Core–shell structured nanoparticles for near-infrared (NIR) photocatalysis were synthesized by a two-step wet-chemical route. The core is composed of upconversion luminescence NaYF4:Yb,Tm prepared by a solvothermal process, and the shell is anatase TiO2 nanocrystals around NaYF4 particles formed via a method similar to a Stöber process. Methylene blue compound as a model pollutant was used to investigate the photocatalytic activity of NaYF4:Yb,Tm@TiO2 composites under NIR irradiation. To understand the nature of NIR-responsive photocatalysis of NaYF4:Yb,Tm@TiO2, we investigated the energy transfer process between NaYF4:Yb,Tm and TiO2 and the origin of the degradation of organic pollutants under NIR radiation. Results indicate that the energy transfer route between NaYF4:Yb,Tm and TiO2 is an important factor that influences the photocatalytic activity significantly and that the degradation of organic pollutants under NIR irradiation is caused mostly by the oxidation of reactive oxygen species generated in the photocatalytic reaction, rather than by the thermal energy generated by NIR irradiation. The understanding of NIR-responsive photocatalytic mechanism helps to improve the structural design and functionality of this new type of catalytic material.

BackgroundMETTL3 is an RNA methyltransferase that mediates m6A modification and is implicated in mRNA biogenesis, decay, and translation. However, the biomechanism through which METTL3 regulates MALAT1-miR-1914-3p-YAP axis activity to induce NSCLC drug resistance and metastasis is not very clear.MethodsThe expression of mRNA was analyzed by qPCR assays. Protein levels were analyzed by western blotting and immunofluorescent staining. Cellular proliferation was detected by CCK8 assays. Cell migration and invasion were analyzed by wound healing and transwell assays, respectively. Promoter activities and gene transcription were analyzed by luciferase reporter assays. Finally, m6A modification was analyzed by MeRIP.ResultsMETTL3 increased the m6A modification of YAP. METTL3, YTHDF3, YTHDF1, and eIF3b directly promoted YAP translation through an interaction with the translation initiation machinery. Moreover, the RNA level of MALAT1 was increased due to a higher level of m6A modification mediated by METTL3. Meanwhile, the stability of MALAT1 was increased by METTL3/YTHDF3 complex. Additionally, MALAT1 functions as a competing endogenous RNA that sponges miR-1914-3p to promote the invasion and metastasis of NSCLC via YAP. Furthermore, the reduction of YAP m6A modification by METTL3 knockdown inhibits tumor growth and enhances sensitivity to DDP in vivo.ConclusionResults indicated that the m6A mRNA methylation initiated by METTL3 promotes YAP mRNA translation via recruiting YTHDF1/3 and eIF3b to the translation initiation complex and increases YAP mRNA stability through regulating the MALAT1-miR-1914-3p-YAP axis. The increased YAP expression and activity induce NSCLC drug resistance and metastasis.

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Metastasis leads to poor prognosis in colorectal cancer patients, and there is a growing need for new therapeutic targets. TMEM16A (ANO1, DOG1 or TAOS2) has recently been identified as a calcium-activated chloride channel (CaCC) and is reported to be overexpressed in several malignancies; however, its expression and function in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear. In this study, we found expression of TMEM16A mRNA and protein in high-metastatic-potential SW620, HCT116 and LS174T cells, but not in primary HCT8 and SW480 cells, using RT-PCR, western blotting and immunofluorescence labeling. Patch-clamp recordings detected CaCC currents regulated by intracellular Ca2+ and voltage in SW620 cells. Knockdown of TMEM16A by short hairpin RNAs (shRNA) resulted in the suppression of growth, migration and invasion of SW620 cells as detected by MTT, wound-healing and transwell assays. Mechanistically, TMEM16A depletion was accompanied by the dysregulation of phospho-MEK, phospho-ERK1/2 and cyclin D1 expression. Flow cytometry analysis showed that SW620 cells were inhibited from the G1 to S phase of the cell cycle in the TMEM16A shRNA group compared with the control group. In conclusion, our results indicate that TMEM16A CaCC is involved in growth, migration and invasion of metastatic CRC cells and provide evidence for TMEM16A as a potential drug target for treating metastatic colorectal carcinoma.

This work reports a simple hydrothermal route using citric acid as a "shape modifier" for the controlled synthesis of luminescent TbPO 4 :Eu nanocrystals. The size and morphology of products change remarkably when the proportion of citric acid involved in the reaction increases. The multiple roles that citric acid plays during the controlled synthesis are discussed to try to understand the crystallization and growth dynamics of TbPO 4 crystals. The photoluminescence properties of TbPO 4 :Eu are investigated. The excitation spectra and the variation of the 5 D 4 lifetime values as a function of the Eu 3+ concentration points out the occurrence of Tb 3+ -to-Eu 3+ energy transfer, resulting in a maximum absolute emission quantum yield of 0.14. The possibility to tune the size, the shape, and the optical properties of the nanocrystals reported in this work might be useful for applications in optoelectronics or biolabeling. Moreover, this simple approach might also be applied for the synthesis of other luminescent phosphates.

In this work, we use the solution precipitation method to synthesize Tb3+-doped yttrium orthophosphate, which is a green-emission luminescent material. The evolution of hydrated yttrium orthophosphate (YPO4.2H2O) to dehydrated yttrium orthophosphate (YPO4) is observed in the heat-treatment process, simultaneously, accompanying the structural transformation from monoclinic churchite-type to tetragonal xenotime-type structure. Furthermore, the luminescent efficiency of Tb3+-doped YPO4 presents a sharp jump at a critical temperature in this heat-treatment process. Interestingly, this critical temperature is close to the structural transformation temperature. The remarkable change of luminescent efficiency seems to be related to the structural transformation. However, the FTIR and fluorescent decay measurements at 10 and 300 K indicate that the OH group is the origin of luminescent efficiency change. OH- ions with high vibration frequency provide an efficient means to quench the luminescence. The comparison of the luminescent efficiency, OH- content, and lifetime of 5D4 of Tb3+ between two samples with the same crystal structure proves that the structural transformation has no significant effect on the luminescent efficiency and lifetime. On the basis of these results, it is proposed that correctly preventing OH- ions inside the host matrix or effectively eliminating them may improve the luminescent efficiency greatly. This idea also may be applied to other optical systems.

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A novel near-infrared (NIR)-responsive photocatalyst, β-NaYF4:Yb(3+),Tm(3+)@ZnO composites, was prepared by a two-step high temperature thermolysis method. In the NIR-responsive photocatalysis, β-NaYF4:Yb,Tm served as a NIR-to-UV upconverter and provided "UV light" or "necessary energy" to the ZnO catalyst. The energy transfer in the composites and the mixtures of β-NaYF4:Yb,Tm and ZnO was studied by using steady-state and dynamic fluorescence spectroscopy. The NIR photocatalytic activities were investigated by the decomposition of Rhodamine B. It was found that the energy transfer processes dominated the overall photocatalytic activities, and the generation of hydroxyl radicals was the origin of organic pollutant decomposition under NIR irradiation.