Biology subjects

Luo, H.

Publications and source records attributed to Luo, H..

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

bioRxiv2022

The effector protein CgNLP1 of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides from Hevea brasiliensis disrupts nuclear localization of necrosis-induced transcription factor HbMYB8-like to suppress plant defense signaling

O_LIColletotrichum gloeosporioides is the dominant causal agent of rubber tree anthracnose and leads to serious loss of natural rubber production. Fungi secrete numerous effectors to modulate host defense systems. Understanding the molecular mechanisms by which fungal effectors regulate plant defense is of great importance for the development of novel strategies for disease control. C_LIO_LIHere, we identified an NLP effector gene, CgNLP1, which contributed to virulence of C. gloeosporioides to rubber tree. Transient expression of CgNLP1 in the leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana induced ethylene production in plants. Ectopic expression of CgNLP1 in Arabidopsis significantly enhanced the resistance to Botrytis cinerea and A. brassicicola. C_LIO_LICgNLP1 was shown to target a R2R3 type transcription factor HbMYB8-like in rubber tree, which localized on nucleus and induced necrosis in N. benthamiana. CgNLP1 disrupted nuclear accumulation of HbMYB8-like and suppressed necrosis induced by HbMYB8-like mediated SA signal pathway. C_LIO_LIThis work suggested a strategy whereby C. gloeosporioides exploited CgNLP1 effector to suppress host defense to facilitate infection by disrupting the subcellular compartment of a host defense regulator HbMYB8-like. C_LI

pathology↗

bioRxiv2021

HybridDTA: Hybrid Data Fusion through Pairwise Training for Drug-Target Affinity Prediction

Candidate compounds with high binding affinities toward a target protein are likely to be developed as drugs. Deep neural networks (DNNs) have attracted increasing attention for drug-target affinity (DTA) estimation owning to their efficiency. However, the negative impact of batch effects caused by measure metrics, system technologies, and other assay information is seldom discussed when training a DNN model for DTA. Suffering from the data deviation caused by batch effects, the DNN models can only be trained on a small amount of "clean" data. Thus, it is challenging for them to provide precise and consistent estimations. We design a batch-sensitive training framework, namely BatchDTA, to train the DNN models. BatchDTA implicitly aligns multiple batches toward the same protein, alleviating the impact of the batch effects on the DNN models. Extensive experiments demonstrate that BatchDTA facilitates four mainstream DNN models to enhance the ability and robustness on multiple DTA datasets. The average concordance index (CI) of the DNN models achieves a relative improvement of 4.0%. BatchDTA can also be applied to the fused data collected from multiple sources to achieve further improvement.

bioinformatics↗

bioRxiv2021

The mitochondrial deubiquitinase USP30 regulates AKT/mTOR signaling

Mitophagy is an intracellular mechanism to maintain mitochondrial health by removing dysfunctional mitochondria. The E3 ligase Parkin ubiquitinates the membrane proteins on targeted mitochondria to initiate mitophagy, and USP30 antagonizes this Parkin-dependent mitophagy. AKT/mTOR signaling is a master regulator of cell proliferation, differentiation, survival, and growth. Although mounting evidence showed mitophagy and AKT/mTOR signaling interact with each other during mitophagy, the specific mechanisms between Parkin/USP30 and AKT/mTOR signaling have not been elucidated. This research artificially expressed Parkin and USP30 in Hela cells and compared AKT/mTOR and apoptosis signals between Hela cells, HeLa Parkin cells, and Hela Parkin USP30 cells during mitophagy. The studys results suggest that Parkin promotes AKT degradation via ubiquitination, which induces cell apoptosis during mitochondrial stress. On the contrary, USP30 protects AKT via deubiquitination. These findings provide new insights into Parkin and USP30s role in cell apoptosis and physiological and pathological functions of USP30 beyond mitophagy.

