The efficient conversion of lignin into mono-cycloalkanes via both C–O and C–C bonds cleavage are attractive,but challenging due to the high C–C bond dissociation energy.Previous studies have demonstrated that NbO_...The efficient conversion of lignin into mono-cycloalkanes via both C–O and C–C bonds cleavage are attractive,but challenging due to the high C–C bond dissociation energy.Previous studies have demonstrated that NbO_(x)-based catalysts exhibited exceptional capabilities for C_(Ar)–C bond cleavage and broken the limitation of lignin monomers.In this work,we presented an economical multifunctional Pt-Nb/MOR catalyst that achieved an impressive monomer yield of 147%during the depolymerization and hydrodeoxygenation of lignin into mono-cycloalkanes.Reaction pathway studies showed that unlike traditional NbO_(x)-based catalytic system,bicyclohexane was an important intermediate in this system and followed the C_(sp3)–C_(sp3)cleavage pathway after complete cyclic-hydrogenation.Deep investigations demonstrated that the doping of Nb in Pt/MOR not only enhanced the activation of hydrogen by Pt,but also increased the acidity of MOR,both of these are favor for the hydrogenolytic cleavage of C_(sp3)–C_(sp3)bonds.This work provides a low-cost catalyst to obtain high-yield monomers from lignin under relatively mild conditions and would help to design catalysts with higher activity for the valorization of lignin.展开更多
The oxidation of lignin model compounds to esters via C-C bond cleavage has attracted considerable attention,as esters could be used as important polymer precursors and pharmaceutical intermediates.However,most studie...The oxidation of lignin model compounds to esters via C-C bond cleavage has attracted considerable attention,as esters could be used as important polymer precursors and pharmaceutical intermediates.However,most studies focus on designing homogeneous or noble metal catalysts and conducting the reactions under basic conditions.Here,we report an efficient process for the C-C bond cleavage of lignin model compounds and selectively producing esters over different shaped CeO_(2)(i.e.,nanospheres(S),nanorods(R),nanoparticles(P),and nanocubes(C))under base-free conditions.Specifically,the yield of methyl anisate from the aerobic oxidation of l-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethanol reaches 77.6%over CeO_(2)-S in one hour(91%in 9 h),exhibiting higher performance compared to other evaluated CeO_(2)catalysts(6.4%-40.2%).Extensivecharacterizations and experimental investigations reveal that the density of weak base sites and oxygen vacancies on the CeO_(2)surface is positively correlated with the yield of methyl esters.Furthermore,the reaction pathway is investigated,which confirms that 1-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethanol first undergoes two reactions(i.e.,etherification and dehydrogenation)to produce intermediates of1-methoxy-4-(1-methoxy-ethyl)-benzene and 1-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethanone,respectively,followed by a series of functional group transformations to generate the targeted methyl anisate ultimately.展开更多
Heterogeneous precious metal catalysts are prone to agglomeration during preparation,requiring high usage with consequently high costs.Maximizing the efficiency of precious-metal utilization is of great significance i...Heterogeneous precious metal catalysts are prone to agglomeration during preparation,requiring high usage with consequently high costs.Maximizing the efficiency of precious-metal utilization is of great significance in the design of supported precious metal catalysts.Herein,2,2'-bipyridyl-5,5'-dicarboxylic acid was used as the ligand in constructing the UiO-67-Ce-BPyDC framework with Ce^(4+)coordination.This framework enables precise adsorption and coordination of Pd2+at the nitrogen sites of pyridine,promoting high dispersion of the Pd species at a single site,thereby facilitating controlled palladium loading.This precursor was used to fabricate supported Pd-based catalysts on CeO_(2)(Pd-N/CeO_(2)-P)via pyrolysis.Notably,because the Pd species are homogeneously distributed on CeO_(2)with strong interactions,Pd-N/CeO_(2)-P exhibits remarkable efficiency in cleaving the C-O bonds of diphenyl ether(DPE)to produce cyclohexanol,with a selectivity of 72.1%.The origin of the high selectivity of cyclohexanol is further elucidated using theoretical calculations;that is,DPE undergoes not only hydrogenolysis on Pd-N/CeO_(2)-P,but also hydrolysis to produce more cyclohexanol.This study not only demonstrates a successful strategy for designing highly dispersed metal catalysts,but also underscores the importance of such tailored catalysts in the advancement of sustainable lignin depolymerization technologies.展开更多
While variable regions of immunoglobulins are extensively diversified by V(D)J recombination and somatic hypermutation in vertebrates,the constant regions of immunoglobulin heavy chains also utilize certain mechanisms...While variable regions of immunoglobulins are extensively diversified by V(D)J recombination and somatic hypermutation in vertebrates,the constant regions of immunoglobulin heavy chains also utilize certain mechanisms to produce diversity,including class switch recombination(CSR),subclass differentiation,and alternative expression of the same gene.Many species of birds,reptiles,and amphibians express a truncated isoform of immunoglobulin Y(IgY),termed IgY(ΔFc),which lacks theυCH3 andυCH4 domains.In Anseriformes,IgY(ΔFc)arises from alternative transcriptional termination sites within the sameυgene,whereas in some turtles,intact IgY and IgY(ΔFc)are encoded by distinct genes.Different from the previously reported IgY(ΔFc)variants,this study identified a truncated IgY in the snake Elaphe taeniura,characterized by the loss of only a portion of the CH4 domain.Western blotting and liquid chromatographytandem mass spectrometry confirmed that this truncated IgY is generated by post-translational cleavage at N338 within the IgY heavy chain constant(CH)region.Furthermore,both human and snake asparaginyl endopeptidase were shown to cleave snake IgY in vitro.These findings reveal a novel mechanism for the production of shortened IgY forms,demonstrating that the immunoglobulin CH region undergoes diversification through distinct strategies across vertebrates.展开更多
