1.Methodological breakthroughs and challenges in research of soil phage microecology.
Xiaofang WANG ; Shuo WANG ; Keming YANG ; Yike TANG ; Yangchun XU ; Qirong SHEN ; Zhong WEI
Chinese Journal of Biotechnology 2025;41(6):2310-2323
Phages, as obligate bacterial and archaeal parasites, constitute a virus group of paramount ecological significance due to their exceptional abundance and genetic diversity. These biological entities serve as critical regulators in Earth's ecosystems, driving biogeochemical cycles, energy fluxes, and ecosystem services across terrestrial and marine environments. Within soil microbiomes, phages function as microbial "dark matter," maintaining the soil-plant system balance through precise modulation of the microbial community structure and functional dynamics. Despite the growing research interests in soil phages in recent years, the proportion of such studies in environmental virology remains disproportionately low, which is primarily attributed to researchers' limited familiarity with the research methodologies for phage microecology, incomplete technical frameworks, and inherent challenges posed by soil environmental complexity. To address these challenges, this review synthesizes cutting-edge methodologies for soil phage investigation from four aspects: (1) tangential flow filtration (TFF)-based phage enrichment strategies; (2) integrated quantification approaches combining double-layer agar plating, epifluorescence microscopy, and flow cytometry; (3) multi-omics analytical pipelines leveraging metagenomics and viromics datasets; and (4) computational frameworks merging machine learning algorithms with eco-evolutionary theory for deciphering phage-host interaction networks. Through comparative analysis of methodological principles, technical merits, and application scopes, we establish a comprehensive workflow for soil phage research. Future research in this field should prioritize: (1) construction of soil phage resource libraries, (2) exploration of RNA phages based on transcriptomes, (3) functional characterization of unknown genes, and (4) deep integration and interaction validation of multi-omics data. This systematic methodological synthesis provides critical technical references for addressing fundamental challenges in characterizing soil phages regarding the community structure, functional potential, and interaction mechanisms with hosts.
Bacteriophages/physiology*
;
Soil Microbiology
;
Ecosystem
;
Microbiota
;
Metagenomics/methods*
2.Impact of osteoporosis on fracture healing and strategies for pharmacological intervention
Chinese Journal of Orthopaedics 2025;45(2):126-132
Osteoporotic fractures are characterized by reduced bone mass and microstructural abnormalities, leading to differences in the healing process compared to traumatic fractures. The fracture healing process is generally divided into the inflammatory phase, the repair phase and the remodeling phase. In patients with osteoporotic fractures, due to factors such as decreased bone density, reduced bone quality and aging, there are partial alterations in inflammatory cells and osteoimmunity associated with those three healing phases, ultimately affecting fracture healing. This article focuses on the differences in fracture healing between non-osteoporotic fractures and osteoporotic fractures, reviewing relevant research literature and consensus. It analyzes and discusses changes in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and bone metabolism during osteoporosis, the effects of inflammatory aging, underlying diseases, and anti-osteoporosis medications on fracture healing, as well as the changes observed after pharmacological intervention. The aim is to emphasize personalized treatment approaches that account for individual and bone-specific factors in managing osteoporotic fractures, striving to promote better fracture healing outcomes and improving patients' quality of life.
