| 1. |
- Santangelo, James S., et al.
(författare)
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Global urban environmental change drives adaptation in white clover
- 2022
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Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 375
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Urbanization transforms environments in ways that alter biological evolution. We examined whether urban environmental change drives parallel evolution by sampling 110,019 white clover plants from 6169 populations in 160 cities globally. Plants were assayed for a Mendelian antiherbivore defense that also affects tolerance to abiotic stressors. Urban-rural gradients were associated with the evolution of clines in defense in 47% of cities throughout the world. Variation in the strength of clines was explained by environmental changes in drought stress and vegetation cover that varied among cities. Sequencing 2074 genomes from 26 cities revealed that the evolution of urban-rural dines was best explained by adaptive evolution, but the degree of parallel adaptation varied among cities. Our results demonstrate that urbanization leads to adaptation at a global scale.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Ablikim, M., et al.
(författare)
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Measurements of (XcJ)-> K+K-K+K- decays
- 2006
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Ingår i: Physics Letters B. - : Elsevier BV. - 0370-2693 .- 1873-2445. ; 642:3, s. 197-202
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Using 14M psi(2S) events taken with the BESII detector, chi(cJ) -> 2(K+K-) decays are studied. For the four-kaon final state, the branching fractions are B(chi(c0,1,2) ->.2(K+K-)) = (3.48 +/- 0.23 +/- 0.47) x 10(-3), (0.70 +/- 0.13 +/- 0.10) x 10(-3), and (2.17 +/- 0.20 +/- 0.31) x 10(-3). For the phi K+K- final state, the branching fractions, which are measured for the first time, are B(chi(c0,1,2) -> phi K+K-) = (1.03 +/- 0.22 +/- 0.15) x 10(-3), (0.46 +/- 0.16 +/- 0.06) x 10(-3), and (1.67 +/- 0.26 +/- 0.24) x 10(-4). For the phi phi final state, B(chi(c0,2) -> phi phi) = (0.94 +/- 0.21 +/- 0.13) x 10(-3) and (1.70 +/- 0.30 +/- 0.25) x 10(-3).
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| 4. |
- Bu, Junling, et al.
(författare)
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Catalytic promiscuity of O-methyltransferases from Corydalis yanhusuo leading to the structural diversity of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids
- 2022
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Ingår i: Horticulture Research. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 2662-6810 .- 2052-7276. ; 9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- O-methyltransferases play essential roles in producing structural diversity and improving the biological properties of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs) in plants. In this study, Corydalis yanhusuo, a plant used in traditional Chinese medicine due to the analgesic effects of its BIA-active compounds, was employed to analyze the catalytic characteristics of O-methyltransferases in the formation of BIA diversity. Seven genes encoding O-methyltransferases were cloned, and functionally characterized using seven potential BIA substrates. Specifically, an O-methyltransferase (CyOMT2) with highly efficient catalytic activity of both 4′- and 6-O-methylations of 1-BIAs was found. CyOMT6 was found to perform two sequential methylations at both 9- and 2-positions of the essential intermediate of tetrahydroprotoberberines, (S)-scoulerine. Two O-methyltransferases (CyOMT5 and CyOMT7) with wide substrate promiscuity were found, with the 2-position of tetrahydroprotoberberines as the preferential catalytic site for CyOMT5 (named scoulerine 2-O-methyltransferase) and the 6-position of 1-BIAs as the preferential site for CyOMT7. In addition, results of integrated phylogenetic molecular docking analysis and site-directed mutation suggested that residues at sites 172, 306, 313, and 314 in CyOMT5 are important for enzyme promiscuity related to O-methylations at the 6- and 7-positions of isoquinoline. Cys at site 253 in CyOMT2 was proved to promote the methylation activity of the 6-position and to expand substrate scopes. This work provides insight into O-methyltransferases in producing BIA diversity in C. yanhusuo and genetic elements for producing BIAs by metabolic engineering and synthetic biology.
