1.The Diversity of Filamentous Morphologies and Magnetic Sensitivity Modulated by Diverse MagR Expression in Bacteria
Ya-Fei CHANG ; Jing ZHANG ; Peng ZHANG ; Xiu-Juan ZHOU ; Meng-Ke WEI ; Tian-Tian CAI ; Pei-Qi HE ; Jun-Feng WANG ; Can XIE
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(5):1439-1456
Objective Magnetoreception, the remarkable ability of diverse animals to sense and utilize the geomagnetic field for orientation and navigation, remains a molecularly unresolved mystery in sensory biology. The putative magnetoreceptor (MagR, previously known as IscA1) is a highly conserved iron-sulfur protein implicated in both magnetoreception and iron metabolism; however, the functional diversity among its cross-species homologs remains poorly understood. Cellular morphology is a key genetically determined trait that can be altered through genetic or environmental modifications—a process known as cell morphology engineering. Constructing engineered cells with specific morphological features and magnetic sensitivity to achieve remote, non-invasive magnetic modulation represents a crucial goal in this field with significant application potential. Therefore, this study aims to systematically investigate the effects of MagR heterologous expression on bacterial morphology and magnetic sensing capabilities, screen for MagR-based magnetically sensitive morphology engineering pathways, and reveal the underlying molecular mechanisms. Methods We systematically screened 28 MagR homologous genes from diverse prokaryotic and animal taxa to evaluate their expression and corresponding phenotypic effects in Escherichia coli (E. coli). To compare the differential magnetic responses among bacteria expressing various recombinant MagR proteins, we utilized high-throughput automated bright-field microscopic imaging and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, comprehensive biochemical and biophysical characterizations of iron and iron-sulfur cluster binding were performed using Ferrozine colorimetric assays, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption, and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Additionally, 100 mT static magnetic field (SMF) exposure experiments were conducted to assess magnetically tunable phenotypes, while the intrinsic magnetic properties of purified MagR proteins were directly measured using a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer. Results Our results demonstrated that the heterologous expression of MagR homologs induced varying degrees of bacterial filamentation. From this comprehensive screen, two distinct morphological patterns were identified: hydra (Hydra vulgaris) MagR (hyMagR) promoted uniform cell elongation and filamentation, exhibiting robust magnetic sensitivity manifested as significantly enhanced filamentation under the 100 mT SMF. In contrast, pigeon (Columba livia) MagR (clMagR) induced only low-frequency, extreme filamentation (sporadically exceeding 80 μm) with a relatively weaker magnetic morphological response. Mechanistically, our data unambiguously proved that these phenotypic differences are primarily driven by distinct iron redox preferences rather than total cellular iron accumulation. Specifically, hyMagR preferentially binds ferrous iron (Fe2+), whereas clMagR favors ferric iron (Fe3+) and forms more stable iron-sulfur clusters. Intriguingly, although SQUID magnetometry showed that purified clMagR exhibited approximately five-fold higher mass magnetic susceptibility than hyMagR, its cellular magnetic response was weaker. We hypothesize that the Fe2+-preferred intracellular environment associated with hyMagR overexpression primes the cell for enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) via the Fenton reaction. Exposure to an SMF synergizes with this primed redox state, triggering the bacterial SOS response and upregulating cell division inhibitors to efficiently induce uniform filamentation. Conclusion Our findings identify the Fe2+/Fe3+ redox state as a critical determinant of MagR-mediated morphological remodeling and magnetic responsiveness. This discovery suggests a potential strategy for engineering magnetically responsive cellular systems for synthetic biology applications, and provides a plausible framework, which potentially combines intrinsic protein magnetism with redox-state modulation, for further investigating the evolutionary mechanisms of MagR-mediated magnetoreception.
