1.The Structure and Function of The YopJ Family Effectors in The Bacterial Type III Secretion System
Ao-Ning LI ; Wen-Bo LI ; Yu-Ying LU ; Min-Hui ZHU ; Yu-Long QIN ; Yong ZHAO ; Zhao-Huan ZHANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(3):516-533
The Type III Secretion System (T3SS) serves as a pivotal virulence apparatus for numerous Gram-negative bacterial pathogens, enabling them to infect both animal and plant hosts. Functioning as a molecular syringe, the T3SS directly translocates bacterial effector proteins from the bacterial cytoplasm into the interior of eukaryotic host cells. These effectors are central weapons that precisely manipulate a wide spectrum of host cellular physiological processes, ranging from cytoskeletal dynamics to immune signaling, to establish a favorable niche for bacterial survival and proliferation. Among the diverse arsenal of T3SS effectors, the YopJ family constitutes a critical group of virulence factors. Members of this family are characterized by a conserved catalytic triad structure—a hallmark of the CE clan of cysteine proteases that has been evolutionarily repurposed to confer acetyltransferase activity. A defining and intriguing feature of these enzymes is their stringent dependence on a host-derived eukaryotic cofactor, inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6), for allosteric activation. This requirement acts as a sophisticated molecular safeguard, ensuring enzymatic activity only within the appropriate host environment, thereby preventing detrimental effects on the bacterium itself. While seminal studies on individual members such as Yersinia’s YopJ and Salmonella’s AvrA have provided deep mechanistic insights, a systematic and integrative understanding of the structure-function relationships across the entire family remains fragmented. Key questions persist regarding how a conserved catalytic core has diverged to recognize distinct host substrates in different kingdoms of life. To address this gap, this article provides a systematic review of the YopJ family, focusing on three interconnected aspects: their structural features, their catalytic mechanism, and their divergent immunosuppressive strategies in animal versus plant hosts. By conducting a comparative analysis of the sequences and resolved three-dimensional structures of three representative members (e.g., HopZ1a, PopP2, AvrA), we elucidate regions of significant variation embedded within the conserved core catalytic architecture. These variable regions, often involving surface loops and substrate-binding interfaces, are crucial determinants of target specificity and functional specialization. The functional divergence of this effector family is most apparent when comparing their modes of action in different hosts. In animal hosts, YopJ-family effectors primarily sabotage innate immune signaling pathways. They achieve this by acetylating key serine and threonine residues within the activation loops of critical kinases in the MAPK and NF‑κB pathways. This post-translational modification blocks the phosphorylation and subsequent activation of these kinases, leading to potent suppression of inflammatory cytokine production. Conversely, in plant hosts, the strategy broadens to dismantle the two-tiered plant immune system. YopJ homologs target a more diverse set of substrates, including immune-associated receptor-like cytoplasmic kinases (RLCKs), microtubule networks via tubulin acetylation (which disrupts cellular trafficking and signaling), and transcription factors central to defense gene regulation. This multi-target approach effectively suppresses both Pattern-Triggered Immunity (PTI) and Effector-Triggered Immunity (ETI). In conclusion, this synthesis aims to deepen the mechanistic understanding of YopJ family-mediated pathogenesis by integrating structural biology with cellular function across host kingdoms. Elucidating the precise molecular basis for substrate selection—how conserved platforms achieve target diversity—is a major frontier. Furthermore, this knowledge provides a vital theoretical foundation for developing novel anti-virulence strategies. Targeting the conserved IP6-binding pocket or the catalytic acetyltransferase activity itself represents a promising avenue for designing broad-spectrum inhibitors that could disarm this critical family of bacterial effectors, potentially offering new therapeutic approaches against a range of pathogenic bacteria.
