Tri-hybrid System Research Articles

Peptide appended perylene bisimide containing silver nanoparticle-based trihybrid system with GO: improvement of photocatalytic and photo-switching behaviour

This report demonstrates a facile environmentally friendly synthesis of a trihybrid system (PBI-NP-GO) consisting of perylene bisimide appended peptide (PBI-UW) nanofibers, silver nanoparticles (PBI-AgNP) and graphene oxide (GO) nano-sheet. The...

An integrated photovoltaic/wind/biomass and hybrid energy storage systems towards 100% renewable energy microgrids in university campuses

The incorporation of energy storing units into hybrid systems reallocates the excess electricity to meet demand requirements in the deficiency periods. This study seeks to determine the optimal size of a Photovoltaic (PV)/wind/biomass hybrid system with and without energy storage built on the base of boosting the demand–supply fraction (DSF) and the renewable energy fraction (FR) with a net present value larger than or equals to zero. The Generalized Reduced Gradient algorithm has been utilized in this study to evaluate the optimal components’ capacities of the proposed system. Middle East Technical University Northern Cyprus Campus was used as a case study. The proposed system consists of 1.79 MW PV, 2 MW wind and 0.92 MW biomass systems with 24.39 MWh pumped hydro storage system and 148.64 kWh batteries achieving FR of 99.59%, DSF of 98.86%, and a cost of electricity equals to 0.1626 $/kWh. The simulations results proved that the integration of a hybrid energy storage system with the PV/wind/biomass system ensures very high autonomy approaching almost 99%. Finally, considering the significant excess energy produced by the tri-hybrid system, this excess could also be allocated towards meeting the campus’s thermal and domestic hot water demands creating a polygeneration power system.

100% Renewable Energy Grid for Rural Electrification of Remote Areas: A Case Study in Jordan

Many developing countries suffer from high energy-import dependency and inadequate electrification of rural areas, which aggravates the poverty problem. In this work, Al-Tafilah in Jordan was considered as a case study, where the technical, economic, and environmental benefits of a decentralized hybrid renewable energy system that can match 100% of the city demand were investigated. A tri-hybrid system of wind, solar, and hydropower was integrated with an energy storage system and optimized to maximize the match between the energy demand and production profiles. The optimization aimed at maximizing the renewable energy system (RES) fraction while keeping the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) equal to the electricity purchase tariff. The techno-economic analysis showed that the optimal system in Al-Tafilah comprises a 28 MW wind system, 75.4 MW PV, and 1 MW hydropower, with a 259 MWh energy storage system, for which a RES fraction of 99% can be achieved, and 47,160 MtCO2 are avoided yearly. This study can be easily extended to other rural cities in Jordan, as they have higher renewable energy system (RES) potential. The presented findings are essential not only for Jordan’s planning and economy-boosting but also for contributing to the ongoing force against climate change.

Pushing desalination recovery to the maximum limit: Membrane and thermal processes integration

The economics of seawater desalination processes has been continuously improving as a result of desalination market expansion. Presently, reverse osmosis (RO) processes are leading in global desalination with 53% share followed by thermally driven technologies 33%, but in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries their shares are 42% and 56% respectively due to severe feed water quality. In RO processes, intake, pretreatment and brine disposal cost 25% of total desalination cost at 30–35% recovery. We proposed a tri-hybrid system to enhance overall recovery up to 81%. The conditioned brine leaving from RO processes supplied to proposed multi-evaporator adsorption cycle driven by low temperature industrial waste heat sources or solar energy. RO membrane simulation has been performed using WinFlow and IMSDesign commercial softwares developed by GE and Nitto. Detailed mathematical model of overall system is developed and simulation has been conducted in FORTRAN. The final brine reject concentration from tri-hybrid cycle can vary from 166,000ppm to 222,000ppm if RO retentate concentration varies from 45,000ppm to 60,000ppm. We also conducted economic analysis and showed that the proposed tri-hybrid cycle can achieve highest recovery, 81%, and lowest energy consumption, 1.76kWhelec/m3, for desalination reported in the literature up till now.