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| 5. |
- Jiao, Tong
(författare)
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The role of red blood cells in cardiac and endothelial dysfunction in cardiometabolic disease
- 2022
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: Cardiometabolic disease, which includes the combination of cardiovascular disease, especially coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes (T2D), is a major health problem and cause of mortality worldwide. ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) occurs when coronary arteries are occluded and is regarded as a life-threatening disorder. In these situations, both cardiac and endothelial function are impaired but specific treatment to alleviate the dysfunction is lacking which is partially due to that the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Red blood cells (RBCs) have for long been considered as passive transporters of respiratory gases. Emerging evidence suggests that RBCs are critically involved in physiological cardiovascular regulation by exporting nitric oxide (NO) bioactivity and adenosine triphosphate, especially under hypoxic and ischemic conditions. It has been further suggested that dysfunctional RBCs may act as mediators of cardiovascular injury under pathological conditions. However, the role of RBCs in patients with cardiovascular disease associated with T2D has not been explored. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the role of RBCs in the development of cardiac and endothelial dysfunction in cardiometabolic disease. Methods and results: In Study I, RBCs from both patients and mice with T2D were given to isolated Langendorff-perfused hearts from mice or rats ex vivo at the onset of myocardial ischemia followed by reperfusion. The post-ischemic cardiac recovery was impaired and infarct size was increased via a mechanism depending on upregulated RBC-arginase which led to increased formation of reactive oxygen species by the NO-producing enzyme NO synthase. In Study II, RBCs from patients with T2D under poor or improved glycemic control were given to Langendorff-perfused hearts or incubated with rat aorta. Improvement in glycemic control attenuated cardiac but not endothelial dysfunction induced the by RBCs. RBC-arginase activity was reduced following improvement in glycemic control. Inhibition of arginase attenuated the negative effect of RBCs on cardiac function irrespective of the glycemic control. In Study III, stimulation of the NO receptor soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) in RBCs from patients with T2D attenuated the impairment in post-ischemic cardiac recovery and the increase in infarct size induced by the RBCs. The supernatant collected from RBCs incubated with the sGC stimulator also improved post-ischemic cardiac recovery and reduced infarct size. sGC stimulation in RBCs increased export of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) to the supernatant and phosphorylation of cardiac vasodilator phosphoprotein as a marker of activation of cGMP-dependent protein kinase G. This suggests that cGMP may be the cardioprotective mediator from the RBCs. In Study IV, RBCs from patients with STEMI protected against post-ischemic cardiac dysfunction and reduced infarct size in isolated hearts subjected to ischemia-reperfusion. Mechanistic studies indicated that the beneficial effect was mediated via increased NO-sGC signaling in the RBCs mediated by the purinergic P2Y13 receptor. Conclusions: The present studies importantly increase our understanding of the role of RBC function in cardiometabolic disease. The RBC represents a novel mediator of cardiac and endothelial dysfunction and a potentially important therapeutic target in patients with T2D and STEMI.
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| 6. |
- Joseph, Christine G., et al.
(författare)
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Exomic analysis of myxoid liposarcomas, synovial sarcomas, and osteosarcomas
- 2014
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Ingår i: Genes, Chromosomes and Cancer. - : Wiley. - 1045-2257. ; 53:1, s. 15-24
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Bone and soft tissue sarcomas are a group of histologically heterogeneous and relatively uncommon tumors. To explore their genetic origins, we sequenced the exomes of 13 osteosarcomas, eight myxoid liposarcomas (MLPS), and seven synovial sarcomas (SYN). These tumors had few genetic alterations (median of 10.8). Nevertheless, clear examples of driver gene mutations were observed, including canonical mutations in TP53, PIK3CA, SETD2, AKT1, and subclonal mutation in FBXW7. Of particular interest were mutations in H3F3A, encoding the variant histone H3.3. Mutations in this gene have only been previously observed in gliomas. Loss of heterozygosity of exomic regions was extensive in osteosarcomas but rare in SYN and MLPS. These results provide intriguing nucleotide-level information on these relatively uncommon neoplasms and highlight pathways that help explain their pathogenesis. (c) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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| 7. |
- Killela, Patrick J., et al.
(författare)
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TERT promoter mutations occur frequently in gliomas and a subset of tumors derived from cells with low rates of self-renewal
- 2013
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 1091-6490 .- 0027-8424. ; 110:15, s. 6021-6026
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Malignant cells, like all actively growing cells, must maintain their telomeres, but genetic mechanisms responsible for telomere maintenance in tumors have only recently been discovered. In particular, mutations of the telomere binding proteins alpha thalassemia/mental retardation syndrome X-linked (ATRX) or death-domain associated protein (DAXX) have been shown to underlie a telomere maintenance mechanism not involving telomerase (alternative lengthening of telomeres), and point mutations in the promoter of the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) gene increase telomerase expression and have been shown to occur in melanomas and a small number of other tumors. To further define the tumor types in which this latter mechanism plays a role, we surveyed 1,230 tumors of 60 different types. We found that tumors could be divided into types with low (<15%) and high (>= 15%) frequencies of TERT promoter mutations. The nine TERT-high tumor types almost always originated in tissues with relatively low rates of self renewal, including melanomas, liposarcomas, hepatocellular carcinomas, urothelial carcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas of the tongue, medulloblastomas, and subtypes of gliomas (including 83% of primary glioblastoma, the most common brain tumor type). TERT and ATRX mutations were mutually exclusive, suggesting that these two genetic mechanisms confer equivalent selective growth advantages. In addition to their implications for understanding the relationship between telomeres and tumorigenesis, TERT mutations provide a biomarker that may be useful for the early detection of urinary tract and liver tumors and aid in the classification and prognostication of brain tumors.