3.Clinical and genetic characteristics of SCN2A gene related developmental delay
Jialu GU ; Shaofang SHANGGUAN ; Jianhong WANG ; Jiayi LI ; Hua XIE ; Xia QU ; Nan PENG ; Xi WANG ; Qi XU ; Yike ZHU ; Xinghui LI ; Xuefeng SUN ; Xiaoli CHEN ; Lin WANG
Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;59(5):667-676
Objective:To explore the genotype and the clinical phenotype of SCN2A-related developmental delay in children. Methods:A case series study was adopted. Collect clinical data from 10 cases of children with SCN2A gene variants diagnosed with global developmental delay/intellectual disability who were admitted to the Children′s Hospital between July 2019 and March 2023. Summarize the clinical phenotype and genotype based on clinical data such as general information, clinical manifestations, imaging examinations, laboratory tests, genetic testing results, and comprehensive pediatric neuropsychological development assessment. Results:A total of 10 patients were recruited, including 7 males and 3 females, with an age range of 27 days to 5 years and 9 months. 9 patients underwent children′s neuropsychological and behavioral assessments, and the results were consistent with global developmental delay, including 2 mild cases, 4 moderate cases, and 3 severe cases. 3 cases had autism spectrum disorder, and 2 cases had epilepsy. 6 patients underwent complete head MRI examination, and 4 of them showed abnormalities, including delayed myelination, widening of the local extra brain space in the frontal lobe, and abnormal frontal lobe morphology. All 10 cases had point variants. Among them, 9 cases are de novo and 1 case is maternal inheritance. Out of 10 cases, there were 5 cases with copy number variations, but all of them were of unknown significance. Among the 10 variants, 8 have been reported and 2 have not been reported, namely c.4145A>T(p.N1382I) and c.4937T>A(p.I1646N). In this study, 4 out of 10 patients with SCN2A variants had variation sites located in the S4 segment of domain which constitute Nav1.2, the sodium ion channel encoded by SCN2A. The developmental quotient level was lower when the variation sites were located in the S4 segment of domain, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=-3.101, P=0.017), indicating that the severity of developmental delay may be related to the localization of amino acids corresponding to variant sites within the protein domain. Conclusion:SCN2A mutations are strongly associated with diverse neurodevelopmental disorders. In this study, the phenotypic spectrum of SCN2A variants encompassed epilepsy, global developmental delay, and autism spectrum disorder. Affected individuals exhibited early-onset developmental delays, predominantly moderate to severe in severity. Voltage-sensing domain dysfunction in sodium channels may constitute a critical pathomechanism underlying neurodevelopmental impairments. Further electrophysiological characterization and molecular mechanistic studies are warranted todelineate the genotype-phenotype correlations between specific variant loci and clinical severity.
4.Impact of osteoporosis on fracture healing and strategies for pharmacological intervention
Chinese Journal of Orthopaedics 2025;45(2):126-132
Osteoporotic fractures are characterized by reduced bone mass and microstructural abnormalities, leading to differences in the healing process compared to traumatic fractures. The fracture healing process is generally divided into the inflammatory phase, the repair phase and the remodeling phase. In patients with osteoporotic fractures, due to factors such as decreased bone density, reduced bone quality and aging, there are partial alterations in inflammatory cells and osteoimmunity associated with those three healing phases, ultimately affecting fracture healing. This article focuses on the differences in fracture healing between non-osteoporotic fractures and osteoporotic fractures, reviewing relevant research literature and consensus. It analyzes and discusses changes in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and bone metabolism during osteoporosis, the effects of inflammatory aging, underlying diseases, and anti-osteoporosis medications on fracture healing, as well as the changes observed after pharmacological intervention. The aim is to emphasize personalized treatment approaches that account for individual and bone-specific factors in managing osteoporotic fractures, striving to promote better fracture healing outcomes and improving patients' quality of life.
