The development of Chinese space science and technology plays a great role in promoting the researches in the field of the origin of life.With the multidisciplinary cooperation,there are fruitful achievements in this ...The development of Chinese space science and technology plays a great role in promoting the researches in the field of the origin of life.With the multidisciplinary cooperation,there are fruitful achievements in this research field obtained over the past two years.This report summarizes the major progress of the basic researches about the origin of life in China during 2018–2020.展开更多
The bone marrow microenvironment is critical for the maintenance and functionality of stem/progenitor cells,which are essential for bone development and regeneration.However,the composition and potential use of bone m...The bone marrow microenvironment is critical for the maintenance and functionality of stem/progenitor cells,which are essential for bone development and regeneration.However,the composition and potential use of bone marrow interstitial fluid have not been well explored.In this study,we report the role of neonatal bovine bone marrow interstitial fluid(NBIF)in enhancing the bone regeneration capacity of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(hBMSCs).Unlike adult bovine bone marrow interstitial fluid(ABIF),NBIF-fed hBMSCs exhibit enhanced self-renewal and osteogenic potential and bone marrow homing ability,along with transcriptome changes as compared to hBMSCs cultured in standard fetal bovine serum(FBS)supplemented medium.Mass spectrometry analysis reveals that multiple secreted factors associated with tissue repair and bone development are enriched in NBIF compared to FBS and ABIF.The combined use of NBIF-enriched Nerve Growth Factor(NGF),Lactoferrin(LTF),and High Mobility Group Protein B1(HMGB1),together with Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1(IGF1)for culturing hBMSCs in the presence of FBS can enhance osteogenic potential and bone marrow homing ability,mimicking NBIF's effects.These findings highlight the role of interstitial fluid in the bone marrow microenvironment and its potential to optimize stem cell-based therapies.展开更多
Remodeling plant intracellular nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat immune receptors(NLRs)to engineer synthetic disease-resistance genes has emerged as a promising approach to achieving broad-spectrum disease resist...Remodeling plant intracellular nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat immune receptors(NLRs)to engineer synthetic disease-resistance genes has emerged as a promising approach to achieving broad-spectrum disease resistance.But strategies for expanding NLR recognition spectra[[1],[2],[3],[4],[5]]are often limited by the rapid evolution of pathogens and pests.In our recent study,we developed an innovative strategy to engineer broad-spectrum,durable and complete disease resistance in plants by remodeling autoactive NLRs into protease-activated switches[6].展开更多
Our research reveals the critical role of the suprachiasmatic nucleus(SCN)vasoactive intestinal peptide(VIP)neurons in mediating light-induced transient forgetting.Acute exposure to bright light selectively impairs tr...Our research reveals the critical role of the suprachiasmatic nucleus(SCN)vasoactive intestinal peptide(VIP)neurons in mediating light-induced transient forgetting.Acute exposure to bright light selectively impairs trace fear memory by activating VIP neurons in the SCN,as demonstrated by increased c-Fos expression and Ca2+recording.This effect can be replicated and reversed through optogenetic and chemogenetic manipulations of SCN VIP neurons.Furthermore,we identify the SCN→PVT(paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus)VIP neuronal circuitry as essential in this process.These findings establish a novel role for SCN VIP neurons in modulating memory accessibility in response to environmental light cues,extending their known function beyond circadian regulation and revealing a mechanism for transient forgetting.展开更多
Microglia have been recognized as a unique cell population in the central nervous system(CNS)for more than a century[1].However,it was not until 2010 that their developmental origin was clarified.Rather than arising f...Microglia have been recognized as a unique cell population in the central nervous system(CNS)for more than a century[1].However,it was not until 2010 that their developmental origin was clarified.Rather than arising from the neuroectoderm,microglia are derived from erythromyeloid progenitors in the embryonic yolk sac[2].展开更多
The cell fate of primordial germ cell(PGC)in zebrafish is pre-determined by maternally deposited germ plasm,which is packaged into ribonucleoprotein complex in oocytes and inherited into PGC-fated cells in embryos.How...The cell fate of primordial germ cell(PGC)in zebrafish is pre-determined by maternally deposited germ plasm,which is packaged into ribonucleoprotein complex in oocytes and inherited into PGC-fated cells in embryos.However,the maternal factors regulating the assembly of germ plasm and PGC development remain poorly understood.In this study,we report that the maternal transcription factor Znf706 regulates the assembly of germ plasm factors into a granule-like structure localized perinuclearly in PGC during migration.Maternal and zygotic mutants of znf706 exhibit deficient germ plasm scattering at the early embryonic stage,decreased PGC numbers with some mislocation during PGC migration,and a lower female ratio in adulthood.Notably,the implementation of Znf706 CUT&Tag and RNA-seq on immature oocytes uncovers that Znf706 in stage I oocytes may promote transcription of several mitochondrial genes in addition to other functions.Hence,we propose that Znf706 is implicated in germ plasm assembly and PGC development in zebrafish.展开更多