Identification of a Novel Complex AβPP:Fe65:PP1 that Regulates AβPP Thr668 Phosphorylation Levels

The amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP) binds several proteins determining metabolism, processing, and the physiological fate of the former. Among these is Fe65, a protein with specific functional significance for AβPP, in particular conferring stability when the latter is dephosphorylated on Thr668. Thus, it follows that phosphatases like protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) are relevant to AβPP processing. Consequently, the identification of AβPP binding proteins, which can be modulated directly or indirectly by PP1, take on added relevance in terms of biological significance. Using the yeast tri-hybrid system and co-immunoprecipitation assays, we describe a novel tri-complex comprising AβPP, Fe65 and PP1. We show that the trimeric complex (AβPP:Fe65:PP1γ) occurs in COS-7 cells, rat hippocampal and cortical primary neurons, and in adult rat hippocampus and cortex. Using overlay assays, we demonstrate that Fe65 is in fact the bridging protein in the complex formed and thus we simultaneously describe another PP1 binding protein. This is singularly important given that PP1 binding proteins determine and confer subcellular localization, as well as substrate specificity, thus regulating the phosphatase activity and subsequent intracellular events. Additionally, we show that this interaction correlates with AβPP Thr668 phosphorylation state, consistent with the role of protein (de)phosphorylation as a key mechanism in regulating cellular events.

A Gel‐Based Trihybrid System Containing Nanofibers, Nanosheets, and Nanoparticles: Modulation of the Rheological Property and Catalysis

Wonderful gels: A trihybrid gel was prepared by incorporating graphene oxide and in situ synthesized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) into an amino-acid-based native gel matrix (see pict). The morphology of this system indicates the presence of three distinctly different nanostructures: nanofibers, nanosheets, and nanoparticles. The catalytic efficiency of this trihybrid system is enhanced relative to that of AuNPs in a dihybrid system.

A Gel‐Based Trihybrid System Containing Nanofibers, Nanosheets, and Nanoparticles: Modulation of the Rheological Property and Catalysis

Wunderbare Gele: Ein Trihybridgel wurde hergestellt, in dessen Aminosäure-basierter Gelmatrix Graphenoxid und in situ synthetisierte Goldnanopartikel (AuNPs) eingebettet sind (siehe Bild). Die Morphologie dieses Systems zeigt, dass drei verschiedene Nanostrukturen vorliegen: Nanofasern, Nanoblätter und Nanopartikel. Die Katalyseeffizienz dieses Trihybrid-Systems ist besser als die von AuNPs in einem Dihybrid-System. As a service to our authors and readers, this journal provides supporting information supplied by the authors. Such materials are peer reviewed and may be re-organized for online delivery, but are not copy-edited or typeset. Technical support issues arising from supporting information (other than missing files) should be addressed to the authors. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.

MIP-T3 associates with IL-13Rα1 and suppresses STAT6 activation in response to IL-13 stimulation

To unravel the mechanism of interleukin-13 (IL-13)-specific functions, we sought to identify IL-13 receptor (IL-13R) binding molecules. A novel human IL-13Rα1 binding protein (IL13RBP1) has been identified using yeast tri-hybrid system, which was found to encode the same protein as MIP-T3 (microtubule interacting protein that associates with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor associating factor-3 (TRAF3)). It constitutively associates with IL-13Rα1 and suppresses IL-4/13-induced signal transducer and activator of transcription-6 (STAT6) phosphorylation. IL-13-induced STAT6 activation was also inhibited as determined by dual luciferase assay and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). These results suggest that MIP-T3 is a novel inhibitor of IL-13 signaling and may be a useful molecule in ameliorating various conditions in which IL-13 plays a central role.

CIS1 interacts with the Y532 of the prolactin receptor and suppresses prolactin-dependent STAT5 activation.

Prolactin (PRL) interacts with a single-chain prolactin-specific receptor of the cytokine receptor superfamily. PRL triggers the activation of JAK2 kinase, which phosphorylates the PRL receptor itself, and of STAT5, a member of the family of signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT). We have shown that the STAT5-dependent immediate early gene, CIS1 (Cytokine-Inducible SH2 domain-containing protein-1), suppresses PRL-induced STAT5 activation in vitro as well as in transgenic mice. To facilitate the study of the interactions between CIS1 and the PRL receptor, we have developed the yeast tri-hybrid system, a modification of the yeast two-hybrid system. We expressed CIS1 fused to the DNA-binding domain and PRL receptor cytoplasmic domain fused to the transcription activation domain in the presence or absence of the tyrosine kinase domain of JAK2 in yeast. CIS1 bound to the PRL receptor cytoplasmic domain in a JAK2-dependent manner. Moreover, we determined that the phosphorylated Y532 of the murine PRL receptor is the binding site for CIS1. Interestingly, Y532 has been shown to be unnecessary for STAT5 activation, although CIS1 overexpression suppressed PRL-induced STAT5 activation. These data suggest that the suppression of STAT5 activation by CIS1 is not due to a simple competition with STAT5 but rather to a modification of the receptor by CIS1 binding.

Two rat brain staufen isoforms differentially bind RNA.