5.Clinical and genetic characteristics of SCN2A gene related developmental delay
Jialu GU ; Shaofang SHANGGUAN ; Jianhong WANG ; Jiayi LI ; Hua XIE ; Xia QU ; Nan PENG ; Xi WANG ; Qi XU ; Yike ZHU ; Xinghui LI ; Xuefeng SUN ; Xiaoli CHEN ; Lin WANG
Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;59(5):667-676
Objective:To explore the genotype and the clinical phenotype of SCN2A-related developmental delay in children. Methods:A case series study was adopted. Collect clinical data from 10 cases of children with SCN2A gene variants diagnosed with global developmental delay/intellectual disability who were admitted to the Children′s Hospital between July 2019 and March 2023. Summarize the clinical phenotype and genotype based on clinical data such as general information, clinical manifestations, imaging examinations, laboratory tests, genetic testing results, and comprehensive pediatric neuropsychological development assessment. Results:A total of 10 patients were recruited, including 7 males and 3 females, with an age range of 27 days to 5 years and 9 months. 9 patients underwent children′s neuropsychological and behavioral assessments, and the results were consistent with global developmental delay, including 2 mild cases, 4 moderate cases, and 3 severe cases. 3 cases had autism spectrum disorder, and 2 cases had epilepsy. 6 patients underwent complete head MRI examination, and 4 of them showed abnormalities, including delayed myelination, widening of the local extra brain space in the frontal lobe, and abnormal frontal lobe morphology. All 10 cases had point variants. Among them, 9 cases are de novo and 1 case is maternal inheritance. Out of 10 cases, there were 5 cases with copy number variations, but all of them were of unknown significance. Among the 10 variants, 8 have been reported and 2 have not been reported, namely c.4145A>T(p.N1382I) and c.4937T>A(p.I1646N). In this study, 4 out of 10 patients with SCN2A variants had variation sites located in the S4 segment of domain which constitute Nav1.2, the sodium ion channel encoded by SCN2A. The developmental quotient level was lower when the variation sites were located in the S4 segment of domain, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=-3.101, P=0.017), indicating that the severity of developmental delay may be related to the localization of amino acids corresponding to variant sites within the protein domain. Conclusion:SCN2A mutations are strongly associated with diverse neurodevelopmental disorders. In this study, the phenotypic spectrum of SCN2A variants encompassed epilepsy, global developmental delay, and autism spectrum disorder. Affected individuals exhibited early-onset developmental delays, predominantly moderate to severe in severity. Voltage-sensing domain dysfunction in sodium channels may constitute a critical pathomechanism underlying neurodevelopmental impairments. Further electrophysiological characterization and molecular mechanistic studies are warranted todelineate the genotype-phenotype correlations between specific variant loci and clinical severity.
6.Genetic Diversity Analysis and Molecular ID Card Construction of Pinellia ternata Based on Phenotypic Traits and SSR Markers
Yike XU ; Shuang LI ; Peiwen KOU ; Changle LIU ; Xiaochun SUN ; Wenjing HUANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(5):134-142
ObjectiveTo study the genetic diversity and genetic relationship of Pinellia ternata germplasm resources and provide the basis for germplasm identification, variety breeding, and resource conservation. MethodIn this study, 27 P. ternata were used as experimental materials to determine seven phenotypic characters, such as plant height, leaf length, and leaf width. Simple sequence repeats (SSR) primers were designed based on P. ternata transcriptome data, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification was performed on 27 P. ternata samples. The genetic diversity of P. ternata germplasm was analyzed by POPGENE32, PowerMarker V3.25, and NTSYS-PC 2.10e software. ResultA total of 10 pairs of highly polymorphic primers (PIC>0.5) and four pairs of moderately polymorphic primers (0.25
7.Selection of sterilizing-grade filter for preparation of human coagulation factor Ⅷ/ von Willebrand factor complex
Quanjuan GUO ; An ZHOU ; Wenjie LIU ; Yike XU ; Wenqiang SHI ; Chen CHEN ; Changyong JIAN
Chinese Journal of Blood Transfusion 2023;36(6):483-487
【Objective】 To screen the sterilizing-grade filters applicable for production of human coagulation factor Ⅷ/von Willebrand factor complex(FⅧ/VWF)and study the sterilization filtration process. 【Methods】 Four sterilizing-grade filters for FⅧ/VWF were evaluated through indicators such as filtration capacity, filtration flux, recovery rate of FⅧ activity, recovery rate of VWF activity, recovery rate of VWF antigen, recovery rate of protein and VWF molecular distribution. The sterilizing-grade filter with the best filtration performance was selected for further study. The study was designed by general full-factor design to determine the appropriate filitered protein concentration and filitered speed range through evaluating the total filtered protein amount, recovery rate of protein and filtration efficiency, and then the process operation parameters was determined. 【Results】 The filtration flux of Sartobran P, Sartopore 2 XLG, Sartopore Platinum and Sartopore 2 XLI were 1.71±0.01, 1.80±0.01, 1.34±0.01, and 1.81±0.04 L·(m2)-1·min-1, respectively; the recovery rates (%) of FⅧ activity were 97.09±2.82, 99.22±0.99, 96.87±1.85 and 93.76±1.21, respectively; the recovery rates (%) of VWF activity were 98.12±1.42, 99.95±1.85, 94.80±1.62 and 92.09±1.67, respectively. Between Sartopore 2 XLG and Sartobran P, the difference of filtration flux (P<0.001) was statistically significant; between Sartopore 2 XLG and Sartopore Platinum, the differences of the filtration flux (P<0.001) and VWF potency recovery rate (P<0.05) were statistically significant; between Sartopore 2 XLG and Sartopore 2 XLI, the differences of FⅧ potency recovery rate (P<0.01) and VWF potency recovery rate (P<0.01) were statistically significant. The optimal process operating space of Sartopore 2 XLG was protein concentration of 0.45-0.58 mg/mL, and filtration rate of 1.48-2.95 L·(m2)-1·min-1. 【Conclusion】 Sartopore 2 XLG is the most suitable filter for the production of FⅧ/VWF and the DoE test proves that it has good process operation space.
