Shift Of Surface Plasmon Resonance Research Articles

Canagliflozin, characterized as a HDAC6 inhibitor, inhibits gastric cancer metastasis.

Gastric cancer is a common gastrointestinal cancer. Survival outcome for patients with the recurrence or metastasis remains poor due to the lack of effective targeting drugs. The mechanisms of non-histone acetylation modifications are key epigenetic regulations that participate in various biological processes. HDAC6 is mostly located in the cytoplasm to deacetylate non-histone substrates, which has been identified as a critical promoter of many oncogenic pathways in cancers, including gastric cancer. Nevertheless, its inhibitor has not been applied in gastric cancer clinically. In this study, we identified canagliflozin as an active HDAC6-targeted inhibitor from FDA-approved Drug Library by enzymatic assay. The strong affinity of the compounds with HDAC6 was further verified by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA). In addition, molecular docking showed that canagliflozin could bind to the active pocket of HDAC6 and form interactions with key residues. Further experiments revealed that canagliflozin could effectively inhibit the migration and epithelial-mesenchymal-transition (EMT) of gastric cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. These results reveal a novel finding that canagliflozin has the potential to be an effective agent in inhibiting gastric cancer metastasis.

Salidroside reduces neuropathology in Alzheimer’s disease models by targeting NRF2/SIRT3 pathway

BackgroundNeurite dystrophy is a pathologic hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, drug discovery targeting neurite protection in AD remains largely unexplored.MethodsAβ-induced neurite and mitochondrial damage assays were used to evaluate Aβ toxicity and the neuroprotective efficacy of a natural compound salidroside (SAL). The 5×FAD transgenic mouse model of AD was used to study the neuroprotective function of SAL. To verify the direct target of SAL, we used surface plasmon resonance and cellular thermal shift assays to analyze the drug-protein interaction.ResultsSAL ameliorates Aβ-mediated neurite damage in cell culture. We further reveal that SAL represses mitochondrial damage in neurites by promoting mitophagy and maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis, dependent on an NAD-dependent deacetylase SIRT3. In AD mice, SAL protects neurite morphology, mitigates Aβ pathology, and improves cognitive function, which are all SIRT3-dependent. Notably, SAL directly binds to transcription factor NRF2, inhibits its degradation by blocking its interaction with KEAP1 ubiquitin ligase, and then advances NRF2-mediated SIRT3 transcription.ConclusionsOverall, we demonstrate that SAL, a potential anti-aging drug candidate, attenuates AD pathology by targeting NRF2/SIRT3 pathway for mitochondrial and neurite protection. Drug discovery strategies focusing on SAL may thus provide promising therapeutics for AD.

Photoacoustic detection of SARS-CoV-2 spike N501Y single-nucleotide polymorphism based on branched rolling circle amplification

Rapid and accurate diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 single-nucleotide variations is an urgent need for the initial detection of local circulation and monitoring the alternation of dominant variant. In this proof-of-concept study, a homogeneous and isothermal photoacoustic biosensor is demonstrated for rapid molecular amplification and detection of a synthetic DNA corresponding to SARS-CoV-2 spike N501Y. Branched rolling circle amplification produces single-stranded amplicons that can aggregate detection probe-modified AuNPs, which induces a strong photoacoustic signal at 640 nm due to both the surface plasmon resonance shift and the size-dependent effect of laser-induced nanobubbles, achieving a sub-femtomolar detection limit within a total assay time of 80 min. The limit of detection can be kept when measuring 5% serum samples. Moreover, the proposed biosensor is highly specific for single-nucleotide polymorphism discrimination and robust against background DNA.

Tuning the Packing Density of Gold Nanoparticles in Peptoid Nanosheets Prepared at the Oil-Water Interface.

