A novel method for preparing PEMFC catalytic layers

A novel PEMFC catalytic layer was fabricated by a Nafion-pyrolyzed method, which demonstrated a high performance with a maximum power density of 0.82 W/cm(2) on an electrode prepared by this method. The effects of the heat-treatment temperature and Nation content in the catalyst layer on performance were studied.

Synthesis and metallophilic properties of troponoid thiocrown ethers

A new class of ionophores with troponoid and thiocrown ether units was prepared. Cation-binding properties of troponoid dithiocrown ethers were characterized using UV and NMR spectroscopies. They have affinity with metal ions; in particular, they showed high affinity with Hg2+. Transport of Hg2+ through a CHCl3 liquid membrane with troponoid dithiocrown ethers was examined in a U-type cell. From an aqueous solution of HgCl2 and CuCl2, Hg2+ is transferred selectively and smoothly, while the Cu2+ remained quantitatively in the original solution. The cavity size of dithiocrown ethers is one of the requirements for effective extraction and transport of Hg2+. However, derivatives with a smaller cavity still extract and transport Hg2+. A polymer-supported troponoid dithiocrown ether was prepared to transport Hg2+ effectively and repeatedly. Comparing the troponoid dithiocrown ether with the benzenoid dithiocrown ether with a similar cavity size, the former was more effective for the transport of Hg2+. It is proposed that the tropone ring assisted the release of Hg2+ from the complex by Coulomb repulsion between the protonated tropone ring and Hg2+.

Highly Uniform Gd(OH)(3) and Gd2O3:Eu3+ Nanotubes: Facile Synthesis and Luminescence Properties

Uniform Gd(OH)(3) nanotubes have been prepared via a simple wet-chemical route at ambient pressure and low temperature, without any catalysts, templates, or substrates, in which Gd(NO3)(3) was used as the gallium source and ammonia as the alkali. SEM and TEM images indicate that the as-obtained Gd(OH)3 entirely consists of uniform nanotubes in high yield with diameters of about 40 nm and lengths of 200-300 nm. The temperature-dependent morphological evolution and the formation mechanism of the Gd(OH)(3) nanotubes were investigated in detail. Furthermore, the Gd2O3 and Eu3+-doped Gd2O3 nanotubes, which inherit their parents' morphology, were obtained during a direct annealing process in air. The corresponding Gd2O3:Eu3+ nanotubes exhibit the strong red emission corresponding to the D-5(0)-F-7(2), transition of the Eu3+ ions under UV light or low-voltage electron beam excitation, which might find potential applications in the fields such as light-emitting phosphors, advanced flat panel displays, or biological labeling.

Efficient organic electroluminescent devices based on an organosamarium complex

Several organic electroluminescent devices with different device structures were fabricated based on an organosamarium complex Sm(HFNH)(3)phen[HFNH=4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6-heptafluoro-l-(2-naphthvl)hexane-1, 3-dione; phen=1, 10-phenanthroline] as emitter. Their electroluminescent properties were investigated in detail. Although the devices with the optimal structure ITO/TPD (50nm)/ Sm(HFNH)(3)phen (xwt%):CBP (50nm)/BCP (20nm)/AIQ (30nm)/LiF (1 nm),/Al (200nm) show high brightness (more than 400cd/m(2)) and high current efficiency (about 1 cd/A), there are emissions from CBP, BCP and even from AIQ existing in the electroluminescence (EL) spectra besides emission from Sm(HFNH)(3)Phen. The reason to this was discussed. The device with the structure ITO/TPD (50 nm)/ Sm(HFNH)(3)phen (50 nm)/AIQ (30 nm)/LiF (1 nm)/Al (200 nm) exhibits the maximum brightness of 118 cd/m(2) and current efficiency of 0.029 cd/A, and shows emissions from AIQ and Sm(HFNH)(3)phen at high voltages. However, with the BCP hole-block layer added, the device [ITO/TPD (50 nm)/Sm(HFNH)(3)phen (50 nm)/BCP (20 nm)/AIQ (30 nm)/LiF (1 nm)/Al (200 nm)] exhibits pure Sm3+ emission in 2 the EL spectra even at high voltages, with the maximum current efficiency of 0.29cd/A and brightness of 82cd/m(2)