Dengue virus(DENV) is a mosquito-borne virus belonging to the Flaviviridae family. There are 4 serotypes of DENV that cause human disease through transmission by mosquito vectors. DENV infection results in a broad spe...Dengue virus(DENV) is a mosquito-borne virus belonging to the Flaviviridae family. There are 4 serotypes of DENV that cause human disease through transmission by mosquito vectors. DENV infection results in a broad spectrum of clinical symptoms, ranging from mild fever to dengue hemorrhagic fever(DHF), the latter of which can progress to dengue shock syndrome(DSS) and death. Researchers have made unremitting efforts over the last half-century to understand DHF pathogenesis. DHF is probably caused by multiple factors, such as virus-specific antibodies, viral antigens and host immune responses. This review summarizes the current progress of studies on DHF pathogenesis, which may provide important information for achieving effective control of dengue in the future.展开更多
Microbial polyhydroxyalkanoates （PHAs） are a family of biopolyesters produced by many wild type and engineered bacteria. PHAs have diverse structures accompanied by flexible thermal and mechanical properties. Combin...Microbial polyhydroxyalkanoates （PHAs） are a family of biopolyesters produced by many wild type and engineered bacteria. PHAs have diverse structures accompanied by flexible thermal and mechanical properties. Combined with their in vitro biodegradation, cell and tissue compatibility, PHAs have been studied for medical applications, especially medical implants applications, including heart valve tissue engineering, vascular tissue engineering, bone tissue engineering, cartilage tissue engineering, nerve conduit tissue engineering as well as esophagus tissue engineering. Most studies have been conducted in the authors＇ lab in the past 20＋ years. Recently, mechanism on PHA promoted tissue regeneration was revealed to relate to cell responses to PHA biodegradation products and cell-material interactions mediated by microRNA. Very importantly, PHA implants were found not to cause carcinogenesis during long-term implantation. Thus, PHAs should have a bright future in biomedical areas.展开更多
Previous study have demonstrated that a compound composed of water-soluable Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides(GLP)and Polyporus umbellatus polysaccharides(PUP)in a ratio of 3:1 named GPP enhances innate immune functio...Previous study have demonstrated that a compound composed of water-soluable Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides(GLP)and Polyporus umbellatus polysaccharides(PUP)in a ratio of 3:1 named GPP enhances innate immune function in mice through enhancing the function of macrophage cells and activity of natural killer(NK)cells.Here in our research,we further investigated the effect of GPP on the diversity and composition of intestinal flora,and explored its effect on colitis model mice.The immunoregulatory verification experiments of GPP were conducted in both normal and DSS-induced mice model.Our research showed that GPP increased the diversity of intestinal microorganisms in mice with the extension of administration time.Daily GPP intake attenuated DSS-induced colon injury,protected the splenic lymphocyte proliferation ability,enhanced the serum hemolysin synthesis,and increased peripheral phagocytes and NK cell activity in model mice.Comparisons of the predominant gene pathways of the bacterial microbiota showed that DNA repair and recombination,base mismatch repair pathways was stronger in GPP-treatment group than in control group,indicating the possible molecular mechanisms of immune function regulation.Our study showed that GPP regulated immune function in both health and colitis model,and had a positive effect on maintaining intestinal flora homeostasis.展开更多
African swine fever(ASF)is an acute,highly contagious and deadly viral disease in swine that jeopardizes the worldwide pig industry.Unfortunately,there are no authoritative vaccine and antiviral drug available for ASF...African swine fever(ASF)is an acute,highly contagious and deadly viral disease in swine that jeopardizes the worldwide pig industry.Unfortunately,there are no authoritative vaccine and antiviral drug available for ASF control.African swine fever virus(ASFV)is the etiological agent of ASF.Among the ASFV proteins,p72 is the most abundant component in the virions and thus a potential target for anti-ASFV drug design.Here,we con-structed a luciferase reporter system driven by the promoter of p72,which is transcribed by the co-transfected ASFV RNA polymerase complex.Using this system,we screened over 3200 natural product compounds and obtained three potent candidates against ASFV.We further evaluated the anti-ASFV effects and proved that among the three candidates,ailanthone(AIL)inhibits the replication of ASFV at the nanomolar concentration(IC_(50)=15 nmol/L).Our in vitro experiments indicated that the antiviral effect of AIL is associated with its inhibition of the HSP90-p23 cochaperone.Finally,we showed the antiviral activity of AIL on Zika virus and hepatitis B virus(HBV),which supports that AIL is a potential broad-spectrum antiviral agent.展开更多