pharmacology and toxicology↗

bioRxiv2021

Fecal microbiota and their association with heat stress in Bos taurus

Humans have been influencing climate changes by burning fossil fuels, farming livestock, and cutting down rainforests, which has led to global temperature rise. This problem of global warming affects animals by causing heat stress, which negatively affects their health, biological functions, and reproduction. On the molecular level, it has been proved that heat stress changes the expression level of genes and therefore causes changes in proteome and metabolome. The importance of a microbiome in many studies showed that it is considered as individuals "second genome". Physiological changes caused by heat stress may impact the microbiome composition. In this study, we identified fecal microbiota associated with heat stress that was quantified by three metrics - rectal temperature, drooling, and respiratory scores and represented by their Estimated Breeding Values. For this purpose, the 16S rRNA sequencing technique was used. We analyzed the microbiota from 136 fecal samples of Chinese Holstein cows through a 16S rRNA gene sequencing approach. Sequence data were processed using a pipeline involving QIIME2 software together with SILVA database. Statistical modeling was performed using a negative binomial regression. The analysis revealed the total number of 24 genera and 12 phyla associated with heat stress metrics. Rhizobium and Pseudobutyrivibrio turned out to be the most significant genera, while Acidobacteria and Gemmatimonadetes were the most significant phyla. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that that three heat stress indicators quantify different metabolic ways of animals reaction to heat stress. Other studies already identified that those genera had significantly increased abundance in mice exposed to stressor-induced changes. Moreover, identified microbiota significantly associated with heat stress measures were mostly mesophilic, so their association seems to be due to heat stress-induced secondary, metabolic changes, and not directly by temperature. Moreover, high fold changes of many genera suggest that they may be used as biomarkers for monitoring the level of heat stress in cattle.

bioinformatics↗

bioRxiv2021

Explicit expression of mesophyll conductance in the traditional leaf photosynthesis-transpiration coupled model and its physiological significances

O_LIAlmost all terrestrial biosphere models (TBMs) still assume infinite mesophyll conductance (gm) to estimate photosynthesis and transpiration. This assumption has caused low accuracy of TBMs to predict leaf gas exchange under certain conditions. C_LIO_LIIn this study, we developed a photosynthesis-transpiration coupled model that explicitly considers gm and designed an optimized parameterization solution through evaluating four different gm estimation methods in 19 C3 species at 31 experimental treatments. C_LIO_LIResults indicated that temperature responses of the maximum carboxylation rate (Fcmax) and the electron transport rate (Jmax) estimated by fusing the Bayesian retrieval algorithm and the Sharkey online calculator together with gm temperature response estimated by fusing the chlorophyll fluorescence-gas exchange method and anatomy method predicted leaf gas exchange more accurately. The gm temperature response exhibited activation energy ({Delta}Ha) of 63.13 {+/-} 36.89 kJ mol-1 and entropy ({Delta}S) of 654.49 {+/-} 11.36 J K-1 mol-1. The gm optimal temperature (Topt_gm) explained 58% of variations in photosynthesis optimal temperature (ToptA). The gm explicit expression has equally important effects on photosynthesis and transpiration estimations. C_LIO_LIResults advanced understandings of better representation of plant photosynthesis and transpiration in TBMs. C_LI

ecology↗

bioRxiv2021

SLC25A39 is necessary for mitochondrial glutathione import in mammalian cells

Glutathione (GSH) is a small molecule thiol abundantly present in all eukaryotes with key roles in oxidative metabolism1. Mitochondria, as the major site of oxidative reactions, must maintain sufficient levels of GSH to perform protective and biosynthetic functions2. GSH is exclusively synthesized in the cytosol, yet the molecular machinery involved in mitochondrial GSH import remain elusive. Here, using organellar proteomics and metabolomics approaches, we identify SLC25A39, a mitochondrial membrane carrier of unknown function, to regulate GSH transport into mitochondria. SLC25A39 loss reduces mitochondrial GSH import and abundance without impacting whole cell GSH levels. Cells lacking both SLC25A39 and its paralog SLC25A40 exhibit defects in the activity and stability of ironsulfur cluster containing proteins. Moreover, mitochondrial GSH import is necessary for cell proliferation in vitro and red blood cell development in mice. Remarkably, the heterologous expression of an engineered bifunctional bacterial GSH biosynthetic enzyme (GshF) in mitochondria enabled mitochondrial GSH production and ameliorated the metabolic and proliferative defects caused by its depletion. Finally, GSH availability negatively regulates SLC25A39 protein abundance, coupling redox homeostasis to mitochondrial GSH import in mammalian cells. Our work identifies SLC25A39 as an essential and regulated component of the mitochondrial GSH import machinery.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2021

