Zicheng Li

Inborn errors of immunity (IEIs) are a group of typically monogenic disorders characterized by dysfunction in the immune system. Individuals with these disorders experience increased susceptibility to infections, autoimmunity and malignancies due to abnormal immune responses. Epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation, histone modifications and chromatin remodeling, have been well explored in the regulation of immune cell development and effector function. Aberrant epigenetic modifications can disrupt gene expression profiles crucial for immune responses, resulting in impaired immune cell differentiation and function. Dysregulation of these processes caused by mutations in genes involving in epigenetic modifications has been associated with various IEIs. In this review article, we focus on IEIs that are caused by mutations in 13 genes involved in the regulation of DNA methylation, histone modification and chromatin remodeling.

As the most abundant bioenergy raw material in nature, cellulose can be converted into sugar by hydrolysis, which can be further degraded to produce downstream chemicals, such as polyols. Hydrolysis technology is one of the key steps in the development and utilization of cellulosic biomass resources. In this study, the ionic liquid (IL)-catalyzed hydrolysis of sugarcane cellulose into reducing sugar was studied. Firstly, the hydrolysis of sugarcane cellulose in different ionic liquids (including benzothiazolomethane sulfonate, [HBth][CH₃SO₃] and 1-methyl-3-(3-sulfopropyl)-imidazolium hydrogen sulfate, [C₃SO₃Hmim]HSO₄) in heterogeneous and homogeneous systems to produce reducing sugar was studied. In a homogeneous system, the catalytic effect of an ionic liquid on sugarcane cellulose was explored. The pretreatment, IL dosage (0.1~1.0 g), reaction temperature (100~180 °C), addition of water (0~500 μL), and time (1~6 h) were all discovered as key conditions for hydrolysis. The acidity of an acidic ionic liquid is a key factor affecting the hydrolysis of sugarcane cellulose; meanwhile, effective pretreatment and water are also important. As a comparison, the catalytic effect of [C₃SO₃Hmim]HSO₄ in heterogeneous systems (the maximum yield of 5.98% for total reducing sugars, TRS) was not as good as that of [HBth][CH₃SO₃] in homogeneous systems (33.97%). A higher temperature does not necessarily lead to an increased TRS yield, but it will make the maximum TRS appear earlier. At last, 732 cationic ion exchange resin was used to investigate the separation of reducing sugar and ionic liquid, and the recovery of ionic liquid was investigated by an adsorption–desorption experiment. The ionic liquid can be well separated from TRS in the [HBth][CH₃SO₃] and reused at least five times.

A series of symmetrical 1,4-disubstituted buta-1,3-diynes is prepared with excellent yields (up to 95%) through homocoupling of terminal alkynes catalyzed by a copper salt under solvent-free conditions. This method provides an environmentally friendly process to prepare 1,3-diynes in short reaction times under mild conditions. Furthermore, the method is suitable for a wide substrate scope and has excellent functional group compatibility. The reaction can also be scaled up to gram level.

Hydroxy-α-sanshool was synthesized in a 13% overall yield through eight steps, which included two Wittig reactions that were used to form the carbon skeleton with ethyl 2-oxoacetate and 2 E,4 E-hexadienal being reacted with the appropriate ylides. Impurities in the processes could easily be separated. Ethyl 6-hydroxy-2Z-hexenoate was converted to its E-isomer with catalysis by I₂ and 2E,6Z,8E,10E-dodecatetraenoic acid was crystallized from a solution in 1% ethyl acetate in n-hexane.