Search bioRxiv⌕ Search

Biology subjects

Shi, X.

Publications and source records attributed to Shi, X..

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Decoding Immune Reconstitution Failure in People Living with HIV through Single-cell Genomics

Immune non-responders (INRs), a subset of people living with HIV (PLWH), fail to achieve full immune reconstitution and remain at increased risk of morbidity, mortality, and non-AIDS-related illnesses. As the mechanisms underlying this impaired immune recovery remain poorly understood, we performed single-cell multi-omics profiling on peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 43 INRs, 47 immune responders and 53 healthy donors. Our dataset comprises 2,744,009 transcriptomes and 1,226,658 chromatin-accessibility profiles across 58 identified immune cell types. INRs exhibited markedly elevated inflammatory signaling, increased apoptotic activity, and dysregulation of immune-activating ligand-receptor interactions. Additionally, we identified 2,996 interaction cis-eGenes and 5,938 cis-caPeaks, and validated key cell type-specific cis-xQTL effects associated with immune reconstitution failure. Furthermore, we identified 3,551 sc-eQTLs and 872 cell-state interaction eQTLs (ieQTLs) in CD4+ T cells. A genotype-specific upregulation of OAS3 in INRs, likely regulated by STAT1, was identified based on these results. We developed scPRISM (single cell Predictive Reconstitution Immune Status Model), a multi-modal framework that integrates scRNA-seq and scATAC-seq data to perform the dual tasks of differentiating disease states and predicting gene expression from chromatin accessibility, thereby deciphering the cell type-specific cis-regulatory basis of the disease. Our study delineates the transcriptional and epigenomic landscape of immune dysregulation in INRs and provides new genetic insights into HIV-associated immune reconstitution failure. These findings offer a foundation for developing biomarkers and precision therapies to restore immune function in PLWH.

genetics↗

RNF25 restrains GCN2 hyperactivation to sustain protein synthesis and cell proliferation in response to RNA damage

Regulation of protein synthesis is essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis during stress. The integrated stress response (ISR) is a conserved signaling pathway that modulates global mRNA translation through four eIF2 kinases--GCN2, PKR, PERK, and HRI. However, how these kinases are selectively activated and tuned to distinct stress signals to direct appropriate cell fate decisions remains poorly understood. Here, we employ ultra-deep mutagenesis screens to systematically map regulators of protein synthesis across diverse stress perturbations in human cells. This comparative approach identifies stress-specific translational control factors, including a previously unrecognized role for the E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF25 in selectively sustaining translation following UV irradiation and other RNA-damaging treatments. In this context, we demonstrate that RNF25 operates independently of its partner RNF14, and that its ubiquitin ligase activity, as well as its RWD-domain, is required to restrain excessive activation of the eIF2 kinase GCN2. Accordingly, loss of RNF25 results in hyperactivation of GCN2, exacerbated translation shutdown, and impaired cell proliferation following RNA damage--phenotypes that can be fully reversed by genetic or pharmacological inhibition of GCN2. Together, these findings uncover a previously unappreciated RNF25-GCN2 signaling axis and identify ISR-driven toxicity as a potential vulnerability in combination with RNA-damaging chemotherapeutics.

cell biology↗

Artificial Recombination of Nonribosomal Peptide Synthetases Rapidly Evolves Natural Products

Efficient engineering of nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) is a key strategy for expanding valuable peptide natural products. Current bioinformatics-guided approaches are often constrained by a set of predefined fusion sites, remaining experimentally challenging in most NRPS systems. Here we present the Recombineering Accelerated Evolution (RACE), which harnesses Red/ET recombineering mediated partially matched homologous recombination to recapitulate recombination-driven NRPS evolution on a highly accelerated timescale. Application of RACE to six known NRPS gene clusters generated 830 recombinants and yielded over 600 novel peptides including novel bis-lipopeptides. These recombinants reveal 112 previously unrecognized recombination fusion sites, providing an extensive landscape for NRPS evolution and more useful resources for guiding NRPS engineering. The RACE establishes a new paradigm for programmable NRPS evolution and enables rapid discovery of bioactive peptides.

