functions

Guanidine modification improves functions of natural RNA-targeting alkaloids

New J. Chem., 2024, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D3NJ05833F, Communication
Open Access
Tamaki Endoh, Sagar Satpathi, Yutong Chen, Saki Matsumoto, Tatsuya Ohyama, Peter Podbevšek, Janez Plavec, Kazumitsu Onizuka, Fumi Nagatsugi, Naoki Sugimoto
Guanidine modification on berberine improved RNA binding affinity and enhanced suppression of protein expression.
To cite this article before page numbers are assigned, use the DOI form of citation above.
The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry




functions

MoS2-functionalized chitosan hydrogel with antibacterial and antioxidant functions promotes healing of infected diabetic wounds

Mater. Chem. Front., 2024, 8,3770-3789
DOI: 10.1039/D4QM00562G, Research Article
Yingjie He, Jiahe Guo, Hua Li, Jiaxi Jiang, Jing Chen, Guichun Yang, Xiaofan Yang, Zhenbing Chen, Cuifen Lu
Construction and application of a MoS2-based injectable self-healing composite hydrogel with antibacterial and antioxidant dual functions for promoting infected diabetic wound healing.
The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry




functions

Isomer effect study of pyridinium-type cationic fluorophores: multiple functions and internal optical mechanisms

Mater. Chem. Front., 2024, 8,3790-3798
DOI: 10.1039/D4QM00578C, Research Article
Yasong Cao, Caili Zhang, Zhonghua Zhao, Haowen Huang, Jiatong Xu, Richao Shen, Cheng Zeng, Jiawei Lv, Ziqiang Lei, Hengchang Ma
Reliable, reasonable isomer effect study based on pyridinium-type cationic fluorophores of o-, m-, and p-TPA-Pyr-BP.
The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry




functions

Emulation of neuron and synaptic functions in spin–orbit torque domain wall devices

Nanoscale Horiz., 2024, 9,1962-1977
DOI: 10.1039/D3NH00423F, Communication
Durgesh Kumar, Ramu Maddu, Hong Jing Chung, Hasibur Rahaman, Tianli Jin, Sabpreet Bhatti, Sze Ter Lim, Rachid Sbiaa, S. N. Piramanayagam
Neuromorphic computing based on spin–orbit torque driven domain wall (DW) devices is promising for energy-efficient computation. This study demonstrates energy efficient operations of DW neurons and synapses by novel reading and writing strategies.
The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry




functions

Online and offline learning using fading memory functions in HfSiOx-based ferroelectric tunnel junctions

J. Mater. Chem. C, 2024, 12,17362-17376
DOI: 10.1039/D4TC03397C, Communication
Jungwoo Lee, Chaewon Youn, Jungang Heo, Sungjun Kim
We demonstrate online and offline learning as well as associative learning such as in Pavlov's dog experiments using the non-volatile and volatile properties of HfSiOx-based FTJs.
The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry




functions

Stimulus-responsive multifunctions in a zinc(II) sulfate complex: photochromism, photoswitching nonlinear optical properties, amine detection and visual film application

J. Mater. Chem. C, 2024, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D4TC04169K, Paper
Shuai Liang, Shi-Kun Yan, Yu-Xuan Wen, Yan-Rui Zhao, Jin Zhang, Ji-Xiang Hu
A novel complex combining photo- and amine-induced chromic, switchable photoluminescence, and photomodulated nonlinear optical properties has been prepared using electron-rich sulfate and electron-deficient 2,4,6-tri(4-pyridyl)-1,3,5-triazine.
To cite this article before page numbers are assigned, use the DOI form of citation above.
The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry




functions

Designed functions of oxide/hydroxide nanosheets via elemental replacement/doping

Chem. Soc. Rev., 2024, 53,10523-10574
DOI: 10.1039/D4CS00339J, Review Article
Open Access
Kanji Saito, Masashi Morita, Tomohiko Okada, Rattanawadee (Ploy) Wijitwongwan, Makoto Ogawa
The replacement of the main components with a small amount of heteroelements in a material affects its properties and imparts novel functions, similar to “wasabi” giving the important taste for “sushi”.
The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry




functions

The Microeconomic Foundations of Aggregate Production Functions [electronic journal].