2.Effects of Jiaotai Pills on high-fat diet-induced hypothalamic inflammation in obese mice
Hui WANG ; Lin YUAN ; Na HU ; Min LIN ; Yi JIANG ; Min LU ; Xiao-nan WANG ; Xiong LU ; Xiao-yu ZHONG
Chinese Traditional Patent Medicine 2025;47(2):446-452
AIM To study the effects of Jiaotai Pills and their single composition drugs on high-fat diet-induced hypothalamic inflammation in obese mice.METHODS C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into the normal group(15 mice)and the high-fat group(75 mice).The mice given 12 weeks of high-fat diet feeding were further randomly divided into the model group,the Jiaotai Pills group,the Coptis chinensis group,the Cinnamomum cassia group and the positive metformin group,with 15 mice in each group.After 6 weeks of administration,the mice had their body weight and fasting blood glucose(FBG)levels detected;their hypothalamic expressions of IL-1β,IL-6,TNF-α and Socs3 mRNA detected by RT-qPCR;their hypothalamic expressions of TLR4,MyD88,IKKβ and activated NF-κB protein detected by Western blot;their hypothalamic expressions of Iba1 and GFAP detected by immunohistochemistry;and their ultrastructural changes of nerve tissues observed using transmission electron microscopy(TEM).RESULTS Compared with the model group,each drug group displayed decreased hypothalamic expressions of IL-1β,IL-6,TNF-α and Socs3 mRNA(P<0.01),and improved number and morphology of nerve cells revealed by TEM.The groups intervened with Jiaotai Pills,or Coptis chinensis,or metformin shared decreased body weight and FBG levels(P<0.05);decreased protein expressions of TLR4,MyD88,IKKβ and p-NF-κB(P<0.05);and decreased number of hypothalamic astrocytes and microglia(P<0.05).Additionally,decreased p-NF-κB protein expression was observed in the Cinnamomum cassia group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Jiaotai Pills and their single composition drugs can improve high-fat diet-induced hypothalamic inflammation in obese mice.
3.Analysis of implementation of GB 8369.1-2019 Transfusion sets for single use—Part 1:Gravity feed
Hong-jian CHEN ; Wen-bo LU ; Min WAN ; Yu-xin BI ; Li HOU ; Bin LIU
Chinese Medical Equipment Journal 2025;46(9):70-74
Questionnaire survey and symposium were carried out on the implementation of GB 8369.1-2019 Transfusion sets for single use—Part 1:Gravity feed,and then analyses were performed on its implementation by relative enterprises,inspection and testing organizations and regulatory authorities,applicability,coordination and implementation constraints accordingly.Some suggestions were put forward,and it was of great significance for comprehensively grasping the overall situation,efficacy and problems of the standard implementation,promoting the updating and upgrading of the standard and facilitating the implementation of compulsory standards.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(9):70-74]
4.Troubleshooting of YLY-020Y acidic oxidation potential water generator:Three case reports
Jing-jing LU ; Jing WU ; Zhen-le FEI ; Xiao-long LI ; Yu ZHANG ; Min HE
Chinese Medical Equipment Journal 2025;46(10):118-120
Three failures of YLY-020Y acidic oxidation potential water generator were introduced,and the causes and specific troubleshooting measures were explored.References were provided for engineers to treat similar failures.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(10):118-120]
5.Analysis on the Theory and Application of"Shuanggu Yitong"Acupuncture in the Treatment of Urinary Incontinence After Radical Prostate Cancer Surgery
Yu ZHANG ; Qianni LIU ; Wei LU ; Song WU ; Fengxia LIANG ; Yunsong YANG ; Min ZHAO
World Science and Technology-Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;27(9):2738-2744
Urinary incontinence is the most common complication after radical prostatectomy.Traditional Chinese medicine treatments for this disease,such as acupuncture,are diverse and have definite therapeutic effects.The disease is located in the bladder,and its etiology and pathogenesis are mostly related to the dysfunction of the kidney,spleen,triple energizer and other viscera.In view of the insufficiency of kidney essence,decline of the gate of vitality fire(mingmen fire),Qi deficiency leading to impaired bladder containment,compounded by obstruction of meridians from pathogenic factors including blood stasis,damp-heat,and phlegm turbidity.The"Shuanggu Yitong"acupuncture achieves"Dual fortification"through tonifying the kidney and primordial qi consolidation,combined with spleen strengthening and qi supplementation.Additionally,"purging"targets the elimination of blood stasis,phlegm turbidity,damp-heat and other solid evils.This integrated approach combines acupuncture and moxibustion modalities with reinforcing-reducing needle manipulation techniques,simultaneously addressing both the symptoms and root causes of the problem.By coordinating pathogen elimination with constitutional regulation,this method demonstrates favorable therapeutic outcomes in clinical practice and is worthy of further clinical promotion.