synthetic biology↗

Large-scale quantum computing framework enhances drug discovery in multiple stages

Coherent Ising machines (CIMs) excel at solving large-scale combinational optimization problems (COPs), but their insufficient long-term stability has hindered their applications in compute-intensive tasks like computer-aided drug discovery (CADD). By improving fiber vibration isolation and temperature control system, we have implemented a 2000-node CIM named QBoson-CPQC-3Gen achieving stable solutions over one hour on large-scale COPs. Graph-based encoding schemes were further introduced to realize a CIM-based CADD workflow including allosteric site detection, protein-peptide docking and intermolecular similarity calculation. CIM-based methods demonstrated superior speed and accuracy than heuristic algorithms. Especially, QBoson-CPQC-3Gen identified 2 novel druggable sites and bioactive compounds for 6 targets, which were further validated in vitro, in-cell and by crystal structures. Our contributions established a quantum-computing framework for multi-stage drug discovery, representing a significant advancement in both quantum computing applications and pharmaceutical research.

bioinformatics↗

The aging mouse lipidome

Aging is associated with widespread metabolic changes that contribute to functional decline and disease. While prior studies have characterized age-associated changes in lipids, it still remains incompletely understood how the lipidome changes across tissues and between sexes during aging. Here, we performed targeted lipidomics across 10 organs collected from male and female mice at five ages spanning adolescence to old age. We analyzed 775 lipids across multiple lipid classes and found that aging affects the lipidome in an organ-specific manner. The thymus and quadriceps muscle had the most age-associated lipid changes, whereas lipid levels in organs such as the kidney and lung remained more stable. In quadriceps muscle, aging was associated with a decrease in specific phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine lipids, particularly those containing adrenic acid. We also identified sex-dependent differences in lipid composition, with the spleen showing differences throughout life. Spleens from female mice had lower levels of lysophosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylethanolamine compared to males. Together, these data provide a comprehensive atlas of age- and sex-associated lipid changes across mouse organs and complement existing metabolic and transcriptomic resources to support studies of mouse aging.

molecular biology↗

GRAVITY: Dynamic gene regulatory network-enhanced RNA velocity modeling for trajectory inference and biological discovery

RNA velocity techniques have emerged as efficient tools for unraveling the complex trajectories of cell development and differentiation. However, most of existing RNA velocity approaches are constrained by estimating transcriptional parameters for each gene in isolation and neglects the regulatory relationships among genes, which limits the ability to jointly resolve the dynamic rewiring of gene regulation and the underlying gene transcriptional kinetics across cell state transitions. To address these limitations, we present GRAVITY, a novel deep learning framework that explicitly integrates regulatory dynamics into transcriptional kinetics inference and utilizes a refined two-stage optimization strategy. Benchmarking across various simulated and real single-cell RNA sequencing datasets demonstrates that GRAVITY accurately infers both cellular and gene trajectories, along with their associated kinetic parameters. Most importantly, GRAVITY uncovers terminal cell states L5/L6 in embryonic brain development dataset. Furthermore, GRAVITY not only provides mechanistic insights by identifying the driver regulatory factors and modules governing cell fate, but also enables the systematic in silico simulation of cellular velocity changes induced by targeted regulatory perturbations.

bioinformatics↗

Hyperhomocysteinemia does not increase the risk of intracerebral hemorrhage in hypertensive mice

ObjectiveHyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) affects approximately 75% of the population in China, and there is currently controversy regarding whether HHcy increases the risk of hemorrhagic stroke. This study aims to investigate the effects of high homocysteine (Hcy) levels on cerebral hemorrhage in hypertensive mice by administering homocysteine to them. MethodsMale C57BL/6 mice at 8 months of age were used in the experiment. The study was divided into two groups: the Hcy + AngII + L - NAME group and the AngII + L - NAME group. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed when the mice exhibited signs of cerebral hemorrhage.After the hemorrhage, anesthesia was induced to euthanize the animals, and then the brain tissue was fixed. The total rearing period was 18 weeks. The relationship between homocysteine and stroke was described by plotting survival curves. The location and quantity of cerebral hemorrhage were determined through histopathological staining. ResultsThe serum Hcy concentration of mice fed with Hcy for 6 weeks increased to 23.07 mol/L, and the blood pressure ranged from 170 to 180 mmHg. The number of deaths due to cerebral hemorrhage was 10 in both the AngII + L - NAME + Hcy group and the AngII + L - NAME group. The p - value of the survival curves between the two groups was 0.162, indicating no statistically significant difference. ConclusionThe results demonstrated that elevated homocysteine levels did not influence the incidence of intracerebral hemorrhage in hypertensive mice. Hyperhomocysteinemia does not increase the risk of intracerebral hemorrhage in hypertensive mice