A coordinated function of lncRNA HOTTIP and miRNA-196b underpinning leukemogenesis by targeting Fas signaling

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) may modulate more than 60% of human coding genes and act as negative regulators, while long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulate gene expression on multiple levels by interacting with chromatin, functional proteins, and RNAs such as mRNAs and microRNAs. However, the crosstalk between lncRNA HOTTIP and miRNAs in leukemogenesis remains elusive. Using combined integrated analyses of global miRNA expression profiling and state-of-the-art genomic analyses of chromatin such as ChIRP-seq., (genome wide HOTTIP binding analysis), ChIP-seq., and ATAC-seq., we found that miRNA genes are directly controlled by HOTTIP. Specifically, the HOX cluster miRNAs (miR-196a, miR-196b, miR-10a and miR-10b), located cis & trans, were most dramatically regulated and significantly decreased in HOTTIP-/- AML cells. HOTTIP bound to the miR-196b promoter, and HOTTIP deletion reduced chromatin accessibility and enrichment of active histone modifications at HOX cluster associated miRNAs in AML cells, while reactivation of HOTTIP restored miR gene expression and chromatin accessibility in the CTCF-boundary-attenuated AML cells. Inactivation of HOTTIP or miR-196b promotes apoptosis by altering the chromatin signature at the FAS promoter and increasing FAS expression. Transplantation of miR-196b knockdown MOLM13 cells in NSG mice increased overall survival compared to wild-type cells. Thus, HOTTIP remodels the chromatin architecture around miRNAs to promote their transcription, consequently repressing tumor suppressors and promoting leukemogenesis.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2021

Phylogenomics Suggests the Origin of Obligately Anaerobic Anammox Bacteria Correlates with the Great Oxidation Event

The anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) bacteria could transform ammonium and nitrite to dinitrogen gas, and this obligate anaerobic process accounts for up to half of the global nitrogen loss in surface environments. Yet its origin and evolution, which may give important insights into the biogeochemistry of early Earth, remains enigmatic. Here, we performed comprehensive phylogenomic analysis and showed a single origin of anammox bacteria within the phylum Planctomycetes. After accommodating the uncertainties and factors influencing time estimates, which includes implementing both a traditional cyanobacteria-based and a recently developed mitochondria-based approach, we estimated that anammox bacteria originated at early Proterozoic and most likely around the so-called Great Oxidation Event (GOE; 2.32 to 2.5 billion years ago [Ga]) which fundamentally changed global biogeochemical cycles. We further showed that during the origin of anammox bacteria, genes involved in oxidative stress, bioenergetics and anammox granules formation were recruited, which might have contributed to their survival on an increasingly oxic Earth. Our findings suggest the rising levels of atmospheric oxygen, which made nitrite increasingly available, was a potential driving force for the emergence of anammox bacteria. This is one of the first studies that link the GOE to the evolution of obligate anaerobic bacteria.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2021

Quercetin ameliorates mitochondrial dysfunction and mitigates methamphetamine-induced anxiety-like behavior

Methamphetamine (MA) abuse results in neurotoxic outcomes, including increased anxiety and depression, during both MA use and withdrawal. Although numerous studies have reported an association between MA exposure and anxiety, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. In this study, escalating dose of MA was used to establish an MA-treated mouse model presenting anxiety behavior. RNA seq was then performed to profile the gene expression patterns in the hippocampus (HIPP). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified and function enrichment analysis was conducted to explore the underlying mechanisms. Quercetin as an mitochondria protector was used in vivo and in vitro. The C57BL/6J mice were co-treated with 50 mg/kg Quercetin and escalating MA. Anxiety behavior was evaluated by utilizing the elevated plus maze and the open field test. Transmission electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry were conducted to study the pathology of MA-inducced anxiety. The effects of MA and Quercetin on astrocytes were investigated by fluorescence staining, transmission electron microscopy, flow cytometry, and oxygen consumption rate. Western blot and qPCR were performed to analyze altered protein and gene levels of HIPP in mice and astrtocytes. The results demonstrated that forteen upregulated differentially expressed genes were identified and significantly enriched in signaling pathways related to psychiatric disorders and mitochondrial function. Interestingly, we found that quercetin was able to alleviate MA-induced anxiety-like behavior by improving neuron number and mitochondria injury. Mechanistically, quercetin can mitigate aberrant mitochondrial morphology and mitochondrial dysfunction not only by decreasing the levels of total cytoplasmic reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondria-derived ROS (mtROS), and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), but also increasing the oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and mitochondrial ATP production in vitro, indicating Quercetin ameliorated MA-induced anxiety-like behavior by modifying mitochondrial morphology and function. Furthermore, quercetin reversed OPA1 and DRP1 expression in astrocytes, and mitigated astrocyte activation and the release of inflammatory factors, which can trigger neuronal apoptosis and synaptic loss. Taken together, we provided evidence showing that MA can induce anxiety-like behavior via the induction of oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. Quercetin exerted antipsychotic activity through mitochondrial modulation, suggesting its potential for further therapeutic development in MA-induced anxiety.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2021

