Biology subjects

Tseng, Y.

Publications and source records attributed to Tseng, Y..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Among-population variation in the threespine stickleback ( Gasterosteus aculeatus ) liver metabolome: effects of ancestry and environment

Untargeted metabolomics offers a powerful lens for quantifying high-dimensional phenotypic variation within and among species in nature, but has yet to be widely adopted in evolutionary ecology. Some important initial questions are whether metabolome composition differs among populations, and to what extent such variation is genetic or plastic. Here, we use untargeted liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry to characterize the relative abundance of 5,939 molecular features of the threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) liver metabolome. Native lake populations differ in metabolome composition, reflecting effects of sex, size, geography, and population ecotype (benthic versus limnetic). Stickleback from these lakes were translocated to found new populations in nine recently fishless lakes, permuting fish ecotypes across benthic and limnetic lake habitats. Several generations later, metabolomes in these experimental populations reflect effects both of their genetic ancestry (e.g., taurocholic acid, a cholane steroid bile acid, was elevated in limnetic-ancestries), as well as their present habitat (e.g., acylcarnitines). Additionally, ecotypes transplanted into a habitat to which they were maladapted exhibited a distinctive metabolomic profile. We conclude that stickleback exhibit both heritable and plastic among-population differences in liver metabolome, which could represent an important phenotypic basis of rapid evolution, population divergence, and perhaps local adaptation.

Molecular Biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Decoding the fibroblast/mast cell signaling pathway of acupuncture

Acupuncture has been practiced for thousands of years with documented therapeutic effects, yet its underlying biological mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we show that acupuncture stimulation converts local mechanical forces into neuronal signals through defined cellular interactions, establishing a causal axis that links micro-level events at the ST36 acupoint to systemic therapeutic effects. We demonstrate that acupuncture needle manipulation transmits mechanical tension through collagen fibers to local fibroblasts, which subsequently secrete stem cell factor (SCF) and interleukin-33 (IL-33) in the acupoint. SCF recruits mast cells, while IL-33 induces their activation and the release of neuromodulatory molecules. These molecules then engage the nervous system, as evidenced by c-fos expression in the lumbar dorsal horn, demonstrating the transmission of acupuncture-induced peripheral signals into central circuits. Together, these findings define a functional axis linking needle-evoked stimulation to neuronal activation and provide a mechanistic framework for understanding the biological basis of acupuncture and for its evidence-based refinement.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2025

High precision fluorescence tomography-guided system for pre-clinical radiation research: system design and validation

PurposeCone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), commonly used for image guidance in pre-clinical studies, is limited in soft tissue localization and lacks the functional information needed for image-guided radiation studies and treatment assessment. To address these limitations, we developed 3D fluorescence tomography (FT) for high precision functional image-guided research and integrated it with small animal irradiators. MethodsThe FT system, integrated with a commercial bioluminescence-guided platform in a standalone configuration, enabling compact multi-projection and multi-spectral imaging. A dual-axis galvo mirror scanner was used for laser spots scanning to excite internal fluorophore. A transportable mouse bed allows animals imaged in the optical system and transferred to irradiators for CBCT imaging and FT-guided irradiation. Spatial geometry-based methods were developed to map the laser spots and fluorescence images onto the animal numerical mesh surface, generated from the CBCT image, to serve as input data for FT reconstruction. A self-calibration method using Born-ratio data, fluorescence normalized to the excitation image, was adopted for reconstruction. Mouse phantom embedded with QD800 reporter and orthotopic glioblastoma (GBM) model injected with IRDye 800CW labelled U87-EGFR cells were used to verify the FT-guided system in target localization. ResultsThe laser spot mapping accuracy are within 0.7 mm maximum deviation. Our system can reconstruct the target QD800 as deep as 17 mm in the mouse phantom with single projection fluorescence imaging at localization accuracy < 1 mm deviation. Using the Born ratio approach, we effectively eliminated excitation light leakage and autofluorescence, enabling our FT system to localize IRDye 800CW-labeled EGFR-overexpressing GBM cells in the mouse brain with approximately 1 mm accuracy. ConclusionWe developed a compact FT system integrated with a small animal irradiator, achieving sub-millimeter localization accuracy in phantom and in vivo models. Its precision, flexibility, and compatibility position it as a powerful tool for advancing functional imaging-guided pre-clinical radiation research.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2020

Phenotype Spectrum reflects Synergies among the Cell Architecture over Stages of the Cell Cycle

The heterogeneity of cell phenotypes remains a barrier in progressing cell research and a challenge in conquering cancer-related drug resistance. Cell morphology, the most direct property of cell phenotype, evolves along the progression of the cell cycle; meanwhile, cell motility, the dynamic property of cell phenotype, also alters over the cell cycle. However, a quantifiable research understanding the strict relationship between the cell cycle and cell migration is missing. Herein, we separately elucidate the correspondence of single NIH 3T3 fibroblast migratory behaviors with the G1, S, and G2 phases of the cell cycle, an underlying property of proliferation. The results show that synergies among the highly spatiotemporal arrangements of signals in Rho GTPases and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors, p21Cip1, and p27Kip1 coordinates proliferation and migration. Taken together, we explain the synergies among these processes through providing an interactive molecular mechanism between the cell cycle and cell migration and demonstrate that both cell morphology and the dynamic subcellular behavior are homogenous within each stage of the cell cycle phases, posing potential implications in countering drug resistance.

cell biology↗