Biology subjects

Gou, D.

Publications and source records attributed to Gou, D..

6 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Structural-functional calibration corrects single-neuron identity errors in volumetric calcium imaging

Volumetric calcium imaging is increasingly used to capture larger neuronal populations at higher throughput, but high-speed axial sampling can compromise single-neuron identity. Here we identify cross-plane identity duplication as a structured error in volumetric imaging: anisotropic axial blurring and plane-wise functional segmentation can repeatedly detect the same neuron across adjacent planes, creating duplicate functional nodes that inflate neuronal counts and distort network phenotypes. We developed Comprehensive Label-Guided (CLG) volumetric imaging, a structural-functional calibration framework that uses nuclear labels as stable three-dimensional identity anchors for calcium signals. CLG combines nuclear labeling, deep-learning-based 3D segmentation, anatomical registration and identity-guided trace reassignment. In larval zebrafish whole-brain recordings, CLG resolved ~30,000 redundant detections and reduced estimated neuronal counts by 37-46%. In mouse visual cortex, CLG consolidated ~40% of putative duplicates and recovered over 2,000 active neurons missed by calcium-only analysis. Across baseline and perturbed conditions, calibration stabilized graph-derived measurements of hub organization, long-range correlations and network resilience. CLG therefore defines an anatomy-constrained identity-calibration layer for reliable single-neuron-resolved volumetric imaging.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2026

Modulation of Intrauterine Adhesion Fibrosis by Lactobacillus delbrueckii: Insights from ERK1/2 Pathway Inhibition and Multi-omics Analyses

BackgroundIntrauterine adhesion (IUA) is an important cause of infertility and menstrual disorders, substantially reducing quality of life and increasing healthcare costs. Current treatments, including hysteroscopic adhesiolysis and hormonal therapy, show limited efficacy and high recurrence, highlighting the need for new therapeutic strategies. MethodsWe evaluated the antifibrotic effects of Lactobacillus delbrueckii in IUA, with a focus on ERK1/2 signaling inhibition. A multimodal framework integrating clinical outcomes, cellular and animal experiments, uterine microbiome profiling (16S rRNA sequencing), transcriptomics, and metabolomics was used to characterize host-microbe-metabolite interactions relevant to fibrosis. ResultsClinically, patients receiving L. delbrueckii showed lower adhesion formation scores(AFS) and reduced recurrence. Microbiome profiling demonstrated increased uterine microbial diversity and altered community composition in treated patients, accompanied by reduced expression of fibrosis-associated markers. In both cellular and mouse models, L. delbrueckii decreased fibrotic marker expression and reduced ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Metabolomics identified elevated 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid (3-HAA) in treated groups, suggesting a potential role in immune and inflammatory modulation. ConclusionL. delbrueckii attenuates IUA-associated fibrosis, at least in part, by suppressing ERK1/2 phosphorylation and increasing the abundance of the metabolite 3-HAA. These findings support the therapeutic potential of L. delbrueckii for improving uterine repair and reproductive outcomes. Future studies should validate efficacy and safety in larger, diverse cohorts and assess long-term outcomes.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2025

Unveiling the Developmental Dynamics and Functional Role of Odorant Receptor Co-receptor (Orco) in Aedes albopictus: A Novel Mechanism for Regulating Tuning Odorant Receptor Expression

As one of the most aggressive disease vectors, the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus relies heavily on its olfactory system to search for food in the larval stage, locate hosts after eclosion, and identify suitable oviposition sites after blood feeding. In mosquitoes and other insects, the olfactory system detects environmental odors primarily through a diverse repertoire of tuning odorant receptors (ORs), which require the highly conserved odorant receptor co-receptor (Orco) to function. While Orcos role in enabling tuning receptor function is well established, its cellular localization patterns, developmental expression dynamics, and system-wide impact on olfactory physiology and behavior remain understudied in Ae. albopictus. To address this knowledge gap, we leveraged the Q-system to systematically characterize Orco-expressing neurons (ORNs) across embryonic, larval, pupal and adult stages of Ae. albopictus. We uncovered a dramatic reorganization of the olfactory system during metamorphosis: ORNs were observed as early as the embryonic stage and expanded during larval development before rapid degeneration and re-generation in the pupal stage resulting in the final population of adult ORNs. Orco expression in adults spanned the olfactory neurons of the antennae, labella, and maxillary palps in both male and female mosquitoes, consistent with its conserved peripheral distribution. To further investigate the functional implications of Orco, we generated Orco knockout mutants and strikingly discovered that Orco knockout mutants displayed significant widespread downregulation of tuning Ors, suggesting that Orco may influence OR expression or stability. Electrophysiological recordings confirmed significantly attenuated responses to human volatiles in Orco mutants, and behavioral assays demonstrated a marked decline in blood-feeding efficiency and elimination of host preference in females. Together, these findings reveal dynamic reorganization of ORNs during mosquito development and uncover the critical role of Orco in maintaining the integrity and function of the olfactory system, providing insights that may inform novel, next-generation vector control strategies.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2022

