Biology subjects

Zhou, R.

Publications and source records attributed to Zhou, R..

179 records · Page 10Linked to original sources

bioRxiv2019

A Willow Sex Chromosome Reveals Convergent Evolution of Complex Palindromic Repeats

BackgroundSex chromosomes in a wide variety of species share common characteristics, including the presence of suppressed recombination surrounding sex determination loci. They have arisen independently in numerous lineages, providing a conclusive example of convergent evolution. Mammalian sex chromosomes contain multiple palindromic repeats across the non-recombining region that facilitate sequence conservation through gene conversion, and contain genes that are crucial for sexual reproduction. Plant sex chromosomes are less well understood, and in particular it is not clear how coding sequence conservation is maintained in the absence of homologous recombination.\n\nResultsHere we present the first evidence of large palindromic structures in a plant sex chromosome, based on a highly contiguous assembly of the W chromosome of the dioecious shrub Salix purpurea. Two consecutive palindromes span over a region of 200 kb, with conspicuous 20 kb stretches of highly conserved sequences among the four arms. The closely-related species S. suchowensis also has two copies of a portion of the palindrome arm and provides strong evidence for gene conversion. Four genes in the palindrome are homologous to genes in the SDR of the closely-related genus Populus, which is located on a different chromosome. These genes show distinct, floral-biased expression patterns compared to paralogous copies on autosomes.\n\nConclusionThe presence of palindromic structures in sex chromosomes of mammals and plants highlights the intrinsic importance of these features in adaptive evolution in the absence of recombination. Convergent evolution is driving both the independent establishment of sex chromosomes as well as their fine-scale sequence structure.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2019

SEQdata-BEACON: a comprehensive database of sequencing performance and statistical tools for performance evaluation and yield simulation in BGISEQ-500

BackgroundBGISEQ-500 is based on DNBSEQ technology and superior in providing high outputs and requiring less cost. This sequencer has been widely used in various areas of scientific and clinical research. A better understanding of the sequencing process and sequencer performance is essential for stabilizing sequencing process, accurately interpreting sequencing results and efficiently solving sequencing troubles. To solve these problems, a comprehensive database SEQdata-BEACON was constructed to accumulate sequencing performance data in BGISEQ-500.\n\nMethodsTotally 60 BGISEQ-500 sequencers in BGI-Wuhan lab were used to collect the sequencing performance data. Those lanes in paired-end 100 sequencing using 10bp barcode were chosen, and each lane containing 66 metrics was assigned a unique entry number as ID. The database was constructed in MySQL server 8.0 and the website was built on Apache (2.4.33 win64 VC15 server). The statistical analysis and linear regression models were generated by R program based on the data from November 2018 to April 2019.\n\nResultsA total of 2236 entries were recorded in the database, including sample ID, yield, quality, machine state and supplies information. According to correlation matrix, the 52 numerical metrics were clustered into three groups signifying yield-quality, machine state and sequencing calibration. The metrics distributions also delivered some patterns and rendered clues for further explanation or analysis of the sequencing process. Using the data of total 200 cycles, the linear regression model well simulated the final outputs. Moreover, the predicted final yield could be provided in the 15th cycle of the early stage of sequencing and the corresponding coefficient of determination R2 of the 200th and 15th cycle models were 0.97 and 0.81 respectively. The data source, statistical findings and application tools were all available in our website http://seqBEACON.genomics.cn:443/home.html. These resources can be used as a constantly updated reference for BGISEQ-500 users to comprehensively understand DNBSEQ technology, solve sequencing problems and optimize the sequencing process.