Catalytic aryl ether C—O bonds hydrogenolysis was an important route to convert lignite into high valueadded chemicals.Solid super acid 10%Ni-S_(2)O_(8)^(2-)=ZrO_(2) catalysts were successfully synthesized and evalua...Catalytic aryl ether C—O bonds hydrogenolysis was an important route to convert lignite into high valueadded chemicals.Solid super acid 10%Ni-S_(2)O_(8)^(2-)=ZrO_(2) catalysts were successfully synthesized and evaluated their performance in catalytic hydrolysis of lignite derivatives.The excellent performance of 10%Ni-S_(2)O_(8)^(2-)=ZrO_(2) stems from the synergistic interaction between metallic and acidic sites.Specifically,the acidic sites generated by S_(2)O_(8)^(2-) facilitate the adsorption of O atoms in the substrate,whereas the metal sites optimize the process of hydrogen adsorption and activation and promote the generation of hydrogen radicals,which further enhances the ability to break C—O bonds.Thus,10%Ni-S_(2)O_(8)^(2-)=ZrO_(2) exhibits more significantcatalytic activity compared to 10%Ni-ZrO_(2) prepared from pure ZrO_(2) as a support.Characterization results showed that the 10%Ni-S_(2)O_(8)^(2-)=ZrO_(2) catalyst prepared by sodium borohydride reduction method presented a uniform pore structure,which effectively promoted the dispersion of metal Ni on the catalyst surface.Complete conversion of diphenyl ether(DPE)can be achieved under relatively mild conditions,and excellent hydrogenolysis activity is also demonstrated for other lignite derivatives containing C—O bonds.The possible reaction mechanism of DPE hydrogenolysis in the H_(2)-isopropanol system was investigated.This work represents a significantstep forward in the design of highly efficientsolid super acid catalysts.展开更多
Objective:To investigate morphokinetic characteristics of embryos displaying either reverse cleavage or direct cleavage during the first,second or third cleavage cycle.Methods:A total of 167 in vitro fertilization and...Objective:To investigate morphokinetic characteristics of embryos displaying either reverse cleavage or direct cleavage during the first,second or third cleavage cycle.Methods:A total of 167 in vitro fertilization and/or intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment cycles undertaken by 167 women[aged(35.0±4.6)years]were included for reverse cleavage analysis,and a total of 167 in vitro fertilization and/or intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment cycles undertaken by 167 women[aged(33.8±4.3)years]were included for direct cleavage analysis in this study.Using a sibling-embryo design,morphokinetic profiles(both before and after the onset of abnormal event)of embryos displaying reverse cleavage(n=241)or direct cleavage(n=244)were compared with their unaffected siblings(the controls)in the first,second and third cell cycles(n=32,n=142,n=562;n=195,n=412,n=205,respectively),at different developmental stages up to day 3.Results:Direct cleavage embryos demonstrated significantly delayed cleavage rates prior to the event regardless of developmental stage of the occurrence,while reverse cleavage embryos showed similar cleavage rates to their unaffected siblings.Post event,direct cleavage embryos sped up cleavage rates while reverse cleavage embryos slowed down.Conclusions:Altered morphokinetic profiles are displayed by direct cleavage embryos both before and after their occurrence and reverse cleavage embryos after the occurrence,which could potentially confound morphokinetic comparisons if not separated from their unaffected sibling embryos.Further study is warranted in order to fully understand the biological mechanisms of such events.展开更多
The population of surface broken bonds of some typical sulfide, oxide and salt-type minerals which may belong to cubic, tetragonal, hexagonal, or orthorhombic system, were calculated. In terms of the calculation resul...The population of surface broken bonds of some typical sulfide, oxide and salt-type minerals which may belong to cubic, tetragonal, hexagonal, or orthorhombic system, were calculated. In terms of the calculation results, the cleavage natures of these minerals were analyzed, and the relationship between surface broken bonds density and surface energy was also established. The results show that the surface broken bonds properties could be used to predict the cleavage nature of most of minerals, and the predicted cleavage planes agree well with those reported in previous literature. Moreover, this work explored a rule that, surface broken bonds density is directly related to surface energy with determination coefficient（R2） of over 0.8, indicating that the former is a dominant factor to determine the latter. Therefore, anisotropic surface broken bonds density can be used to predict the stability of mineral surface and the reactivity of surface atoms.展开更多
[Objective] The aim was to optimize Yanbian cow oocytes mature in vitro and cleavage system after nuclear transfer based on uniform design. [Method] Oocytes were recovered by aspiration method, and oocytes were mature...[Objective] The aim was to optimize Yanbian cow oocytes mature in vitro and cleavage system after nuclear transfer based on uniform design. [Method] Oocytes were recovered by aspiration method, and oocytes were matured in vitro （IVM） with different conditions, and then carried out nucleus transfer, fusion, activation and in vitro culture （IVC） of embryo. Effects of ovary storage temperature, maturation time and follicular diameter size on in vitro maturation and cleavage rates of cow oocytes were compared. [ Result] The best conditions of IVM of Yanbian cow oocytes was that： the oocytes of 8 mm diameter were matured in vitro for 24 hours when the ovaries were stored at 26℃ or 31 ℃. The best cleave conditions after nucleus transfer of oocytes was that： the oocytes of 6 mm or 8 mm diameter were cultured in vitro for 24 hours when the ovaries were stored at 26℃. [ Conclusion] The result has some reference to Yanbian cow and other cow breeding and population expanding propagation.展开更多
DTPA and its two derivatives were synthesized and used as catalysts in DNA cleavage. Under physiological conditions, a series of experiments have been done. The effects of DNA cleavage with three ligands were studied ...DTPA and its two derivatives were synthesized and used as catalysts in DNA cleavage. Under physiological conditions, a series of experiments have been done. The effects of DNA cleavage with three ligands were studied under different concentrations, cleavage time, and pH values. The results strongly suggested that the plasrnid DNA （pUC 19） can be cleaved efficiently by CITC- DTPA. For the cleavage reaction catalyzed by CITC-DTPA, Form I DNA could convert to Form II mostly, and the DNA-cleavage mechanism involved an oxidative pathway. 2009 Chuan Qin Xia. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved.展开更多