neuroscience↗

A small molecule PTER-selective inhibitor reduces food intake and body weight

PTER (phosphotriesterase-related) is an amidohydrolase that mediates catabolism of the anorexigenic taurine metabolite N-acetyltaurine. However, the structural basis of PTER ligand binding and catalysis remain unknown, limiting our ability to harness this pathway therapeutically. Here we solve crystal structures of a eukaryotic PTER in apo and product-bound forms. These structures uncover an unexpected pocket homology between PTER and histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes. We exploit this similarity to engineer a first-in-class substrate-competitive PTER inhibitor called PTERi with nanomolar potency and >100-fold selectivity for PTER over HDACs in vitro. Administration of PTERi to diet-induced obese mice reduces feeding, enhances GLP1-RA (glucagon like peptide 1 receptor agonist)-induced weight loss, and prevents weight regain after GLP1-RA discontinuation. The structure of PTER connects histone and metabolite deacetylation into a parallel conceptual framework and enables proof-of-concept data for pharmacological inhibition of PTER in obesity.

biochemistry↗

Defects in tissue-resident macrophages lead to smaller eardrums and abnormal neurovascular networks with increased middle-ear infection

The tympanic membrane (TM), or eardrum, is essential for hearing. Macrophages, the primary innate immune cells, are densely distributed in the eardrum after birth, especially near blood vessels and nerve fibers. During postnatal development, neonatal tissue-resident macrophages (TRMs) gradually polarize, and their population declines. These dynamic changes closely parallel the maturation of neurovascular networks. What are the precursors of the early wave of TRMs? Are they critical for postnatal TM development? Using fate mapping, single-cell RNA sequencing, and macrophage depletion, this study reveals for the first time that postnatal eardrum TRMs are heterogeneous, originating mainly from embryonic myeloid lineages, with increasing input from postnatal monocyte progenitor-derived cells. Single-cell RNA sequencing identifies gene signatures vital for vascular and neuronal development. Depleting TRMs results in smaller eardrums, disrupted vascular-neuronal networks, and increased risk of middle-ear infection. This study offers new insight into how the innate immune system supports TM maturation and protects against middle-ear infection during a critical postnatal window. TeaserTissue-resident macrophages guide eardrum neurovascular maturation and help prevent middle-ear abnormalities.

immunology↗

RefLA: Efficient reference-guided genome assembly from long reads

High-quality de novo genome assembly from long reads remains computationally demanding, while fast assemblers often compromise on contiguity or accuracy. This trade-off between speed and assembly quality presents a persistent challenge in large-scale genomic studies. Fortunately, high-quality reference genomes are now available for a growing number of species. These references can be leveraged to assist the assembly of closely related genomes, enabling efficient reconstruction without sacrificing fidelity--particularly when evolutionary divergence is moderate.We present RefLA, a reference-assisted assembler tailored for thirdgeneration long-read data. By combining alignment-guided structural refinement with localized reassembly, RefLA achieves accuracy comparable to or better than state-of-the-art de novo tools such as Flye and hifiasm, while running significantly faster. It also surpasses rapid assemblers like wtdbg2 and Shasta in both contiguity and base-level correctness.

bioinformatics↗

Highly Efficient Multiplexed Genome Engineering and Clone Selection to Enable Next Generation Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC)-based Cell Therapies

