Description: Nanomaterials with particular nanostructures which usually possess special properties always attract considerable attention. A novel bimetallic Pt/Cu hexapod nanostructure was prepared by a facile one-pot strategy. The formation mechanism was investigated by the time sequential evolution experiments and the hexapod concave nanostructures originated from the Pt/Cu rhombic dodecahedron. Further electrochemical measurements indicated the bimetallic Pt/Cu hexapod concave nanocrystals showed enhanced catalytic activities. It is believed that these novel nanostuctures would open up new opportunities for catalytic applications. Scientific Reports 3 doi: 10.1038/srep01404

Description: Controllable gene expression is always a challenge and of great significance to biomedical research and clinical applications. Recently, various approaches based on extra-engineered light-sensitive proteins have been developed to provide optogenetic actuators for gene expression. Complicated biomedical techniques including exogenous genes engineering, transfection, and material delivery are needed. Here we present an all-optical method to regulate gene expression in targeted cells. Intrinsic or exogenous genes can be activated by a Ca2+-sensitive transcription factor nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) driven by a short flash of femtosecond-laser irradiation. When applied to mesenchymal stem cells, expression of a differentiation regulator Osterix can be activated by this method to potentially induce differentiation of them. A laser-induced “Ca2+-comb” (LiCCo) by multi-time laser exposure is further developed to enhance gene expression efficiency. This noninvasive method hence provides an encouraging advance of gene expression regulation, with promising potential of applying in cell biology and stem-cell science. Scientific Reports 4 doi: 10.1038/srep05346

Description: Abnormal percolative transport in inhomogeneous systems has drawn increasing interests due to its deviation from the conventional percolation picture. However, its nature is still ambiguous partly due to the difficulty in obtaining controllable abnormal percolative transport behaviors. Here, we report the first observation of electric-field-controlled abnormal percolative transport in (011)-Pr0.7(Ca0.6Sr0.4)0.3MnO3/0.7Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.3PbTiO3 heterostructure. By introducing an electric-field-induced in-plane anisotropic strain-field in a phase separated PCSMO film, we stimulate a significant inverse thermal hysteresis (~ -17.5 K) and positive colossal electroresistance (~11460%), which is found to be crucially orientation-dependent and completely inconsistent with the well accepted conventional percolation picture. Further investigations reveal that such abnormal inverse hysteresis is strongly related to the preferential formation of ferromagnetic metallic domains caused by in-plane anisotropic strain-field. Meanwhile, it is found that the positive colossal electroresistance should be ascribed to the coactions between the anisotropic strain and the polarization effect from the poling of the substrate which leads to orientation and bias-polarity dependencies for the colossal electroresistance. This work unambiguously evidences the indispensable role of the anisotropic strain-field in driving the abnormal percolative transport and provides a new perspective for well understanding the percolation mechanism in inhomogeneous systems. Scientific Reports 4 doi: 10.1038/srep07075

Description: A C-type lectin (CfLec-3) from Chlamys farreri with three carbohydrate-recognition domains (CRDs) was selected to dissect the possible mechanisms of PAMP binding and functional differentiation of invertebrate lectins. CfLec-3 distributed broadly, and its mRNA expression in hemocytes increased significantly after stimulations with LPS, PGN or β-glucan, but not poly(I:C). The recombinant CfLec-3 (rCfLec-3) could bind PAMPs and several microbes. rCfLec-3 mediated hemocytes phagocytosis against Escherichia coli and encapsulation towards agarose beads. Obvious functional differentiation occurred among the three CRDs, as CRD1 exhibited higher activity to bind PAMPs, while CRD2/3 were expert in promoting hemocyte mediated opsonisation. The tertiary structural differences were suspected to be associated with such functional differentiation. PAMP binding abilities of CfLec-3 were determined by Ca2+-binding site 2 motif. When Pro in this motif of each CRD was mutated into Ser, their PAMP binding abilities were deprived absolutely. rCRD2 acquired mannan binding capability when its EPD was replaced by EPN, but lost when EPN in rCRD3 was changed into EPD. The Pro in Ca2+-binding site 2 was indispensable for PAMPs binding, while Asn was determinant for specific binding to mannan. It shed new insight into PAMPs binding mechanism of invertebrate C-type lectins and their functional differentiation. Scientific Reports 5 doi: 10.1038/srep10068

Description: Vertical interfaces in vertically aligned nanocomposite thin films have been approved to be an effective method to manipulate functionalities. However, several challenges with regard to the understanding on the physical process underlying the manipulation still remain. In this work, because of the ordered interfaces and large interfacial area, heteroepitaxial (BaTiO3)1-x:(Sm2O3)x thin films have been fabricated and used as a model system to investigate the relationship between vertical interfaces and dielectric properties. Due to a relatively large strain generated at the interfaces, vertical interfaces between BaTiO3 and Sm2O3 are revealed to become the sinks to attract oxygen vacancies. The movement of oxygen vacancies is confined at the interfaces and hampered by the misfit dislocations, which contributed to a relaxation behavior in (BaTiO3)1-x:(Sm2O3)x thin films. This work represents an approach to further understand that how interfaces influence on dielectric properties in oxide thin films. Scientific Reports 5 doi: 10.1038/srep11335

Description: Lysine acetylation is a reversible post-translational modification, playing an important role in cytokine signaling, transcriptional regulation, and apoptosis. To fully understand acetylation mechanisms, identification of substrates and specific acetylation sites is crucial. Experimental identification is often time-consuming and expensive. Alternative bioinformatics methods are cost-effective and can be used in a high-throughput manner to generate relatively precise predictions. Here we develop a method termed as SSPKA for species-specific lysine acetylation prediction, using random forest classifiers that combine sequence-derived and functional features with two-step feature selection. Feature importance analysis indicates functional features, applied for lysine acetylation site prediction for the first time, significantly improve the predictive performance. We apply the SSPKA model to screen the entire human proteome and identify many high-confidence putative substrates that are not previously identified. The results along with the implemented Java tool, serve as useful resources to elucidate the mechanism of lysine acetylation and facilitate hypothesis-driven experimental design and validation. Scientific Reports 4 doi: 10.1038/srep05765