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The MYB transcription factor (TF) family is among the largest TF families and plays an important role in plant growth and stress response. However, few studies have investigated the role of the MYB gene in drought resistance in cotton. In this study, we analysed the drought transcriptomic data of cotton and identified that the GhMYB102 gene was significantly upregulated in upland cotton during the early stages of drought stress. Bioinformatics analysis showed that the amino acid sequence encoded by GhMYB102 contained two highly conserved MYB binding domains belonging to R2R3-MYB TFs. GhMYB102 was most closely related to AtMYB102. GhMYB102 is mainly expressed in roots and is induced by abiotic stresses and abscisic acid (ABA); it is localised in the nucleus and has transcriptional activation activity. Silencing of GhMYB102 decreased plant drought resistance. In addition, dual-luciferase assays and yeast single hybridisation analysis showed that GhMYB102 could directly bind the MYB motif elements in the promoter regions of GhNCED1 and GhZAT10. These results indicate that GhMYB102 plays a positive role in drought tolerance by regulating the expression of GhNCED1 and GhZAT10. Thus, GhMYB102 enhances drought resistance by participating in ABA biosynthesis or regulating the expression of drought-responsive genes., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this work, we designed a facile and label-free electrochemical biosensor based on intrinsic topological insulator (TI) Bi 2 Se 3 and peptide for the detection of immune checkpoint molecules. With topological protection, Bi 2 Se 3 could have robust surface states with low electronic noise, which was beneficial for the stable and sensitive electron transport between electrode and electrolyte interface. The peptides are easily synthesized and chemically modified, and have good biocompatibility and bioavailability, which is a suitable candidate as the recognition units for immune checkpoint molecules. Therefore, the peptide/Bi 2 Se 3 was developed as a suitable working electrode for the electrochemical biosensor. The basic performance of the designed peptide/Bi 2 Se 3 biosensor was investigated to determine the Anti-HA Tag Antibody and PD-L1 molecules. The linear detection range was from 3.6 × 10 -10  mg mL -1 to 3.6 × 10 -5  mg mL -1 , and the detection limit was 1.07 × 10 -11  mg mL -1 . Moreover, the biosensor also displayed good selectivity and stability., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Immune checkpoint blockade combined with reversal of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) can dramatically enhance anti-tumor immunity, which can be achieved by using multiple-agent therapy. However, the optimal dose and order of administration of different agents remain elusive. To address this dilemma, multiple agents are often grafted together to construct "all-in-one" totipotent drugs, but this usually comes at the cost of a lack of synergy between the agents. Herein, by comprehensively analyzing the conserved sites of the immune checkpoint and TME drug targets, peptide secondary structures, assembly properties, and other physicochemical properties, a high-content peptide library is designed. By using the "3D-molecular-evolution" screening strategy, an efficient and totipotent "all-in-one" peptide (TAP) is obtained, which possesses the abilities of self-assembling, blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 axis, inhibiting Rbm38-eIF4E complex formation, and activating p53. It is shown that in mice treated with TAP, with either subcutaneous tumors or patient-derived xenografts, PD-L1 is blocked, with increased activation of both T and NK cells whilst reversing the immunosuppressive TME. Moreover, TAP can mitigate tumor activity and suppress tumor growth, showing superior therapeutic effect over antibody-based drugs., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

