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Lei Jiang

Publications and source records attributed to Lei Jiang.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2026

Spatially resolved single-cell atlas reveals the macroevolutionary trajectory of animal hearts.

Animal hearts display diverse anatomical structures during adaptive evolution. Here, we present a multiomics atlas of adult hearts from 27 species across chordates, arthropods, and mollusks. Joint analysis indicates that Bilateria hearts share a core gene repertoire, taking a stepwise "add-on" approach as a universal evolutionary strategy. The "proto-heart" is populated by key cell types, including cardiomyocytes, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and neural cells, which maintained core signatures while evolving with shifts in living environments and corresponding adaptations in the cardiovascular system. Additionally, we reveal an evolutionarily conserved cardiomyocyte state dynamic potentially linked to cardiac development and stress responses. Finally, we identify a common molecular program underpinning chamber evolution from a ventricular foundation. This work establishes a resource for understanding the intrinsic mechanisms of heart evolution.

Animals↗
PubMed2026

Genome-scale CRISPR screening uncovers SRSF6 as a target to sensitize hepatocellular carcinoma to radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Radiotherapy confers clinical benefits to patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) across all stages, yet its clinical efficacy is limited by radioresistance. This study aimed to identify key regulators of HCC radiosensitivity through genome-wide functional screening. METHODS: A genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screen in Huh7 cells identified radiosensitivity regulators, with SRSF6 validated by siRNA knockdown and &#x3b3;-H2AX assessment. Stable shRNA-mediated SRSF6 knockdown was established in Huh7 and HepG2 cells, followed by clonogenic, EdU incorporation, apoptosis, micronucleus, and comet assays. Mechanistically, RNA-seq, Western blotting, mRNA stability assays, RIP-qPCR, and RAD51 overexpression rescue assays were performed. The therapeutic potential of the SRSF6 inhibitor indacaterol was evaluated using MTS assays, HCC xenograft mouse models (BALB/c-nu/nu, n = 28), and HCC patient-derived organoids (PDOs) (n = 3). In addition, SRSF6 expression and its correlation with patient survival were analyzed using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas and a tissue microarray (n = 14 HCC and 14 paired adjacent non-tumorous liver samples). RESULTS: We identified the RNA-binding protein SRSF6 as a driver of HCC radioresistance. SRSF6 depletion enhanced the radiosensitivity of HCC cells (p <0.05-0.0001) by post-transcriptionally destabilizing the mRNAs of critical DNA repair genes (p <0.05-0.0001), thereby impairing radiation-induced DNA damage repair. The radiosensitizing effect of SRSF6 depletion was partially abrogated by ectopic overexpression of the core DNA repair protein RAD51 (p <0.05-0.001). Indacaterol exhibited cytotoxic effects on HCC cells (p <0.05-0.0001) and enhanced the antitumor efficacy of radiation in vivo (p <0.05-0.0001), as further validated across multiple HCC patient-derived organoids (p <0.05-0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: SRSF6 is a key regulator of HCC radioresistance through its post-transcriptional control of DNA repair capacity, and represents a novel therapeutic target to sensitize HCC to radiotherapy. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS: In this study, we performed a genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 knockout library screen to dissect the molecular determinants governing HCC radiosensitivity, and identified RNA-binding protein SRSF6 as a driver of HCC radioresistance. We demonstrate that SRSF6 depletion disrupts the post-transcriptional stability of key DNA repair gene mRNAs and enhances HCC radiosensitivity. These findings are important for radiation oncologists and translational researchers, as they identify SRSF6-dependent RNA regulation as a critical determinant of radiotherapy response in HCC. Practically, we show that the clinically approved bronchodilator indacaterol suppresses SRSF6 function and enhances the antitumor efficacy of radiotherapy, offering a readily repurposable pharmacological strategy to overcome radioresistance. These implications are based on preclinical evidence across multiple models; however, future clinical trials are needed to validate the safety and efficacy of indacaterol-based radiosensitization in patients with HCC.

DNA repair↗
PubMed2026

Molecular subtyping of adrenocortical carcinoma reveals distinct subtypes with prognostic and therapeutic implications.

