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Gang Xu

Publications and source records attributed to Gang Xu.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2026

Polycomb protein ZmEMF1a restricts endosperm proliferation and directs differentiation via stage-specific H2Aub1 and H3K27me3 landscapes in maize.

Polycomb group (PcG) proteins serve as pivotal epigenetic repressors that govern the transcriptional programs underlying cell growth and differentiation. However, their functional roles in maize endosperm remain largely unexplored. Here, we characterize the recessive maize small-kernel mutant sks1, which exhibits persistent endosperm cell hyperproliferation and compromised cell expansion during grain filling. Map-based cloning reveals that SKS1 encodes ZmEMF1a, a PcG protein that physically interacts with subunits of both PRC1 and PRC2. Integrated ChIP-seq and RNA-seq analyses were performed to investigate its epigenetic regulatory functions. ZmEMF1a orchestrates a stage-specific epigenetic regulatory program: it predominantly mediates H3K27me3 deposition at 6 d after pollination (DAP), while coordinately regulating the deposition of both H3K27me3 and H2Aub1 at 10 DAP. Loss of ZmEMF1a leads to ectopic hyperproliferation of differentiated endosperm tissues, specifically the basal endosperm transfer layer (BETL) and aleurone (AL), as well as elevated vitamin B content in the endosperm. Collectively, these findings establish ZmEMF1a as an epigenetic regulator that balances endosperm proliferation, cell fate specification, and nutrient accumulation through stage-specific histone modifications, thereby offering promising targets for enhancing maize yield and nutritional quality.

H2Aub1↗
PubMed2026

Sex-specific aging clocks from a large-scale human phenome reveal distinct aging transitions and circulating signatures.

Aging is a primary risk factor for chronic diseases, yet its progression varies among individuals and between sexes. Here, under the X-Age Project, we profiled the clinical aging phenome of the Multicentric Chinese Aging Study (mCAS) through a cross-sectional analysis of 172 clinical measures from more than 100,000 participants aged 18-98 years across three centers. These profiles enabled sex-specific clinical aging clocks that revealed divergent aging trajectories between women and men during midlife that converged in later life. Phenome-wide analyses revealed age-related accumulation of metabolic factors, including low-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, glucose and uric acid, and tumor markers, such as carcinoembryonic antigen and human epithelial protein 4. These age-accumulating factors induced senescence-related phenotypes in human endothelial cells. Furthermore, a high-fat diet mouse model with dietary reversal supported the modifiability of metabolic burden-induced aging. Together, this work establishes metabolic and tumor marker accumulation as actionable drivers of human aging, paving the way for personalized, sex-stratified geroprotective interventions.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

DfCAD16 controls guaiacyl lignin biosynthesis during shoot development in Dendrocalamus farinosus.

Although bamboo can be an ideal raw material for pulp and paper industry, the depolymerization of its complex polymers needs to be facilitated. The deposition of lignin is influenced by cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD), an enzyme that catalyzes the formation of monolignol precursors. Here, we identified 18 DfCAD genes in Dendrocalamus farinosus and revealed using bioinformatics methods, DfCAD16 functions as the primary enzyme in the synthesis pathway of guaiacyl (G)-lignin. Phenotypic analysis of plants overexpression DfCAD16 exhibited remarkable increasing in G-lignin. Furthermore, we demonstrated that an R2R3-type MYB transcription factor DfMYB12 could directly bind to the promoter region of DfCAD16 and activate its expression both in vitro and in vivo. Our findings revealed that DfMYB12-DfCAD16 is a key regulatory factor governing G-lignin biosynthesis in D. farinosus. These insights can be used for improving bamboo varieties for pulp production.

Lignin↗
PubMed2026

Increased precipitation decelerates temporal succession of grassland soil microbial communities.

Global precipitation regimes have been shifted in recent decades, imposing significant consequences in water-limited grassland ecosystems. However, the effects of increased precipitation on the succession of soil microbial communities remain unclear, mainly due to the scarcity of long-term experiments with time-series data. Here, we examined temporal succession of grassland soil microbial communities in a long-term increased precipitation experiment. Both soil microbial taxonomic and functional structures were significantly altered by increased precipitation. Increased precipitation significantly decelerated the succession rates of soil microbial functional structure (i.e. time-decay relationships). Consistent with the increased microbial decomposition and heterotrophic respiration, the abundances of soil microbial carbon decomposition genes were markedly enhanced by increased precipitation. Furthermore, increased precipitation stimulated genes involved in nutrient cycling processes, potentially promoting plant growth. Collectively, the contributions of stochastic processes in shaping microbial communities were increased under increased precipitation, suggesting that microbial successional trajectories may shift toward multiple alternative states characterized by greater stochasticity under future altered precipitation regimes.