8.Study on mechanisms of Th17/Treg imbalance in patients with cystic echinococcosis based on miRNA expression profiles.
Di LU ; Jia Hui SONG ; Zi Jian MA ; Peng Yue ZHANG ; Lei XU ; Chuan WEI ; Ying CHEN ; Sha ZHOU ; Ji Feng ZHU ; Ya Lin LI ; Jia Qing ZHAO ; Ming Xing ZHU ; Rui ZHAO ; Hai WANG ; Xiao Jun CHEN ; Wei ZHAO ; Chuan SU
Chinese Journal of Schistosomiasis Control 2022;34(3):277-285
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the serum microRNA (miRNA) expression and examine the impact of miRNA expression profiles on T helper type 17 (Th17)/regulatory T cells (Treg) imbalance among patients with cystic echinococcosis, so as to provide insights into the illustration of the mechanisms underlying chronic Echinococcus granulosus infections, and long-term pathogenesis.
METHODS:
Total RNA was extracted from the sera of cystic echinococcosis patients and healthy controls, and subjected to high-throughput sequencing with the Illumina sequencing platform. Known miRNAs were annotated and new miRNAs were predicted using the miRBase database and the miRDeep2 tool, and differentially expressed miRNAs were identified. The target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs were predicted using the software miRanda and TargetScan, and the intersection was selected for Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. Among the differentially expressed miRNAs with the 20 highest fold changes, miRNAs that targeted genes relating to key transcription factors RORC and FOXP3 that determine the production of Th17 and Treg cells or their important regulatory pathways (PI3K-Akt and mTOR pathways) were matched.
RESULTS:
A total of 53 differentially expressed miRNAs were screened in sera of cystic echinococcosis patients and healthy controls, including 47 up-regulated miRNAs and 6 down-regulated miRNAs. GO enrichment analysis showed that these differentially expressed miRNA were involved DNA transcription and translation, cell components, cell morphology, neurodevelopment and metabolic decomposition, and KEGG pathway analysis showed that the differentially expressed miRNA were mainly involved in MAPK, PI3K-Akt and mTOR signaling pathways. Among the differentially expressed miRNAs with the 20 highest fold changes, there were 3 miRNAs that had a potential for target regulation of RORC, and 15 miRNAs that had a potential to target the PI3K-Akt and mTOR signaling pathways.
CONCLUSIONS
Significant changes are found in serum miRNA expression profiles among patients with E. granulosus infections, and differentially expressed miRNAs may lead to Th17/Treg imbalance through targeting the key transcription factors of Th17/Treg or PI3K-Akt and mTOR pathways, which facilitates the long-term parasitism of E. granulosus in hosts and causes a chronic disease.