Preparation of hybrid thin film modified carbon nanotubes on glassy carbon electrode and its electrocatalysis for oxygen reduction

A hybrid thin film containing Pt nanoparticles and [tetrakis(N-methylpyridyl)porphyrinato] cobalt (CoTMPyP) modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) on a glassy carbon (GC) electrode surface was fabricated. This hybrid film electrode exhibited remarkable electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction and high stability with promising applications in fuel cells.

Cloning and expression of glucose regulated protein 78 (GRP78) in Fenneropenaeus chinensis

GRP78 (78 kDa glucose-regulated protein), also known as BiP (immunoglobulin heavy-chain-binding protein), is an essential regulator of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis because of its multiple functions in protein folding, ER calcium binding, and controlling of the activation of transmembrane ER stress sensors. In this report, we cloned the full length cDNA of GRP78 (FcGRP78) from Chinese shrimp Fenneropenaeus chinensis. This cDNA revealed a 2,325 bp with 1,968 bp open reading frame encoding 655 amino acids. This is the first reported GRP78 gene in Crustacea. The deduced amino acid sequence of FcGRP78 shared high identity with previously reported insect GRP78s: 86, 87 and 85% identity with GRP78s of Drosophila melanogaster, Aedes aegypti and Bombyx mori, respectively. Northern blot analysis shows that FcGRP78 is ubiquitously expressed in tissues of shrimp. Heat shock at 35A degrees C significantly enhanced the expression of FcGRP78 at the first hour, reached the maximum at 4 h post heat shock, dropped after that and resumed to the normal level until 48 h of post recovery at 25A degrees C. Additionally, differential expression of FcGRP78 was detected in haemocytes, hepatopancreas and lymphoid organ when shrimp were challenged by white spot syndrome virus (WSSV). We inferred that FcGRP78 may play important roles in chaperoning, protein folding and immune function of shrimp.

A cyclophilin A inducible expressed in gonad of zhikong scallop Chlamys farreri

Cyclophilin A (CypA), a receptor for the immunosuppressive agent cyclosporin A (CsA), is a cis-trans peptidyl-prolyl isomerase (PPIase) which accelerates the cis-trans isomerization of prolyl-peptide bonds, interacts with a variety of proteins and therefore regulates their activities. One CypA (designated CfCypA) cDNA was cloned from Chlamys farreri by expressed sequence tag (EST) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) techniques. The full-length cDNA of CfCypA consisted of 1,248 nucleotides with a canonical polyadenylation signal sequence AATAAA, a poly (A) tail, and an open reading frame (ORF) of 495 nucleotides encoding a polypeptide of 164 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence shared high similarity with CypA from the other species, indicating that CfCypA should be a new member of the CypA family. Quantitative real-time (RT) PCR was employed to assess the mRNA expression of CfCypA in various tissues and its temporal expression in haemocytes and gonad of scallops challenged with Vibrio anguillarum. The mRNA transcripts of CfCypA could be detected in all the examined tissues with highest expression level in gonad. After bacterial challenge, the expression level of CfCypA was almost unchanged in haemocytes, but up-regulated in gonad and increased to the peak (22.59-fold; P < 0.05) at 4 h post-injection, and then dropped to the original level at 8 h post-injection. These results indicated that CfCypA was constitutive expressed in haemocytes, but could be induced in gonad, and perhaps played a critical role in response to the bacterial challenge in gonad.