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have revolutionized regenerative medicine and cellular therapies. To improve the functionality and safety of iPSC-based therapies, genome engineering has been employed to disrupt gene expression and introduce therapeutic transgenes. However, current genome editing methods face significant challenges, including labor-intensive procedures, low efficiency, and safety concerns. Here, we report a novel and efficient approach for multiplex genome engineering in iPSCs using Integrase-mediated Programmable Genomic Integration (I-PGI) technology. I-PGI combines CRISPR-mediated genome editing and site-specific integrases, enabling precise gene insertion without DNA double-strand breaks. By optimizing I-PGI components and protocols, we achieved multiple gene knockouts and knock-ins of up to five transgenes in a single process. Additionally, we developed a streamlined workflow for enrichment, deposition, and screening of single-cell clones with the desired genome edits. This approach significantly accelerates and improves the precision of multiplex iPSC engineering, paving the way for next-generation iPSC-based therapies.

genomics↗

Landscape Expansion Microscopy Reveals Interactions between Membrane and Phase-Separated Organelles

Landscape Expansion Microscopy (land-ExM) is a light microscopy technique that visualizes both lipid and protein ultrastructural context of cells. Achieving this level of detail requires both superresolution and a high signal-to-noise ratio. Although expansion microscopy (ExM) provides superresolution, obtaining high signal-to-noise images of both proteins and lipids remains challenging. Land-ExM overcomes this limitation by using self-retention trifunctional anchors to significantly enhance protein and lipid signals in expanded samples. This improvement enables the accurate visualization of diverse membrane organelles and phase separations, as well as the three-dimensional visualization of their contact sites. As a demonstration, we revealed triple-organellar contact sites among the stress granule, the nuclear tunnel, and the nucleolus. Overall, land-ExM offers a high-contrast superresolution platform that advances our understanding of how cells spatially coordinate interactions between membrane organelles and phase separations. eTOC SummaryZhuang et al. introduce land-ExM, a super-resolution approach that simultaneously maps protein and lipid ultrastructure in cells with high contrast. This method visualizes 3D interactions between membrane-bound organelles and phase-separated condensates, uncovering organelle contact sites such as stress granules at nuclear tunnels adjacent to nucleoli.

cell biology↗

Emergence of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae ST111 with a novel virulence plasmid causing pyogenic liver abscess

Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp)-associated pyogenic liver abscess is typically linked to K1/K2 capsule serotypes and canonical lineages such as ST23, ST65, and ST86. Cases outside these lineages are rare but pose significant public health concerns. We investigated an unusual liver abscess in an immunocompetent patient caused by hvKp sequence type 111 (ST111). Five isolates (KP1-KP5) were recovered, all belonging to the same clonal lineage. Genomic analysis revealed a 181 kb IncHI1B/IncFIB virulence plasmid encoding rmpADC and the salmochelin cluster (iroBCDN), but lacking aerobactin (iuc) and rmpA2 gene loci. Notably, this plasmid also carried the yersiniabactin locus (ybt), which is typically located on the chromosome. Comparative genomics indicated that similar ST111 strains have been reported only in China, suggesting clonal expansion of a previously unrecognized hvKp lineage. Functional assays demonstrated that plasmid curing abolished the hypermucoviscous phenotype, reduced capsule production, and completely attenuated virulence in murine models, confirming the plasmid as the major driver of hypervirulence. Interestingly, plasmid loss enhanced biofilm formation and relieved growth burden, highlighting fitness trade-offs associated with virulence. This study documents a rare case of hvKp ST111 liver abscess and identifies a novel plasmid conferring hypervirulence. Our findings expand the known diversity of hvKp and underscore that non-canonical lineages can acquire potent virulence determinants enabling severe disease. Continued clinical and genomic surveillance is essential to detect emerging hvKp clones before widespread dissemination.

microbiology↗

pGGTOX: a versatile plasmid platform for recombination-based genome editing across Enterobacteriaceae

