Biology subjects

Wang, C.

Publications and source records attributed to Wang, C..

At least 325 records · Page 18Linked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

PLK1-mediated phosphorylation of PHGDH reprograms serine metabolism in advanced prostate cancer

Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancer, enabling tumor cells to meet their increased biosynthetic and energetic demands. While cells possess the capacity for de novo serine biosynthesis, most transformed cancer cells heavily depend on exogenous serine uptake to sustain their growth, yet the regulatory mechanisms driving this metabolic dependency remain poorly understood. Here, we uncover a novel mechanism by which Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1), often overexpressed in prostate cancer, orchestrates a metabolic shift in serine and lipid metabolism through the phosphorylation of phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH), the rate-limiting enzyme of the serine synthesis pathway (SSP). We demonstrate that PLK1 phosphorylates PHGDH at three specific sites (S512, S513, S517), leading to a marked reduction in its protein level and enzymatic activity. This downregulation of SSP forces cancer cells to increase their reliance on exogenous serine uptake via the ASCT2 transporter, which, in turn, fuels the biosynthesis of lipids, including sphingolipids essential for tumor growth and survival. Targeting the SSP, serine uptake, or downstream lipid biosynthetic pathways may offer promising therapeutic avenues in PLK1-high advanced cancers.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Mitochondrial protein FgDML1 regulates DON toxin biosynthesis and cyazofamid sensitivity in Fusarium graminearum by affecting mitochondrial homeostasis

Fusarium graminearum is a global pathogen responsible for Fusarium head blight (FHB) in wheat, causing substantial yield losses and producing the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON), which poses a threat to both human and animal health. Drosophila melanogaster Misato-Like protein (DML1) plays a critical role in regulating mitochondrial function, yet its function in filamentous fungi remains unexplored. In this study, we characterized FgDML1 in F. graminearum. FgDML1 interacts with the mitochondrial fission and fusion protein FgDnm1 to maintain mitochondrial stability, thereby positively regulating acetyl-CoA levels and ATP synthesis, which influences toxisome formation and ultimately affects DON toxin biosynthesis. Additionally, FgDML1 is involved in the regulation of toxin biosynthetic enzyme expression. In the {Delta}FgDML1 mutant, Complex III enzyme activity decreased, overexpression of complex III assembly factors FgQCR2, FgQCR8, and FgQCR9 may induce conformational changes in the Qi-site protein, specifically altering the sensitivity of F. graminearum to respiratory inhibitor cyazofamid not Qo-site inhibitor pyraclostrobin and other fungicides. Furthermore, the loss of FgDML1 leads to defects in nutrient utilization, as well as in asexual and sexual reproduction, and pathogenicity. In conclusion, this study identifies a novel regulatory role for FgDML1 in DON toxin biosynthesis and cyazofamid sensitivity in F. graminearum. Our study provides a theoretical framework for understanding DON biosynthesis regulation in F. graminearum and identifies potential molecular targets for FHB control.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2025

Targetable BIRC5 dependency in therapy-resistant TP53 mutated acute myeloid leukemia

TP53 mutations across multiple cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML), are associated with poor outcomes irrespective of treatment modality. However, druggable vulnerabilities beyond canonical p53 targets remain largely unexplored. We identify BIRC5 (encodes survivin), an inhibitor of the apoptosis protein (IAP) family, as a novel vulnerability in TP53 mutant AML using an unbiased, comprehensive multiomics approach -- whole-genome CRISPR knockout screen, bulk and single-cell RNA-seq, proteomics, and high-throughput drug screen. Mechanistically, BIRC5 deletion in AML restored caspase-9 and -3/7 activity and downregulated other IAPs, implicating BIRC5 as the central post-mitochondrial regulator for blocking apoptosis. p53 stabilization suppressed BIRC5 selectively in TP53 wild-type AML, explaining BIRC5 upregulation in TP53 mutant lines and AML primary tumors (n > 700). Longitudinal single-cell RNAseq (n = 22 pairs) revealed expansion of BIRC5high stem and progenitor leukemia clones in TP53 mutant AML patients post-VenAza therapy. Survivin and IAP inhibitors emerged as top combination partners with VenAza in TP53 mutant AML cells and showed potent in vivo leukemic blast inhibition in cell line and patient-derived xenograft models along with primary tumors. Beyond AML, BIRC5 was upregulated broadly across 17 of 25 TP53 mutant cancers in the TCGA cohort, and combination with survivin inhibitors overcame chemotherapy resistance in TP53 deficient triple negative breast and colorectal cancers. These findings define BIRC5 as a critical, targetable dependency and unveil survivin/IAP inhibition as a promising therapeutic axis to overcome p53-related resistance across both hematologic and solid malignancies. Key PointsO_LIBIRC5 upregulation is a novel dependency in TP53 mutant AML that mediates therapy resistance by evasion of apoptosis. C_LIO_LICombination with Survivin/IAP inhibitors overcomes venetoclax/azacitidine resistance in TP53 mutant AML. C_LI

