Biology subjects

Tang, C.

Publications and source records attributed to Tang, C..

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

The role of secondary structures of peptide polymers on antimicrobial efficacy and antibiotic potentiation

The rise of antibiotic resistance, biofilm formation, and dormant bacterial populations poses serious global health threats. Synthetic antimicrobial peptide (AMP) mimics offer promising alternatives, though the impact of secondary structures in polymeric AMP mimics on antimicrobial efficacy is underexplored. This study investigates chirality-controlled -peptide polymers (D-PP and DL-PP), synthesized via ring-opening polymerization of allylglycine N-carboxy anhydrides and post-polymerization modification through thiol-ene click chemistry. D-PP adopts a stable helical structure under biomimetic conditions, whereas DL-PP remains random. This helical structure enhanced D-PPs antibacterial and antibiotic potentiation activities, amplifying antibiotic efficacy by 2- to 256-fold across various classes--including tetracyclines, ansamycins, fusidanes, macrolides, cephalosporins, and monobactams--against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens, while maintaining low hemolytic activity and high protease stability. Mechanistic investigations revealed that D-PP exhibited greater membrane interaction. D-PP and antibiotic combinations eradicated dormant bacterial populations and disrupted biofilms with minimal antimicrobial resistance development. This study paves the way for the rational design of polypeptide-based antimicrobial agents, harnessing chirality and secondary structural features to enhance the efficacy of synthetic antimicrobial peptide mimics.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2024

NLGN3 contributes to angiogenesis in myocardial infarction via activation of the Gαi1/3-Akt Pathway

BACKGROUNDAngiogenesis is an important repair mechanism for myocardial infarction. Neuroligin-3 (NLGN3) can promote angiogenesis by activating Gi1/3-Akt signaling following ischemic brain injury. This study investigated the role of NLGN3 in myocardial infarction (MI). METHODS AND RESULTSOn the 7th day after MI, the plasma level of NLGN3 in patients was significantly higher than in the control group. A mouse model of MI also showed significantly increased expression of NLGN3 in heart tissue. Single-nucleus transcriptome analysis revealed that NLGN3 was located predominantly in cardiac fibroblasts and endothelial cells (ECs). Endothelial-specific knockdown of NLGN3, or inhibition of NLGN3 using ADAM10i, significantly increased the ischemic area, reduced angiogenesis, and worsened cardiac function. Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) experiments showed that NLGN3 interacted with Gi1/3. The Gi1/3 knockout (Gi1/3-KO) mouse model of MI showed an increased ischemic area, decreased angiogenesis, and impaired cardiac function. Mechanistic studies showed that the NLGN3-Gi1/3 signaling pathway exerts cardioprotective effects by promoting EC proliferation and tube formation through the PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway. Silencing of Gi1/3 largely eliminated the ability of NLGN3-promoting cardiac ECs to proliferate and form tubes. CONCLUSIONOur findings suggest the endothelial NLGN3-Gi1/3 signaling pathway promotes angiogenesis and reduces the ischemic area following MI, which is critical for maintaining cardiac function and repairing tissues. Targeting of the NLGN3-Gi1/3 signaling pathway may have clinical therapeutic potential in protecting the heart from ischemic injury. What Is Known?O_LIMyocardial infarction (MI) leads to a significantly increased risk of recurrent events in individually vascularized regions, which then stimulates adverse systemic vascular effects. C_LIO_LIGi proteins play a key role in receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) and other non-GPCR receptor-mediated signaling. C_LIO_LINeuroligin 3 (NLGN3) is a major member of the NLGN family of proteins that help to form synapses between neurons. It is known be cleaved and secreted in an activity-dependent manner, but its function in heart disease is still poorly understood. C_LI What New Information Does This Article Contribute?O_LINLGN3 expression was found to be markedly increased in the heart after MI, especially in cardiac ECs. C_LIO_LIKnockdown of Gi1/3 significantly reduced angiogenesis and impaired cardiac function, while knockdown of NLGN3 increased the ischemic area and reduced angiogenesis through Gi1/3. C_LIO_LINLGN3-Gi1/3 signaling promotes vascular EC proliferation and tube formation through the PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway, thereby protecting the ischemic heart. C_LI