Two-dimensional (2D) arrays of gold nanoparticles that can freely float in water are promising materials for solution-based plasmonic applications like sensing. To be effective sensors, it is critical to control the interparticle gap distance and thus the plasmonic properties of the 2D arrays. Here, we demonstrate excellent control over the interparticle gap distance in a family of freely floating gold nanoparticle-embedded peptoid nanosheets. Nanosheets are made via monolayer assembly and collapse at the oil-water interface, allowing for fine control over the solution nanoparticle concentration during assembly. We used surface pressure measurements to monitor the assembly of the peptoid, nanoparticle, and combined system at the oil-water interface to determine a workable range of nanosheet assembly conditions suitable for controlling the interparticle gap distances within the nanosheets. These measurements revealed that the extent of nanoparticle adsorption to the peptoid monolayer can be tuned by varying the bulk nanoparticle concentration, but the ability for the monolayer to collapse into nanosheets is compromised at high nanoparticle concentrations. Peptoid nanosheets were synthesized with varying bulk nanoparticle concentrations and analyzed using light microscopy and UV-visible spectroscopy. Based on the spectral shift of the localized surface plasmon resonance peaks for the nanoparticles in the nanosheets relative to those well dispersed in toluene, we estimate that we can access interparticle gap distances within the nanosheet interior between 2.9 ± 0.5 and 9 ± 2 nm. Our results suggest that the minimum interparticle distance achievable by this method is limited by the nanoparticle ligand length, and so has the potential to be further tuned by varying the ligand chemical structure. The ability to quantitatively control and monitor the assembly conditions by this method provide an opportunity to readily tune the optoelectronic properties of this new class of 2D nanomaterial, making it a promising platform for plasmonic-based sensing applications.

Magnetic micromixing for highly sensitive detection of glyphosate in tap water by colorimetric immunosensor

Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the world and, in view of its toxicity, there is a quest for easy-to-use, but reliable methods to detect it in water. To address this issue, we realized a simple, rapid, and highly sensitive immunosensor based on gold coated magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs@Au) to detect glyphosate in tap water. Not only the gold shell provided a sensitive optical transduction of the biological signal – through the shift of the local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) entailed by the nanoparticle aggregation –, but it also allowed us to use an effective photochemical immobilization technique to tether oriented antibodies straight on the nanoparticles surface. While such a feature led to aggregates in which the nanoparticles were at close proximity each other, the magnetic properties of the core offered us an efficient tool to steer the nanoparticles by a rotating magnetic field. As a result, the nanoparticle aggregation in presence of the target could take place at higher rate (enhanced diffusion) with significant improvement in sensitivity. As a matter of fact, the combination of plasmonic and magnetic properties within the same nanoparticles allowed us to realize a colorimetric biosensor with a limit of detection (LOD) of 20 ng∙L−1.

Dual Gold-Nanoslit Electrodes for Ultrasensitive Detection of Antigen-Antibody Reactions in Electrochemical Surface Plasmon Resonance.

We present the use of surface charges in dual gold-nanoslit electrodes to improve the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) detection limit by several orders of magnitude. The SPR is directly generated by gold-nanoslit arrays in the two electrodes. The SPR shifts for both nanoslit arrays are measured simultaneously with a simple hyperspectral setup. When biomolecules are captured by specific antibodies on the dual electrodes, the surface charge is changed during the electrochemical process due to the increase in surface impedance. The push-pull-type electrodes generate opposite surface charges. Using the differences in both spectral shifts, the change in surface charge is detected sensitively. We demonstrate that using a [Fe(CN)6]3-/4- redox process after antigen-antibody interactions, the dual nanoslit electrodes show an enhancement of the detection limit from 1 μg/mL to 10 pg/mL.

Discovery and identification of a novel small molecule BCL-2 inhibitor that binds to the BH4 domain.

The B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) protein family plays a pivotal role in regulating the apoptosis process. BCL-2, as an antiapoptotic protein in this family, mediates apoptosis resistance and is an ideal target for cell death strategies in cancer therapy. Traditional treatment modalities target BCL-2 by occupying the hydrophobic pocket formed by BCL-2 homology (BH) domains 1-3, while in recent years, the BH4 domain of BCL-2 has also been considered an attractive novel target. Herein, we describe the discovery and identification of DC-B01, a novel BCL-2 inhibitor targeting the BH4 domain, through virtual screening combined with biophysical and biochemical methods. Our results from surface plasmon resonance and cellular thermal shift assay confirmed that the BH4 domain is responsible for the interaction between BCL-2 and DC-B01. As evidenced by further cell-based experiments, DC-B01 induced cell killing in a BCL-2-dependent manner and triggered apoptosis via the mitochondria-mediated pathway. DC-B01 disrupted the BCL-2/c-Myc interaction and consequently suppressed the transcriptional activity of c-Myc. Moreover, DC-B01 inhibited tumor growth in vivo in a BCL‑2‑dependent manner. Collectively, these results indicate that DC-B01 is a promising BCL-2 BH4 domain inhibitor with the potential for further development.