Soil Microbiology↗
PubMed2026

Black Rice Anthocyanin-Hyaluronic Acid Complex Alleviates Hyperuricemia-Associated Renal Injury Through Synergistic Inhibition of the TLR4/NF-κB Pathway and Modulation of Uric Acid Transport.

Hyperuricemia-associated renal injury is closely linked to oxidative stress and inflammation, highlighting the need for safe dietary intervention. This study evaluated the protective effects of a black rice anthocyanin (ATC)-hyaluronic acid complex (HAA) against uric acid (UA)-induced injury. In UA-induced human renal proximal tubular epithelial (HK-2) cells, black rice ATCs, HA, and HAA improved cell viability and antioxidant defenses, as shown by increased glutathione (GSH) levels and catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities. They also reduced malondialdehyde (MDA), reactive oxygen species (ROS), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β). HAA produced a greater reduction in TLR4/NF-κB-related inflammatory gene expression, suggesting that its cytoprotective and anti-inflammatory effects may be associated with modulation of this inflammatory axis. In hyperuricemic mice, HAA lowered serum UA, creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen levels, inhibited hepatic xanthine oxidase and adenosine deaminase activities, and attenuated renal histopathological injury. HAA also reduced the mRNA expression of urate reabsorption-related genes, including GLUT9, OAT4, and OAT10, while increasing that of urate excretion-related genes, including OAT1 and ABCG2, which may contribute to improved urate homeostasis. These findings support the potential of HAA as a functional dietary ingredient for the management of hyperuricemia-associated metabolic disturbances and renal injury.

Hyperuricemia↗
PubMed2025

Phyllosphere microbiomes in grassland plants harbor a vast reservoir of novel antimicrobial peptides and biosynthetic diversity.

INTRODUCTION: The phyllosphere microorganisms colonizing plant surface harbor capacities to synthesize diverse specialized metabolites that mediate communication and interactions with environment and host. However, most known metabolites are derived from a few culturable microorganisms, and the genomic diversity and biosynthetic potential of the vast majority of bacteria associated with plants remain largely unexplored. OBJECTIVES: Here, we aim to explore the genome architecture, biosynthetic ability, and host specific adaptability of grassland ecosystems, uncovering new perspectives on grassland phyllosphere microbial resources. METHODS: We employed ultra-deep metagenomic sequencing, functional analysis, host-associated characterization, and bioactivity assays to explore the phyllosphere microbiome across 221 grassland plant samples representing 45 families. This approach revealed host preference in biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) and validated the antimicrobial efficacy of phyllosphere-derived antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). RESULTS: Grassland plant phyllosphere microbiomes encode diverse BGCs. We identified 885,396 potential AMPs from over 68 million non-redundant gene sequences. Then, we reconstructed hundreds of near-complete genomes from phyllosphere metagenomes, and 32.61 % of reconstructed genomes were identified as unclassified genomes, primarily within Pseudomonadota, Actinomycetota, Bacillota and Bacteroidota phyla. Of the near-complete genomes, 91.97 % of the BGCs and 99.76 % of the identified AMPs were previously uncharacterized. Host phylogenetic analysis revealed functional divergence. Poaceae-associated Pseudomonas genomes contain an average of 28 BGCs, significantly higher than those in Asteraceae-associated genomes (mean = 14.76, P = 0.033). Similarly, Poaceae-associated Pantoea genomes carried an average of 9 BGCs, exhibiting significant enrichment compared to genomes from Asteraceae (mean = 7.13, P = 6.1e-05), Lamiaceae (mean = 7, P = 0.015), Ranunculaceae (mean = 8.22, P = 0.0053), and Rosaceae (mean = 7.75, P = 0.00069). ParaFit analyses further confirmed that host phylogeny significantly structures microbial functional repertoires, with intra-family hosts sharing more KEGG pathways than inter-family hosts. These results suggest that host evolutionary relationships are associated with metabolic specialization in phyllosphere microbiomes. All 13 AMPs synthesized via solid-phase peptide synthesis demonstrated antimicrobial activity, inhibiting the growth of at least one tested bacterial strain. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the promise of grassland plant phyllosphere microbiome as a rich source for novel antimicrobial agents.

Antimicrobial Peptides↗