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Pervasive homeobox gene function in the male-specific nervous system of Caenorhabditis elegans

We explore here how neuronal cell type diversity is genetically delineated in the context of the large, but poorly studied male-specific nervous system of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Mostly during postembryonic development, the C. elegans male adds 93 male-specific neurons, falling into 25 cardinal classes, to the predominantly embryonically generated, sex-shared nervous system, comprised of 294 neurons (116 cardinal classes). Using engineered reporter alleles, we investigate here the expression pattern of 40 phylogenetically conserved homeodomain proteins within the male-specific nervous system of C. elegans, demonstrating that in aggregate, the expression of these homeodomain proteins covers each individual male-specific neuron. We show that the male-specific nervous system can be subdivided along the anterior/posterior axis in HOX cluster expression domains. The extent of our expression analysis predicts that each individual neuron class is likely defined by unique combinations of homeodomain proteins. Using a collection of newly available molecular markers, we undertake a mutant analysis of five of these genes (unc-30, unc-42, lim-6, lin-11, ttx-1) and identified defects in cell fate specification and/or male copulatory defects in each of these mutant strains. Our analysis expands our understanding of the importance of homeobox genes in nervous system development and function.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

Humans underestimate their body mass in microgravity: evidence from reaching movements during spaceflight

Astronauts consistently exhibit slower movements in microgravity, even during tasks requiring rapid responses. The sensorimotor mechanisms underlying this general slowing remain debated. Two hypotheses have been proposed: either the sensorimotor system adopts a conservative control strategy for safety and postural stability, or the system underestimates body mass due to reduced inputs from proprioceptive receptors. To dissociate these opinions, we studied twelve taikonauts aboard the China Space Station performing a classical hand-reaching task. Compared to their pre-flight performance and to an age-matched control group, participants showed increased movement durations and altered kinematic profiles in microgravity. Model-based analyses of motor control parameters revealed that these changes stemmed from reduced initial force generation in the feedforward control phase followed by compensatory feedback-based corrections. These findings providing support for the body mass underestimation hypothesis while being inconsistent with the strategic slowing hypothesis. Importantly, the sensory estimate of bodily property in microgravity is biased but immune from sensorimotor adaptation, calling for an extension of existing theories of motor learning.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

Non-redundant roles of the HDAC3 corepressor complex subunits SMRT and NCOR in controlling inflammatory and metabolic macrophage pathways

Transcription factors and coregulators coordinate inflammatory and metabolic pathways in macrophages through epigenetic and transcriptional mechanisms. The HDAC3 corepressor complex plays fundamental roles in these mechanisms, with the homologous subunits SMRT and NCOR being critical for complex assembly and interactions with transcription factors and chromatin. However, the relative contribution of SMRT and NCOR in controlling complex-dependent macrophage pathways remains poorly understood. Here, we assessed their genome-wide roles in mouse macrophage RAW264.7 cells and in bone marrow-derived macrophages. Transcriptome analysis upon corepressor depletion identified six differentially expressed gene clusters. SMRT depletion primarily upregulated inflammation-related pathways, NCOR depletion primarily upregulated metabolism-related pathways. Epigenome analysis revealed that corepressor depletion differentially altered chromatin accessibility and H3K27 acetylation, consistent with transcriptome changes. Cistrome analysis revealed that both corepressors differentially influence each other at chromatin. SMRT uniquely controls the chromatin binding and nuclear localization of NCOR, GPS2 and HDAC3, thus acting as the chromatin anchor for the corepressor complex. Finally, corepressor depletion differentially modulated macrophage reprogramming in response to TLR4, IL4 and LXR signaling. Overall, our study reveals a hitherto underappreciated non-redundant role of SMRT and NCOR in coordinating chromatin accessibility, H3K27 acetylation, enhancer activity and transcription to differentially regulate inflammatory and metabolic macrophage pathways. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=80 SRC="FIGDIR/small/653058v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (30K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1d9f2dforg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1d81386org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@e9e536org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1c74c15_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Deep learning guided discovery of antibacterial polymeric nanoparticles