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare but aggressive malignancy with poor survival and limited treatment options. To comprehensively characterize its molecular landscape and identify clinically relevant subtypes, we performed an integrated genomic analysis - including whole-exome sequencing, RNA sequencing, and copy number variation profiling - on 61 Chinese patients with ACC. We identified recurrent mutations in TP53 (25%), CTNNB1 (15%), ZNRF3 (10%), and MEN1 (8%). Unsupervised clustering of transcriptomic data revealed four distinct molecular subtypes: cortisol-driven (CD, 14%), immune-suppressed (IS, 40%), cell cycle-altered (CCA, 22%), and immunomodulatory (IM, 24%). The CD subtype exhibited steroidogenic pathway activation; the IS subtype showed T cell receptor downregulation and the worst disease-free survival; the CCA subtype was marked by chromosomal instability and cell cycle gene overexpression; and the IM subtype displayed enriched immune signaling and favorable outcomes. Copy number analysis further uncovered focal amplifications (e.g. TERT, CDK4) and HLA-II deletions. This study establishes a novel molecular classification of ACC, providing a framework for subtype-specific therapeutic strategies, such as CDK4/6 inhibition for CCA and immunotherapy for IM tumors, while highlighting the clinical challenges of immune-cold IS tumors.

Humans↗
PubMed2025

Target and biomarker exploration portal for drug discovery.

MOTIVATION: The discovery of novel drug targets and precision biomarkers remains a major challenge in drug development, with traditional differential expression analysis often overlooking key regulatory proteins. Here, we present a novel, web-based bioinformatics tool, the Target and Biomarker Exploration Portal (TBEP), designed to accelerate the drug discovery process by integrating large-scale biomedical data with network analysis techniques. RESULTS: TBEP harnesses machine-learning approaches to mine and combine multimodal datasets, including human genetics, functional genomics, and protein-protein interaction networks, to decode causal disease mechanisms and uncover novel therapeutic targets and precision biomarkers for specific phenotypes. A unique feature of the tool is its ability to process large-scale data in real-time, facilitated by an efficient cloud-based architecture. Additionally, the tool incorporates an integrated large language model (LLM), which assists researchers in exploring and interpreting complex biological relationships within the generated networks and multi-omics data using natural language (English). By offering an intuitive, interactive interface, the LLM enhances the exploration of biological insights, making it easier for scientists to derive actionable conclusions. This powerful integration of network analysis, multi-omics data, and LLM provides a robust framework for accelerating the identification of novel drug targets. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: The tool is publicly available at https://tbep.missouri.edu. The source code, documentation and installation instructions are available at GitHub repository: https://github.com/mizzoudbl/tbep.

Drug Discovery↗
PubMed2024

Inactivation of the SLC25A1 gene during embryogenesis induces a unique senescence program controlled by p53.

Germline inactivating mutations of the SLC25A1 gene contribute to various human disorders, including Velocardiofacial (VCFS), DiGeorge (DGS) syndromes and combined D/L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria (D/L-2HGA), a severe systemic disease characterized by the accumulation of 2-hydroxyglutaric acid (2HG). The mechanisms by which SLC25A1 loss leads to these syndromes remain largely unclear. Here, we describe a mouse model of SLC25A1 deficiency that mimics human VCFS/DGS and D/L-2HGA. Surprisingly, inactivation of both Slc25a1 alleles results in alterations in the development of multiple organs, and in&#xa0;a severe proliferation defect by activating two senescence programs, oncogene-induced senescence (OIS) and mitochondrial dysfunction-induced senescence (MiDAS), which converge upon the induction of the p53 tumor suppressor. Mechanistically, cells and tissues with dysfunctional SLC25A1 protein undergo metabolic and transcriptional rewiring leading to the accumulation of 2HG via a non-canonical pathway and to the depletion of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, NAD+, which trigger senescence. Replenishing the pool of NAD+ or promoting the clearance of 2HG rescues the proliferation defect of cells with dysfunctional SLC25A1 in a cooperative fashion. Further, removal of p53 activity via RNA interference restores proliferation, indicating that p53 acts as a critical barrier to the expansion of cells lacking functional SLC25A1. These findings reveal unexpected pathogenic roles of senescence and of p53 in D/L-2HGA and identify potential therapeutic strategies to correct salient molecular alterations driving this disease.

Animals↗
PubMed2007

The transduction of His-TAT-p53 fusion protein into the human osteogenic sarcoma cell line (Saos-2) and its influence on cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.

The p53 gene is a tumor suppressor gene. It encodes a nuclear phosphoprotein p53 involved in the regulation of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis to maintain the genomic integrity of the cell. As mutations of p53 gene are found in most human cancers, p53 protein becomes a hot target in the research of anticancer therapy. In the present study, an 11-amino acid domain of TAT protein which has been demonstrated to be able to transduce across cell membranes was fused with p53. The result revealed that the fusion protein His-TAT-p53 accumulated in the nucleus and inhibited the growth of the Saos-2 cells. Besides apoptosis, an increased percentage of G2 phase suggested that the transduction of His-TAT-p53 into cells might be associated with a G2 arrest of cell cycle.