Noncoding RNAs(ncRNAs) play important roles in many biological processes and provide materials for evolutionary adaptations beyond protein-coding genes, such as in the arms race between the host and pathogen. However,...Noncoding RNAs(ncRNAs) play important roles in many biological processes and provide materials for evolutionary adaptations beyond protein-coding genes, such as in the arms race between the host and pathogen. However, currently, a comprehensive high-resolution analysis of primate genomes that includes the latest annotated ncRNAs is not available. Here, we developed a computational pipeline to estimate the selections that act on noncoding regions based on comparisons with a large number of reference sequences in introns adjacent to the interested regions. Our method yields result comparable with those of the established codon-based method and phyloP method for coding genes;thus, it provides a holistic framework for estimating the selection on the entire genome. We further showed that fastevolving protein-coding genes and their corresponding 50 UTRs have a significantly lower frequency of the CpG dinucleotides than those evolving at an average pace, and these fast-evolving genes are enriched in the process of immunity and host defense. We also identified fast-evolving miRNAs with antiviral functions in cells. Our results provide a resource for high-resolution evolution analysis of the primate genomes.展开更多
Viruses can infect host plants to cause severe diseases and substantial agricultural loss, while plants have evolved RNA interference （RNAi） strategy to defend against viral infection. Despite enormous efforts, only...Viruses can infect host plants to cause severe diseases and substantial agricultural loss, while plants have evolved RNA interference （RNAi） strategy to defend against viral infection. Despite enormous efforts, only a few host proteins in RNAi pathway were shown to mediate antiviral defense, including RNA-dependent RNA polymerase I （RDRI）, RDR6, DICER-LIKE 2 （DCL2） and DCL4. In this study, we carried out a genetic screen for antiviral factors of RNAi pathway in Arabidopsis rdr6 background via inoculation with a 2b- deficient Cucumber Mosaic Virus （CMV-△2b）. We identified a mutant susceptible to CMV-△2h, referred to as enhancer o ojrdr6 （enor） 3-1 rdr6, and found that ENOR3 encodes a functionally unknown protein with high homology to the mammalian Non Imprinted in Prader-Willi/Angelman （NIPA） magnesium transporters. ENOR3 inhibits accumulation of CMV-△2b and acts additively with RDR1, RDR6, DCL2 and DCL4 in antivira/ defense. These results uncover that ENOR3 is a key component in antiviral RNAi Dathwav, and provide new insights into antiviral immunity.展开更多
Prpf4 （pre-mRNA processing factor 4）, a key component of spliceosome, plays critical roles in pre-mRNA splicing and its mutations result in retinitis pigmentosa due to photoreceptor defects. In this study, we charac...Prpf4 （pre-mRNA processing factor 4）, a key component of spliceosome, plays critical roles in pre-mRNA splicing and its mutations result in retinitis pigmentosa due to photoreceptor defects. In this study, we characterized a zebrafish prpf4t243 mutant harboring a Tol2 transposon-based gene trap cassette in the third intron of the prpf4 gene. Cells in the brain and spinal cord gradually undergo p53-dependent apoptosis after 28 hpf in prpf4t243 mutants, suggesting that a widespread function of prpf4 in neural cell survival. In addition, prpf4 is essential for survival of posterior lateral line primordial （pLLP） cells, prpf4 deficiency perturbs Fgf, Wnt/β-catenin and chemokine signaling pathways and impairs pLLP migration. RNA-Seq analysis suggests that prpf4 deficiency may impair spliceosome assembly, leading to compensatory upregulation of core spliceosomal genes and alteration of pre-mRNA splicing. Taken together, our studies uncover an essential role of prpf4 in pre-mRNA splicing, cell survival and pLLP migration.展开更多
Ubiquitin-propargylamide(Ub-PA) is one of the most widely used activity-based probe to measure the activity of deubiquitinases(DUBs) and help validate DUBs targeting inhibitors. However, current synthetic route of Ub-...Ubiquitin-propargylamide(Ub-PA) is one of the most widely used activity-based probe to measure the activity of deubiquitinases(DUBs) and help validate DUBs targeting inhibitors. However, current synthetic route of Ub-PA is cumbersome. In this work, we report a novel semi-synthetic strategy to prepare Ub-PA in large-scale. Biochemical assays prove that semi-synthetic Ub-PA is an effective probe in identifying DUBs targeting inhibitors.展开更多
The profiling of plasma cell-free DNA(cfDNA)is becoming a valuable tool rapidly for tumor diagnosis,monitoring and prognosis.Diverse plasma cfDNA technologies have been in routine or emerging use,including analyses of...The profiling of plasma cell-free DNA(cfDNA)is becoming a valuable tool rapidly for tumor diagnosis,monitoring and prognosis.Diverse plasma cfDNA technologies have been in routine or emerging use,including analyses of mutations,copy number alterations,gene fusions and DNA methylation.Recently,new technologies in cfDNA analysis have been developed in laboratories,and potentially reflect the status of epigenetic modification,the immune microenvironment and the microbiome in tumor tissues.In this review,the authors discuss the principles,methods and effects of the current cfDNA assays and provide an overview of studies that may inform clinical applications in the near future.展开更多
