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Abstract:
Glycogen is the most effective energy reserve for metabolism in aquatic shellfish, and also contributes to the flavor and quality of oyster. Jinjiang oyster Crassostrea ariakensis is an economically and ecologically important species in China. In this study, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing (ATAC-seq) were performed respectively to explore the gene expression and dynamic changes of chromatin accessibility among the oysters with different glycogen contents. A total of 9483 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 7215 significantly differential chromatin accessibility genes (DCAGs) were obtained, with the intersection of DEGs and DCAGs reaching 2600. Many of those genes were enriched in the pathways related to glycogen metabolism such as "Glycogen metabolic process" and "Starch and sucrose metabolism". In addition, a total of 526 SNP loci associated with glycogen content obtained by the genome wide association study (GWAS) corresponded to 241 genes, 63 of which were also DEGs and DCAGs as revealed above. This study will enrich basic research data and provide insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of glycogen metabolism in oyster.
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Widespread species that live in diversified environments have large population sizes and a high capacity for environmental tolerance and thus for range expansion. In contrast, narrow-ranged species are confined in restricted geographical areas and ecologically adjusted to narrow environmental conditions and consequently may have limited capacity to expand into a novel environment. However, it is not clear how genomic mechanisms underlie the differentiation in the closely related species that differ in their distribution ranges. The Niviventer niviventer species complex (NNSC), a group of the most abundant wild rats in Southeast Asia and China, provides an ideal system to investigate these questions, as this group includes widespread and narrow-ranged species that are phylogenetically closely related. In the present study, we combined ecological niche models with phylogenetic analysis suggesting that sister species cannot be both widespread and dominant in the same geographical region. Heterozygosity, linkage disequilibrium decay and Tajima's D analysis suggested that widespread species have higher genetic diversity than narrow-ranged species. Moreover, scanning ‘genomic islands of speciation’ revealed 13 genes in highly divergent regions that were shared by two widespread species, which distinguished them from the narrow-ranged species. In addition, functional annotation results suggested that these genes are involved in nervous system development and regulation. Adaptive evolution of these genes likely plays an important role in the speciation of these widespread species.
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Monitoring the prevalence of the antimicrobial resistance gene (ARG) is critical to address the global crisis of antibiotic resistant bacterial infections. However, the characterization of ARG and microbiome structure, as well as the indicators for routine ARG monitoring in pig farms, are still lacking under the variation in antimicrobial exposure between countries/regions. Hence, metagenomics and Random Forest machine learning algorithm were used to decipher the ARG profiles, microbiome, and ARG contamination indicators in pig manure under different antimicrobial pressures between China and Europe. The results showed that Chinese pigs exposed to high level antimicrobials had higher total and plasmid-mediated ARG abundances than European pigs (P < 0.05). ANT(6)-Ib, APH(3')-IIIa, and tet(40) were the shared core ARGs between Chinese and European pigs. The core ARG identified in pigs existed a linkage between corresponding country/regions pigs and humans. Moreover, Lactobacillus and Prevotella were the dominant phyla in the core microbiome of Chinese and European pigs, respectively. Forty ARG markers and 43 biomarkers were found to differentiate Chinese and European pig manure samples with 100% and 98.7% accuracy, respectively. We identified indicators to assess the ARG contamination in Chinese and European pigs with high accuracy (r = 0.72 ~ 0.88). Escherichia flexneri in Chinese and European pigs carried numerous ARGs, ranging from 21 to 37. This study emphasized the importance of global collaboration in reducing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) risk and provided indicators for evaluating the risk of ARG contamination in pig farms.
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Patterns of competition and cooperation in environment affect animal societies. In folivorous colobine primates, group size is predicted to increase in year-round food abundant rainforests due to less feeding competition. However, the observed pattern shows larger groups in seasonally leaf-deprived high-altitude/latitude montane ecosystems. This paradox is hypothesized to arise from cooperative benefits in heterogeneous environments. To test this, we first performed 6-year fieldwork on two neighboring groups of the golden snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana), which is the northernmost distributed colobine primate. We found the group adjusted movement and selected high-quality habitats in response to fluctuating climate and spatial-temporally heterogeneous resources indicating a dynamic foraging strategy. In winter with cold temperatures and scarce resources, the large group inhabited food-rich habitats but didn't show significantly longer daily travel distances than its neighboring small group. We then compiled an eco-behavioral dataset of 52 colobine species to determine the evolutionary path. One path suggests that an increase in group size may have resulted from an enlargement of the home range in response to the cold and heterogeneous climates in high altitudes or latitudes. Hence, we introduce a multi-benefits framework to interpret large group formation integrating the environment heterogeneity. In cold, heterogeneous environments, even small groups require extra-large home ranges for dynamic survival needs. The spatiotemporal specificity of high-quality resources within the enlarged home range allows for frequent group encounters, which promotes social aggregation into larger groups by increasing the benefits of collective action and reproduction while constraining travel costs through a dynamic foraging strategy.
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Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative condition that results in dyskinesia. This movement disorder is commonly influenced by oxidative stress, which suggests that antioxidant peptides may hold potential for PD treatment. In this study, a novel Cathelicidin peptide named Cath-KP (GCSGRFCNLFNNRRPGRLTLIHRPGGDKRTSTGLIYV) was identified from the skin of Kaloula pulchra frog. Circular dichroism and homology modeling analyses demonstrated that Cath-KP possesses a unique αββ structure, while in vitro experiments using ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activities and FRAP analysis confirmed its antioxidant properties. Additionally, experiments utilizing the MPP+-induced dopamine neuron cell line and MPTP-induced PD mice found that Cath-KP can be internalized into cells and delivered to deep brain tissues, resulting in improved cell viability and the prevention of oxidative stress damage by promoting the expression of antioxidant enzymes and alleviating the accumulation of mitochondrial and intracellular ROS through activating Sirt1/Nrf2 pathway. FAK and p38 also play a part in the regulation of it. Ultimately, Cath-KP administration to MPTP-induced PD mice resulted in the restoration of the quantity of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) - positive neurons and TH contents, and improved dyskinesia as observed in behavioral experiments. To our knowledge, this is the first Cathelicidin to demonstrate potent antioxidant and neuroprotective properties in PD models by targeting oxidative stress. These findings expand the known functions of Cathelicidins and hold promise for the development of therapeutic agents for PD.
