Single-cell profiling of the amphioxus digestive tract reveals conservation of endocrine cells in chordates.

Despite their pivotal role, the evolutionary origins of vertebrate digestive systems remain enigmatic. We explored the cellular characteristics of the amphioxus () digestive tract, a model for the presumed primitive chordate digestive system, using bulk tissue companioned with single-cell RNA sequencing. Our findings reveal segmentation and a rich diversity of cell clusters, and we highlight the presence of epithelial-like, ciliated cells in the amphioxus midgut and describe three types of endocrine-like cells that secrete insulin-like, glucagon-like, and somatostatin-like peptides.

Evolutionary origin of the chordate nervous system revealed by amphioxus developmental trajectories.

The common ancestor of all vertebrates had a highly sophisticated nervous system, but questions remain about the evolution of vertebrate neural cell types. The amphioxus, a chordate that diverged before the origin of vertebrates, can inform vertebrate evolution. Here we develop and analyse a single-cell RNA-sequencing dataset from seven amphioxus embryo stages to understand chordate cell type evolution and to study vertebrate neural cell type origins.

Evolution of the gene regulatory network of body axis by enhancer hijacking in amphioxus.

A central goal of evolutionary developmental biology is to decipher the evolutionary pattern of gene regulatory networks (GRNs) that control embryonic development, and the mechanism underlying GRNs evolution. The Nodal signaling that governs the body axes of deuterostomes exhibits a conserved GRN orchestrated principally by Nodal, Gdf1/3, and Lefty. Here we show that this GRN has been rewired in cephalochordate amphioxus.

Joint profiling of gene expression and chromatin accessibility during amphioxus development at single-cell resolution.

Vertebrate evolution was accompanied by two rounds of whole-genome duplication followed by functional divergence in terms of regulatory circuits and gene expression patterns. As a basal and slow-evolving chordate species, amphioxus is an ideal paradigm for exploring the origin and evolution of vertebrates. Single-cell sequencing has been widely used to construct the developmental cell atlas of several representative species of vertebrates (human, mouse, zebrafish, and frog) and tunicates (sea squirts).

A Potential Method for Rapid Screening of Amphioxus Founder Harboring Germline Mutation and Transgene.

Amphioxus is a promising model organism for understanding the origin and evolution of vertebrates due to its basal phylogenetic position among chordates. We here compared the mutation efficacy and mutation type of tail tips and gametes of amphioxus founders injected with Cas9 protein and six different sgRNAs targeting five distinct genes, and revealed a strong correlation for mutation efficacy and a mild correlation for mutation type among the two tissues. In addition, we also observed a positive relationship between gene insertions observed in tail tips and gametes of amphioxus founders injected with Tol2 transposase and two different transgenic constructs.

Application of CRISPR/Cas9 Nuclease in Amphioxus Genome Editing.

The cephalochordate amphioxus is a promising animal model for studying the origin of vertebrates due to its key phylogenetic position among chordates. Although transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) have been adopted in amphioxus genome editing, its labor-intensive construction of TALEN proteins limits its usage in many laboratories. Here we reported an application of the CRISPR/Cas9 system, a more amenable genome editing method, in this group of animals.

A ZZ/ZW Sex Chromosome System in Cephalochordate Amphioxus.

Sex determination is remarkably variable among animals with examples of environmental sex determination, male heterogametic (XX/XY) and female heterogametic (ZZ/ZW) chromosomal sex determination, and other genetic mechanisms. The cephalochordate amphioxus occupies a key phylogenetic position as a basal chordate and outgroup to vertebrates, but its sex determination mechanism is unknown. During the course of generating mutants with transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) in amphioxus , serendipitously, we generated three mutant strains that reveal the sex determination mechanism of this animal.

Cilia-driven asymmetric Hedgehog signalling determines the amphioxus left-right axis by controlling expression.

Cilia rotation-driven nodal flow is crucial for the left-right (L-R) break in symmetry in most vertebrates. However, the mechanism by which the flow signal is translated to asymmetric gene expression has been insufficiently addressed. Here, we show that Hedgehog (Hh) signalling is asymmetrically activated (L View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Ribosylation-Derived Advanced Glycation End Products Induce Tau Hyperphosphorylation Through Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Reduction.

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) have been implicated in the disease process of diabetes mellitus. They have also been found in senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients. Furthermore, abnormally high levels of D-ribose and D-glucose were found in the urine of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, suggesting that diabetic patients suffer from dysmetabolism of not only D-glucose but also D-ribose.

An Effective Microinjection Method and TALEN-Mediated Genome Editing in Pacific Abalone.

Pacific abalone, Haliotis discus hannai, is an economically important marine mollusk species and an important model animal for studies on ecological, fertilization and developmental biology. While embryonic injection and genome editing have been wildly used in gene function study and trait improvement in many species, they have not been developed in abalones. In this study, we reported an effective method to inject exogenous materials in H.

Formaldehyde produced from d-ribose under neutral and alkaline conditions.