CLT-seq as a universal homopolymer-sequencing concept reveals poly(A)-tail-tuned ncRNA regulation

Dynamic tuning of the poly(A) tail is a crucial mechanism for controlling translation and stability of eukaryotic mRNA. Achieving a comprehensive understanding of how this regulation occurs requires unbiased abundance quantification of poly(A)-tail transcripts and simple poly(A)-length measurement using high-throughput sequencing platforms. Current methods have limitations due to complicated setups and elaborate library preparation plans. To address this, we introduce Central Limit Theorem (CLT)-managed RNA-seq (CLT-seq), a simple and straightforward homopolymer-sequencing method. In CLT-seq, an anchor-free oligo(dT) primer rapidly binds to and unbinds from anywhere along the poly(A) tail string, leading to position-directed reverse transcription with equal probability. The CLT mechanism enables the synthesized poly(T) lengths, which correspond to the templated segment of the poly(A) tail, to distribute normally. Based on a well-fitted pseudogaussian-derived poly(A)-poly(T) conversion model, the actual poly(A)-tail profile is reconstructed from the acquired poly(T)-length profile through matrix operations. CLT-seq follows a simple procedure without requiring RNA-related pre-treatment, enrichment, or selection, and the CLT-shortened poly(T) stretches are more compatible with existing sequencing platforms. This proof-of-concept approach facilitates direct homopolymer base-calling and features unbiased RNA-seq. Therefore, CLT-seq provides unbiased, robust, and cost-efficient transcriptome-wide poly(A)-tail profiling. We demonstrate that CLT-seq on the most common Illumina platform delivers reliable poly(A)-tail profiling at a transcriptome-wide scale in human cellular contexts. We find that the poly(A)-tail-tuned ncRNA regulation undergoes a dynamic, complex process similar to mRNA regulation. Overall, CLT-seq offers a simplified, effective, and economical approach to investigate poly(A)-tail regulation, with potential implications for understanding gene expression and identifying therapeutic targets.

bioinformatics↗

bioRxiv2020

Gluconeogenic Enzyme PCK1 Deficiency Is Critical for CHK2 O-GlcNAcylation and Hepatocellular Carcinoma Growth upon Glucose Deprivation

Elevated hexosamine-biosynthesis pathway (HBP) activity and O-GlcNAcylation are emerging hallmarks of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Inhibiting O-GlcNAcylation could be a promising anti-cancer strategy. Here, we investigate this possibility and demonstrate that deficiency of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 (PCK1), a rate-limiting enzyme in gluconeogenesis, promotes O-GlcNAcylation and hepatoma cell proliferation under low-glucose conditions. PCK1 loss results in oxaloacetate accumulation and AMPK inactivation, promoting uridine diphosphate-N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc) synthesis and CHK2 threonine 378 O-GlcNAcylation and counteracting its ubiquitination and degradation. O-GlcNAcylation also promotes CHK2-dependent Rb phosphorylation and HCC cell proliferation. Therefore, blocking HBP-mediated O-GlcNAcylation suppresses tumor progression in liver-specific Pck1-knockout mice. We reveal a link between PCK1 depletion and hyper-O-GlcNAcylation that underlies HCC oncogenesis and suggest therapeutic targets for HCC that act by inhibiting O-GlcNAcylation.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2017

In vivo Imaging β-cell Function Reveals Two Waves of β-cell Maturation

The insulin-secreting cells generated from stem cells in vitro are less glucose responsive than primary {beta}-cells. To search for the missing ingredients that are needed for {beta}-cell maturation, we have longitudinally monitored function of every {beta}-cell in Tg (ins:Rcamp1.07) zebrafish embryos with a newly-invented two-photon light-sheet microscope. We have shown that {beta}-cell maturation begins from the islet mantle and propagates to the islet core during the hatching period, coordinated by the islet vascularization. Lower concentration of glucose is optimal to initiate {beta}-cell maturation, while increased glucose delivery to every cell through microcirculation is required for functional boosting of the {beta}-cells. Both the initiation and the boosting of {beta}-cell maturation demands activation of calcineurin/NFAT by glucose. Calcineurin activator combined with glucose promotes mouse neonatal {beta}-cells cultured in vitro to mature to a functional state similar to adult {beta}-cells, suggesting a new strategy for improving stem cell-derived {beta}-like cell function in vitro.

developmental biology↗