β-sheets have the ability to hierarchically stack into assemblies, and much effort has been spent on designing different peptides to regulate their assembly behaviors. Although the progress is remarkable, it remains challenging to manipulate them in a controllable way for achieving both tailored structures and specific functions. In this study, we obtained bola-like peptides using de novo design and combinatorial chemical screening. By regulating the solvent-accessible surface area of the peptide chain, a series of assemblies with different tilt angles and active sites of the β-sheet were obtained, resembling collapsed dominos. The structure-activity relationship of the optimized peptide NQ40 system was established and its ability to target the PD-L1 was demonstrated. This study successfully established the structure-function relationship of β-sheets assemblies and has positive implications on the rational design of peptide assemblies that possess recognition abilities., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Combination therapies based on immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) are currently the mainstay of cancer treatment, in which the synergetic delivery of multiple drugs is the essential step. Although nanoparticle drugs (NPDs) show satisfactory anticancer effects, the promotion of active co-delivery of NPDs is premature, since the processes are usually difficult to predict and control. Targeting peptide self-assemblies have been widely used as carriers for small-molecular drugs, but remain elusive for NPDs. We describe here peptide-based nano 'bead-grafting' for the active delivery of quantum-dot NPDs through a co-assembly method. Based on a ' de novo ' design, we used a 'one-bead-one-compound (OBOC)' combinatorial chemical screening method to select a peptide RT with high affinity for the immune checkpoint CD47, which could also form biocompatible nanofibers and efficiently trap Ag 2 S quantum dots along the self-assembly path. This system can combine ICB therapy and sonodynamic therapy (SDT) to effectively inhibit tumor growth. Moreover, the tumor antigen produced by SDT can activate the adaptive immune system, which enhances the anti-tumor immune response of the ICB and shows efficient inhibition of both primary and distant tumors. This study provides a new strategy for the active control and delivery of NPDs and a new option for ICB therapy with immune checkpoints that are highly susceptible to systemic side effects., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interests., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Spatiotemporal manipulation of protein distributions, abundances, and functions based on molecular level remains a significant challenge in studying biological systems and developing therapeutics. Particularly, such a nanotherapeutic platform though both specific and internal way is extremely lacking. Herein, we put forward a click chemistry-driven protein sorting (PROCLISORT) strategy, which acted in a cell space station (CSS) to achieve the sequential regulation of specific protein along the entire PD-1 immune checkpoint axis. From the spatial dimension, CSS could achieve comprehensive recognition, anchoring and blocking PD-L1/PD-L2 as well as transport PD-L1 among organelles at the subcellular level. From the time dimension, through the booting control via click reaction, the occurrence of these biological regulatory events became controllable and sequential, thus resulting in rapid and durable down-regulation of PD-L1. Through these smart tasks, this CSS stimulated a satisfactory tumor-immune-therapy effect both in vitro and in vivo. With a rational design, this multistage booting nanoplatform holds promise for molecular manipulation along the disease-related pathway in various living systems.

Both tumor-cell-targeting and BBB (blood-brain barrier)-penetrating ability are the key characteristics for glioma theranostics. We established one type of nanomicellar probe functionalized with a newly developed peptide WES. The micellar system could enact a series of cascaded functions in living bodies. It could specifically recruit the ApoE corona in blood circulation rather than perform nonspecific protein absorption. Following, it could penetrate into the BBB in an active manner. Finally, and most importantly, it could recognize and target the tumor marker as well as deliver drugs effectively toward glioma. The cascaded micellar system has shown satisfactory therapeutic ability for glioma in both a subcutaneous and orthotopic model, which provides a prospective strategy for brain cancer treatment.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an irreversible neurodegenerative disease, causing profound social and economic implications. Early diagnosis and treatment of AD have faced great challenges due to the slow and hidden onset. β-amyloid (Aβ) protein has been considered an important biomarker and therapeutic target for AD. Therefore, non-invasive, simple, rapid and real-time detection methods for AD biomarkers are particularly favored. With the development of Aβ aptamers, the specific recognition between aptamers and Aβ plays a significant role in AD theranostics. On the one hand, aptamers are applied to construct biosensors for Aβ detection, which provides possibilities for early diagnosis of AD. On the other hand, aptamers are used for regulating Aβ aggregation process, which provides potential strategies for AD treatment. Many excellent reviews have summarized aptamers for neurodegenerative diseases or biosensors using specific recognition probes for Aβ detection applications in AD. In this review, we highlight the crucial role of the design, classification and applications of aptamers on Aβ detection as well as inhibition of Aβ aggregation for AD., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists., (© The author(s).)