Over the past decades,tRNA was found to be a rich hub of RNA modifications such as 1-methyladenosine and 5-methycytosine modifications and others,holding more than half of all modifications occurring in RNA molecules....Over the past decades,tRNA was found to be a rich hub of RNA modifications such as 1-methyladenosine and 5-methycytosine modifications and others,holding more than half of all modifications occurring in RNA molecules.Moreover,tRNA was discovered to be a source of various small noncoding RNA species,such as the stress induced angiogenin cleaved tRNA halves(tiRNA)or the miRNA like tRNA derived fragments.tRNA cleavage under stress was fist discovered in bacteria and later was found to be conserved across different species,including mammals.Under cellular stress conditions,tRNA undergoes conformational changes and angiogenin cleaves it into 3′and 5′halves.5′tiRNA halves were shown to repress protein translations.tRNA cleavage is thought of to be a cytoprotective mechanism by which cells evade apoptosis,however some data hints to the opposite;that tiRNA are cytotoxic or at least related to apoptosis initiation.tRNA cleavage also was shown to be affected by tRNA modifications via different enzymes in the cytosol and mitochondria.In this review,we will highlight the biology of tRNA cleavage,show the evidence of it being cytoprotective or a marker of cell death and shed a light on its role in disease models and human diseases as well as possible future directions in this field of RNA research.展开更多
As the most abundant source of biomass in nature for sustainable production of fuels and chemicals,efficient depolymerization of cellulose under mild conditions,due to the difficulty in selective cleavage of itsβ-1,4...As the most abundant source of biomass in nature for sustainable production of fuels and chemicals,efficient depolymerization of cellulose under mild conditions,due to the difficulty in selective cleavage of itsβ-1,4-glycosidic bonds,still remains challenging.Here,we report a novel method for oxidative cleavage of the glycosidic bonds by free radicals.Probed by the cellobiose reaction,it was found that·OH radicals,generated from the decomposition of H2O2 catalyzed by CuSO4 or CuO/SiO2,were efficient for selective conversion of cellobiose to glucose and gluconic acid at a low temperature of 333 K,and their selectivities reached 30.0%and 34.6%,respectively,at 23.4%cellobiose conversion.Other radicals,such as·SO4?,also exhibited high efficacy in the cellobiose reaction.Mechanistic studies suggest that the oxidative cleavage of theβ-1,4-glycosidic bond by the free radicals involve formation of the carbon radical intermediate via abstraction of the H atom dominantly at the C1 position.Following this oxidative mechanism,treatment of microcrystalline cellulose with·OH by impregnation with H2O2 and CuSO4 catalyst at 343 K led to significant enhancement in its hydrolysis efficiency.These results demonstrate the effectiveness of this new method in the oxidative cleavage of glycosidic bonds,and its viability for the efficient depolymerization of cellulose at low temperatures,which can be further improved,for example,by exploring new free radicals and optimizing their reactivity and selectivity.展开更多
The DNA nuclease-like activity of a water soluble manganese corrole 5, 10, 15-tris（N-methyl-4-pyridyl）- corrolatomanga- nese（III） （MnⅢTMPyC） has been investigated. MnⅢMPyC may bind strongly to DNA via outside ...The DNA nuclease-like activity of a water soluble manganese corrole 5, 10, 15-tris（N-methyl-4-pyridyl）- corrolatomanga- nese（III） （MnⅢTMPyC） has been investigated. MnⅢMPyC may bind strongly to DNA via outside groove binding mode as indicated by absorption spectra, viscosity measurements and CD spectra. MnInTMPyC exhibited excellent catalytic activity in the DNA oxidative cleavage in the presence of hydroperoxide.展开更多
In this work,a series of acidic montmorillonite/cordierite monolithic catalysts were prepared by a coating method using silica sol as the binder.The morphology and structure of the acidic montmorillonite/cordierite sa...In this work,a series of acidic montmorillonite/cordierite monolithic catalysts were prepared by a coating method using silica sol as the binder.The morphology and structure of the acidic montmorillonite/cordierite samples were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction(XRD),N_2 adsorption/desorption isotherms,and scanning electron microscope(SEM).The cleavage of cumene hydroperoxide(CHP) in a conventional fixed-bed reactor was chosen as a model reaction to evaluate the catalytic activity of the monolithic catalysts.The influences of acidic montmorillonite loading,reaction temperature.CHP concentration,and weight hourly space velocity(WHSV) on the catalytic activity and selectivity of phenol were studied.The results indicated that the obtained acidic montmorillonite/cordierite monolithic catalysts were firm and compact,and the loading of acidic montmorillonite was found to reach 40%(by mass) after three coating operations.The surface area of acidic montmorillonite/cordierite catalysts increases greatly as acidic montmorillonite loading increases due to higher surface area of acidic montmorillonite.Under the optimal reaction conditions(acidic montmorillonite loading of 32.5%(by mass),temperature of 80 ℃,a mass ratio of CHP to acetone of 1:3,and WHSV of CHP of 90 h^(-1)),the conversion of CHP can reach 100%,and the selectivity of phenol is up to 99.8%.展开更多
A novel potential tridentate Schiff base was prepared by condensing equimolar quantities of 2-hydroxyacetophenone and 2-aminopyrimidine in methanol. This ligand was versatile in forming a series of complexes with lant...A novel potential tridentate Schiff base was prepared by condensing equimolar quantities of 2-hydroxyacetophenone and 2-aminopyrimidine in methanol. This ligand was versatile in forming a series of complexes with lanthanide ions such as La（III）, Pr（III）, Nd（III）, Sm（III）, Gd（III）, Dy（III） and Yb（III）. The ligand and the metal complexes were characterized through elemental analysis, molar conductance, UV-Visible, IR, 1H NMR, and mass spectral studies. The spectral studies indicated that the ligand was coordinated to the metal ion in neutral tridentate fashion through the azomethine nitrogen, one of the nitrogen atoms in the pyrimidine ring and the phenolic oxygen without deprotonation. Thermal decomposition and luminescence property of lanthanum（III） complex were also examined. The X-ray diffraction patterns showed the crystalline nature of the ligand and its lanthanum（III） complex. The DNA cleavage studies of the ligand and the metal complexes were carried out and it was observed that the lanthanum（III） and neo-dymium（III） complexes cleaved the pUC19 DNA effectively. The ligand and the metal complexes were screened for their antibacte-rial activities. The metal complexes were found to be more potent bactericides than the ligand.展开更多