Apoptosis↗
PubMed2007

Controllable water permeation on a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-modified nanostructured copper mesh film.

Water permeation is important for various applications in industry, agriculture, and daily life. However, most research mainly focuses on the static wettability on different surfaces, and the dynamic properties of the micro- and nanostructure-enhanced responsive wettability is lacking. And the relevant application research is rare, which still remains a challenge. Herein we report the temperature-controllable water permeation on a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-modified nanostructured copper mesh film. At low temperatures (below 25 degrees C), the film shows good water permeability because of the highly hydrophilic nature, and as a result, the water can easily penetrate through the film. At high temperatures (above 40 degrees C), it is impermeable to water because of the superhydrophobicity and the large negative capillary effect induced by the micro- and nanostructures. The excellent controllability of water permeation on this film may be convenient for use in many processes including filtration, water/oil separation, and so on. A detailed investigation indicates that the special nanostructures and the appropriate size of the microscale mesh pores not only influence the static contact angles of the mesh film, but also, more importantly, greatly improve the dynamic properties of wettability at different temperatures simultaneously, which plays a crucial role in the excellent controllability over water permeation on this film. This work may also provide interesting insight into the design of novel functional devices that are relevant to surface wettability.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2006

Enhancement of photocurrent generation by honeycomb structures in organic thin films.

A light-emitting poly (distyryldimethylbenzene-co-triethylene glycol) rod-coil block copolymer was used to fabricate films with three-dimensionally ordered honeycomb structures by the breath-figure method. Photocurrent generation and photovoltaic performance are studied, and the dependence of photocurrent on applied electric field is investigated. Introducing the ordered porous structure significantly improves the photoelectric conversion behavior, because porous structures not only enhance the light-harvesting efficiency but also benefit charge separation and charge transfer. This phenomenon may have great prospects for enhancing the photovoltaic behavior of organic thin-film devices.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2006

MAC mode atomic force microscopy studies of living samples, ranging from cells to fresh tissue.

Magnetic AC mode (MAC mode) atomic force microscopy (AFM), a novel type of tapping mode AFM in which the cantilever is driven directly by a magnetic field, is a powerful tool for imaging with high spatial resolution and better signal-to-noise in liquid environment. It may largely extend the application of AFM to living samples, especially those are sensitive to cantilever forces, even to multilayer tissue samples. However, there are few reports on the imaging of living cells by MAC mode AFM previously. In our present study, we explore the optimal imaging conditions of MAC mode AFM on living astrocytes and fresh arterial intima surface. We also used nude tips for PicoTREC panel (i.e., Aux in BNC, a new data collecting channel) to image living samples and discussed its difference with phase imaging. We show that living biological samples can be imaged by MAC mode AFM at details of comparable resolution as those by high resolution scanning electron microscopy. Furthermore, the combination of height, amplitude, phase and TREC panel signals provide abundant informations for the characteristics of living samples, such as topography, profile, stiffness and adhesion.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Construction of bioactive chimeric MHC class I tetramer by expression and purification of human-murine chimeric MHC heavy chain and beta(2)m as a fusion protein in Escherichia coli.

Major histocompatibility (MHC) class I tetramers are used in the quantitative analysis of epitope peptide-specific CD8+ T-cells. An MHC class I tetramer was composed of 4 MHC class I complexes and a fluorescently labeled streptavidin (SA) molecule. Each MHC class I complex consists of an MHC heavy chain, a beta(2)-microglobulin (beta(2)m) molecule and a synthetic epitope peptide. In most previous studies, an MHC class I complex was formed in the refolding buffer with an expressed MHC heavy chain molecule and beta(2)m, respectively. This procedure inevitably resulted in the disadvantages of forming unwanted multimers and self-refolding products, and the purification of each kind of monomer was time-consuming. In the present study, the genes of a human/murine chimeric MHC heavy chain (HLA-A2 alpha1, HLA-A2 alpha2 and MHC-H2D alpha3) and beta(2)m were tandem-cloned into plasmid pET17b and expressed as a fusion protein. The recombinant fusion protein was refolded with each of the three HLA-A2 restricted peptides (HBc18-27 FLPSDFFPSI, HBx52-60 HLSLRGLPV, and HBx92-100 VLHKRTLGL) and thus three chimeric MHC class I complexes were obtained. Biotinylation was performed, and its level of efficiency was observed via a band-shift assay in non-reducing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). Such chimeric MHC class I tetramers showed a sensitive binding activity in monitoring HLA/A2 restrictive cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) in immunized HLA/A*0201 transgenic mice.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Altered levels of acute phase proteins in the plasma of patients with schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is a relatively common psychiatric syndrome that affects virtually all brain functions. We investigated the plasma proteome of 22 schizophrenia male patients and 20 healthy male controls using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. In total, we have identified 66 protein spots in human plasma and found that seven of them showed altered changes in schizophrenia patients, as compared to healthy controls, which mainly were acute phase proteins (APPs). Among these APPs, haptoglobin alpha2 chain (p < 0.001), haptoglobin beta chain (p < 0.001), alpha1-antitrypsin (p = 0.001), and complement factor B precursor (p = 0.022) showed overexpression in schizophrenia patients, whereas apolipoprotein A-I (p = 0.034) and transthyretin (p = 0.035) were found to be significantly decreased in patients. In addition, the expression of apolipoprotein A-IV (p = 0.018) was significantly up-regulated in schizophrenia patients, as compared to controls. We also found these APP genes, which were differentially expressed in this study, overlap in the schizophrenia susceptibility loci. Our findings further support the hypothesis that the inflammatory response system is linked to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.