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Elevated Ubiquitin Phosphorylation by PINK1 Contributes to Proteasomal Impairment and Promotes Neurodegeneration

Ubiquitin (Ub), a central regulator of protein turnover, can be phosphorylated by PINK1 (PTEN-induced putative kinase 1) to generate S65-phosphorylated ubiquitin (pUb). Elevated pUb levels have been observed in aged human brains and in Parkinsons disease, but the mechanistic link between pUb elevation and neurodegeneration remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that pUb elevation is a common feature under neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimers disease, aging, and ischemic injury. We show that impaired proteasomal activity leads to the accumulation of sPINK1, the cytosolic form of PINK1 that is normally proteasome-degraded rapidly. This accumulation increases ubiquitin phosphorylation, which then inhibits ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal activity by interfering with both ubiquitin chain elongation and proteasome-substrate interactions. Specific expression of sPINK1 in mouse hippocampal neurons induced progressive pUb accumulation, accompanied by protein aggregation, proteostasis disruption, neuronal injury, neuroinflammation, and cognitive decline. Conversely, pink1 knockout mitigated protein aggregation in both mouse brains and HEK293 cells. Furthermore, the detrimental effects of sPINK1 could be counteracted by co-expressing Ub/S65A phospho-null mutant but exacerbated by over-expressing Ub/S65E phospho-mimic mutant. Together, these findings reveal that pUb elevation, triggered by reduced proteasomal activity, inhibits proteasomal activity and forms a feedforward loop that drives progressive neurodegeneration.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2024

DEMINERS enables clinical metagenomics and comparative transcriptomic analysis by increasing throughput and accuracy of nanopore direct RNA sequencing

Nanopore direct RNA sequencing (DRS) advances RNA biology but is limited by relatively low basecalling accuracy, low throughput, yet high RNA input and costs. Here we introduce a novel DRS toolkit, DEMINERS, which integrates an RNA multiplexing experimental workflow, a machine-learning barcode classifier based on Random Forest and a novel basecaller built on an optimized convolutional neural network providing an additional species-specific training module. With the increased accuracy in barcode classification and basecalling, DEMINERS can demultiplex up to 24 samples and the required RNA input and running time are both substantially reduced. We demonstrated the applications of DEMINERS in clinical metagenomics, cancer transcriptomics and parallel comparison of transcriptomic features in different biological conditions, revealing altered airway microbial diversity in COVID-19 and a potential role of m6A in increasing transcriptomic diversity in glioma and the mature blood-stage of malaria parasites. Overall, DEMINERS is a simple, robust, high-throughput DRS method for accurately estimating transcript levels, poly(A) lengths, and mutation and RNA modification heterogeneity at single-read level, with minimal sequencing biases.

bioinformatics↗

bioRxiv2024

DDX3 regulates the cap-independent translation of the Japanese encephalitis virus via its interactions with PABP1 and the untranslated regions of the viral genome

The translation of global cellular proteins is almost completely repressed in cells with flavivirus infection, while viral translation remains efficient. The mechanisms of flaviviruses evade host translational shutoff are largely unknown. Here, we identified viral elements and host factors associated with JEV evasion of host shutoff. JEV 5'UTR lacked IRES or IRES-like activity, while noncapped 5'UTR initiated translation in the presence of 3'UTR. Furthermore, the elements DB2 and sHP-SL within 3'UTR were involved in the regulation of cap-independent translation, which is conserved in the genus Orthoflavivirus. By RNA affinity purification and mass spectrometry analysis, cellular DDX3 and PABP1 were identified as key factors in regulating cap-independent translation of JEV via their interactions with DB2 and sHP-SL RNA structures. Mechanistically, we revealed that DDX3 could bind to both 5'UTR and 3'UTR of the JEV genome to establish a closed-loop architecture, recruit eIF4G/eIF4A to form the DDX3/PABP1/eIF4G/eIF4A tetrameric complex via its interaction with PABP1, thereby recruiting 43S PIC to the 5'-end of the JEV genome to start translation. Our findings demonstrated a noncanonical translation strategy employed by JEV and further revealed the regulatory roles of DDX3 and PABP1 in this mechanism. These results expand our knowledge of the translation initiation regulation in flaviviruses under the state of host translational shutoff, which provides a conserved antiviral target against orthoflavivirus.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2024

