We report herein a unique means to periodically pattern polymeric materials on individual carbon nanotubes (CNTs) using a controlled polymer crystallization method. One-dimensional (1D) CNTs were periodically decorated with polymer lamellar crystals, resulting in nano-hybrid shish-kebab (NHSK) structures. The periodicity of the polymer lamellae varies from 20 to 150 nm. The kebabs are approximately 5-10 nm thick (along CNT direction) with a lateral size of approximately 20 nm to micrometers, which can be readily controlled by varying crystallization conditions. Both polyethylene and Nylon 66 were successfully decorated on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), as well as vapor grown carbon nanofibers (CNFs). The formation mechanism was attributed to "size-dependent soft epitaxy". Because NHSK formation conditions depend on CNT structures, it further provides a unique opportunity for CNT separation. The reported method opens a gateway to periodically patterning polymers and different functional groups on individual CNTs in an ordered and controlled manner, an attractive research field that is yet to be explored.

SUMMARY Intensive efforts are focused on identifying regulators of human pancreatic islet cell growth and maturation to accelerate development of therapies for diabetes. After birth, islet cell growth and function are dynamically regulated; however establishing these age-dependent changes in humans has been challenging. Here we describe a multimodal strategy for isolating pancreatic endocrine and exocrine cells from children and adults to identify age-dependent gene expression and chromatin changes on a genomic scale. These profiles revealed distinct proliferative and functional states of islet α-cells or β-cells, and histone modifications underlying age-dependent gene expression changes. Expression of SIX2 and SIX3, transcription factors without prior known functions in the pancreas and linked to fasting hyperglycemia risk, increased with age specifically in human islet β-cells. SIX2 and SIX3 were sufficient to enhance insulin content or secretion in immature β-cells. Our work provides a unique resource to study human-specific regulators of islet cell maturation and function.

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BackgroundFriend leukemia virus integration 1 (FLI1), an ETS transcription factor family member, acts as an oncogenic driver in hematological malignancies and promotes tumor growth in solid tumors. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the activation of this proto-oncogene in tumors.ResultsImmunohistochemical staining showed that FLI1 is aberrantly overexpressed in advanced stage and metastatic breast cancers. Using a CRISPR Cas9-guided immunoprecipitation assay, we identify a circular RNA in the FLI1 promoter chromatin complex, consisting of FLI1 exons 4-2-3, referred to as FECR1.Overexpression of FECR1 enhances invasiveness of MDA-MB231 breast cancer cells. Notably, FECR1 utilizes a positive feedback mechanism to activate FLI1 by inducing DNA hypomethylation in CpG islands of the promoter. FECR1 binds to the FLI1 promoter in cis and recruits TET1, a demethylase that is actively involved in DNA demethylation. FECR1 also binds to and downregulates in trans DNMT1, a methyltransferase that is essential for the maintenance of DNA methylation.ConclusionsThese data suggest that FECR1 circular RNA acts as an upstream regulator to control breast cancer tumor growth by coordinating the regulation of DNA methylating and demethylating enzymes. Thus, FLI1 drives tumor metastasis not only through the canonical oncoprotein pathway, but also by using epigenetic mechanisms mediated by its exonic circular RNA.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s13059-018-1594-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.