Biology subjects

Yu, L.

Publications and source records attributed to Yu, L..

At least 325 records · Page 18Linked to original sources

bioRxiv2019

Cyclin B1-Cdk1 binding to MAD1 links nuclear pore disassembly to chromosomal stability

How the cell completely reorganises its architecture when it divides is a problem that has fascinated researchers for almost 150 years. We now know that the core regulatory machinery is highly conserved in eukaryotes but how these multiple protein kinases, protein phosphatases, and ubiquitin ligases are coordinated to remodel the cell in a matter of minutes remains a major question. Cyclin B-CDK is the primary kinase that drives mitotic remodelling and here we show that it is targeted to the nuclear pore complex (NPC) by binding an acidic face of the spindle assembly checkpoint protein, MAD1. This localised Cyclin B1-CDK1 activity coordinates NPC disassembly with kinetochore assembly: it is needed for the proper release of MAD1 from the embrace of TPR at the nuclear pore, which enables MAD1 to be recruited to kinetochores before nuclear envelope breakdown, thereby strengthening the spindle assembly checkpoint to maintain genomic stability.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2019

PHISDetector: a web tool to detect diverse in silico phage-host interaction signals

Phage-microbe interactions not only are appealing systems to study coevolution but also have been increasingly emphasized due to their roles in human health, diseases, and novel therapeutic development. Meanwhile, their interactions leave diverse signals in bacterial and phage genomic sequences, defined as phage-host interaction signals (PHISs), such as sequence composition, CRISPR targeting, prophage, and protein-protein interaction signals. We infer that proper detection and integration of these diverse PHISs will allow us to predict phage-host interactions. Here, we developed PHISDetector, a novel tool to predict phage-host interactions by detecting and integrating diverse in silico PHISs and scoring the probability of phage-host interactions using machine-learning models based on PHIS features. PHISDetector is available as a one-stop web service version for general users to study individual inputs. A stand-alone software version is also provided to process massive phage contigs from virome studies. PHISDetector is freely available at http://www.microbiome-bigdata.com/PHISDetector/ and https://github.com/HIT-ImmunologyLab/PHISDector.

bioinformatics↗

bioRxiv2019

Development of a potent and protective germline-like antibody lineage against Zika virus in a convalescent human

Zika virus (ZIKV) specific neutralizing antibodies hold a great promise for antibody-based interventions and vaccine design against ZIKV infection. However, their development in infected patients remain unknown. Here, we report on the dynamic development of a potent and protective ZIKV-specific human antibody ZK2B10 initially isolated from a ZIKV convalescent individual using next-generation sequencing (NGS). The unbiased repertoire analysis showed dramatic changes in many families of heavy and light chain variable regions. However, lineage tracing of ZK2B10 revealed limited somatic hypermutation throughout the 12 months since the onset of symptom. In particular, NGS-derived germline-like somatic variants neutralized and protected mice from lethal challenge of ZIKV without detectable cross-reactivity with Dengue virus (DENV). Site-directed mutagenesis identified two residues within {lambda} chain, N31 and S91 that are essential to the functional maturation. The dynamic features unveiled here will assist us to better understand the pathogenesis of ZIKV infection and inform rational design of vaccines.\n\nAuthor summaryRecently emerged ZIKV is associated with severe neurological complications such as Guillain-Barre syndrome in adults and congenital microcephaly in newborns. No ZIKV-specific therapeutics or vaccines are currently available. We and others have identified a number of neutralizing antibodies capable of protecting experimental animals from ZIKV infection. However, the development of these potent antibodies during ZIKV natural infection remains unknown. Here, we report on the longitudinal analysis of one such antibody ZK2B10 using next-generation sequencing (NGS), bioinformatics and functional analysis. We found that the ZK2B10 germline-like antibodies possess strong neutralizing activity in vitro and impressive protectivity against lethal ZIKV infection in vivo. These findings suggest that the potent and protective antibody response against ZIKV can be generated within relative short term with high germline identity which provide great hope and promise for successful vaccine development against ZIKV.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2019

C1orf109L promote R-loop accumulation induced DNA damage to inhibit cell growth

As a function unknown gene, C1orf109 is lower expression in various cells. Here, we reported that C1orf109L, the longest variant of C1orf109, which interacted with R-loop-regulating proteins to trigger R-loop, a three-stranded nucleic acid structure frequently mediated genome instability, accumulation. C1orf109L induce chronic DNA damage to promote P21 upregulation and strongly inhibits cell growth in vitro and in vivo by arresting the cell cycle in the G2 phase. With camptothecin (CPT), an R-loop activator, treatment, C1orf109L further triggers R-loop accumulation-induced DNA damage and promotes cell death by activating cell-death pathway. Furthermore, CPT treatment increases C1orf109L ubiquitination and turnover, which inhibits cell death and promotes the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle. Therefore, our data illustrated the mechanisms underlying C1orf109L-related cell growth inhibition and provide feasibility and limitations for C1orf109L as a potential target for cancer therapy.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2019