Precise genome editing in Enterobacteriaceae is essential for studying gene function, pathogenesis, and antimicrobial resistance, yet many current systems face host-specific and efficiency limitations. We developed pGGTOX, a modular plasmid platform that enables efficient homologous recombination-mediated genome editing across diverse Enterobacteriaceae, including Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella enterica, and Enterobacter intestinihominis. The system integrates a rhamnose-inducible toxin (MqsR) for stringent counterselection, a sfGFP reporter for visual tracking of recombination events, Golden Gate cloning for rapid assembly of homologous arms, an FRT-flanked resistance cassette for marker removal, and an oriT sequence for conjugative transfer. Together with the companion plasmid pCP20-oriT, pGGTOX supports precise, marker-free genomic modification. Using pGGTOX, we achieved targeted deletions of dapA in E. coli and mrkCD in carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae, both with 100% efficiency. The dapA mutant exhibited diaminopimelate auxotrophy, while mrkCD deletion markedly reduced biofilm formation, consistent with the loss of function associated with these genes. pGGTOX also enabled deletion of a 43.1-kb type IV secretion gene cluster (tra) from an IncN/FII plasmid in E. intestinihominis and insertion of a 10-kb CRISPR-Cas9 plasmid-curing module (pCasCure) into an S. enterica IncX1 plasmid. Deletion of the tra gene cluster resulted in a substantial reduction in plasmid conjugation efficiency. Conjugative transfer of the engineered IncX1-pCasCure plasmid into K. pneumoniae facilitated CRISPR-mediated curing of blaKPC, sensitizing carbapenem resistance to susceptibility. In summary, pGGTOX provides a versatile, efficient, and broadly applicable platform for genome engineering and CRISPR delivery in Enterobacteriaceae, expanding the toolkit for bacterial genetics and translational antimicrobial research. ImportancePrecise genetic manipulation in Enterobacteriaceae remains a major technical challenge, particularly for non-model or multidrug-resistant strains. We developed pGGTOX, a versatile and broadly applicable plasmid platform that enables efficient, marker-free genome editing through homologous recombination. By integrating stringent counterselection, visual screening, modular cloning, and conjugative transfer, pGGTOX simplifies construction and streamlines editing across multiple clinically relevant species. We demonstrate its utility in deleting chromosomal and plasmid-borne loci, inserting large genetic modules, and delivering CRISPR-Cas9 systems for targeted elimination of antibiotic resistance genes. This platform expands the molecular toolkit for functional genomics and provides a powerful new strategy for dissecting bacterial virulence, resistance, and plasmid biology.

microbiology↗

Distinct and Shared Impacts of Virulence Plasmids on the Phenotype and Transcriptome in Convergent Carbapenem-Resistant and Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae

The global rise of convergent carbapenem-resistant and hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-hvKp) represents a major clinical challenge, yet the role of virulence plasmids (pVirs) in shaping bacterial physiology and pathogenicity remains incompletely understood. Using a CRISPR-Cas9-based curing system, we precisely eliminated pVirs from two clinical CR-hvKp strains with distinct genetic backgrounds, ST23-KL1 (blaNDM-1) and ST11-KL64 (blaKPC-2). Loss of pVir conferred fitness advantages in vitro, reduced capsule production and hypermucoviscosity, and promoted biofilm formation, while markedly attenuating virulence in murine sepsis models. Despite this reduction, the pVir-cured ST23-KL1 strain retained higher virulence than the pVir-cured ST11-KL64 strain, underscoring the contribution of chromosomal background to pathogenic potential. Transcriptomic profiling revealed both shared and strain-specific transcriptional responses to pVir deletion, with broader perturbations observed in the ST11-KL64 strain. pVir removal had limited effects on antibiotic MICs. Complementation experiments further demonstrated differential regulatory roles of the rmpADC and rmpA2D2 operons in capsule expression and hypermucoviscosity across the two strains. Together, these findings establish pVirs as central determinants of CR-hvKp virulence and highlight complex host-plasmid interactions that influence bacterial adaptation and pathogenicity. IMPORTANCEThe emergence of carbapenem-resistant and hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-hvKp) poses a critical threat to global health, yet the contribution of virulence plasmids (pVirs) to bacterial fitness and pathogenicity remains poorly defined. By employing a CRISPR-Cas9-based curing strategy, we dissected the role of pVirs in two genetically distinct CR-hvKp strains and uncovered their multifaceted impact on capsule production, hypermucoviscosity, biofilm formation, and virulence. Our findings reveal that pVir loss confers fitness advantages in vitro while attenuating virulence in vivo, with strain-specific transcriptional responses and differential regulation by rmp operons. These results underscore the complex interplay between plasmid-encoded and chromosomal determinants in shaping CR-hvKp pathogenicity and adaptation, offering mechanistic insights that may inform future therapeutic strategies targeting plasmid-mediated virulence.