Anisotropic deformation of colloidal particles under 4 MeV Cu ions irradiation

Anisotropic deformation of colloidal particles was investigated under ion irradiation with 4 MeV Cu ions. In this study, 0.5 μm-diameter colloidal silica particles, 0.5 μm-diameter Au-silica core–shell particles, and 15 nm-diameter Au colloids embedding in a planar Si/SiO2 matrix were irradiated with 4 MeV Cu ions at room temperature and normal incidence. In colloidal silica particles, ion beam irradiation causes dramatic anisotropic deformation; silica expands perpendicular to the beam and contracts parallel, whereas Au cores elongate. Au colloids in a planar SiO2 matrix were anisotropically transformed from spherical colloids to elongated nanorods by irradiating them with 4 MeV Cu ions. The degree of anisotropy varied with ion flux. Upon irradiating the embedded Au colloids, dark-field light scattering experiments revealed a distinct color shift to yellow, which indicates a shift in surface plasmon resonance. A surface plasmon resonance measurement reveals the plasmon resonance bands are split along the arrays of Au colloids. Our measurements have revealed resonance shifts that extend into the near-infrared spectrum by as much as 50 nm.

Graphene-Encapsulated Silver Nanoparticles for Plasmonic Vapor Sensing.

Graphene-covered silver nanoparticles were prepared directly on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite substrates and characterized by atomic force microscopy. UV–Vis reflectance spectroscopy was used to measure the shift in the local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) upon exposure to acetone, ethanol, 2-propanol, toluene, and water vapor. The optical responses were found to be substance-specific, as also demonstrated by principal component analysis. Point defects were introduced in the structure of the graphene overlayer by O2 plasma. The LSPR was affected by the plasma treatment, but it was completely recovered using subsequent annealing. It was found that the presence of defects increased the response for toluene and water while decreasing it for acetone.

Plasmonic Color Printing via Bottom-Up Laser-Induced Photomodification Process.

Plasmonic color printing has received significant attention owing to its advantages such as nonfading and nontoxic color expression, without necessitating the use of chemical dyes. Recently, color generation from laser-induced plasmonic nanostructures has been extensively explored because of its simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and large-scale processability. However, these methods usually utilize a top-down method that causes unexpected background colors. Here, we proposed a novel method of plasmonic color printing via a bottom-up type laser-induced photomodification process. In the proposed method, selective silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) structure could be fabricated on a transparent substrate through a unique organometallic solution-based laser patterning process. A set of color palettes was formed on the basis of different processing parameters such as laser fluence, scanning speed, and baking time. This color change was verified by finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations via monitoring the spectral peak shift of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) at Ag NPs. It was also confirmed that the colors can be fabricated at a relatively high scanning speed (≥10 mm/s) on a large substrate (>300 mm2). Since semitransparent color images can be patterned on various transparent substrates, this process will broaden the application range of laser-induced plasmonic color generation.

Quantum Dot-Induced Blue Shift of Surface Plasmon Spectroscopy.

We experimentally demonstrate the spectral blue shift of surface plasmon resonance through the resonant coupling between quantum dots (QDs) and surface plasmons, surprisingly in contrast to the conventionally observed red shift of plasmon spectroscopy. Multimode optical fibers are used for extended resonant coupling of surface plasmons with excited states of QDs adsorbed to the plasmonic metal surface. The long-lived nature of excited QDs permits QD-induced negative change in the local refractive index near the plasmonic metal surface to cause such a blue shift. The analysis utilizes the physical causality-driven optical dispersion relation, the Kramers–Kronig (KK) relation, attempting to understand the abnormal behavior of the QDs-induced index dispersion extracted from blue shift measurement. Properties of QDs’ gain spectrally resonating with plasmons can account for such blue shift, though their absorbance properties never allow the negative index change for the blue shift observed according to the KK relation. We also discuss the limited applicability of the KK relation and possible QDs gain saturation for the experiment–theory disagreement. This work may contribute to the understanding of the photophysical properties critical for plasmonic applications, such as plasmonic local index engineering required in analyte labeling QDs coupled with plasmons for biomedical imaging or assay.