6.Application of microecological preparations in patients with chronic kidney disease
Chinese Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2025;33(2):153-160
Uremic toxin accumulation is the main factor that aggravates renal injury and increases complication risks in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). While renal replacement therapy such as hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis are the mainstay of treatment for uremia, they have a limited role in clearing enterogenous uremic toxins, which are produced by gut flora catabolizing food nutrients. Gut flora dysbiosis is one of the common complications in CKD patients. As microecological preparations, probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics can improve the clinical symptoms and quality of life in such patients through regulating the imbalance of gut flora. This article reviews the recent progress on the roles and mechanisms of these microecological preparations in patients with CKD.
7.Relationship between different types of diabetes and the risk of glaucoma:a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study
Lu YU ; Min DONG ; Kuiliang YANG ; Ning YANG ; Yiqiao XING
Recent Advances in Ophthalmology 2025;45(5):382-386
Objective To investigate the correlation between different diabetes mellitus(DM)subtypes and the inci-dence of glaucoma through bidirectional Mendelian randomization(MR)analysis.Methods Based on a bidirectional MR analysis framework,the highly correlated single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP)was selected from the genome-wide asso-ciation study(GWAS)data as the instrumental variable(Ⅳ)for three DM subtypes[including type 1 diabetes mellitus(T1DM),type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM),and gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM)]and glaucoma to analyze the bidi-rectional causal relationship between different DM subtypes and glaucoma.Besides,the MR-Egger method,weighted medi-an method,inverse-variance weighted method,simple random model,and weighted mode method were adopted to conduct a comprehensive analysis,and the obtained results were subjected to sensitivity analyses.Results The bidirectional MR analysis results revealed no causal association between T1DM and glaucoma.The forward MR analysis results indicated that T2DM may promote the development of glaucoma(IVW:OR=1.09,95%CI:1.05~1.14),while the development of glau-coma did not increase the risk of T2DM.Meanwhile,the multivariable MR analysis results showed that T2DM might be a potential risk factor for the development of glaucoma.The forward MR analysis results demonstrated that GDM did not in-crease the incidence of glaucoma;whereas the reverse MR analysis results suggested that glaucoma might increase the sus-ceptibility to GDM(IVW:OR=1.11,95%CI:1.02~1.21).The sensitivity analysis results confirmed the stability and relia-bility of these findings.Conclusion T2DM may contribute to the development of glaucoma,and patients with glaucoma may exhibit heightened susceptibility to GDM during pregnancy.
8.Expression of NUDT5 in breast cancer and its correlation with ultrasound signs and clinicopathological charac-teristics
Lu RONG ; Min ZHOU ; Lu-xin YU ; Juan LYU ; Jing WAN ; Qian ZHANG
Journal of Regional Anatomy and Operative Surgery 2025;34(5):421-424
Objective To explore the expression of Nudix hydrolase 5(NUDT5)protein in breast cancer tissues and its correlation with ultrasound signs and clinicopathological characteristics.Methods A total of 108 patients with breast cancer admitted to our hospital from October 2019 to April 2022 were selected as the research objects.Ultrasound examination was performed before operation to observe the ultrasound signs of patients.Immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expressions of estrogen receptor(ER),progesterone receptor(PR)and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER-2)in breast cancer tissues,and the expression levels of NUDT5 protein in breast cancer tissues and adjacent tissues,and the relationships of NUDT5 protein expression with ultrasound signs and clinicopathological characteristics of patients were analyzed.Results Among 108 patients,there were 62 cases with ER positive,60 cases with PR positive,and 28 cases with HER-2 positive.The positive expression rate of NUDT5 protein in breast cancer tissues was higher than that in adjacent tissues(P<0.05).The positive expression rate of NUDT5 protein was higher in breast cancer tissues with microcalcification,blood flow imaging grade(grade 2 to 3)and lymph node metastasis(P<0.05).The positive expression of NUDT5 protein was correlated with histological grade,ER and HER-2(P<0.05).The expression of NUDT5 protein in breast cancer tissue was positively correlated with ER negative and HER-2 positive(rs=0.463,0.398,P<0.05).Conclusion The positive expression rate of NUDT5 protein in breast cancer tissues is higher than that in adjacent tissues,and its expression has a certain correlation with microcalcification,blood flow imaging grade(grade 2 to 3),lymph node metastasis in ultrasound signs and histological grade,ER,and HER-2 in clinicopathological characteristics.