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The intestinal tract has critical roles in digesting and absorbing foods, expelling remaining wastes, and defensing against microorganisms. Profiling single cell transcriptome of intestinal track has greatly enriched the understandings on the cell types and their corresponding function heterogeneity that are important for intestine track development and disease. Although single cell transcriptome of the intestine tracts was extensively investigated in human and mice, the single cell gene expression profiles of pig caecum remained unexplored. Here, we performed single-cell RNA-seq on 45,572 cells from seven caecum samples of pigs at four developmental stages at day 30, 42, 150 and 730. We uncovered 12 major cell types and 38 subtypes, and characterized their featured genes, transcription factors and regulons, many of which were conserved in humans. We showed expansion of relative proportions of CD8+ T, GZMA (low) NKT, and decreasing of epithelium stem cells, Treg, RHEX+ T and plasmacytoid dendritic cells along the four developmental stages. We noted the upregulation of mitochondrial genes COX2 and ND2, as well as genes involved immune activation in multiple cell types after weaning. Cell-cell crosstalk analysis uncovered IBP6+ fibroblasts acted as the main signal senders at D30 while at other stages the IBP6- fibroblasts took over this role. T/NK cells interacted with epithelial cells and IBP6+ fibroblasts using GZMA-F2RL1/F2RL2 pairs only in D730 caecum. The present study provided important knowledge on cell type heterogeneity and function of pig caecum along different development stages.
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T cells response in mammals requires synergism of the first signal and co-stimulatory signal. However, whether and how dual signaling regulates the T-cell response in early vertebrates remains unknown. In present study, we found that the teleost Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus encodes the key components of LAT signalosome: LAT, ITK, GRB2, VAV1, SLP-76, GADS, and PLC-γ1. These components are evolutionarily conserved, and CD3ε mAb-induced T-cell activation markedly increased their expression; while at least ITK, GRB2, and VAV1 could interact with LAT to form the signalosome. Downstream of the first signal, the NF-κB, MAPK/Erk, and PI3K-AKT pathways were activated upon CD3ε mAb stimulation. Furthermore, treatment of lymphocytes with CD28 mAbs triggered the AKT-mTORC1 pathway downstream of the co-stimulatory signal. A combined stimulation using CD3ε plus CD28 mAbs enhanced the phosphorylation of Erk1/2 and S6 and elevated the expression of NFAT1, c-Fos, IL-2, CD122, and CD44, signifying T-cell activation. Moreover, instead of the first signal or co-stimulatory signal alone, both dual signals are required for T-cell proliferation. In addition, full T-cell activation was accompanied by marked apoptosis and cytotoxic response. Therefore, our findings suggest that tilapia relies on dual signaling to maintain the optimal T-cell response, providing a novel perspective for understanding the evolution of the adaptive immune system.
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Since the outbreak of COVID-19, many SARS-CoV-2-related coronaviruses (CoVs) have been discovered. Previous research identified a novel lineage of SARS-CoV-2-related CoVs in bat, such as RsYN04, which recognizes human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and poses a potential threat to humans. Here, we screened the binding of RsYN04 receptor-binding domain (RBD) to ACE2 orthologs from 52 animal species, and found that the virus shows a narrower ACE2-binding spectrum than SARS-CoV-2. However, the T484W mutation in the RBD can broaden the spectrum. We also evaluated 44 SARS-CoV-2 antibodies targeting seven epitope communities in RBD, together with the sera from COVID-19 convalescents and vaccinees, for their cross-reaction against RsYN04. Our results showed that all the antibodies, except for RBD-6 and RBD-7 classes, did not bind to RsYN04 RBD, indicating the substantial immune difference from SARS-CoV-2. Furthermore, the complex structure of the RsYN04 RBD with a cross-reactive antibody S43 in RBD-7 revealed a potently broad epitope for the development of therapeutics and vaccines. Our findings suggest RsYN04 and other viruses belonging to the same clade have the potential to infect several species including humans, highlighting the necessity for viral surveillance and development of broad anti-coronavirus countermeasures.
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PINK1 is believed to be a mitochondrial kinase that phosphorylates Parkin and other proteins, playing a crucial role in mitophagy and protecting against neurodegeneration. Mutations in PINK1 and Parkin lead to loss of function and early onset of Parkinson's disease. However, there is a lack of strong in vivo evidence in rodent models to support the theory that loss of PINK1 affects mitophagy and induces neurodegeneration. Additionally, PINK1 knockout pigs have not been reported to exhibit neurodegeneration. Our recent work on non-human primates demonstrates that PINK1 is selectively expressed in primate brains, but not in rodent brains. To extend this finding to other species, such as pigs, we used multiple antibodies to examine the expression of PINK1 in pig tissues. Compared to monkey tissues, we were unable to obtain convincing data showing detectable PINK1 protein expression in pig tissues. Knocking down PINK1 in cultured pig cells did not result in altered phosphorylation of Parkin and BAD, as observed in cultured monkey cells. A comparison of monkey and pig striatum revealed that there were more PINK1-phosphorylated substrates in the monkey brain. Consistently, knocking out PINK1 in pigs did not lead to obvious changes in the phosphorylation of Parkin and BAD. These findings provide new evidence that PINK1 expression is specific to primates and underscores the importance of using non-human primates to investigate the function of PINK1 and the pathology related to PINK1 deficiency.