Microstructural and Surface Plasmon Resonance Properties of Green-Synthesized Ag Nanoparticles Using <i>Moringa oleifera</i> Extract

Ag nanoparticles (NPs) have been successfully synthesized by the green synthesis method using Moringaoleifera (MO) extract with various incubation times (24 and 48 hours) as an active material for surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor. Transmission electron microscopy analysis indicated the formation of spherical particles with an average crystal size of 29 nm. Selected area electron diffraction confirmed that Ag NPs is face-centered cubic (FCC) crystal structure. Fourier-transform infrared measurements show the band at 3330 cm-1, 2067 cm-1, 1634 cm-1 for an incubation time of 24 hours and 3328 cm-1, 2063 cm-1, 1633 cm-1 for an incubation time of 48 hours. The results prove the proteins and phenolics compound present in the MO extract responsible as reducing agents. The maximum absorption of the green-synthesized Ag NPs in the UV-Vis spectra shows the SPR band at 326 nm and 328 nm for an incubation time of 24 and 48 hours, respectively, and absorption intensity decrease with the increase of incubation time. The result shows the SPR angle shifted to the larger angle of incident light by using green-synthesized Ag NPs. However, the increased incubation time affects the angle shift to the lower angle of the SPR shift. The addition of the green-synthesized Ag NPs leads to enhance the sensitivity of the SPR biosensor.

A rapid “cusp-covering” to Au nanostar as plasmonic sensor in a single-drop microreactor for the determination of kanamycin in biosamples

For complicated real sample detection, the metal nanomaterial-based plasmonic sensing strategy always presents great challenge since the reaction was easily affected by the matrix effect. In this study, a single-drop (9 μL) microreactor was designed for a plasmonic “cusp-covering” process to detect residual antibiotic (kanamycin, Kana) in biological samples. A target-triggered catalytic hairpin assembly and hybridization chain reaction (CHA-HCR) amplification cascades strategy was applied to recognize and amplify the signal of Kana. Then, a magnetic three-phase single-drop microextraction was introduced and provided a microreactor for the reaction of covering various thicknesses of Ag on the cusp of Au nanostar, the change in composition and morphology of the materials resulted in a significant shift of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) signal. Moreover, a computational simulation was conducted to prove the advancement of the strategy. Taking advantage of the LSPR effect, the single-drop microreaction system, and the CHA-HCR amplification cascades, an excellent analytical performance was novelly achieved and the detection sensitivity was significantly enhanced. This strategy exhibited a low limit of detection of 33 aM for the determination of Kana with relative standard deviations < 5% (n = 3) and achieved a wide linearity ranging from 0.1 fM to 1 nM. The proposed strategy eliminated the matrix effect of the real sample and provided a stable environment for the minimized detection system, which is capable of sensitively detecting Kana in milk or other real biosamples.

Interfacial viscosity and ionic reorientation probed using electrochemical surface plasmon resonance at the gold electrode interface of ionic liquids

• Interfacial dielectric relaxation of ionic liquids has been studied by ESPR. • Interfacial viscosity of ionic liquids is demonstrated to be extremely high. • Smaller ions tend to form the electric double layer with more solid-like structure. • Imidazolium ring has weak reorientation response to the potential steps. The interfacial dielectric relaxation of ionic liquids (ILs) at the gold electrode interface has been investigated using electrochemical surface plasmon resonance (SPR), by analyzing the SPR response to the potential step for four ILs with the two cations, trioctylmethylammonium and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium, and three amide anions, bis(fluorosulfonyl)amide, bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide, and bis(nonafluorobutanesulfonyl)amide. For all the four ILs, the SPR response to the potential step exhibits a fast relaxation process mainly ascribable to the ionic reorientation, followed by an ultraslow relaxation process ascribable to the ionic translation, with the opposite directions of SPR shift to each other. The ultraslow relaxations by the positive potential steps are always significantly slower than those by the negative steps. The average time constants of the ultraslow relaxation process and the amplitudes of the fast relaxation process are evaluated by the fitting with a multiple exponential function and are compared with the measured bulk viscosity and the dipole moments of each ion. The interfacial viscosity, estimated from the time constants of the ultraslow relaxation process, is several orders of magnitude higher than the bulk viscosity, and the viscosity increase is larger for the ILs composed of smaller ions. The amplitude of the fast relaxation, reflecting the ionic reorientation, is moderately correlated with the dipole moments of counter-ions on the electrode at the pre-step potential.

