Publications by authors named "Keguang Xu"

O-acetyl-L-homoserine (OAH) is a promising platform compound for the production of L-methionine and other valuable compounds, while its low yield and low conversion rate limit the industrial application. To solve these problems, we constructed a strain for high OAH production with the previously constructed L-homoserine producer HS33 as the chassis by systematic metabolic engineering. Firstly, PEP accumulation, pyruvate utilization, and OAH synthesis pathway (overexpressing , , and ) were enhanced to obtain an initial strain accumulating 13.

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L-citrulline is a nonprotein amino acid that plays an important role in human health and has great market demand. Although microbial cell factories have been widely used for biosynthesis, there are still challenges such as genetic instability and low efficiency in the biosynthesis of L-citrulline. In this study, an efficient, plasmid-free, non-inducible L-citrulline-producing strain of BL21(DE3) was engineered by combined strategies.

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Antibiotics are chemicals with bactericidal or bacteriostatic activity produced by microorganisms and artificially synthesized. Since the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928, antibiotics have been widely used in clinical treatments as well as in the animal husbandry and aquaculture, leading to antibiotic residues in soil, water, food and other environments. At the same time, antibiotic resistance is increasingly serious, which necessitates the discovery of novel antibiotics.

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Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the impact of interpregnancy weight changes (IPWC) on the gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in the second pregnancy.

Design: A single-centre retrospective cohort study was conducted in China.

Setting: Data were collected in Peking University Shenzhen Hospital from 2013 January to 2021 February.

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Objective: To summarize the clinical characteristics, pituitary function assessment, postoperative pathological features, and postoperative recurrence of surgically treated pituitary adenomas (PAs).

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data of 338 patients (169 women; average age: 50.01 ± 12.

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3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a widely recognized entactogen frequently used recreationally. It is known for its interaction with the serotonin and oxytocin systems, which underlie its entactogenic effects in humans. Recently, we demonstrated that the gut-brain axis, mediated by the subdiaphragmatic vagus nerve, contributes to MDMA-induced resilience enhancement in rodents.

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Angiogenesis, a meticulously regulated process essential for both normal development and pathological conditions, necessitates a comprehensive understanding of the endothelial mechanisms governing its progression. Leveraging the zebrafish model and NgAgo knockdown system to identify target genes influencing angiogenesis, our study highlights the significant role of gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) and its receptor (GIPR) in this process. While GIP has been extensively studied for its insulinotropic and glucagonotropic effects, its role in angiogenesis remains unexplored.

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Shiitake mushroom is popularly consumed thanks to its umami taste and good flavor, but its stipe is often discarded due to the rough texture and poor chewiness. In the study, high-pressure homogenization (HPH) was applied to modify the physiochemical properties of shiitake mushroom nanocellulose (SMNC), and the SMNCs were used to constructing gel-like emulsions (EGs). Atomic force microscope and cryo-scanning electron microscope observations showed that SMNCs had shorter length after HPH treatment.

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Polysaccharides are valuable macromolecules due to their multiple bioactivities, safety, and a wide range of sources. Recently, a series of polysaccharides with antioxidant activity have been intensively reported. In this review, the latest advances in polysaccharides with antioxidant activity have been reviewed, primarily based on the investigations of polysaccharides regarding advanced extraction methods, roles in oxidative stress-related diseases, intracellular signaling pathways associated with antioxidant responses, activating pathways in the gut, structure-function relationships, and methods to improve antioxidant activity.

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Starch-ferulic acid (FA) composites have been developed for medical and food fields, while little focus is caused on their use in functional products by 3D printing. In this work, dynamic high-pressure microfluidization was employed to treat starch at various concentrations, for preparing modified starch-FA composites. The high-performance liquid chromatography results showed that an increased starch concentration was conducive to a high yield of composite with enhanced binding of FA.

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Salidroside is a phenylpropanoid glycoside with wide applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries; however, the plant genus Rhodiola, the natural source of salidroside, has slow growth and limited distribution. In this study, we designed a novel six-enzyme biocatalytic cascade for the efficient production of salidroside, utilizing cost-effective bio-based L-Tyrosine as the starting material. A preliminary analysis revealed that the poor thermostability of the Bacillus licheniformis UDP-glycosyltransferase (EC 2.