Repair of DNA double-strand break(DSB)is critical for the maintenance of genome integrity.A class of DSB-induced small RNAs(di RNAs)has been shown to play an important role in DSB repair.In humans,di RNAs are associat...Repair of DNA double-strand break(DSB)is critical for the maintenance of genome integrity.A class of DSB-induced small RNAs(di RNAs)has been shown to play an important role in DSB repair.In humans,di RNAs are associated with Ago2 and guide the recruitment of Rad51 to DSB sites to facilitate repair by homologous recombination(HR).Ago2 activity has been reported to be regulated by phosphorylation under normal and hypoxic conditions.However,the role of Ago2 phosphorylation in DNA damage repair is unexplored.Here,we show that S672,S828,T830,and S831 of human Ago2 are phosphorylated in response to ionizing radiation(IR).S672 A mutation of Ago2 leads to significant reduction in Rad51 foci formation and HR efficiency.We further show that defective association of Ago2 S672 A variant with DSB sites,instead of defects in di RNA and Rad51 binding,may account for decreased Rad51 foci formation and HR efficiency.Our study reveals a novel regulatory mechanism for the function of Ago2 in DNA repair.展开更多
Recently,with the advent of high-resolution and high-throughput sequencing technologies,an increasing number of long non-coding RNAs(lncRNAs)have been found to be involved in the regulation of neuronal function in the...Recently,with the advent of high-resolution and high-throughput sequencing technologies,an increasing number of long non-coding RNAs(lncRNAs)have been found to be involved in the regulation of neuronal function in the central nervous system with specific spatiotemporal patterns,across different neurodegenerative diseases.However,the underlying mechanisms of lncRNAs during neurodegeneration remain poorly understood.This review provides an overview of the current knowledge of the biology of lncRNAs and focuses on introducing the latest identified roles,regulatory mechanisms,and research status of lncRNAs in Alzheimer's disease,Parkinson's disease,Huntington's disease,and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.Finally,this review discusses the potential values of lncRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative diseases,hoping to provide broader implications for developing effective treatments.展开更多
Unnatural a-amino acids have been extensively used in the modern drug discovery and protein engineering studies. They have also found applications in the development of chiral molecular catalysts and the total synthes...Unnatural a-amino acids have been extensively used in the modern drug discovery and protein engineering studies. They have also found applications in the development of chiral molecular catalysts and the total synthesis of diverse natural products. Accordingly the development of cost-effective approaches for the preparation of unnatural a-amino acids has received increasing attentions. Among all the available methods for this purpose, direct C–H functionalization of simple amino acids represents one of the most attractive approaches because it exhibits good atom-economy and step-efficiency. In particular, selective functionalization of either the primary or secondary C（sp^3）–H bonds in the amino acids has been explored to make versatile C–C, C–N, C–O, C–B and C–F bonds to modify the side chain of amino acids and even peptides. The present review surveys the recent advances of synthesis of chiral unnatural a-amino acids and peptides through palladium-catalyzed functionalization of un-activated C（sp^3）–H bonds.展开更多
Protein chemical synthesis usually relies on the use of native chemical ligation that couples peptide thioester with a Cys-peptide. A limitation of this method is the difficulty of finding an appropriate Cys ligation ...Protein chemical synthesis usually relies on the use of native chemical ligation that couples peptide thioester with a Cys-peptide. A limitation of this method is the difficulty of finding an appropriate Cys ligation site in many synthetic targets. To overcome this problem, the ligation-desulfurization approach has been developed. This approach involves the use of a thiol-containing amino acid as the ligation partner. After the sequence assembly is completed, the thiol group is removed through a desulfurization reaction to generate the standard amino acids. Currently this strategy has been applied to the ligations at a number of amino acids including Ala, Phe, Val, Lys, Thr, Leu, Pro and Gin. The present article reviews the design and svnthesis of these thiol-containing amino acids for native chemical libation at non-Cys sites.展开更多
Dengue virus(DENV)is one of the most important arboviral pathogens in the tropics and subtropics,and nearly one-third of the world's population is at risk of infection.The transmission of DENV involves a sylvatic ...Dengue virus(DENV)is one of the most important arboviral pathogens in the tropics and subtropics,and nearly one-third of the world's population is at risk of infection.The transmission of DENV involves a sylvatic cycle between nonhuman primates(NHP)and Aedes genus mosquitoes,and an endemic cycle between human hosts and predominantly Aedes aegypti.DENV belongs to the genus Flavivirus of the family Flaviviridae and consists of four antigenically distinct serotypes(DENV-1-4).Phylogenetic analyses of DENV have revealed its origin,epidemiology,and the drivers that determine its molecular evolution in nature.This review discusses how phyloge-netic research has improved our understanding of DENV evolution and how it affects viral ecology and improved our ability to analyze and predict future DENV emergence.展开更多
文摘The development of Chinese space science and technology plays a great role in promoting the researches in the field of the origin of life.With the multidisciplinary cooperation,there are fruitful achievements in this research field obtained over the past two years.This report summarizes the major progress of the basic researches about the origin of life in China during 2018–2020.