Breaching the cell-envelope barriers of gram-positive and fungal microbes by a type VI secretion system in Acidovorax citrulli

The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a double-tubular toxin-injection nanomachine widely found in gram-negative human and plant pathogens. The current model depicts that the T6SS spear-like Hcp tube is powered by the contraction of an outer sheath to drill through the envelope of a neighboring cell, achieving cytosol to cytosol delivery. However, gram-positive bacteria seem to be impenetrable to such T6SS action. Here we report that a plant pathogen Acidovorax citrulli (AC) deploys a highly potent T6SS to kill a range of bacteria including Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, and Mycobacterium smegmatis as well as fungal species including Candida albicans and Pichia pastoris. Using bioinformatic and biochemical assays, we identified a group of T6SS effectors and characterized one effector RhsB that is critical for interspecies interaction. We report that RhsB contains a conserved YD-repeat domain and a C-terminal nuclease domain. Toxicity of RhsB was neutralized by its downstream immunity proteins through direct interaction. RhsB was cleaved at the C-terminal end and a catalytic mutation within the internal aspartic protease abolished such cleavage. Collectively, the T6SS of AC displays potent activities to penetrate the cell envelope barriers of gram-positive and fungal species, highlighting the greatly expanded capabilities of T6SS in modulating microbiome compositions in complex environments.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2021

Abiotic factors modulate interspecies competition mediated by the type VI secretion system effectors in Vibrio cholerae

Vibrio cholerae, the etiological pathogen of cholera, relies on its type VI secretion system (T6SS) as an effective weapon to survive in highly competitive communities. The anti-bacterial and anti-eukaryotic functions of T6SS depend on its secreted effectors that target multiple essential cellular processes. However, the mechanisms that account for effector diversity and different effectiveness during interspecies competition remain elusive. Here, we report that environmental cations and temperature play a key role in dictating effector-mediated competition of Vibrio cholerae. We found that V. cholerae could employ its cell-wall-targeting effector TseH to outcompete the otherwise resistant Escherichia coli and the V. cholerae immunity deletion mutant{Delta} tsiH when Ca2+ and Mg2+ were supplemented. The E. coli {Delta}phoQ mutant was more sensitive to TseH-mediated killing during competition, suggesting the metal-sensing PhoPQ two-component system is protective to E. coli from TseH activity. Using transcriptome analysis, we found multiple stress response systems, including acid stress response, oxidative stress response, and osmotic stress response, were activated in E. coli expressing TseH in comparison with E. coli expressing the inactive mutant TseHH64A. The membrane-targeting lipase effector TseL also exhibited reduced killing against E. coli when divalent cations were removed. In addition, competition analysis of E. coli with V. cholerae single-effector active strains reveals a temperature-dependent susceptibility of E. coli to effectors, VasX, VgrG3, and TseL. These findings suggest that abiotic factors, that V. cholerae frequently encounters in natural habitats, play a crucial role in dictating the competitive fitness conferred by the type VI secretion system in complex multispecies communities.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2021

Nucleocapsid mutation R203K/G204R increases the infectivity, fitness and virulence of SARS-CoV-2