Small-molecular targeting peptides possess features of biocompatibility, affinity, and specificity, which is widely applied in molecular recognition and detection. Moreover, peptides can be developed into highly ordered supramolecular assemblies with boosting binding affinities, diverse functions, and enhanced stabilities suitable for biosensors construction. In this Review, we summarize recent progress of peptide-based biosensors for precise detection, especially on tumor-related analysis, as well as further provide a brief overview of the progress in tumor immune-related detection. Also, we are looking forward to the prospective future of peptide-based biosensors.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is closely related to tumor metastasis and invasion. Thereinto, mesenchymal tumor mitochondria are the critical target for tumor inhibition. Therefore, real-time in vivo monitoring of EMT as well as inhibiting mesenchymal tumor mitochondria is of great diagnosis and therapy significance. Herein, we construct a multi-stage recognition and morphological transformable self-assembly-peptide nano biosensor N DRP which can response the EMT marker and specifically damage the mesenchymal tumor cell in vivo. This nano-molar-affinity sensor is designed and screened with sensitive peptides containing a molecular switching which could be specifically triggered by the receptor to achieve the vesicle-to-fibril transformation in living system with enhanced fluorescent signal. N DRP nanosensor could target the tumor lesion in circulatory system, recognize mesenchymal tumor marker DDR2 (Discoidin domain receptor 2) in cellular level and specifically achieve mitochondria in subcellular level as well as damaged mitochondria which could be applied as a in vivo theranostic platform., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The primary principle for new molecular evolution is from nature, mimicking nature, and beyond nature, since it is extremely important for the artificial molecules to keep their structure and function in the natural system. It is especially true for the self-assembled supramolecular construction in situ in complicated living bodies. Herein, we put forward a directed evolution strategy consisting of high-content screening from the living system and artificial modification in order to find "totipotential peptides" in a precise way. Progressive dimension reduction of the capability and precise anchoring of the target were realized. Through the living system evolution, we obtain a glioma-targeting and living system-induced self-assembled leading compound CCP. Through the artificial evolution, CCP was further stapled and was hydrophobically modified as N SCCP 2 , which demonstrated stability and NIR-II emission characteristics. N SCCP 2 could realize high-resolution molecular imaging and therapy simultaneously. We envision that the strategy and its applications provide a new method for molecular discovery and improve the performance of peptide nano-self-assemblies for diagnostics and therapy.

Measurement of electron transfer at single-molecule level is normally restricted by the detection limit of faraday current, currently in a picoampere to nanoampere range. Here we demonstrate a unique graphene-based electrochemical microscopy technique to make an advance in the detection limit. The optical signal of electron transfer arises from the Fermi level-tuned Rayleigh scattering of graphene, which is further enhanced by immobilized gold nanostars. Owing to the specific response to surface charged carriers, graphene-based electrochemical microscopy enables an attoampere-scale detection limit of faraday current at multiple individual gold nanoelectrodes simultaneously. Using the graphene-based electrochemical microscopy, we show the capability to quantitatively measure the attocoulomb-scale electron transfer in cytochrome c adsorbed at a single nanoelectrode. We anticipate the graphene-based electrochemical microscopy to be a potential electrochemical tool for in situ study of biological electron transfer process in organelles, for example the mitochondrial electron transfer, in consideration of the anti-interference ability to chemicals and organisms.

Unlike image blending algorithms, video blending algorithms have been little studied. In this paper, we investigate 6 popular blending algorithms-feather blending, multi-band blending, modified Poisson blending, mean value coordinate blending, multi-spline blending and convolution pyramid blending. We consider their application to blending realtime panoramic videos, a key problem in various virtual reality tasks. To evaluate the performances and suitabilities of the 6 algorithms for this problem, we have created a video benchmark with several videos captured under various conditions. We analyze the time and memory needed by the above 6 algorithms, for both CPU and GPU implementations (where readily parallelizable). The visual quality provided by these algorithms is also evaluated both objectively and subjectively. The video benchmark and algorithm implementations are publicly available1.

Tea is one of the most popular drinks in the world, but counterfeit or adulterated tea can be found now and then on the tea market. The traditional methods dependent on sensory, physical and chemical tests cannot identify the composition of adulterated plant species accurately. We developed therefore a method for identification of adulterated plants in tea based on qualitative detection of plant rbcL (Ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase large subunit) fragments, which involved amplification, sequencing and sequence analyses of rbcL fragments. Seven tea samples were analyzed with the established method. The results showed that Yueyanghuangcha (yellow tea) and Xinyangmaojian (green tea) were pure with only detection of the tea plant Camellia sinensis; Zhengshan Souzhong (black tea), Tieguanyin (oolong tea), Tailaoyinzhen (white tea), Liupao and Pu-erh (dark tea) were, to a certain extent, adulterated with non-Camellia sinensis plants. The method introduced in this study only requires a small amount of tea samples, easy to operate and reliable. It can be used to determine if any tea samples are adulterated.

Electrospinning, as a novel nontextile filament technology, is an important method to prepare continuous nanofibers and has shown its remarkable advantages, such as a broadly applicable material system, controllable fiber size and structure, and simple process. Electrospun nanofiber membranes prepared by electrospinning have shown promising applications in many fields, such as supercapacitors, lithium-ion batteries, and sodium-ion batteries, owing to their large specific surface area and adjustable network pore structure. The principle of electrospinning and key points relevant to its usage in the preparation of high-performance electrochemical energy storage materials are reviewed herein based on recent publications, particularly focusing on research progress of relative materials. Also, this review describes a distinctive conclusion and perspective on the future challenges and opportunities in electrospun nanomaterials., (© 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)