Biology subjects

WANG, S.

Publications and source records attributed to WANG, S..

9 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Scalable methylome-transcriptome profiling resolves clonal organization in human hematopoiesis

Understanding human tissue maintenance and remodeling requires linking clonal ancestry to molecular state, yet scalable joint measurement remains challenging. Here, we introduce Droplet-MT and an integrated computational workflow for joint transcriptome and methylome profiling at ~10,000 cells per library. Methylation epimutations enable mutation-independent clonal reconstruction from high-coverage methylomes, while reference-based label transfer assigns cells to established clones at ~0.2% CpG coverage, reducing sequencing cost. Clone-aggregated somatic variants provide genetic annotation without additional single-cell genotyping. Across ~21,000 paired profiles from healthy blood and longitudinal acute myeloid leukemia, we resolved small and expanded clones with heterogeneous lineage output. In leukemia, the framework distinguished changes in malignant clonal abundance, state remodeling within persistent clones, and recovery of healthy polyclonal hematopoiesis. Malignant monocytes remained transcriptionally and epigenetically distinct from healthy and recovery-associated cells despite treatment-associated remodeling. Droplet-MT enables scalable analysis of human tissues by linking clonal organization with molecular state and retrospective genetic annotation.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2026

Prenatal Cannabidiol and Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol exposure lead to sex-specific disruptions in risk assessment and behavioral switching via divergent rewiring of the adult mPFC

BackgroundPrenatal cannabidiol (CBD) consumption is increasing, driven by a perception of safety relative to {Delta}9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). However, the neurodevelopmental risks of gestational CBD remain largely uncharacterized. MethodsUsing a sex-disaggregated framework, we investigated adult (P100-140) mouse offspring following in utero exposure (GD5-18; 3 mg/kg) to THC or CBD. Behavioral strategies were evaluated through risk-assessment and repetitive behavior tasks, coupled with targeted electrophysiological mapping of medial prefrontal cortex Layer 5 neurons, the primary hub for approach-avoidance arbitration. ResultsWe found that increased repetitive behavior was a universal feature of prenatal cannabinoids exposure. Alterations in risk appraisal emerged uniquely in CBD-exposed females and appeared dissociated from classical anxiety metrics. At the circuit level, THC and CBD were linked to an absence of endocannabinoid long-term depression (eCB-LTD). In males, CBD exposure coincided with a bidirectional plasticity collapse characterized by functional saturation, elevated AMPA/NMDA ratios, and slowed NMDAR activation kinetics. This ceiling effect may represent a top-down constraint on the prefrontal output circuit, potentially limiting the synaptic flexibility typically associated with adaptive behavioral transitions. In contrast, females exhibited compound-specific reorganizations of E/I balance. CBD-exposed females displayed a scaled-up architecture that preserved net E/I balance, whereas THC was associated with a pro-excitatory phenotype through the collapse of inhibitory control. ConclusionsDespite a shared loss of eCB-LTD, distinct synaptic remodeling might underlie divergent alterations in risk assessment and behavioral flexibility. This sex-specific circuit rewiring provides a neurobiological framework for the long-term behavioral risks associated with gestational cannabinoid exposure.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2026

The Longest 3D-preserved Plumage Reveals Stepwise Pennaceous Feather Evolution

Powered flight is a critical innovation associated with the evolutionary transition from non-avialan theropods to birds, yet how early feathers gave rise to modern pennaceous feather structures with optimized aerodynamic performance remains unclear. Here we report a three-dimensionally preserved pennaceous feather from the Burmese amber ([~]99 Ma) that exceeds 105 mm in preserved length, representing the longest known feather preserved in amber. It shows symmetrical vanes with densely packed barbs, indicating a derived pennaceous branching architecture, but lacks interlocking barbules and exhibits incompletely differentiated rachis and barbs, implying limited aerodynamic performance. This combination of advanced branching organization and incomplete tissue differentiation indicates asynchronous evolution of pennaceous feathers, in which branching organization, elongation and vane organization preceded the acquisition of interlocking barbules and fully differentiated cortical and medullary tissues required for aerodynamic function. These findings provide direct fossil evidence for stepwise, modular evolution of pennaceous feathers. They suggest that aerodynamic optimization of flight-related feather structures may not have been the primary driver of pennaceous feather branching. Significance statementHow pennaceous feathers became mechanically specialized for powered flight remains poorly understood. Here we report that the longest known three-dimensionally preserved pennaceous feather from Burmese amber ([~]99 Ma) exhibits a symmetrical but non-interlocking vane and limited tissue differentiation in the rachis and barbs, capturing a previously undocumented transitional stage in pennaceous feather evolution. This structural mosaic provides direct fossil evidence that aerodynamic performance was optimized through stepwise, modular evolution of pennaceous feather structures.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Analysis of the interactions between physiological substances and endogenous hormones in Bombax ceiba bud differentiation

