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Biology subjects

Wang, Y. K.

Publications and source records attributed to Wang, Y. K..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

Proteomic Profiling and Biological Characterization of Extracellular Vesicles Isolated from Human Alzheimer’s Disease Brain Tissues

IntroductionExtracellular vesicles (EVs) from human Alzheimers disease (AD) biospecimens contain amyloid-{beta} peptide (A{beta}) and tau. While AD EVs are known to affect brain disease pathobiology, their biochemical and molecular characterizations remain ill defined.\n\nMethodsEVs were isolated from the cortical grey matter of 20 AD and 18 control brains. Tau and A{beta} levels were measured by immunoassay. Differentially expressed EV proteins were assessed by quantitative proteomics and machine learning.\n\nResultsLevels of pS396 tau and A{beta} were significantly elevated in AD EVs. High levels of neuron- and glia- specific factors are detected in control and AD EVs, respectively. Machine learning identified ANXA5, VGF, GPM6A and ACTZ in AD EV compared to controls. They distinguished AD EVs from controls in the test sets with 88% accuracy.\n\nDiscussionIn addition to A{beta} and tau, ANXA5, VGF, GPM6A and ACTZ are new signature proteins in AD EVs.

biochemistry↗

Comparison of Escherichia coli surface attachment methods for single-cell, in vivo microscopy

For in vivo, single-cell imaging bacterial cells are commonly immobilised via physical confinement or surface attachment. Different surface attachment methods have been used both for atomic force and optical microscopy (including super resolution), and some have been reported to affect bacterial physiology. However, a systematic comparison of the effects these attachment methods have on the bacterial physiology is lacking. Here we present such a comparison for bacterium Escherichia coli, and assess the growth rate, size and intracellular pH of cells growing attached to different, commonly used, surfaces. We demonstrate that E. coli grow at the same rate, length and internal pH on all the tested surfaces when in the same growth medium. The result suggests that tested attachment methods can be used interchangeably when studying E. coli physiology.

systems biology↗

Integrated single-nucleotide and structural variation signatures of DNA-repair deficient human cancers

Mutation signatures in cancer genomes reflect endogenous and exogenous mutational processes, offering insights into tumour etiology, features for prognostic and biologic stratification and vulnerabilities to be exploited therapeutically. We present a novel machine learning formalism for improved signature inference, based on multi-modal correlated topic models (MMCTM) which can at once infer signatures from both single nucleotide and structural variation counts derived from cancer genome sequencing data. We exemplify the utility of our approach on two hormone driven, DNA repair deficient cancers: breast and ovary (n=755 cases total). Our results illuminate a new age-associated structural variation signature in breast cancer, and an independently identified substructure within homologous recombination deficient (HRD) tumours in breast and ovarian cancer. Together, our study emphasizes the importance of integrating multiple mutation modes for signature discovery and patient stratification, with biological and clinical implications for DNA repair deficient cancers.

cancer biology↗

The interface of malignant and immunologic clonal dynamics in high-grade serous ovarian cancer

High-grade serous ovarian cancer exhibits extensive intratumoral heterogeneity coupled with widespread intraperitoneal disease. Despite this, metastatic spread of tumor clones is non-random, implying the existence of local microenvironmental factors that shape tumor progression. We interrogated the molecular interface between tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) and cancer cells in 143 samples from 21 patients using whole-genome sequencing, immunohistochemistry, histologic image analysis, gene expression profiling, and T- and B-cell receptor sequencing. We identify 3 immunologic response categories, which frequently co-exist within individual patients. Furthermore, epithelial CD8+ TIL were inversely associated with malignant cell diversity, evidenced by subclonal neoepitope elimination and spatial tracking between tumor and T-cell clones. Intersecting mutational signatures and immune analysis showed that foldback inversion genomic aberrations lead to worse outcomes even in the presence of cytotoxic TIL (n=433). Thus, regional variation in immune contexture mirrors the pattern of intraperitoneal malignant spread, provoking new perspectives for treatment of this challenging disease.

cancer biology↗