ORF Capture-Seq: a versatile method for targeted identification of full-length isoforms

Most human protein-coding genes are expressed as multiple isoforms. This in turn greatly expands the functional repertoire of the encoded proteome. While at least one reliable open reading frame (ORF) model has been assigned for every gene, the majority of alternative isoforms remains uncharacterized experimentally. This is primarily due to: i) vast differences of overall levels between different isoforms expressed from common genes, and ii) the difficulty of obtaining contiguous full-length ORF sequences. Here, we present ORF Capture-Seq (OCS), a flexible and cost-effective method that addresses both challenges for targeted full-length isoform sequencing applications using collections of cloned ORFs as probes. As proof-of-concept, we show that an OCS pipeline focused on genes coding for transcription factors increases isoform detection by an order of magnitude, compared to unenriched sample. In short, OCS enables rapid discovery of isoforms from custom-selected genes and will allow mapping of the full set of human isoforms at reasonable cost.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2019

Coupling multiplex pre-amplification and droplet digital PCR for longitudinal monitoring of ESR1 and PIK3CA mutations from plasma cell-free DNA

Here we report on the development of a sensitive and cost-effective method to longitudinally track ESR1 and PIK3CA mutations from cfDNA in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) using a streamlined and de-centralized workflow. Hotspot mutations in ESR1 have been shown to cause resistance to aromatase inhibitor-based and anti-estrogenic therapies, while PIK3CA mutations have high prevalence in MBC. As a result, their utility as circulating biomarkers to predict or monitor response in the clinical development of investigational compounds has been the focus of many studies. Six regions in ESR1 and PIK3CA genes containing 20 hotspot mutations were pre-amplified, followed by optimized singleplex ddPCR assays to detect allele frequencies of individual mutations. Without pre-amplification, the limit of detection (LOD) and limit of linearity (LOL) of individual ddPCR assays were at 0.05-0.1% and 0.25% level, respectively. With pre-amplification, the LOD and LOL were slightly elevated at 0.1-0.25% and 0.25-0.5% levels, respectively. High concordance was achieved to the BEAMing assay (Sysmex Inostics) for mutation positive assays (r=0.98, P<0.0001). In conclusion, coupling pre-amplification and ddPCR assays allowed us for the detection of up to 20 hot spot mutations in ESR1 and PIK3CA with high sensitivity and reproducibility.

genetics↗

bioRxiv2019

The midbody interactome reveals new unexpected roles for PP1 phosphatases in cytokinesis

The midbody is an organelle assembled at the intercellular bridge that connects the two daughter cells at the end of mitosis. It is composed of a multitude of proteins, organized in a precise and stereotyped pattern, that control the final separation of the daughter cells and prevent incorrect genome segregation. Furthermore, recent evidence indicates that the midbody is involved in many other important processes, including cell fate, pluripotency, apical-basal polarity, tissue organization, and cilium and lumen formation. Understanding the regulation and interactions of midbody proteins is therefore essential to unravel how this organelle executes its multiple functions. Here, we report the first experimentally-based characterization of the intricate midbody protein-protein interaction network (interactome), which identifies a plethora of novel interactions and provides an extremely valuable resource for dissecting the multiple roles of the midbody. Initial analysis of this interactome already revealed that PP1{beta}-MYPT1 phosphatase regulates microtubule dynamics in late cytokinesis and de-phosphorylates the kinesin component MKLP1/KIF23 of the centralspindlin complex, a key cytokinesis regulator. This de-phosphorylation antagonizes Aurora B kinase in order to modify the functions of centralspindlin and its interactions in late cytokinesis. Our findings expand the repertoire of PP1 functions during mitosis and indicate that spatiotemporal changes in the distribution of kinases and counteracting phosphatases finely tune the activity of cytokinesis proteins.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2019

Meta-analysis of the human brain transcriptome identifies heterogeneity across human AD coexpression modules robust to sample collection and methodological approach