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The gut microbiome interacts with the host to maintain body homeostasisits and dysbiosis features in many diseases. The underlying mechanisms of gut microbe regulation of host behavior and brain functions remain unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the influence of gut microbiota on brain functions via post-translational modifications mechanisms under the presence of bacteria and sterile state without any stimulation. We performed a succinylome analysis of hippocampal proteins in GF and SPF mice and metagenomics of feces from SPF mice. And integrated these results with previously reported hippocampal acetylome and phosphorylome data from the same batch. Then followed by bioinformatics analyses. 584 succinylation sites on 455 proteins were identified, including up-regulation of 54 succinylation sites on 91 proteins and down-regulation of 99 sites on 51 proteins in GF compared to SPF. We constructed a panoramic map of gut microbiota-regulated succinylation, acetylation, and phosphorylation, and identified the “cross-talk” and relative independence between different types of post-translational modifications in modulating complicated intracellular pathways. A Pearson correlation analysis indicated that 13 taxa, mainly belonging to Bacteroidetes, correlated with the biological functions of post-translational modifications. Positive correlations between these taxa and succinylation and negative correlations with acetylation were identified in modulating the intracellular pathways. This is the first report of hippocampal physiological changes induced by the absence of gut microbiota and proteomic quantification of succinylation, phosphorylation and acetylation, which contributes to understanding the involvement of the gut microbiome in brain function and behavioral phenotypes.
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Changes in protein abundance and in reversible protein phosphorylation (RPP) play important roles in regulating hypometabolism but have never been documented in overwintering frogs at high altitudes. To test the hypothesis that protein abundance and protein phosphorylation change in response to winter hibernation, we conducted a comprehensive and quantitative proteomic and phosphoproteomic analysis of the liver of the Xizang plateau frog, Nanorana parkeri, living on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. In total, 5170 proteins were quantified and 5695 phosphorylation sites on 1938 proteins were quantified, respectively. Proteomic results showed that a total of 674 (438 up, 236 down) differentially expressed proteins were screened in hibernating N. parkeri versus summer individuals. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that highly expressed proteins in winter were significantly enriched in immune-related signaling pathways, whereas low-expressed proteins were mainly involved in metabolic processes. A total of 4251 (4147 up, 104 down) modified sites belonging to 1638 (1555 up, 83 down) phosphoproteins showed a significant change in the liver. A large set of proteins are regulated during hibernation by RPP and these proteins are involved in various functions such as many metabolic enzymes, ion pumping, protein turnover, signal transduction, and alternative splicing. These changes contribute to enhancing protection, suppressing energy-consuming processes, and thus metabolic depression. Moreover, phosphofructokinase, glutamate dehydrogenase, and ATPase activities were all significantly lower in winter compared to summer. In conclusion, our present results support the hypothesis and demonstrate the importance of RPP as a regulatory mechanism when animals transition into a hypometabolic state.
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Geographical backgrounds and dispersal ability might have strong imprint on assemblage dissimilarity; however, these aspects have generally been overlooked in large-scale beta diversity studies. Here, we examined whether patterns and drivers of taxonomic beta diversity (TBD) and phylogenetic beta diversity (PBD) of breeding birds in China vary across 1) regions on both sides of the Hu Line, a line that demarcates China’s topographical, climatic, economic, and social patterns, and 2) species with different dispersal ability. TBD and PBD were calculated and partitioned into turnover and nestedness components using a moving window approach. Variables representing climate, habitat heterogeneity, and habitat quality were used to evaluate the effects of environmental filtering, whereas spatial distance was used to assess the influences of dispersal limitation. Variance partitioning analysis was used to assess the relative role of these variables. In general, TBD and PBD values were high in mountainous areas and environmental filtering largely determined TBD and PBD. However, different dominating environmental filters on both sides of the Hu Line led to divergent beta diversity patterns. Specifically, climate-driven species turnover and habitat heterogeneity-related species nestedness dominated the regions at east and west of the Hu Line, respectively. Additionally, bird species with stronger dispersal ability were more susceptible to environmental filtering resulting in more homogeneous assemblages. Our results indicated that regions with distinctive geographical backgrounds might present different ecological factors that lead to divergent assemblage dissimilarity patterns, and dispersal ability determines the response of assemblages to these ecological factors. Identifying a single universal explanation for the observed pattern without considering these aspects might lead to simplistic or incomplete conclusions. Therefore, it is essential to consider the combined effect of geographical background and dispersal ability for comprehensively understanding large-scale patterns of beta diversity and for planning conservation strategies.
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Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), particularly docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3, DHA), have been shown to play a crucial role in reproduction and reproductive health of vertebrates, including humans. However, the underlying mechanism of this phenomenon remains largely unknown. In this study, we used two zebrafish genetic models, the elovl2-/- mutant as an endogenous DHA-deficient model and the fat1 (an omega-3 desaturase encoding gene) transgenic zebrafish as an endogenous DHA-rich model, to investigate the effects of DHA on oocyte maturation and oocyte quality. Our results show that the elovl2-/- mutant zebrafish had much lower fecundity and poorer oocyte quality than the wildtype controls, while the fat1 zebrafish had higher fecundity and better oocyte quality than wildtype controls. DHA deficiency in elovl2-/- embryos led to defects of egg activation, poor microtubule stability and reduced pregnenolone levels. Further study reveals that DHA promotes pregnenolone synthesis by promoting the transcription of cyp11a1, which encodes the cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme, thereby stabilizing microtubule assembly during oogenesis. In turn, the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis is enhanced by DHA. In conclusion, using two unique genetic models, our study demonstrates the endogenously synthesized DHA promotes oocyte maturation and oocyte quality by promoting pregnenolone production via transcriptional regulation of cyp11a1.