In addition to the mutations on the spike protein (S), co-occurring mutations on nucleocapsid (N) protein are also emerging in SARS-CoV-2 world widely. Mutations R203K/G204R on N, carried by high transmissibility SARS-CoV-2 lineages including B.1.1.7 and P.1, has a rapid spread in the pandemic during the past year. In this study, we performed comprehensive population genomic analyses and virology experiment concerning on the evolution, causation and virology consequence of R203K/G204R mutations. The global incidence frequency (IF) of 203K/204R has rose up from nearly zero to 76% to date with a shrinking from August to November in 2020 but bounced later. Our results show that the emergence of B.1.1.7 is associated with the second growth of R203K/G204R mutants. We identified positive selection evidences that support the adaptiveness of 203K/204R variants. The R203K/G204R mutant virus was created and compared with the native virus. The virus competition experiments show that 203K/204R variants possess a replication advantage over the preceding R203/G204 variants, possibly in relation to the ribonucleocapsid (RNP) assemble during the virus replication. Moreover, the 203K/204R virus increased the infectivity in a human lung cell line and induced an enhanced damage to blood vessel of infected hamsters lungs. In consistence, we observed a positive association between the increased severity of COVID-19 and the IF of 203K/204R from in silicon analysis of global clinical and epidemic data. In combination with the informatics and virology experiment, our work suggested the contribution of 203K/204R to the increased transmission and virulence of the SARS-CoV-2. In addition to mutations on the S protein, the mutations on the N protein are also important to virus spread during the pandemic.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Golden pompano genome resource enables discovery of valuable gene determining growth traits

One important goal of fish genetic breeding is to identify valuable loci and genes that can facilitate growth and thereby productivity. Few such loci or genes have been identified in golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus), a species of significant economic value. In this study, we produced a high-quality chromosome-level genome assembly of the golden pompano by de novo sequencing and assemblies for 2 parents and 200 F1 offspring by genome re-sequencing. We exploited these assemblies to identify loci and genes by QTL mapping, Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP) genotyping, and haplotype-based regional association analysis based on growth records of a 64 biparental and 147 individuals from a naturally occurring population. At a locus 291kb from BSNP21031, we identified a somatostatin receptor type 1-like (designated as gpsstr1) gene in which the BSNP1369 of the promoter region was highly associated with growth. Loss of sstr1a, the homolog of gpsstr1 in zebrafish, caused growth retardation. Sstr1a mediated growth via sstr2 and Wnt-gsk-3{beta} signaling pathways. Our findings provide new insights into the underlying mechanisms controlling growth. Our strategy can serve as an effective way to uncover novel genomic information and facilitate improvement of fish growth.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2021

Development and Application of Cas13a-based Diagnostic Assay for Neisseria Gonorrhoeae Detection and Identification of Azithromycin Resistance

Gonorrhea caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae has spread world-wide. Antimicrobial-resistant strains have emerged to an alarming level to most antibiotics including to the ceftriaxone-azithromycin combination, currently recommended as first-line dual therapy. Rapid testing for antimicrobial resistance will contribute to clinical decision-making for rational drug use and will slow this trend. Herein, we developed a Cas13a-based assay for N. gonorrhoeae detection (porA target) and azithromycin resistance identification (A2059G and C2611T point mutations). We evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of this method, and 10 copies per reaction can be achieved in porA detection and C2611T identification, with no cross-reactions. Comparison of the Cas13a-based assay (porA target) with Roche Cobas 4800 assay (n=23 urine samples) revealed 100% concordance. Isolated N. gonorrhoeae strains were used to validate the identification of A2059G and C2611T resistance mutations. All tested strains (8 A2059G strains, 8 C2611T strains, and 8 wild-type strains) were successfully distinguished by our assay and verified by testing MIC for azithromycin and sequencing the 23S rRNA gene. We adopted lateral flow for the SHERLOCK assay readout, which showed a visible difference between test group and NC group results. To further evaluate the capability of our assay, we tested 27 urethral swabs from patients with urethritis for N. gonorrhoeae detection and azithromycin-resistance identification. Of these, 62.96% (17/27) strains were detected with no mutant strains and confirmed by sequencing. In conclusion, the novel Cas13a-based assay for rapid and accurate N. gonorrhoeae detection combined with azithromycin drug resistance testing is a promising assay for application in clinical practice.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2021

The genetic architecture of phenotypic diversity in the betta fish (Betta splendens)