EmbSAM: Cell boundary localization and Segment Anything Model for fast images of developing embryos

Cellular shape dynamics are critical for understanding cell fate determination and organogenesis during development. However, fluorescence live-cell images of cell membranes frequently suffer from a low signal-to-noise ratio, especially during long-duration imaging with high spatiotemporal resolutions. This is caused by phototoxicity and photobleaching, which limit laser power and hinder effective time-lapse cell shape reconstruction, particularly in rapidly developing embryos. Here, we devised a new computational framework, EmbSAM, that incorporates a deep-learning-based cell boundary localization algorithm and the Segment Anything Model. EmbSAM enables accurate and robust three-dimensional (3D) cell membrane segmentation for roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans embryos imaged every 10 seconds. The cell shape data prior to gastrulation quantitatively characterizes a series of cell-division-coupled morphodynamics associated with cell position, cell identity, lineage, and fate, and can be accessed locally and online. The framework also exhibits potential in segmenting and quantifying the fluorescence labeling various cell-membraned-attached molecules in both wild-type and RNAi-treated embryos.

bioinformatics↗

bioRxiv2024

Single cell genome and epigenome co-profiling reveals hardwiring and plasticity in breast cancer

Understanding the impact of genetic alterations on epigenomic phenotypes during breast cancer progression is challenging with unimodal measurements. Here, we report wellDA-seq, the first high-genomic resolution, high-throughput method that can simultaneously measure the whole genome and chromatin accessibility profiles of thousands of single cells. Using wellDA-seq, we profiled 22,123 single cells from 2 normal and 9 tumors breast tissues. By directly mapping the epigenomic phenotypes to genetic lineages across cancer subclones, we found evidence of both genetic hardwiring and epigenetic plasticity. In 6 estrogen-receptor positive breast cancers, we directly identified the ancestral cancer cells, and found that their epithelial cell-of-origin was Luminal Hormone Responsive cells. We also identified cell types with copy number aberrations (CNA) in normal breast tissues and discovered non-epithelial cell types in the microenvironment with CNAs in breast cancers. These data provide insights into the complex relationship between genetic alterations and epigenomic phenotypes during breast tumor evolution.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2024

BayeSMART: Bayesian Clustering of Multi-sample Spatially Resolved Transcriptomics Data

The field of spatially resolved transcriptomics (SRT) has greatly advanced our understanding of cellular microenvironments by integrating spatial information with molecular data collected from multiple tissue sections or individuals. However, methods for multi-sample spatial clustering are lacking, and existing methods primarily rely on molecular information alone. This paper introduces BayeSMART, a Bayesian statistical method designed to identify spatial domains across multiple samples. BayeSMART leverages artificial intelligence (AI)-reconstructed single-cell level information from the paired histology images of multi-sample SRT datasets while simultaneously considering the spatial context of gene expression. The AI integration enables BayeSMART to effectively interpret the spatial domains. We conducted case studies using four datasets from various tissue types and SRT platforms and compared BayeSMART with alternative multi-sample spatial clustering approaches and a number of state-of-the-art methods for single-sample SRT analysis, demonstrating that it surpasses existing methods in terms of clustering accuracy, interpretability, and computational efficiency. BayeSMART offers new insights into the spatial organization of cells in multi-sample SRT data.

bioinformatics↗

bioRxiv2024

Inhibition of Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase Ameliorates Cerebral Blood Flow Autoregulation and Cognition in Alzheimer's Disease and Diabetes-Related Dementia Rat Models

