Biology subjects

Zhang, H.-L.

Publications and source records attributed to Zhang, H.-L..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Elamipretide reverses female fertility decline during reproductive aging via regulating VEGF in oocytes

Aging is one of the primary drivers for the decline of female fertility, and oocyte quality is the main cause for ovary aging, which is related with infertility. Although some effective anti-aging natural components have been reported, highly efficient strategies for reversing ovary aging remain lacking. In this study, we reported that peptide elamipretide reserved ovary function for female fertility during maternal aging. Our findings demonstrated that elamipretide improved aged human oocyte maturation and fertilization. Elamipretide injection increased the litter size of aged mice, and improved oocyte quality with the reverse of follicle and embryo development defect. Metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses demonstrated that multiple biological processes in oocytes were significantly reserved. Both nuclear maturation and cytoplasmic maturation of aged oocytes were improved, showing with enhancing cytoskeletal dynamics, mitochondrial metabolism and organelle rearrangement. In vitro supplementation during culture also restored oocyte developmental competence in both mouse and porcine oocytes. Mechanistic analysis suggested that elamipretide reversed age-related ovarian damage via synergistic activation of the Vitamin B6-VEGF axis. Therefore, our study proposed a new peptide therapy for aging-induced infertility, showing that elamipretide reverses aged oocyte quality for fertility by promoting both nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation through the coordination with VEGF signaling pathway.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Assessing Genetic Diversity in Critically Endangered Chieniodendron hainanense Populations within Fragmented Habitats in Hainan

AbstractHabitat fragmentation engenders a reduction in the geographic distribution of species, thereby rendering diminutive populations susceptible to extinction due to environmental, demographic, and genetic factors. Chieniodendron hainanense (henceforth C. hainanense) exemplifies a wild plant with extremely small populations (WPESP) and faces endangerment, necessitating urgent national conservation efforts. Elucidating the genetic diversity of C. hainanense is crucial for uncovering underlying mechanisms and devising protective strategies. In the present study, 35 specimens from six distinct cohort groups were genotyped utilizing genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) methodologies. The results indicated that C. hainanense exhibits limited genetic diversity. Observed heterozygosity within C. hainanense populations spanned from 10.79% to 14.55%, with an average value of 13.15%. The six C. hainanense populations can be categorized into two distinct groups: (1) Diaoluoshan and Baishaling, and (2) Wuzhishan, Huishan, Bawangling, and Jianfengling. The degree of genetic differentiation among C. hainanense populations is relatively weak. The observed loss of diversity can be attributed to the effects of natural selection.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2020

Extensive Genetic Diversity and Host Range of Rodent-borne Coronaviruses

To better understand the genetic diversity, host association and evolution of coronaviruses (CoVs) in China we analyzed a total of 696 rodents encompassing 16 different species sampled from Zhejiang and Yunnan provinces. Based on the reverse transcriptase PCR-based CoV screening CoVs of fecal samples and subsequent sequence analysis of the RdRp gene, we identified CoVs in diverse rodent species, comprising Apodemus agrarius, Apodemus latronum, Bandicota indica, Eothenomys miletus, E. eleusis, Rattus andamanesis, Rattus norvegicus, and R. tanezumi. Apodemus chevrieri was a particularly rich host, harboring 25 rodent CoVs. Genetic and phylogenetic analysis revealed the presence of three groups of CoVs carried by a range of rodents that were closely related to the Lucheng Rn rat coronavirus (LRNV), China Rattus coronavirus HKU24 (ChRCoV_HKU24) and Longquan Rl rat coronavirus (LRLV) identified previously. One newly identified A. chevrieri-associated virus closely related to LRNV lacked an NS2 gene. This virus had a similar genetic organization to AcCoV-JC34, recently discovered in the same rodent species in Yunnan, suggesting that it represents a new viral subtype. Notably, additional variants of LRNV were identified that contained putative nonstructural NS2b genes located downstream of the NS2 gene that were likely derived from the host genome. Recombination events were also identified in the ORF1a gene of Lijiang-71. In sum, these data reveal the substantial genetic diversity and genomic complexity of rodent-borne CoVs, and greatly extend our knowledge of these major wildlife virus reservoirs.

genetics↗

bioRxiv2018

Profile of the tprK gene in primary syphilis patients based on next-generation sequencing

BackgroundThe highly variable tprK gene of Treponema pallidum has been acknowledged to be the cause of persistent infection. Previous studies mainly focused on the heterogeneity in tprK in propagated strains using a clone-based Sanger approach. Few studies have investigated tprK directly from clinical samples using deep sequencing.\n\nMethods/Principal findingsWe conducted a comprehensive analysis of 14 primary syphilis clinical isolates of T. pallidum via next-generation sequencing to gain better insight into the profile of tprK in primary syphilis patients. Our results based on primary syphilis clinical samples showed that there was a mixture of distinct sequences within each V region of tprK. Except for the predominant sequence for each region as previously reported using the clone-based Sanger approach, there were many minor variants of all strains that were mainly observed at a frequency of 1-5%. Interestingly, the identified distinct sequences within the regions were variable in length and differed only by 3 bp or multiples of 3 bp. In addition, amino acid sequence consistency within each region was found between the 14 strains. Among the regions, the sequence IASDGGAIKH in V1 and the sequence DVGHKKENAANVNGTVGA in V4 showed a high stability of inter-strain redundancy.\n\nConclusionsThe seven V regions of the tprK gene in primary syphilis infection demonstrated high diversity; they generally contained a high proportion sequence and numerous low-frequency minor variants, most of which are far below the detection limit of Sanger sequencing. The rampant variation in each region was regulated by a strict gene conversion mechanism that maintained the length difference to 3 bp or multiples of 3 bp. The highly stable sequence of inter-strain redundancy may indicate that the sequences play a critical role in T. pallidum virulence. These highly stable peptides are also likely to be potential targets for vaccine development.\n\nAuthor summaryVariations in tprK have been acknowledged to be the major contributors to persistent Treponema pallidum infections. Previous studies were based on the clone-based Sanger approach, and most of them were performed in propagated strains using rabbits, which could not reflect the actual heterogeneous characteristics of tprK in vivo. In the present study, we employed next-generation sequencing (NGS) to explore the profile of tprK directly from 14 patients with primary syphilis. Our results showed a mixture of distinct sequences within each V region of tprK in these clinical samples. First, the length of identified distinct sequences within the region was variable, which differed by only 3 bp or multiples of 3 bp. Then, among the mixtures, a predominant sequence was usually observed for each region, and the remaining minor variants were mainly observed at a frequency of 1-5%. In addition, there was a scenario of amino acid sequence consistency within the regions between the 14 primary syphilis strains. The identification of the profile of tprK in the context of human primary syphilis infection contributes to further exploration of the pathogenesis of syphilis.

microbiology↗