The Betta fish displays a remarkable variety of phenotypes selected during domestication. However, the genetic basis underlying these traits remain largely unexplored. Here, we report a high-quality genome assembly and re-sequencing of 727 individuals representing diverse morphologies of the betta fish. We show that current breeds have a complex domestication history with extensive introgression with wild species. Using GWAS, we identify the genetic basis of multiple traits, including several coloration phenotypes, sex-determination which we map to DMRT1, and the long-fin phenotype which maps to KCNJ15. We identify a polygenic signal related to aggression with many similarities to human psychiatric traits, involving genes such as CACNB2 and DISC1. Our study provides a resource for developing the Betta fish as a genetic model for morphology and behavior in vertebrates.

genetics↗

bioRxiv2021

SmProt: a reliable repository with comprehensive annotation of small proteins identified from ribosome profiling

Small proteins specifically refer to proteins consisting of less than 100 amino acids translated from small open reading frames (sORFs), which were usually missed in previous genome annotation. The significance of small proteins has been revealed in current years, along with the discovery of their diverse functions. However, systematic annotation of small proteins is still insufficient. SmProt was specially developed to provide valuable information on small proteins for scientific community. Here we present the update of SmProt, which emphasizes reliability of translated sORFs, genetic variants in translated sORFs, disease-specific sORFs translation events or sequences, and significantly increased data volume. More components such as non-AUG translation initiation, function, and new sources are also included. SmProt incorporated 638,958 unique small proteins curated from 3,165,229 primary records, which were computationally predicted from 419 ribosome profiling (Ribo-seq) datasets and collected from the literature and other sources originating from 370 cell lines or tissues in 8 species (Homo sapiens, Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus, Drosophila melanogaster, Danio rerio, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Caenorhabditis elegans, and Escherichia coli). In addition, small protein families identified from human microbiomes were collected. All datasets in SmProt are free to access, and available for browse, search, and bulk downloads at http://bigdata.ibp.ac.cn/SmProt/.

bioinformatics↗

bioRxiv2021

Metapopulation Structure of Diatom-associated Marine Bacteria

Marine bacteria-phytoplankton interaction ultimately shapes ecosystem productivity. The biochemical mechanisms underlying their interactions become increasingly known, yet how these ubiquitous interactions drive bacterial evolution has not been illustrated. Here, we sequenced genomes of 294 bacterial isolates associated with 19 coexisting diatom cells. These bacteria constitute eight genetically monomorphic populations of the globally abundant Roseobacter group. Six of these populations are members of Sulfitobacter, arguably the most prevalent bacteria associated with marine diatoms. A key finding is that populations varying at the intra-specific level have been differentiated and each are either associated with a single diatom host or with multiple hosts not overlapping with those of other populations. These closely related populations further show functional differentiation; they differ in motility phenotype and they harbor distinct types of secretion systems with implication for mediating organismal interactions. This interesting host-dependent population structure is even evident for demes within a genetically monomorphic population but each associated with a distinct diatom cell, as shown by a greater similarity in genome content between isolates from the same host compared to those from different hosts. Importantly, the intra- and inter-population differentiation pattern remains when the analyses are restricted to isolates from intra-specific diatom hosts, ruling out distinct selective pressures and instead suggesting coexisting microalgal cells as physical barriers of bacterial gene flow. Taken together, microalgae-associated bacteria display a unique microscale metapopulation structure, which consists of numerous small populations whose evolution is driven by random genetic drift.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2021

Gallic Acid, a Methyl 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoate Derivative, Induces Neural Stem Cells to Differentiate and Proliferate

Differentiation and proliferation of neural stem cells (NSCs) are both important biological processes in cerebral neural network. However, these two capacities of NSCs are limited. Thus, the induction of differentiation and/or proliferation via administration of small molecules derived from natural plants can be considered as a potential approach to repair damaged neural networks. This paper reports that gallic acid, a catechol compound selected from derivatives of methyl 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate (MDHB), selectively induces NSCs to differentiate into immature neurons and promotes proliferation by activating phosphorylation of key proteins in the MAPK-ERK pathway. In addition, we found that 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid was the main active structure which could show neurotrophic activity. The substitution of carboxyl group on the benzene ring into ester group may promote differentiation on the basis of the structure of 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid. Meanwhile, the introduction of 5-hydroxyl group may promote proliferation. Generally, this study identified a natural catechol compound that promotes differentiation and proliferation of NSCs in vitro.

neuroscience↗