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.Reliability and validity of the Chinese version of Supervision Evaluation and Supervisory Competence Scale
Hongrong ZOU ; Jun XU ; Jing WANG ; Ya ZHANG
Sichuan Mental Health 2025;38(3):279-284
BackgroundClinical supervision is a critical component in the training and professional development of psychological counselors. Scientifically evaluating the effectiveness of clinical supervision is essential, yet reliable and effective tools for such assessments are lacing in China. ObjectiveTo translate Supervision Evaluation and Supervision Competence (SE-SC) Scale into Chinese version and evaluate its reliability and validity in clinical supervision in China, so as to provide a tool for the evaluation of supervisory effectiveness. MethodsThe SE-SC scale was translated, back-translated and culturally adapted, followed by a pilot survey to develop the Chinese version of SE-SC scale. A total of 42 counselors engaged in clinical counseling and receiving supervision at a counseling center in Shanghai from July 2021 to February 2022 were selected as the study participants. Item analysis was conducted to assess item discrimination, with critical ratio method applied to determine which items retention. Hierarchical cluster analysis was performed to compare the structure of Chinese version with the original scale. Criterion-related validity and convergent validity were used to evaluate the validity of the scale, while Cronbach's α coefficient was used to assess its reliability. ResultsChinese version of SE-SC scale consisted of a total of 28 item, including six clusters. Registered supervisors scored significantly higher than internship supervisors on the total score and on clusters three, four, five and six (t=2.536, 2.747, 5.881, 3.718, 6.090, P<0.05). The total and cluster scores of the Chinese version of the SE-SC scale were positively correlated with self-rated supervision helpfulness and overall satisfaction (r=0.492~0.758, 0.412~0.815, P<0.01). The Cronbach's α coefficient for the overall scale was 0.975,with values for the six clusters were 0.938, 0.821, 0.962, 0.871, 0.884 and 0.823, respectively. ConclusionChinese version of SE-SC scale demonstrates good reliability and validity, and it can be considered as a promising assessment tool for evaluating the effectiveness of clinical supervision.
4.Present situation of sensors applied to monitoring of spinal morphology and motion
Shi-yu ZHOU ; Ya-qin LI ; Yang-xi HUANG ; Xiao CHEN ; Jing WANG ; Zhi-min LIANG ; Yu-chen GUO ; Xue YANG ; Ling-li LI
Chinese Medical Equipment Journal 2025;46(6):105-110
The application of sensors to the monitoring of spinal morphology and motion was reviewed in terms of the research object and monitoring index.The present situation of the application of sensors was introduced,such as inertial sensor,stretchable strain sensor and electromagnetic sensor.The deficiencies of sensors applied to the monitoring of spinal morphology and motion were analyzed,and the future directions of the application were pointed out.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(6):105-110]
5.Development of a community toolkit for identifying and managing mild cognitive impairment among older adults
Junli CHEN ; Han ZHANG ; Zhixue SHI ; Ya LIU ; Yingzhe ZHAO ; Zhiwei DONG ; Lihong JI ; Haiyan LI ; Fangfang CHEN ; Chunping WANG ; Anning MA ; Qi JING
Chinese Journal of Rehabilitation Theory and Practice 2025;31(6):692-702
Objective To develop a toolkit suitable for assisting community health institutions in the early identification and inter-vention of mild cognitive impairment(MCI)among older adults.Methods A literature review was conducted to construct a draft of the identification and intervention toolkit.Tools with an expert approval rate above 70%were included after expert consultation.The final version of the toolkit was developed by integrating these tools with officially recommended tools in China.Results The expert consultation yielded an authority coefficient of 0.84.The finalized toolkit included the assessment tools of Mini-Mental State Examination,Montreal Cognitive Assessment,General Practitioner Assessment of Cognition,Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument and Clock Drawing Test,and 18 intervention measures in-cluding pharmacological treatment,cognitive training and psychological interventions,etc.Conclusion The MCI Identification-Intervention Toolkit may serve as a reference for guiding the identification and inter-vention of MCI among older adults for community health institutions.
