Biology subjects

Hsieh, C.-H.

Publications and source records attributed to Hsieh, C.-H..

10 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Parental care enhances reproductive success without remodeling the carcass microbiome in a wild burying beetle

Nutrient cycling depends on interactions between insect decomposers and the microbial communities that colonize ephemeral resources such as animal carcasses. Burying beetles (Nicrophorus spp.) are thought to manipulate carcass microbiomes to facilitate reproduction, yet most experimental work relies on a few standardized laboratory carcasses that obscure the ecological heterogeneity beetles face in the wild. Using 76 carcasses from 27 vertebrate species of birds, mammals, and reptiles, we manipulated Nicrophorus nepalensis parental care and characterized carcass, adult-gut, and larval-gut microbiomes by 16S rRNA sequencing. Parental care strongly increased breeding success and brood mass, and buffered reproductive success against variation in carcass identity. By contrast, carcass type and decomposition stage, not care, primarily structured the carcass microbiome; a modest care signature emerged only late in decomposition, was strongest in the adult gut, and was absent from the larval gut. Parental care thus acts principally as a direct driver of reproductive success rather than by remodeling the carcass or larval microbiomes.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2026

Risk Assessment of Arterial Embolism from Neofilera(R) Filler in Rabbits

The incidence of vascular complications differs among dermal filler formulations. This study aimed to evaluate the embolic risk associated with Neofilera(R), a filler composed of carboxymethyl cellulose and polylactic acid microspheres, following intra-arterial injection. The central auricular arteries of rabbits were injected with Neofilera(R) at volumes of 0.1 mL or 0.2 mL under various conditions: normal saline (control) and Neofilera(R) diluted at ratios of 1:5 (Group 1), 1:10 (Group 2), and 1:15 (Group 3). The presence of transparent emboli was assessed immediately after injection, while tissue necrosis (percentage and area) and histopathological alterations were evaluated on days 1 and 7 post-injection. Relative to controls, Neofilera(R) administered at 0.1 mL dispersed within minutes and did not induce significant tissue necrosis at either observation time point. In contrast, administration of 0.2 mL, even in diluted form, was associated with an increased incidence of vascular occlusion. Overall, these findings indicate that Neofilera(R) presents a lower embolic risk when injected at a volume of 0.1 mL, whereas higher injection volumes may substantially increase the likelihood of embolic complications.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2026

PRMT7 restricts CD8+ T cells expansion via the NF-κB pathway.

New therapeutics are needed to enhance cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) expansion and effector function for effective tumor control. Here, we show that T cell specific deletion of Prmt7 using CD4-Cre mice increases CD8+ effector differentiation, cytokine secretion, cytolytic activity, and anti-tumor responses. Prmt7 deficiency transcriptionally reprogrammed CD8+ T cells by activating the NF-{kappa}B pathway, boosting proliferation, and elevating effector molecules such as CD25, CD69, and IFN{gamma}. Mechanistically, PRMT7 associated with RelA and restricted its nuclear translocation. To enable therapeutic translation, we developed a PRMT7-targeting PROTAC degrader (MS54). MS54-treated CTLs exhibited NF-{kappa}B pathway activation similar to Prmt7-deficient CTLs. Adoptive transfer of MS54-treated OT-I CTLs significantly improved tumor control in a syngeneic melanoma model. In human CTLs, MS54 enhanced proliferation, activation markers (CD69, CD137), IFN{gamma} production, and cytotoxicity toward melanoma. Together, these findings identify PRMT7 as a negative regulator of CD8+ T cell immunity and highlight MS54 as a promising strategy to improve adoptive T cell therapy.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Can social media serve as a potential citizen science source for bird-window collision (BWC) data? A study using a decadal data set in Taiwan

Citizen science is increasingly used in bird-window collision (BWC) research to collect data. However, few studies have collected BWC data from social media, and it remains unknown whether the data quality is comparable to that of reported on dedicated platforms. To evaluate the potential of social media as a citizen science data source for BWC, we collected BWC data on social media Facebook as well as Taiwan Roadkill Observation Network (TaiRON), the main dedicated citizen science platform for reporting wildlife mortalities in Taiwan. We compared a decade of BWC data (2012-2022) from the two platforms by examining the nationwide geographical coverage and the species compositions of the BWC observations. Overall, we recorded 2,583 BWC cases involving 153 BWC species from Facebook, and 1,000 BWC cases involving 104 BWC species from TaiRON. More than half of the BWC individuals from Facebook were not found dead when observed, whereas all records on TaiRON were dead individuals. The nationwide geographical coverage and the species compositions of the top 80% cumulative BWC individuals were generally similar between the two platforms. Moreover, the sampling completeness of the two platforms both exceeded 95% (Facebook: 98.0%; TaiRON: 96.0%). To our knowledge, this study is among the first to collect BWC data through social media posts, and our results show that the quantity and quality of Facebook data can be comparable to that of the well-developed citizen science platform TaiRON. Taken together, social media Facebook may not only serve as a promising tool for collecting BWC data, but also provide a platform for public education, which can benefit bird conservation. Finally, integrating data from different citizen science sources helps paint a more complete picture of BWC patterns, especially in understudied areas such as Asia.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2022

