Generation of a MYH6 (c.4034T > C) mutant human embryonic stem cell line via CRISPR base editing.

The MYH6 gene encodes α-myosin heavy chain in the adult human heart. MYH6 c.4034T > C (p.

Establishment of heterozygous LMOD2 knockout human embryonic stem cell line (ZZUNEUi022-A-1) using CRISPR/Cas9 system.

Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM), a prevalent form of cardiomyopathy, is characterized by ventricular dilation and systolic dysfunction. Its etiology is intricate, encompassing multiple genetic and environmental elements. The LMOD2 (Leiomodin 2) gene has been demonstrated to be closely associated with the pathogenesis of DCM.

SMYD1 modulates the proliferation of multipotent cardiac progenitor cells derived from human pluripotent stem cells during myocardial differentiation through GSK3β/β-catenin&ERK signaling.

Background: The histone-lysine N-methyltransferase SMYD1, which is specific to striated muscle, plays a crucial role in regulating early heart development. Its deficiency has been linked to the occurrence of congenital heart disease. Nevertheless, the precise mechanism by which SMYD1 deficiency contributes to congenital heart disease remains unclear.

Generation of a DMD loss-of-function mutant human embryonic stem cell lines by CRISPR base editing.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a fatal X-linked recessive disorder, which is caused mostly by frame-disrupting, out-of-frame variation in the dystrophin (DMD) gene. Loss-of- function mutations are the most common type of mutation in DMD, accounting for approximately 60-90% of all DMD variations. In this study, we used adenine base editing to generate a human embryonic stem cell line with splice-site mutations to mimic exon deletion variants in clinical Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients.

The pseudoenzyme ADPRHL1 affects cardiac function by regulating the ROCK pathway.

Background: Pseudoenzymes, catalytically deficient variants of active enzymes, have a wide range of regulatory functions. ADP-ribosylhydrolase-like 1 (ADPRHL1), a pseudoenzyme belonging to a small group of ADP-ribosylhydrolase enzymes that lacks the amino acid residues necessary for catalytic activity, may have a significant role in heart development based on accumulating evidence. However, the specific function of ADPRHL1 in this process has not been elucidated.

KCNQ1-deficient and KCNQ1-mutant human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes for modeling QT prolongation.

Background: The slowly activated delayed rectifier potassium current (I) mediated by the KCNQ1 gene is one of the main currents involved in repolarization. KCNQ1 mutation can result in long-QT syndrome type 1 (LQT1). I does not participate in repolarization in mice; thus, no good model is currently available for research on the mechanism of and drug screening for LQT1.

Ranolazine rescues the heart failure phenotype of PLN-deficient human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes.

Phospholamban (PLN) is a key regulator that controls the function of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and is required for the regulation of cardiac contractile function. Although PLN-deficient mice demonstrated improved cardiac function, PLN loss in humans can result in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) or heart failure (HF). The CRISPR-Cas9 technology was used to create a PLN knockout human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) line in this study.

Generation of a homozygous S100A1 knockout human embryonic stem cell line (WAe009-A-73) by the CRISPR/Cas9 editing system.

S100A1 is a calcium-binding protein involved in myocardial contractility,which possesses a high affinity for calcium.  Several studies have demonstrated that S100A1 is a protector against myocardial injury. In this study, we have generated a homozygous S100A1 knockout (S100A1-KO) human embryonic stem cell (hESC) line by the CRISPR/Cas9 editing system.

Generation of a homozygous MYH7 gene knockout human embryonic stem cell line (WAe009-A-69) using an episomal vector-based CRISPR/Cas9 system.

Myosin heavy chain 7 (MYH7) encodes the human heart myosin heavy chain subunit, which plays an important role in myocardial contraction. MYH7 is the main pathogenic gene that causes Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). In this experiment, a MYH7 homozygous knockout human embryonic stem cell (hESC) line, WAe009-A-69, was generated using an episomal vector-based CRISPR/Cas9 system.

hERG-deficient human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes for modelling QT prolongation.

Background: Long-QT syndrome type 2 (LQT2) is a common malignant hereditary arrhythmia. Due to the lack of suitable animal and human models, the pathogenesis of LQT2 caused by human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG) deficiency is still unclear. In this study, we generated an hERG-deficient human cardiomyocyte (CM) model that simulates 'human homozygous hERG mutations' to explore the underlying impact of hERG dysfunction and the genotype-phenotype relationship of hERG deficiency.

Cell sheet formation enhances the therapeutic effects of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells on myocardial infarction as a bioactive material.

Unlabelled: Stem cell-based therapy has been used to treat ischaemic heart diseases for two decades. However, optimal cell types and transplantation methods remain unclear. This study evaluated the therapeutic effects of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (hUCMSC) sheet on myocardial infarction (MI).

Microscale grooves regulate maturation development of hPSC-CMs by the transient receptor potential channels (TRP channels).

The use of human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) is limited in drug discovery and cardiac disease mechanism studies due to cell immaturity. Micro-scaled grooves can promote the maturation of cardiomyocytes by aligning them in order, but the mechanism of cardiomyocytes alignment has not been studied. From the level of calcium activity, gene expression and cell morphology, we verified that the W20H5 grooves can effectively promote the maturation of cardiomyocytes.

The establishment of a homozygous SNTA1 knockout human embryonic stem cell line (WAe009-A-50) using the CRISPR/Cas9 system.

SNTA1 encodes α1-syntrophin, a scaffold protein, which is a component of the dystrophin-associated protein complex. Additionally, α1-syntrophin interacts with SCN5A and nNOS-PMCA4b complex in cardiomyocytes. SNTA1 is a susceptibility locus for arrhythmia and cardiomyopathy.

