Biology subjects

Nan, Z.

Publications and source records attributed to Nan, Z..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

A conserved and predictable pluripotency window in callus unlocks efficient transformation in grasses and beyond

A major bottleneck in plant biotechnology is the inefficient and genotype-dependent regeneration of callus, which severely limits genetic transformation and functional studies across many species. This barrier is acutely exemplified in the study of beneficial plant-microbe interactions, such as the Epichloe-grass symbiosis--a system conferring remarkable stress tolerance to its host but hindered by a lack of efficient genetic tools. To address this, we established a chromosome-scale genome for an Epichloe native host grass Achnatherum inebrians. We discovered that the expression dynamics of evolutionarily conserved cell pluripotency regulators (CPRs) including ARF5/7/19, BBM, WUS/WOX5 and CUC1/2 serve as a precise molecular predictor for callus regenerative capacity, revealing that pluripotency is dynamic and peaks within a narrow, definable time window. Harnessing this predictable window enabled the development of a highly efficient transformation system for A. inebrians (49.4% efficiency). Crucially, this CPR-based strategy proved generalizable: applied to wheat and the legume sainfoin, it pinpointed species-specific optimal regeneration windows, boosting shoot regeneration rates to 65.7% and 87.5%, respectively. Collectively, our work provides an integrated research system and a rational design principle that removes a key barrier to uncovering molecular mechanisms in plant systems, particularly the Epichloe-enhanced stress tolerance symbiosis.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2026

EOLA1, a novel mitochondria-localized protein critical for heart functions via regulating mitochondrial translation

Mitochondria possess their own mRNA translation system, mediated by specialized mitoribosomes. Dysregulation of mitochondrial translation disrupts metabolic homeostasis and is linked to various pathologies, including metabolic syndromes, neurological disorders, and cardiac diseases. Using CRISPR/Cas9 screening, we identified EOLA1 (endothelial-overexpressed lipopolysaccharide-associated factor 1) as a novel mitochondrial matrix protein essential for metabolic homeostasis. Knockout of Eola1 severely affects mitochondrial translation and consequently the oxidative phosphorylation in mammalian cells. Mechanistically, EOLA1 physically interacts with mitochondrial 12S ribosomal RNA (12S mt-rRNA) and the mitochondrial Tu translation elongation factor (TUFM), facilitating efficient translation elongation of mitochondrial-encoded mRNAs. Furthermore, genetic ablation of Eola1 in mice induced severe cardiac dysfunction, demonstrating its indispensable role in maintaining heart function through mitochondrial translation control. Together, our findings establish EOLA1 as a key regulator of mitochondrial translation via its interactions with 12S mt-rRNA and TUFM, highlighting its importance in cellular metabolism and a potential role in cardiac disease pathogenesis.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Human CD127 negative ILC2s show immunological memory

Group 2 Innate Lymphoid Cells (ILC2s) serve as key players in type 2 immunity and contribute significantly to maintaining homeostasis and responding to inflammation. Notably, ILC2s are closely implicated in the development of allergic disorders like asthma. While previous research has demonstrated immunological memory in mouse ILC2s, it has remained unclear whether human ILC2s can acquire this form of memory. In this study, we demonstrate the persistence of CD45RO, a marker previously linked to inflammatory ILC2s, in resting ILC2s that have undergone prior activation. These cells concurrently reduce the expression of the canonical ILC marker CD127. Through in vitro experiments involving the isolation and stimulation of CD127-CD45RO+ ILC2s, we observed an augmented ability to produce cytokines and undergo proliferation. CD127-CD45RO+ ILC2s are found in both healthy and inflamed tissues and display a gene signature of cell activation. Memory ILC2s may play a significant role in chronic type 2 diseases, such as allergic asthma and atopic dermatitis. HIGHLIGHTS- Inflamed and healthy tissues contain CD127-ILC2s with a gene signature of cell activation - CD127-CD45RO+ ILC2s from healthy tissues show immunological memory features - Mouse memory ILC2s downregulate CD127 - In vitro stimulation of naive ILC2s generates memory CD127-CD45RO+ ILC2s

immunology↗

bioRxiv2023

Warming and altered precipitation independently and interactively suppress alpine soil microbial growth in a decadal-long experiment

Warming and precipitation anomalies affect terrestrial carbon balance partly through altering microbial eco-physiological processes (e.g., growth and death) in soil. However, little is known about how such processes responds to simultaneous regime shifts in temperature and precipitation. We used the 18O-water quantitative stable isotope probing approach to estimate bacterial growth in alpine meadow soils of the Tibetan Plateau after a decade of warming and altered precipitation manipulation. Our results showed that the growth of major taxa was suppressed by the single and combined effects of temperature and precipitation, eliciting 40-90% of growth reduction of whole community. The antagonistic interactions of warming and altered precipitation on population growth were common (~70% taxa), represented by the weak antagonistic interactions of warming and drought, and the neutralizing effects of warming and wet. The members in Solirubrobacter and Pseudonocardia genera had high growth rates under changed climate regimes. These results are important to understand and predict the soil microbial dynamics in alpine meadow ecosystems suffering from multiple climate change factors.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2019

The Influence of Blood Collection Tubes in Biomarkers Screening by Mass Spectrometry

BackgroundMass spectrometry (MS) is one of the rapidly developing bio-analytical techniques in recent years and have found many biomarkers of variety of disease. Whereas pre-analytical process is one of most crucial procedure which would significantly influence the results of biomarkers screening. In the current study, we conducted a pilot analysis of serum to determine the effects of blood collection tubes in biomarkers screening.\n\nMethodsMagnetic bead separation and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry were used for qualitative analysis of healthy control and serum cancer patients. A total of 24 serum samples were analyzed in this study, of which were collected from patients or healthy control using non-additive tubes or coagulant activator tubes respectively. ClinProTools were used to compare the difference among the different groups.\n\nResultsThe results demonstrated that no matter for patients or normal people, the serum protein profile changed significantly when using coagulant tubes. We also found that the effect of coagulant on serum protein of patients was smaller than that of control group. There were significant differences among 27 peaks which were obtained in the control group and the control coagulant group. However, between patient group and patient coagulant group, only 1 differential peak were obtained. Coagulant changed the protein expression difference in the original serum, and the difference expanded, narrowed even reversed, most of which are small polypeptides (Mass<3000 Da), which significantly changed the results of biomarkers screening. The results showed that 19 potential biomarkers could be found with non-additive tubes and 16 potential biomarkers could be found with coagulate activator tubes, among which only 6 were the same.\n\nConclusionsThe choice of blood collection tube significantly influence the results of biomarkers screening by MS.

cancer biology↗