National Bureau of Economic Research




functions

589: CSS Functions, Read It Later, Making Money in Business, and More

A quick bit of union news follow up, CSS function round up, Read It Later inside Feedbin, fun uses for a Stream Deck+, how to turn up the money dial in your own business, and having the audacity to call yourself a publisher.




functions

591: Cascade Layers, CSS Functions, and more CSS with Miriam Suzanne

Miriam Suzanne stops by to talk about CSS updates and news on container queries, rolling out cascade layers, !important things to remember, custom properties, exit animations, CSS functions, state queries, and more.




functions

Gamma functions and Gauss sums for function fields and periods of Drinfeld modules [electronic resource] / by Dinesh Shraddhanand Thakur

Cambridge, MA : Harvard University ; Ann Arbor : ProQuest, UMI Dissertations Publishing, 1987




functions

Human milk oligosaccharides and milk fat globule membrane reduce allergic reactions in mice through the modulation of gut microbiota and metabolic functions

Food Funct., 2024, 15,11252-11265
DOI: 10.1039/D4FO03851G, Paper
Xinzhang Chen, Shengjun Yang, Zhengtao Guo, Bailiang Li, Zhongjiang Wang, Lianzhou Jiang
Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) and the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) represent novel treatments for cow's milk allergy (CMA).
The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry




functions

Advances in plant-derived extracellular vesicles: isolation, composition, and biological functions

Food Funct., 2024, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D4FO04321A, Review Article
Yao-Bo Zeng, Xun Deng, Li-Sha Shen, Yong Yang, Xing Zhou, Lianbao Ye, Sibao Chen, Da-Jian Yang, Guo-Qing Chen
Plant-derived extracellular vesicles (PDEVs) are nanoscale vesicles released from plant cells into the extracellular space.
To cite this article before page numbers are assigned, use the DOI form of citation above.
The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry




functions

Expression of concern: Iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles with versatile surface functions based on dopamine anchors

Nanoscale, 2024, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D4NR90209B, Expression of Concern
Open Access
  This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence.
Mykola Mazur, Alexandre Barras, Victor Kuncser, Andrei Galatanu, Vladimir Zaitzev, Kostiantyn V. Turcheniuk, Patrice Woisel, Joel Lyskawa, William Laure, Aloysius Siriwardena, Rabah Boukherroub, Sabine Szunerits
To cite this article before page numbers are assigned, use the DOI form of citation above.
The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry




functions

N-Halaminated spermidine-containing polymeric coating enables titanium to achieve dual functions of antibacterial and osseointegration

Biomater. Sci., 2024, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D4BM00061G, Paper
Hang Ren, Peng Wang, Hanwen Huang, Junshen Huang, Yuheng Lu, Yanfeng Wu, Zhongyu Xie, Youchen Tang, Zhaopeng Cai, Huiyong Shen
Modified Ti with a porous N-halaminated spermidine-containing polymeric coating is constructed, and it has both excellent antibacterial and osteogenic abilities to enhance osseointegration, making it potentially applicable in orthopedics.
To cite this article before page numbers are assigned, use the DOI form of citation above.
The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry




functions

Samsung launches newest Galaxy S24 smartphones with AI functions

Samsung looks to take on Apple with their latest AI functions in the S24 range.




functions

Malayali weddings embrace traditions from across India by including functions such as ‘mehendi’, ‘haldi’ and Bollywood frills as part of the celebrations

Haldi, mehendi and sangeet have been enthusiastically borrowed by young couples to add colour, music and fun to the relatively simple Malayali wedding



  • Life & Style

functions

Determination of stacking ordering in disordered close-packed structures from pairwise correlation functions