Drug-resistant bacterial infections pose a serious threat to global health, driving the development of novel antibacterial strategies beyond classic antibiotics. Self-assembled polymeric nanoparticles (SANPs) have emerged as promising candidates due to their unique structural properties, which enhance membrane interaction, drug loading, and therapeutic accumulation. The structural diversity and tunable properties of SANPs provide a flexible design platform for antibacterial applications. However, navigating the vast chemical space of SANPs remains a significant challenge due to the complex structure-activity relationships. To address this, we developed PolyCLOVER, a deep learning-guided framework for the efficient discovery of antibacterial SANPs. The framework integrates multi-stage self-supervised learning, active learning, and high-throughput experimentation to iteratively guide the discovery of SANPs with potent antibacterial activity and low toxicity. Through this framework, we identified three potent SANPs within a combinatorial library of [~]100,000 poly({beta}-amino ester)s, with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 4 g/mL and 8 g/mL against clinically multidrug-resistant S. aureus and A. baumannii, respectively. Moreover, they can also act as antibiotic carriers, restoring the sensitivity of pathogens to penicillin G. In vivo studies demonstrated their therapeutic efficacy both as monotherapies and in combination therapies with antibiotics. These results demonstrate PolyCLOVER as a powerful framework for discovering multi-functional SANPs to combat antibiotic resistance.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2025

Serpine1 plays a critical role in Th17 cell differentiation and psoriasis pathogenesis

A large body of evidence indicates that Th17 cells play essential roles in mucosal immune responses and trigger autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis. Targeting Th17 cells holds promise for therapeutic innovation. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying Th17 cell differentiation remain poorly understood. Here, we found that Serpine1 was preferentially induced in Th17 cells. Genetic ablation of Serpine1 inhibited Th17 cell polarization in vitro, reproducing the phenotype caused by pharmaceutical inhibition against Serpine1 product PAI-1. Moreover, we confirmed that, despite normal T-cell initiation in vivo, deletion or inhibition of Serpine1 significantly attenuated disease severity and notably reduced skin inflammation in an IMQ-induced psoriasis model. Notably, this protective effect was also recapitulated in the CD4 conditional knockout mouse pathogenic model, ruling out the non-T cell autologous effect of Serpine1. Collectively, our results revealed a critical role of Serpine1 in regulating Th17 cell differentiation and autoimmune diseases, suggesting that Serpine1 is a promising therapeutic target for autoimmune disease treatment. SignificanceUsing multiple genetic and pharmaceutical ablation model systems, we have demonstrated that Serpine1 plays a critical role in regulating Th17 differentiation and psoriasis pathogenesis. Serpine1 intervention attenuates disease symptoms in a psoriatic mouse model in a Th17 cell-dependent manner. This finding extends our understanding of Serpine1s role in inflammatory diseases, highlighting its therapeutic potential.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2025

Adapter dilution and input optimisation for Qiagen QIAseq miRNA Library kit

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNA that play a critical role in regulating gene expressions that are important for a multitude of biological processes. In the preparation of miRNA sequencing libraries by using QIAseq miRNA library kit, adapter dimers might occur inadvertently and compromise the sequencing performance. In this technical note, we tested different adapter dilution strategies to minimise or diminish adapter dimers without compromising data quality. In our experiments, we found that RNA input amount plays a larger role in adapter dimer formation rather than the availability of the adapters itself. We suggest preparing the sequencing library with 10 times more RNA than the recommended input amount of the chosen protocol, e.g. following the adapter dilution and PCR cycle number of the standard 1 ng protocol with 10 ng RNA input. We also suggest analysing the data with deduplication by using unique molecular identifiers (UMIs) as it helps remove unusable reads.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2025

Cross-species analysis of experimental PH at single cell resolution reveals prominent contributions Ednrb+ EC and Dhcr24+ macrophage populations

