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Biology subjects

Fang, X.

Publications and source records attributed to Fang, X..

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Natural killer-like B cells promote Th17 cell differentiation and exacerbate rheumatoid arthritis

B cells are important participants in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Besides classical B cells, novel B cell subsets are continually to be identified in recent years. Natural killer-like B (NKB) cells, a newly recognized B cell subset, are proved to be actively involved in the anti-infection immunity. However, their role in RA and the potential mechanism remain elusive. Here, we showed that NKB cells were expanded dramatically in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice, demonstrating dynamic changes during the disease progression. These cells promoted CD4+ effector T cell proliferation and Th17 cell differentiation in vitro, while adoptive transfer of these cells exacerbated the arthritis severity of CIA mice. RNA Sequencing revealed that NKB cells displayed distinct differential gene expression profile under RA circumstance, potential perpetuating the disease progression. Moreover, the frequencies of NKB cells were significantly increased in RA patients, positively correlated with the clinical and immunological features. After effective therapy, these cells could be recovered to normal levels. Taken together, our results preliminarily revealed the pathogenic role of NKB cells in RA by promoting Th17 proinflammatory responses. Targeting these cells might provide potential therapeutic strategies for this persistent disease.

immunology↗

STOICHIOMETRY OF THE SODIUM PUMP-PHOSPHOLEMMAN REGULATORY COMPLEX

The sodium-potassium ATPase (NKA) establishes ion gradients that facilitate many physiological processes. In the heart, NKA activity is regulated by its interaction with phospholemman (PLM, FXYD1). Here we used a novel fluorescence lifetime-based assay to investigate the structure, stoichiometry, and affinity of the NKA-PLM regulatory complex. We observed concentration dependent association of the subunits of NKA-PLM regulatory complex, with avid association of the alpha subunit with the essential beta subunit followed by lower affinity alpha-alpha and alpha-PLM interactions. The data provide the first evidence that the regulatory complex is composed of two alpha subunits associated with two beta subunits, decorated with two PLM regulatory subunits in intact cells. Docking and molecular dynamics simulations generated a structural model of the complex that is consistent with our experimental observations. We propose that alpha-alpha subunit interactions support conformational coupling of the catalytic subunits, which may enhance NKA turnover rate. These observations provide insight into the pathophysiology of heart failure, wherein low NKA expression may be insufficient to support formation of the complete regulatory complex with stoichiometry (alpha-beta-PLM)2.

biophysics↗

SMC1A facilitates gastric cancer cells proliferation, migration and invasion via promoting SNAI2 activated EMT

Backgroundstructural maintenance of chromosomes protein 1A (SMC1A) is a crucial subunit of the cohesion protein complex and plays a vital role in cell cycle regulation, genomic stability maintenance, chromosome dynamics. Recent studies demonstrated that SMC1A participate in tumorigenesis. This reseach aims to explore the role and the underlying mechanisms of SMC1A in gastric cancer (GC). Materials and methodsRT-qPCR and western blot were used to examine the expression levels of SMC1A in GC tissues and cell lines. The role of SMC1A on GC cell proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)were analyzed. Furthermore,the mechanism of SMC1A action was investigated. ResultsSMC1A was highly expressed in GC tissues and cell lines. The high expression of SMC1A indicated the poor overall survival of GC patients from Kaplan-Meier Plotter. Enhancing the expression of SMC1A in AGS remarkably promoted cell proliferation, migration and invasion. While knockdown of SMC1A in HCG27 inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion of HGC27 cells. Moreover, its observed that SMC1A promoted EMT and malignant cell behaviors via regulating SNAI2 Conclusionour study revealed SMC1A facilitates gastric cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion via promoting SNAI2 activated EMT, which indicated SMC1A may be a potential target for gastric cancer therapy.

cancer biology↗

MetaTrass: High-quality Metagenomic Taxonomic Read Assembly of Single-Species based on co-barcoding sequencing data and references

