Multi-functional enzymes are enzymes that perform multiple physiological functions. Characterization and identification of multi-functional enzymes are critical for communication and cooperation between different functions and pathways within a complex cellular system or between cells. In present study, we collected literature-reported 6,799 multi-functional enzymes and systematically characterized them in structural, functional, and evolutionary aspects. It was found that four physiochemical properties, that is, charge, polarizability, hydrophobicity, and solvent accessibility, are important for characterization of multi-functional enzymes. Accordingly, a combinational model of support vector machine and random forest model was constructed, based on which 6,956 potential novel multi-functional enzymes were successfully identified from the ENZYME database. Moreover, it was observed that multi-functional enzymes are non-evenly distributed in species, and that Bacteria have relatively more multi-functional enzymes than Archaebacteria and Eukaryota. Comparative analysis indicated that the multi-functional enzymes experienced a fluctuation of gene gain and loss during the evolution from S. cerevisiae to H. sapiens. Further pathway analyses indicated that a majority of multi-functional enzymes were well preserved in catalyzing several essential cellular processes, for example, metabolisms of carbohydrates, nucleotides, and amino acids. What’s more, a database of known multi-functional enzymes and a server for novel multi-functional enzyme prediction were also constructed for free access at http://bioinf.xmu.edu.cn/databases/MFEs/index.htm.

Transition metal phosphonates have recently gained attentions as efficient catalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In this paper, flower‐like nickel‐cobalt phenylphosphonate microspheres were sythesized, which could be used as excellent electrocatalyst for OER. After calcined at high temperature in air, resulted product of metal pyrophosphate exhibited outstanding electrocatalytic property. A small amount of carbon coming from the pyrolysis of phenylphosphonate were doped in matrix of metal pyrophosphonate, which promoted the OER catalysis by improving the electron transfer of material. Sample denoted as CoNiPP‐600 had the most excellent catalytic activity, with a current density of 10 mA/cm2 at a lower over‐potential of 264 mV, Tafel slope of 60 mV⋅dec−1 and superior durability in 1.0 M KOH solution.

Abstract. Sporadic sodium (Na s ) layers, occurring in roughly the same height range as ionospheric sporadic-E layers, were first detected by lidar some 30 yr ago. Na s layers have a typical thickness of a few hundred meters to a few km, with peak atom concentrations several times that of the background layer. Despite a great deal of excellent work over the past decades, the source of Na s layers is still not altogether clear, partly as a result of our incomplete knowledge of Na s layer characteristics. In this paper we concentrate on some typical case studies chosen from the ∼ 127 h of sporadic sodium layer observations made at a time resolution of 1.5 s at Yanqing (115.97 • E, 40.47 • N), Beijing, China. This is a much better time resolution than what has been employed in most earlier measurements. The results show that the Na s layer peak heights are dispersed at slightly different although adjacent heights. When averaged over several minutes, as has been the case with most earlier measurements, the height scatter results in an apparent layer thickness of a few km. We conclude, therefore, that these dispersed peaks at different but adjacent heights constitute the 5 min Na s layer. Similar to the observations of sporadic-E-ion (Es) layers and meteor rate, we observe quasi-periodic fluctuations on a timescale on the order of several minutes in the peak height and the peak density of sporadic layers, which is a universal feature but concealed by the lower temporal resolution previously adopted. Spatially localized multiple scatterers and multiple thin layers with similar apparent movement in Na s layers are also found. We discuss the possible formation mechanism by the direct deposition of large swarms of micrometeoroids and demonstrate a typical example of meteor trails evolving into a Na s layer, which suggests that this mechanism might indeed occur.

Existing disulfide-rich peptides, both naturally occurring and de novo designed, only represent a tiny amount of the possible sequence space because natural evolution and de novo design only keep sequences that are structurally approachable by correct disulfide pairings. To bypass this limitation for designing new peptide scaffolds beyond the natural sequence space, we dedicate to developing novel disulfide-rich peptides with predefined disulfide pairing patterns irrelevant to primary sequences. However, most of these designed peptides still suffer from disulfide rearrangements to at least one to three possible isomers. Here, we report a general and reliable strategy for the design and synthesis of a range of structurally diverse cross-link-dense peptide (CDP) scaffolds with two orthogonal disulfide bonds and a bisthioether bridge that are not subject to disulfide isomerizations. Altering the pattern of cysteine and penicillamine generates hundreds of different CDP scaffolds tolerant to extensive sequence manipulations. This work thus provides many useful scaffolds for the design of functional molecules such as protein binders with improved proteolytic stability (e.g., designed by epitope grafting).