The current pandemic of COVID-19 caused by a novel coronavirus,severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2(SARS-CoV-2),threatens human health around the world.Of particular concern is that bats are recognized as o...The current pandemic of COVID-19 caused by a novel coronavirus,severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2(SARS-CoV-2),threatens human health around the world.Of particular concern is that bats are recognized as one of the most potential natural hosts of SARS-CoV-2;however,coronavirus ecology in bats is still nascent.Here,we performed a degenerate primer screening and next-generation sequencing analysis of 112 bats,collected from Hainan Province,China.Three coronaviruses,namely bat betacoronavirus(Bat CoV)CD35,Bat CoV CD36 and bat alpha-coronavirus CD30 were identified.Bat CoV CD35 genome had 99.5%identity with Bat CoV CD36,both sharing the highest nucleotide identity with Bat Hp-betacoronavirus Zhejiang2013(71.4%),followed by SARS-CoV-2(54.0%).Phylogenetic analysis indicated that Bat CoV CD35 formed a distinct clade,and together with Bat Hp-betacoronavirus Zhejiang2013,was basal to the lineage of SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2.Notably,Bat CoV CD35 harbored a canonical furin-like S1/S2 cleavage site that resembles the corresponding sites of SARS-CoV-2.The furin cleavage sites between CD35 and CD36 are identical.In addition,the receptor-binding domain of Bat CoV CD35 showed a highly similar structure to that of SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2,especially in one binding loop.In conclusion,this study deepens our understanding of the diversity of coronaviruses and provides clues about the natural origin of the furin cleavage site of SARS-CoV-2.展开更多
Lanthanide complexes of Eu（III）, Gd（III）, Nd（III）, Sm（III）, and Tb（III） with phenylthioacetic acid were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, mass, infrared radiation （IR）, electronic spectr...Lanthanide complexes of Eu（III）, Gd（III）, Nd（III）, Sm（III）, and Tb（III） with phenylthioacetic acid were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, mass, infrared radiation （IR）, electronic spectra, molar conductance, thermogravimetric analysis （TGA）, and powder X-ray diffraction （XRD）. The results showed that the lanthanide complexes were homodinuclear in nature. The two lanthanide ions were bridged by eight oxygen atoms from four carboxylate groups. Thermal decomposition profiles were consis- tent with the proposed formulations. Powder XRD studies showed that all the complexes were amorphous in nature. Antimicrobial studies indicated that these complexes exhibited more activity than the ligand itself. The DNA cleavage activity of the ligand and its complexes were assayed on CT DNA using gel electrophoresis in the presence of H202. The result showed that the Eu（Ⅲ） and Nd（Ⅲ） complexes completely cleaved the DNA. The anticancer activities of the complexes were also studied towards human cervical cancer cell line （HeLa） and colon cancer cells （HCT116） and it was found that the Eu（Ⅲ） and Nd（Ⅲ） complexes were more active than the corresponding Gd（Ⅲ）, Sm（Ⅲ）, Tb（Ⅲ） complexes and the free ligand on both the cancer cells.展开更多
The copper-binding, membrane-anchored, cellular prion protein （PrP~） has two constitutive cleavage sites producing distinct N- and C-terminal fragments （N1/C1 and N2/C2）. Using RK13 cells expressing either human P...The copper-binding, membrane-anchored, cellular prion protein （PrP~） has two constitutive cleavage sites producing distinct N- and C-terminal fragments （N1/C1 and N2/C2）. Using RK13 cells expressing either human PrPc, mouse PrPc or mouse PrP^C carrying the 3F4 epitope, this study explored the influence of the PrP^C primary sequence on endoproteolytic cleavage and one putative PrPc function, MAP kinase signal transduction, in response to exogenous copper with or without a perturbed membrane environment. PrPc primary sequence, especially that around the N1/C1 cleavage site, appeared to influence basal levels of proteolysis at this location and extracellular signal-regulat- ed kinase 1/2 （ERK1/2） phosphorylation, with increased processing demonstrating an inverse relationship with basal ERK1/2 activation. Human PrP^C showed increased N1/C1 cleavage in response to copper alone, accompanied by specific p38 and JNK/SAPK phosphorylation. Combined exposure to copper plus the cholesterol-sequestering antibiotic filipin resulted in a mouse PrP^C-specific substantial increase in signal protein phosphorylation, accompanied by an increase in N1/C1 cleavage. Mouse PrPc harboring the human N1/C1 cleavage site assumed more human-like profiles basally and in response to copper and altered membrane environments. Our results demonstrate that the PrPc pri- mary sequence around the N1/C1 cleavage site influences endoproteolytic processing at this location, which appears linked to MAP kinase signal transduction both basally and in response to copper. Further, the primary sequence appears to confer a mutual dependence of N1/C1 cleavage and membrane integrity on the fidelity of PrP^C-related signal transduction in response to exogenous stimuli.展开更多
BACKGROUND: 10-23 DNA enzyme is one kind of de-oxyribozymes for RNA cleavage. The inhibition effects of 10-23 DNA enzyme on the expression of the HBV C gene in HepG2. 2. 15 cells were demonstrated previously. The aim ...BACKGROUND: 10-23 DNA enzyme is one kind of de-oxyribozymes for RNA cleavage. The inhibition effects of 10-23 DNA enzyme on the expression of the HBV C gene in HepG2. 2. 15 cells were demonstrated previously. The aim of this study was to further explore the cleavage activities of 10-23 DNA enzyme targeting at HBV C gene mRNA in vitro. METHODS: 10-23 DNA enzyme named Drz-HBV-C-9 specific to HBV C gene ORF A1816UG was designed and synthesized. HBV C gene mRNA was obtained by the in vitro transcription method. Cleavage activities of Drz-HBV-C-9 were observed in vitro. Values of kinetic parameters including Km,Kcat and Kcat/Km were calculated accordingly. RESULTS: Under the certain cleavage conditions, Drz-HBV-C-9 could efficiently cleave target mRNA at specific sites in vitro. Cleavage products of 109nt plus 191nt were obtained. The kinetic parameters, Km,Kcat and Kcat/ Km for Drz-HBV-C-9, were 1.4 ×10-9 mol, 1.6 min-1 and 1.1 × 109 mol-1 · min-1, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: 10-23 DNA enzyme targeting at HBV C gene mRNA possesses specific cleavage activities in vitro. This would be a potent antiviral strategy with respect to HBV gene therapy.展开更多