It is shown how to reconstruct the stacking sequence from the pairwise correlation functions between layers in close-packed structures. First, of theoretical interest, the analytical formulation and solution of the problem are presented when the exact pairwise correlation counts are known. In the second part, the practical problem is approached. A simulated annealing procedure is developed to solve the problem using as initial guess approximate solutions from previous treatments. The robustness of the procedure is tested with synthetic data, followed by an experimental example. The developed approach performs robustly over different synthetic and experimental data, comparing favorably with the reported methods.




functions

System Composer - MATLAB might crash when System Composer functions have invalid or missing stereotypes as input

When creating a System Composer architecture model, if the following functions are called with an invalid or missing stereotype, it can cause the model to get corrupted and might lead to a MATLAB crash:

  • addComponent
  • addPort
  • connect
When the corrupted model is saved or loaded and edited, the Simulink Diagnostic Viewer might display an error that indicates the System Composer model is inconsistent, and then result in a MATLAB crash.
This bug exists in the following release(s):
R2020a, R2019b, R2019a

Interested in Upgrading?




functions

Texture corrections for total scattering functions

The Debye scattering equation (DSE) is generalized and augmented in order to account for moderate texture effects, yielding the differential cross section as a function of atomic coordinates and texture coefficients subject to symmetry constraints. Implications for the evaluation of the pair distribution function (PDF) as a direct transform of powder diffraction data from textured samples are also discussed.




functions

Squaring the EMC - how promoting membrane protein biogenesis impacts cellular functions and organismal homeostasis

Norbert Volkmar
Apr 24, 2020; 133:jcs243519-jcs243519
REVIEW




functions

Biodiversity loss threatens key ecosystem functions

A synthesis of 192 studies has provided a quantitative estimate of the impact of the loss of plant biodiversity on ecosystem primary production, showing that this impact could be as great as that of other major environmental changes, such as climate warming, rising ozone levels and ocean acidification. They examined the effects of biodiversity loss on primary plant production of biomass and decomposition of plant litter, both of which underpin the carbon cycle and provision of key ecosystem services.




functions

Guess the functions and get a t-shirt

Of all the MATLAB or MathWorks toolbox functions that have been mentioned in this blog since 2006, imshow and imread have appeared the most. As in last week's post, they often appear together, right at the beginning: ... read more >>




functions

New RotoGuard IV Speed Switches Prevent Material Pile-up Due to Equipment Malfunctions

Speed switches can let you know if equipment is running too fast, too slow, or not at all




functions

Three-point Functions in $mathcal{N}=4$ SYM at Finite $N_c$ and Background Independence. (arXiv:2002.07216v2 [hep-th] UPDATED)

We compute non-extremal three-point functions of scalar operators in $mathcal{N}=4$ super Yang-Mills at tree-level in $g_{YM}$ and at finite $N_c$, using the operator basis of the restricted Schur characters. We make use of the diagrammatic methods called quiver calculus to simplify the three-point functions. The results involve an invariant product of the generalized Racah-Wigner tensors ($6j$ symbols). Assuming that the invariant product is written by the Littlewood-Richardson coefficients, we show that the non-extremal three-point functions satisfy the large $N_c$ background independence; correspondence between the string excitations on $AdS_5 imes S^5$ and those in the LLM geometry.




functions

Khintchine-type theorems for values of subhomogeneous functions at integer points. (arXiv:1910.02067v2 [math.NT] UPDATED)

This work has been motivated by recent papers that quantify the density of values of generic quadratic forms and other polynomials at integer points, in particular ones that use Rogers' second moment estimates. In this paper we establish such results in a very general framework. Namely, given any subhomogeneous function (a notion to be defined) $f: mathbb{R}^n o mathbb{R}$, we derive a necessary and sufficient condition on the approximating function $psi$ for guaranteeing that a generic element $fcirc g$ in the $G$-orbit of $f$ is $psi$-approximable; that is, $|fcirc g(mathbf{v})| le psi(|mathbf{v}|)$ for infinitely many $mathbf{v} in mathbb{Z}^n$. We also deduce a sufficient condition in the case of uniform approximation. Here, $G$ can be any closed subgroup of $operatorname{ASL}_n(mathbb{R})$ satisfying certain axioms that allow for the use of Rogers-type estimates.