2.The Diversity of Filamentous Morphologies and Magnetic Sensitivity Modulated by Diverse MagR Expression in Bacteria
Ya-Fei CHANG ; Jing ZHANG ; Peng ZHANG ; Xiu-Juan ZHOU ; Meng-Ke WEI ; Tian-Tian CAI ; Pei-Qi HE ; Jun-Feng WANG ; Can XIE
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(5):1439-1456
Objective Magnetoreception, the remarkable ability of diverse animals to sense and utilize the geomagnetic field for orientation and navigation, remains a molecularly unresolved mystery in sensory biology. The putative magnetoreceptor (MagR, previously known as IscA1) is a highly conserved iron-sulfur protein implicated in both magnetoreception and iron metabolism; however, the functional diversity among its cross-species homologs remains poorly understood. Cellular morphology is a key genetically determined trait that can be altered through genetic or environmental modifications—a process known as cell morphology engineering. Constructing engineered cells with specific morphological features and magnetic sensitivity to achieve remote, non-invasive magnetic modulation represents a crucial goal in this field with significant application potential. Therefore, this study aims to systematically investigate the effects of MagR heterologous expression on bacterial morphology and magnetic sensing capabilities, screen for MagR-based magnetically sensitive morphology engineering pathways, and reveal the underlying molecular mechanisms. Methods We systematically screened 28 MagR homologous genes from diverse prokaryotic and animal taxa to evaluate their expression and corresponding phenotypic effects in Escherichia coli (E. coli). To compare the differential magnetic responses among bacteria expressing various recombinant MagR proteins, we utilized high-throughput automated bright-field microscopic imaging and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, comprehensive biochemical and biophysical characterizations of iron and iron-sulfur cluster binding were performed using Ferrozine colorimetric assays, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption, and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Additionally, 100 mT static magnetic field (SMF) exposure experiments were conducted to assess magnetically tunable phenotypes, while the intrinsic magnetic properties of purified MagR proteins were directly measured using a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer. Results Our results demonstrated that the heterologous expression of MagR homologs induced varying degrees of bacterial filamentation. From this comprehensive screen, two distinct morphological patterns were identified: hydra (Hydra vulgaris) MagR (hyMagR) promoted uniform cell elongation and filamentation, exhibiting robust magnetic sensitivity manifested as significantly enhanced filamentation under the 100 mT SMF. In contrast, pigeon (Columba livia) MagR (clMagR) induced only low-frequency, extreme filamentation (sporadically exceeding 80 μm) with a relatively weaker magnetic morphological response. Mechanistically, our data unambiguously proved that these phenotypic differences are primarily driven by distinct iron redox preferences rather than total cellular iron accumulation. Specifically, hyMagR preferentially binds ferrous iron (Fe2+), whereas clMagR favors ferric iron (Fe3+) and forms more stable iron-sulfur clusters. Intriguingly, although SQUID magnetometry showed that purified clMagR exhibited approximately five-fold higher mass magnetic susceptibility than hyMagR, its cellular magnetic response was weaker. We hypothesize that the Fe2+-preferred intracellular environment associated with hyMagR overexpression primes the cell for enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) via the Fenton reaction. Exposure to an SMF synergizes with this primed redox state, triggering the bacterial SOS response and upregulating cell division inhibitors to efficiently induce uniform filamentation. Conclusion Our findings identify the Fe2+/Fe3+ redox state as a critical determinant of MagR-mediated morphological remodeling and magnetic responsiveness. This discovery suggests a potential strategy for engineering magnetically responsive cellular systems for synthetic biology applications, and provides a plausible framework, which potentially combines intrinsic protein magnetism with redox-state modulation, for further investigating the evolutionary mechanisms of MagR-mediated magnetoreception.
3.Multicolor Fluorescent Copper Nanoclusters/Starch Composites and Their Application in Fingermark Development
Chuan-Jun YUAN ; Ming LI ; Yi-Fei SUN ; Jia-Ming LYU ; Zhi-Bo GAO ; Shi-Qiang SUN ; Pei-Liang HAN ; Feng-He LIU
Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry 2025;53(1):55-64,中插1-中插3
On the basis of that the fluorescence wavelength of copper nanoclusters(CuNCs)could cover the entire visible region,multicolor fluorescent CuNCs/starch composites were prepared and applied in fingermark development.With L-glutathione as the reducing agent and protective ligand,blue emissive and orange emissive CuNCs solutions were obtained in alkaline solutions at 90℃and 25℃,respectively.With the aggregation-induced emission effect induced by ethanol as a poor solvent,the fluorescence of orange emissive CuNCs with a higher intensity was achieved in an ethanol-water solution.With ascorbic acid as the reducing agent and 3-mercaptopropionic acid as the protective agent,green emissive CuNCs solution was prepared in an acid solution.Particle morphologies,chemical compositions and optical properties of these three CuNCs above were investigated using physical characterization and spectroscopic analysis,indicating that well-dispersed CuNCs had excellent photoluminescent properties.These CuNCs solutions were combined with starch to form composite powders by simply drying.The influences of the type of CuNCs and the ratio of CuNCs to starch on the emission wavelength and fluorescence intensity of the products were studied.The obtained CuNCs/starch composites could emit blue,green and orange fluorescence under 365 nm ultraviolet light,respectively,which were suitable for fingermark development.Minutiae and partial level-3 features of latent fingermarks could be effectively developed.High-quality fluorescence fingermark images would be captured using appropriate optical filters to eliminate background interference of various substrates.