Echinococcosis/genetics*
;
Gene Expression Profiling
;
Humans
;
MicroRNAs/metabolism*
;
Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/genetics*
;
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/genetics*
;
T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory
;
TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases/genetics*
;
Th17 Cells
;
Transcription Factors/genetics*
9.X-linked dominant chondrodysplasia punctata 2 with severe phenotype in one female fetus: a case report
Yan LIU ; Qingqing WU ; Li WANG ; Bin XU ; Yike YANG
Chinese Journal of Perinatal Medicine 2019;22(8):610-613
We reported a female fetus diagnosed with X-linked dominant chondrodysplasia punctata 2 with severe phenotype. The fetus was found with abnormal short limbs, thick metaphysis on the right lower limb and a narrow and small thorax by prenatal ultrasound at 24+5 weeks of gestation. Non-invasive prenatal test indicated the risks of trisomies 21, 18 and 13 were low. The pregnancy was terminated at 27 weeks of gestation and postnatal X-ray imaging showed that the fetus had short femur and humerus, a narrow and small thorax, thickened metaphysis with a "splashed paint spot" pattern, and asymmetric shortened lower limbs. Whole-exome analysis showed that the fetus carried a heterozygous pathogenic mutation c.440G>A (p.Arg147His) in the EBP gene. The mutation was confirmed to be a de novo mutation as neither of her parents carried the same mutation. Thus, the patient was diagnosed as having X-linked dominant chondrodysplasia punctata 2. The severe phenotype of this case migh be related to random X chromosome inactivation.
10.Value of cardiac MR in evaluating myocardial infarction with chronic mitral insufficiency
Chen ZHANG ; Lei ZHAO ; Xiaohai MA ; Enjun ZHU ; Lei XU ; Yike ZHAO ; Yongqiang LAI
Chinese Journal of Radiology 2019;53(12):1101-1106
Objective To evaluate the value of cardiac MR imaging in chronic ischemie mitral regurgitation (IMR) in patients with myocardial infarction. Methods All patients clinically diagnosed with coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction in our hospital from January 2016 to September 2018 were retrospectively selected, myocardial infarction time more than 3 months and confirmed to have necrotic myocardium by cardiac magnetic resonance examination. All patients underwent echocardiography at the same time. Based on the results of echocardiography, patients were divided into the myocardial infarction group without IMR (40 cases), the mild IMR group (39 cases) and the moderate to severe IMR group (51 cases). Cardiac MR and delayed enhancement (LGE) scan images were analyzed. Cardiac function indexes were measured and left ventricular LGE positive segments were recorded. The indexes of myocardial global longitudinal strain (GLS), global peripheral strain (GCS) and global radial strain (GRS) of left ventricle of IMR patients were measured by feature tracking(FT). Cardiovascular history, coronary artery stenosis and location of myocardial infarction were compared by chi?square test between the without IMR, mild IMR and moderate to severe IMR groups.Univariate analysis of variance was used to compare the measurement data of left ventricular myocardial infarction volume, left heart function and left ventricular myocardial globle strain, and LSD test was used for pair?wise comparison. Results There was no difference in age, sex and cardiovascular history among the three groups. Comparison of myocardial infarction patients in the three groups: (1) There was no statistically significant difference in the myocardial infarction volume between the three groups (P=0.052), while the myocardial infarction volume tended to increase as the grade of mitral regurgitation increased. The number of patients with myocardial infarction in the inferior wall and the inferolateral wall in the moderate to severe IMR group were significantly higher than those of the other two groups (P<0.05), and there was no significant difference in the volume of myocardial infarction between the without IMR group and mild IMR group, and no difference in the number of patients with inferior wall and inferolateral wall. (2) Cardiac function measured by CMR: ejection fraction (EF) was significantly reduced in the moderate to severe IMR group compared with the without IMR group and the mild IMR group (P<0.05), the end diastolic volume (EDV) increased significantly and the end systolic volume (ESV) increased significantly (P<0.05). Mass of myocardium increased significantly (P<0.05); Stroke volume (SV) and cardiac output (CO) there was no significant difference among the three groups. (3) Comparison of the moderate to severe IMR group to the without IMR group and the mild IMR group respectively: left ventricular GLS and GRS decreased (P<0.05), the difference of the GCS was no statistically significant. There was no statistical difference in the three strain values between the without IMR group and the mild IMR group. Conclusion The globe myocardial strain of the left ventricle in myocardial infarction patients with chronic moderate to severe IMR was significantly impaired, the myocardial infarction in the inferior wall and the inferolateral wall in the level of the papillary muscle may be correlated with chronic moderate to severe IMR, and the myocardial infarction volume of the left ventricle may also be related.

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