functions

Optimal construction of Koopman eigenfunctions for prediction and control. (arXiv:1810.08733v3 [math.OC] UPDATED)

This work presents a novel data-driven framework for constructing eigenfunctions of the Koopman operator geared toward prediction and control. The method leverages the richness of the spectrum of the Koopman operator away from attractors to construct a rich set of eigenfunctions such that the state (or any other observable quantity of interest) is in the span of these eigenfunctions and hence predictable in a linear fashion. The eigenfunction construction is optimization-based with no dictionary selection required. Once a predictor for the uncontrolled part of the system is obtained in this way, the incorporation of control is done through a multi-step prediction error minimization, carried out by a simple linear least-squares regression. The predictor so obtained is in the form of a linear controlled dynamical system and can be readily applied within the Koopman model predictive control framework of [12] to control nonlinear dynamical systems using linear model predictive control tools. The method is entirely data-driven and based purely on convex optimization, with no reliance on neural networks or other non-convex machine learning tools. The novel eigenfunction construction method is also analyzed theoretically, proving rigorously that the family of eigenfunctions obtained is rich enough to span the space of all continuous functions. In addition, the method is extended to construct generalized eigenfunctions that also give rise Koopman invariant subspaces and hence can be used for linear prediction. Detailed numerical examples with code available online demonstrate the approach, both for prediction and feedback control.




functions

Removable singularities for Lipschitz caloric functions in time varying domains. (arXiv:2005.03397v1 [math.CA])

In this paper we study removable singularities for regular $(1,1/2)$-Lipschitz solutions of the heat equation in time varying domains. We introduce an associated Lipschitz caloric capacity and we study its metric and geometric properties and the connection with the $L^2$ boundedness of the singular integral whose kernel is given by the gradient of the fundamental solution of the heat equation.




functions

Solid hulls and cores of classes of weighted entire functions defined in terms of associated weight functions. (arXiv:2005.03167v1 [math.FA])

In the spirit of very recent articles by J. Bonet, W. Lusky and J. Taskinen we are studying the so-called solid hulls and cores of spaces of weighted entire functions when the weights are given in terms of associated weight functions coming from weight sequences. These sequences are required to satisfy certain (standard) growth and regularity properties which are frequently arising and used in the theory of ultradifferentiable and ultraholomorphic function classes (where also the associated weight function plays a prominent role). Thanks to this additional information we are able to see which growth behavior the so-called "Lusky-numbers", arising in the representations of the solid hulls and cores, have to satisfy resp. if such numbers can exist.




functions

Inference with Choice Functions Made Practical. (arXiv:2005.03098v1 [cs.AI])

We study how to infer new choices from previous choices in a conservative manner. To make such inferences, we use the theory of choice functions: a unifying mathematical framework for conservative decision making that allows one to impose axioms directly on the represented decisions. We here adopt the coherence axioms of De Bock and De Cooman (2019). We show how to naturally extend any given choice assessment to such a coherent choice function, whenever possible, and use this natural extension to make new choices. We present a practical algorithm to compute this natural extension and provide several methods that can be used to improve its scalability.




functions

All About Lambda Functions in C++ (From C++11 to C++17)

Lambda functions are quite an intuitive concept of Modern C++ introduced in C++11, so there are already tons of articles on lambda function tutorials over the internet. But still, there are some untold things (like IIFE, types of lambda, etc.) left, which nobody talks about. Therefore, here I am to not only show you lambda function in C++, but we'll also cover how it works internally and other aspects of Lambda.