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus.（PRRSV） actively induces cell apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo, which can contribute critically to viral pathogenesis. Previous studies have shown that the PRRS...Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus.（PRRSV） actively induces cell apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo, which can contribute critically to viral pathogenesis. Previous studies have shown that the PRRSV nonstructural protein 4 （nsp4） is an important mediator of this process, but the underlying molecular details remain poorly understood. In this study, we found that the PRRSV nsp4 interacted with the mitochondrial inner membrane protein cytochrome cl （cyto.cl） and induced its proteolytic cleavage. Interestingly, the cleaved N-terminal fragment of cyto.cl was found to exert apoptotic activity, which could cause mitochondrial fragmentation, resulting in apoptotic cell death. And RNA interference （RNAi） silencing experiments further confirmed the crucial role which cyto.cl played in nsp4- and PRRSV-induced cell apoptosis. Thus, our data provide an important piece of mechanistic clues for PRRSV-induced cell apoptosis and also elucidate a novel mechanism for the 3C-like proteases in this finding.展开更多
文摘The efficient conversion of lignin into mono-cycloalkanes via both C–O and C–C bonds cleavage are attractive,but challenging due to the high C–C bond dissociation energy.Previous studies have demonstrated that NbO_(x)-based catalysts exhibited exceptional capabilities for C_(Ar)–C bond cleavage and broken the limitation of lignin monomers.In this work,we presented an economical multifunctional Pt-Nb/MOR catalyst that achieved an impressive monomer yield of 147%during the depolymerization and hydrodeoxygenation of lignin into mono-cycloalkanes.Reaction pathway studies showed that unlike traditional NbO_(x)-based catalytic system,bicyclohexane was an important intermediate in this system and followed the C_(sp3)–C_(sp3)cleavage pathway after complete cyclic-hydrogenation.Deep investigations demonstrated that the doping of Nb in Pt/MOR not only enhanced the activation of hydrogen by Pt,but also increased the acidity of MOR,both of these are favor for the hydrogenolytic cleavage of C_(sp3)–C_(sp3)bonds.This work provides a low-cost catalyst to obtain high-yield monomers from lignin under relatively mild conditions and would help to design catalysts with higher activity for the valorization of lignin.
基金financially supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2023YFD2200505)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.22202105)+3 种基金the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions of China(No.21KJA150003)the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Team Program of Jiangsu Province(No.JSSCTD202345)the Postgraduate Research&Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province(No.KYCX23_1163)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(Nos.2023M731703 and 2024T170415)
文摘The oxidation of lignin model compounds to esters via C-C bond cleavage has attracted considerable attention,as esters could be used as important polymer precursors and pharmaceutical intermediates.However,most studies focus on designing homogeneous or noble metal catalysts and conducting the reactions under basic conditions.Here,we report an efficient process for the C-C bond cleavage of lignin model compounds and selectively producing esters over different shaped CeO_(2)(i.e.,nanospheres(S),nanorods(R),nanoparticles(P),and nanocubes(C))under base-free conditions.Specifically,the yield of methyl anisate from the aerobic oxidation of l-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethanol reaches 77.6%over CeO_(2)-S in one hour(91%in 9 h),exhibiting higher performance compared to other evaluated CeO_(2)catalysts(6.4%-40.2%).Extensivecharacterizations and experimental investigations reveal that the density of weak base sites and oxygen vacancies on the CeO_(2)surface is positively correlated with the yield of methyl esters.Furthermore,the reaction pathway is investigated,which confirms that 1-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethanol first undergoes two reactions(i.e.,etherification and dehydrogenation)to produce intermediates of1-methoxy-4-(1-methoxy-ethyl)-benzene and 1-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethanone,respectively,followed by a series of functional group transformations to generate the targeted methyl anisate ultimately.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(22221001,22131007,22102193)the National Key R&D Program of China(2021YFA1501101,2022YFA1504601)+1 种基金the 111 Project(B20027)a Startup Program of the State Key Laboratory for Oxo Synthesis and Selective Oxidation of LICP(EOSX0184)。
文摘Heterogeneous precious metal catalysts are prone to agglomeration during preparation,requiring high usage with consequently high costs.Maximizing the efficiency of precious-metal utilization is of great significance in the design of supported precious metal catalysts.Herein,2,2'-bipyridyl-5,5'-dicarboxylic acid was used as the ligand in constructing the UiO-67-Ce-BPyDC framework with Ce^(4+)coordination.This framework enables precise adsorption and coordination of Pd2+at the nitrogen sites of pyridine,promoting high dispersion of the Pd species at a single site,thereby facilitating controlled palladium loading.This precursor was used to fabricate supported Pd-based catalysts on CeO_(2)(Pd-N/CeO_(2)-P)via pyrolysis.Notably,because the Pd species are homogeneously distributed on CeO_(2)with strong interactions,Pd-N/CeO_(2)-P exhibits remarkable efficiency in cleaving the C-O bonds of diphenyl ether(DPE)to produce cyclohexanol,with a selectivity of 72.1%.The origin of the high selectivity of cyclohexanol is further elucidated using theoretical calculations;that is,DPE undergoes not only hydrogenolysis on Pd-N/CeO_(2)-P,but also hydrolysis to produce more cyclohexanol.This study not only demonstrates a successful strategy for designing highly dispersed metal catalysts,but also underscores the importance of such tailored catalysts in the advancement of sustainable lignin depolymerization technologies.