bioinformatics↗

bioRxiv2019

Overcoming Immunological Resistance Enhances the Efficacy of a Novel anti-tMUC1 CAR T Cell Treatment Against Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Chimeric antigen receptor engineered T cells (CAR T cells) have shown remarkable success in treating hematologic cancers. However, this efficacy has yet to translate to treatment in solid tumors. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is a fatal malignancy with poor prognosis. Treatment options are limited and commonly associated with severe side effects. We have developed and characterized a second generation CAR engineered T cell using the light and heavy chain sequence derived from a novel monoclonal antibody, TAB004, that specifically binds the tumor associated antigen, tMUC1. tMUC1 is overexpressed in varying levels on ~85% of all human PDA. We present data showing that the TAB004 derived CAR T cells (tMUC1-CAR T cells) specifically bind to tMUC1 on PDA cells and is cytotoxic against the majority of the PDA cell lines. The tMUC1-CAR T cells do not bind or kill normal epithelial cells. We further demonstrate that the tMUC1-CAR T cells control the growth of orthotopic pancreatic tumors in vivo. PDAs are generally cold tumors with resistance to many standard treatment modalities, thus, it was not surprising that some of the PDA cell lines were refractory to CAR T cell treatment. qPCR analysis of several genes known to be associated with immune resistance revealed overexpression of indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenases-1 (IDO1), Cyclooxygenase 1 and 2 (COX1 and COX2), Adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADAR1) and galectin-9 (Gal-9). We treated resistant PDA cells with a combination of CAR T cells and biological inhibitors of IDO1, COX1/2, ADAR1, and Gal-9. Results showed a significant enhancement of CAR T cell cytotoxicity against PDA cells when inhibiting IDO1, COX1/2, and Gal-9 but not ADAR1 or COX2. Overcoming CAR T cell resistance in PDA is a significant advancement in the field and may lead to future combination therapies that are less toxic but more efficient against this deadly disease.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2019

CRISPR adenine and cytosine base editors with reduced RNA off-target activities

CRISPR-guided DNA base editors enable the efficient installation of targeted single-nucleotide changes. Cytosine or adenine base editors (CBEs or ABEs), which are fusions of cytidine or adenosine deaminases to CRISPR-Cas nickases, can efficiently induce DNA C-to-T or A-to-G alterations in DNA, respectively1-4. We recently demonstrated that both the widely used CBE BE3 (harboring a rat APOBEC1 cytidine deaminase) and the optimized ABEmax editor can induce tens of thousands of guide RNA-independent, transcriptome-wide RNA base edits in human cells with high efficiencies5. In addition, we showed the feasibility of creating SElective Curbing of Unwanted RNA Editing (SECURE)-BE3 variants that exhibit substantially reduced unwanted RNA editing activities while retaining robust and more precise on-target DNA editing5. Here we describe structure-guided engineering of SECURE-ABE variants that not only possess reduced off-target RNA editing with comparable on-target DNA activities but are also the smallest Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9) base editors described to date. In addition, we tested CBEs composed of cytidine deaminases other than APOBEC1 and found that human APOBEC3A (hA3A) cytidine deaminase CBE induces substantial transcriptome-wide RNA base edits with high efficiencies. By contrast, a previously described \"enhanced\" A3A (eA3A) cytidine deaminase CBE or a human activation-induced cytidine deaminase (hAID) CBE induce substantially reduced or near background levels of RNA edits. In sum, our work describes broadly useful SECURE-ABE and -CBE base editors and reinforces the importance of minimizing RNA editing activities of DNA base editors for research and therapeutic applications.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2019

Developmentally Regulated Genome Editing in Terminally Differentiated N2-Fixing Heterocysts of Anabaena cylindrica ATCC 29414

Some vegetative cells of Anabaena cylindrica are programed to differentiate semi-regularly spaced, single heterocysts along filaments. Since heterocysts are terminally differentiated non-dividing cells, with the sole known function for solar-powered N2-fixation, is it necessary for a heterocyst to retain the entire genome ({approx}7.1 Mbp) from its progenitor vegetative cell? By sequencing the heterocyst genome, we discovered and confirmed that at least six DNA elements ({approx}0.12 Mbp) are deleted during heterocyst development. The six-element deletions led to the restoration of five genes (nifH1, nifD, hupL, primase P4 and a hypothetical protein gene) that were interrupted in vegetative cells. The deleted elements contained 172 genes present in the genome of vegetative cells. By sequence alignments of intact nif genes (nifH, nifD and hupL) from N2-fixing cyanobacteria (multicellular and unicellular) as well as other N2-fixing bacteria (non-cyanobacteria), we found that interrupted nif genes all contain the conserved core sequences that may be required for phage DNA insertion. Here, we discuss the nif genes interruption which uniquely occurs in heterocyst-forming cyanobacteria. To our best knowledge, this is first time to sequence the genome of heterocyst, a specially differentiated oxic N2-fixing cell. This research demonstrated that (1) different genomes may occur in distinct cell types in a multicellular bacterium; and (2) genome editing is coupled to cellular differentiation and/or cellular function in a heterocyst-forming cyanobacterium.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2019

