Biology subjects

Qian, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Qian, A..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Prophage induction contributes to alterations in the gut phageome during intestinal inflammation

Bacteriophages (phages) are abundant members of the gut microbiota and regulators of bacterial communities. During homeostasis, gut phage communities are longitudinally stable and lysogenic replication is dominant. In chronic gut inflammatory disorders, such as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), there are alterations in phage diversity, which may result from changes in phage replication cycle dynamics. Here, we used a combination of in vitro, simplified community, and whole-community bioinformatics approaches to investigate whether prophage induction contributes to these alterations. We identified several compounds associated with gut inflammation that induced prophages in commensal gut bacterial isolates. Analysing data from two mouse models of colitis, we observed that shifts in the composition of temperate phages occur over the course of inflammation, supporting a switch from lysogenic to lytic replication. Collectively, our observations support the idea that prophage induction contributes to alterations in the phageome associated with inflammation.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2024

The Whole Proteome, Phosphoproteome, and Glycoproteome Landscape of Pan-Cancer Cell Lines Profiled by Mass Spectrometry and Reverse Phase Protein Array

Mammalian cancer cell lines are essential model systems in biomedical research. We conducted multi-level proteomics analyses on 54 widely used cancer cell lines derived from various tissue-of-origins using two prominent proteomics technologies: mass spectrometry (MS) and reverse-phase protein array (RPPA). Our analysis identified 10,088 proteins, 33,609 phosphorylation sites across 7,289 phosphoproteins, and 56,350 site-specific glycans on 16,296 glycosylation sites from 5,966 glycoproteins, along with 305 drug-relevant protein and phosphoprotein targets. Our results reveal both consistent and distinct patterns in protein expression and modification between MS and RPPA, underscoring their complementary strengths as discovery tools. Additionally, we identified protein features that distinguish tissue origins across different cell line lineages. This dataset supports model system selection for drug target-related studies in vitro and provides valuable insights into key signaling pathways. Overall, this comprehensive resource enables new opportunities for exploration in cancer biology and offers significant value to research communities focused on biomarker profiling, drug target discovery, and understanding mechanisms across diverse cancer types.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Proteomics Landscape of Triple-Negative Apocrine Breast Carcinoma Reveals Molecular Mechanisms of Tumorigenesis and Characteristics of Chemo-insensitivity

Triple-negative apocrine carcinoma (TNAC) is an exceptionally rare, chemotherapy-insensitive subtype of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) characterized by androgen receptor (AR) positivity and low proliferative activity. Despite poor chemotherapy response, TNAC exhibits favorable long-term survival, suggesting distinct resistance mechanisms. Here, we integrate mass spectrometry-based proteomics and whole-exome sequencing (WES) to characterize TNACs molecular features. We identify progressive overexpression of PI3K/AKT and AR signaling proteins, along with ECM remodeling and upregulation of GTPase-related proteins, highlighting TNACs invasive potential. WES reveals somatic mutations in ECM-related genes (COL18A1) and immune-associated genes (C3, NRDC), implicating the tumor microenvironment. Unlike TNBC, post-chemotherapy TNAC proteomics shows mixed ribosomal regulation and heightened inflammation, rather than reliance on proliferation, suggesting a need for targeted metabolic and immune therapies. Our findings support PI3K/AKT inhibitors and AR antagonists, potentially alongside GTPase inhibitors, metabolic disruptors, and immune therapy, as alternative strategies to standard chemotherapy in TNAC.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2019

MACF1 Facilitates SMAD7 Nuclear Translocation to Drive Bone Formation in Mice

MACF1 is a large crosslinker that contributes to cytoskeleton integrity and cell differentiation. Loss of MACF1 impairs multiple cellular functions in neuron development and epidermal migration, and is the molecular basis for many diseases such as heart failure and Parkinsons disease. MACF1 is highly abundant in bones, however, its involvements in osteogenic differentiation and bone formation are still unknown. In this study, by conditional gene targeting to delete the Macf1 gene specifically in MSCs, we observed ossification retardation and bone loss in MACF1 deficient mice in different developmental stages, which we traced to disorganized cytoskeleton and decreased osteogenic differentiation capability in MSCs. Further, we show that MACF1 interacts and facilitates SMAD7 nuclear translocation to initiate downstream transcription. These findings are hopefully to expand the biological scope of MACF1 in bones, and provide experimental basis for targeting MACF1 in degenerative bone diseases such as osteoporosis.

developmental biology↗