Publications by authors named "Junli Zhang"

Collagen self-assembly supports its mechanical function, but controlling collagen mimetic peptides (CMPs) to self-assemble into higher-order oligomers with numerous functions remains challenging due to the vast potential amino acid sequence space. Herein, we developed a diffusion model to learn features from different types of human collagens and generate CMPs; obtaining 66% of synthetic CMPs could self-assemble into triple helices. Triple-helical and untwisting states were probed by melting temperature (Tm); hence, we developed a model to predict collagen Tm, achieving a state-of-art Pearson's correlation (PC) of 0.

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NRF2 is an important transcription factor that regulates redox homeostasis and exerts its anti-oxidative stress and anti-inflammatory response by binding to the ARE to activate and regulate the transcription of downstream protective protein genes, reducing the release of reactive oxygen species. Ferroptosis is a novel iron-dependent, lipid peroxidation-driven cell death mode, and recent studies have shown that ferroptosis is closely associated with acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS). NRF2 is able to regulate ferroptosis through the regulation of the transcription of its target genes to ameliorate ALI/ARDS.

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While previous research has demonstrated the therapeutic efficacy of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) overexpression using adeno-associated virus and cytomegalovirus vectors to combat aging, the broader implications of TERT germline gene editing on the mammalian genome, proteomic composition, phenotypes, lifespan extension, and damage repair remain largely unexplored. In this study, we elucidate the functional properties of transgenic mice carrying the Tert transgene, guided by precise gene targeting into the Rosa26 locus via embryonic stem (ES) cells under the control of the elongation factor 1α (EF1α) promoter. The Tert knock-in (TertKI) mice harboring the EF1α-Tert gene displayed elevated telomerase activity, elongated telomeres, and extended lifespan, with no spontaneous genotoxicity or carcinogenicity.

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Aims: () is a rare medicinal mushroom that is rich in polysaccharides, triterpenes, flavonoids, and other bioactive compounds. It has good potential development value.

Methods And Results: We performed single factor experiments and Box-Behnken response surface methodology to optimize the liquid fermentation medium formulation for with mycelial biomass as the indicator.

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Background: Liver disease is among the top ten causes of death globally. With studies suggesting a link between gut microbiota (GM) and liver disease.

Method: We selected summary statistics data from the largest available whole-genome association study (n = 13,266) of GM by the MiBioGen consortium as the exposure, and obtained liver disease-related data from IEU Open GWAS and The NHGRI-EBI GWAS Catalog.

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Background: Severe liver fibrosis may be accompanied by intestinal barrier damage, such as bacterial peritonitis, suggesting that the role of the gut-liver axis is nonnegligible. Dachengqi decoction (DCQD) was reported to improve bowel movements, but whether DCQD was effective for intestinal damage caused by liver fibrosis remained unclear.

Purpose: To investigate the role of DCQD in liver fibrosis-related gut vascular barrier (GVB) damage in mice.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Oxidative stress is a key factor in the progression of MASLD, causing cellular damage and inflammation, making it central to understanding the disease's development.
  • * Activating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway offers protective effects against oxidative stress and can potentially slow down MASLD progression, showing promise for future treatments.
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  • * The treatment with shikonin decreases the viability, migration, and invasion abilities of EC9706 cells by activating the AMPK/mTOR/ULK signaling pathway.
  • * Inhibition of autophagy can protect EC9706 cells from shikonin's effects, suggesting that targeting the AMPK/mTOR/ULK axis may offer a new approach for treating esophageal cancer.
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Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a globally prevalent human DNA virus responsible for over 250 million cases of chronic liver infections, leading to conditions such as liver inflammation, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Sodium taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (NTCP) is a transmembrane protein highly expressed in human hepatocytes and functions as a bile acid (BA) transporter. NTCP has been identified as the receptor that HBV and its satellite virus, hepatitis delta virus (HDV), use to enter hepatocytes.