4.Identification of Complex Samples Based on Broad Learning System and Physicochemical Indicators
Jia-Qi XIE ; Qiang ZHANG ; Pei-Ran LIU ; Ya-Fei YANG ; Xi-Hui BIAN
Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry 2025;53(6):944-954,中插16-中插21
Compared to traditional machine learning algorithms,which often suffer from low feature extraction efficiency,insufficient nonlinear pattern recognition capabilities and slow training speeds,the broad learning system(BLS)enhances the learning ability and efficiency by horizontally expanding the network structure.BLS offers advantages such as a simple structure,fast training speed,and strong generalization capabilities.While BLS has demonstrated potential in various fields,but its application in identification of complex samples has not been fully explored.This research investigated the feasibility of using BLS algorithm for identification of complex samples based on physicochemical indicators.Using the iris,wine,and breast cancer datasets,the length and width of petals and sepals of iris flowers,the physicochemical properties of wine,and the nuclear characteristics of breast cancer cells were used as input variables to establish BLS models for identifying iris species,wine varieties,and benign versus malignant nucleus.The model performance was evaluated by confusion matrices,accuracy,and runtime.Compared with partial least squares-discriminant analysis(PLS-DA),soft independent modeling of class analogies(SIMCA),and artificial neural networks(ANN),the results indicated that BLS demonstrated significant advantages in computational efficiency and recognition accuracy.Thus,BLS was an efficient and reliable method for identification of complex samples.
5.Research progress in radiation-induced esophageal injury
Qiang FU ; Yu LIN ; Fei ZHENG ; Yuanji XU ; Wenji XUE ; Ye ZHANG ; Qifeng WANG ; Jinbo YUE ; Pei YANG ; Wencheng ZHANG ; Junqiang CHEN
Chinese Journal of Radiation Oncology 2025;34(9):874-881
Radiation-induced esophageal injury (RIEI) is a frequent complication following radiotherapy for thoracic and head-neck malignancies, which may lead to severe sequelae including esophageal stricture and perforation, adversely affecting patients' quality of life and therapeutic outcomes. With advancements in radiotherapy techniques — particularly the adoption of unconventional fractionation regimens, concurrent chemoradiotherapy, and combined molecular targeted / immunotherapy — the incidence of RIEI has been increasing. In this review, recent advances in understanding the pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, risk factors, and management strategies for RIEI were comprehensively summarized. Current therapeutic approaches have evolved beyond conventional anti-inflammatory and nutritional support to include novel interventions such as targeted therapy, free radical scavengers, and microbiota modulation, etc. Future research should prioritize the development of optimized, individualized prevention and treatment protocols to mitigate RIEI risk and improve patient prognosis.
6.International clinical practice guideline on the use of traditional Chinese medicine for functional dyspepsia (2025).
Sheng-Sheng ZHANG ; Lu-Qing ZHAO ; Xiao-Hua HOU ; Zhao-Xiang BIAN ; Jian-Hua ZHENG ; Hai-He TIAN ; Guan-Hu YANG ; Won-Sook HONG ; Yu-Ying HE ; Li LIU ; Hong SHEN ; Yan-Ping LI ; Sheng XIE ; Jin SHU ; Bin-Fang ZENG ; Jun-Xiang LI ; Zhen LIU ; Zheng-Hua XIAO ; Jing-Dong XIAO ; Pei-Yong ZHENG ; Shao-Gang HUANG ; Sheng-Liang CHEN ; Gui-Jun FEI
Journal of Integrative Medicine 2025;23(5):502-518
Functional dyspepsia (FD), characterized by persistent or recurrent dyspeptic symptoms without identifiable organic, systemic or metabolic causes, is an increasingly recognized global health issue. The objective of this guideline is to equip clinicians and nursing professionals with evidence-based strategies for the management and treatment of adult patients with FD using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The Guideline Development Group consulted existing TCM consensus documents on FD and convened a panel of 35 clinicians to generate initial clinical queries. To address these queries, a systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP Database, China Biology Medicine (SinoMed) Database, Wanfang Database, Traditional Medicine Research Data Expanded (TMRDE), and the Traditional Chinese Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System (TCMLARS). The evidence from the literature was critically appraised using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. The strength of the recommendations was ascertained through a consensus-building process involving TCM and allopathic medicine experts, methodologists, pharmacologists, nursing specialists, and health economists, leveraging their collective expertise and empirical knowledge. The guideline comprises a total of 43 evidence-informed recommendations that span a range of clinical aspects, including the pathogenesis according to TCM, diagnostic approaches, therapeutic interventions, efficacy assessments, and prognostic considerations. Please cite this article as: Zhang SS, Zhao LQ, Hou XH, Bian ZX, Zheng JH, Tian HH, Yang GH, Hong WS, He YY, Liu L, Shen H, Li YP, Xie S, Shu J, Zeng BF, Li JX, Liu Z, Xiao ZH, Xiao JD, Zheng PY, Huang SG, Chen SL, Fei GJ. International clinical practice guideline on the use of traditional Chinese medicine for functional dyspepsia (2025). J Integr Med. 2025; 23(5):502-518.
