Biomedical subjects

Zhaohui Wang

Publications and source records attributed to Zhaohui Wang.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2026

A conserved COBL3-like protein promotes PDLP5-dependent callose accumulation to confer broad-spectrum plasmodesmata-mediated antiviral defense.

Plasmodesmata (PDs) play vital roles in plant growth and defense by controlling the symplastic transport of important molecules. Here we report that a conserved COBRA-like protein, COBL3, positively regulates callose accumulation and is required for PD-mediated antiviral defense (PMAD) against divergent plant RNA viruses in wheat (Triticum aestivum) and tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana). The wheat COBL3 protein, TaCOBL3, interacts with the 17K movement protein (MP) of barley yellow dwarf virus-GAV (BYDV-GAV). TaCOBL3 is associated with the plasma membrane and co-localizes with 17K MP at PDs. Genetic analysis with overexpression and knockout lines revealed that TaCOBL3 positively regulates wheat defense against BYDV-GAV by modulating callose accumulation at PDs. Interestingly, TaCOBL3 interacts with the wheat homolog of PDLP5, a conserved key regulator of PD permeability in higher plants. Silencing TaPDLP5 attenuates the elevated BYDV-GAV defense conferred by overexpression of TaCOBL3 in wheat. Furthermore, transient expression of TaCOBL3 promotes callose accumulation and lowers PD permeability in tobacco cells, and these effects are largely compromised when tobacco PDLP5 is silenced. Notably, BYDV 17K MP weakens the interaction between TaCOBL3 and TaPDLP5 and inhibits their callose-binding activities. Finally, silencing of tobacco NbCOBL3 reduces callose content and attenuates host defense against two tobraviruses, one potexvirus, and one hordeivirus. Overall, our study reveals a previously unknown role of COBRA-like proteins in PMAD and provides insight into how a plant viral MP sabotages PMAD by perturbing the COBL3-PDLP5 interaction to facilitate virus spread through PDs. The conserved COBL3 gene may be a valuable target for engineering of broad-spectrum antiviral resistance in crop plants.

COBRA-like protein↗

PubMed2025

ANXA3 hypomethylation as a prognostic biomarker in hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) is associated with a poor prognosis. This research aimed to characterize the expression pattern and clinical value of Annexin A3 (ANXA3) in HBV-ACLF patients. METHODS: First of all, ACLF-related datasets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database to carry out bioinformatics analyses. RT-qPCR, ELISA, and Methylight were used to measure ANXA3 gene expression and promoter methylation levels. A validation cohort was leveraged to further validate the results. RESULTS: Transcriptome analysis showed that ANXA3 was among the most differentially expressed genes when comparing dead patients with HBV-ACLF to those with survivors. The mRNA and serum levels of ANXA3 were elevated, and methylation levels were decreased in HBV-ACLF patients. The PMR value of ANXA3 in patients with HBV-ACLF was negatively correlated with inflammation-related cytokines IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β, as well as quantitative clinical parameters AST, TBIL, PT, INR, NEUT%, and MELD score, and positively correlated with PTA (all p < 0.05). In HBV-ACLF patients, ANXA3 was considered to be an independent influence factor for the 90-day mortality. It was also found that ANXA3, especially hypomethylation, was associated with 28- and 90-day overall survival in patients with HBV-ACLF based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, decision curve analysis (DCA), and Kaplan-Meier curves. CONCLUSIONS: ANXA3 hypomethylation has a prominent predictive value for short-term mortality in patients with HBV-ACLF and may serve as a promising biomarker of HBV-ACLF prognosis.

Humans↗

PubMed2024

A comprehensive meta-analysis of tissue resident memory T cells and their roles in shaping immune microenvironment and patient prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer.

Tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM) are a specialized subset of long-lived memory T cells that reside in peripheral tissues. However, the impact of TRM-related immunosurveillance on the tumor-immune microenvironment (TIME) and tumor progression across various non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patient populations is yet to be elucidated. Our comprehensive analysis of multiple independent single-cell and bulk RNA-seq datasets of patient NSCLC samples generated reliable, unique TRM signatures, through which we inferred the abundance of TRM in NSCLC. We discovered that TRM abundance is consistently positively correlated with CD4+ T helper 1 cells, M1 macrophages, and resting dendritic cells in the TIME. In addition, TRM signatures are strongly associated with immune checkpoint and stimulatory genes and the prognosis of NSCLC patients. A TRM-based machine learning model to predict patient survival was validated and an 18-gene risk score was further developed to effectively stratify patients into low-risk and high-risk categories, wherein patients with high-risk scores had significantly lower overall survival than patients with low-risk. The prognostic value of the risk score was independently validated by the Cancer Genome Atlas Program (TCGA) dataset and multiple independent NSCLC patient datasets. Notably, low-risk NSCLC patients with higher TRM infiltration exhibited enhanced T-cell immunity, nature killer cell activation, and other TIME immune responses related pathways, indicating a more active immune profile benefitting from immunotherapy. However, the TRM signature revealed low TRM abundance and a lack of prognostic association among lung squamous cell carcinoma patients in contrast to adenocarcinoma, indicating that the two NSCLC subtypes are driven by distinct TIMEs. Altogether, this study provides valuable insights into the complex interactions between TRM and TIME and their impact on NSCLC patient prognosis. The development of a simplified 18-gene risk score provides a practical prognostic marker for risk stratification.

Humans↗