9.Proficiency testing for 11 clinical biobanks in Beijing City: simulation study and result analysis
Qian ZHANG ; Yun ZHANG ; Lu HAN ; Min LIU ; Yongbo YU ; Yan WANG ; Ying HU ; Hui ZHONG ; Dan GUO ; Shipeng SUN ; Jinxi LIN ; Siyuan XU ; Xiaokun TANG ; Gaoyuan SUN ; Chuanbao ZHANG ; Hexin LI
Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;59(9):1590-1596
Objective:To evaluate the sample preparation proficiency and storage proficiency of 11 clinical biobanks in Beijing through simulated experiments, and to establish an assessment method for the quality comparability of biological samples.Methods:An exploratory research design was adopted. In November 2023, artificial composite serum quality control materials containing six recombinant human protein markers—recombinant human alanine aminotransferase (rhALT), recombinant human aspartate aminotransferase (rhAST), recombinant human creatine kinase (rhCK), recombinant human creatine kinase-MB (rhCK-MB), recombinant human B-type natriuretic peptide (rhBNP), and recombinant human troponin I (rhTNI)—were distributed to 11 clinical biobanks in Beijing City. Sample preparation and storage followed the standardized operating procedures. Proficiency differences were assessed through statistical analysis.Results:Three-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed all six protein markers showed a declining trend over storage time in ultra-low-temperature environments ( F values 11.68-4 179.66, all P<0.01). However, neither long-term/temporary refrigerator types ( F values 0.01-1.23, all P>0.05)nor placement locations within refrigerators significantly affected the stability of these six proteins ( F valus 0.03-1.47, all P>0.05). The biases in detection results for rhALT, rhAST, rhTNI, and rhBNP at different storage time points were within the allowable bias limits for each item, supporting their use as markers for protein stability in biobank samples. All 11 institutions passed the storage proficiency assessment. In the preparation proficiency assessment, deviations were observed in post-preparation sample results, with a notably high out-of-control rate for rhCK (36.36%). Conclusion:Sample preparation proficiency can serve as a quality control metric for clinical biobanks. Future external quality assessment systems for biobanks should focus on sample preparation rather than storage processes.
10.Identification of Medical Surge Risk Influencing Factors and Analysis of Causal Coupling Relationships Based on DEMATEL-ISM
Yiran GAO ; Nan MENG ; Tian YU ; Yanping WANG ; Min WEI ; Wanmeng TENG ; Jialin LU ; Peng WANG ; Kexin WANG ; Ning NING ; Yanhua HAO ; Avdeev SERGEY ; Qunhong WU
Chinese Hospital Management 2025;45(11):6-10
Objective To identify the key factors affecting the risk of medical surges and their coupling relation5 ships,providing strategic support for medical institutions to optimize risk management and emergency governance.Methods 17 influencing factors were determined based on WSR theory,and an expert scoring method was employed to assess the impact strength among the factors.The DEMATEL method was applied to calculate the centrality,cau5 sality,influence,and being influenced degrees of the influencing factors.The ISM method was used to construct a hierarchical structure of the influencing factors related to medical surge risks,thereby revealing the connections and interaction mechanisms among these factors.Results Seven critical influencing factors were identified,including the crisis decision-making capacity and leadership effectiveness of emergency managers,the completeness of the emer5 gency system and dynamic execution capabilities,and the cross-departmental coordination mechanism and com5 mand collaboration efficiency.Deep driving factors and coupling pathways were also revealed.Conclusion The risk of medical surges exhibits multi-factorial coupling cascade effects;attention should be directed towards the construc5 tion of mid-to-deep level mechanisms such as information systems,institutional frameworks,and organizational management,to enhance targeted capabilities and systemic resilience in risk governance.

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