Dyspepsia/drug therapy*
;
Humans
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Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods*
;
Practice Guidelines as Topic
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*
7.Associations of Genetic Risk and Physical Activity with Incident Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Large Prospective Cohort Study.
Jin YANG ; Xiao Lin WANG ; Wen Fang ZHONG ; Jian GAO ; Huan CHEN ; Pei Liang CHEN ; Qing Mei HUANG ; Yi Xin ZHANG ; Fang Fei YOU ; Chuan LI ; Wei Qi SONG ; Dong SHEN ; Jiao Jiao REN ; Dan LIU ; Zhi Hao LI ; Chen MAO
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(10):1194-1204
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the relationship between physical activity and genetic risk and their combined effects on the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
METHODS:
This prospective cohort study included 318,085 biobank participants from the UK. Physical activity was assessed using the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. The participants were stratified into low-, intermediate-, and high-genetic-risk groups based on their polygenic risk scores. Multivariate Cox regression models and multiplicative interaction analyses were used.
RESULTS:
During a median follow-up period of 13 years, 9,209 participants were diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. For low genetic risk, compared to low physical activity, the hazard ratios ( HRs) for moderate and high physical activity were 0.853 (95% confidence interval [ CI]: 0.748-0.972) and 0.831 (95% CI: 0.727-0.950), respectively. For intermediate genetic risk, the HRs were 0.829 (95% CI: 0.758-0.905) and 0.835 (95% CI: 0.764-0.914), respectively. For participants with high genetic risk, the HRs were 0.809 (95% CI: 0.746-0.877) and 0.818 (95% CI: 0.754-0.888), respectively. A significant interaction was observed between genetic risk and physical activity.
CONCLUSION
Moderate or high levels of physical activity were associated with a lower risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease across all genetic risk groups, highlighting the need to tailor activity interventions for genetically susceptible individuals.
Humans
;
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/epidemiology*
;
Exercise
;
Male
;
Female
;
Middle Aged
;
Prospective Studies
;
Aged
;
Genetic Predisposition to Disease
;
Risk Factors
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United Kingdom/epidemiology*
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Incidence
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Adult
8.Alisol A 24-acetate ameliorates cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury in brain micro vascular endothelial cells via miR-98-5p/TRPM2
Wei WEI ; Hui-hong LI ; Pei-tao XU ; Da-mei TAO ; Yun-fei DENG ; Zeng-tu ZHAN
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(4):695-702
Aim To explore the underlying molecular mechanism of Alisol A 24-acetate(24A)in improving oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation(OGD/R)injury in brain microvascular endothelial cells(BMECs)and its correlation with miR-98-5p/transi-ent receptor potential melastatin-2(TRPM2).Meth-ods The ischemia-reperfusion injury in brain micro-vascular endothelial cells(BMECs)was established u-sing bEnd.3 cells subjected to 8 h of oxygen-glucose deprivation followed by 16 h of re-oxygenation.The cells were intervened by miR-98-5p mimics and/or 18.77 μmol·L-1 24A for 24 h and divided into the control group,OGD/R group,OGD/R+24A group,OGD/R+24A+miR-98-5p mimics group and OGD/R+miR-98-5p mimics group.The mRNA levels of miR-98-5p and TRPM2 were detected by qPCR.IL-1 β and TNF-α levels were detected by ELISA.The expression levels of TRPM2,p-AKT,p-GSK3 β,AKT,GSK3 β,Bcl-2,Bax,ZO-1,Occludin,Claudin-5 were detected by Western blot.Apoptosis and reactive oxygen species(ROS)levels were detected by flow cytometry.The targeting relationship between miR-98-5p and TRPM2 was verified using dual luciferase assay.Results Compared with the control group,the apoptosis of OGD/R group was obvious,Bcl-2/Bax decreased,ZO-1,Occludin,Claudin-5 decreased,IL-1 β,TNF-α and ROS increased,miR-98-5p,p-AKT/AKT,p-GSK3β/GSK3β decreased but TRPM2 increased.But com-pared with the OGD/R group,except the control group,the other three groups showed the opposite trend in the above aspects;compared with the OGD/R+24A group,OGD/R+24A+miR-98-5p mimics group showed decreased apoptosis,decreased degradation of ZO-1,Occludin and Claudin-5,and decreased inflam-mation and ROS.miR-98-5p,p-AKT/AKT,p-GSK3β/GSK3β increased and TRPM2 decreased.However,compared with the OGD/R+24A+miR-98-5p mimics group,the OGD/R+miR-98-5p mimics group reversed this trend.Dual luciferase confirmed that miR-98-5p targeted regulation of TRPM2.Conclusion 24A in-hibits the expression of TRPM2 in BMECs through miR-98-5p,regulates AKT/GSK3β signal pathway,re-duces OGD/R inflammation and oxidative stress-medi-ated apoptosis,prevents the degradation of ZO-1,Oc-cludin and Claudin-5,and improves BBB permeability.
