Biology subjects

Zu, C.

Publications and source records attributed to Zu, C..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Streptomyces Autoregulator Biosensors from Natural Product Cluster-Situated Regulators

The soil dwelling bacteria Streptomyces is an abundant producer of numerous anticancer, antifungal, and antibiotic compounds (i.e. Natural Products, NPs). The sophisticated cellular machinery required to produce NPs is frequently regulated by quorum-sensing systems, consisting of cluster situated regulators (CSRs), such as TetR-like repressors, and small-molecule autoregulator (AR) ligands. Only a small fraction of bioinformatically predicted quorum-sensing AR circuits have been experimentally determined, and fewer still have been engineered as inducible expression systems for synthetic biology. This research details the development of eight CSR-based AR biosensors and the synthetic routes to their AR ligands. Overall, the AR biosensors exhibit a range of maximum activation, AR affinity, and AR selectivity. We examined crosstalk between noncognate CSRs and ARs, as well as the ability of CSRs to regulate alternative operators. Additionally, we establish these biosensors can be cocultured with Streptomyces for rapid analysis of AR production. Finally, we demonstrate the CSR-based biosensor vectors can be combined to create orthogonal signaling systems in bacterial coculturing or multi-input genetic circuits. Longterm, these Streptomyces AR biosensors will contribute to the elucidation of small molecule quorum sensing circuits employed by Streptomyces as well as increasing the complexity of genetic circuits used in industrial or agricultural settings.

synthetic biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Multiplexed quantum sensing reveals coordinated thermomagnetic regulation of mitochondria

Mitochondria are multifunctional organelles that convert the potential energy stored in nutrients and intermediary metabolites into both heat and an electrochemical proton-motive force. However, how these outputs are synchronized in cells remains an enduring question. In this work, leveraging multiplexed nanodiamond quantum sensors to monitor both changes in temperature and magnetic field fluctuations in single primary cells obtained from diverse tissues in adult mice, we identified thermomagnetic correlation profiles uncovering a regulatory feedback loop in which the cell draws upon available intracellular iron to maintain the mitochondrial electrochemical gradient. These profiles reverse in cells derived from a mouse model of Leigh syndrome and raise the intriguing possibility that primary mitochondrial diseases can be understood as disorders of thermomagnetic homeostasis.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2018

Carbohydrate activity regulation of floral quantity during the juvenile phase in black pepper (Piper nigrum L.)

Black pepper plants maintain synchronous vegetative growth and flowering during their lifetimes, even in the juvenile phase. How to limit the duration of flowering, facilitate a return to vegetative development should be studied. Light intensity has been reported to affect the levels of stored carbohydrates in some horticultural trees. However, it is unclear whether increased flowering intensity in adaptable light intensity is due to the regulation of carbohydrates in black pepper. Here, we report the characterization of carbohydrates and enzyme turnover in major source leaves under shading treatments during the juvenile phase of pepper. In addition to the previous finding that carbohydrate levels are correlated with flowering time, we report the novel finding that carbohydrate contents in the leaves control floral quantity. To gain insights into the underlying physiological mechanisms, we analyzed the effect of shading on sugar contents and floral transition, which revealed that shading regulated carbohydrate levels, an increase in starch accumulation improved floral quantity, and sucrose-starch ratio played a negative role in inflorescence quantity. Based on this analysis, we characterized the changes in enzyme activities in the leaves that affect carbohydrate dynamics and identified the key indicator enzymes and optimal shading intensity for the five developmental periods.\n\nHighlightWe identified the key carbohydrates, indicator enzymes and optimal shading intensity to control inflorescence quantity during the juvenile phase in black pepper for labor-saving.

biophysics↗