Biology subjects

Lang, X.

Publications and source records attributed to Lang, X..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2020

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↗

bioRxiv2020

Azetidines kill Mycobacterium tuberculosis without detectable resistance by blocking mycolate assembly.

Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of global morbidity and mortality resulting from infectious disease, with over 10 million new cases and 1.5 million deaths in 2019. This global emergency is exacerbated by the emergence of multi-drug-resistant MDR-TB and extensively-drug-resistant XDR-TB, therefore new drugs and new drug targets are urgently required. From a whole-cell phenotypic screen a series of azetidines derivatives termed BGAz, that elicit potent bactericidal activity with MIC99 values <10 M against drug-sensitive Mycobacterium tuberculosis and MDR-TB were identified. These compounds demonstrate no detectable drug resistance. Mode of action and target deconvolution studies suggest that these compounds inhibit mycobacterial growth by interfering with cell envelope biogenesis, specifically late-stage mycolic acid biosynthesis. Transcriptomic analysis demonstrates that the BGAz compounds tested display a mode of action distinct from existing mycobacterial cell-wall inhibitors. In addition, the compounds tested exhibit toxicological and PK/PD profiles that pave the way for their development as anti-tubercular chemotherapies.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2020

The genome assembly and annotation of Magnolia biondii Pamp., a phylogenetically, economically, and medicinally important ornamental tree species

Magnolia biondii Pamp. (Magnoliaceae, magnoliids) is a phylogenetically, economically, and medicinally important ornamental tree species widely grown and cultivated in the north-temperate regions of China. Contributing a genome sequence for M. biondii will help resolve phylogenetic uncertainty of magnoliids and further understand individual trait evolution in Magnolia. We assembled a chromosome-level reference genome of M. biondii using ~67, ~175, and ~154 Gb of raw DNA sequences generated by Pacific Biosciences Single-molecule Real-time sequencing, 10X genomics Chromium, and Hi-C scaffolding strategies, respectively. The final genome assembly was 2.22 Gb with a contig N50 of 269.11 Kb and a BUSCO complete gene ratio of 91.90%. About 89.17% of the genome length was organized to 19 chromosomes, resulting in a scaffold N50 of 92.86 Mb. The genome contained 48,319 protein-coding genes, accounting for 22.97% of the genome length, in contrast to 66.48% of the genome length for the repetitive elements. We confirmed a Magnoliaceae specific WGD event that might have probably occurred shortly after the split of Magnoliaceae and Annonaceae. Functional enrichment of the Magnolia specific and expanded gene families highlighted genes involved in biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, plant-pathogen interaction, and response to stimulus, which may improve ecological fitness and biological adaptability of the lineage. Phylogenomic analyses recovered a sister relationship of magnoliids and Chloranthaceae, which are sister to a clade comprising monocots and eudicots. The genome sequence of M. biondii could empower trait improvement, germplasm conservation, and evolutionary studies on rapid radiation of early angiosperms.

plant biology↗