9.Research progress in radiation-induced esophageal injury
Qiang FU ; Yu LIN ; Fei ZHENG ; Yuanji XU ; Wenji XUE ; Ye ZHANG ; Qifeng WANG ; Jinbo YUE ; Pei YANG ; Wencheng ZHANG ; Junqiang CHEN
Chinese Journal of Radiation Oncology 2025;34(9):874-881
Radiation-induced esophageal injury (RIEI) is a frequent complication following radiotherapy for thoracic and head-neck malignancies, which may lead to severe sequelae including esophageal stricture and perforation, adversely affecting patients' quality of life and therapeutic outcomes. With advancements in radiotherapy techniques — particularly the adoption of unconventional fractionation regimens, concurrent chemoradiotherapy, and combined molecular targeted / immunotherapy — the incidence of RIEI has been increasing. In this review, recent advances in understanding the pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, risk factors, and management strategies for RIEI were comprehensively summarized. Current therapeutic approaches have evolved beyond conventional anti-inflammatory and nutritional support to include novel interventions such as targeted therapy, free radical scavengers, and microbiota modulation, etc. Future research should prioritize the development of optimized, individualized prevention and treatment protocols to mitigate RIEI risk and improve patient prognosis.
10.Relationships between Molecular Genetics and Clinical Features of Children with Acute Mveloid Leukemia
Fei LONG ; Hao XIONG ; Li YANG ; Ming SUN ; Zhi CHEN ; Wen-Jie LU ; Shan-Shan QI ; Fang TAO ; Lin-Lin LUO ; Jing-Pei CHEN
Journal of Experimental Hematology 2025;33(1):69-74
Objective:To analyze the molecular genetic spectrum of children with acute myeloid leukemia(AML),and explore its correlation with clinical characteristics and prognosis.Methods:The clinical and molecular genetic data of 116 children with newly diagnosed AML in Wuhan Children's Hospital from September 2015 to August 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.The Fisher's exact test was used to analyze the correlation of gene mutations with clinical features,and Kaplan-Meier curve was used to analyze the influences of gene mutations on the prognosis.Results:NRAS(22%),KRAS(14.9%),and KIT(14.7%)mutations were the most common genetic abnormalities in 116 children with AML.Children with KIT,CEBPA and GATA2 mutations showed a higher median onset-age than those without mutations(all P<0.05).Children with FLT3-ITD mutation exhibited a higher white blood cell count at initial diagnosis compared to those without mutations(P<0.05).Children with ASXL2 mutation had lower platelet count and hemoglobin at initial diagnosis than those without mutations(both P<0.05).KIT mutations were often co-occurred with t(8;21)(q22;q22).There was no significant relationship between gene mutation and minimal residual disease(MRD)remission rate after the first and second induction therapy(P>0.05).KIT and NRAS mutations were not associated with prognosis significantly(P>0.05).The overall survival(OS)rates of children with CEBPA and FLT3-ITD mutations were superior to those without mutations,but the differences were not statistically significant(P>0.05).The 3-year OS rate of 61 children treated by allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation was 89.8%,which was significantly higher than 55.2%of those only treated by chemotherapy(P<0.001).Conclusions:Gene mutations are common in children with AML,and next-generation sequencing can significantly improve the detection rate of gene mutations,which can guide the risk stratification therapy.In addition,FLT3-ITD and KIT mutations may no longer be poor prognostic factors.

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