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| 8. |
- Li, Qishuang, et al.
(författare)
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Identification of the cytochrome P450s responsible for the biosynthesis of two types of aporphine alkaloids and their de novo biosynthesis in yeast
- 2024
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Ingår i: Journal of Integrative Plant Biology. - 1672-9072 .- 1744-7909. ; In Press
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aporphine alkaloids have diverse pharmacological activities; however, our understanding of their biosynthesis is relatively limited. Previous studies have classified aporphine alkaloids into two categories based on the configuration and number of substituents of the D-ring and have proposed preliminary biosynthetic pathways for each category. In this study, we identified two specific cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYP80G6 and CYP80Q5) with distinct activities toward (S)-configured and (R)-configured substrates from the herbaceous perennial vine Stephania tetrandra, shedding light on the biosynthetic mechanisms and stereochemical features of these two aporphine alkaloid categories. Additionally, we characterized two CYP719C enzymes (CYP719C3 and CYP719C4) that catalyzed the formation of the methylenedioxy bridge, an essential pharmacophoric group, on the A- and D-rings, respectively, of aporphine alkaloids. Leveraging the functional characterization of these crucial cytochrome P450 enzymes, we reconstructed the biosynthetic pathways for the two types of aporphine alkaloids in budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) for the de novo production of compounds such as (R)-glaziovine, (S)-glaziovine, and magnoflorine. This study provides key insight into the biosynthesis of aporphine alkaloids and lays a foundation for producing these valuable compounds through synthetic biology.
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| 9. |
- Wan, Yan, et al.
(författare)
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The orbital effect on the anomalous magnetism and evolution in LaxY1-xVO3 (0 <= x <= 0.2) single crystals
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Alloys and Compounds. - : Elsevier BV. - 0925-8388 .- 1873-4669. ; 932, s. 167526-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The orbital effect on the anomalous magnetism and evolution of single crystals with low La doping, LaxY1-xVO3 (x = 0, 0.1, and 0.2), has been studied using single-crystal X-ray diffraction, specific heat, mag-netization, and Raman-scattering techniques. It is found that substituting Y3+ by La3+ increases the de-generacy of the yz/zx orbitals and decreases the Jahn-Teller distortion. These weakens the G-type (antiphase ordering along the c axis) orbital ordering phase. Meanwhile, the substituting decreases the magnetism entropy, indicating the shrinking of the t2g and eg orbital hybridization, eventually destabilizing the C-type (in-phase ordering along the c axis) antiferromagnetic ordering phase. In addition, the mechanism for the shrinking of the diamagnetism with increasing x is analyzed. It may attribute to the competition between the antisymmetric Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interaction and the single-ion anisotropy.
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| 10. |
- Yang, Jiangning, et al.
(författare)
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Hypoxic erythrocytes mediate cardioprotection through activation of soluble guanylate cyclase and release of cyclic GMP
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Investigation. - : American Society For Clinical Investigation. - 0021-9738 .- 1558-8238. ; 133:17
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Red blood cells (RBCs) mediate cardioprotection via nitric oxide-like bioactivity, but the signaling and the identity of any mediator released by the RBCs remains unknown. We investigated whether RBCs exposed to hypoxia release a cardioprotective mediator and explored the nature of this mediator. Perfusion of isolated hearts subjected to ischemia-reperfusion with extracellular supernatant from mouse RBCs exposed to hypoxia resulted in improved postischemic cardiac function and reduced infarct size. Hypoxia increased extracellular export of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) from mouse RBCs, and exogenous cGMP mimicked the cardioprotection induced by the supernatant. The protection induced by hypoxic RBCs was dependent on RBC-soluble guanylate cyclase and cGMP transport and was sensitive to phosphodiesterase 5 and activated cardiomyocyte protein kinase G. Oral administration of nitrate to mice to increase nitric oxide bioactivity further enhanced the cardioprotective effect of hypoxic RBCs. In a placebo-controlled clinical trial, a clear cardioprotective, soluble guanylate cyclase-dependent effect was induced by RBCs collected from patients randomized to 5 weeks nitrate-rich diet. It is concluded that RBCs generate and export cGMP as a response to hypoxia, mediating cardioprotection via a paracrine effect. This effect can be further augmented by a simple dietary intervention, suggesting preventive and therapeutic opportunities in ischemic heart disease.
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