Unicellular Cyanobacteria Exhibit Light-Driven, Oxygen-Tolerant, Constitutive Nitrogenase Activity Under Continuous Illumination

Cyanobacteria have played a profound role in shaping the biosphere, most notably through the Great Oxygenation Event (GOE) with the advent of photosynthesis1. Cyanobacteria also contribute to global primary production through biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) using nitrogenase2,3, an oxygen-labile enzyme complex that evolutionarily predates the GOE4. Current literature reports nitrogenase activity in unicellular cyanobacteria is protected from oxygen through diurnal separation of photosynthesis and BNF5. However, historic conditions of continuous-light and warm temperature at polar latitudes during the Triassic and Cretaceous may have created a selective advantage amongst unicellular cyanobacteria for non-temporal mechanisms of maintaining nitrogenase activity in the presence of oxygen. Here we report constitutive nitrogenase activity concurrent with a net-gain of oxygen through photosynthesis in a continuous-light adapted culture of the unicellular cyanobacteria, Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142. Nitrogenase activity in the adapted culture exhibited dependence on light and an increased resilience to artificially raised oxygen-tension compared to traditional culture. We predict cyanobacteria closely related to Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142 also possess this physiology and found an accessory predicted proteome with functional relevance. This work provides a model of light-driven, oxygen-tolerant, constitutive nitrogenase activity and suggests this physiology may be conserved in closely related unicellular diazotrophic cyanobacteria with implications for primary production in polar ecosystems and potential biotechnological application in sustainable agriculture production.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2019

Prevalence of HIV-1 infection among foreign applicant to residency in Shanghai, China, 2005-2016

BackgroundShanghai is one of the biggest cities which have the highest number of entry travelers from all over the world. The HIV(human immunodeficiency virus) infection status of this population can reflect global trends of HIV prevalence to a certain extent. MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted to reveal the prevalence and characteristics of HIV-1 infection among entry travelers who applied to residency in Shanghai. The HIV-1 infection rate was estimated based on the detection of HIV-1 antibody. ResultsAmong 50830 entry travelers who applied to residency in Shanghai(2005-2016), 245 were determined HIV-1 positive with an infection rate of 0.48%. The detection rate of HIV was significantly higher in male (P<0.0001). Those aged 18-30 years, 31-40 years and >40years accounted for 34.3%,39.6% and 26.1% respectively of the infected population. Although there was no trend of increase in HIV-1 prevalence rates (Cochran-Armitage Z =2.543, P =0.111),proportions of individuals infected through homosexual transmission increased over the study period (Cochran-Armitage Z =5.41, P<0.001), while the proportions infected through heterosexual(Cochran-Armitage Z=3.38, P=0.001). ConclusionThe rate and characteristics of HIV-1 infection among foreign applicant to residency in Shanghai were revealed in the study. The results could provide the necessary epidemiological data for monitoring the HIV-1 epidemic among entry international travelers and to further contribute to the establishment of relevant policies and regulations for HIV control and prevention.

epidemiology↗

bioRxiv2019

Comparative analysis of mitochondrial genome between UG93A and UG93B reveal common feature of 5’-end heterogeneity in mitochondrial genes of kenaf