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The Recalcitrance of pathogens to traditional antibiotics has made treating and eradicating bacterial infections more difficult. In this regard, developing new antimicrobial agents to combat antibiotic-resistant strains has become a top priority. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), a ubiquitous class of naturally occurring compounds with broad-spectrum anti-pathogen activity, hold significant promise as one of the most effective solutions to the current antimicrobial resistance (AMR) crisis. Several AMPs have been identified and evaluated for their therapeutic application, with many already in the drug development pipeline. Their distinct properties, such as high target specificity, potency, and the ability to bypass microbial resistance mechanisms, make them a promising alternative to traditional antibiotics. Nonetheless, several challenges, such as high toxicity, lability to proteolytic degradation, low stability, poor pharmacokinetics, and high production costs, continue to hamper their clinical applicability. Therefore, much recent research has focused on optimizing antimicrobial peptides’ properties to improve their performance. By understanding the physiochemical properties of AMPs, such as amphipathicity, hydrophobicity, structural conformation, amino acid distribution, and composition, that correspond to their activity, researchers can design AMPs with desired and improved performance. In this review, we highlight some of the key strategies, rational design and de novo design, used to optimize the performance of AMPs. We also discuss how the evolution of predictive computational tools and technologies that utilize artificial intelligence and machine learning are increasingly being used to design and synthesize lead drug candidates with high efficacy.
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LncRNAs (long non-coding RNAs) have been recognized as key modulators in mammalian immunity, and particular emphasis is placed on the mechanism of lncRNA-mediated ceRNA (competitive endogenous RNA) crosstalk. To date, investigations on lncRNAs in lower vertebrates still remain tentative. In the present study, we characterized the first immune-related lncRNA, termed pol-lnc78, in teleost fish Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). We found that pol-lnc78 acts as a ceRNA for pol-miR-n199-3p to SARM (sterile alpha and armadillo motif-containing protein), the last discovered TIR adaptor. This intertwined ceRNA trinity regulates flounder antibacterial responses through TLR signaling pathway. Specifically, SARM as a negative regulator exacerbates bacterial infection through inhibiting the expression of inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and TNF-α. Pol-miR-n199-3p reduces SARM expression via specific interacting with the 3’UTR region, thereby promoting SARM-dependent inflammatory cytokines expression and protecting host against bacterial dissemination. Furthermore, pol-lnc78 sponges pol-miR-n199-3p to relieve the expression inhibition on SARM. In particular, during infection, the negative regulators pol-lnc78 and SARM are significantly downregulated, while pol-miR-n199-3p is significantly upregulated in expression, thus favoring host antibacterial defense. The results of this study provide new insights into the mechanism of fish immunity, and open up new horizons to a better understanding of ceRNA crosstalk in lower vertebrates.
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Regulatory sequences and transposable elements (TEs) account for a large proportion of the genome sequences of species, while their roles in gene transcription, especially tissue-specific expression, remain largely unknown. Pigs are an excellent animal models for studying the biology of the genome sequences owing to their great diversity of wild and domesticated populations. Here, we integrated H3K27ac ChIP-seq, H3K4me3 ChIP-seq and RNA-seq data from 10 tissues of the same 7 fetuses and their consanguineously related 8 adult pigs to annotate the regulatory elements and TEs for their links with histone modifications and mRNA expression across varying tissues and development stages. The association analyses of mRNA expression with H3K27ac and H3K4me3 peak activity revealed that H3K27ac peaks showed stronger associations with gene expression than H3K4me3. We revealed that 1.45% of the TEs overlapped with H3K27ac or H3K4me3 peaks, of which the majority displayed tissue-specific activity. We identified a TE subfamily (LTR4C_SS) with binding motifs for SIX1 and SIX4 that showed specific enrichment in adult and fetal ovary H3K27ac peaks. We also revealed widespread expression of TEs as part of exons or promoters of genes from the RNA-seq data, including 4688 TE-containing transcripts that displayed development stage and tissue-specific expression. Notably, 1967 TE-containing transcripts were enriched in the testes. We highlighted that an LTR acting as a testis-specific alternative promoter in SRPK2 (a cell cycle-related protein kinase) in our pig data, MLT1F1, was also conserved in humans and mice, suggesting an ancient embedding of the TEs in testis-specific expressed genes or parallel evolution. Collectively, our work demonstrates that TEs are deeply embedded in the genome and exhibit important tissue-specific biological functions, particularly in the reproductive organs.
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A total of 10 Alcyonacea corals were collected at depths ranging from 900 m to 1640 m by the manned submersible Shenhai Yongshi during two cruises in the South China Sea (SCS). Phylogenetic distance and average nucleotide identity (ANI) analyses of mitochondrial genomes combined with morphology examination and sclerite scanning showed that the collected samples could be assigned to four suborders - Calcaxonia, Holaxonia, Scleraxonia, and Stolonifera - which might represent 10 novel deep-sea species. The analyses of the dissimilarity of GC skew, phylogenetic distance, and ANI indicated that the evolution of Octocorallia mitochondrial sequences was slow. The nonsynonymous (Ka) and synonymous (Ks) substitution (Ka/Ks) ratios indicated that 14 protein-coding genes (PCGs) were undergoing purifying selection and that the selection pressures might be from specific deep-sea environments. The correlation analysis of median values of Ka/Ks ratio of five gene families and environmental factors showed that the genes encoding cytochrome b (cob) and DNA mismatch repair protein (mutS) might be driven by environmental factors to format deep-sea species. This study highlighted the slow evolution and adaptative mechanism of deep-sea corals in the deep ocean.
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Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been widely reported to have a potential association with LBP (Lipopolysaccharide-binding protein) mutation. However, the mechanisms, especially epigenetic mechanisms underpinning the association remain elusive. Herein, we constructed LBP-/- rats with NAFLD and performed integrative analysis of targeting-active enhancer H3K27ac chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with high-throughput sequencing and transcriptomic sequencing to explore the potential epigenetic pathomechanisms of active enhancer in the exacerbation of NAFLD upon LBP deficiency. Intriguingly, we found that LBP-/- could reduce inflammatory response but markedly deteriorate HFD-induced NAFLD in rats, with abundant alterations of histone acetylome and regulatory transcriptome. In total, 1,128 differential enhancer-target genes significantly enriched in cholesterol metabolic process and fatty acid metabolic process were identified with | Cor (peak-gene correlation) | > 0.5 and a | log2 (fold change) | > 1.5 between WT and LBP-/- NAFLD rats. Notably, based on our integrative analysis method, we screened out TF C/EBPβ (CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β) as a pivotal contributor to dysregulated histone acetylome H3K27ac and lipid metabolism gene SCD as a downstream effector to exacerbate NAFLD. Thus, this study not only broadens our understanding of the essential role of LBP in the pathogenesis of NAFLD from the perspective of epigenetics, but identifies key TF C/EBPβ and hub functional gene SCD as potential regulators that may serve as possible therapeutic targets.