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  • Specific combinations of natural alleles in the LFY and WAPO1 genes enhance spikelet number per spike (SNS) in wheat, which is key for grain yield.
  • A significant amino acid change in WAPO1 (C47F) and a polymorphism in LFY (R80S) were linked to increased SNS, revealing LFY-B as a potential causal gene.
  • The study suggests that the allele combination WAPO-A1-47F with LFY-B 34L and 80S can be strategically used in wheat breeding to boost SNS and overall grain yield.
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Lung cancer (LC) is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) comprising 85% of all cases. COX-2, an enzyme induced significantly under stress conditions, catalyzes the conversion of free arachidonic acid into prostaglandins. It exhibits high expression in various tumors and is closely linked to LC progression.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study presents a new quantitative imaging platform called qCasdip that detects cell-free RNA (cfRNA) in plasma, useful for diagnosing various diseases, including breast cancer.
  • qCasdip can identify different types of cfRNA, like circular RNAs and miRNAs, at very low concentrations (attomolar level) without needing extra amplification steps.
  • This technique enhances the ability to analyze cfRNA profiles in clinical samples, offering a promising new method for liquid biopsies that could significantly improve disease diagnosis.
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Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a highly malignant tumor with hypoxia being a crucial feature during its progression. This study utilized multiple independent CRC cohorts for bioinformatics analysis and in vitro experiments to investigate the role of hypoxia-related subgroups in CRC. Machine learning was employed to construct risk features associated with this subgroup and further explore its therapeutic value in CRC.

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Introduction: , commonly referred to as the Sanghuang mushroom, is a species that is consumed as a tea. To date, this is the only species of the same fungus that has been successfully cultivated.

Methods: A single-factor test was conducted using MS-5 and MS-9 as test materials.

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The incidence of liver disease continues to rise, encompassing a spectrum from simple steatosis or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis and liver cancer. Dietary habits in individuals with liver disease may significantly impact the treatment and prevention of these conditions. This article examines the role of chili peppers, a common dietary component, in this context, focusing on capsaicin, the active ingredient in chili peppers.

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The utilization of metabolomics approaches to explore the metabolic mechanisms underlying plant fitness and adaptation to dynamic environments is growing, highlighting the need for an efficient and user-friendly toolkit tailored for analyzing the extensive datasets generated by metabolomics studies. Current protocols for metabolome data analysis often struggle with handling large-scale datasets or require programming skills. To address this, we present MetMiner (https://github.

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Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a metabolic-associated fatty liver disease, has become the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. Recently, the discovery of cuproptosis, a newly identified mode of cell death, further highlighted the importance of copper in maintaining metabolic homeostasis. An increasing number of studies have confirmed that liver copper metabolism is closely related to the pathogenesis of NAFLD.

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Article Synopsis
  • Anchorene is a special molecule that helps plants grow by affecting a hormone called auxin, which controls root development.
  • Scientists found out that anchorene works a lot like auxin and it can change how much auxin is active in the plant.
  • They discovered that anchorene stops certain proteins from making auxin less effective, which helps keep more auxin around for the plant to use and grow.
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Transcription, RNA splicing, RNA translation, and post-translational protein modification are fundamental processes of gene expression. Epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, RNA modifications, and protein modifications, play a crucial role in regulating gene expression. The methyltransferase-like protein (METTL) family, a constituent of the 7-β-strand (7BS) methyltransferase subfamily, is broadly distributed across the cell nucleus, cytoplasm, and mitochondria.

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Malignant ascites effusion (MAE) is a common complication of advanced malignant tumors with limited treatments. Euphorbia lathyris (EL) has a long history of application in patients with edema and ascites. Herein, we reported for the first time a mode in which EL and EL Pulveratum (PEL) spontaneously formed natural microemulsions (ELM and PELM) without the addition of any carriers and excipients, and found that the protein and phospholipid contained in them encapsulated fatty oil and diterpenoid esters through non-covalent interactions.

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Purpose: Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has enabled the detection of concomitant driver alterations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the magnitude and clinical relevance of concomitant drivers remain to be explored.

Methods: We profiled concomitant driver alterations of + NSCLC by using targeted NGS.

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Objectives: Allergic diseases and Meniere's disease found to have a possible link in observational study. However, the potential causal relationship between the two is unclear. Therefore, we aimed to explore the causal relationship between allergic diseases and Meniere's disease using a new data analysis technique called bidirectional Mendelian randomization study.

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Background: Myocardial infarction (MI) is a chronic cardiovascular disease. This study aims to discern potentially angiogenesis- and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related genes as biomarkers for MI diagnosis through bioinformatics.

Methods: All datasets and angiogenesis- and EMT-related genes were collected from the public database.

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