With the development of sequencing technologies and computational analysis in metagenomics, the genetic diversity of non-conserved regions has been receiving intensive attention to unravel the human gut microbial community. However, it remains a challenge to obtain enough microbial draft genomes at a high resolution from a single sample. In this work, we presented MetaTrass with a strategy of binning first and assembling later to assemble high-quality draft genomes based on metagenomics co-barcoding reads and the public reference genomes. We applied the tool to the single tube long fragment reads datasets for four human faecal samples, and generated more high-quality draft genomes with longer contiguity and higher resolution than the common combination strategies of genome assembling and binning. A total of 178 high-quality genomes was successfully assembled by MetaTrass, but the maximum of 58 was generated by the optimal common combination strategy in our tests. These high-quality genomes paved the way for genetic diversity and lineage analysis among different samples. With the high capability of assembling high-quality genomes of metagenomics datasets, MetaTrass will facilitate the study of spatial characters and dynamics of complex microbial communities at high resolution. The open-source code of MetaTrass is available at https://github.com/BGI-Qingdao/MetaTrass.

bioinformatics↗

Mapping of single-cell landscape of acral melanoma and analysis of molecular regulatory network of tumor microenvironment

Melanoma is a type of skin malignant tumor with high invasiveness, high metastasis, and poor prognosis. The incidence of melanoma continues to increase. Among them, the subtype of acral melanoma (AM) is more common in Asian populations. AM has higher degree, low immunotherapy response rate. With the help of single-cell sequencing technology provides new technical means for tumor microenvironment research, so that we can more easily explore specific tumor types suitable immunotherapy targets. However, no complete single-cell level differentiation map exists for the AM tumor microenvironment (TME). In this study, we used AM related sample and used the 10x Genomics single-cell transcriptome platform to draw a specific single-cell map of AM, understand the cell composition of AM, and analyze the interaction and molecular regulation of AM TME. Nine cell types were identified, of which malignant cells accounted for the largest proportion, followed by fibroblasts. And the cell interaction network shows that malignant cells, macrophages, B, T and fibroblasts play an important role in AM TME. Our research provides systematic theoretical guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of acral melanoma.

genomics↗

Construction of competing endogenous RNA interaction networks as prognostic markers in metastatic melanoma

Malignant melanoma (MM) is a highly aggressive, metastatic cancer originating from melanocytes. These tumors have an extremely poor prognosis. MM accounts for 4% of skin cancers with an 80% mortality rate. The median survival of patients with metastatic melanoma is approximately six months, with a five-year survival rate of less than 10%. In recent years, the incidence of melanoma has gradually increased and has become one of the deadliest cancers. Competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) models the mechanism by which long chain non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a regulatory role in the disease. LncRNAs can act as a sponge, competitively attracting small RNAs (micoRNAs; miRNAs) and interfering with miRNA function. This can affect the expression of target gene messenger RNAs (mRNAs), ultimately promoting tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Bioinformatics analysis may identify potentially prognostic and therapeutically-relevant differentially expressed genes in MM, as well as lncRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs that are interconnected through the ceRNA network. This may provide further insight into gene regulation and the prognosis of metastatic melanoma. Weighted co-expression networks were used to identify lncRNA and mRNA modules associated with the metastatic phenotype, as well as the co-expression genes contained in the modules. We used 17 lncRNAs, six miRNAs, and 11 mRNAs to construct a ceRNA interaction network with a regulatory role in patients with metastatic melanoma. The prognostic risk model was used as a sorter to classify the survival prognosis of melanoma patients. Four groups of ceRNA interaction triplets were obtained, and miR-3662 may be used in the treatment of metastatic melanoma patients. Experiments confirmed the regulating relationship and phenotype of this assumption. This study provides new targets to regulate the metastatic process, predict metastatic potential and determine that miR-3662 may be used in the treatment of melanoma.

