Publications by authors named "Weijun Mai"

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which is widely used during the manufacturing of fluoropolymer coatings and polytetrafluoroethylene, is now a widespread pollutant in the environment and within the human body. This study used zebrafish, an aquatic model species, to investigate how low levels of chronic PFOA exposure affect the reproductive system. The results of the experiments in which zebrafish were exposed to 414 ng/L or 4140 ng/L for 60 days showed a variety of adverse effects on testicular tissue and sperm, including dose-dependent changes in plasma estradiol and testosterone levels, various sperm malformations, decreased sperm motility and concentration, and PFOA-induced oxidative stress and testicular damage with increased rates of apoptosis.

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Permethrin (Per) is a widely used and frequently detected pyrethroid pesticide in agricultural products and the environment. It may pose potential toxicity to non-target organisms. Per has been reported to affect lipid homeostasis, although the mechanism is undefined.

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Nervous necrosis virus (NNV) is a ubiquitous pathogen in the aquaculture worldwide. Little is known about the relationship between NNV virus and host cells. Our studies showed that RGNNV infection could induce cell cycle arrest via activation of p53 signaling in cultured host cells.

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Nucleolar proteins facilitate the replication of certain human and animal viruses through interaction with viral proteins. In this study, an interaction between nervous necrosis virus capsid protein and nucleolar phosphoprotein B23 was identified using in vitro experimental approaches. The capsid protein binds to B23 early during the viral infection and accumulates in the nucleus, particularly in the nucleolus.

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In our previous study, Orf101 (Bm101) of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) was identified as a component of the budded virions important for viral late gene expression. In this study we demonstrate that Bm101 is actually a previously unrecognized core gene and that it is essential for mediating budded virus production. To determine the role of Bm101 in the baculovirus life cycle, a Bm101 knockout bacmid containing the BmNPV genome was generated through homologous recombination in Escherichia coli.

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Orf101 (Bm101) of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is a highly conserved gene in lepidopteran nucleopolyhedroviruses, but its function remains unknown. In this study, Bm101 was characterized. Transcripts of Bm101 were detected from 24 through 96 h post infection (h p.

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The inhibitor κB (IκB) protein is an important component of the nuclear factor kB (NF-κB) signaling pathway. We have cloned and characterized the IκB-α homologue gene (named EaIκB-α) from grouper (Epinephelus akaara), expressed it in Escherichia coli and generated a rabbit polyclonal antibody. EaIκB-α encodes a 308-amino acid protein with evolutionarily and functionally homology to mammalian IκB-α.

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Lysozyme is an important component of the innate immune response against pathogen infection. The gene coding for c-type lysozyme in red-spotted grouper Epinephelus akaara was cloned and designated EaClys. The complete cDNA contains a 432 bp open reading frame encoding a protein of 144 amino acids displaying 65-91% similarity with the amino acid sequences of human, mouse, chicken, and fish counterparts.

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Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is a major viral agent that causes deadly grasserie disease in silkworms, while BmNPV DNA polymerase (BmNPV-pol), encoded by ORF53 gene, plays a central role in viral DNA replication. Efficacy studies of BmNPV-POL are limited because of poor heterologous protein expression in E. coli.

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Roles of p53 in mammals have been extensively studied but little is known about its functions in lower vertebrates. We have cloned and characterized the p53 gene from tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), expressed it in Escherichia coli, generated a rabbit polyclonal antibody and examined the gene's expression patterns at both transcript and protein levels. The full-length p53 cDNA was 1288 bp with an ORF of 1,138 bp, encoding a polypeptide of 364 amino acids.

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Mammalian DNA polymerase δ (pol δ), a four-subunit enzyme, plays a crucial and versatile role in DNA replication and various DNA repair processes. Its function as a chromosomal DNA polymerase is dependent on the association with proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) which functions as a molecular sliding clamp. All four of the pol δ subunits (p125, p50, p68, and p12) have been reported to bind to PCNA.

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Article Synopsis
  • Elongation factors 1-alpha (EF1A) and 2 (EF2) are key proteins involved in cellular metabolism in multicellular organisms, including Pacific white shrimp.
  • Full-length cDNAs for EF1A (1547 bp) and EF2 (2729 bp) were identified, coding for proteins of 461 and 846 amino acids, respectively, showing high similarity to those found in other species like humans and chickens.
  • RT-PCR analysis revealed that the expression of EF1A and EF2 mRNA increases in response to pH and cadmium stress, suggesting they play important and potentially distinct roles in repairing cellular damage from these environmental challenges.
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Acid rain and inputs of acidic effluent can result in increased acidity in aquatic ecosystems, where it is known to have a significant impact and possibly, to cause the decline of some populations of aquatic organisms. In previous studies, intracellular acid-induced oxidative stress has been shown to cause DNA damage, and cooperatively activate the expression of the p53 gene. The acute effects of acidic environments on shrimp and fish have been widely studied.

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In this study we found that a blue shrimp (Litopenaeus stylirostris) lysozyme gene (Lslzm) was up-regulated in WSSV-infected shrimp, suggesting that lysozyme is involved in the innate response of shrimp to this virus. Shrimp were intramuscularly injected with Lslzm protein to identify how this recombinant protein protects L. stylirostris from WSSV infection and to determine how this protein influences nonspecific cellular and humoral defense mechanisms.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study examined the effects of acute pH stress on Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) by measuring reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, DNA damage, and gene expression related to oxidative stress.
  • Results indicated that exposure to extreme pH levels (5.6 and 9.3) led to increased ROS production, DNA damage (measured by OTM), and heightened levels of intracellular calcium ([Ca(2+)]), which peaked after 12 hours.
  • Gene expression of antioxidant enzymes (MnSOD, CAT, GPx, and TRx) was triggered by pH-induced stress, signaling a complex response to oxidative damage and suggesting that calcium ions play a crucial role in mediating
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The gene coding for lysozyme in banana prawn (Fenneropenaeus merguiensis) was cloned, sequenced and expressed in pET-32a vector. The deduced amino acid sequence of F. merguiensis lysozyme showed 37-93% similarity with the mouse, human, chicken, and tiger prawn counterparts.

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