediated activation of intrinsic apoptosis pathway by generating intracellular ROS, loss of MMP, and alteration of expression of genes related to apoptosis. In addition, the anti-metastatic activity of benzothiozole and β-ketooxothioacetal was seen by wound healing assay showing anti-migratory properties. The properties like anti metastatic activity, cytotoxicity and showing synergistic effect when used in combination make benzothiozole and β-ketooxothioacetal potent platforms for the development of new anticancer agents. Benzothiazole and β-ketooxothioacetal can replace existing organometallic compounds with rare metals like platinum, due to their higher stability, lower cost, and lower toxicity. © 2022

Life Sciences

Journal of Organometallic Chemistry

Evaluation of anticancer activity of ferrocene based benzothiazole and β-ketooxothioacetal

Cancer is the second most common cause of deaths worldwide after noncommunicable diseases. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth most deadly type of cancer worldwide. The reasons for this high rate of mortality are linked to the heterogeneity of HCC, late detection, and development of resistance to therapies. This chapter focuses on drug resistance in HCC. This chapter briefly explains the molecular signaling pathways and their role in drug resistance. This chapter further discusses cancer stem cells, stem cell markers, signaling pathways and transcription factors that regulate stem cell-mediated drug resistance in HCC. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Theranostics and Precision Medicine for the Management of Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Volume 2: Diagnosis, Therapeutic Targets, and Molecular Mechanisms

Molecular signaling and its role in drug resistance in hepatocellular carcinomas

Microsatellites, also termed as simple sequence repeats, are repetitive tracts in a DNA sequence, typically consisting of one to six nucleotides. These repeats are found in all genomes and play key roles in phylogeny and species identification. Microsatellites are highly polymorphic, and their length may differ from species to species. There are several online resources dedicated to mitochondria; however, comprehensive information is not available about the length variation of mitochondrial microsatellites. Therefore, to explore it between species among a genus, we have developed a database named pSATdb (polymorphic microSATellites database; https://lms.snu.edu.in/pSATdb/). pSATdb contains 28,710 perfect microsatellites identified across 5,976 mitochondrial genome (mt-genome) sequences from 1,576 genera which includes 1,535 (5,846 mt-genome) and 41 (130 mt-genome) genera of Metazoa and Viridiplantae, respectively. pSATdb is the only database which provides genus-wise information about the length variation of mitochondrial microsatellites. Because of the emerging role of microsatellites in genomics studies, the identified common, polymorphic, and unique microsatellites stored in pSATdb will be effectively useful in various studies including genetic diversity, mapping, marker-assisted selection, and comparative population studies. © 2022 Kumar et al.

Life Science Alliance

pSATdb: a database of mitochondrial common, polymorphic, and unique microsatellites

Wound healing is a complex phenomenon that requires coordination of numerous molecular and cellular changes to facilitate timely and efficient repair of the damaged tissue. Although many of these molecular pathways have been detailed, others remain to be elucidated. In the present work, we show for the first time, roles for the acetyltransferase TIP60 and nuclear receptor transcription factor PXR in this process, participating in wound healing by altering actin dynamics and cellular motility. We found that in response to wound-injury, TIP60 induces rapid formation of filopodia at the wounded cell front, leading to enhanced cell migration and faster closure of the wound. Further, qPCR analysis revealed heightened expression of Cdc42 and ROCK1 genes, key regulators involved in filopodia formation and actin reorganization, exclusively in TIP60-PXR-expressing cells upon wound-induction. We also performed ChIP assays to confirm the context-specific binding of TIP60 on the ROCK1 promoter and demonstrated that the TIP60 chromodomain is essential for loading of the TIP60–PXR complex onto the chromatin. Results from immunoprecipitation assays revealed that during the wounded condition, TIP60 alters the chromatin microenvironment by specifically acetylating histones H2B and H4, thereby modulating the expression of target genes. Overall, findings of this study show that TIP60 is a novel regulator of the wound healing process by regulating the expression of wound repair-related genes. © 2022 The Authors

Journal of Biological Chemistry

TIP60 acts as a regulator of genes involved in filopodia formation and cell migration during wound healing

Mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) remain closely tethered by contact sites to maintain unhindered biosynthetic, metabolic, and signalling functions. Apart from its constituent proteins, contact sites localize ER-unfolded protein response (UPR) sensors like Ire1 and PERK, indicating the importance of ER-mitochondria communication during stress. In the mitochondrial sub-compartment-specific proteotoxic model of yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we show that an intact ER-UPR pathway is important in stress tolerance of mitochondrial intermembrane space (IMS) proteotoxic stress, while disrupting the pathway is beneficial during matrix stress. Deletion of IRE1 and HAC1 leads to accumulation of misfolding-prone proteins in mitochondrial IMS indicating the importance of intact ER-UPR pathway in enduring mitochondrial IMS proteotoxic stresses. Although localized proteotoxic stress within mitochondrial IMS does not induce ER-UPR, its artificial activation helps cells to better withstand the IMS proteotoxicity. Furthermore, overexpression of individual components of ER-mitochondria contact sites is found to be beneficial for general mitochondrial proteotoxic stress, in an Ire1-Hac1-independent manner. © 2022, The Author(s) under exclusive licence to [Cell Stress Society International.