2Plant bud differentiation is a process of transition from nutrient growth to reproductive growth, which is important for improving crop yield, breeding of good seeds and regulation of flowering time. To elucidate the morpho-physiological changes during bud differentiation in Bombax ceiba, this study was conducted in Haikou City, Hainan Province, employing paraffin sectioning, plant physiological assays, and LC-MS. We aimed to determine the dynamic changes occurring during this process. The results showed that 1) firstly, the transformation from growth point to flower bud is called floral primordial development, and secondly, the floral organ is mature.2) The content of soluble sugar and soluble starch of early-flowering and late-flowering Bombax ceiba first increased and then decreased, and the content of sucrose, soluble protein and malondialdehyde first decreased and then increased. The content of chlorophyll a gradually decreased and that of chlorophyll b and carotenoids gradually increased in early-flowering Bombax ceiba, while the opposite was true in late-flowering Bombax ceiba.3) 5Ds, CK and Auxin mainly acted in stage I and II, and ABA, SA, GA, ETH, and JA mainly acted in stage II and III.4) Soluble sugar and GA, soluble protein and IAA\CK, sucrose\malondialdehyde and IAA\CK\JA, soluble starch and IAA\CK\GA were significantly positively correlated, and chlorophyll and IAA\CK\SA were significantly negatively correlated, with the existence of synergistic and antagonistic effects co-regulating bud differentiation.This study provides a theoretical basis for exploring the mechanism of flower formation in Bombax ceiba and production practice. 3 Summary statementTo investigate the morphological and physiological characteristics of the bud differentiation process in Bombax ceiba, and to reveal the mechanisms of physiological substances and hormone interactions.

physiology↗

bioRxiv2024

Induction of Senescence During Postpartum Mammary Gland Involution supports tissue remodeling and promotes postpartum tumorigenesis

Cellular senescence is an evolutionarily conserved stress response1, yet its roles during physiological processes remain underexplored2,3. Senescent cells are known to promote tissue repair4,5 and suppress tumorigenesis6, but their accumulation contributes to various pathological and physiological processes, including cancer and ageing7-9. However, it is currently unknown whether physiological senescence can be co-opted by oncogenic events to promote tumorigenesis. Postpartum mammary gland involution is a major tissue remodelling event in adulthood10,11, resembling the wound healing process, and is closely linked to postpartum breast cancer (PPBC)12 providing a compelling context to investigate this question. Here, we show that senescence is induced in alveolar luminal cells during involution in a p16-dependent manner. Reducing senescent cells hinders tissue remodeling and delays involution, underscoring their physiological importance. However, using a PPBC mouse model where the oncogenic event coincides with involution, we demonstrate that eliminating involution-associated senescent cells markedly extended the cancer latency. Mechanistically, we reveal that senescent cells enhance tumor-initiating cell plasticity in a paracrine manner, promoting tumor invasion and metastasis. Collectively, our findings uncover a dual role of senescence in mediating postpartum tissue remodeling and promoting tumorigenesis, highlighting a scenario where physiological senescence is hijacked to drive cancer progression. This work underscores that senescence might be a unifying mechanism linking tissue repair to tumorigenesis.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Convincing Evidence of Carnivorous Diet in Alvarezsaurian Dinosaur

A dietary shift from carnivory to insectivore has been proposed to explain the dramatic morphological evolution of alvarezsaurians, particularly the adaptation related to the manual digital reduction and body size miniaturization. However, based solely on morphological shifts, this hypothesis lacked direct dietary evidence to support either carnivory or insectivore. Here, we present the first convincing dietary evidence for alvarezsaurians, derived from the intestinal contents of the Early Cretaceous Bannykus wulatensis. Our analysis revealed significantly higher levels of calcium and phosphorus in the intestinal contents compared to the surrounding sandstone. Scanning electron microscopy identified hard tissue debris and possible soft tissues surrounding by phosphatized bacteria and tightly packed hollow microspheres, suggesting that the intestinal contents were strongly pseudomorphed by phosphatized microbes during fossilization. Raman spectroscopy showed characteristic peaks indicative of bone-derived material, consistent with the hard tissue debris appeared in the intestinal contents. Our results suggest that Bannykus had a carnivorous diet with strong chemical digestion, which likely compensated for its delicate cranial structures and small teeth. These results imply that if a dietary shift to insectivore occurred, it likely took place later in alvarezsaurian evolution, probably coinciding with a reduction in body size.