基金financially supported by the Guangzhou National Laboratory(grant#GZNL2025C02022,A.M.#QNPG2317,J.Z.)partially by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31988101)。
文摘The bone marrow microenvironment is critical for the maintenance and functionality of stem/progenitor cells,which are essential for bone development and regeneration.However,the composition and potential use of bone marrow interstitial fluid have not been well explored.In this study,we report the role of neonatal bovine bone marrow interstitial fluid(NBIF)in enhancing the bone regeneration capacity of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(hBMSCs).Unlike adult bovine bone marrow interstitial fluid(ABIF),NBIF-fed hBMSCs exhibit enhanced self-renewal and osteogenic potential and bone marrow homing ability,along with transcriptome changes as compared to hBMSCs cultured in standard fetal bovine serum(FBS)supplemented medium.Mass spectrometry analysis reveals that multiple secreted factors associated with tissue repair and bone development are enriched in NBIF compared to FBS and ABIF.The combined use of NBIF-enriched Nerve Growth Factor(NGF),Lactoferrin(LTF),and High Mobility Group Protein B1(HMGB1),together with Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1(IGF1)for culturing hBMSCs in the presence of FBS can enhance osteogenic potential and bone marrow homing ability,mimicking NBIF's effects.These findings highlight the role of interstitial fluid in the bone marrow microenvironment and its potential to optimize stem cell-based therapies.
基金supported by the Biological Breeding-National Science and Technology Major Project(2024ZD04077).
文摘Remodeling plant intracellular nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat immune receptors(NLRs)to engineer synthetic disease-resistance genes has emerged as a promising approach to achieving broad-spectrum disease resistance.But strategies for expanding NLR recognition spectra[[1],[2],[3],[4],[5]]are often limited by the rapid evolution of pathogens and pests.In our recent study,we developed an innovative strategy to engineer broad-spectrum,durable and complete disease resistance in plants by remodeling autoactive NLRs into protease-activated switches[6].
基金supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32021002 and 31900724)the STI2030-Major Projects(2022ZD0204900)the Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences.
文摘Our research reveals the critical role of the suprachiasmatic nucleus(SCN)vasoactive intestinal peptide(VIP)neurons in mediating light-induced transient forgetting.Acute exposure to bright light selectively impairs trace fear memory by activating VIP neurons in the SCN,as demonstrated by increased c-Fos expression and Ca2+recording.This effect can be replicated and reversed through optogenetic and chemogenetic manipulations of SCN VIP neurons.Furthermore,we identify the SCN→PVT(paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus)VIP neuronal circuitry as essential in this process.These findings establish a novel role for SCN VIP neurons in modulating memory accessibility in response to environmental light cues,extending their known function beyond circadian regulation and revealing a mechanism for transient forgetting.
基金supported in part by National Science and Technology Major Project of National Health Commission of China(2023ZD0520300)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32130037 and 32370953)the Tsinghua University Initiative Scientific Research Program,SXMU-Tsinghua Collaborative Innovation Center for Frontier Medicine and the Research Fund of Vanke School of Public Health,Tsinghua University.H.Q.is a New Cornerstone Investigator.
文摘Microglia have been recognized as a unique cell population in the central nervous system(CNS)for more than a century[1].However,it was not until 2010 that their developmental origin was clarified.Rather than arising from the neuroectoderm,microglia are derived from erythromyeloid progenitors in the embryonic yolk sac[2].
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31988101 to A.M.)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2023YFA1800300 to X.W.and 2018YFC1003304 to A.M.)the Yunnan Provincial Science and Technology Project at Southwest United Graduate School(202302A0370011 to A.M.).
文摘The cell fate of primordial germ cell(PGC)in zebrafish is pre-determined by maternally deposited germ plasm,which is packaged into ribonucleoprotein complex in oocytes and inherited into PGC-fated cells in embryos.However,the maternal factors regulating the assembly of germ plasm and PGC development remain poorly understood.In this study,we report that the maternal transcription factor Znf706 regulates the assembly of germ plasm factors into a granule-like structure localized perinuclearly in PGC during migration.Maternal and zygotic mutants of znf706 exhibit deficient germ plasm scattering at the early embryonic stage,decreased PGC numbers with some mislocation during PGC migration,and a lower female ratio in adulthood.Notably,the implementation of Znf706 CUT&Tag and RNA-seq on immature oocytes uncovers that Znf706 in stage I oocytes may promote transcription of several mitochondrial genes in addition to other functions.Hence,we propose that Znf706 is implicated in germ plasm assembly and PGC development in zebrafish.
