1. |
- Wang, Fang, et al.
(author)
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Emerging contaminants: A One Health perspective
- 2024
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In: Innovation. - 2666-6758. ; 5
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Environmental pollution is escalating due to rapid global development that often prioritizes human needs over planetary health. Despite global efforts to mitigate legacy pollutants, the continuous introduction of new substances remains a major threat to both people and the planet. In response, global initiatives are focusing on risk assessment and regulation of emerging contaminants, as demonstrated by the ongoing efforts to establish the UN's Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste, and Pollution Prevention. This review identifies the sources and impacts of emerging contaminants on planetary health, emphasizing the importance of adopting a One Health approach. Strategies for monitoring and addressing these pollutants are discussed, underscoring the need for robust and socially equitable environmental policies at both regional and international levels. Urgent actions are needed to transition toward sustainable pollution management practices to safeguard our planet for future generations.
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2. |
- Zhou, Weibin, et al.
(author)
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Targeting VEGF-A/VEGFR2 Y949 Signaling-Mediated Vascular Permeability Alleviates Hypoxic Pulmonary Hypertension
- 2022
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In: Circulation. - : Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. - 0009-7322 .- 1524-4539. ; 146:24, s. 1855-1881
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background:Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is associated with increased expression of VEGF-A (vascular endothelial growth factor A) and its receptor, VEGFR2 (vascular endothelial growth factor 2), but whether and how activation of VEGF-A signal participates in the pathogenesis of PH is unclear. Methods:VEGF-A/VEGFR2 signal activation and VEGFR2 Y949-dependent vascular leak were investigated in lung samples from patients with PH and mice exposed to hypoxia. To study their mechanistic roles in hypoxic PH, we examined right ventricle systolic pressure, right ventricular hypertrophy, and pulmonary vasculopathy in mutant mice carrying knock-in of phenylalanine that replaced the tyrosine at residual 949 of VEGFR2 (Vefgr2(Y949F)) and mice with conditional endothelial deletion of Vegfr2 after chronic hypoxia exposure. Results:We show that PH leads to excessive pulmonary vascular leak in both patients and hypoxic mice, and this is because of an overactivated VEGF-A/VEGFR2 Y949 signaling axis. In the context of hypoxic PH, activation of Yes1 and c-Src and subsequent VE-cadherin phosphorylation in endothelial cells are involved in VEGFR2 Y949-induced vascular permeability. Abolishing VEGFR2 Y949 signaling by Vefgr2(Y949F) point mutation was sufficient to prevent pulmonary vascular permeability and inhibit macrophage infiltration and Rac1 activation in smooth muscle cells under hypoxia exposure, thereby leading to alleviated PH manifestations, including muscularization of distal pulmonary arterioles, elevated right ventricle systolic pressure, and right ventricular hypertrophy. It is important that we found that VEGFR2 Y949 signaling in myeloid cells including macrophages was trivial and dispensable for hypoxia-induced vascular abnormalities and PH. In contrast with selective blockage of VEGFR2 Y949 signaling, disruption of the entire VEGFR2 signaling by conditional endothelial deletion of Vegfr2 promotes the development of PH. Conclusions:Our results support the notion that VEGF-A/VEGFR2 Y949-dependent vascular permeability is an important determinant in the pathogenesis of PH and might serve as an attractive therapeutic target pathway for this disease.
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3. |
- Olofsson, Ulf, 1962-, et al.
(author)
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Nanoparticle emissions from the transport sector: health and policy impacts - the nPETS concept
- 2023
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In: 2022 Conference Proceedings Transport Research Arena, TRA Lisbon 2022. - : Elsevier BV. ; 72, s. 248-255
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Road, rail, air, and sea transport generate a major fraction of outdoor ultrafine particles. However, there is no common methodology for comparable sub 100 nm particle emissions measurement. This paper presents the nPETS (grant agreement No 954377) concept to understand and mitigate the effects of emerging non-regulated nanoparticle emissions. This paper presents the concept and selected results. For example, nucleation and condensation mechanisms occur more frequently in the urban background site, leading to new particle formation, while mostly fresh emissions are measured in the traffic site.