基金supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities,Southwest Minzu University(ZYN2023097)Scientific and Technological Innovation Team for Qinghai-Xizang Plateau Research in Southwest Minzu University(2024CXTD13)。
文摘While variable regions of immunoglobulins are extensively diversified by V(D)J recombination and somatic hypermutation in vertebrates,the constant regions of immunoglobulin heavy chains also utilize certain mechanisms to produce diversity,including class switch recombination(CSR),subclass differentiation,and alternative expression of the same gene.Many species of birds,reptiles,and amphibians express a truncated isoform of immunoglobulin Y(IgY),termed IgY(ΔFc),which lacks theυCH3 andυCH4 domains.In Anseriformes,IgY(ΔFc)arises from alternative transcriptional termination sites within the sameυgene,whereas in some turtles,intact IgY and IgY(ΔFc)are encoded by distinct genes.Different from the previously reported IgY(ΔFc)variants,this study identified a truncated IgY in the snake Elaphe taeniura,characterized by the loss of only a portion of the CH4 domain.Western blotting and liquid chromatographytandem mass spectrometry confirmed that this truncated IgY is generated by post-translational cleavage at N338 within the IgY heavy chain constant(CH)region.Furthermore,both human and snake asparaginyl endopeptidase were shown to cleave snake IgY in vitro.These findings reveal a novel mechanism for the production of shortened IgY forms,demonstrating that the immunoglobulin CH region undergoes diversification through distinct strategies across vertebrates.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2022YFB4101100)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(22178375 and 22478414)the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions.
文摘Catalytic aryl ether C—O bonds hydrogenolysis was an important route to convert lignite into high valueadded chemicals.Solid super acid 10%Ni-S_(2)O_(8)^(2-)=ZrO_(2) catalysts were successfully synthesized and evaluated their performance in catalytic hydrolysis of lignite derivatives.The excellent performance of 10%Ni-S_(2)O_(8)^(2-)=ZrO_(2) stems from the synergistic interaction between metallic and acidic sites.Specifically,the acidic sites generated by S_(2)O_(8)^(2-) facilitate the adsorption of O atoms in the substrate,whereas the metal sites optimize the process of hydrogen adsorption and activation and promote the generation of hydrogen radicals,which further enhances the ability to break C—O bonds.Thus,10%Ni-S_(2)O_(8)^(2-)=ZrO_(2) exhibits more significantcatalytic activity compared to 10%Ni-ZrO_(2) prepared from pure ZrO_(2) as a support.Characterization results showed that the 10%Ni-S_(2)O_(8)^(2-)=ZrO_(2) catalyst prepared by sodium borohydride reduction method presented a uniform pore structure,which effectively promoted the dispersion of metal Ni on the catalyst surface.Complete conversion of diphenyl ether(DPE)can be achieved under relatively mild conditions,and excellent hydrogenolysis activity is also demonstrated for other lignite derivatives containing C—O bonds.The possible reaction mechanism of DPE hydrogenolysis in the H_(2)-isopropanol system was investigated.This work represents a significantstep forward in the design of highly efficientsolid super acid catalysts.
文摘Objective:To investigate morphokinetic characteristics of embryos displaying either reverse cleavage or direct cleavage during the first,second or third cleavage cycle.Methods:A total of 167 in vitro fertilization and/or intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment cycles undertaken by 167 women[aged(35.0±4.6)years]were included for reverse cleavage analysis,and a total of 167 in vitro fertilization and/or intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment cycles undertaken by 167 women[aged(33.8±4.3)years]were included for direct cleavage analysis in this study.Using a sibling-embryo design,morphokinetic profiles(both before and after the onset of abnormal event)of embryos displaying reverse cleavage(n=241)or direct cleavage(n=244)were compared with their unaffected siblings(the controls)in the first,second and third cell cycles(n=32,n=142,n=562;n=195,n=412,n=205,respectively),at different developmental stages up to day 3.Results:Direct cleavage embryos demonstrated significantly delayed cleavage rates prior to the event regardless of developmental stage of the occurrence,while reverse cleavage embryos showed similar cleavage rates to their unaffected siblings.Post event,direct cleavage embryos sped up cleavage rates while reverse cleavage embryos slowed down.Conclusions:Altered morphokinetic profiles are displayed by direct cleavage embryos both before and after their occurrence and reverse cleavage embryos after the occurrence,which could potentially confound morphokinetic comparisons if not separated from their unaffected sibling embryos.Further study is warranted in order to fully understand the biological mechanisms of such events.
基金Project(50831006)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaProject(2012BAB10B05)supported by the National Key Technologies R&D Program of China
文摘The population of surface broken bonds of some typical sulfide, oxide and salt-type minerals which may belong to cubic, tetragonal, hexagonal, or orthorhombic system, were calculated. In terms of the calculation results, the cleavage natures of these minerals were analyzed, and the relationship between surface broken bonds density and surface energy was also established. The results show that the surface broken bonds properties could be used to predict the cleavage nature of most of minerals, and the predicted cleavage planes agree well with those reported in previous literature. Moreover, this work explored a rule that, surface broken bonds density is directly related to surface energy with determination coefficient（R2） of over 0.8, indicating that the former is a dominant factor to determine the latter. Therefore, anisotropic surface broken bonds density can be used to predict the stability of mineral surface and the reactivity of surface atoms.
文摘[Objective] The aim was to optimize Yanbian cow oocytes mature in vitro and cleavage system after nuclear transfer based on uniform design. [Method] Oocytes were recovered by aspiration method, and oocytes were matured in vitro （IVM） with different conditions, and then carried out nucleus transfer, fusion, activation and in vitro culture （IVC） of embryo. Effects of ovary storage temperature, maturation time and follicular diameter size on in vitro maturation and cleavage rates of cow oocytes were compared. [ Result] The best conditions of IVM of Yanbian cow oocytes was that： the oocytes of 8 mm diameter were matured in vitro for 24 hours when the ovaries were stored at 26℃ or 31 ℃. The best cleave conditions after nucleus transfer of oocytes was that： the oocytes of 6 mm or 8 mm diameter were cultured in vitro for 24 hours when the ovaries were stored at 26℃. [ Conclusion] The result has some reference to Yanbian cow and other cow breeding and population expanding propagation.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.20301011)
文摘DTPA and its two derivatives were synthesized and used as catalysts in DNA cleavage. Under physiological conditions, a series of experiments have been done. The effects of DNA cleavage with three ligands were studied under different concentrations, cleavage time, and pH values. The results strongly suggested that the plasrnid DNA （pUC 19） can be cleaved efficiently by CITC- DTPA. For the cleavage reaction catalyzed by CITC-DTPA, Form I DNA could convert to Form II mostly, and the DNA-cleavage mechanism involved an oxidative pathway. 2009 Chuan Qin Xia. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved.