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Estimation of population size is a core of wildlife population ecology and conservation. Although GPS collars has long been considered as an effective and promising method on monitoring behavior of wildlife, few studies have used this technique to estimate wildlife population size. In this study, we used the GPS telemetry method for conducting population census. We deployed GPS collars on 32 rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) in 9 groups on a small island and collected 109,739 fixes from May 2021 to April 2022. We used fixes of all tracked individuals within a group to calculate home range for each group. The annual home range of 9 groups ranged from 13.9 ha to 55.4 ha. Home ranges had substantial overlap with neighboring groups, and the largest ratio of exclusively use occurred in March. We estimated that the study area had the capacity to accommodate 38.6 macaque groups within their respective home ranges and the population size was 957 ± 193 macaques on the island by multiplying the mean group size (24.8 ± 5.0). In addition, we compared the similarity of utilization distribution between each individual and their belonging group. The result indicated that using a single individual’s dataset could represent the whole group’s home range and utilization pattern on most occasions. Our method is labor saving, independent of experience and observational ability of surveyors, of high repeatability, and can generate a huge amount of fixes to explore other important ecological questions.

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Quantification of behaviors in macaques provides crucial support for various scientific disciplines, including pharmacology, neuroscience, and ethology. Despite recent advancements in the analysis of macaque behavior, research on multi-label behavior detection in socially housed macaques, including consideration of interactions among them, remains scarce. Given the lack of relevant approaches and datasets, we developed the Behavior-Aware Relation Network (BARN) for multi-label behavior detection of socially housed macaques. Our approach models the relationship of behavioral similarity between macaques, guided by a behavior-aware module and novel behavior classifier, which is suitable for multi-label classification. We also constructed a behavior dataset of rhesus macaques using ordinary RGB cameras mounted outside their cages. The dataset included 65 913 labels for 19 behaviors and 60 367 proposals, including identities and locations of the macaques. Experimental results showed that BARN significantly improved the baseline SlowFast network and outperformed existing relation networks. In conclusion, we successfully achieved multi-label behavior detection of socially housed macaques with both economic efficiency and high accuracy.
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Targeting key enzymes that generate oxalate precursors or substrates is an alternative strategy to eliminate primary hyperoxaluria type I (PH1), the most common and life-threatening type of primary hyperoxaluria. The compact Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) from the Prevotella and Francisella 1 (Cpf1) protein simplifies multiplex gene editing and allows for all-in-one adeno-associated virus (AAV) delivery. We hypothesized that the multiplex capabilities of the Cpf1 system could help minimize oxalate formation in PH1 by simultaneously targeting the hepatic hydroxyacid oxidase 1 (Hao1) and lactate dehydrogenase A (Ldha) genes. Study cohorts included treated PH1 rats (AgxtQ84X rats injected with AAV-AsCpf1 at 7 days of age), phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)-injected PH1 rats, untreated PH1 rats, and age-matched wild-type (WT) rats. The most efficient and specific CRISPR RNA (crRNA) pairs targeting the rat Hao1 and Ldha genes were initially screened ex vivo. In vivo experiments demonstrated efficient genome editing of the Hao1 and Ldha genes, primarily resulting in small deletions. This resulted in decreased transcription and translational expression of Hao1 and Ldha. Treatment significantly reduced urine oxalate levels, reduced kidney damage, and alleviated nephrocalcinosis in rats with PH1. No liver toxicity, ex-liver genome editing, or obvious off-target effects were detected. We demonstrated the AAV-AsCpf1 system can target multiple genes and rescue the pathogenic phenotype in PH1, serving as a proof-of-concept for the development of multiplex genome editing-based gene therapy.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can result in more severe syndromes and poorer outcomes in patients with diabetes and obesity. However, the precise mechanisms responsible for the combined impact of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and diabetes have not yet been elucidated, and effective treatment options for SARS-CoV-2-infected diabetic patients remain limited. To investigate the disease pathogenesis, K18-hACE2 transgenic (hACE2Tg) mice with a leptin receptor deficiency (hACE2-Lepr-/- mice) or high-fat diet background (hACE2-HFD mice) were generated. The two mouse models were intranasally infected with a 5×105 median tissue culture infectious dose (TCID50) of SARS-CoV-2, with serum and lung tissue samples collected at 3 days post-infection. The hACE2-Lepr-/- mice were then administered a combination of low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) (1 mg/kg or 5 mg/kg) and insulin via subcutaneous injection prior to intranasal infection with 1×104 TCID50 of SARS-CoV-2. Daily drug administration continued until the euthanasia of the mice. Analyses of viral RNA loads, histopathological changes in lung tissue, and inflammation factors were conducted. Results demonstrated similar SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility in hACE2Tg mice under both lean (chow diet) and obese (HFD) conditions. However, compared to the hACE2-Lepr+/+ mice, hACE2-Lepr-/- mice exhibited more severe lung injury, enhanced expression of inflammatory cytokines and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α, and increased apoptosis. Moreover, combined LMWH and insulin treatment effectively reduced disease progression and severity, attenuated lung pathological changes, and mitigated inflammatory responses. In conclusion, pre-existing diabetes can lead to more severe lung damage upon SARS-CoV-2 infection, and LMWH may be a valuable therapeutic approach for managing COVID-19 patients with diabetes.