The title of this article is a bit misleading. Because lambda doesn't always synthesize to function pointer. It's an expression (precisely unique closure). But I have kept it that way for simplicity. So from now on, I will use lambda function and expression interchangeably.




functions

Fast efficient vocabulary computation with hashed vocabularies applying hash functions to cluster centroids that determines most frequently used cluster centroid IDs

The disclosed embodiments describe a method, an apparatus, an application specific integrated circuit, and a server that provides a fast and efficient look up for data analysis. The apparatus and server may be configured to obtain data segments from a plurality of input devices. The data segments may be individual unique subsets of the entire data set obtained by a plurality input devices. A hash function may be applied to an aggregated set of the data segments. A result of the hash function may be stored in a data structure. A codebook may be generated from the hash function results.




functions

Rectangular power spectral densities of orthogonal functions

In this application, a set of orthogonal functions is introduced whose power spectral densities are all rectangular shape. To find the orthogonal function set, it was considered that their spectrums (Fourier transforms of the functions) are either real-valued or imaginary-valued, which are corresponding to even and odd real-valued time domain signals, respectively. The time domain functions are all considered real-valued because they are actually physical signals. The shape of the power spectral densities of the signals are rectangular thus, the Haar orthogonal function set can be employed in the frequency domain to decompose them to several orthogonal functions. Based on the inverse Fourier transform of the Haar orthogonal functions, the time domain functions with rectangular power spectral densities can be determined. This is equivalent to finding the time-domain functions by taking the inverse Fourier transform of the frequency domain Walsh functions. The obtained functions are sampled and truncated to generate finite-length discrete signals. Truncation destroys the orthogonality of the signals. The Singular Value Decomposition method is used to restore the orthogonality of the truncated discrete signals.




functions

Driver interface functions to interface client function drivers

In embodiments of driver interface functions to interface client function drivers, a set of serial communication protocol driver interfaces are exposed by a core driver stack, and the serial communication protocol driver interfaces include driver interface functions to interface with client function drivers that correspond to client devices configured for data communication in accordance with the serial communication protocol. A client function driver can check for the availability of a driver interface function before interfacing with the core driver stack via the serial communication protocol driver interfaces. A contract version identifier can also be received from the client function driver via an extension of the driver interface functions, where the contract version identifier indicates a set of operation rules by which the client function driver interfaces with the core driver stack.




functions

Method and system for managing hardware resources to implement system functions using an adaptive computing architecture

An adaptable integrated circuit is disclosed having a plurality of heterogeneous computational elements coupled to an interconnection network. The interconnection network changes interconnections between the plurality of heterogeneous computational elements in response to configuration information. A first group of computational elements is allocated to form a first version of a functional unit to perform a first function by changing interconnections in the interconnection network between the first group of heterogeneous computational elements. A second group of computational elements is allocated to form a second version of a functional unit to perform the first function by changing interconnections in the interconnection network between the second group of heterogeneous computational elements. One or more of the first or second group of heterogeneous computational elements are reallocated to perform a second function by changing the interconnections between the one or more of the first or second group of heterogeneous computational elements.




functions

Method for communicating status or warning regarding mobile device functions

This provides for controlling mobile device functions and features. For example, it limits or disables the use of some of mobile device features which could cause distraction to the user, when the user is engaged in another activity. In an example, it enables other mobile device features based on occurrence of events related to the user or environment. Another example addresses controlling the mobile device features, such as SMS, while the user is in a vehicle or driving. Another example restricts the ability of the driver of a vehicle to text, while the vehicle is in motion, by automatically disabling the texting ability of mobile device within and around the perimeter of the driver's seat. Other variations, examples, improvements, detection mechanisms, models, techniques, calculations, verification mechanisms, and features are also described in details.




functions

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR UNIT TESTING OF FUNCTIONS ON REMOTE KERNELS

The disclosed computer-implemented method may include (1) providing a framework that includes (A) a user-space component that runs at a client site and (B) a kernel-space component that runs at a remote site, (2) identifying attributes of objects that reside at the remote site and whose addresses are unknown at the client site, (3) generating a script to test a function of a kernel running on the remote site based at least in part on the attributes, and (4) performing a remote unit testing of the function of the kernel by executing the script such that the user-space component (A) generates a message that identifies the attributes and (B) sends the message to the kernel-space component to facilitate (I) obtaining references to the objects by way of the attributes and (II) invoking the function by way of the references. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.