文摘Over the past decades,tRNA was found to be a rich hub of RNA modifications such as 1-methyladenosine and 5-methycytosine modifications and others,holding more than half of all modifications occurring in RNA molecules.Moreover,tRNA was discovered to be a source of various small noncoding RNA species,such as the stress induced angiogenin cleaved tRNA halves(tiRNA)or the miRNA like tRNA derived fragments.tRNA cleavage under stress was fist discovered in bacteria and later was found to be conserved across different species,including mammals.Under cellular stress conditions,tRNA undergoes conformational changes and angiogenin cleaves it into 3′and 5′halves.5′tiRNA halves were shown to repress protein translations.tRNA cleavage is thought of to be a cytoprotective mechanism by which cells evade apoptosis,however some data hints to the opposite;that tiRNA are cytotoxic or at least related to apoptosis initiation.tRNA cleavage also was shown to be affected by tRNA modifications via different enzymes in the cytosol and mitochondria.In this review,we will highlight the biology of tRNA cleavage,show the evidence of it being cytoprotective or a marker of cell death and shed a light on its role in disease models and human diseases as well as possible future directions in this field of RNA research.
文摘As the most abundant source of biomass in nature for sustainable production of fuels and chemicals,efficient depolymerization of cellulose under mild conditions,due to the difficulty in selective cleavage of itsβ-1,4-glycosidic bonds,still remains challenging.Here,we report a novel method for oxidative cleavage of the glycosidic bonds by free radicals.Probed by the cellobiose reaction,it was found that·OH radicals,generated from the decomposition of H2O2 catalyzed by CuSO4 or CuO/SiO2,were efficient for selective conversion of cellobiose to glucose and gluconic acid at a low temperature of 333 K,and their selectivities reached 30.0%and 34.6%,respectively,at 23.4%cellobiose conversion.Other radicals,such as·SO4?,also exhibited high efficacy in the cellobiose reaction.Mechanistic studies suggest that the oxidative cleavage of theβ-1,4-glycosidic bond by the free radicals involve formation of the carbon radical intermediate via abstraction of the H atom dominantly at the C1 position.Following this oxidative mechanism,treatment of microcrystalline cellulose with·OH by impregnation with H2O2 and CuSO4 catalyst at 343 K led to significant enhancement in its hydrolysis efficiency.These results demonstrate the effectiveness of this new method in the oxidative cleavage of glycosidic bonds,and its viability for the efficient depolymerization of cellulose at low temperatures,which can be further improved,for example,by exploring new free radicals and optimizing their reactivity and selectivity.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.20771039,20871122, 20971046)National Key Foundation Research Development Project(973)Item of China(No.2007CB815306)
文摘The DNA nuclease-like activity of a water soluble manganese corrole 5, 10, 15-tris（N-methyl-4-pyridyl）- corrolatomanga- nese（III） （MnⅢTMPyC） has been investigated. MnⅢMPyC may bind strongly to DNA via outside groove binding mode as indicated by absorption spectra, viscosity measurements and CD spectra. MnInTMPyC exhibited excellent catalytic activity in the DNA oxidative cleavage in the presence of hydroperoxide.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(21121064,21076008,21206008)the Projects in the National Science&Technology Pillar Program during the 12th Five-Year Plan Period(2011BAC06B04)the Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China(20120010110002)
文摘In this work,a series of acidic montmorillonite/cordierite monolithic catalysts were prepared by a coating method using silica sol as the binder.The morphology and structure of the acidic montmorillonite/cordierite samples were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction(XRD),N_2 adsorption/desorption isotherms,and scanning electron microscope(SEM).The cleavage of cumene hydroperoxide(CHP) in a conventional fixed-bed reactor was chosen as a model reaction to evaluate the catalytic activity of the monolithic catalysts.The influences of acidic montmorillonite loading,reaction temperature.CHP concentration,and weight hourly space velocity(WHSV) on the catalytic activity and selectivity of phenol were studied.The results indicated that the obtained acidic montmorillonite/cordierite monolithic catalysts were firm and compact,and the loading of acidic montmorillonite was found to reach 40%(by mass) after three coating operations.The surface area of acidic montmorillonite/cordierite catalysts increases greatly as acidic montmorillonite loading increases due to higher surface area of acidic montmorillonite.Under the optimal reaction conditions(acidic montmorillonite loading of 32.5%(by mass),temperature of 80 ℃,a mass ratio of CHP to acetone of 1:3,and WHSV of CHP of 90 h^(-1)),the conversion of CHP can reach 100%,and the selectivity of phenol is up to 99.8%.
文摘A novel potential tridentate Schiff base was prepared by condensing equimolar quantities of 2-hydroxyacetophenone and 2-aminopyrimidine in methanol. This ligand was versatile in forming a series of complexes with lanthanide ions such as La（III）, Pr（III）, Nd（III）, Sm（III）, Gd（III）, Dy（III） and Yb（III）. The ligand and the metal complexes were characterized through elemental analysis, molar conductance, UV-Visible, IR, 1H NMR, and mass spectral studies. The spectral studies indicated that the ligand was coordinated to the metal ion in neutral tridentate fashion through the azomethine nitrogen, one of the nitrogen atoms in the pyrimidine ring and the phenolic oxygen without deprotonation. Thermal decomposition and luminescence property of lanthanum（III） complex were also examined. The X-ray diffraction patterns showed the crystalline nature of the ligand and its lanthanum（III） complex. The DNA cleavage studies of the ligand and the metal complexes were carried out and it was observed that the lanthanum（III） and neo-dymium（III） complexes cleaved the pUC19 DNA effectively. The ligand and the metal complexes were screened for their antibacte-rial activities. The metal complexes were found to be more potent bactericides than the ligand.
基金the National Key R&D Pro-gram of China(2019YFC1200501)Research Units of Discovery of Un-known Bacteria and Function(2018RU010)the Golden Seed Program of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital(CYJZ202220).
