Boron-doped silicon nanowires (SiNWs) were used to create highly sensitive, real-time electrically based sensors for biological and chemical species. Amine- and oxide-functionalized SiNWs exhibit pH-dependent conductance that was linear over a large dynamic range and could be understood in terms of the change in surface charge during protonation and deprotonation. Biotin-modified SiNWs were used to detect streptavidin down to at least a picomolar concentration range. In addition, antigen-functionalized SiNWs show reversible antibody binding and concentration-dependent detection in real time. Lastly, detection of the reversible binding of the metabolic indicator Ca2+ was demonstrated. The small size and capability of these semiconductor nanowires for sensitive, label-free, real-time detection of a wide range of chemical and biological species could be exploited in array-based screening and in vivo diagnostics.

One-dimensional nanostructures, such as nanowires and nanotubes, represent the smallest dimension for efficient transport of electrons and excitons and thus are ideal building blocks for hierarchical assembly of functional nanoscale electronic and photonic structures. We report an approach for the hierarchical assembly of one-dimensional nanostructures into well-defined functional networks. We show that nanowires can be assembled into parallel arrays with control of the average separation and, by combining fluidic alignment with surface-patterning techniques, that it is also possible to control periodicity. In addition, complex crossed nanowire arrays can be prepared with layer-by-layer assembly with different flow directions for sequential steps. Transport studies show that the crossed nanowire arrays form electrically conducting networks, with individually addressable device function at each cross point.

R-spondin proteins are newly identified secreted molecules that activate ␤-catenin signaling. However, the mechanism of R-spondin action and its relationship with Wnt signaling remain unclear. Here we show that human R-spondin1 (hRspo1) is a high affinity ligand for the Wnt co-receptor LRP6 (K d ‫؍‬ 1.2 nM). hRspo1 induces glycogen synthase kinase 3-dependent phosphorylation and activation of LRP6. DKK1, an LRP6 antagonist, inhibits hRspo1-induced LRP6 phosphorylation. We further demonstrate that hRspo1 synergizes with Frizzled5 in Xenopus axis induction assays and induces the phosphorylation of Dishevelled, a cytoplasmic component downstream of Frizzled function. Our study reveals interesting similarity and distinction between Wnt and R-spondin signaling.

Oxidative stress is known to cause tumorigenesis through induction of DNA and lipid damage. It also promotes cancer progression through a largely unknown mechanism. Sulfiredoxin (Srx) is a novel oxidative stress-induced antioxidant protein whose function in tumorigenesis and cancer progression has not been well studied. We report that Srx is highly expressed in human lung cancer. Knockdown of Srx reduces anchorage-independent colony formation, cell migration, and invasion of human lung cancer cells. Srx preferentially interacts with Peroxiredoxin (Prx) IV relative to other Prxs due to its intrinsic higher binding affinity. Knockdown of Prx IV recapitulates the phenotypic changes of depleting Srx. Disruption or enhancement of the Srx-Prx IV axis leads respectively to reduction or acceleration of tumor growth and metastasis formation in vivo. Through identification and validation of the downstream mediators we unraveled the Srx-mediated signaling network that traverses AP-1-activating and other phosphokinase signaling cascades. Our work reveals that the Srx-Prx IV axis is critical for lung cancer maintenance and metastasis, suggesting that targeting the Srx-Prx IV axis may provide unique effective strategies for cancer prevention and treatment.oncogene | signal transduction L ung cancer is the most common form of human cancer and is the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Despite recent progress in early detection and combined therapeutic strategies, the overall survival rate of patients has not been significantly improved (1). Many risk factors, including the exposure to tobacco smoke, have been identified as causally related to lung carcinogenesis in patients. Tobacco smoke contains a number of carcinogens, and metabolism of these carcinogens generates active metabolites directly leading to formation of DNA adducts and the accumulation of oxygen-free radicals that induce oxidative stress that contributes significantly to tumorigenesis and cancer progression (2).Oxygen-free radicals, including reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species, have been shown to be causally related to cancer progression and metastasis. However, the molecular mechanisms of oxidative stress in cancer maintenance and metastases formation are still not well understood, due in part to the dual roles of ROS as both deleterious and beneficial species in cancer cells. Under physiological conditions ROSinduced oxidative stress response causes cellular senescence and apoptosis. Cancer cells have an enhanced defense system characterized by intrinsically higher expression of antioxidant proteins, and ROS are more likely to function as mediators of intracellular signaling cascades that are critical for maintenance of tumor phenotypes (3). Sulfiredoxin (Srx), or neoplastic progression 3, was previously identified as a differentially expressed gene with unknown function that distinguished transformed and transformation-sensitive from transformation-resistant mouse epidermal cells (4). More recent studies substantiate that Srx...