Introduction : Transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ) signaling plays a vital role in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) progression. However, the involvement of TGFβ-regulated long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in metastasis of LUAD remains poorly understood. Methods : We performed bioinformatic analyses to identify putative lncRNAs regulated by TGF-β/SMAD3 and validated the results by quantitative PCR in LUAD cells. We performed luciferase reporter and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays to demonstrate the transcriptional regulation of the lncRNA histocompatibility leukocyte antigen complex P5 (HCP5) we decided to focus on. Stable HCP5 knockdown and HCP5-overexpressing A549 cell variants were generated respectively, to study HCP5 function and understand its mechanism of action. We also confirmed our findings in mouse xenografts and metastasis models. We analyzed the correlation between the level of lncRNA expression with EGFR, KRAS mutations, smoke state and prognostic of LUAD patients. Results : We found that the lncRNA HCP5 is induced by TGFβ and transcriptionally regulated by SMAD3 , which promotes LUAD tumor growth and metastasis. Moreover, HCP5 is overexpressed in tumor tissues of patients with LUAD, specifically in patients with EGFR and KRAS mutations and current smoker. HCP5 high expression level is positively correlated with poor prognosis of patients with LUAD. Finally, we demonstrated that upregulation of HCP5 increases the expression of Snail and Slug by sponging the microRNA-203 ( miR-203 ) and promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in LUAD cells. Conclusions : Our work demonstrates that the lncRNA HCP5 is transcriptionally regulated by SMAD3 and acts as a new regulator in the TGFβ/SMAD signaling pathway. Therefore, HCP5 can serve as a potential therapeutic target in LUAD.

Virus infection of plants may induce a variety of disease symptoms. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism of systemic symptom development in infected plants. Here we performed the first next-generation sequencing study to identify gene expression changes associated with disease development in tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum cv. Xanthi nc) induced by infection with the M strain of Cucumber mosaic virus (M-CMV). Analysis of the tobacco transcriptome by RNA-Seq identified 95,916 unigenes, 34,408 of which were new transcripts by database searches. Deep sequencing was subsequently used to compare the digital gene expression (DGE) profiles of the healthy plants with the infected plants at six sequential disease development stages, including vein clearing, mosaic, severe chlorosis, partial and complete recovery, and secondary mosaic. Thousands of differentially expressed genes were identified, and KEGG pathway analysis of these genes suggested that many biological processes, such as photosynthesis, pigment metabolism and plant-pathogen interaction, were involved in systemic symptom development. Our systematic analysis provides comprehensive transcriptomic information regarding systemic symptom development in virus-infected plants. This information will help further our understanding of the detailed mechanisms of plant responses to viral infection.

greenhouse emissions and environmental pollution can be effectively reduced. In this regard, sodium ion batteries (SIBs) possess the merits of low cost and abundance. [1,2] The sluggish kinetics of sodium ion diffusion caused by the large sodium ionic radius, however, results in poor cycling stability, and low rate performance. Fully understanding the structural evolution during electrochemical reactions and achieving the corresponding improvements in the crystal structure and morphology design are urgently required to promote the development of SIBs. [3] Recent research progress has involved a considerable emphasis on constructing nanostructures with high surface area to take advantages of impressive nanochemistry, including ultrathin layered materials. The discovery of graphene has a spillover effect, leading to unprecedented research on single-layer and few-layer 2D materials. [4] The evergrowing family of 2D crystals offers versatile benefits owing to their unique physical and chemical properties in terms of diversity of applications, such as rechargeable batteries, catalysts, membranes, conductive or inert coatings, etc. [5][6][7] 2D materials in particular have been treated as a robust host for sodium storage. [8] By downsizing from the bulk to a few atomic layers, both physical and chemical properties have shown outstanding improvements. [9][10][11] Different methods, including chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth, [12] chemical-assisted exfoliation, [13][14][15] and direct exfoliation, [16] have shown their application in preparation of few-layer 2D materials. Among them, shear exfoliation is driven by the high shear rate generated by a highspeed rotator, [17] and can even be achieved by using a kitchen blender. [18] This facile and low-cost method is easy to use for scaling up in industrial production line.Transition metal dichalcogenides have been widely investigated in battery systems, due to their tunable interlayer space, fast ion transportation, and robust kinetics. [19] Among them, TiS 2 is a promising electrode material due to its low cost, facile synthesis, and high specific discharge capacity of 479 mAh g −1 (calculated based on the two-electron reaction, 1C = 479 mA g −1 ). [20] Recently, TiS 2 has been reported as good electrode materials for lithium ion batteries, [21] potassium ion batteries, [22,23] magnesium ion batteries, [24,25] and calcium ion batteries. [25] The ever-growing interests for TiS 2 in energy storage and conversion system also promotes the research in SIBs. Ryu et al. used TiS 2 powder purchased from Sigma-Aldrich as the electrode material for SIBs. [26] The discharge Sodium ion batteries are now attracting great attention, mainly because of the abundance of sodium resources and their cheap raw materials. 2D materials possess a unique structure for sodium storage. Among them, transition metal chalcogenides exhibit significant potential for rechargeable battery devices due to their tunable composition, remarkable structural stability, fast ion transport, and robust kinetic...

Rechargeable sodium-ion batteries are proposed as the most appropriate alternative to lithium batteries due to the fast consumption of the limited lithium resources. Due to their improved safety, polyanion framework compounds have recently gained attention as potential candidates. With the earth-abundant element Fe being the redox center, the uniform carbon-coated Na Fe (P O ) /C composite represents a promising alternative for sodium-ion batteries. The electrochemical results show that the as-prepared Na Fe (P O ) /C composite can deliver capacity of ≈100 mA h g at 0.1 C (1 C = 120 mA g ), with capacity retention of 92.3% at 0.5 C after 300 cycles. After adding fluoroethylene carbonate additive to the electrolyte, 89.6% of the initial capacity is maintained, even after 1100 cycles at 5 C. The electrochemical mechanism is systematically investigated via both in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction and density functional theory calculations. The results show that the sodiation and desodiation are single-phase-transition processes with two 1D sodium paths, which facilitates fast ionic diffusion. A small volume change, nearly 100% first-cycle Coulombic efficiency, and a pseudocapacitance contribution are also demonstrated. This research indicates that this new compound could be a potential competitor for other iron-based cathode electrodes for application in large-scale Na rechargeable batteries.