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The mechanisms leading to changes in mesoscale chromatin organization during cellular aging are unknown. Here, we used transcriptional activator-like effectors, RNA-seq and superresolution analysis to determine the effects of genotoxic stress on oocyte chromatin structure. Major satellites are organized into tightly packed globular structures that coalesce into chromocenters and dynamically associate with the nucleolus. Acute irradiation significantly enhanced chromocenter mobility in transcriptionally inactive oocytes. In transcriptionally active oocytes, irradiation induced a striking unfolding of satellite chromatin fibers and enhanced the expression of transcripts required for protection from oxidative stress (Fermt1, Smg1), recovery from DNA damage (Tlk2, Rad54l) and regulation of heterochromatin assembly (Zfp296, Ski-oncogene). Non-irradiated, senescent oocytes exhibit not only high chromocenter mobility and satellite distension but also a high frequency of extra chromosomal satellite DNA. Notably, analysis of biological aging using an oocyte-specific RNA clock revealed cellular communication, posttranslational protein modifications, chromatin and histone dynamics as the top cellular processes that are dysregulated in both senescent and irradiated oocytes. Our results indicate that unfolding of heterochromatin fibers following acute genotoxic stress or cellular aging induced the formation of distended satellites and that abnormal chromatin structure together with increased chromocenter mobility leads to chromosome instability in senescent oocytes.

 

Zero-dimensional (0D) halides perovskites, in which anionic metal-halide octahedra (MX 6 ) 4− are separated by organic or inorganic countercations, have recently shown promise as excellent luminescent materials. However, the origin of the photoluminescence (PL) and, in particular, the different photophysical properties in hybrid organic–inorganic and all inorganic halides are still poorly understood. In this work, first-principles calculations were performed to study the excitons and intrinsic defects in 0D hybrid organic–inorganic halides (C 4 N 2 H 14 X) 4 SnX 6 (X = Br, I), which exhibit a high photoluminescence quantum efficiency (PLQE) at room temperature (RT), and also in the 0D inorganic halide Cs 4 PbBr 6 , which suffers from strong thermal quenching when T > 100 K. We show that the excitons in all three 0D halides are strongly bound and cannot be detrapped or dissociated at RT, which leads to immobile excitons in (C 4 N 2 H 14 X) 4 SnX 6 . However, the excitons in Cs 4 PbBr 6 can still migrate by tunneling, enabled by the resonant transfer of excitation energy (Dexter energy transfer). The exciton migration in Cs 4 PbBr 6 leads to a higher probability of trapping and nonradiative recombination at the intrinsic defects. We show that a large Stokes shift and the negligible electronic coupling between luminescent centers are important for suppressing exciton migration; thereby, enhancing the photoluminescence quantum efficiency. Our results also suggest that the frequently observed bright green emission in Cs 4 PbBr 6 is not due to the exciton or defect-induced emission in Cs 4 PbBr 6 but rather the result of exciton emission from CsPbBr 3 inclusions trapped in Cs 4 PbBr 6 . 

The family of molecular level low‐dimensional organic metal halide hybrids has expanded significantly over the last few years. Here a new type of 1D metal halide structure is reported, in which metal halide octahedra form a corrugated double‐chain structure via nonplanar edge‐sharing. This material with a chemical formula of C₅H₁₆N₂Pb₂Br₆exhibits a broadband yellow emission under ultraviolet light excitation with a photoluminescence quantum efficiency of around 10%. The light‐yellow emission is considered to be attributed to self‐trapping excitons. Theoretical calculations show that the unique alignment of the octahedra leads to small band dispersion and large exciton binding energy. Together with previously reported 1D metal halide wires and tubes, this new bulk assembly of 1D metal halides suggests the potential to develop a library of bulk assemblies of metal halides with controlled structures and compositions.