Alzheimers disease (AD) is a complex and heterogenous brain disease that affects multiple inter-related biological processes. This complexity contributes, in part, to existing difficulties in the identification of successful disease-modifying therapeutic strategies. To address this, systems approaches are being used to characterize AD-related disruption in molecular state. To evaluate the consistency across these molecular models, a consensus atlas of the human brain transcriptome was developed through coexpression meta-analysis across the AMP-AD consortium. Consensus analysis was performed across five coexpression methods used to analyze RNA-seq data collected from 2114 samples across 7 brain regions and 3 research studies. From this analysis, five consensus clusters were identified that described the major sources of AD-related alterations in transcriptional state that were consistent across studies, methods, and samples. AD genetic associations, previously studied AD-related biological processes, and AD targets under active investigation were enriched in only three of these five clusters. The remaining two clusters demonstrated strong heterogeneity between males and females in AD-related expression that was consistently observed across studies. AD transcriptional modules identified by systems analysis of individual AMP-AD teams were all represented in one of these five consensus clusters except ROS/MAP-identified Module 109, which was specific for genes that showed the strongest association with changes in AD-related gene expression across consensus clusters. The other two AMP-AD transcriptional analyses reported modules that were enriched in one of the two sex-specific Consensus Clusters. The fifth cluster has not been previously identified and was enriched for genes related to proteostasis. This study provides an atlas to map across biological inquiries of AD with the goal of supporting an expansion in AD target discovery efforts.

systems biology↗

bioRxiv2018

Transcriptomic responses to thermal stress and varied phosphorus conditions in Symbiodinium kawagutii

Symbiodinium species are essential symbionts of tropical reef-building corals and the disruption of their symbiosis with corals as a consequence of seawater warming and other stress conditions leads to the globally widespread coral bleaching. As coral reefs live in the oligotrophic environment, Symbiodinium photosynthesis can also face nutrient stress. How metabolic pathways in Symbiodinium respond to thermal stress and phosphate depletion is poorly understood and underexplored for many species. Here we conducted RNA-seq analysis to investigate transcriptomic responses to thermal stress, phosphate deprivation and glycerol-3-phosphate (Gro3P) replacement in S. kawagutii. RNA-seq and bioinformatic analysis were conducted for the above-mentioned three treatments and a control. We identified 221 (2.04%) genes showing no significant differential expression among all conditions, and defined them as \"core\" genes of S. kawagutii, which mostly were in the Gene Ontology terms of catalytic activity and binding. Using algorithms edgeR and NOIseq in combination, we identified a set of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) for each treatment relative to the control. Under heat stress 357 (4.42%) DEGs were found, with predicted roles in active molecular (protein-protein/RNA/DNA) interaction, cell wall modulation and transport (including nutrients, iron, and oxygen). About as many DEGs (396, 4.73%) were identified under P deprivation while nearly double of that (671, 8.05%) were detected under Gro3P utilization; in both cases most of the DEGs were up-regulated and predicted to function in photosystem and defensome. Further KEGG pathway comparison revealed different molecular responses between phosphate deprivation and Gro3P utilization. Catalytic activity and binding seem to be two important core functions in S. kawagutii. The most significant transcriptional response in S. kawagutii to heat stress was regulation of molecular interaction, cell wall modulation, and transport of iron, oxygen, and major nutrients, suggesting that this species uses a unique mechanism to cope with heat stress, possibly conferring thermal tolerance. The greatest transcriptomic impact of phosphate deprivation and Gro3P replacement were the up-regulation of photosystem and defense. This study provides new clues about molecular mechanisms underpinning responses in Symbiodinium to temperature and nutrient stresses, which will generate new hypotheses and set a new framework for future investigations.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2018

Phenome-wide investigation of health outcomes associated with genetic predisposition to loneliness

AO_SCPLOWBSTRACTC_SCPLOWHumans are social animals that experience intense suffering when they perceive a lack of social connection. Modern societies are experiencing an epidemic of loneliness. While the experience of loneliness is universally human, some people report experiencing greater loneliness than others. Loneliness is more strongly associated with mortality than obesity, emphasizing the need to understand the nature of the relationship between loneliness and health. While it is intuitive that circumstantial factors such as marital status and age influence loneliness, there is also compelling evidence of a genetic predisposition towards loneliness. To better understand the genetic architecture of loneliness and its relationship with associated outcomes, we conducted a genome-wide association (GWAS) meta-analysis of loneliness (N=475,661), report 12 associated loci (two novel) and significant genetic correlations with 34 other complex traits. The polygenic basis for loneliness was significantly enriched for evolutionary constrained genes and genes expressed in specific brain tissues: (frontal) cortex, cerebellum, anterior cingulate cortex, and substantia nigra. We built polygenic scores based on this GWAS meta-analysis to explore the genetic association between loneliness and health outcomes in an independent sample of 18,498 individuals for whom electronic health records were available. A genetic predisposition towards loneliness predicted cardiovascular, psychiatric, and metabolic disorders, and triglycerides and high-density lipoproteins. Mendelian randomization analyses showed evidence of a causal, increasing, effect of body fat on loneliness, and a similar weaker causal effect of BMI. Our results provide a framework for ongoing studies of the genetic basis of loneliness and its role in mental and physical health.

genetics↗

bioRxiv2018

Genome structure and evolution of Antirrhnum majus L.

Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus L.), a member of Plantaginaceae, is an important model for plant genetics and molecular studies on plant growth and development, transposon biology and self-incompatibility. Here we report a high-quality genome assembly of A. majus cultivated JI7 (A. majus cv.JI7) of a 510 Mb with 37,714 annotated protein-coding genes. The scaffolds covering 97.12% of the assembled genome were anchored on 8 chromosomes. Comparative and evolutionary analyses revealed that Plantaginaceae and Solanaceae diverged from their most recent ancestor around 62 million years ago (MYA). We also revealed the genetic architectures associated with complex traits such as flower asymmetry and self-incompatibility including a unique TCP duplication around 46-49 MYA and a near complete{psi} S-locus of ca.2 Mb. The genome sequence obtained in this study not only provides the first genome sequenced from Plantaginaceae but also bring the popular plant model system of Antirrhinum into a genomic age.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2018

An E2-ubiquitin thioester-driven approach to identify substrates modified with ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like molecules

Covalent modifications of proteins with ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like molecules are instrumental to many biological processes. However, identifying the E3 ligase responsible for these modifications remains a major bottleneck in ubiquitin research. Here, we present an E2-thioester-driven identification (E2~dID) method for the targeted identification of substrates of specific E2 and E3 enzyme pairs. E2~dID exploits the central position of E2-conjugating enzymes in the ubiquitination cascade and provides in vitro generated biotinylated E2~ubiquitin thioester conjugates as the sole source for ubiquitination in extracto. This enables purification and mass spectrometry-based identification of modified proteins under stringent conditions independently of the biological source of the extract. We demonstrate the sensitivity and specificity of E2-dID by identifying and validating substrates of APC/C in human cells. Finally, we perform E2~dID with SUMO in S. cerevisiae, showing that this approach can be easily adapted to other ubiquitin-like modifiers and experimental models.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2018

Towards Decoding the Metabolic Plasticity in Cancer: Coupling of Gene Regulation and Metabolic Pathways

Metabolic plasticity enables cancer cells to switch their metabolism phenotypes between glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) during tumorigenesis and metastasis. However, it is still largely unknown how cancer cells orchestrate gene regulation to balance their glycolysis and OXPHOS activities for better survival. Here, we establish a theoretical framework to model the coupling of gene regulation and metabolic pathways in cancer. Our modeling results demonstrate a direct association between the activities of AMPK and HIF-1, master regulators of OXPHOS and glycolysis respectively, with the activities of three metabolic pathways: glucose oxidation, glycolysis and fatty acid oxidation (FAO). Guided by the model, we develop metabolic pathway signatures to quantify the activities of glycolysis, FAO and the citric acid cycle of tumor samples by evaluating the expression levels of enzymes involved in corresponding processes. The association of AMPK/HIF-1 activity with metabolic pathway activity, predicted by the model and verified by analyzing the gene expression and metabolite abundance data of patient samples, is further validated by in vitro studies of aggressive triple negative breast cancer cell lines.

systems biology↗

bioRxiv2018

BAP1 deubiquitinase is a potent repressor of fetal hemoglobin biosynthesis

Human globin gene production transcriptionally \"switches\" from fetal to adult synthesis shortly after birth, and is controlled by macromolecular complexes that enhance or suppress transcription by cis-elements scattered throughout the locus. The DRED repressor is recruited to the {varepsilon}- and {gamma}-globin promoters by the orphan nuclear receptors TR2 (NR2C1) and TR4 (NR2C2) to engender their silencing in adult erythroid cells. Here we found that nuclear receptor corepressor-1 (NCoR1) is a critical component of DRED that acts as a scaffold to unite the DNA binding and epigenetic enzyme components (e.g. DNMT1 and LSD1) that elicit DRED function. We also describe a potent new regulator of {gamma}-globin repression: the deubiquitinase BAP1 is a component of the repressor complex whose activity maintains NCoR1 at sites in the {beta}-globin locus, and BAP1 inhibition in erythroid cells massively induces {gamma}-globin synthesis. These data provide new mechanistic insights through the discovery of novel epigenetic enzymes that mediate {gamma}-globin gene repression.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2018