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Article
The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) has emerged as a valuable nonhuman primate model in biomedical research with the recent release of high-quality reference genome assemblies. Epileptic marmosets have been independently reported in two Asian primate research centers. Nevertheless, the population genetics within these primate centers and the specific genetic variants associated with epilepsy in marmosets have not yet been elucidated. Here, we characterized the genetic relationships and risk variants for epilepsy in 41 samples from two epileptic marmoset pedigrees using whole-genome sequencing. We identified 14 558 184 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from the 41 samples and found higher chimerism levels in blood samples than in fingernail samples. Genetic analysis showed fourth-degree of relatedness among marmosets at the primate centers. In addition, SNP and copy number variation (CNV) analyses suggested that the WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) and Tyrosine-protein phosphatase nonreceptor type 21 (PTPN21) genes may be associated with epilepsy in marmosets. Notably, KCTD18-like gene deletion was more common in epileptic marmosets than control marmosets. This study provides valuable population genomic resources for marmosets in two Asian primate centers. Genetic analyses identified a reasonable breeding strategy for genetic diversity maintenance in the two centers, while the case-control study revealed potential risk genes/variants associated with epilepsy in marmosets.
Activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6), one of the three sensor proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), is an important regulator of ER stress-induced apoptosis. ATF6 resides in the ER and, upon activation, is translocated to the Golgi apparatus, where it is cleaved by site-1 protease (S1P) to generate an amino-terminal cytoplasmic fragment. Although recent studies have made progress in elucidating the regulatory mechanisms of ATF6, its function during early porcine embryonic development under high-temperature (HT) stress remains unclear. In this study, zygotes were divided into four groups: control, HT, HT+ATF6 knockdown, and HT+PF (S1P inhibitor). Results showed that HT exposure induced ER stress, which increased ATF6 protein expression and led to a decrease in the blastocyst rate. Next, ATF6 expression was knocked down in HT embryos under microinjection of ATF6 double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). Results revealed that ATF6 knockdown (ATF6-KD) attenuated the increased expression of CHOP, an ER stress marker, and Ca2+ release induced by HT. In addition, ATF6-KD alleviated homeostasis dysregulation among organelles caused by HT-induced ER stress, and further reduced Golgi apparatus and mitochondrial dysfunction in HT embryos. AIFM2 is an important downstream effector of ATF6. Results showed that ATF6-KD reduced the occurrence of AIFM2-mediated embryonic apoptosis at HT. Taken together, our findings suggest that ATF6 is a crucial mediator of apoptosis during early porcine embryonic development, resulting from HT-induced ER stress and disruption of organelle homeostasis.
Animals that live in seasonal environments adjust their reproduction cycle to optimize seasonal forage quality. Giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) are seasonal altitudinal migrants that feed on bamboo shoots and leaves with different nutritional quality. However, the importance of bamboo shoots to giant pandas, especially small and isolated populations, is not fully appreciated. Here, we explored whether mating time of giant pandas is shaped by bamboo shoot phenology. We also assessed the intensity of ongoing bamboo shoot harvesting by local communities in 42 giant panda reserves based on questionnaire surveys. Varying intensity and protection levels of bamboo shoot harvesting were found. From these data, we developed a priority ranking scheme of protection areas for this key food resource. Our study showed that pandas time their mating behavior to coincide with bamboo shoot phenology due to the high nutritional demands associated with mating and pregnancy. We also found that bamboo shoots were not well protected in many places. Liangshan, Daxiangling, and Xiaoxiangling, containing the most isolated panda populations, were identified as the areas with the most urgent need of protection. Furthermore, equal attention should be paid to the QiongL-B population, as this region holds considerable potential to serve as a corridor between the Minshan and Qionglai populations. To address the challenges posed by bamboo shoot harvesting, we recommend establishing more practical bamboo shoot management policies, increasing public awareness of bamboo shoot protection, and providing alternative sources of income for local communities.
Synaptic dysfunction is an important pathological hallmark and cause of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). High-frequency stimulation (HFS)-induced long-term potentiation (LTP) has been widely used to study synaptic plasticity, with impaired LTP found to be associated with AD. However, the exact molecular mechanism underlying synaptic plasticity has yet to be completely elucidated. Whether genes regulating synaptic plasticity are altered in AD and contribute to disease onset also remains unclear. Herein, we induced LTP in the hippocampal CA1 region of wild-type (WT) and AD model mice by administering HFS to the CA3 region and then studied transcriptome changes in the CA1 region. We identified 89 genes that may participate in normal synaptic plasticity by screening HFS-induced differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in mice with normal LTP, and 43 genes that may contribute to synaptic dysfunction in AD by comparing HFS-induced DEGs in mice with normal LTP and AD mice with impaired LTP. We further refined the 43 genes down to 14 by screening for genes with altered expression in pathological-stage AD mice without HFS induction. Among them, we found that the expression of Pygm, which catabolizes glycogen, was also decreased in AD patients. We further demonstrated that down-regulation of PYGM in neurons impaired synaptic plasticity and cognition in WT mice, while its overexpression attenuated synaptic dysfunction and cognitive deficits in AD mice. Moreover, we showed that PYGM directly regulated energy generation in neurons. Our study not only indicates that PYGM-mediated energy production in neurons plays an important role in synaptic function, but also provides a novel LTP-based strategy to systematically identify genes regulating synaptic plasticity under physiological and pathological conditions.
Accurately recognizing facial expressions is essential for effective social interactions. Non-human primates (NHPs) are widely used in the study of the neural mechanisms underpinning facial expression processing, yet it remains unclear how well monkeys can recognize the facial expressions of other species such as humans. In this study, we systematically investigated how monkeys process the facial expressions of conspecifics and humans using eye-tracking technology and sophisticated behavioral tasks, namely the temporal discrimination task (TDT) and face scan task (FST). We found that monkeys showed prolonged subjective time perception in response to Negative facial expressions in monkeys while showing longer reaction time to Negative facial expressions in humans. Monkey faces also reliably induced divergent pupil contraction in response to different expressions, while human faces and scrambled monkey faces did not. Furthermore, viewing patterns in the FST indicated that monkeys only showed bias toward emotional expressions upon observing monkey faces. Finally, masking the eye region marginally decreased the viewing duration for monkey faces but not for human faces. By probing facial expression processing in monkeys, our study demonstrates that monkeys are more sensitive to the facial expressions of conspecifics than those of humans, thus shedding new light on inter-species communication through facial expressions between NHPs and humans.