Alzheimers Disease and Alzheimers Disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD) pose major global healthcare challenges, with diabetes mellitus (DM) being a key risk factor. Both AD and DM-related ADRD are characterized by reduced cerebral blood flow, although the exact mechanisms remain unclear. We previously identified compromised cerebral hemodynamics as early signs in TgF344-AD and type 2 DM-ADRD (T2DN) rat models. Genome-wide studies have linked AD/ADRD to SNPs in soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH). This study explored the effects of sEH inhibition with TPPU on cerebral vascular function and cognition in AD and DM-ADRD models. Chronic TPPU treatment improved cognition in both AD and DM-ADRD rats without affecting body weight. In DM-ADRD rats, TPPU reduced plasma glucose and HbA1C levels. Transcriptomic analysis of primary cerebral vascular smooth muscle cells from AD rats treated with TPPU revealed enhanced pathways related to cell contraction, alongside decreased oxidative stress and inflammation. Both AD and DM-ADRD rats exhibited impaired myogenic responses and autoregulation in the cerebral circulation, which were normalized with chronic sEH inhibition. Additionally, TPPU improved acetylcholine-induced vasodilation in the middle cerebral arteries (MCA) of DM-ADRD rats. Acute TPPU administration unexpectedly caused vasoconstriction in the MCA of DM-ADRD rats at lower doses. In contrast, higher doses or longer durations were required to induce effective vasodilation at physiological perfusion pressure in both control and ADRD rats. Additionally, TPPU decreased reactive oxygen species production in cerebral vessels of AD and DM-ADRD rats. These findings provide novel evidence that chronic sEH inhibition can reverse cerebrovascular dysfunction and cognitive impairments in AD/ADRD, offering a promising avenue for therapeutic development.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2024

δ-α cell-to-cell interactions modulate pancreatic islet Ca2+ oscillation modes

Glucose-induced pancreatic islet hormone release is tightly coupled with oscillations in cytoplasmic free Ca2+ concentration of islet cells, which is regulated by a complex interplay between intercellular and intracellular signaling. {delta} cells, which entangle with cells located at the islet periphery, are known to be important paracrine regulators. However, the role of {delta} cells in regulating Ca2+ oscillation pattern remains unclear. Here we show that {delta}- cell-to-cell interactions are the source of variability in glucose-induced Ca2+ oscillation pattern. Somatostatin secreted from {delta} cells prolonged the islets oscillation period in an cell mass-dependent manner. Pharmacological and optogenetic perturbations of {delta}- interactions led islets to switch between fast and slow Ca2+ oscillations. Continuous adjustment of {delta}- coupling strength caused the fast oscillating islets to transition to mixed and slow oscillations. We developed a mathematical model, demonstrating that the fast-mixed-slow oscillation transition is a Hopf bifurcation. Our findings provide a comprehensive understanding of how {delta} cells modulate islet Ca2+ dynamics and reveal the intrinsic heterogeneity of islets due to the structural composition of different cell types. HighlightsO_LISomatostatin slows down islet Ca2+ oscillations in an cell mass-dependent manner. C_LIO_LIPharmacological and optogenetic perturbations of {delta}- interaction cause islet Ca2+ oscillation mode switching. C_LIO_LIContinuous tuning of {delta}- interaction strength induces fast-mixed-slow oscillation transition successively. C_LIO_LIMathematical modeling shows the fast-mixed-slow oscillation transition as a Hopf bifurcation. C_LI

systems biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Cost-effective DNA storage with DNA movable type

In the face of exponential data growth, DNA-based storage offers a promising solution for preserving big-data. However, most existing DNA storage methods, akin to traditional block printing, require costly chemical synthesis for each individual data file, adopting a sequential, one-time-use synthesis approach. To overcome these limitations, we introduce a novel, cost-effective "DNA-Movable-Type Storage" system, inspired by movable type printing. This system utilizes pre-fabricated DNA movable types-short, double-stranded DNA oligonucleotides encoding specific payload, address, and checksum data. These DNA-MTs are enzymatically ligated/assembled into cohesive sequences, termed "DNA movable type blocks", streamlining the assembly process with the automated BISHENG-1 DNA-MT inkjet printer. Using BISHENG-1, we successfully printed, assembled, stored and accurately retrieved 43.7 KB of data files in diverse formats (text, image, audio, and video) in vitro and in vivo, using only 350 DNA-MTs. Notably, each DNA-MT, synthesized once (2 OD), can be used up to 10,000 times, reducing costs to 122 $/MB-outperforming existing DNA storage methods. This innovation circumvents the need to synthesize entire DNA sequences encoding files from scratch, offering significant cost and efficiency advantages. Furthermore, it has considerable untapped potential to advance a robust DNA storage system, better meeting the extensive data storage demands of the big-data era.

bioinformatics↗

bioRxiv2024

High efficient chromatin conformation capture without pre-enrichment (HiChew) in single cells