Ascorbic acid can promote the generation and expansion of neuroepithelial-like stem cells derived from hiPS/ES cells under chemically defined conditions through promoting collagen synthesis.

Introduction: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a neurological, medically incurable disorder. Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have the potential to generate neural stem/progenitor cells (NS/PCs), which hold promise in the treatment of SCI by transplantation. In our study, we aimed to establish a chemically defined culture system using serum-free medium and ascorbic acid (AA) to generate and expand long-term self-renewing neuroepithelial-like stem cells (lt-NES cells) differentiated from hPSCs effectively and stably.

Determinants of post-fire regeneration demography in a subtropical monsoon-climate forest in Southwest China.

Understanding the determinants of post-fire regeneration is critical for determining an appropriate restoration program following fire disturbances. However, studies addressing the drivers of post-fire regeneration of forests in monsoon climate are rare. This study explored the temporal and spatial variations of post-fire forest regeneration in the Central Yunnan Plateau of Southwest China, and disentangled the direct and indirect effects of the environmental factors via structural equation models (SEMs).

Increasing water availability and facilitation weaken biodiversity-biomass relationships in shrublands.

Positive biodiversity-ecosystem-functioning (BEF) relationships are commonly found in experimental and observational studies, but how they vary in different environmental contexts and under the influence of coexisting life forms is still controversial. Investigating these variations is important for making predictions regarding the dynamics of plant communities and carbon pools under global change. We conducted this study across 433 shrubland sites in northern China.

Legume Shrubs Are More Nitrogen-Homeostatic than Non-legume Shrubs.

Legumes are characterized as keeping stable nutrient supply under nutrient-limited conditions. However, few studies examined the legumes' stoichiometric advantages over other plants across various taxa in natural ecosystems. We explored differences in nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) stoichiometry of different tissue types (leaf, stem, and root) between N-fixing legume shrubs and non-N-fixing shrubs from 299 broadleaved deciduous shrubland sites in northern China.

Hotspot analyses indicate significant conservation gaps for evergreen broadleaved woody plants in China.

Evergreen broadleaved woody plants (EBWPs) are dominant components in forests and savanna of the global tropic and subtropic regions. Southern China possesses the largest continuous area of subtropical EBWPs distribution, harboring a high proportion of endemic species. Hotspot and gap analyses are effective methods for analyzing the spatial pattern of biodiversity and conservation and were used here for EBWPs in China.

Influence of HMGB1 and MSCs transplantation on rat cardiac angiogenesis with acute myocardial infarction.

To observe whether HMGB1could enhance the paracrine effect of MSCs when the Mesenchymal stem cells (Mesenchymal stem cells, MSCs) are pre-proccessed by High Mobility Group Box-1 (High Mobility Group Box-1, HMGB1). And to observe whether it can further increase the quantity of local angiogenesis in myocardial infarcts on the rat model with acute myocardial infarction, HMGB1 was combined with MSCs transplantation. MSCs in rats were cultivated with adherence and centrifugation method.

Knockdown of SCARA5 inhibits PDGF-BB-induced vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration through suppression of the PDGF signaling pathway.

Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation and migration are critical in the progression of atherosclerosis and can be induced by platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). Several studies have demonstrated that scavenger receptor class A, member 5 (SCARA5) is important in cancer cell migration and invasion. However, the role of SCARA5 in VSMCs remains to be elucidated in the development of atherosclerosis.

The links between ecosystem multifunctionality and above- and belowground biodiversity are mediated by climate.

Plant biodiversity is often correlated with ecosystem functioning in terrestrial ecosystems. However, we know little about the relative and combined effects of above- and belowground biodiversity on multiple ecosystem functions (for example, ecosystem multifunctionality, EMF) or how climate might mediate those relationships. Here we tease apart the effects of biotic and abiotic factors, both above- and belowground, on EMF on the Tibetan Plateau, China.

Nitrogen dynamics differed among the first six root branch orders of Fraxinus mandshurica and Larix gmelinii during short-term decomposition.

Fine root (<2 mm) decomposition provides a substantial amount of available nitrogen (N) that sustains plant growth. The N release pattern during litter decomposition is generally controlled by initial N concentrations or C/N. Because root branch order and mycorrhizal colonization (related with branch order) are both highly related with different initial chemistry, a hypothesis was proposed that N dynamics during root decomposition varied among different branch orders.

Threat and management strategies of potentially invasive insects in China.

The Global Invasive Species Database, GISD, comprises 27 species of the most significant invasive alien insects in the world (through November, 2005), 6 of which are originally native to China, 11 are established in China, and 10 have a potential invasion threat to China. This paper discusses these species in terms of distribution, harmfulness and dispersal ways, and finds that: (i) Information regarding invasive insects in the GISD remains inadequate. Such harmful invasive species as Opogona sacchari (Bojer), Oracella acuta (Lobdell), and Dendroctonus valens LeConte are not included.

[Comparing of different methods on habitat adaptive division of Chinese material medica].

Objective: To comparing two kinds habitat adaptive division of Chinese material medica with different models.

Method: The habitat adaptive divisions of A. lancea according essential oil accumulation with two kinds pattern, model pattern and template pattern were carrid and compared.

[Change of microbial community in rhizoma sphere of cultivated Atractylodes lancea].

Objective: To find the development rules of microbial community in rhizoma sphere of the cultivated Atractylodes lancea.

Method: Total bacteria, fungi and actinomyces were counted by CFU x g(-1) though dilution plate method. And genomic DNA of microbes were extracted and amplified by primers of E.