6.Research of miR-508-3p involvement in ovarian cancer progression by regulating ZEB1
Yu-hong XU ; Shuai-ying ZHU ; Jiang-jing SHAN ; Wei-ping ZHENG ; Hui-ya ZHANG ; Yun-gen WANG
The Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2025;41(2):193-197
Objective To investigate the expression of microRNA-508-3p(miR-508-3p)in epithelial ovarian cancer(EOC)tissue,its impact on the migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells,and its regulatory relationship with zinc-finger E-box-binding homeobox 1(ZEB1).Methods The surgical resection of EOC cancer tissues and paired adjacent normal tissues were collected.SKOV3 cells were divided into the NC mimic group(transfected with NC mimic),miR-508-3p mimic group(transfected with miR-508-3p mimic),si-NC group(transfected with si-NC),si-ZEB1 group(transfected with si-ZEB1)and co-transfection group(co-transfected with si-ZEB1 and miR-508-3p mimic).The mRNA expression levels of miR-508-3p and ZEB1 in EOC cancer tissues,adjacent normal tissues and five groups of cells were measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction.The Transwell assay was used to detect the cell migration and invasion abilities.Results The relative expression levels of miR-508-3p in EOC tissues and adjacent normal tissues were 0.77±0.36 and 1.07±0.40,the relative expression levels of ZEB1 mRNA in EOC tissues and adjacent normal tissues were 2.10±1.21 and 1.29±0.95,and the differences were statistically significant(all P<0.01).The migration cell number of the NC mimic,miR-508-3p mimic,si-NC,si-ZEB1 and co-transfection groups was 633.00±32.49,319.20±19.89,650.40±25.85,375.00±17.25 and 129.40±17.10;the invasion cell number was 527.20±25.01,288.60±16.68,520.00±25.83,293.40±18.37 and 76.60±8.76;the relative expression levels of miR-508-3p were 1.05±0.37,3.94±1.21,1.01±0.21,1.26±0.34 and 3.40±0.41;the relative expression levels of ZEB1 mRNA were 1.00±0.04,0.58±0.05,1.00±0.08,0.54±0.07 and 0.29±0.03,respectively.The above indicators showed statistically significant differences between the miR-508-3p mimic group and the NC mimic group,between the si-NC group and the co-transfection group(P<0.01,P<0.05).Conclusion MiR-508-3p is lowly expressed in EOC cancer tissue,and it may inhibit the migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells by targeting ZEB1 expression.
7.Efficacy of acupuncture combined with intermittent catheterisation in the treatment of urinary retention after radical cervical cancer surgery:a single-arm retrospective study
Ya-lin YUE ; Jing ZHU ; Yi-sheng WANG ; Jing LI ; Yun WANG ; Qi CAO ; Zhi-ling ZHU
Fudan University Journal of Medical Sciences 2025;52(5):694-700
Objective To analyse the clinical efficacy and safety of acupuncture combined with intermittent catheterisation in treating postoperative urinary retention after radical surgery for cervical cancer,and provide reference for the clinical treatment of postoperative urinary retention.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted based on the clinical data of patients who underwent radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer at Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital,Fudan University,from Sept 2019 to Dec 2021 and subsequently developed urinary retention.The patients were treated with a combination of acupuncture and intermittent catheterization.We observed residual urine volume,duration of acupuncture treatment,and urinary tract infection status to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the acupuncture combined with intermittent catheterization regimen.We examined the relationship between treatment duration and various factors such as age,pathological type,surgical-pathological staging,surgical method,pre-treatment catheter indwelling time,pre-treatment residual urine volume,presence or absence of postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy,pre-existing urinary tract infection,and whether ureteral stenting was performed,in order to analyze the factors affecting the treatment duration.Results A total of 156 patients were reviewed.After treatment,132 cases had a post-treatment residual urine volume<100 mL,7 cases had a volume of 100-200 mL,and 15 cases had a volume>200 mL.Two cases still had great difficulty in urination after treatment,resulting in an overall effectiveness rate of 89.1%.No significant adverse events occurred in the patients.The treatment duration ranged from 2 to 17 days,with an average treatment time of 6.2 days.The treatment duration was a correlated with the preoperative indwelling catheter duration,residual urine volume and postoperative radiotherapy.Conclusion Acupuncture combined with intermittent catheterisation in treating urinary retention after radical surgery for cervical cancer has good efficacy,short treatment time and no obvious adverse effects,and can be an option for treating postoperative urinary retention.