This study presents HiChew, a cutting-edge technique for high-efficiency chromatin conformation capture in single cells, without the need for pre-enrichment. This unique approach minimizes the risk of cell or DNA loss. When compared to Dip-C, HiChew captures valid pairs with 4-8 times more efficiency, reducing wastage and saving significant sequencing budget. Furthermore, HiChew delivers a lower false positive ratio, ensuring data accuracy. It also achieves more contacts per cell, enhancing resolution in single cell. HiChews superior performance not only enhances single-cell Hi-C but also streamlines conventional Hi-C, making it more robust than conventional HiC methods. This study also unveils a fascinating mechanism of gene activation in the B compartment of chromatin, providing insight into the elusive aspect of gene expression within this region.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2024

Exploring DNA movement through the application of droplet based high efficient chromatin conformation capture (DropHiChew) and loop velocity

This study presents a novel approach to understanding DNA movement dynamics through the development of a droplet-based, high-efficient chromatin conformation capture method, known as DropHiChew, and a new algorithm, loop velocity. DropHiChew, a user-friendly and cost-effective technique, employs the 10X single-cell systems allowing for easy experimental implementation. The loop velocity algorithm, on the other hand, enables the estimation of the speed and direction of cell development, providing a dynamic perspective on chromatin movement. Even with shallow sequencing, our loop velocity algorithm accurately gauges the trajectory of DNA motion and cellular states. The combined use of DropHiChew and loop velocity offers potential for a wide array of applications in future chromatin capture studies, including disease modeling, cellular differentiation studies, and developmental biology.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2024

Chlamydia-driven ISG15 expression dampens the immune response of epithelial cells independently of ISGylation

Excessive inflammation upon C. trachomatis infection can cause severe damages in the female genital tract. This obligate intracellular bacterium develops mainly in epithelial cells, whose innate response contributes to the overall inflammatory response to infection. The ubiquitin-like protein interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) stimulates interferon {gamma} (IFN{gamma}) production and is required for bacterial clearance in several infectious contexts. Here, we describe and investigate the consequences of the increase in ISG15 expression by epithelial cells infected with C. trachomatis. Infection of HeLa cells and primary ecto-cervical epithelial cells resulted in a transcriptional up-regulation of ISG15 expression. This did not involve the canonical IFN-I signaling pathway and depended instead on the activation of the STING/TBK1/IRF3 pathway. Absence or reduction of ISG15 synthesis led to increased production of several cytokines and chemokines including interleukin (IL) 6 and IL8, implicating that ISG15 normally dampens the immune response induced by C. trachomatis infection in epithelial cells. ISG15 exerted its control from an intracellular location, but without involving ISGylation. Finally, higher levels of inflammation and delayed bacterial clearance were observed in the genital tracts of ISG15-KO mice infected by C. trachomatis compared to wild type animals, however IFN{gamma} production was unchanged. Altogether, our data show that ISG15 expression acts as a brake on the immune response to C. trachomatis infection in epithelial cells and limits bacterial burden and inflammation in mice.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2024

Cell-type specific inference from bulk RNA-sequencing data by integrating single cell reference profiles via EPIC-unmix

Cell type specific (CTS) analysis is essential to reveal biological insights obscured in bulk tissue data. However, single-cell (sc) or single-nuclei (sn) resolution data are still cost-prohibitive for large-scale samples. Thus, computational methods to perform deconvolution from bulk tissue data are highly valuable. We here present EPIC-unmix, a novel two-step empirical Bayesian method integrating reference sc/sn RNA-seq data and bulk RNA-seq data from target samples to enhance the accuracy of CTS inference. We demonstrate through comprehensive simulations across three tissues that EPIC-unmix achieved 4.6% - 109.8% higher accuracy compared to alternative methods. By applying EPIC-unmix to human bulk brain RNA-seq data from the ROSMAP and MSBB cohorts, we identified multiple genes differentially expressed between Alzheimers disease (AD) cases versus controls in a CTS manner, including 57.4% novel genes not identified using similar sample size sc/snRNA-seq data, indicating the power of our in-silico approach. Among the 6-69% overlapping, 83%-100% are in consistent direction with those from sc/snRNA-seq data, supporting the reliability of our findings. EPIC-unmix inferred CTS expression profiles similarly empowers CTS eQTL analysis. Among the novel eQTLs, we highlight a microglia eQTL for AD risk gene AP3B2, obscured in bulk and missed by sc/snRNA-seq based eQTL analysis. The variant resides in a microglia-specific cCRE, forming chromatin loop with AP3B2 promoter region in microglia. Taken together, we believe EPIC-unmix will be a valuable tool to enable more powerful CTS analysis.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2024