Conjugative transfer of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) by plasmids is an important route for ARG dissemination. An increasing number of antibiotic and nonantibiotic compounds have been reported to aid the spread of ARGs, highlighting potential challenges for controlling this type of horizontal transfer. Development of conjugation inhibitors that block or delay the transfer of ARG-bearing plasmids is a promising strategy to control the propagation of antibiotic resistance. Although such inhibitors are rare, they typically exhibit relatively high toxicity and low efficacy in vivo and their mechanisms of action are inadequately understood. Here, we studied the effects of dihydroartemisinin (DHA), an artemisinin derivative used to treat malaria, on conjugation. DHA inhibited the conjugation of the IncI2 and IncX4 plasmids carrying the mobile colistin resistance gene (mcr-1) by more than 160-fold in vitro in Escherichia coli, and more than two-fold (IncI2 plasmid) in vivo in a mouse model. It also suppressed the transfer of the IncX3 plasmid carrying the carbapenem resistance gene blaNDM-5 by more than two-fold in vitro. Detection of intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and proton motive force (PMF), in combination with transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses, revealed that DHA impaired the function of the electron transport chain (ETC) by inhibiting the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle pathway, thereby disrupting PMF and limiting the availability of intracellular ATP for plasmid conjugative transfer. Furthermore, expression levels of genes related to conjugation and pilus generation were significantly down-regulated during DHA exposure, indicating that the transfer apparatus for conjugation may be inhibited. Our findings provide new insights into the control of antibiotic resistance and the potential use of DHA.
Previous studies have shown that Vibrio splendidus infection causes mitochondrial damage in Apostichopus japonicus coelomocytes, leading to the production of excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) and irreversible apoptotic cell death. Emerging evidence suggests that mitochondrial autophagy (mitophagy) is the most effective method for eliminating damaged mitochondria and ROS, with choline dehydrogenase (CHDH) identified as a novel mitophagy receptor that can recognize non-ubiquitin damage signals and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) in vertebrates. However, the functional role of CHDH in invertebrates is largely unknown. In this study, we observed a significant increase in the mRNA and protein expression levels of A. japonicus CHDH (AjCHDH) in response to V. splendidus infection and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge, consistent with changes in mitophagy under the same conditions. Notably, AjCHDH was localized to the mitochondria rather than the cytosol following V. splendidus infection. Moreover, AjCHDH knockdown using siRNA transfection significantly reduced mitophagy levels, as observed through transmission electron microscopy and confocal microscopy. Further investigation into the molecular mechanisms underlying CHDH-regulated mitophagy showed that AjCHDH lacked an LC3-interacting region (LIR) for direct binding to LC3 but possessed a FB1 structural domain that binds to SQSTM1. The interaction between AjCHDH and SQSTM1 was further confirmed by immunoprecipitation analysis. Furthermore, laser confocal microscopy indicated that SQSTM1 and LC3 were recruited by AjCHDH in coelomocytes and HEK293T cells. In contrast, AjCHDH interference hindered SQSTM1 and LC3 recruitment to the mitochondria, a critical step in damaged mitochondrial degradation. Thus, AjCHDH interference led to a significant increase in both mitochondrial and intracellular ROS, followed by increased apoptosis and decreased coelomocyte survival. Collectively, these findings indicate that AjCHDH-mediated mitophagy plays a crucial role in coelomocyte survival in A. japonicus following V. splendidus infection.
Under increasing anthropogenic pressure, species with a previously contiguous distribution across their ranges have been reduced to small fragmented populations. The critically endangered Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis), once commonly observed in the Yangtze River-Poyang Lake junction, is now rarely seen in the river-lake corridor. In this study, static passive acoustic monitoring techniques were used to detect the biosonar activities of the Yangtze finless porpoise in this unique corridor. Generalized linear models were used to examine the correlation between these activities and anthropogenic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and boat navigation, as well as environmental variables, including hydrological conditions and light levels. Over approximately three consecutive years of monitoring (2020–2022), porpoise biosonar was detected during 93% of logged days, indicating the key role of the corridor for finless porpoise conservation. In addition, porpoise clicks were recorded in 3.80% of minutes, while feeding correlated buzzes were detected in 1.23% of minutes, suggesting the potential existence of localized, small-scale migration. Furthermore, both anthropogenic and environmental variables were significantly correlated with the diel, lunar, monthly, seasonal, and annual variations in porpoise biosonar activities. During the pandemic lockdown period, porpoise sonar detection showed a significant increase. Furthermore, a significant negative correlation was identified between the detection of porpoise click trains and buzzes and boat traffic intensity. In addition to water level and flux, daylight and moonlight exhibited significant correlations with porpoise biosonar activities, with markedly higher detections at night and quarter moon periods. Ensuring the spatiotemporal reduction of anthropogenic activities, implementing vessel speed restrictions (e.g., during porpoise migration and feeding), and maintaining local natural hydrological regimes are critical factors for sustaining porpoise population viability.
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Hypoxia is a common environmental stress factor in aquatic organisms, which varies among fish species. However, the mechanisms underlying the ability of fish species to tolerate hypoxia are not well known. Here, we showed that hypoxia response in different fish species was affected by lipid catabolism and preference for lipid or carbohydrate energy sources. Activation of biochemical lipid catabolism through peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (Pparα) or increasing mitochondrial fat oxidation in tilapia decreased tolerance to acute hypoxia by increasing oxygen consumption and oxidative damage and reducing carbohydrate catabolism as an energy source. Conversely, lipid catabolism inhibition by suppressing entry of lipids into mitochondria in tilapia or individually knocking out three key genes of lipid catabolism in zebrafish increased tolerance to acute hypoxia by decreasing oxygen consumption and oxidative damage and promoting carbohydrate catabolism. However, anaerobic glycolysis suppression eliminated lipid catabolism inhibition-promoted hypoxia tolerance in adipose triglyceride lipase (atgl) mutant zebrafish. Using 14 fish species with different trophic levels and taxonomic status, the fish preferentially using lipids for energy were more intolerant to acute hypoxia than those preferentially using carbohydrates. Our study shows that hypoxia tolerance in fish depends on catabolic preference for lipids or carbohydrates, which can be modified by regulating lipid catabolism.