Acute-Phase Proteins↗
PubMed2006

Electron transport through a self-assembled monolayer of thiol-end-functionalized tetraphenylporphines and metal tetraphenylporphines.

The monolayers of several thiol-end-functionalized tetraphenylphophines (SH-TPP) and metal tetraphenylporphines (SH-MTPP) were self-assembled on gold surfaces and identified by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, scanning electrochemical microscopy, and the contact angle. The CV peaks of the [Fe(CN)6]3-/ [Fe(CN)6]4- couple were used to identify the efficiency of electrons transferring through the self-assembled monolayer (SAM). The results suggested that SH-TPP and SH-MTPP could form high-quality SAMs on gold surfaces. The SAMs blocked electron transport from the gold electrode to solution. When the length of the thiol-end-link spacer (alkyl group) increased, the electron transport ability of the SAM decreased because of the increased insulator properties of the alkyl chain. With the insertion of metallic ions, the electron transport ability of the SAM of SH-MTPP increased compared to that of the SAM of SH-TPP, which was probably due to the fact that (i) the insertion of metallic ions changed the molecular structure and the molecular structure of SH-MTPP played an important role in electron transport through the SAM and (ii) the insertion of metallic ions increased the electron tunneling probability through the monolayer.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2006

Time-dependent organization and wettability of decanethiol self-assembled monolayer on Au(111) investigated with STM.

A detailed study on the time-dependent organization of a decanethiol self-assembled monolayer (SAM) at a designed solution concentration onto a Au(111) surface has been performed with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The SAMs were prepared by immersing Au(111) into an ethanol solution containing 1 microM decanethiol with different immersion times. STM images revealed the formation process and adlayer structure of the SAMs. It was found that the molecules self-organized into adlayers from random separation to a well-defined structure. From 10 s, small domains with ordered molecular organization appeared, although random molecules could be observed on Au(111) at the very initial stage. At 30 s, the SAM consisted of uniform short stripes. Each stripe consisted of sets of decanethiol mainly containing eight molecules. With the immersion time increasing, the length of the stripes increased. At 5 min, the alkyl chains overlapped each other between the adjacent stripes, indicating the start of a stacked process. After immersing Au(111) in decanethiol solution for 3 days, a densely packed adlayer with a (radical 3 x radical 3)R30 degrees structure was observed. The formation process and structure of decanethiol SAMs are well related to sample preparation conditions. The wettability of the decanethiolate SAM-modified Au(111) surface was also investigated.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2006

Mutation screening in Chinese hypokalemic periodic paralysis patients.

Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis (TPP), familial periodic paralysis (FPP), and sporadic periodic paralysis (SPP) are the most common causes of hypokalemic periodic paralysis (hypoKPP). The patients present with similar clinical features characterized by episodic attacks of muscle weakness and a decrease in blood potassium. Mutations in the gene encoding the voltage-sensor coding regions of the skeletal muscle sodium channel gene (SCN4A) and the alpha-1 subunit of the skeletal muscle calcium channel gene were analyzed in 23 Chinese hypoKPP patients, including 1 FPP pedigree, 14 TPP patients, and 8 SPP patients. In addition, R83H mutation of the potassium channel subunit gene which was originally published as periodic paralysis mutation was also analyzed. A heterozygous CGT-TGT mutation at codon 672 in SCN4A gene was identified to segregate with the disease in the FPP family. Mutations in these regions were excluded in those patients with SPP and TPP. The results suggest that a likely genetic basis for FPP does not contribute to TPP and SPP, despite close similarities among FPP, TPP, and SPP.

Adult↗