文摘Dengue virus(DENV) is a mosquito-borne virus belonging to the Flaviviridae family. There are 4 serotypes of DENV that cause human disease through transmission by mosquito vectors. DENV infection results in a broad spectrum of clinical symptoms, ranging from mild fever to dengue hemorrhagic fever(DHF), the latter of which can progress to dengue shock syndrome(DSS) and death. Researchers have made unremitting efforts over the last half-century to understand DHF pathogenesis. DHF is probably caused by multiple factors, such as virus-specific antibodies, viral antigens and host immune responses. This review summarizes the current progress of studies on DHF pathogenesis, which may provide important information for achieving effective control of dengue in the future.
基金financially supported by the State Basic Science Foundation 973 project(Nos.2012CB725201 and 2012CB725200)
文摘Microbial polyhydroxyalkanoates （PHAs） are a family of biopolyesters produced by many wild type and engineered bacteria. PHAs have diverse structures accompanied by flexible thermal and mechanical properties. Combined with their in vitro biodegradation, cell and tissue compatibility, PHAs have been studied for medical applications, especially medical implants applications, including heart valve tissue engineering, vascular tissue engineering, bone tissue engineering, cartilage tissue engineering, nerve conduit tissue engineering as well as esophagus tissue engineering. Most studies have been conducted in the authors＇ lab in the past 20＋ years. Recently, mechanism on PHA promoted tissue regeneration was revealed to relate to cell responses to PHA biodegradation products and cell-material interactions mediated by microRNA. Very importantly, PHA implants were found not to cause carcinogenesis during long-term implantation. Thus, PHAs should have a bright future in biomedical areas.
基金financially supported by grants from the National Key R&D Program of China(2018YFD0400204)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(81974503,81871095)the Key International S&T Cooperation Program of China(2016YFE113700)。
文摘Previous study have demonstrated that a compound composed of water-soluable Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides(GLP)and Polyporus umbellatus polysaccharides(PUP)in a ratio of 3:1 named GPP enhances innate immune function in mice through enhancing the function of macrophage cells and activity of natural killer(NK)cells.Here in our research,we further investigated the effect of GPP on the diversity and composition of intestinal flora,and explored its effect on colitis model mice.The immunoregulatory verification experiments of GPP were conducted in both normal and DSS-induced mice model.Our research showed that GPP increased the diversity of intestinal microorganisms in mice with the extension of administration time.Daily GPP intake attenuated DSS-induced colon injury,protected the splenic lymphocyte proliferation ability,enhanced the serum hemolysin synthesis,and increased peripheral phagocytes and NK cell activity in model mice.Comparisons of the predominant gene pathways of the bacterial microbiota showed that DNA repair and recombination,base mismatch repair pathways was stronger in GPP-treatment group than in control group,indicating the possible molecular mechanisms of immune function regulation.Our study showed that GPP regulated immune function in both health and colitis model,and had a positive effect on maintaining intestinal flora homeostasis.
基金the State Key R&D Project to Xu Tan(2022YFE0102200)the Department of Science and Technology of Hunan Province to Xiaofeng Zheng(2019RS1050 and 2021JJ30354)。
文摘African swine fever(ASF)is an acute,highly contagious and deadly viral disease in swine that jeopardizes the worldwide pig industry.Unfortunately,there are no authoritative vaccine and antiviral drug available for ASF control.African swine fever virus(ASFV)is the etiological agent of ASF.Among the ASFV proteins,p72 is the most abundant component in the virions and thus a potential target for anti-ASFV drug design.Here,we con-structed a luciferase reporter system driven by the promoter of p72,which is transcribed by the co-transfected ASFV RNA polymerase complex.Using this system,we screened over 3200 natural product compounds and obtained three potent candidates against ASFV.We further evaluated the anti-ASFV effects and proved that among the three candidates,ailanthone(AIL)inhibits the replication of ASFV at the nanomolar concentration(IC_(50)=15 nmol/L).Our in vitro experiments indicated that the antiviral effect of AIL is associated with its inhibition of the HSP90-p23 cochaperone.Finally,we showed the antiviral activity of AIL on Zika virus and hepatitis B virus(HBV),which supports that AIL is a potential broad-spectrum antiviral agent.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 31670777)the China National Funds for Distinguished Young Scientists (Grant No. 31722030)+2 种基金the Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology to X.T.the Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences (Grant No. 61020100119)the National Thousand Young Talents Program of China (Grant No. 042021011) to X.L.