Video-based action recognition is becoming a vital tool in clinical research and neuroscientific study for disorder detection and prediction. However, action recognition currently used in non-human primate (NHP) research relies heavily on intense manual labor and lacks standardized assessment. In this work, we established two standard benchmark datasets of NHPs in the laboratory: MonkeyinLab (MiL), which includes 13 categories of actions and postures, and MiL2D, which includes sequences of two-dimensional (2D) skeleton features. Furthermore, based on recent methodological advances in deep learning and skeleton visualization, we introduced the MonkeyMonitorKit (MonKit) toolbox for automatic action recognition, posture estimation, and identification of fine motor activity in monkeys. Using the datasets and MonKit, we evaluated the daily behaviors of wild-type cynomolgus monkeys within their home cages and experimental environments and compared these observations with the behaviors exhibited by cynomolgus monkeys possessing mutations in the MECP2 gene as a disease model of Rett syndrome (RTT). MonKit was used to assess motor function, stereotyped behaviors, and depressive phenotypes, with the outcomes compared with human manual detection. MonKit established consistent criteria for identifying behavior in NHPs with high accuracy and efficiency, thus providing a novel and comprehensive tool for assessing phenotypic behavior in monkeys.
Review
Planarians represent the most primitive bilateral triploblastic animals. Most planarian species exhibit mechanisms for whole-body regeneration, exemplified by the regeneration of their cephalic ganglion after complete excision. Given their robust whole-body regeneration capacity, planarians have been model organisms in regenerative research for more than 240 years. Advancements in research tools and techniques have progressively elucidated the mechanisms underlying planarian regeneration. Accurate cell-cell communication is recognized as a fundamental requirement for regeneration. In recent decades, mechanisms associated with such communication have been revealed at the cellular level. Notably, stem cells (neoblasts) have been identified as the source of all new cells during planarian homeostasis and regeneration. The interplay between neoblasts and somatic cells affects the identities and proportions of various tissues during homeostasis and regeneration. Here, this review outlines key discoveries regarding communication between stem cell compartments and other cell types in planarians, as well as the impact of communication on planarian regeneration. Additionally, this review discusses the challenges and potential directions of future planarian research, emphasizing the sustained impact of this field on our understanding of animal regeneration.
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Targeting key enzymes that generate oxalate precursors or substrates is an alternative strategy to eliminate primary hyperoxaluria type I (PH1), the most common and life-threatening type of primary hyperoxaluria. The compact Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) from the Prevotella and Francisella 1 (Cpf1) protein simplifies multiplex gene editing and allows for all-in-one adeno-associated virus (AAV) delivery. We hypothesized that the multiplex capabilities of the Cpf1 system could help minimize oxalate formation in PH1 by simultaneously targeting the hepatic hydroxyacid oxidase 1 (Hao1) and lactate dehydrogenase A (Ldha) genes. Study cohorts included treated PH1 rats (AgxtQ84X rats injected with AAV-AsCpf1 at 7 days of age), phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)-injected PH1 rats, untreated PH1 rats, and age-matched wild-type (WT) rats. The most efficient and specific CRISPR RNA (crRNA) pairs targeting the rat Hao1 and Ldha genes were initially screened ex vivo. In vivo experiments demonstrated efficient genome editing of the Hao1 and Ldha genes, primarily resulting in small deletions. This resulted in decreased transcription and translational expression of Hao1 and Ldha. Treatment significantly reduced urine oxalate levels, reduced kidney damage, and alleviated nephrocalcinosis in rats with PH1. No liver toxicity, ex-liver genome editing, or obvious off-target effects were detected. We demonstrated the AAV-AsCpf1 system can target multiple genes and rescue the pathogenic phenotype in PH1, serving as a proof-of-concept for the development of multiplex genome editing-based gene therapy.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can result in more severe syndromes and poorer outcomes in patients with diabetes and obesity. However, the precise mechanisms responsible for the combined impact of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and diabetes have not yet been elucidated, and effective treatment options for SARS-CoV-2-infected diabetic patients remain limited. To investigate the disease pathogenesis, K18-hACE2 transgenic (hACE2Tg) mice with a leptin receptor deficiency (hACE2-Lepr-/- mice) or high-fat diet background (hACE2-HFD mice) were generated. The two mouse models were intranasally infected with a 5×105 median tissue culture infectious dose (TCID50) of SARS-CoV-2, with serum and lung tissue samples collected at 3 days post-infection. The hACE2-Lepr-/- mice were then administered a combination of low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) (1 mg/kg or 5 mg/kg) and insulin via subcutaneous injection prior to intranasal infection with 1×104 TCID50 of SARS-CoV-2. Daily drug administration continued until the euthanasia of the mice. Analyses of viral RNA loads, histopathological changes in lung tissue, and inflammation factors were conducted. Results demonstrated similar SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility in hACE2Tg mice under both lean (chow diet) and obese (HFD) conditions. However, compared to the hACE2-Lepr+/+ mice, hACE2-Lepr-/- mice exhibited more severe lung injury, enhanced expression of inflammatory cytokines and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α, and increased apoptosis. Moreover, combined LMWH and insulin treatment effectively reduced disease progression and severity, attenuated lung pathological changes, and mitigated inflammatory responses. In conclusion, pre-existing diabetes can lead to more severe lung damage upon SARS-CoV-2 infection, and LMWH may be a valuable therapeutic approach for managing COVID-19 patients with diabetes.

Vol 44, No 5 (18 September 2023)

Indexed by SCI-E

2022 Impact Factor 4.9

2/176 Zoology (Q1)

2023 Journal Citation Reports®

中科院期刊分区动物学一区

Bimonthly, Since 1980

Editor-in-Chief: Yong-Gang Yao

ISSN 2095-8137

CN 53-1229/Q

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