Formaldehyde is toxic and has been implicated in the pathologies of various diseases, such as cognitive impairment and cancer. Though d-ribose is widely studied and provided as a supplement to food such as flavor and drinks, no laboratories have reported that d-ribose is involved in the formaldehyde production. Here, we show that formaldehyde is produced from d-ribose in lysine or glycine solution and Tris-HCl buffer under neutral and alkaline conditions.

[Effect of polydatin on miR-214 expression and liver function in ApoE-/- mice].

Objective: To study the effect of polydatin on the expression level of miR-214 and liver function in atherosclerotic mice.

Methods: Forty male ApoE(-/-) mice were randomly allocated into 4 groups (n=10), namely the model group, low- and high-dose polydatin groups, and simvastin group, with 10 male C57BL/6J mice serving as the normal control group. Mouse models of atherosclerosis were established by feeding the ApoE(-/-) mice with a high-fat diet.

Dressings for Preventing Pressure Ulcers: A Meta-analysis.

The purpose of this analysis is to determine the effectiveness of dressing material in the prevention of pressure ulcers. Results showed that hydrocolloid, foam, and film were more effective than a standard care protocol in patients at risk for pressure ulcers.

Nestin(+) kidney resident mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of acute kidney ischemia injury.

Renal resident mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are important regulators of kidney homeostasis, repair or regeneration. However, natural distribution and the starting population properties of these cells remain elusive because of the lack of specific markers. Here, we identified post-natal kidney derived Nestin(+) cells that fulfilled all of the criteria as a mesenchymal stem cell.

Correlation between functional status and quality of life after surgery in patients with primary malignant bone tumor of the lower extremities.

Purpose: This study aims to explore the correlation between functional status and quality of life after surgery in patients with primary malignant bone tumor of the lower extremities.

Methods: A total of 94 patients with primary malignant bone tumor of the lower extremities were enrolled. Correlations between their functional status and quality of life after surgery were descriptively analyzed through functional mobility assessment, Toronto extremity salvage scaling, reintegration to normal life index, and the 36-item Short Form Health Survey.

Modified glomerular filtration rate-estimating equations developed in asiatic population for chinese patients with type 2 diabetes.

Objectives. To evaluate eight modified equations developed in Asiatic populations in type 2 diabetic patients in China. Methods.

Advanced glycation end-products reduce podocyte adhesion by activating the renin-angiotensin system and increasing integrin-linked kinase.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) on podocyte adhesion and the underlying mechanisms. Immortalized mouse podocytes were exposed to various conditions and podocyte adhesion was evaluated using a hexosaminidase assay. The expression levels of integrin-linked kinase (ILK) were measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and western blotting.

A new equation to estimate glomerular filtration rate in Chinese elderly population.

Background: We sought to develop a new equation to estimate glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in Chinese elderly population.

Methods: A total of 668 Chinese elderly participants, including the development cohort (n = 433), the validation cohort (n = 235) were enrolled. The new equation using the generalized additive model, and age, gender, serum creatinine as predictor variables was developed and the performances was compared with the CKD-EPI equation.

Estimating glomerular filtration rates in elderly Chinese patients with chronic kidney disease: performance of six modified formulae developed in Asian populations.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate modified glomerular filtration rate (GFR) prediction formulae in an elderly Chinese population with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Methods: A total of 378 elderly Chinese patients with CKD were enrolled. The GFR was estimated with six modified GFR prediction formulae.

Assessment of glomerular filtration rate in elderly patients with chronic kidney disease.

Purpose: We sought to evaluate various glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimating equations in elderly patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Methods: A total of 332 Chinese elderly patients with CKD who had undergone technetium-99m diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid ((99m)Tc-DTPA) renal dynamic imaging were enrolled. The MDRD equation, the re-expressed MDRD equation, the Chinese equation, the Ruijin equation, the previously Japanese equation, the new Japanese equation, the CKD-EPI equation, and the BIS1 equation were compared.

Variability of glomerular filtration rate estimation equations in elderly Chinese patients with chronic kidney disease.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is recognized worldwide as a public health problem, and its prevalence increases as the population ages. However, the applicability of formulas for estimating the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) based on serum creatinine (SC) levels in elderly Chinese patients with CKD is limited.

Materials And Methods: Based on values obtained with the technetium-99m diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid ((99m)Tc-DTPA) renal dynamic imaging method, 319 elderly Chinese patients with CKD were enrolled in this study.

Diagnostic significance of hepatitis B viral antigens in patients with glomerulonephritis-associated hepatitis B virus infection.

Hepatitis B viral infection can lead to hepatitis B virus-associated glomerulonephritis, a clinically significant subtype of secondary nephritis. In the present study, we examined the presence of PreS1/S2 antigen in renal tissues by use of immunohistochemistry and investigated the use of PreS1/S2 and 2 HBV serum antigens, HBe-Ag and HBs-Ag, in the diagnosis. We assessed the presence of these 3 antigens in patients with confirmed hepatitis B virus-associated glomerulonephritis (n = 22) and patients without this disease (n = 19).