cancer biology↗

Characterizing enterotypes in human metagenomics: a viral perspective

The diversity and high genomic mutation rates of viral species hinder our understanding of viruses and their contributions to human health. Here we investigated the human fecal virome using previously published sequencing data of 2,690 metagenomes from seven countries. We found that the virome was dominated by double-stranded DNA viruses, and young children and adults showed dramatic differences in their fecal enterovirus composition. Beta diversity showed there were significantly higher distances to centroids in individuals with severe phenotypes, such as cirrhosis. In contrast, there were no significant differences in lengths to centroids or viral components between patients with mild phenotypes, such as hypertension. Enterotypes showed the same specific viruses and enrichment direction after independent determination of enterotypes in various projects. Confounding factors, such as different sequencing platforms and library construction, did not result in a batch effect to confuse enterotype assignment. The gut virome composition pattern could be described by two viral enterotypes, which supported a discrete, rather than a gradient, distribution. Compared with enterotype 2, enterotype 1 had a higher viral count and Shannon index, but a lower beta diversity, indicating more resistance to the external environments harmful effects. Disease was usually accompanied by a viral enterotype disorder. However, a sample outside of the enterotyping mathematical space of enterotype database did not necessarily indicate sickness. Therefore, the background context must be carefully considered when using a viral enterotype as a biomarker for disease prediction. The disease, second only to the enterotype, explains significant variation in viral community composition, implying that double-stranded DNA is relevant to human health. Our results of investigating a baseline viral database highlight important insights into the virome composition of human ecosystems, and provide an alternate biomarker for early disease screening.

microbiology↗

ProXs drive the formation of membraneless organelles in plants

Membraneless organelles (MLOs) are non-membranous structures inside cells that organize cellular space and processes. The recent discovery that MLOs can be assembled via liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) advanced our understanding of these structures. However, the proteins that are capable of forming MLOs are largely unknown, especially in plants. In this study, we developed a method to identify proteins that we referred as ProXs (Proteins enriched by b-isoX) in Arabidopsis. Heterologous expression in yeast cells showed that most ProXs were capable of forming MLOs autonomously. We applied this method to several model and crop species including early and higher plants. This allowed us to generate an atlas of ProXs for studying plant MLOs. Analysis of ProXs from different species revealed high degree of conservation, supporting that they play important roles in cellular functions and are positively selected during evolution. Our method will be a valuable tool to characterize novel MLOs from desired cells and the data generated in present study will be instrumental for the plant research community to investigate MLO biology.

plant biology↗

The non-canonical interaction between calmodulin and calcineurin contributes to the differential regulation of plant-derived calmodulins on calcineurin.

Calmodulin (CaM) is an important Ca2+ signaling hub that regulates many protein signaling pathways. In recent years, several CaM homologs expressed in plants have been shown to regulate mammalian targets and they are attractive for gene therapy. However, the molecular basis of how the CaM homologs mutations impact target activation is unclear, which limits efforts to engineer their functional properties. To understand these mechanisms, we examined two CaM isoforms found in soybean plants that differentially regulate a mammalian target, calcineurin (CaN). These CaM isofroms, sCaM-1 and sCaM-4 share >90% and ~ 78% identity with the mammalian CaM (mCaM), respectively, activate CaN with comparable or reduced activity relative to mCaM. We used molecular simulations and experimental assays to probe whether calcium and protein-protein binding interactions are altered in plant CaMs relative to mCaM as a basis for differential CaN regulations. We found that the two sCaMs Ca2+-binding properties such as coordination and affinity are comparable to mCaM. Further, the binding of CaM to the CaM binding region (CaMBR) in CaN is also comparable among the three CaMs, as evidenced by calculated binding free energies and experimental measured EC50 [CaM]. However, mCaM and sCaM-1 exhibited stronger binding with a secondary region of CaNs regulatory domain that is weakened for sCaM-4. This secondary interaction is likely to affect the turnover rate (kcat) of CaN based on our modeling of enzyme activity and is consistent with our experimental data. Together, our data show how plant-derived CaM variants can alter target activation through interactions beyond Ca2+-binding and canonical CaMBR binding, which may extend beyond the mammalian CaN target.

biochemistry↗

Inhibitory and Stimulatory Micropeptides Preferentially Bind to Different Conformations of the Cardiac Calcium Pump