An Iron-Calcium-Miro Axis Influences Parkinson Risk and Neurodegeneration

Dysregulated iron or Ca2+ homeostasis has been reported in Parkinsons disease (PD) models. Here we discover a connection between these two metals at the mitochondria. Elevation of iron levels causes inward mitochondrial Ca2+ overflow, through an interaction of Fe2+ with Mitochondrial Calcium Uniporter. In PD neurons, iron accumulation-triggered Ca2+ influx across the mitochondrial surface leads to spatially confined Ca2+ elevation at the outer mitochondrial membrane, which is subsequently sensed by Miro1, a Ca2+-binding protein. A Miro1 blood test distinguishes PD patients from controls and responds to drug treatment. Miro1-based drug screens in PD cells discover FDA-approved T-type Ca2+-channel blockers. Human genetic analysis reveals enrichment of rare variants in T-type Ca2+-channel subtypes associated with PD status. Our results identify a molecular mechanism in PD pathophysiology, and drug targets and candidates coupled with a convenient stratification method.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2022

Omicron-specific mRNA vaccine induced potent neutralizing antibody against Omicron but not other SARS-CoV-2 variants

The emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) harbor mutations associated with increasing transmission and immune escape, hence undermine the effectiveness of current COVID-19 vaccines. In late November of 2021, the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant was identified in South Africa and rapidly spread across the globe. It was shown to exhibit significant resistance to neutralization by serum not only from convalescent patients, but also from individuals receiving currently used COVID-19 vaccines with multiple booster shots. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop next generation vaccines against VOCs like Omicron. In this study, we develop a panel of mRNA-LNP-based vaccines using the receptor binding domain (RBD) of Omicron and Delta variants, which are dominant in the current wave of COVID-19. In addition to the Omicron- and Delta-specific vaccines, the panel also includes a "Hybrid" vaccine that uses the RBD containing all 16 point-mutations shown in Omicron and Delta RBD, as well as a bivalent vaccine composed of both Omicron and Delta RBD-LNP in half dose. Interestingly, both Omicron-specific and Hybrid RBD-LNP elicited extremely high titer of neutralizing antibody against Omicron itself, but few to none neutralizing antibody against other SARS-CoV-2 variants. The bivalent RBD-LNP, on the other hand, generated antibody with broadly neutralizing activity against the wild-type virus and all variants. Surprisingly, similar cross-protection was also shown by the Delta-specific RBD-LNP. Taken together, our data demonstrated that Omicron-specific mRNA vaccine can induce potent neutralizing antibody response against Omicron, but the inclusion of epitopes from other variants may be required for eliciting cross-protection. This study would lay a foundation for rational development of the next generation vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 VOCs.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2020

Three Dimensional Multi-gene Expression Maps Reveal Cell Fate Changes Associated with Laterality Reversal of Zebrafish Habenula

ABSTRACTThe conserved bilateral habenular nuclei (HA) in vertebrate diencephalon develop into compartmentalized structures containing neurons derived from different cell lineages. Despite extensive studies demonstrated that zebrafish larval HA display distinct left-right (L-R) asymmetry in gene expression and connectivity, the spatial gene expression domains were mainly obtained from two-dimensional (2D) snapshots of colorimetric RNA in situ hybridization staining which could not properly reflect different HA neuronal lineages constructed in three-dimension (3D). Combing the tyramide-based fluorescent mRNA in situ hybridization, confocal microscopy and customized imaging processing procedures, we have created spatial distribution maps of four genes for 4 day old zebrafish and in sibling fish whose L-R asymmetry was spontaneously reversed. 3D volumetric analyses showed that ratios of cpd2, lov, ron and nrp1a expression in L-R reversed HA were reversed according to the parapineal positions. However, the quantitative changes of gene expression in reversed larval brains do not mirror the gene expression level in the obverse larval brains. There were a total 87.78% increase of lov+nrp1a+ and a total 12.45% decrease of lov+ron+ double-positive neurons when the L-R asymmetry of HA was reversed. Thus, our volumetric analyses of the 3D maps indicate that changes of HA neuronal cell fates are associated with the reversal of HA laterality. These changes likely account for the behavior changes associated with HA laterality alterations.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.View Full Text

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2020

The origin and underlying driving forces of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak

