Biology subjects

Peng, M.-W.

Publications and source records attributed to Peng, M.-W..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Metatranscriptomic surveillance reveals overlooked liver-associated parasite diversity and broad host ranges in small mammals from southern China

Parasite communities in the internal organs of small mammals remain poorly characterized because metatranscriptomic pathogen discovery has largely focused on viruses and bacteria. We individually sequenced liver transcriptomes from 351 small mammals collected across 14 cities in Guangdong Province, China, and combined sequence-based detection with phylogenetic, abundance, transcriptional, and morphological analyses. Parasites were detected in 148 animals (42.2%). Four liver-associated taxa were identified, including three putatively novel or highly divergent lineages. Trichinellidae sp1 dominated the community, occurring in 36.2% of animals (127/351), five host species spanning Rodentia and Eulipotyphla, and all surveyed cities. Hydatigera taeniaeformis occurred in 3.7% (13/351), and its identification was supported by hepatic cysts and morphologically recovered strobilocerci. Eucoccidiorida sp1 and Trypanosoma sp1 were detected sporadically. Mapping to available reference genomes revealed transcripts from multiple genes and functional categories, supporting genuine biological signals rather than isolated marker-gene matches. Amsterdam virus covaried with Trichinellidae sp1 (r = 0.59), whereas Wenzhou tapeworm virus 1 covaried with H. taeniaeformis (r = 0.47). These findings reveal an unexpectedly prevalent, phylogenetically diverse, and broadly distributed liver-associated parasite community and establish individual-organ metatranscriptomics as a useful framework for parasite discovery and surveillance.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2026

Multi-kingdom microbial diversity and interaction landscapes in mosquitoes revealed by 5,163 individual meta-transcriptomes

Mosquitoes are pathogen vectors embedded within diverse microbial ecosystems. However, the nature and interactions among their multi-kingdom microbiome remain poorly understood. We conducted a nationwide single-mosquito meta-transcriptomic survey of 5,163 mosquitoes representing 100 species across China, integrating viral discovery with marker-gene profiling of bacteria, archaea, fungi, and other eukaryotic microbes. From this, we identified 1,606 microbial species-level taxa, including extensive novel diversity, and revealed pronounced host species-specific organization of mosquito-associated communities. We detected 34 pathogens or potential pathogens of human or animal relevance, whose prevalence, abundance, host range, and geographic distribution defined distinct epidemiological patterns. Network analysis uncovered pervasive cross-kingdom microbial associations, including candidate antiviral relationships involving Wolbachia and other microbial taxa. Our study establishes a detailed view of the full-spectrum microbiome and provides a resource and conceptual framework for studying vector competence, pathogen emergence, and microbiome-informed mosquito-borne disease control.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2024

Meta-transcriptomic analysis of companion animal infectomes reveals their diversity and potential roles in animal and human disease

Companion animals such as cats and dogs harbor diverse microbial communities that can potentially impact human health due to close and frequent contact. To better characterize their total infectomes and assess zoonotic risks, we performed meta-transcriptomic profiling on 239 samples from cats and dogs collected across China, comparing the similarities and differences between animal species (cats or dogs), sampling sites (rectal or oropharyngeal), and health status (healthy or diseased). We identified 24 viral species, 270 bacterial genera, and two fungal genera, including many known pathogens such as canine parvovirus, Clostridium difficile, and Candida albicans, as well as opportunistic pathogens such as canine vesivirus. Microbial compositions differed mainly according to sampling site (i.e., rectal and oropharyngeal swabs), and less so between host species and health status. Notably, we detected 27 potential zoonotic pathogens, such as alphacoronavirus 1, among all sampling sites, hosts, and health status, underscoring substantial zoonotic risks requiring surveillance. Overall, our meta-transcriptomic analysis reveals a landscape of actively transcribing microorganisms in major companion animals, including key pathogens, those with the potential for cross-species transmission, and possible zoonotic threats.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2019

Quantitative three-dimensional nondestructive imaging of whole anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria

Anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing (anammox) bacteria play a key role in the global nitrogen cycle and the treatment of nitrogenous wastewater. These functions are closely related to the unique biophysical structure of anammox bacteria. However, the research on the biophysical ultrastructure of intact anammox bacteria is lacking. In this study, in-situ three-dimensional nondestructive ultrastructure imaging of whole anammox cell was performed using synchrotron soft X-ray nano-computed tomography and the total variation-based simultaneous algebraic reconstruction technique (TV-SART). Statistical and quantitative analyses of the ultrastructures of intact anammox bacteria were performed. The linear absorption coefficient values of the ultrastructures of anammox bacteria were calculated and the asymmetric structure of the anammox bacteria was quantified. On this basis, the shape adaptation of the anammox bacteria responses to Fe2+ were explored, and the underlying regulation mechanism of Fe2+ on anammox bacteria was explored. Furthermore, a promising method to study the biophysical properties of cells in different environments and engineering processes was proposed.\n\nGraphical Abstract\n\nO_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=96 SRC=\"FIGDIR/small/709188v1_ufig1.gif\" ALT=\"Figure 1\">\nView larger version (23K):\norg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1994e5eorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1e80137org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@a7f418org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@8a77e5_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG Statement of SignificanceAnaerobic ammonium-oxidizing (anammox) bacteria play key role in global nitrogen cycle, and this physiological function depends on the unique morphology of anammox bacteria. In this study, synchrotron soft-X ray imaging technique coupled with simultaneous algebraic reconstruction technique with total variation (SART-TV) algorithm were performed to quantify the three-dimensional ultrastructure of the whole anammox bacteria for the first time. On this basis, the shape adaptation and mechanism of the anammox bacteria responses to Fe2+ were explored and a promising method for detecting the physiological properties of anammox bacteria was proposed.

cell biology↗