Nanoplasmonic multiplex biosensing for COVID-19 vaccines

The ongoing emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) variants requires swift actions in identifying specific antigens and optimizing vaccine development to maximize the humoral response of the patient. Measuring the specificity and the amount of antibody produced by the host immune system with high throughput and accuracy is critical to develop timely diagnostics and therapeutic strategies. Motivated by finding an easy-to-use and cost-effective alternative to existing serological methodologies for multiplex analysis, we develop a proof-of-concept multiplex nanoplasmonic biosensor to capture the humoral response in serums against multiple antigens. Nanoplasmonic sensing relies on the wavelength shift of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) peak of gold nanostructures upon binding interactions between the antibodies and the immobilized antigens. Here the antigens are first immobilized on different sensing areas by using a mono-biotinylation system based on the high affinity interaction between biotin and streptavidin. We then validate the multiplex platform by detecting the presence of 3 monoclonal antibodies against 3 antigens (2 different hemagglutinins (HAs) from influenza viruses, and the SARS-CoV-2 Spike RBD (receptor binding domain)). We also measure the humoral response in murine sera collected before and after its immunization with the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein, in good agreement with the results obtained by the ELISA assay. Our nanoplasmonic assays have successfully demonstrated multiple serum antibody profiling, which can be further integrated with microfluidics as an effective high throughput screening platform in future studies for the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development.

Optical properties and novelty preparation PVA/PVP doping with Cu as surface plasmonic ions

This paper presents a low-cost microwave-assisted chemical reduction method to synthesize copper nanoparticles using sodium borohydride (NaBH4) and ascorbic acid as reducing and stabilizing agents. Furthermore, the preparation of copper-doped PVA and copper-doped PVA/PVP composite films was operated using a solution casting technique. Low-cost copper nanoparticles are considered to have a broad and weak surface plasmon resonance (SPR). With the help of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UV–vis near-infrared spectroscopy (UV–VIS–NIR), the characterization of copper nanoparticles was analyzed. The peak of the surface plasmon resonance shifts from 240 to 300 nm. Optical characterizations of copper doped PVA and PVA/PVP composite films were established. The transmittance spectra of 1.851 wt% Cu-doped PVA and 0.590 wt% Cu-doped PVA/PVP showed light blocking in the wavelength ranges of 190–282 nm (PVA) and 289 nm (PVA/PVP). According to the absorption spectra, the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is induced by Cu NPs at a wavelength of 260 nm. The indirect energy gap, Eg, was determined and found to decrease with an increase in the doping of Cu. Nonlinear optical properties such as nonlinear refractive index, linear optical susceptibility, and third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility were obtained. These findings will aid in producing a plasmonic novel material for optical applications.

Single-Particle Study on Hg Amalgamation Mechanism and Slow Inward Diffusion in Mesoporous Silica-Coated Gold Nanorods without Structural Deformation.

This paper presents the structural and spectral variations of individual mesoporous silica-coated gold nanorods (AuNRs@mSiO2) compared to bare AuNRs upon Hg-Au amalgamation. First, the aspect ratio of AuNRs@mSiO2 exposed to Hg solutions was unchanged because the deformation related to the cores of AuNR was suppressed by the silica shell. Second, dark-field microscopy and spectroscopy revealed a blue shift of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) wavelength peak and strong plasmon damping in the individual AuNRs@mSiO2 scattering spectra, exposed to Hg solutions. Furthermore, we investigated time-dependent adsorption kinetics and spectral changes during the formation of Au-Hg amalgam in single AuNRs@mSiO2 over a long time frame without any disturbance from the structural deformation. The inward Hg diffusion into the AuNR core caused a gradual red shift and line width narrowing of the LSPR peak when AuNRs@mSiO2 were withdrawn from Hg solution. Thus, this paper provides new insights into the relationship among amalgamation process, morphological change, the role of silica shell, Hg inward diffusion, LSPR peak, and line width at the single-particle level.