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4. |
- Shen, Qian, et al.
(author)
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The Genome of Artemisia annua Provides Insight into the Evolution of Asteraceae Family and Artemisinin Biosynthesis
- 2018
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In: Molecular Plant. - : Cell Press. - 1674-2052 .- 1752-9867. ; 11:6, s. 776-788
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Artemisia annua, commonly known as sweet wormwood or Qinghao, is a shrub native to China and has long been used for medicinal purposes. A. annua is now cultivated globally as the only natural source of a potent anti-malarial compound, artemisinin. Here, we report a high-quality draft assembly of the 1.74-gigabase genome of A. annua, which is highly heterozygous, rich in repetitive sequences, and contains 63 226 protein-coding genes, one of the largest numbers among the sequenced plant species. We found that, as one of a few sequenced genomes in the Asteraceae, the A. annua genome contains a large number of genes specific to this large angiosperm clade. Notably, the expansion and functional diversification of genes encoding enzymes involved in terpene biosynthesis are consistent with the evolution of the artemisinin biosynthetic pathway. We further revealed by transcriptome profiling that A. annua has evolved the sophisticated transcriptional regulatory networks underlying artemisinin biosynthesis. Based on comprehensive genomic and transcriptomic analyses we generated transgenic A. annua lines producing high levels of artemisinin, which are now ready for large-scale production and thereby will help meet the challenge of increasing global demand of artemisinin.
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5. |
- Yang, Qinsong, et al.
(author)
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Genomic basis of the distinct biosynthesis of β-glucogallin, a biochemical marker for hydrolyzable tannin production, in three oak species
- 2024
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In: New Phytologist. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0028-646X .- 1469-8137. ; 242:6, s. 2702-2718
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Hydrolyzable tannins (HTs), predominant polyphenols in oaks, are widely used in grape wine aging, feed additives, and human healthcare. However, the limited availability of a high-quality reference genome of oaks greatly hampered the recognition of the mechanism of HT biosynthesis. Here, high-quality reference genomes of three Asian oak species (Quercus variabilis, Quercus aliena, and Quercus dentata) that have different HT contents were generated. Multi-omics studies were carried out to identify key genes regulating HT biosynthesis. In vitro enzyme activity assay was also conducted. Dual-luciferase and yeast one-hybrid assays were used to reveal the transcriptional regulation. Our results revealed that β-glucogallin was a biochemical marker for HT production in the cupules of the three Asian oaks. UGT84A13 was confirmed as the key enzyme for β-glucogallin biosynthesis. The differential expression of UGT84A13, rather than enzyme activity, was the main reason for different β-glucogallin and HT accumulation. Notably, sequence variations in UGT84A13 promoters led to different trans-activating activities of WRKY32/59, explaining the different expression patterns of UGT84A13 among the three species. Our findings provide three high-quality new reference genomes for oak trees and give new insights into different transcriptional regulation for understanding β-glucogallin and HT biosynthesis in closely related oak species.
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6. |
- Zhang, Xuanjun, et al.
(author)
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Aggregation dependent S1 and S2 dual emissions of thiophene-acrylonitrile-carbazole oligomer
- 2008
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In: Crystal Growth & Design. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1528-7483 .- 1528-7505. ; 8:7, s. 2543-2546
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Dual emissions from S1 (blue region) and S2 (UV region) states of a chromophore with donor−acceptor structure were observed at room temperature. The photophysical properties of the chromophore depend critically on the packing of the molecules. The molecule exhibits weak S1 emission and strong S2 emission; however, when it undergoes solid aggregation, the S1 emission is enhanced while the S2 emission is quenched. The H-packing (face-to-face packing) of the molecules is revealed as the key factor for this interesting aggregation-dependent dual emission.
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