Enhanced dynamic covalent chemistry for the controlled release of small molecules and biologics from a nanofibrous peptide hydrogel platform

Maintaining safe and potent pharmaceutical drug levels is often challenging. Multidomain peptides (MDPs) assemble into supramolecular hydrogels with a well-defined, highly porous nanostructure that makes them attractive for drug delivery, yet their ability to extend release is typically limited by rapid drug diffusion. To overcome this challenge, we developed self-assembling boronate ester release (SABER) MDPs capable of engaging in dynamic covalent bonding with payloads containing boronic acids (BAs). As examples, we demonstrate that SABER hydrogels can prolong the release of five BA-containing small-molecule drugs as well as BA-modified insulin and antibodies. Pharmacokinetic studies revealed that SABER hydrogels extended the therapeutic effect of ganfeborole from days to weeks, preventing Mycobacterium tuberculosis growth better than repeated oral administration in an infection model. Similarly, SABER hydrogels extended insulin activity, maintaining normoglycemia for six days in diabetic mice after a single injection. These results suggest that SABER hydrogels present broad potential for clinical translation.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2024

Mechanism, and treatment of anti-CV2/CRMP5 autoimmune pain

Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes arise from autoimmune reactions against nervous system antigens due to a maladaptive immune response to a peripheral cancer. Patients with small cell lung carcinoma or malignant thymoma can develop an autoimmune response against the CV2/collapsin response mediator protein 5 (CRMP5) antigen. For reasons that are not understood, approximately 80% of patients experience painful neuropathies. Here, we investigated the mechanisms underlying anti-CV2/CRMP5 autoantibodies (CV2/CRMP5-Abs)-related pain. We found that patient-derived CV2/CRMP5-Abs can bind to their target in rodent dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and superficial laminae of the spinal cord. CV2/CRMP5-Abs induced DRG neuron hyperexcitability and mechanical hypersensitivity in rats that were abolished by preventing binding to their cognate autoantigen CRMP5. The effect of CV2/CRMP5-Abs on sensory neuron hyperexcitability and mechanical hypersensitivity observed in patients was recapitulated in rats using genetic immunization providing an approach to rapidly identify possible therapeutic choices for treating autoantibody-induced pain including the repurposing of a monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody that selectively deplete B-lymphocytes. These data reveal a previously unknown neuronal mechanism of neuropathic pain in patients with paraneoplastic neurological syndromes resulting directly from CV2/CRMP5-Abs-induced nociceptor excitability. CV2/CRMP5-Abs directly sensitize pain responses by increasing sensory neuron excitability and strategies aiming at either blocking or reducing CV2/CRMP5-Abs can treat pain as a comorbidity in patients with paraneoplastic neurological syndromes.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

Advancing knowledge of West African morning glories: a taxonomic revision of Ipomoea L. (Convolvulaceae) from Ghana

Ghanas plant diversity is estimated at 2,974 plant species, belonging to 1,077 genera and 173 plant families. However, a Flora of Ghana is yet inexistent: targeted floristic and taxonomic studies are still much needed to document the plant diversity of the country fully at the family, generic and species levels. This is essential for identifying priority conservation areas in the country and support further research in crop wild relatives or medicinal plants, which will help tackle food insecurity and improve livelihoods. In this study, we provide a taxonomic revision of the Ipomoea spp. in Ghana to enhance their identification, conservation and sustainable utilization as food and medicine among other uses. An extensive literature review was carried out, including historical references and online taxonomic databases, to recover information on accepted names, type specimens and synonyms, followed by consultation of herbarium specimens at GC herbaria, to retrieve morphological information and database specimens. Specimen locality information was georeferenced, and records plotted onto distribution maps. As a result, this work provides an identification key to the species of Ipomoea of Ghana, nomenclatural information, comprehensive morphological descriptions, detailed list of examined specimens, distribution maps and notes on conservation status and traditional plant uses. In total, 28 species are fully described, 20 of which are native and eight introduced from the Americas; five are new records to Ghana.

plant biology↗