functions

Attachment for embroidery and sewing machines for creating crystal/rhinestone patterns and motifs, and software functions to control the attachment

Method for creating a crystal/rhinestone template utilizing a sewing/embroidery machine to perforate a medium in a desired pattern. In the case of a multiple-needle sewing/embroidery machine, the machine's needle is replaced by a perforator blade and perforator blade holder which are attached to machine's needle bar. Machine's needle plate is replaced by perforator plate and waste holder. With a single-needle sewing/embroidery machine, machine's needle is replaced by a pressing tool attached to the machine's needle bar. A contact point, a spring, and an arm are attached to machine's presser foot. Machine's needle plate is replaced by perforator plate. A template medium is placed on a work surface of machine. Machine is operated by software that reads a user-specified pattern/motif outline for filling stones in vector form, using innate rules to move machine frame and control hole placement.




functions

SYSTEM AND METHOD TO IDENTIFY ENGAGEMENT OF VEHICLE AUTOMATION FUNCTIONS

A system and method for monitoring operation of vehicle automation systems utilizes an electronic vehicle monitor configured to connect to a computer system of a vehicle via the on board diagnostics (“OBD”) port of the vehicle. The electronic vehicle monitor is configured to obtain operational status information of the activation or use of vehicle automation systems of the vehicle, such as of an automated braking system, automated acceleration system, automated steering system, automated vehicle navigation system, automated collision avoidance system, and an automated cruise control system. The electronic vehicle monitor transmits the obtained operational status information to a computing device, such as a mobile computer of a passenger or the vehicle driver, or to a remotely located computer. The electronic vehicle monitor may include a wireless transmitter, and may include a global positioning system module or be configured to obtain location information from a global positioning system of the vehicle




functions

APPARATUS, METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR CONTROLLING FUNCTIONS OF A VEHICLE

Apparatuses, methods and computer programs for controlling functions of a vehicle. The apparatus for an information system of a vehicle includes a communication module for communication with a mobile device and a control module for controlling the communication module. The control module obtains a key signal and information about a user profile from the mobile device via the communication module. The user profile includes user settings for functions of the vehicle. The information about the user profile includes data about at least one subset of the user settings. The control module controls a locked state of the vehicle based on the key signal and controls at least one subset of the functions of the vehicle based on the information about the user profile.




functions

Combining Search Results That Specify Software Application Functions

Techniques include receiving a first search result from a search system, the result specifying a first state of a software application (app) and the state associated with a function performed based on a first parameter. The techniques further include displaying a first user-selectable link associated with the first result, the link configured to, upon being selected, set the app into the first state. The techniques still further include receiving a first user input and displaying a second user-selectable link associated with a second (e.g., previously stored) search result, the result specifying a second parameter. The techniques also include receiving a second user input selecting the first and second links and displaying a third user-selectable link associated with the first and second results, the link configured to, upon being selected, set the app into a second state associated with the function performed based on the second parameter.




functions

Tool with variable functions for casino operations

A hand held variable tool for use in casino operations that has optional functions of, at least, (i) a small tip writing instrument such as a pencil or pen, (ii) a large tip writing instrument such as a marker, and (iii) a cutting or scoring tool, such as a sharp-tipped needle or nail to aid in “scoring” and opening the cellophane around a new deck of playing cards. The tool can be clipped to the badge of a user for ease of transport while not in use.




functions

Getting started with the IBM Cloud, Part 4: Learn how to use serverless computing with the IBM Cloud Functions platform

See how to use IBM Cloud Functions to make the most of serverless computing. Doug Tidwell shows you how to generate code that manages a cloud-hosted NoSQL database.




functions

A Complete Guide to CSS Functions | CSS-Tricks




functions

Apache Spark native functions

There are many ways to extend Apache Spark and one of the easiest is with functions that manipulate one of more columns in a DataFrame. When considering different Spark function types, it is important to not ignore the full set … Continue reading




functions

The FKH domain in FOXP3 mRNA frequently contains mutations in hepatocellular carcinoma that influence the subcellular localization and functions of FOXP3 [Molecular Bases of Disease]