microbiology↗

LRMD: Reference-Free Misassembly Detection Based on Multiple Features from Long-Read Alignments

Genome assembly serves as the cornerstone of genomics research, with the detection of misassembly playing a crucial role in downstream analyses. Reference-free methods for misassembly detection, leveraging read alignments, enable us to circumvent the need for high-quality reference genomes and broaden their applicability. However, existing methods struggle to effectively utilize alignment data, leading to a noticeable deficiency in sensitivity for detecting misassemblies. We introduce LRMD, a novel reference-free tool for misassembly detection. LRMD integrates depth, clipping, and read pileup information derived from long-read-to-assembly alignments to significantly enhance sensitivity in identifying misassemblies. Experimental evaluations on both simulated and real datasets demonstrate that LRMD consistently outperforms existing tools in terms of sensitivity and F1-score. Notably, its results are closest to the reference-based evaluation tool QUAST. As an evaluation tool, LRMD also outputs metrics such as base quality, assembly size, contig N50, and others. LRMD is public available at http://github.com/sxfss/LRMD.

genomics↗

The transcriptional regulatory circuit as a driver and therapeutic target in CML blast crisis

Patients with blast crisis in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) exhibit an extremely poor prognosis, with median survival of only a few months and limited therapeutic options. Dysregulated transcriptional regulation plays a pivotal role in driving blast crisis progression. In this study, we performed histone modification and transcriptomic high-throughput sequencing on bone marrow cells derived from chronic and blast-phase CML patients, identifying a CML blast-specific transcriptional regulatory circuit comprising MEF2C, MYB, MEIS1, and ZEB2. These transcription factors (TFs) form protein complexes that co-bind to shared enhancers or promoters, reciprocally enhancing each others transcriptional activity and that of their downstream targets. Mechanistically, this circuit synergistically reprograms chromatin accessibility and transcriptional landscapes in blast cells, parallel activation of purine metabolism and Rho GTPase signaling pathways which exhibit functional crosstalk. Functional validation demonstrated that silencing components of this circuit or its downstream core targets significantly suppressed CML blast progression in vitro and in vivo. Notably, mebendazole (MBZ), a clinically approved inhibitor targeting MYB protein stability, recapitulated these inhibitory effects. Our findings establish the MEF2C-MYB-MEIS1-ZEB2 transcriptional circuit as a central driver of CML blast crisis and position MBZ as a high-potential translational strategy for targeting this lethal phase of the disease. Key PointsO_LIMEF2C, MYB, MEIS1, and ZEB2 form the CML blast-crisis transcriptional circuit, synergistically reprogramming chromatin and transcription. C_LIO_LIMebendazole inhibits CML blast progression by impairing the circuit, offering a rapid translational strategy for this lethal phase. C_LI

cancer biology↗

Mistimed surveys lead to underestimated migratory bird impacts from wind farms

Accurately estimating the likelihood of occurrence of threatened species is essential for effective impact assessments at development sites. Current survey guidelines often rely on coarse, static species distribution maps, risking misalignment for migratory birds present only seasonally. We evaluated 70 wind farms in eastern Australia to assess the alignment between survey timing and seasonal occurrence of four migratory species. Using eBird-based relative abundance models we classified recommended and actual survey periods as optimal, suboptimal, or poorly timed. Half of all surveys were not optimal, and one fifth missed the species potential temporal window of presence altogether. Field detections mostly occurred within modelled optimal or suboptimal windows, validating our approach. Likelihood of occurrence was significantly lower in poorly or suboptimally timed surveys, indicating current guidance for surveying migratory birds at Australian windfarms contains critical shortcomings. Evidence-based alignment with seasonal presence is needed to improve biodiversity assessment guidelines for wind energy development.

ecology↗