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Intramuscular fat is an essential component of muscle tissue, and understanding its contribution to skeletal muscle fat infiltration and meat quality, together with the underlying genetic mechanisms, is a major topic in pig husbandry. However, the composition of cell types and gene expression profiles essential for this purpose remain largely unexplored. Here, we performed single-cell transcriptome analysis on muscle tissue from adult pigs and identified 15 cell types, including three previously uncharacterized types of adipocytes: Adipocyte 1, Adipocyte 2, and Aregs.

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Central nervous system (CNS) repair after injury is a challenging process limited by inflammation and neuronal apoptosis. This study identifies Wilms' tumor 1-associating protein (WTAP) as a pivotal regulator of neuronal protection and repair through m6A methylation of STAT3 mRNA. By employing spinal cord injury (SCI) as a representative model of CNS injury, transcriptomic analyses reveal WTAP as a key mediator of pathways related to neuronal autophagy and inflammation regulation.

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Background: Recent years have seen the use of photodynamic technologies concerning the detection and therapy of bladder cancer (BC) due to their rapid development and well-established therapeutic impact. However, a thorough analysis and bibliometric assessment of photodynamic technologies publishing trends in BC has not been completed yet.

Methods: Retrieving bibliographies from the Web of Science Core Collection limited the publication date to December 31, 2023, from January 1, 2004.

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Bee venom acupuncture (BVA) offers therapeutic potential for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) but faces challenges from pain and allergies linked to live bee stings. A key hurdle is melittin (Mel), bee venom's main anti-inflammatory component, which degrades rapidly when orally ingested, leading to decreased efficacy and increased toxicity. This study proposes a solution by encapsulating melittin in liposomes to enhance stability and lessen side effects, expanding its clinical applicability.

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Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Astragali Radix (A. Radix) is the dry root of the leguminous plants Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch) Beg. var.

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Objectives: Systemic administration of conditioned medium (CM) from stem cells derived from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED-CM) in mouse models of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, and osteoarthritis suppresses excessive osteoclast activity and restores bone integrity. However, the mechanism through which SHED-CM regulates osteoclastogenesis remains largely unknown. In the present study, we examined the anti-osteoclastogenic mechanism of SHED-CM in vitro.

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Growing epidemiological evidence suggests that the diverse and functional gut microbiota plays a vital role in regulating the health and disease of organisms including human. However, organisms are inevitably exposed to widespread environmental pollutants, and the interactions between their gut microbiota and pollutants are relatively underreported. The present paper considers heavy metals (HMs) and microplastics (MPs) as representatives of traditional and emerging pollutants and systematically summarizes their effects on gut microbiota and the effects of gut microbiota on pollutants.

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Background: Adjacent bony structures may directly rub the carotid artery during swallowing or head and/neck movement. Long-term repeated stimulation might be considered to be a potential risk factor for carotid atherosclerotic plaque formation, development, and hazard. we defined the process as "Osteal Kneading".

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Though immunogenic cell death (ICD) has garnered significant attention in the realm of anticancer therapies, effectively stimulating strong immune responses with adequate antigen presentation in deep-seated cancers remains challenging. Herein, to promote antigen presentation, an efficient dual-targeted photodynamic ICD inducer is developed. Due to the enhanced spin-orbit coupling and electron structure modulation, the Cy5-I-CF probe showcases exceptional reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation capacity within cancer cells.

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Background: Preoperative prediction of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) grade can support optimal selection of surgical resection strategies. Currently, there is no effective preoperative method for accurately assessing the histologic grade of ccRCC. More precise, non-invasive prediction methods are needed.

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Objectives: Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) is a commonly reported pathogen which adapts to multiple hosts and causes critical disease burden at a global level. Here, we investigated a recently derived epidemic sublineage with multidrug resistance (MDR), which have caused extended time-period and cross-regional gastroenteritis outbreaks and even invasive nontyphoidal Salmonella disease (iNTS) in China.

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Background & Aims: Hepatic ischemia‒reperfusion injury (HIRI) is a critical complication of liver surgery and transplantation that contributes significantly to severe organ failure. GRINA, a calcium-regulating endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein, plays an essential role in controlling the unfolded protein response; however, its role in HIRI remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the function of GRINA in HIRI and explore its potential as a therapeutic target.

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Background & Aims: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), a progressive subtype of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), has limited pharmacological treatment options. Therefore, we aimed to identify novel therapeutic targets.

Methods: The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and human liver tissues obtained from patients with MASH were used to identify differentially expressed genes in MASH.

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