Plant cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) being maternal phenomenon trait that result from pollen abortion and closely linked with mitochondrial DNA rearrangement in many crops including kenaf. However, the molecular mechanism in kenaf is poorly known. In present work, we described the mitochondrial genome in isonuclear CMS line UG93A and its maintainer line UG93B. Findings of the current study revealed that a total of 398 SNPs and 230 InDels were identified in UG93A mtDNA. Total of 26 SNPs variations and three InDels were identified in the coding region of atp6, indicating its active role in mitochondrial genome re-arrangement. Northern blot analysis showed that the transcripts of atp1, atp4, atp6, cox3 and sdh4 in F1 were consistent with UG93A but different for UG93B. The transcript of atp9 was found similar between UG93B and F1 while different for UG93A, which depict that atp9 may be regulated by nuclear genes in F1 hybrid. The expression of atp9 in UG93A was substantially lower compared with UG93B, suggesting its key role for energy supplying in microspore development of kenaf. Circularized RNA (CR)-RT-PCR revealed that mitochondrial RNAs with heterogeneous 5-ends but uniform 3 - ends are common feature in kenaf mitochondrial genes, and the promoter architecture analysis showed that the promoter sequences in kenaf mitochondrial genome are highly diverged in comparison to those in other plants. Our data highlight that the translation of mitochondrial genes in kenaf is closely associated with heterogeneity of the 5-end of plant mRNA. The present result provides the basic information in understanding the transcription of kenaf mitochondrial genome and can be used as reference in other plants.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2018

Study of the binding mechanisms between palytoxin and its aptamer by docking and molecular simulation

This paper provides a feasible model for aptamer and its target in molecular structure analysis and interaction mechanism. In this study, modeling and dynamic simulation of ssDNA aptamer (P-18S2) and target (Palytoxin, PTX) were performed separately. Then, the combination mechanism of DNA and PTX were predicted, and docking results showed that PTX can combine steadily in the groove at the top of DNA model trough strong hydrogen-bonds and electrostatic interaction. Therefore, we have further truncated and optimized to P-18S2 by simulating, at the same time, we also confirmed the reliability of simulative results by experimenting. Combining with the experimental and computational results, we provide a more reasonable interpretation for the high affinity and specific binding of P-18S2 and PTX and offer the basis for aptamer development in molecular diagnostics and therapeutic application.\n\nAuthor summaryIn order to further study the complex structure and interaction of P-18S2 and PTX, a series of molecular modeling program were designed, including modeling, traditional dynamics simulation and molecular docking. Modeling results reveal that the structure of P-18S2 is a DNA G-quadruplex. Meanwhile, the 3D structure of PTX with lowest total energy after equilibrium was selected to use for the subsequent simulations. Then, based on the DNA with G-quadruplex structure, the combination model of DNA and PTX were predicted, and docking results showed that PTX can combine steadily in the groove at the top of DNA model trough strong hydrogen-bonds and electrostatic interaction. Futhermore, we compared the affinity of 6 optimized aptamers by computer simulating to primary P-18S2 bind to PTX respectively, the results showed no significant difference. Therefore, we have further truncated and optimized to P-18S2. In addition, this paper further refined research method based on our previous study[17], the instability of the target structure was considered and optimized, and the biological experiments were used to confirm the veracity of the simulative results. Combining with the experimental and computational methods, we obtained a reasonable interpretation for the high affinity and specific binding of P-18S2 and PTX. In summary, we established a feasible model for aptamer and its target in molecular structure analysis and interaction mechanism, and offer the basis for the study of aptamer development in molecular diagnostics and therapeutic application.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2018

Nanoporous Boron Nitride for High Efficient Water Desalination

Membrane filtration processes for water desalination have been greatly improved thanks to rapid development of nanoporous 2-dimentional (2D) materials. Nanoporous graphene and molybdenum disulfide have proved to show promising properties for desalination. In this study, we detailly investigated the desalination performance of a different nanoporous 2D material, nanoporous boron nitride (BN), by Molecular Dynamics simulation. Our calculations demonstrated that nanoporous BN allows for rapid water permeability with effective salt rejection. The permeability is not only two orders of magnitude higher than existing commercial techniques but also much higher than nanoporous graphene and molybdenum disulfide membranes. We further showed that the pores with B-h edges or with N-h edges present different desalination efficiency. Compared to N-h pores, B-h pores have better desalination performance in term of higher water flux. To the best of our knowledge, nanoporous BN is the 2D material having the highest water permeability thus far while maintaining high salt rejection. Overall, our results shed light on the potential