BackgroundAnimal models are used widely to study pulmonary hypertension (PH). The cell populations that respond to disease-inducing stimuli in these models and their relationship to human disease remain incompletely defined. Materials and methodThis study analyzed the relationship between several rodent models of PH and human disease at single-cell resolution. scRNA-seq was performed on lungs from mice exposed to hypoxia or Sugen/hypoxia, rats exposed to monocrotaline, and controls. A cross-species single-cell dataset was integrated with human lung cell atlas (HLCA) and single-cell dataset from idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) to identify overlapping cell subsets between experimental and human disease and species. ResultsHigh levels of overlap were found between species and models of PH, HLCA, and IPAH datasets. Cell subsets perturbed in rat and mouse PH were similar to those found in human disease, with macrophages and endothelial cells being most affected. A novel Dhcr24high macrophage subset harboring both tissue-remodeling and pro- inflammatory features was consistently increased across models. Several functionally diverse endothelial subtypes were found, including novel Ednrb+ and Nox2+ subpopulations, reflecting enhanced apoptosis, dysregulated angiogenesis and proliferation, and reactive oxygen species-mediated stress. These macrophage and endothelial subtypes expressed numerous PH drug target genes, and exhibited potential disease-specific intercellular interactions involving Angptl4, Cxcl12, and Sema3 signaling. Disease-associated changes in these populations were confirmed by immunofluorescence in lung tissues from animals and patients. ConclusionsWe established a comprehensive cross-species single-cell atlas of mainstream rodent PH models, highlighting several novel macrophage and endothelial subtypes and signaling motifs potentially contributing to human disease.

bioinformatics↗

bioRxiv2025

Regenie.QRS: computationally efficient whole-genome quantile regression at biobank scale

Genotype-phenotype associations can be context-dependent and dynamic in nature leading to heterogeneity of genetic effects across different parts of the phenotype distribution. Quantile regression, an alternative to linear regression for continuous phenotypes, is particularly well suited for detecting and characterizing heterogeneous genotype-phenotype associations. Here we propose a novel and computationally efficient whole-genome quantile regression technique, Regenie.QRS, for biobank-scale GWAS data with genetic structure. Our approach first estimates the polygenic effect, and then incorporates this effect as an offset in the non-mixed quantile regression model. Our simulations demonstrate robust control of type I error and higher power to detect heterogeneous associations relative to linear regression in GWAS, and improved power over the marginal quantile regression tests. We present applications using data from the UK Biobank and the ProgeNIA/SardiNIA project, where we show the advantages of Regenie.QRS in identifying and characterizing heterogeneous genetic effects. To cite just one interesting example, using quantile regression we are able to show that even though variants at the G6PC2 locus increase glucose levels, their effects are much stronger at lower quantiles of glucose level distribution than at higher quantiles, showing that G6PC2 serves as a guardian against low glucose levels without driving dangerous hyperglycemia, which may explain the lack of association with diabetes risk.

bioinformatics↗

bioRxiv2025

Bridging Hearts and Muscles: Genetic Insights into Cardiac Structure and Sarcopenia

BackgroundCurrently, the link between cardiovascular diseases and sarcopenia is increasingly garnering attention from researchers. However, studies exploring the association between cardiac structure and sarcopenia are sparse. This study aims to investigate the potential genetic links between cardiac structural features and sarcopenia. MethodsDuring the discovery phase, we employed Linkage Disequilibrium Score Regression (LDSC) and Mendelian Randomization (MR) to assess the genetic correlation and causality between traits related to cardiac structure and sarcopenia, with further validation of the results using validation set data. In the study, we established a scoring system to identify high-confidence trait pairs. For these pairs, we conducted sensitivity analyses to assess their heterogeneity and pleiotropy. Additionally, we undertook follow-up studies of these trait pairs, including using mediation analysis to evaluate the potential mediating effects of lipids, and enrichment analysis to explore possible shared biological pathways linking these characteristics. ResultsThe genetic correlation analyses during the discovery and validation phases identified 5 pairs (in forward analysis) and 16 pairs (in reverse analysis) of high-confidence trait pairs. As a key sarcopenia-related feature, appendicular lean mass (ALM) exhibited positive causal relationships with several cardiac structural features, including the volumes of the left and right atria. Mediation analysis suggested that certain lipids, such as phosphatidylcholine, might mediate these causal relationships. Notably, gene and pathway enrichment analyses revealed that genes associated with significant SNPs in high-confidence trait pairs were enriched in multiple key biological processes and pathways, such as tube morphogenesis, cardiac right ventricle morphogenesis, and muscle system processes in the forward analysis, as well as skeletal system development, heart development, and hemopoiesis in the reverse analysis. Cell-type enrichment analysis pointed to endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts, and mesenchymal stem cells. ConclusionsThis study provides evidence for genetic relationships between cardiac structures and sarcopenia-related traits. These findings may enhance our understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying age-related diseases and provide scientific basis for developing future preventive and therapeutic strategies.