Identification of key genes related to dexamethasone-resistance in acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Drug resistance is the main cause of poor chemotherapy response in acute leukemia. Despite the extensive use of dexamethasone(DEX) in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia for many years, the mechanisms of dexamethasone - resistance has not been fully understood. We choose GSE94302 from GEO database aiming to identify key genes that contribute to the DEX resistance in acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Differentially expressed gene(DEGs) are selected by using GEO2R tools. A total of 837 DEGs were picked out, including 472 up-regulated and 365 down-regulated DEGs. All the DEGs were underwent gene ontology(GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genome(KEGG) pathway analysis. In addition, the DEGs-encoded protein-protein interaction (PPI) was screened by using Cytoscape and Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes(STRING). Total 20 genes were found as key genes related to DEX resistance with high degree of connectivity, including CDK1, PCNA, CCNB1, MYC, KPNA2, AURKA, NDC80, HSPA4, KIF11, UBE2C, PIK3CG, CD44, CD19, STAT1, DDX41, LYN, BCR, CD48, JAK1 and ITGB1. They could be used as biomarkers to identify the DEX-resistant acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

bioinformatics↗

bioRxiv2018

Systematic Discovery of the Functional Impact of Somatic Genome Alterations in Individual Tumors through Tumor-specific Causal Inference

We report a tumor-specific causal inference (TCI) framework, which discovers causative somatic genome alterations (SGAs) through inferring causal relationships between SGAs and molecular phenotypes (e.g., transcriptomic, proteomic, or metabolomic changes) within an individual tumor. We applied the TCI algorithm to tumors from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and identified those SGAs that causally regulate the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) within each tumor. Overall, TCI identified 634 SGAs that cause cancer-related DEGs in a significant number of tumors, including most of the previously known drivers and many novel candidate cancer drivers. The inferred causal relationships are statistically robust and biologically sensible, and multiple lines of experimental evidence support the predicted functional impact of both well-known and novel candidate drivers. By identifying major candidate drivers and revealing their functional impact in a tumor, TCI shed light on disease mechanisms of each tumor, providing useful information for advancing cancer biology and precision oncology.\n\nSignificance statementsCancer is mainly caused by SGAs. Precision oncology involves identifying and targeting tumor-specific aberrations resulting from causative SGAs. TCI is a novel computational framework for discovering the causative SGAs and their impact on oncogenic processes, thus revealing tumor-specific disease mechanisms. This information can be used to guide precision oncology.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2018

Effect of visual cues in addition to moderate auditory cues on temporal coordination: A comparative study in humans and chimpanzees

Our previous studies reported that chimpanzees share an ability to produce spontaneous temporal coordination with humans (Yu & Tomonaga, 2015; 2016). However, it remains unclear how visual cues of an interacting partners movement influence on the emergence of tempo convergence. The current study conducted a comparative study in humans and chimpanzees under the same experimental setup as that used in Yu & Tomonaga (2016). Three conditions, including baseline, paired-invisible and paired-visible, were prepared. In the baseline condition, the participants produced the repetitive tapping movement alone. In contrast, in the other two paired conditions, the participants in a pair produced the tapping movement concurrently while facing a conspecific partner. However, in the paired-invisible condition, a visual barrier was placed in between the participants to control visual cues of an interacting partners movement. Moderate auditory cues, corresponding to each participants tapping movement, were presented throughout the conditions. Results showed that there are significant changes on the tapping tempo between baseline and the paired-invisible condition, whereas there are little changes between paired-invisible and paired-visible condition in both species. The current stepwise analysis across three conditions demonstrates that auditory cues were more influential than additive visual cues of an interacting partners movement on the tempo convergence in humans and chimpanzees.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2018

miR-21-5p and miR-30a-5p are identical in human and bovine, have similar isomiR distribution, and cannot be used to identify xenomiR uptake from cow milk

microRNAs (miRNAs) are often highly conserved across species, but species-specific sequences are known. In addition, miRNA \"isomiRs\" arise from the same precursor molecule but differ in post-processing length and modification, usually at the 3 end. A recently published feeding study reported the intriguing result that two bovine milk-specific miRNAs were taken up into human circulation after ingestion of bovine milk. Unfortunately, this interpretation is based on annotation errors in a public microRNA database. Reanalysis using databses including the MirGeneDB database reveals that the miRNAs in question, miR-21-5p and miR-30a-5p, arise from 100% identical 5 precursor sequences in human and bovine, and the putative bovine-specific isomiRs appear to be depleted, not enriched, in bovine milk. Thus, enrichment of these isomiRs in human blood is inconsistent with uptake of xenomiRs and likely betrays endogenous miRNA regulation in response to diet or technical artifact.

molecular biology↗