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2018

Robust Antibacterial Activity of Tungsten Oxide (WO3-X) Nanodots

Antibacterial agents are an important tool in the prevention of bacterial infections. Inorganic materials are attractive due to their high stability under a variety of conditions compared to organic antibacterial agents. Herein tungsten oxide nanodots (WO3-X), synthesized by a simple one-pot synthetic approach, was found to exhibit efficient antibacterial capabilities. The analyses with colony-forming units (CFU) showed excellent antibacterial activity of WO3-X against both gram-negative E. coli (Escherichia coli) and gram-positive S. aureus (Staphylococcus aureus) strains. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images revealed clear damage to the bacterial cell membranes, which was further confirmed by molecular dynamics simulations. Additionally, exposure to simulated sunlight was found to further increase germicidal activity of WO3-X nanodots - a 30-minute exposure to sunlight (combining 50 g/mL WO3-X nanodots) showed a 70% decrease in E. coli viability compared to without exposure. Electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR) was used to elucidate the underlying mechanism of this photocatalytic activity through the generation of hydroxyl radical species. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and the live/dead assay were further employed to evaluate the cytotoxicity of WO3-X nanodots on eukaryotic cells, which demonstrated their general biocompatibility. In all, our results suggest WO3-X nanodots have considerable potential in antibacterial applications, while also being biocompatible at large.

pharmacology and toxicology↗

bioRxiv2018

Exploring the Binding Mechanism between Human Profilin (PFN1) and Polyproline-10 through Binding Mode Screening

The large magnitude of protein-protein interaction (PPI) pairs within the human interactome necessitates the development of predictive models and screening tools to better understand this fundamental molecular communication. However, despite enormous efforts from various groups to develop predictive techniques in the last decade, PPI complex structures are in general still very challenging to predict due to the large number of degrees of freedom. In this study, we use the binding complex of human profilin (PFN1) and polyproline-10 (P10) as a model system to examine various approaches, with the aim of going beyond normal protein docking for PPI prediction and evaluation. The potential of mean force (PMF) was first obtained from the timeconsuming umbrella sampling, which confirmed that the most stable binding structure identified by the maximal PMF difference is indeed the crystallographic binding structure. Moreover, crucial residues previously identified in experimental studies, W3, H133 and S137 of PFN1, were found to form favorable hydrogen bonds with P10, suggesting a zipping process during the binding between PFN1 and P10. We then explored both regular molecular dynamics (MD) and steered molecular dynamics (SMD) simulations, seeking for better criteria of ranking the PPI prediction. Despite valuable information obtained from conventional MD simulations, neither the commonly used interaction energy between the two binding parties nor the long-term root mean square displacement (RMSD) correlates well with the PMF results. On the other hand, with a sizable collection of trajectories, we demonstrated that the average rupture work calculated from SMD simulations correlates fairly well with the PMFs (R2 = 0.67), making it a promising PPI screening method.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2018

FRMPD2: a novel GluN2A-interacting scaffold protein in synaptic excitatory transmission

The scaffold proteins FRMPD2 is localized at the basolateral membranes of polarized epithelial cells and associated with tight junction formation. But the expression and function of FRMPD2 in vivo remain unknown. Here, we found that postsynaptic FRMPD2 effectively alters the neuronal excitability by regulating NMDARs-component excitatory synaptic transmission in adult hippocampus. FRMPD2 anchors the NMDAR subunit GluN2A at the synapses without changing the total NMDAR expression. By using of Co-IP, Pull Down and SPR, the second PDZ (PDZ2) domain of FRMPD2 direct and binds to the C-terminus of GluN2A. Our study discover that a novel scaffold protein FRMPD2 regulates synaptic excitatory in a PDZ2 domain-dependent manner in adult hippocampus.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2018

The contrasting response to drought and waterlogging is underpinned by divergent DNA methylation programs associated with gene expression in sesame