Cloning and expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF alpha) cDNA from red seabream Pagrus major

A fragment of TNFalpha cDNA sequence from red seabream was cloned by homology cloning approach with two degenerated primers which were designed based on the conserved regions of other animals' TNF sequences. The sequence was elongated by 3' and 5' RACE to get the full length CDS sequence. This sequence contained 1264 nucleotides that included a 5' UTR of 85 bp, a 3' UTR of 514 bp and an open reading frame (ORF) of 666 bp which could encode 222 amino acids propeptide. In 3' UTR, there were several mRNA instability motifs and three endotoxin-responsive sequences, but the sequence lacked the polyadenylation signal. The deduced peptide had a clear transmembrane domain, a TNFalpha family signature and a TNF2 family profile. The cell attachment sequence and the glycosaminoglycan attachment sites were also found in the sequence. The red seabream TNF sequence shared relatively high similarity with both mammalian TNFalpha and TNFbeta by multiple sequence alignments. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the piscine TNFalpha were located independently in a different branch compared with mammalian TNFalpha and TNFbeta. Based on the primary and secondary structure analysis and gene expression study, we could concluded that the red seabream TNF should be a TNFalpha, not TNFbeta. RT-PCR was used to study TNFa transcript expression. 24 h after the red seabream was challenged by Vibrio anguillarum, the RS TNFalpha transcript expression were detected in blood, brain, gill, heart, head kidney, kidney, Ever, muscle and spleen. Results showed that TNFalpha mRNA was constitutively expressed in parts of the tissues both in stimulated and unstimulated fish and the expression could be enhanced after the pathogen infection.

Discovery of genes involved in defense/immunity functions in a haemocytes cDNA library from Fenneropenaeus chinensis by ESTs annotation

Crustacean haemocytes play important roles in the host immune response including recognition, phagocytosis, melanization, cytotoxicity and inter-cellular signal communication. Expressed sequence tags (ESTs) analysis is proved to be an efficient approach not only for gene discovery, but also for gene expression profiles performance. In order to further understand the innate immune system and defense mechanisms of Chinese shrimp at molecular level, complementary DNA library is constructed from the haemocyte tissue of Fenneropenaeus chinensis. A total of 2371 cDNA clones are successfully sequenced and the average sequence length is 460 bp. About 50% are identified as orthologs of known genes from other organisms by BLASTx and BLASTn program. By sequences comparability and analysis, 34 important genes including 177 ESTs are identified that may be involved in defense or immune functions in shrimp based on the known knowledge. These genes are categorized into five categories according to their putative functions in shrimp immune system: 13 genes are different types of antimicrobial peptides (AMP, penaeidin, antilipopolysaccharide factor, etc.), and their proportion is about 3 8%; 11 genes belong to prophenoloxidase system (prophenoloxidase, serine proteinase, serine proteinase inhibitor, etc.), and their proportion is about 32%; five genes have high homology with clotting protein (lectin, transglutaminase, etc), and their proportion is about 15%; three genes may be involved in inter-cell signal communication (peroxinectin, integrin), and their proportion is about 9%; two genes have been identified to be chaperone proteins (Hsc70, thioredoxin peroxidase), and their proportion is about 6%. These EST sequences enrich our understanding of the immune genes of F chinensis and will help farther experimental research into immune factors and improve our knowledge of the immune mechanisms of shrimp. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

cDNA cloning and mRNA expression of heat shock protein 90 gene in the haemocytes of Zhikong scallop Chlamys farreri

Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) is a highly conserved molecular chaperone contributing to the folding, maintenance of structural integrity and proper regulation of a subset of cytosolic proteins. The full-length cDNA of Zhikong scallop Chlamysfarreri HSP90 (designated CfHSP90) was cloned by EST and rapid RACE techniques. It was of 2710 bp, including an open reading frame (ORF) of 2181 bp encoding a polypeptide of 726 amino acids with all the five HSP90 family signatures. BLAST analysis revealed that the CfHSP90 gene shared high similarity with other known HSP90 genes. Fluorescent real-time quantitative RT-PCR was used to examine the expression pattern of CfHSP90 mRNA in haemocytes of scallops exposed to Cd2+, Pb2+ and Cu2+ for 10 and 20 days, respectively. All the three heavy metals could induce CfHSP90 expression. There was a clear dose-dependent expression pattern of CfHSP90 after heavy metals exposure for 10 days or 20 days. Different concentrations of the same metal resulted in different effects on CfHSP90 expression. The results indicated that CfHSP90 responded to various heavy metal stresses with a dose-dependent expression pattern as well as exposure time effect, and could be used as a molecular biomarker in a heavy metal polluted environment. (c) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Molecular cloning, characterization and expression of heat shock protein 90 gene in the haemocytes of bay scallop Argopecten irradians

Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) is a highly conserved molecular chaperone that plays key roles in the folding, maintenance of structural integrity and regulation of a subset of cytosolic proteins. In the present study, the cDNA of Argopecten irradians HSP90 (designated AiHSP90) was cloned by the combination of homology cloning and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) approaches. The full-length cDNA of AiHSP90 was of 2669 bp, including an open reading frame (ORF) of 2175 bp encoding a polypeptide of 724 amino acids with predicted molecular weight of 83.08 kDa and theoretical isoelectric point of 4.81. BLAST analysis revealed that AiHSP90 shared high similarity with other known HSP90s, and the five conserved amino acid blocks defined as HSP90 protein family signatures were also identified in AiHSP90, which indicated that AiHSP90 should be a cytosolic member of the HSP90 family. Fluorescent real-time quantitative PCR was employed to examine the expression pattern of AiHSP90 mRNA in haemocytes of scallops challenged by Gram-negative bacteria Vibrio anguillarum and Gram-positive bacteria Micrococcus luteus. In both bacterial challenged groups, the relative expression level of AiHSP90 transcript was up-regulated and reached maximal. level at 9 h after injection, and then dropped progressively to the original level at about 48 h post challenge. The results indicated that AiHSP90 was potentially involved in the immune responses against bacteria challenge in scallop A. irradian. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A transglutaminase from Chinese shrimp (Fenneropenaeus chinensis), full-length cDNA cloning, tissue localization and expression profile after challenge

Transglutaminase can catalyze the cross-linking reaction between soluble clotting protein molecules from the plasma for prevention of excess blood loss from a wound and obstructing micro-organisms from invading the wound in crustaceans. A novel transglutaminase (FcTG) gene was cloned from hemocytes of Chinese shrimp Fenneropenaeus chinensis by 3' and 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) PCR. The full-length cDNA consists of 2972 bp, encoding 757 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 84.96 kDa and a theoretical isoelectric point of 5.61. FcTG contains a typical transglutaminase-like homologue (TGc domain: E-value = 1.94e-38). Three catalytic sites (Cys-324, His-391 and Asp-414) are present in this domain. The deduced amino acid sequence of FcTG showed high identity with black tiger shrimp TG, kuruma shrimp TG and crayfish TG. Transcripts of FcTG mRNA were mainly detected in gill, lymphoid organ and hemocytes by RT-PCR. RNA in situ hybridization further confirmed that FcTG was constitutively expressed in hemocytes both in the circulatory system and lymphoid organ. The variation of mRNA transcription level in hemocytes and lymphoid organ following injection of killed bacteria or infection with white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) was quantified by RT-PCR. The up-regulated expression of FcTG in shrimp lymphoid organ following injection of bacteria indicates that it is inducible and might be associated with bacterial challenge. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Molecular characteristics and expression analysis of calreticulin in Chinese shrimp Fenneropenaeus chinensis