genetics↗

bioRxiv2025

Sludge liquefaction and stratification enable ultra-high digestion rate and resource recovery for waste activated sludge treatment

Most of the energy, nitrogen/N and phosphorus/P entering wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) accumulates in waste activated sludge (WAS). While these resources are theoretically recoverable through anaerobic digestion (AD), conventional sludge AD faces long-standing challenges of low organic loading rate and limited N/P recovery. Here, building on an innovative sludge liquefaction and stratification technique, we present a novel process entitled SPREAD that boasts 10 times higher organic loading rates and recovers 5 folds of N/P resources, relative to conventional sludge AD. We develop an anaerobic digestion database (ADDB) for multi-omics analyses of digestion microbiomes, and pinpoint the mechanism underlying the exceptionally high organic loading rate and remarkable N/P recovery in SPREAD. Importantly, we identify a negative correlation between the Gibbs free energy ({Delta}G) and the relative abundance of methanogens, enabling identification of bottleneck steps for stimulation and augmentation of methanogenic digestion. Our study provides a game-changing technology for the treatment and resource recovery from WAS and opens a new avenue for sustainable management and carbon/energy-neutrality of WWTPs.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2025

SoxB1 family members inhibit Wnt signaling to promote maturation and deposition of stable neuromasts by the zebrafish Posterior Lateral Line primordium

Periodic formation of protoneuromasts within the migrating zebrafish Posterior Lateral Line primordium serves as a model for understanding steps that determine the self-organization of organ systems in development. Protoneuromast formation is initiated by Fgf signaling at the trailing zone of the migrating primordium in response to Fgfs produced by Wnt active cells in a leading zone. Progressive restriction of an initially broad Wnt signaling domain to a smaller leading zone allows new Fgf signaling-dependent protoneuromasts to form in the wake of the shrinking Wnt system. We show Sox2 and Sox3 are expressed in nascent and maturing protoneuromasts in a trailing part of the primordium in a pattern that is complementary to Wnt activity in a leading domain, where Sox1a, is expressed. Together, these SoxB1 factors help inhibit Wnt signaling to determine effective maturation of trailing protoneuromasts and the timely deposition of stable neuromasts. Using dkk1b and atoh1b to monitor initiation and subsequent maturation of protoneuromasts, respectively, we show how Wnt signaling regulates the pace of protoneuromast maturation in the migrating primordium, and how its inhibition by SoxB1 family members ensures maturation and deposition of stable neuromasts. Together, our observations define three steps in the periodic formation of neuromasts: first, polarization of Wnt activity in the primordium; second, pattern forming step that determines periodic formation of protoneuromasts in the context of polarized Wnt activity; and third, inhibition of Wnt signaling, which is essential for stabilizing nascent neuromasts formed in the earlier pattern forming stage.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Trans-ancestry Mendelian Randomization Discovers Novel Causal Genes for Autoimmune Disease Traits

Mendelian randomization (MR) using summary statistics from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) has become a powerful tool for dissecting the causal relationships between exposure and outcomes. As GWAS begins to incorporate samples of diverse ancestries, the optimal strategy to perform MR analysis integrating these GWAS results remains to be determined. To fill in this gap, we proposed a robust method that aggregates the genetic variant-risk factor association summary statistics of multiple ancestries by modelling the genetic effects of the exposure as a function of the principal components of genome-wide allele frequency. This allows borrowing information from different ancestry groups and accounting for potential between-ancestry heterogeneities. The method is general and can be used with different MR methods. We demonstrated that our method improves accuracy and power compared to the inverse-variance weighting method based on only ancestry-stratified samples, with additional benefits in correcting winners curse bias. We also illustrated the flexibility and potential of discovering novel causal genes for autoimmune disease traits of our method in practice.

genetics↗

bioRxiv2025

CTHRC1 is a new therapeutic target and serum diagnostic biomarker for aortic dissection

