Publications by authors named "Xinshuang Zhang"

Article Synopsis
  • The differences in phospholipids between bacterial and mammalian cell membranes offer new ways to design antimicrobial drugs, but distinguishing between similar phospholipids (PG and PS) is challenging.
  • A new class of antimicrobial peptides (RAPs) has been developed that can specifically identify bacterial phosphatidylglycerol (PG) due to their unique helical structure.
  • One particular RAP, L-MMBen, not only effectively targets PG but also shows low toxicity in living organisms and proves to be effective in treating infections in mice models.
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Human superoxide dismutase (hSOD1) plays an important role in the aerobic metabolism and free radical eliminating process in the body. However, the production of existing SOD faces problems such as complex purification methods, high costs, and poor product stability. This experiment achieved low-cost, rapid, and simple purification of hSOD1 through ammonium sulfate precipitation method and heat resistance of recombinant protein.

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Article Synopsis
  • The subcommissural organ (SCO) is a brain gland whose function remains largely unclear, despite being present in a variety of species, including humans.
  • A comparison of gene expression in the SCO versus non-SCO brain areas revealed three key genes (Sspo, Car3, and Spdef) that are highly active in the SCO.
  • Genetic removal of SCO cells during embryonic development led to significant brain issues like hydrocephalus and impaired neuron growth, but introducing certain peptides from the SCO helped to alleviate these developmental problems.
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Leaf senescence is the terminal stage of leaf development, and its initiation and progression are closely controlled by the integration of a myriad of endogenous signals and environmental stimuli. It has been documented that WRKY transcription factors (TFs) play essential roles in regulating leaf senescence, yet the molecular mechanism of WRKY-mediated leaf senescence still lacks detailed elucidation in crop plants. In this study, we cloned and identified a tobacco WRKY TF gene, designated , acting as a positive regulator of natural leaf senescence.

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Article Synopsis
  • The subcommissural organ (SCO) is a brain gland found in various species, but its specific functions remain largely unclear.
  • Research identified three genes that are significantly active in the SCO and showed that disrupting these genes in mice led to severe brain issues, including hydrocephalus and neuronal development problems.
  • The study also discovered three peptides produced by the SCO that, when reintroduced into affected brain areas, helped mitigate developmental defects, highlighting the SCO's essential role in brain development.
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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates how the stimulant methylphenidate (MPH) and non-stimulant atomoxetine (ATX) affect various brain cells and related genes in Drosophila melanogaster after observing increased locomotor activity (hyperactivity) from both drugs.
  • - Using single-cell RNA sequencing, they identified 28 major cell types in the adult Drosophila brain, noting significant transcriptional changes from MPH and ATX, with MPH affecting dopamine receptor genes more strongly than ATX.
  • - MPH also inhibited genes related to other neurotransmitter receptors and signaling molecules, particularly for Glu and GABA, indicating it has a broader impact on neurochemistry compared to ATX.
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Due to the difficulty in accurately identifying structural variants (SVs) across genomes, their impact on -regulatory divergence of closely related species, especially fish, remains to be explored. Recently identified broad H3K4me3 domains are essential for the regulation of genes involved in several biological processes. However, the role of broad H3K4me3 domains in phenotypic divergence remains poorly understood.

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Oakleaf butterflies in the genus Kallima have a polymorphic wing phenotype, enabling these insects to masquerade as dead leaves. This iconic example of protective resemblance provides an interesting evolutionary paradigm that can be employed to study biodiversity. We integrated multi-omic data analyses and functional validation to infer the evolutionary history of Kallima species and investigate the genetic basis of their variable leaf wing patterns.

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As the resident immune cells in the central nervous system (CNS), microglia orchestrate immune responses and dynamically sculpt neural circuits in the CNS. Microglial dysfunction and mutations of microglia-specific genes have been implicated in many diseases of the CNS. Developing effective and safe vehicles for transgene delivery into microglia will facilitate the studies of microglia biology and microglia-associated disease mechanisms.

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Since the development of bacterial resistance, the decreasing effectiveness of antibiotics is becoming one of the most critical problems worldwide. Novel antibacterial agents are urgently needed to prevent humanity from falling back into the "post-antibiotic era". As an important part of the innate immune system, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are one of the most promising antibacterial agents showing broad-spectrum activity against bacteria and low propensity for drug resistance.

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