The transcription factor forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) is a biomarker for regulatory T cells and can also be expressed in cancer cells, but its function in cancer appears to be divergent. The role of hepatocyte-expressed FOXP3 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unknown. Here, we collected tumor samples and clinical information from 115 HCC patients and used five human cancer cell lines. We examined FOXP3 mRNA sequences for mutations, used a luciferase assay to assess promoter activities of FOXP3's target genes, and employed mouse tumor models to confirm in vitro results. We detected mutations in the FKH domain of FOXP3 mRNAs in 33% of the HCC tumor tissues, but in none of the adjacent nontumor tissues. None of the mutations occurred at high frequency, indicating that they occurred randomly. Notably, the mutations were not detected in the corresponding regions of FOXP3 genomic DNA, and many of them resulted in amino acid substitutions in the FKH region, altering FOXP3's subcellular localization. FOXP3 delocalization from the nucleus to the cytoplasm caused loss of transcriptional regulation of its target genes, inactivated its tumor-inhibitory capability, and changed cellular responses to histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors. More complex FKH mutations appeared to be associated with worse prognosis in HCC patients. We conclude that mutations in the FKH domain of FOXP3 mRNA frequently occur in HCC and that these mutations are caused by errors in transcription and are not derived from genomic DNA mutations. Our results suggest that transcriptional mutagenesis of FOXP3 plays a role in HCC.




functions

Reduction of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) complexity reveals cellular functions and dephosphorylation motifs of the PP2A/B'{delta} holoenzyme [Enzymology]

Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is a large enzyme family responsible for most cellular Ser/Thr dephosphorylation events. PP2A substrate specificity, localization, and regulation by second messengers rely on more than a dozen regulatory subunits (including B/R2, B'/R5, and B″/R3), which form the PP2A heterotrimeric holoenzyme by associating with a dimer comprising scaffolding (A) and catalytic (C) subunits. Because of partial redundancy and high endogenous expression of PP2A holoenzymes, traditional approaches of overexpressing, knocking down, or knocking out PP2A regulatory subunits have yielded only limited insights into their biological roles and substrates. To this end, here we sought to reduce the complexity of cellular PP2A holoenzymes. We used tetracycline-inducible expression of pairs of scaffolding and regulatory subunits with complementary charge-reversal substitutions in their interaction interfaces. For each of the three regulatory subunit families, we engineered A/B charge–swap variants that could bind to one another, but not to endogenous A and B subunits. Because endogenous Aα was targeted by a co-induced shRNA, endogenous B subunits were rapidly degraded, resulting in expression of predominantly a single PP2A heterotrimer composed of the A/B charge–swap pair and the endogenous catalytic subunit. Using B'δ/PPP2R5D, we show that PP2A complexity reduction, but not PP2A overexpression, reveals a role of this holoenzyme in suppression of extracellular signal–regulated kinase signaling and protein kinase A substrate dephosphorylation. When combined with global phosphoproteomics, the PP2A/B'δ reduction approach identified consensus dephosphorylation motifs in its substrates and suggested that residues surrounding the phosphorylation site play roles in PP2A substrate specificity.




functions

DHHC7-mediated palmitoylation of the accessory protein barttin critically regulates the functions of ClC-K chloride channels [Cell Biology]

Barttin is the accessory subunit of the human ClC-K chloride channels, which are expressed in both the kidney and inner ear. Barttin promotes trafficking of the complex it forms with ClC-K to the plasma membrane and is involved in activating this channel. Barttin undergoes post-translational palmitoylation that is essential for its functions, but the enzyme(s) catalyzing this post-translational modification is unknown. Here, we identified zinc finger DHHC-type containing 7 (DHHC7) protein as an important barttin palmitoyl acyltransferase, whose depletion affected barttin palmitoylation and ClC-K-barttin channel activation. We investigated the functional role of barttin palmitoylation in vivo in Zdhhc7−/− mice. Although palmitoylation of barttin in kidneys of Zdhhc7−/− animals was significantly decreased, it did not pathologically alter kidney structure and functions under physiological conditions. However, when Zdhhc7−/− mice were fed a low-salt diet, they developed hyponatremia and mild metabolic alkalosis, symptoms characteristic of human Bartter syndrome (BS) type IV. Of note, we also observed decreased palmitoylation of the disease-causing R8L barttin variant associated with human BS type IV. Our results indicate that dysregulated DHHC7-mediated barttin palmitoylation appears to play an important role in chloride channel dysfunction in certain BS variants, suggesting that targeting DHHC7 activity may offer a potential therapeutic strategy for reducing hypertension.