paleontology↗

bioRxiv2021

An awareness-dependent saliency map in the human visual system

The bottom-up contribution to the allocation of exogenous attention is a saliency map. However, how the saliency map is distributed when multiple salient stimuli are presented simultaneously and how this distribution interacts with awareness remain unclear. These questions were addressed here using visible and invisible stimuli that consisting of two salient foregrounds: the high one served as the target and the low one served as the distractor, which did or did not interfere the target saliency, indicating a gradient or winner-take-all manner, respectively. By combining psychophysics, fMRI, and effective connectivity analysis, we found that the saliency map was distributed as a gradient or winner-take-all manner with and without awareness, respectively. Crucially, we further revealed that the gradient manner was derived by feedback from pIPS, whereas the winner-take-all manner was constructed in V1. Together, our findings indicate an awareness-dependent saliency map and reconcile previous, seemingly contradictory findings on the saliency map.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

A Small-Bodied Troodontid (Dinosauria, Theropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous Wulansuhai Formation of Inner Mongolia, China

A new small-bodied troodontid (LH PV39) recovered from the Upper Cretaceous Wulansuhai Formation, Suhongtu, Inner Mongolia, China, is described. The new specimen preserves six postaxial cervical vertebrae, five completely fused sacral and four posterior caudal vertebrae in addition to two manual unguals. The completely fused neurocentral junctions indicate that a skeletally mature individual of the same species of LH PV39 would be smaller than Philovenator and comparable in body size to a skeletal mature individual of Almas. The extremely dorsoventrally compressed sacral centra and neural canal, and the middle three sacral centra that are shorter and wider than the first and the last one distinguishing LH PV39 from other known troodontids. A series of phylogenetic analyses were conducted using modified published matrices. By coding LH PV39 in different strategies, the troodontid affinity of LH PV39 is confirmed and it was recovered as the sister taxon of either Mei and Sinovenator (LH PV39 scored as a separate OTU) or Linhevenator (incorporating LH PV39 into Philovenator) in the best resolved coelurosaurian interrelationships. The referral of LH PV39 to Philovenator does not seriously alter the phylogenetic position of Philovenator nor the interrelationships of troodontids. This new finding confirms that the small and large sized troodontids are coexisted in the Gobi Desert of the Mongolia Plateau until the end of Cretaceous.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2019

Self-reported sleep duration and daytime napping are associated with renal hyperfiltration and microalbuminuria in apparently healthy Chinese population

BackgroundSleep duration affects health in various way. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between sleep duration, daytime napping and kidney function in a middle-aged apparently healthy Chinese population.\n\nMethodsAccording to self-reported total sleep and daytime napping duration, 33,850 participants aged 38 to 90 years old from 8 regional centers were divided into subgroups. Height, weight, waistline, hipline, blood pressure, biochemical index, FBG, PBG, HbA1c, creatinine and urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (UACR) were measured and recorded in each subject. Microalbuminuria was defined as UACR>=30 mg/g, CKD was defined as eGFR<60 ml/min and hyperfiltration was defined as eGFR>=135 ml/min. Multiple logistic regressions were applied to investigate associations between sleep and kidney function.\n\nResultsCompared to participants with [7-8]h/day sleep, ORs of >9 h/day, (8, 9]h/day and <6h/day sleep for microalbuminuria were 1.317 (1.200-1.446, p<0.001), 1.215 (1.123-1.315, p<0.001) and 1.218 (0.967-1.534, p=0.094). eGFR levels were U-shaped associated with sleep duration among subjects with >=90ml/min eGFR, and N-shaped associated with sleep duration among subjects with <90ml/min eGFR. OR of >9h/day sleep for hyperfiltration was 1.400 (1.123-1.745, p=0.003) among eGFR>=90 ml/min participants. Daytime napping had a negative effect on renal health. Compared to participants did not have napping habit, the ORs of (0, 1]h/day, (1, 1.5]h/day and >1.5h/day daytime napping for microalbuminuria were 1.477 (1.370-1.591, p<0.001), 1.217 (1.056, 1.403, p=0.007) and 1.447 (1.242, 1.687, p<0.001).\n\nConclusionsTotal sleep duration are U-shaped associated with renal health outcomes. Daytime napping had a negative effect on renal health.

epidemiology↗