The ATP-dependent ion pump SERCA sequesters Ca2+ in the endoplasmic reticulum to establish a reservoir for cell signaling. Because of its central importance in physiology, this transporter is tightly controlled by physical interactions with tissue-specific regulatory micropeptides that tune SERCA function to match changing physiological conditions. In the heart, phospholamban (PLB) inhibits SERCA, while dwarf open reading frame (DWORF) stimulates SERCA. These competing interactions determine cardiac performance by modulating the amplitude of Ca2+ signals that drive the contraction/relaxation cycle. The distinct functions of these peptides may relate to their reciprocal preferences for SERCA binding. While SERCA binds PLB more avidly at low cytoplasmic Ca2+, it binds DWORF better at high Ca2+. In the present study, we determined that this opposing Ca2+ sensitivity is due to preferential binding of DWORF and PLB to different intermediate conformations that the pump samples during the Ca2+ transport cycle. The results suggest a mechanistic basis for inhibitory and stimulatory micropeptide function. In addition, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) measurements revealed dynamic shifts in SERCA-micropeptide binding equilibria during cellular Ca2+ elevations. The data suggest Ca2+-dependent dynamic exchange of inhibitory and stimulatory micropeptides from SERCA during the cardiac cycle. Together, these mechanisms provide beat-to-beat modulation of cardiac Ca2+ handling and contribute to the hearts adaptation to the increased physiological demands of exercise. O_TEXTBOXSignificance Interactions between SERCA and its regulatory micropeptides modulate cardiac performance. A previous study demonstrated that while the SERCA inhibitor, phospholamban, loses affinity during intracellular Ca2+ elevations, its competitor DWORF stimulates SERCA and binds better at elevated Ca2+. Here, we found this Ca2+-dependent difference in affinity is driven by preferential micropeptide binding to different SERCA conformations sampled during its enzymatic cycle. Tight binding to different conformations of the pump may underly the distinct mechanistic functions of these regulators. Lower affinity during alternating phases of the cardiac cycle may drive dynamic exchange of inhibitory and stimulatory micropeptides during contraction and relaxation. Our results reveal mechanisms that modulate cardiac Ca2+ handling on a beat-to-beat basis and help the heart adapt to exercise. C_TEXTBOX

biophysics↗

HAUSP Stabilizes SOX2 through Deubiquitination to Maintain Self-renewal and Tumorigenic Potential of Glioma Stem Cells

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most lethal brain tumor containing glioma stem cells (GSCs) that promote malignant growth and therapeutic resistance. The self-renewal and tumorigenic potential of GSCs are maintained by core stem cell transcription factors including SOX2. Defining the posttranslational regulation of SOX2 may offer new insights into GSC biology and potential therapeutic opportunity. Here, we discover that HAUSP stabilizes SOX2 through deubiquitination to maintain GSC self-renewal and tumorigenic potential. HAUSP is preferentially expressed in GSCs in perivascular niches in GBMs. Disrupting HAUSP by shRNA or its inhibitor P22077 promoted SOX2 degradation, induced GSC differentiation, impaired GSC tumorigenic potential, and suppressed GBM tumor growth. Importantly, pharmacological inhibition of HAUSP synergized with radiation to inhibit GBM growth and extended animal survival, indicating that targeting HAUSP may overcome GSC-mediated radioresistance. Our findings reveal an unappreciated crucial role of HAUSP in the GSC maintenance and provide a promising target for developing effective anti-GSC therapeutics to improve GBM treatment. HighlightsO_LIHAUSP deubiquitinates and stabilizes SOX2 in glioma stem cells (GSCs). C_LIO_LIHAUSP is preferentially expressed by GSCs in perivascular niches in GBMs. C_LIO_LIHAUSP is required for maintaining GSC self-renewal and tumorigenic potential. C_LIO_LITargeting HAUSP inhibited malignant growth in GSC-derived GBM xenografts. C_LIO_LIInhibition of HAUSP synergized with radiation to suppress GBM tumor growth. C_LI

cancer biology↗

The dynamic interactive network of long non-coding RNAs and chromatin accessibility facilitates erythroid differentiation

Erythroid differentiation is a dynamic process regulated by multiple factors, while the interaction between long non-coding RNAs and chromatin accessibility and its influence on erythroid differentiation remains unclear. To elucidate this interaction, we employed hematopoietic stem cells, multipotent progenitor cells, common myeloid progenitor cells, megakaryocyte-erythroid progenitor cells, and erythroblasts from human cord blood as an erythroid differentiation model to explore the coordinated regulatory functions of lncRNAs and chromatin accessibility in erythropoiesis by integrating RNA-Seq and ATAC-Seq data. We revealed that the integrated network of chromatin accessibility and LncRNAs exhibits stage-specific changes throughout the erythroid differentiation process, and that the changes at the EB stage of maturation are dramatic. We identified a subset of stage-specific lncRNAs and transcription factors (TFs) that coordinate with chromatin accessibility during erythroid differentiation, in which lncRNAs are key regulators of terminal erythroid differentiation via a lncRNA-TF-gene network. LncRNA PCED1B-AS1 was revealed to regulate terminal erythroid differentiation by coordinating GATA1 dynamically binding to the chromatin during erythroid differentiation. DANCR, another lncRNA that is highly expressed at the MEP stage, was verified to promote erythroid differentiation by compromising megakaryocyte differentiation and coordinating with chromatin accessibility and TFs, such as RUNX1. Overall, our results identified the interactive network of lncRNAs and chromatin accessibility in erythropoiesis and provide novel insights into erythroid differentiation and abundant resources for further study. Key PointsO_LILncRNAs regulate erythroid differentiation through coordinating with chromatin accessibility. C_LIO_LIThe integrative multi-omics analysis reveals stage-specific interaction network of LncRNAs and chromatin accessibility in erythropoiesis. C_LI

