A membrane with ordered 3D ionic nanochannels constructed by in situ photopolymerization of a thermotropic liquid-crystalline monomer shows high filtration performance and ion selectivity. The nanostructured membrane exhibits water-treatment performance superior to that of an amorphous membrane prepared from the isotropic melt of the monomer. Self-organized nanostructured membranes have great potential for supplying high-quality water.

Supply of safe fresh water is currently one of the most important global issues. Membranes technologies are essential to treat water efficiently with low costs and energy consumption. Here, the development of self‐organized nanostructured water treatment membranes based on ionic liquid crystals composed of ammonium, imidazolium, and pyridinium moieties is reported. Membranes with preserved 1D or 3D self‐organized sub‐nanopores are obtained by photopolymerization of ionic columnar or bicontinuous cubic liquid crystals. These membranes show salt rejection ability, ion selectivity, and excellent water permeability. The relationships between the structures and the transport properties of water molecules and ionic solutes in the sub‐nanopores in the membranes are examined by molecular dynamics simulations. The results suggest that the volume of vacant space in the nanochannel greatly affects the water and ion permeability.

Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is a soluble secreted protein and a decoy receptor, which inhibits a receptor activator of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) ligand (RANKL)/the receptor activator of NF-κB (RANK) signaling. Recent clinical studies have shown that a high-serum-OPG level is associated with unfavorable outcome in ischemic stroke, but it is unclear whether OPG is a culprit or an innocent bystander. Here we demonstrate that enhanced RANKL/RANK signaling in OPG −/− mice or recombinant RANKL-treated mice contributed to the reduction of infarct volume and brain edema via reduced postischemic inflammation. On the contrary, infarct volume was increased by reduced RANKL/RANK signaling in OPG −/− mice and WT mice treated with anti-RANKL neutralizing antibody. OPG, RANKL, and RANK mRNA were increased in the acute stage and were expressed in activated microglia and macrophages. Although enhanced RANKL/RANK signaling had no effects in glutamate, CoCl 2 , or H 2 O 2 -stimulated neuronal culture, enhanced RANKL/RANK signaling showed neuroprotective effects with reduced expression in inflammatory cytokines in LPS-stimulated neuron-glia mixed culture, suggesting that RANKL/RANK signaling can attenuate inflammation through a Toll-like receptor signaling pathway in microglia. Our findings propose that increased OPG could be a causal factor of reducing RANKL/RANK signaling and increasing postischemic inflammation. Thus, the OPG/RANKL/RANK axis plays critical roles in controlling inflammation in ischemic brains.cerebral ischemia | neuroprotection | immune cells

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Phoborhodopsin (pR) is the fourth retinal pigment of Halobacterium halobium and works as a photoreceptor for the negative phototactic response. A similar pigment was previously found in haloalkaliphilic bacterium (Natronbacterium pharaonis) and also works as the receptor of the negative phototactic response; this pigment is called pharaonis phoborhodopsin (ppR). In this paper, the photocycle of ppR was investigated by means of low-temperature spectrophotometry. The absorption maximum of ppR is located at 498 nm, while that of pR is at 487 nm. The absorption spectra of the two have similar vibrational structures. Irradiation of ppR below -100 degrees C produced a K-like intermediate (ppRK) which was a composite of two components. The original ppR and ppRK were perfectly photoreversible. On warming, ppRK was directly converted to an M-like intermediate without formation of the L-like intermediate. The M-like intermediate was converted to the O-like intermediate at pH 7.2, but the O-like intermediate was not detected at pH 9.0. The O-like intermediate then reverted to the original pigment. On the basis of these findings, the photocycle and the primary photochemical process of ppR are presented.

Primary photochemical events of the light-driven chloride-pump halorhodopsin (hR) are studied at room temperature by subpicosecond transient absorption measurements. On excitation of hR with a 600-nm, 0.6-ps pulse, excited-state absorption and stimulated emission appear immediately in the 420-530-nm and 650-770-nm wavelength regions, respectively, and both decay with a time constant of 2.3 ps. The calculated absorption spectrum of the excited state of hR (hR*) has a peak at 516 nm and a shoulder at about 460 nm. Accompanied by the decay of hR*, the primary ground-state product appears at around 645 nm. The quantum yield of the product formation is determined to be 0.27. The detailed analysis of the kinetics at 645 nm provided the faster rise time of the product (<1.0 ps) than the decay of the excited state (2.3 ps), as well as the possible presence of the J-intermediate (hRj). Instead of the simple sequential kinetic model considering three states of hR*, hRj, and hR, which has been applied to the primary process of bacteriorhodopsin, a parallel channel model is suggested for the primary process of hR. After Franck-Condon excitation, the cis-trans isomerization to hRj and the relaxation to hR* take place simultaneously. The latter decays only to hR via radiative and nonradiative processes. The present results suggest that the excited state having a reaction channel to cis-trans isomerization is not located at the potential minimum of hR* and that the relaxation process in the excited state is a process in competition with isomerization.

Abstract— Photochemical and subsequent thermal reactions of pharaonis phoborhodopsin (ppR; absorption maximum, 498 nm) from Natronobacrerium pharaonis were investigated by nanosecond laser photolysis at 20°C. The experimental results clearly showed the presence of two intermediates in the photocycle of ppR besides the K, M and O intermediates detected previously. One was formed immediately after the excitation of ppR with a blue pulse (pulse width, 17 ns; wavelength, 460 nm), and the other was formed by the thermal reaction of this species. The new intermediates' absorption maxima were 512 and 488 nm, their extinction coefficients were 0.85‐ and 0.68‐times smaller than that of ppR, and their lifetimes were 990 ns and 32 μs, respectively. The absorption and kinetic characteristics of these intermediates relative to ppR were similar to those of the KL and L intermediates of bacteriorhodopsin (bR). The formation of KL intermediates from both ppR and bR were observed only at room temperatures. On the other hand, the formation of L intermediate of bR was observed at both of room and low temperature, whereas that from ppR only at room temperature. The unique formation of L intermediate of ppR at room temperature is discussed in relation to high thermal stability of K intermediate of ppR.

Senotherapy targeting for senescent cells is designed to attenuate age-related dysfunction. Senescent T cells, defined as CD4 + CD44 high CD62L low PD-1 + CD153 + cells, accumulate in visceral adipose tissues (VAT) in obese individuals. Here, we show the long-lasting effect of using CD153 vaccination to remove senescent T cells from high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese C57BL/6J mice. We administered a CD153 peptide-KLH (keyhole limpet hemocyanin) conjugate vaccine with Alhydrogel (CD153-Alum) or CpG oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) 1585 (CD153-CpG) and confirmed an increase in anti-CD153 antibody levels that was sustained for several months. After being fed a HFD for 10-11 weeks, adipose senescent T cell accumulation was significantly reduced in the VAT of CD153-CpG-vaccinated mice, accompanied by glucose tolerance and insulin resistance. A complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) assay indicated that the mouse IgG2 antibody produced in the CD153-CpG-vaccinated mice successfully reduced the number of senescent T cells. The CD153-CpG vaccine is an optional tool for senolytic therapy.