文摘The current pandemic of COVID-19 caused by a novel coronavirus,severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2(SARS-CoV-2),threatens human health around the world.Of particular concern is that bats are recognized as one of the most potential natural hosts of SARS-CoV-2;however,coronavirus ecology in bats is still nascent.Here,we performed a degenerate primer screening and next-generation sequencing analysis of 112 bats,collected from Hainan Province,China.Three coronaviruses,namely bat betacoronavirus(Bat CoV)CD35,Bat CoV CD36 and bat alpha-coronavirus CD30 were identified.Bat CoV CD35 genome had 99.5%identity with Bat CoV CD36,both sharing the highest nucleotide identity with Bat Hp-betacoronavirus Zhejiang2013(71.4%),followed by SARS-CoV-2(54.0%).Phylogenetic analysis indicated that Bat CoV CD35 formed a distinct clade,and together with Bat Hp-betacoronavirus Zhejiang2013,was basal to the lineage of SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2.Notably,Bat CoV CD35 harbored a canonical furin-like S1/S2 cleavage site that resembles the corresponding sites of SARS-CoV-2.The furin cleavage sites between CD35 and CD36 are identical.In addition,the receptor-binding domain of Bat CoV CD35 showed a highly similar structure to that of SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2,especially in one binding loop.In conclusion,this study deepens our understanding of the diversity of coronaviruses and provides clues about the natural origin of the furin cleavage site of SARS-CoV-2.
文摘Lanthanide complexes of Eu（III）, Gd（III）, Nd（III）, Sm（III）, and Tb（III） with phenylthioacetic acid were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, mass, infrared radiation （IR）, electronic spectra, molar conductance, thermogravimetric analysis （TGA）, and powder X-ray diffraction （XRD）. The results showed that the lanthanide complexes were homodinuclear in nature. The two lanthanide ions were bridged by eight oxygen atoms from four carboxylate groups. Thermal decomposition profiles were consis- tent with the proposed formulations. Powder XRD studies showed that all the complexes were amorphous in nature. Antimicrobial studies indicated that these complexes exhibited more activity than the ligand itself. The DNA cleavage activity of the ligand and its complexes were assayed on CT DNA using gel electrophoresis in the presence of H202. The result showed that the Eu（Ⅲ） and Nd（Ⅲ） complexes completely cleaved the DNA. The anticancer activities of the complexes were also studied towards human cervical cancer cell line （HeLa） and colon cancer cells （HCT116） and it was found that the Eu（Ⅲ） and Nd（Ⅲ） complexes were more active than the corresponding Gd（Ⅲ）, Sm（Ⅲ）, Tb（Ⅲ） complexes and the free ligand on both the cancer cells.
文摘The copper-binding, membrane-anchored, cellular prion protein （PrP~） has two constitutive cleavage sites producing distinct N- and C-terminal fragments （N1/C1 and N2/C2）. Using RK13 cells expressing either human PrPc, mouse PrPc or mouse PrP^C carrying the 3F4 epitope, this study explored the influence of the PrP^C primary sequence on endoproteolytic cleavage and one putative PrPc function, MAP kinase signal transduction, in response to exogenous copper with or without a perturbed membrane environment. PrPc primary sequence, especially that around the N1/C1 cleavage site, appeared to influence basal levels of proteolysis at this location and extracellular signal-regulat- ed kinase 1/2 （ERK1/2） phosphorylation, with increased processing demonstrating an inverse relationship with basal ERK1/2 activation. Human PrP^C showed increased N1/C1 cleavage in response to copper alone, accompanied by specific p38 and JNK/SAPK phosphorylation. Combined exposure to copper plus the cholesterol-sequestering antibiotic filipin resulted in a mouse PrP^C-specific substantial increase in signal protein phosphorylation, accompanied by an increase in N1/C1 cleavage. Mouse PrPc harboring the human N1/C1 cleavage site assumed more human-like profiles basally and in response to copper and altered membrane environments. Our results demonstrate that the PrPc pri- mary sequence around the N1/C1 cleavage site influences endoproteolytic processing at this location, which appears linked to MAP kinase signal transduction both basally and in response to copper. Further, the primary sequence appears to confer a mutual dependence of N1/C1 cleavage and membrane integrity on the fidelity of PrP^C-related signal transduction in response to exogenous stimuli.
基金This study was supported by a grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30271183).
文摘BACKGROUND: 10-23 DNA enzyme is one kind of de-oxyribozymes for RNA cleavage. The inhibition effects of 10-23 DNA enzyme on the expression of the HBV C gene in HepG2. 2. 15 cells were demonstrated previously. The aim of this study was to further explore the cleavage activities of 10-23 DNA enzyme targeting at HBV C gene mRNA in vitro. METHODS: 10-23 DNA enzyme named Drz-HBV-C-9 specific to HBV C gene ORF A1816UG was designed and synthesized. HBV C gene mRNA was obtained by the in vitro transcription method. Cleavage activities of Drz-HBV-C-9 were observed in vitro. Values of kinetic parameters including Km,Kcat and Kcat/Km were calculated accordingly. RESULTS: Under the certain cleavage conditions, Drz-HBV-C-9 could efficiently cleave target mRNA at specific sites in vitro. Cleavage products of 109nt plus 191nt were obtained. The kinetic parameters, Km,Kcat and Kcat/ Km for Drz-HBV-C-9, were 1.4 ×10-9 mol, 1.6 min-1 and 1.1 × 109 mol-1 · min-1, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: 10-23 DNA enzyme targeting at HBV C gene mRNA possesses specific cleavage activities in vitro. This would be a potent antiviral strategy with respect to HBV gene therapy.
基金supported by the National 973 Program of China(2014CB542700)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31330077,31540004)the earmarked fund for China Agriculture Research System(CARS-36)
文摘Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus.（PRRSV） actively induces cell apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo, which can contribute critically to viral pathogenesis. Previous studies have shown that the PRRSV nonstructural protein 4 （nsp4） is an important mediator of this process, but the underlying molecular details remain poorly understood. In this study, we found that the PRRSV nsp4 interacted with the mitochondrial inner membrane protein cytochrome cl （cyto.cl） and induced its proteolytic cleavage. Interestingly, the cleaved N-terminal fragment of cyto.cl was found to exert apoptotic activity, which could cause mitochondrial fragmentation, resulting in apoptotic cell death. And RNA interference （RNAi） silencing experiments further confirmed the crucial role which cyto.cl played in nsp4- and PRRSV-induced cell apoptosis. Thus, our data provide an important piece of mechanistic clues for PRRSV-induced cell apoptosis and also elucidate a novel mechanism for the 3C-like proteases in this finding.