The spread of SARS-CoV-2 since December 2019 has become a pandemic and impacted many aspects of human society. Here, we analyzed genetic variation of SARS-CoV-2 and its related coronavirus and found the evidence of intergenomic recombination. After correction for mutational bias, analysis of 137 SARS-CoV-2 genomes as of 2/23/2020 revealed the excess of low frequency mutations on both synonymous and nonsynonymous sites which is consistent with recent origin of the virus. In contrast to adaptive evolution previously reported for SARS-CoV in its brief epidemic in 2003, our analysis of SARS-CoV-2 genomes shows signs of relaxation of selection. The sequence similarity of the spike receptor binding domain between SARS-CoV-2 and a sequence from pangolin is probably due to an ancient intergenomic introgression. Therefore, SARS-CoV-2 might have cryptically circulated within humans for years before being recently noticed. Data from the early outbreak and hospital archives are needed to trace its evolutionary path and reveal critical steps required for effective spreading. Two mutations, 84S in orf8 protein and 251V in orf3 protein, occurred coincidentally with human intervention. The 84S first appeared on 1/5/2020 and reached a plateau around 1/23/2020, the lockdown of Wuhan. 251V emerged on 1/21/2020 and rapidly increased its frequency. Thus, the roles of these mutations on infectivity need to be elucidated. Genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 collected from China was two time higher than those derived from the rest of the world. In addition, in network analysis, haplotypes collected from Wuhan city were at interior and have more mutational connections, both of which are consistent with the observation that the outbreak of cov-19 was originated from China. SUMMARYIn contrast to adaptive evolution previously reported for SARS-CoV in its brief epidemic, our analysis of SARS-CoV-2 genomes shows signs of relaxation of selection. The sequence similarity of the spike receptor binding domain between SARS-CoV-2 and a sequence from pangolin is probably due to an ancient intergenomic introgression. Therefore, SARS-CoV-2 might have cryptically circulated within humans for years before being recently noticed. Data from the early outbreak and hospital archives are needed to trace its evolutionary path and reveal critical steps required for effective spreading. Two mutations, 84S in orf8 protein and 251V in orf3 protein, occurred coincidentally with human intervention. The 84S first appeared on 1/5/2020 and reached a plateau around 1/23/2020, the lockdown of Wuhan. 251V emerged on 1/21/2020 and rapidly increased its frequency. Thus, the roles of these mutations on infectivity need to be elucidated.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2019

Effect of high frequency and low intensity pulsed electric field on protecting SH-SY5Y cells against hydrogen peroxide and β-amyloid-induced cell injury via ERK pathway

As the most common type of neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), Alzheimers disease (AD) is thought to be caused mainly by the excessive aggregation of {beta}-amyloid protein (A{beta}). However, a growing number of studies have found that reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a key role in the onset and progression of AD. The present study aimed to probe the neuroprotective effect of high-frequency low-intensity pulsed electric field (H-LIPEF) for SH-SY5Y cells against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and A{beta}-induced cytotoxicity. By looking in a systematic way into the frequency- and amplitude-dependent neuroprotective effect of pulsed electric field (PEF), the study finds that H-LIPEF at 200 Hz produces the optimal protective effect for SH-SY5Y cells. The underlying mechanisms were confirmed to be due to the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway and the downstream prosurvival and antioxidant proteins. Because the electric field can be modified to focus on specific area in a non-contact manner, the study suggests that H-LIPEF holds great potential for treating NDDs, whose effect can be further augmented with the administering of drugs or natural compounds at the same time.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2019

Thermal cycling-hyperthermia in combination with polyphenols, epigallocatechin gallate and chlorogenic acid, exerts synergistic anticancer effect against human pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cells

Hyperthermia (HT) has shown feasibility and potency as an anticancer therapy. Administration of HT in the chemotherapy has previously enhanced the cytotoxicity of drugs against pancreatic cancer. However, the drugs used when conducting these studies are substantially conventional chemotherapeutic agents that may cause unwanted side effects. Additionally, the thermal dosage in the treatment of cancer cells could also probably harm the healthy cells. The purpose of this work was to investigate the potential of the two natural polyphenolic compounds, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and chlorogenic acid (CGA), as heat synergizers in the thermal treatment of the PANC-1 cells. Furthermore, we have introduced a novel strategy entitled the thermal cycling-hyperthermia (TC-HT) that is capable of providing a maximum synergy and minimal side effect with the anticancer compounds. Our results demonstrate that the combination of the TC-HT and the CGA or EGCG markedly exerts the anticancer effect against the PANC-1 cells, while none of the single treatment induced such changes. The synergistic activity was attributed to the cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and the induction of the ROS-dependent mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. These findings not only represent the first thermal synergistic study of natural compounds in the treatment of pancreatic cancer, but also highlight the potential application of the TC-HT as an alternative strategy in anticancer treatment.

cancer biology↗