genomics↗

20-HETE-promoted cerebral blow flow autoregulation is associated with enhanced α-smooth muscle actin positive cerebrovascular pericyte contractility

We previously reported that deficiency in 20-HETE or CYP4A impaired the myogenic response and autoregulation of cerebral blood flow (CBF) in rats. The present study demonstrated that CYP4A was coexpressed with alpha-smooth muscle actin (-SMA) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and most pericytes along parenchymal arteries (PAs) isolated from SD rats. Cell contractile capabilities of cerebral VSMCs and pericytes were reduced with a 20-HETE synthesis inhibitor, N-Hydroxy-N'-(4-butyl-2-methylphenyl)-formamidine (HET0016) but restored with 20-HETE analog 20-hydroxyeicosa-5(Z),14(Z)-dienoic acid (WIT003). Similarly, intact myogenic responses of the middle cerebral artery and PA of SD rats decreased with HET0016 and rescued by WIT003. Lastly, HET0016 impaired well autoregulated CBF in the surface and deep cortex of SD rats. These results demonstrate that 20-HETE has a direct effect on cerebral mural cell contractility that may play an essential role in CBF autoregulation.

pharmacology and toxicology↗

A non-enzymatic acetylation of lysine residues adversely affects the Rubisco activase protein stability

The post-translational modifications of non-histone (PTMs) proteins functions are crucial for the plant adaption to the changing environment. The Rubisco activase (RCA) plays a key role in the CO2 fixation through the Rubisco activation process. We reported that the RCA from tobacco leaf could be acetylated at several lysine residues including K126 and K164. The acetylation level changes under different light conditions (night and day) as well as under heat stress (45 {degrees}C). We further showed that the RCA can be non-enzymatically acetylated in vitro, especially by the acetyl-CoA (Ac-CoA) through direct interaction between them. Our results of the in vitro assay with deuterium labeled Ac-CoA (D2-Ac-CoA) show that the two conserved RCA lysine residues (K126 and K164) were acetylated by Ac-CoA, entraining a dramatic decline in its ATPase activity and a slight effect on the Rubisco activation process. Furthermore, we revealed that the higher RCA acetylation level induced its faster degradation in the chloroplast, which was not a direct consequence of ubiquitination. Eventually, our findings unraveled a new prominent role for the protein acetylation in modulating the RCA stability, which could certainly regulate the carbon assimilation efficiency towards a different energy status of the plants.

plant biology↗

Recombinant Fc-fusion vaccine of RBD induced protection against SARS-CoV-2 in non-human primate and mice

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to infect people globally. The increased COVID-19 cases and no licensed vaccines highlight the need to develop safe and effective vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Multiple vaccines candidates are under pre-clinical or clinical trails with different strengths and weaknesses. Here we developed a pilot scale production of a recombinant subunit vaccine (RBD-Fc Vacc) with the Receptor Binding Domain of SARS-CoV-2 S protein fused with the Fc domain of human IgG1. RBD-Fc Vacc induced SARS-CoV-2 specific neutralizing antibodies in non-human primates and human ACE2 transgenic mice. The antibodies induced in macaca fascicularis neutralized three divergent SARS-CoV2 strains, suggesting a broader neutralizing ability. Three times immunizations protected Macaca fascicularis (20ug or 40ug per dose) and mice (10ug or 20ug per dose) from SARS-CoV-2 infection respectively. These data support clinical development of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines for humans. RBD-Fc Vacc is currently being assessed in randomized controlled phase 1/II human clinical trails. SummaryThis study confirms protective efficacy of a SARS-CoV-2 RBD-Fc subunit vaccine.