文摘Noncoding RNAs(ncRNAs) play important roles in many biological processes and provide materials for evolutionary adaptations beyond protein-coding genes, such as in the arms race between the host and pathogen. However, currently, a comprehensive high-resolution analysis of primate genomes that includes the latest annotated ncRNAs is not available. Here, we developed a computational pipeline to estimate the selections that act on noncoding regions based on comparisons with a large number of reference sequences in introns adjacent to the interested regions. Our method yields result comparable with those of the established codon-based method and phyloP method for coding genes;thus, it provides a holistic framework for estimating the selection on the entire genome. We further showed that fastevolving protein-coding genes and their corresponding 50 UTRs have a significantly lower frequency of the CpG dinucleotides than those evolving at an average pace, and these fast-evolving genes are enriched in the process of immunity and host defense. We also identified fast-evolving miRNAs with antiviral functions in cells. Our results provide a resource for high-resolution evolution analysis of the primate genomes.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 31421001 and 31630085)the National Key R&D Program of China (2016YFA0500501)
文摘Viruses can infect host plants to cause severe diseases and substantial agricultural loss, while plants have evolved RNA interference （RNAi） strategy to defend against viral infection. Despite enormous efforts, only a few host proteins in RNAi pathway were shown to mediate antiviral defense, including RNA-dependent RNA polymerase I （RDRI）, RDR6, DICER-LIKE 2 （DCL2） and DCL4. In this study, we carried out a genetic screen for antiviral factors of RNAi pathway in Arabidopsis rdr6 background via inoculation with a 2b- deficient Cucumber Mosaic Virus （CMV-△2b）. We identified a mutant susceptible to CMV-△2h, referred to as enhancer o ojrdr6 （enor） 3-1 rdr6, and found that ENOR3 encodes a functionally unknown protein with high homology to the mammalian Non Imprinted in Prader-Willi/Angelman （NIPA） magnesium transporters. ENOR3 inhibits accumulation of CMV-△2b and acts additively with RDR1, RDR6, DCL2 and DCL4 in antivira/ defense. These results uncover that ENOR3 is a key component in antiviral RNAi Dathwav, and provide new insights into antiviral immunity.
基金financially supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos.31522035,31371460 and 31590832)
文摘Prpf4 （pre-mRNA processing factor 4）, a key component of spliceosome, plays critical roles in pre-mRNA splicing and its mutations result in retinitis pigmentosa due to photoreceptor defects. In this study, we characterized a zebrafish prpf4t243 mutant harboring a Tol2 transposon-based gene trap cassette in the third intron of the prpf4 gene. Cells in the brain and spinal cord gradually undergo p53-dependent apoptosis after 28 hpf in prpf4t243 mutants, suggesting that a widespread function of prpf4 in neural cell survival. In addition, prpf4 is essential for survival of posterior lateral line primordial （pLLP） cells, prpf4 deficiency perturbs Fgf, Wnt/β-catenin and chemokine signaling pathways and impairs pLLP migration. RNA-Seq analysis suggests that prpf4 deficiency may impair spliceosome assembly, leading to compensatory upregulation of core spliceosomal genes and alteration of pre-mRNA splicing. Taken together, our studies uncover an essential role of prpf4 in pre-mRNA splicing, cell survival and pLLP migration.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos. 91753205 and 21877024 to Y. Li and No. 31640016 to Z. Mei)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. PA2017GDQT0021 to Y. Li)+2 种基金the funding of National Key R&D program of China(No. 2017YFD0500400 to Z. Mei)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Non-profit Scientific Institution (No. Y2016JC25 to Z. Mei)the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program to Z.Mei
文摘Ubiquitin-propargylamide(Ub-PA) is one of the most widely used activity-based probe to measure the activity of deubiquitinases(DUBs) and help validate DUBs targeting inhibitors. However, current synthetic route of Ub-PA is cumbersome. In this work, we report a novel semi-synthetic strategy to prepare Ub-PA in large-scale. Biochemical assays prove that semi-synthetic Ub-PA is an effective probe in identifying DUBs targeting inhibitors.