In neurones, a limited number of mRNAs is found in dendrites, including transcripts encoding the microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2). Recently, we identified a cis-acting dendritic targeting element (DTE) in MAP2 mRNAs. Here we used the yeast tri-hybrid system to identify potential trans-acting RNA-binding factors of the DTE. A cDNA clone was isolated that encodes a member of a mammalian protein family that is highly homologous to the Drosophila RNA-binding protein Staufen. Mammalian Staufen appears to be expressed in most tissues and brain areas. Two distinct rat brain Staufen isoforms, rStau+I6 and rStau-I6, are encoded by alternatively spliced mRNAs. Both isoforms contain four double-stranded RNA-binding domains (dsRBD). In the larger rStau+I6 isoform, six additional amino acids are inserted in the second dsRBD. Although both isoforms interacted with the MAP2-DTE and various additional RNA fragments in an in vitro north-western assay, rStau-I6 exhibited a stronger signal of bound radioactively labelled RNAs as compared with rStau+I6. Using an antibody directed against mammalian Staufen, the protein was detected in somata and dendrites of neurones of the adult rat hippocampus and cerebral cortex. Ultrastructural studies revealed that in dendrites, rat Staufen accumulates along microtubules. Thus in neurones, rat Staufen may serve to link RNAs to the dendritic microtubular cytoskeleton and may thereby regulate their subcellular localization.

NIMIN-1, NIMIN-2 and NIMIN-3, members of a novel family of proteins from Arabidopsis that interact with NPR1/NIM1, a key regulator of systemic acquired resistance in plants.

NPR1/NIM1 is a key regulator of systemic acquired resistance (SAR) in Arabidopsis. Using the yeast two-hybrid system, we have identified three novel genes, NIMIN-1, NIMIN-2 and NIMIN-3 (NIMIN for NIM1-interacting) that encode structurally related proteins interacting physically with NPR1/NIM1. NIMIN-1 and NIMIN-2 both bind strongly to NPR1/NIM1 via a common binding motif interacting with the C-terminal moiety of NPR1/NIM1, whereas NIMIN-3 interacts with NPR1/NIM1 via the N-terminal part of NPR1/NIM1. In addition, NIMIN-1, NIMIN-2, and NIMIN-3 are able to interact via NPR1/NIM1 with basic leucine zipper transcription factors of the TGA family in a yeast tri-hybrid system. A mutant protein of NPR1/NIM1, npr1-2, which has been shown to be severely impaired in induction of SAR gene expression, failed to bind the NIMIN proteins. The NIMIN genes are expressed in Arabidopsis plants in response to SAR-inducing treatments, and the NIMIN proteins, like NPR1/NIM1, carry functional nuclear localization signals as revealed by expression of fusion proteins in yeast and in transgenic plants. Taken together, these data indicate that the NIMIN proteins, via physical interaction with NPR1/NIM1, are part of the signal transduction pathway leading to SAR gene expression in Arabidopsis.

The product of the primary response gene BRF1 inhibits the interaction between 14-3-3 proteins and cRaf-1 in the yeast trihybrid system.

The 14-3-3 proteins are small abundant cytosolic eukaryotic proteins that associate with and modulate the activity of numerous other proteins. The 14-3-3 beta isoform has been shown to bind to the product of the protooncogene cRaf-1 and to facilitate its activation by Ras. Using the yeast two-hybrid system, we have demonstrated that 14-3-3 beta and another isoform, 14-3-3 tau, bind to the product of the primary response gene BRF1 and that the interaction between each isoform and BRF1 is significantly stronger than that with cRaf-1. We further demonstrated that the charge of residue 187 in 14-3-3 beta regulates its affinity for both BRF1 and cRaf-1. The interaction of either isoform with BRF1 requires both proteins to be fully intact. When all three proteins are coexpressed in a yeast trihybrid system, BRF1 interferes significantly with the binding of 14-3-3 to full-length cRaf-1 as well as to its regulatory and kinase domains. Using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, 14-3-3 beta and BRF1 were found to be coexpressed in four different human tissues, suggesting a biologic role for their interaction in the regulation of cRaf-1-mediated signal transduction processes.

A tri-hybrid system for the analysis and detection of RNA--protein interactions.

A modification of the two-hybrid system is described for the in vivo reconstruction of specific RNA-protein interactions. In this tri-hybrid system, the DNA binding and transcription activation domains of the yeast transcriptional activator GAL4 are brought together via the interaction of recombinant fusion proteins with a recombinant RNA. The method provides a system for studying RNA-protein interactions with the genetic advantages of the two-hybrid system. It may be used to detect specific RNA-binding proteins or target RNAs from a library of cDNAs, or to analyse the structural specificity of identified RNA-protein interactions.