Interleukin-1 beta converting enzyme (ICE)-like proteases, which are synthesized as inactive precursors, play a key role in the induction of apoptosis. We now demonstrate that benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp (OMe) fluoromethylketone (Z-VAD.FMK), an ICE-like protease inhibitor, inhibits apoptosis by preventing the processing of CPP32 to its active form. These results suggest that novel inhibitors of apoptosis can be developed which prevent processing of proforms of ICE-like proteases.
A central issue in
understanding photocatalytic water splitting on a stoichiometric or
defective nanostructured oxide surface is its adsorption mode and
related reactivity. More than just improving the adsorption of water
on oxide surfaces, we demonstrate in this work that surface oxygen
vacancies (OVs) also offer a possibility of activating water toward
thermodynamically enhanced photocatalytic water oxidation, while the
water activation state, as reflected by its capability to trap holes,
strongly depends on the structures of OVs. Utilizing well-ordered
BiOCl single-crystalline surfaces, we reveal that dissociatively adsorbed
water on the OV of the (010) surface exhibits higher tendency to be
oxidized than the molecularly adsorbed water on the OV of the (001)
surface. Analysis of the geometric atom arrangement shows that the
OV of the BiOCl (010) surface can facilitate barrierless O–H
bond breaking in the first proton removal reaction, which is sterically
hindered on the OV of the BiOCl (001) surface, and also allow more
localized electrons transfer from the OV to the dissociatively adsorbed
water, leading to its higher water activation level for hole trapping.
These findings highlight the indispensable role of crystalline surface
structure on water oxidation and may open up avenues for the rational
design of highly efficient photocatalysts via surface engineering.
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