Impaired mitochondrial function has been proposed as a causative factor in neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), caused by motor neuron degeneration. Mutations in superoxide dismutase (SOD1) cause ALS and SOD1 mutants were shown to interact with the voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1), affecting its normal function. VDAC1 is a multi-functional channel located at the outer mitochondrial membrane that serves as a mitochondrial gatekeeper controlling metabolic and energetic crosstalk between mitochondria and the rest of the cell and it is a key player in mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. Previously, we showed that VDAC1 interacts with SOD1 and that the VDAC1-N-terminal-derived peptide prevented mutant SOD1 cytotoxic effects. In this study, using a peptide array, we identified the SOD1 sequence that interacts with VDAC1. Synthetic peptides generated from the identified VDAC1-binding sequences in SOD1 directly interacted with purified VDAC1. We also show that VDAC1 oligomerization increased in spinal cord mitochondria isolated from mutant SOD1G93A mice and rats. Thus, we used the novel VDAC1-specific small molecules, VBIT-4 and VBIT-12, inhibiting VDAC1 oligomerization and subsequently apoptosis and associated processes such as ROS production, and increased cytosolic Ca2+. VBIT-12 was able to rescue cell death induced by mutant SOD1 in neuronal cultures. Finally, although survival was not affected, VBIT-12 administration significantly improved muscle endurance in mutant SOD1G93A mice. Therefore, VBIT-12 may represent an attractive therapy for maintaining muscle function during the progression of ALS. 相似文献
Two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted considerable interest thanks to their unique electronic/physical–chemical characteristics and their potential for use in a large variety of sensing applications. However, few-layered nanosheets tend to agglomerate owing to van der Waals forces, which obstruct internal nanoscale transport channels, resulting in low electrochemical activity and restricting their use for sensing purposes. Here, a hybrid MXene/rGO aerogel with a three-dimensional (3D) interlocked network was fabricated via a freeze-drying method. The porous MXene/rGO aerogel has a lightweight and hierarchical porous architecture, which can be compressed and expanded several times without breaking. Additionally, a flexible pressure sensor that uses the aerogel as the sensitive layer has a wide response range of approximately 0–40 kPa and a considerable response within this range, averaging approximately 61.49 kPa–1. The excellent sensing performance endows it with a broad range of applications, including human-computer interfaces and human health monitoring. 相似文献
A proposed inductive-phase-compensation ultra wideband CMOS digital T-type attenuator design based on an analysis of minimising phase errors is presented in this letter. In a standard CMOS technology, the proposed attenuator is analytically demonstrated to have low phase errors due to the inductive-phase-compensation network. A design equation is inferred and a wide-band 4dB attenuation bit digital attenuator with low phase errors is designed as a test vehicle for the proposed approach. 相似文献
Supersaturation of dissolved gases in natural water, due to spillage from high dams and other factors, may cause fish mortality. In previous experiments, the dissipation coefficient has been used to denote the degassing process of total dissolved gas(TDG) saturation. These experiments mainly analyzed supersaturated TDG dissipation from a macroscopic view. To precisely clarify the mechanism of supersaturated TDG release, this study investigated bubble adsorption at a wall surface from a microscopic view. The experiment was conducted in a Plexiglas-wall container filled with supersaturated TDG water. A model that calculates the adsorption flux of supersaturated TDG by a solid wall, and helps describe construction for a contact angle at a three-phase intersection, was developed according to Young's equation. This model was used to investigate the formation process of bubbles adsorbed on a solid polymethyl methacrylate(PMMA) surface in supersaturated TDG water. The adsorption effect of a solid wall on TDG release was analyzed based on the experimental data. The modeling results were compared with observations under different wall area conditions, and it was found that TDG release tended to increase with wall area. This study helps improve our understanding of the mechanisms of supersaturated TDG release and provides an important theoretical method for accurate calculation of the release process. The adsorption flux model of the solid wall provides mitigation measures to combat the adverse effects of TDG supersaturation,which will be beneficial to the protection of aquatic organisms in hydropower-regulated rivers. 相似文献