DNA methylation is a heritable epigenetic mechanism that participates in gene regulation under abiotic stresses in plants. Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is typically considered a drought-tolerant crop but highly susceptible to waterlogging, a property attributed to its presumed origin in Africa or India. Understanding DNA methylation patterns in sesame under drought and waterlogging conditions can provide insights into the regulatory mechanisms underlying its contrasting responses to these principal abiotic stresses. Here, we combined Methylation-Sensitive Amplified Polymorphism and transcriptome analyses to profile cytosine methylation patterns, gene expression alteration, and their interplay in drought-tolerant and waterlogging-tolerant sesame genotypes under control, stress and recovery conditions. Our data showed that drought stress strongly induced de novo methylation (DNM) whereas most of the loci were demethylated (DM) during the recovery phase. In contrast, waterlogging decreased the level of methylation under stress but during the recovery phase, both DM and DNM were concomitantly deployed. In both stresses, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were highly correlated with the methylation patterns. We observed that DM was associated with the up-regulation of the DEGs while DNM was correlated with the down-regulation of the DEGs. In addition, we sequenced 44 differentially methylated regions of which 90% overlapped with the promoters and coding sequences of the DEGs. Altogether, we demonstrated that sesame has divergent epigenetic programs that respond to drought and waterlogging stresses. Our results also highlighted the possible interplay among DNA methylation and gene expression, which may modulate the contrasting responses to drought and waterlogging in sesame.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2018

Hepatitis B Virus Inhibits Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Release by Modulating Reactive Oxygen Species Production and Autophagy

Neutrophils, an important component of the innate immune system, release extracellular traps (NETs) to eliminate invaded pathogens by trapping and killing microbes. A dysfunctional innate immune response is a major cause of persistent hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. HBV has been shown to reduce neutrophil responses. The objectives of the present study were to determine whether HBV influenced NETs release and to identify the underlying mechanisms. Primary neutrophils and circulating blood samples were collected from 40 patients with a chronic hepatitis B infection (CHB) and 40 healthy controls to detect NETs release using a Quant-iT Pico Green dsDNA assay and to determine the levels of HBV-DNA and HBV markers. NETs release was decreased in patients with a CHB infection, and hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis B e antigen and hepatitis B core antibody levels negatively correlated with NETs release. The Quant-iT Pico Green dsDNA assay and western blotting were used to examine the effect of HBV proteins (HBV X protein, HBV C protein, HBV E protein and HBV S protein) on NETs release in vitro. Based on the flow cytometry and western blot data, HBV C protein and HBV E protein inhibited NETs release by decreasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and autophagy. Overall, HBV may inhibit NETs release by modulating ROS production and autophagy to escape the immune system and promote the establishment of a chronic infection.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2018

Improvements to the rice genome annotation through large-scale analysis of RNA-Seq and proteomics datasets

Rice (Oryza sativa) is one of the most important worldwide crops. The genome has been available for over 10 years and has undergone several rounds of annotation. We created a comprehensive database of transcripts from 29 public RNA sequencing datasets, officially predicted genes from Ensembl plants, and common contaminants in which to search for protein-level evidence. We re-analysed nine publicly accessible rice proteomics datasets. In total, we identified 420K peptide spectrum matches from 47K peptides and 8,187 protein groups. 4168 peptides were initially classed as putative novel peptides (not matching official genes). Following a strict filtration scheme to rule out other possible explanations, we discovered 1,584 high confidence novel peptides. The novel peptides were clustered into 692 genomic loci where our results suggest annotation improvements. 80% of the novel peptides had an ortholog match in the curated protein sequence set from at least one other plant species. For the peptides clustering in intergenic regions (and thus potentially new genes), 101 loci were identified, for which 43 had a high-confidence hit for a protein domain. Our results can be displayed as tracks on the Ensembl genome or other browsers supporting Track Hubs, to support re-annotation of the rice genome.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2018

Generation of a novel growth-enhanced and reduced environmental impact transgenic pig strain

In pig production, insufficient feed digestion causes excessive nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen, which are then released to the environment. To address the issue of environmental emissions, we have established transgenic pigs harboring a single-copy quad-cistronic transgene and simultaneously expressing three microbial enzymes, {beta}-glucanase, xylanase, and phytase in the salivary glands. All the transgenic enzymes were successfully expressed, and the digestion of non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs) and phytate in the feedstuff was enhanced. Fecal nitrogen and phosphate outputs were reduced by 23%-46%, and growth rate improved by 23.4% (gilts) and 24.4% (boars) when the pigs were fed on a corn and soybean-based diet and high-NSP diet. The transgenic pigs showed a 11.5%- 14.5% improvement in feed conversion rate compared to the age-matched wild-type littermates. These findings indicate that transgenic pigs are promising resources for improving feed efficiency and reducing nutrient emissions to the environment.

biochemistry↗