Laser dewetting mechanism and antibacterial properties of Cu-Al based medium entropy alloy films

High entropy alloys (HEAs) have attracted significant interest in recent decades due to their unique microstructures and many favorable properties, including high mechanical strength, good thermal stability and excellent corrosion resistance. In the present study, three Cu-Al based medium entropy alloys (MEAs), namely CuAlAg (CAA), CuAlZn (CAZ) and CuAlV (CAV), are deposited on glass substrates using a high-vacuum sputtering system. The as-sputtered MEA films (MEAFs) are processed by Rapid Thermal Annealing (RTA) for 5 min in order to stabilize their microstructures and are then dewetted using a near infrared (NIR) fiber laser system with various repetition rates, pulse powers and scan speeds to produce nanoparticle structures. Finally, the antibacterial properties of the MEAFs and dewetted films are investigated using three bacterial strains, namely Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. It is shown that the particle size of the dewetted films decreases as the accumulated energy (AE) density increases. The smaller particle size leads to a blue shift of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) absorption peak wavelength as a result of the greater uniformity of the induced electromagnetic field. In the dewetting process, the Ag and Cu elements of the MEAFs form particles, while the Al atoms are repelled to the bottom or surrounding region of the nanoparticles, and the Zn and V atoms remain on the glass surface. The MEAFs and dewetted films show an antibacterial efficiency of 100% for all three bacterial strains after 24 h. Moreover, the bacterial growth curves indicate that the majority of the bacteria are destroyed within 4–5 h of contact. The antibacterial effect of the MEAFs and dewetted films is attributed to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the release of metal ions, which collectively destroy the cell membranes and lead to cell shrinkage and death. For all of the MEAFs, the antibacterial performance improves after dewetting as a result of the increased surface contact area provided by the nanoparticles. Overall, the present results confirm the effectiveness of MEAs and dewetted films in realizing thin-film coatings with enhanced antibacterial properties.

Gentiopicroside targets PAQR3 to activate the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and ameliorate disordered glucose and lipid metabolism

The obstruction of post-insulin receptor signaling is the main mechanism of insulin-resistant diabetes. Progestin and adipoQ receptor 3 (PAQR3), a key regulator of inflammation and metabolism, can negatively regulate the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Here, we report that gentiopicroside (GPS), the main bioactive secoiridoid glycoside of Gentiana manshurica Kitagawa, decreased lipid synthesis and increased glucose utilization in palmitic acid (PA) treated HepG2 cells. Additionally, GPS improved glycolipid metabolism in streptozotocin (STZ) treated high-fat diet (HFD)-induced diabetic mice. Our findings revealed that GPS promoted the activation of the PI3K/AKT axis by facilitating DNA-binding protein 2 (DDB2)-mediated PAQR3 ubiquitinated degradation. Moreover, results of surface plasmon resonance (SPR), microscale thermophoresis (MST) and thermal shift assay (TSA) indicated that GPS directly binds to PAQR3. Results of molecular docking and cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) revealed that GPS directly bound to the amino acids of the PAQR3 NH2-terminus including Leu40, Asp42, Glu69, Tyr125 and Ser129, and spatially inhibited the interaction between PAQR3 and the PI3K catalytic subunit (P110α) to restore the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. In summary, our study identified GPS, which inhibits PAQR3 expression and directly targets PAQR3 to restore insulin signaling pathway, as a potential drug candidate for the treatment of diabetes.

Highly sensitive visual colorimetric sensor for trichlorfon detection based on the inhibition of metallization of gold nanorods

In this study, a highly sensitive visual colorimetric sensor was designed for the detection of trichlorfon based on inhibiting ascorbate oxidase (AAO)-induced metallization of gold nanorods (Au NRs). Ascorbic acid (AA) can reduce silver ion (Ag+) to metal silver (Ag) that will be deposited on the surface of Au NRs, which results in the blue shift of longitudinal localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) peak of Au NRs, accompanying by perceptible color changes from red to cyan to red to yellow. In the presence of trichlorfon, the activity of AAO will be inhibited, resulting in less AA is hydrolyzed to dehydroascorbic acid (DHA), and therefore more Ag+ is reduced to Ag by AA. Under the optimized conditions, detection of trichlorfon has a wide linear range of 27.8–11111.1 μg/L with a limit of detection as low as 132.6 ng/L. Moreover, the sensor has a good sample spiked recovery (84.7–96.8%) for the determination of trichlorfon in lake water samples. The proposed method can achieve rapid analysis (about 10 min) of trichlorfon with simple operation when there are no other types of organophosphorus pesticides in the real samples.