Biomedical subjects

Ye Liu

Publications and source records attributed to Ye Liu.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2026

Genome-wide screening and functional analysis of protein glycosylation-related genes involved in tomato fruit ripening.

Protein glycosylation, an essential co- and post-translational modification, plays critical roles in plant growth, development, and stress responses. However, its functional role in tomato fruit ripening has not been extensively investigated. Here, key protein glycosylation-related genes involved in tomato fruit ripening were identified by genome-wide screen and subsequently functional characterization. First, a dataset comprising 242 glycosylation-related proteins was established based on Gene Ontology annotations in tomato, combined with sequence homology to protein glycosylation-related proteins from Arabidopsis thaliana and Homo sapiens. Then, Subsequently, 28 genes encoding highly expressed glycosylation-related proteins (RPKM > 30) at the breaker (BR) stage were selected for functional screening, and subsequently 6 genes were identified as regulators of fruit ripening by method of virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS). Among them, Solyc03g098600 (STT3B), Solyc01g109410 (OST48), Solyc04g082670 (RPN1), and Solyc08g076460 (DAD1) functioned as positive regulators of tomato fruit ripening, whereas Solyc04g005340 (UAM2) and Solyc08g075340 (XEG113), acted as negative regulators. The expression of these genes responded dynamically to multiple ripening-related cues, including temperature, light, ethylene, and transcription factors. Furthermore, silencing of these genes individually affected the expression of genes involved in fruit ripening, including ethylene biosynthesis genes (ACS2, ACS4, ACO1, and ACO3), ripening-associated transcription factors (RIN, NOR, NOR-LIKE1, FUL1, and FUL2), and the key gene (PSY1) of lycopene biosynthesis pathway. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that protein glycosylation plays an important role in tomato fruit ripening by modulating ethylene signaling, ripening-associated transcriptional regulation, and lycopene biosynthesis.

Fruit ripening↗

PubMed2026

Pervasive noise in human pre-mRNA splice site selection.

RNA splicing has historically been thought to be highly efficient and accurate, with little opportunity for deviation from regulated alternative splicing. This dogma has been challenged by recent observations that biological noise may contribute substantially to transcriptome diversity. However, quantitative understanding of stochastic splicing variation is challenging because these transcripts are likely subject to rapid degradation. Here, we use deep sequencing across RNA compartments to track splicing intermediates in human cells and see abundant cryptic splicing associated with genomic features that promote splicing noise. We observe pervasive usage of low-fidelity splice sites, likely due to stochasticity in recruitment or binding of the spliceosome. These sites are turned over quickly and show evidence for nuclear and cytoplasmic degradation, suggesting widespread surveillance and rapid quality control of non-productive transcripts. Our findings provide insights into the propensity for error in RNA processing mechanisms and regulation of alternative splice sites across a gene.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Molecular mechanisms underlying umami taste perception: A DIA-based proteomic analysis of Agrocybe aegerita peptides.

The mechanisms underlying the modulation of the salivary perception of umami peptides remain poorly understood. Herein, three umami peptides (DDL, DEL, and ENG) obtained from Agrocybe aegerita were used to investigate the regulatory role of saliva in umami taste perception via a combined approach involving sensory evaluation and proteomics analysis based on 4D-DIA technology. The results revealed that umami intensity peaked at 10 s after ingestion and was accompanied by a significant increase in saliva secretion (p < 0.05). Further proteomics analysis revealed that lactotransferrin and proline-rich proteins are closely associated with the sensory perception of umami peptides. Differentially expressed proteins were mainly enriched in pathways related to saliva secretion and proteasome function. This study provides new insights from the perspectives of salivary proteomics and dynamic salivary secretion, contributing to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms by which saliva regulates umami perception.

Humans↗

PubMed2025

Decoding Arginine Dimethylation Isomers via pH-Tuned Reactivity with Methylglyoxal: A Chemical Approach for Functional Proteomics.

Arginine dimethylation, encompassing asymmetric and symmetric configurations, represents a fundamental post-translational modification. Despite sharing identical chemical formulas, the two arginine dimethylation isomers exhibit different or even opposite biological effects. Therefore, it is necessary to determine their specific structure before conducting a further biological investigation. However, current methods for arginine dimethylation analysis face great challenges in efficient isomer differentiation, preventing the functional investigation of arginine dimethylation. To overcome this obstacle, herein, we introduce a novel chemical strategy leveraging pH-tuned reactivity with methylglyoxal (MGO) to decode these dimethylation isomers. By utilizing molecular dynamics simulation analysis, we revealed the different chemical reactivities of asymmetrically and symmetrically dimethylated arginine when reacted with MGO at different pH conditions. This property enabled the development of a pH-tuned chemical strategy by combining the MGO reaction with boronate affinity enrichment to simultaneously enrich and differentiate the dimethylation isomers. This strategy can effectively distinguish dimethylated arginine isomers in complex cell samples, and the good feasibility of this strategy was verified by orthogonal validation with the neutral loss. Of the obtained data set, this strategy identified sDMA at R112 of SNRPN, which is confirmed to be modified by PRMT5. Further functional analysis reveals its crucial role in maintaining protein stability and in regulating spliceosome assembly. Overall, by transforming the inherent pH sensitivity of MGO reactions into a powerful analytical tool, our work establishes the first chemical platform for functional proteomic dissection of arginine dimethylation isomers, which paves the way for further regulating mechanism investigations of protein methylation.

Pyruvaldehyde↗