Aortic dissection (AD) is a cardiovascular disease with rapid onset and extremely high short-term mortality, currently lacking specific peripheral blood-based biomarkers and effective treatments. Here, our analysis of AD samples from animal models and human patients revealed elevated blood levels of CTHRC1, a protein secreted by vascular fibroblasts. Furthermore, CTHRC1 regulates the phenotypic switch of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) during arterial remodeling by binding to ADAM9 on the VSMC membrane, activating the ERK1/2 signaling pathway, and promoting a contractile-to-synthetic transition. In Ang-II/BAPN induced mouse models, genetic ablation or antibody-mediated blockade of CTHRC1 effectively prevented AD development. These findings unveil CTHRC1 as a critical regulator of VSMC phenotype and aortic structural integrity via the ERK1/2 pathway, suggesting its potential as a novel serum diagnostic biomarker for AD diagnostic and a promising therapeutic target. Graphical abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=200 SRC="FIGDIR/small/649636v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (75K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@6a3f14org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@15353e7org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1a9928forg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1d4ef3d_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG In briefCTHRC1 is aberrantly expressed in aortic adventitial fibroblasts from dissected aortas and function as an exocrine mediator that induces phenotypic switching of vascular smooth muscle cells. A monoclonal antibody targeting CTHRC1 demonstrates therapeutic potential in mouse models of aortic dissection. HighlightsO_LICTHRC1 is highly expressed in aortic adventitial fibroblasts from dissected aortas C_LIO_LICTHRC1 interacts with ADAM9 to induce phenotypic switching of VSMCs C_LIO_LIAn anti-CTHRC1 antibody inhibits aortic dissection formationinvivo C_LIO_LIElevated levels of serum CTHRC1 can be used to identify AD in patients presenting with chest pain C_LI

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Cold Quad-Modal Nanocomplex for Precise and Quantitative in Vivo Stem Cell Tracking

Current single imaging modalities typically lack the ability to simultaneously offer detailed anatomical visualization and quantitative cellular information, which is crucial for evaluating and improving therapeutic efficacy. We developed a quad-modal imaging nanocomplex for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic particle imaging (MPI), computed tomography (CT), and multispectral optoacoustic tomography (MSOT) within a single nanoplatform. The chemically engineered complex is composed of bovine serum albumin as biocompatible matrix, superparamagnetic iron oxide as MRI and MPI agents, and optoradiopaque bismuth sulfide as CT and MSOT agents. We demonstrate here its use for high-resolution, real-time, and quantitative in vivo imaging of mesenchymal stem cells transplanted in mouse brain. This versatile nanocomplex may find applications for monitoring cell transfer and cell transplantation in vivo using multiple imaging approaches.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2025

RBMX2: A Pivotal Regulator Linking Mycobacterium bovis Infection to Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Lung Cancer Progression

Tuberculosis (TB) is a complex disease that arises from the dynamic interplay among the pathogen, host, and environmental factors. In 2022, TB affected approximately 10.6 million people worldwide, resulting in 1.3 million deaths. In regions with a high burden of zoonotic TB, Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) accounts for nearly 10% of human TB cases. The immune evasion strategies and latent nature of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) pose significant challenges to understanding the host immune response to TB infection. In this study, we identify RNA-binding motif protein X-linked 2 (RBMX2) as a novel host factor that may facilitate M. bovis infection. However, the molecular mechanisms and functional roles of RBMX2 during M. bovis infection remain poorly understood. Our findings show that RBMX2 is significantly upregulated across multiple cell types following infection, including embryonic bovine lung (EBL) cells, bovine macrophage (BoMac) cells, bovine pulmonary alveolar primary cells, and human alveolar epithelial cells (A549). Using a combination of global transcriptomic sequencing, proteomic profiling, cell adhesion assays, ChIP-PCR, and Western blotting, we demonstrate that RBMX2 suppresses cell adhesion and tight junction formation in EBL cells while promoting M. bovis adhesion and invasion through activation of the p65 signaling pathway. Importantly, integrated analyses of transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic data reveal that RBMX2 plays a key role in regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a cellular process closely associated with cancer progression. To further explore the potential link between RBMX2 and cancer, we analyzed the TIMER2.0 database and found elevated RBMX2 expression in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) tissues compared to normal lung tissues. These findings were corroborated by immunofluorescence staining. Using an M. bovis-infected BoMac-induced EBL-EMT model, we show that RBMX2 promotes EMT through activation of the p65/MMP-9 pathway following infection. Additionally, we validated the EMT process in human lung epithelial cancer cells (H1299), further supporting the involvement of RBMX2 in this transition. Collectively, our study identifies RBMX2 as a novel host factor that may enhance M. bovis infection and drive infection-induced EMT. These findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying TB pathogenesis and suggest that RBMX2 could serve as a potential target for the development of TB vaccines and therapeutic strategies against TB-associated lung cancer.

microbiology↗