基金supported by the Beijing Natural Science Foundation(No.Z190022)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.81972680,81773292 and 82072748)。
文摘The profiling of plasma cell-free DNA(cfDNA)is becoming a valuable tool rapidly for tumor diagnosis,monitoring and prognosis.Diverse plasma cfDNA technologies have been in routine or emerging use,including analyses of mutations,copy number alterations,gene fusions and DNA methylation.Recently,new technologies in cfDNA analysis have been developed in laboratories,and potentially reflect the status of epigenetic modification,the immune microenvironment and the microbiome in tumor tissues.In this review,the authors discuss the principles,methods and effects of the current cfDNA assays and provide an overview of studies that may inform clinical applications in the near future.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31401202)。
文摘Repair of DNA double-strand break(DSB)is critical for the maintenance of genome integrity.A class of DSB-induced small RNAs(di RNAs)has been shown to play an important role in DSB repair.In humans,di RNAs are associated with Ago2 and guide the recruitment of Rad51 to DSB sites to facilitate repair by homologous recombination(HR).Ago2 activity has been reported to be regulated by phosphorylation under normal and hypoxic conditions.However,the role of Ago2 phosphorylation in DNA damage repair is unexplored.Here,we show that S672,S828,T830,and S831 of human Ago2 are phosphorylated in response to ionizing radiation(IR).S672 A mutation of Ago2 leads to significant reduction in Rad51 foci formation and HR efficiency.We further show that defective association of Ago2 S672 A variant with DSB sites,instead of defects in di RNA and Rad51 binding,may account for decreased Rad51 foci formation and HR efficiency.Our study reveals a novel regulatory mechanism for the function of Ago2 in DNA repair.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,Nos.91649119 and 92049105(both to JL)。
文摘Recently,with the advent of high-resolution and high-throughput sequencing technologies,an increasing number of long non-coding RNAs(lncRNAs)have been found to be involved in the regulation of neuronal function in the central nervous system with specific spatiotemporal patterns,across different neurodegenerative diseases.However,the underlying mechanisms of lncRNAs during neurodegeneration remain poorly understood.This review provides an overview of the current knowledge of the biology of lncRNAs and focuses on introducing the latest identified roles,regulatory mechanisms,and research status of lncRNAs in Alzheimer's disease,Parkinson's disease,Huntington's disease,and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.Finally,this review discusses the potential values of lncRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative diseases,hoping to provide broader implications for developing effective treatments.
文摘Unnatural a-amino acids have been extensively used in the modern drug discovery and protein engineering studies. They have also found applications in the development of chiral molecular catalysts and the total synthesis of diverse natural products. Accordingly the development of cost-effective approaches for the preparation of unnatural a-amino acids has received increasing attentions. Among all the available methods for this purpose, direct C–H functionalization of simple amino acids represents one of the most attractive approaches because it exhibits good atom-economy and step-efficiency. In particular, selective functionalization of either the primary or secondary C（sp^3）–H bonds in the amino acids has been explored to make versatile C–C, C–N, C–O, C–B and C–F bonds to modify the side chain of amino acids and even peptides. The present review surveys the recent advances of synthesis of chiral unnatural a-amino acids and peptides through palladium-catalyzed functionalization of un-activated C（sp^3）–H bonds.
文摘Protein chemical synthesis usually relies on the use of native chemical ligation that couples peptide thioester with a Cys-peptide. A limitation of this method is the difficulty of finding an appropriate Cys ligation site in many synthetic targets. To overcome this problem, the ligation-desulfurization approach has been developed. This approach involves the use of a thiol-containing amino acid as the ligation partner. After the sequence assembly is completed, the thiol group is removed through a desulfurization reaction to generate the standard amino acids. Currently this strategy has been applied to the ligations at a number of amino acids including Ala, Phe, Val, Lys, Thr, Leu, Pro and Gin. The present article reviews the design and svnthesis of these thiol-containing amino acids for native chemical libation at non-Cys sites.
基金National Key Research and Development Plan of China,Grant/Award Number:2018YFA0507202,2020YFC1200100 and 2021YFC2300200National Natural Science Foundation of China,Grant/Award Number:31825001,32188101,81730063,81961160737 and 82102389+5 种基金Provincial Innovation Team for the Prevention and Control of Highly Pathogenic Pathogens,Institute of Medical Biology,Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences,Grant/Award Number:202105AE160020Shenzhen San-Ming Project for Prevention and Research on Vector-borne Diseases,Grant/Award Number:SZSM201611064Shenzhen Science and Technology Project,Grant/Award Number:JSGG20191129144225464Tsinghua University Spring Breeze Fund,Grant/Award Number:2020Z99CFG017Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program,Grant/Award Number:2021QNRC001Yunnan Cheng Gong Expert Work-Station,Grant/Award Number:202005AF150034。
文摘Dengue virus(DENV)is one of the most important arboviral pathogens in the tropics and subtropics,and nearly one-third of the world's population is at risk of infection.The transmission of DENV involves a sylvatic cycle between nonhuman primates(NHP)and Aedes genus mosquitoes,and an endemic cycle between human hosts and predominantly Aedes aegypti.DENV belongs to the genus Flavivirus of the family Flaviviridae and consists of four antigenically distinct serotypes(DENV-1-4).Phylogenetic analyses of DENV have revealed its origin,epidemiology,and the drivers that determine its molecular evolution in nature.This review discusses how phyloge-netic research has improved our understanding of DENV evolution and how it affects viral ecology and improved our ability to analyze and predict future DENV emergence.