functions

Detailed analyses of the crucial functions of Zn transporter proteins in alkaline phosphatase activation [Enzymology]

Numerous zinc ectoenzymes are metalated by zinc and activated in the compartments of the early secretory pathway before reaching their destination. Zn transporter (ZNT) proteins located in these compartments are essential for ectoenzyme activation. We have previously reported that ZNT proteins, specifically ZNT5–ZNT6 heterodimers and ZNT7 homodimers, play critical roles in the activation of zinc ectoenzymes, such as alkaline phosphatases (ALPs), by mobilizing cytosolic zinc into these compartments. However, this process remains incompletely understood. Here, using genetically-engineered chicken DT40 cells, we first determined that Zrt/Irt-like protein (ZIP) transporters that are localized to the compartments of the early secretory pathway play only a minor role in the ALP activation process. These transporters included ZIP7, ZIP9, and ZIP13, performing pivotal functions in maintaining cellular homeostasis by effluxing zinc out of the compartments. Next, using purified ALP proteins, we showed that zinc metalation on ALP produced in DT40 cells lacking ZNT5–ZNT6 heterodimers and ZNT7 homodimers is impaired. Finally, by genetically disrupting both ZNT5 and ZNT7 in human HAP1 cells, we directly demonstrated that the tissue-nonspecific ALP-activating functions of both ZNT complexes are conserved in human cells. Furthermore, using mutant HAP1 cells, we uncovered a previously-unrecognized and unique spatial regulation of ZNT5–ZNT6 heterodimer formation, wherein ZNT5 recruits ZNT6 to the Golgi apparatus to form the heterodimeric complex. These findings fill in major gaps in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying zinc ectoenzyme activation in the compartments of the early secretory pathway.




functions

Reduction of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) complexity reveals cellular functions and dephosphorylation motifs of the PP2A/B'{delta} holoenzyme [Enzymology]

Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is a large enzyme family responsible for most cellular Ser/Thr dephosphorylation events. PP2A substrate specificity, localization, and regulation by second messengers rely on more than a dozen regulatory subunits (including B/R2, B'/R5, and B″/R3), which form the PP2A heterotrimeric holoenzyme by associating with a dimer comprising scaffolding (A) and catalytic (C) subunits. Because of partial redundancy and high endogenous expression of PP2A holoenzymes, traditional approaches of overexpressing, knocking down, or knocking out PP2A regulatory subunits have yielded only limited insights into their biological roles and substrates. To this end, here we sought to reduce the complexity of cellular PP2A holoenzymes. We used tetracycline-inducible expression of pairs of scaffolding and regulatory subunits with complementary charge-reversal substitutions in their interaction interfaces. For each of the three regulatory subunit families, we engineered A/B charge–swap variants that could bind to one another, but not to endogenous A and B subunits. Because endogenous Aα was targeted by a co-induced shRNA, endogenous B subunits were rapidly degraded, resulting in expression of predominantly a single PP2A heterotrimer composed of the A/B charge–swap pair and the endogenous catalytic subunit. Using B'δ/PPP2R5D, we show that PP2A complexity reduction, but not PP2A overexpression, reveals a role of this holoenzyme in suppression of extracellular signal–regulated kinase signaling and protein kinase A substrate dephosphorylation. When combined with global phosphoproteomics, the PP2A/B'δ reduction approach identified consensus dephosphorylation motifs in its substrates and suggested that residues surrounding the phosphorylation site play roles in PP2A substrate specificity.