Calreticulin (CRT), as an endoplasmic reticulum luminal resident protein, plays important roles in Ca2+ homeostasis and molecular chaperoning. CRT on the surface of the cell can modulate cell adhesion, phagocytosis and integrin-dependent Ca2+ signaling. The full length cDNA of calreticulin (FcCRT) was cloned from Chinese shrimp Fenneropenaeus chinensis. It consists of 1672 by with an open reading frame of 1221 bp, encoding 406 amino acids. This is the first reported cDNA sequence of calreticulin in Crustacea. The deduced amino acid sequence of FcCRT showed high identity with those of Bombyx mori (88%), Drosophila melanogaster (83%), Mus musculus (82%) and Homo sapiens (82%). Highest expression of FcCRT was detected in ovary by Northern blot and in situ hybridization. Different mRNA levels of FcCRT were detected at various molting stages. Expression of FcCRT was induced significantly after 3 h of heat shock treatment, reached the maximum at 4 h and dropped after that. Differential expression profiles of FcCRT were observed in hepatopancreas and haemocytes when shrimp were challenged by white spot syndrome virus (WSSV). From the above results, we inferred that FcCRT might play important roles in Ca2+ homeostasis, chaperoning and immune function in shrimp. (c) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Molecular cloning and mRNA expression of peptidoglycan recognition protein (PGRP) gene in bay scallop (Argopecten irradians, Lamarck 1819)

Peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRPs) are a type of pattern recognition molecules (PRM) that recognize the unique cell wall component peptidoglycan (PGN) of bacteria and are involved in innate immunity. The first bivalve PGRP cDNA sequence was cloned from bay scallop Argopecten irradians by expressed sequence tag (EST) and PCR technique. The full-length cDNA of bay scallop PGRP (designated AiPGRP) gene contained 10 18 bp with a 615-bp open reading frame that encoded a polypeptide of 205 amino acids. The predicted amino acid sequence of AiPGRP shared high identity with PGRP in other organisms, such as PGRP precursor in Trichoplusia ni and PGRP SC2 in Drosophila melanogaster. A quantitative reverse transcriptase Real-Time PCR (qRT-PCR) assay was developed to assess the mRNA expression of AiPGRP in different tissues and the temporal expression of AiPGRP in the mixed primary cultured hemocytes challenged by microbial components lipopolyssacharide (LPS) from Escherichia coli and PGN from Micrococcus luteus. Higher-level mRNA expression of AiPGRP was detected in the tissues of hemocytes, gonad and kidney. The expression of AiPGRP in the mixed primary cultured hemocytes was up regulated after stimulated by PGN, while LPS from E. coli did not induce AiPGRP expression. The results indicated that AiPGRP was a constitutive and inducible expressed protein that was mainly induced by PGN and could be involved in scallop immune response against Gram-positive bacteria infection. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The cDNA cloning and mRNA expression of cytoplasmic Cu, Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD) gene in scallop Chlamys farreri

Cu, Zn superoxide dismutases (SODs) are rnetalloenzymes that represent one important line of defence against reactive oxygen species (ROS). A cytoplasmic Cu. Zn SOD cDNA sequence was cloned from scallop Chlamys farreri by the homology-based cloning technique. The full-length cDNA of scallop cytoplasmic Cu, Zn SOD (designated CfSOD) was 1022 bp with a 459 bp open reading frame encoding a polypeptide of 153 amino acids. The predicted amino acid sequence of CfSOD shared high identity with cytoplasmic Cu. Zn SOD in molluscs, insects, mammals and other animals, such as cytoplasmic Cu, Zn SOD in oyster Crassostrea sostrea gigas (CAD42722), mosquito Aedes aegypti (ABF18094), and cow Bos taurus (XP_584414). A quantitative reverse transcriptase real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) assay was developed to assess the mRNA expression of CfSOD in different tissues and the temporal expression of CfSOD in scallop challenged with Listonella anguillarum, Micrococcus luteus and Candida lipolytica respectively. Higher-level mRNA expression of CfSOD was detected in the tissues of haemocytes, gill filaments and kidney. The expression of CfSOD dropped in the first 8-16 h and then recovered after challenge with L. anguillarum and M. litteus, but no change was induced by the C. lipolytica challenge. The results indicated that CfSOD was a constitutive and inducible acute-phase protein, and could play an important role in the immune responses against L. anguillarum and M. luteus infection. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.