immunology↗

lncRNA-RMST functioned as a SOX2 transcription co-regulator to regulate miR-1251 in the progression of Hirschsprung's disease

Hirschsprungs disease (HSCR) is a congenital disorder characterized by the absence of enteric neural crest cells (ENCCs). Non-coding RNAs including long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) have been authenticated as important regulators of biological functions. We conducted a microarray analysis and found lncRNA Rhabdomyosarcoma 2-associated transcript (RMST) was down-regulated in the stenotic segment of HSCR patients. MiR-1251 is transcribed from the intron region of RMST and was also low-expressed. When the expression of RMST or miR-1251 was reduced, the cell proliferation and migration were attenuated. However, RMST didnt affect the expression of miR-1251 directly found in this study. Through bioinformatic analysis, transcription factor SOX2 was predicted to bind to the promoter region of miR-1251 which was confirmed by CHIP assay. Herein, we demonstrated that RMST exerted as a co-regulator of SOX2 to regulate the expression of miR-1251. Furtherly, AHNAK was proved to be the target gene of miR-1251 in this study. Taken together, we revealed the role of RMST/SOX2/miR-1251/AHNAK pathway in the occurrence of Hirschsprungs disease and provided a potential therapeutic target for this disease. SUMMARY STATEMENTHirschsprung disease (HSCR) is characterized by a deficit in enteric neurons, however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study revealed the role of lnc-RMST during the occurrence of HSCR.

cell biology↗

starmapVR: immersive visualisation of single cell spatial omic data

MotivationAdvances in high throughput single-cell and spatial omic technologies have enabled the profiling of molecular expression and phenotypic properties of hundreds of thousands of individual cells in the context of their two dimensional (2D) or three dimensional (3D) spatial endogenous arrangement. However, current visualisation techniques do not allow for effective display and exploration of the single cell data in their spatial context. With the widespread availability of low-cost virtual reality (VR) gadgets, such as Google Cardboard, we propose that an immersive visualisation strategy is useful. ResultsWe present starmapVR, a light-weight, cross-platform, web-based tool for visualising single-cell and spatial omic data. starmapVR supports a number of interaction methods, such as keyboard, mouse, wireless controller and voice control. The tool visualises single cells in a 3D space and each cell can be represented by a star plot (for molecular expression, phenotypic properties) or image (for single cell imaging). For spatial transcriptomic data, the 2D single cell expression data can be visualised alongside the histological image in a 2.5D format. The application of starmapVR is demonstrated through a series of case studies. Its scalability has been carefully evaluated across different platforms. Availability and implementationstarmapVR is freely accessible at https://holab-hku.github.io/starmapVR, with the corresponding source code available at https://github.com/holab-hku/starmapVR under the open source MIT license. Supplementary InformationSupplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

bioinformatics↗

In-depth analysis reveals complex molecular etiology of idiopathic cerebral palsy

Cerebral palsy (CP), the most prevalent physical disability in children, has long been ignored with regard to its inherent molecular mechanism. In this work, we performed in-depth clinical and molecular analysis on 120 idiopathic CP families, and identified in half of the patients the underlying risk factors. By a compilation of 117 CP-related genes, we recognized the characteristic features in terms of inheritance and function, and proposed a dichotomous classification system according to the expression patterns. In two patients with both CP and intellectual disability, we revealed that the defective TYW1, a tRNA hypermodification enzyme, caused microcephaly and problems in motion and cognition by hindering neuronal proliferation and migration. We developed an algorithm and proved in mice brain that this malfunctioning hypermodification specifically perturbed the translation of a subset of proteins involved in cell cycling. In a CP patient with normal intelligence, we identified a mitochondrial enzyme GPAM, the hypomorphic form of which led to hypomyelination of corticospinal tract. We confirmed that the aberrant Gpam in mice perturbed the lipid metabolism in astrocyte, resulting in suppressed astrocyte proliferation and a shortage of lipid contents supplied for oligodendrocyte myelination. This work broadened the scope of understanding of CP etiology and paved a way for innovative therapeutic strategies.

genetics↗