8.Application of In-fusion Cloning Technology as a Teaching Example in the Molecular Biology Laboratory(A National First-class Undergraduate Course)
Jing LUO ; Ya-Nan LI ; Yi-Di WANG ; Dong YANG ; Li TONG ; Hong-Yu SHEN ; Yan-Xia YIN
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(10):1552-1558
In-fusion cloning technology,as a revolutionary and efficient molecular biology tool,has been applied in multiple research fields such as basic biology,biotechnology,and biomedicine.In this article,we introduce a teaching reform project suitable for undergraduate students in the course of"Molecular Bi-ology Laboratory",which utilizes in-Fusion cloning technology to construct a prokaryotic expression vector for alkaline phosphatase mutant genes.Through specific teaching cases,we systematically explored the design and implementation of experimental projects,and focused on analyzing the key and difficult points of the teaching content.Our teaching practice has found that the implementation of this educational re-form project has achieved very good results in enhancing students' core biological literacy,bioinformatics skills,research thinking,and innovation abilities.At the same time,the application of this technology can significantly improve the quality of experimental teaching,providing new ideas and practical refer-ences for promoting the reform and innovation of National First-Class Courses.
9.Evaluation on the Operation Management of Public Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospitals in Shandong Province Based on Ecological Niche Width and Situation Model
Yingzhe ZHAO ; Xingru LIN ; Ya LIU ; Xiaolei WANG ; Shuying CHEN ; Zhiwei DONG ; Jingjie SUN ; Jianhua ZHANG ; Qi JING
Chinese Health Economics 2025;44(5):58-63
Objective:Using ecological niche width and situation model,the operation and management of public Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)hospitals in 16 cities in Shandong Province were evaluated to put forward countermeasures.Methods:The relevant index data of public TCM hospitals in 16 cities in Shandong Province from 2019 to 2022 were collected to analyze the development status.The ecological niche width model and niche situation model were applied to evaluate the operation and management of public TCM hospitals in 16 cities in Shandong.Results:The top three public TCM hospitals in terms of average ecological niche width were City G,City P and City F.The ecological niche situation value of public TCM hospitals in City K,City A and City J ranked the top three.Conclusion:The dimensions of operation management structure of public TCM hospitals in Shandong need to be enhanced and the development of operation management space needs to be balanced.It is feasible to evaluate operation management by using ecological niche width and situation model.It is suggested to improve the allocation efficiency of health personnel,facilities,funds and other resources;promote the spatial balanced development of operation management;promote the application of ecological niche width and situation model in the field of medicine and health management.
10.Application of In-fusion Cloning Technology as a Teaching Example in the Molecular Biology Laboratory(A National First-class Undergraduate Course)
Jing LUO ; Ya-Nan LI ; Yi-Di WANG ; Dong YANG ; Li TONG ; Hong-Yu SHEN ; Yan-Xia YIN
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(10):1552-1558
In-fusion cloning technology,as a revolutionary and efficient molecular biology tool,has been applied in multiple research fields such as basic biology,biotechnology,and biomedicine.In this article,we introduce a teaching reform project suitable for undergraduate students in the course of"Molecular Bi-ology Laboratory",which utilizes in-Fusion cloning technology to construct a prokaryotic expression vector for alkaline phosphatase mutant genes.Through specific teaching cases,we systematically explored the design and implementation of experimental projects,and focused on analyzing the key and difficult points of the teaching content.Our teaching practice has found that the implementation of this educational re-form project has achieved very good results in enhancing students' core biological literacy,bioinformatics skills,research thinking,and innovation abilities.At the same time,the application of this technology can significantly improve the quality of experimental teaching,providing new ideas and practical refer-ences for promoting the reform and innovation of National First-Class Courses.

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