Single-cell RNA sequencing identifies endothelial-derived HBEGF as promoting pancreatic beta cell proliferation in mice via the EGFR-Kmt5a-H4K20me pathway.

Aims/hypothesis: Pancreatic beta cell mass is dynamically regulated in response to increased physiological and pathological demands. Understanding the mechanisms that control physiological beta cell proliferation could provide valuable insights into novel therapeutic approaches to diabetes. Here, we aimed to analyse the intracellular and extracellular signalling pathways involved in regulating the physiological proliferation of beta cells using single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) and in vitro functional assays.

Myocardial delivery of miR30d with peptide-functionalized milk-derived extracellular vesicles for targeted treatment of hypertrophic heart failure.

miR30d has been shown to reverse cardiac hypertrophy. However, effective delivery of miR30d to the heart is challenging. Here, we engineered milk-derived extracellular vesicles (mEVs) by surface functionalization with an ischemic myocardium-targeting peptide (IMTP) and encapsulated miR30d to develop a formulation, the miR30d-mEVs, enabling targeted delivery of miR30d to the injured heart.

RNF20 is required for male fertility through regulation of H2B ubiquitination in the Sertoli cells.

Background: Spermatogenesis depends on the supporting of the Sertoli cells and their communications with germ cells. However, the regulation of crosstalk between the Sertoli cells and germ cells remains unclear.

Results: In this report, we used conditional knockout technology to generate the Sertoli cells-specific knockout of Rnf20 in mice.

Identification of Histone Modifications Reveals a Role of H2b Monoubiquitination in Transcriptional Regulation of in .

Gonadal trans-differentiation from ovary to testis occurs in a same individual, suggesting a role of epigenetic regulation. However, histone modifications concerning the sex reversal process remain elusive. We analyzed histone modifications using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

DNA methylation modification is associated with gonadal differentiation in Monopterus albus.

Background: Both testis and ovary can be produced sequentially in an individual with the same genome when sex reversal occurs in the teleost Monopterus albus, and epigenetic modification is supposed to be involved in gonadal differentiation. However, DNA methylation regulation mechanism underlying the gonadal differentiation remains unclear.

Results: Here, we used liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) to simultaneously determine endogenous levels of both 5-methyl-2'-deoxycytidine (mdC) and 5-hydroxymethyl-2'-deoxycytidine (hmdC) during gonadal differentiation.

Srag Regulates Autophagy via Integrating into a Preexisting Autophagy Pathway in Testis.

Spermatogenesis is an essential process for producing sperm cells. Reproductive strategy is successfully evolved for a species to adapt to a certain ecological system. However, roles of newly evolved genes in testis autophagy remain unclear.

Whole genome-wide chromosome fusion and new gene birth in the genome.

Background: Teleost fishes account for over half of extant vertebrate species. A core question in biology is how genomic changes drive phenotypic diversity that relates to the origin of teleost fishes.

Results: Here, we used comparative genomic analyses with chromosome assemblies of diverse lineages of vertebrates and reconstructed an ancestral vertebrate genome, which revealed phylogenomic trajectories in vertebrates.

Potential of the glasses-free three-dimensional display system in shortening the learning curve of video-assisted endoscopic surgery: a self-controlled study.

Background: One of the largest challenges in endoscopic surgical training is adapting to a two-dimensional (2D) view. The glasses-free three-dimensional (GF-3D) display system was designed to integrate the merits of both 2D and conventional 3D (C-3D) displays, allowing surgeons to perform video-assisted endoscopic surgery under a stereoscopic view without heavy and cumbersome 3D glasses.

Methods: In this study, 15 junior thoracic surgeons were divided to test one routine and one complex task three times each via traditional high-definition 2D (HD-2D) and GF-3D to determine whether there was any advantage when using the GF-3D system to acquire endoscopic skills.

The genome-wide landscape of small insertion and deletion mutations in Monopterus albus.

Insertion and deletion (indel) mutations, which can trigger single nucleotide substitutions on the flanking regions of genes, may generate abundant materials for disease defense, reproduction, species survival and evolution. However, genetic and evolutionary mechanisms of indels remain elusive. We establish a comparative genome-transcriptome-alignment approach for a large-scale identification of indels in Monopterus population.

Chromosome-scale assembly of the Monopterus genome.

Background: The teleost fish Monopterus albus is emerging as a new model for biological studies due to its natural sex transition and small genome, in addition to its enormous economic and potential medical value. However, no genomic information for the Monopterus is currently available.

Findings: Here, we sequenced and de novo assembled the genome of M.

Biased Duplications and Loss of Members in Tdrd Family in Teleost Fish.

Gene expansion and contraction are important evolution events. Some tdrd genes, especially multi-Tudor members, participate in Piwi-interacting RNA pathway and spermatogenesis. However, tdrd evolution and their functions in teleost fish are poorly understood.