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Zhenmin Bao

Publications and source records attributed to Zhenmin Bao.

3 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-wide characterization of the TGF-β superfamily identifies bmp15, gdf9, and gsdf as sex-biased candidate regulators of gonadal differentiation in the synchronous hermaphrodite Plectropomus leopardus.

The transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily plays conserved roles in vertebrate reproduction and gonadal sex differentiation. However, its genomic repertoire and sex-biased expression patterns remain unclear in the leopard coral grouper (Plectropomus leopardus), a species with synchronous hermaphroditism. Here, we performed a genome-wide identification of the TGF-β superfamily, identifying 42 genes from the chromosome-level genome. Phylogenetic and synteny analyses indicated that segmental duplication under purifying selection contributed to family expansion. Expression profiling across multiple tissues and four gonadal developmental stages (undifferentiated, 120 dph; early differentiated, 15 months; mature testis, 3 years; mature ovary, 3 years) identified eight gonad-enriched genes, among which bmp15 and gdf9 exhibited pronounced female-biased expression, with transcripts localized exclusively to the oocyte cytoplasm, particularly in stage II-III oocytes. In contrast, gsdf showed male-biased expression and was localized in spermatogenic cells of the testis. These reciprocal expression patterns indicate that bmp15/gdf9 and gsdf are candidate factors associated with gonadal sex differentiation. Our study provides the first comprehensive characterization of the TGF-β superfamily in P. leopardus and highlights bmp15, gdf9, and gsdf as candidate sex-differentiation factors in this hermaphroditic species.

Animals↗
PubMed2025

The chromosome-level genome assembly and annotation of the silver-lipped pearl oyster, Pinctada maxima.

The silver-lipped pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima) is a valuable tropical aquaculture species, playing a crucial economic role in the global pearl industry. However, the lack of genomic reference limits our in-depth understanding of this species in genome-based breeding, conservation, evolution and adaptation. Here, annotated chromosome-level reference genome for P. maxima was generated by integrating PacBio long-read sequencing, Illumina short-read sequencing, and Hi-C sequencing data. The total genome size is 1,264.93&#x2009;Mb, with contig N50 and scaffold N50 of 649&#x2009;kb and 89.19&#x2009;Mb, respectively. The majority (97.94%) of the assembled genome was anchored to the 14 chromosomes by Hi-C analysis. The relatively high genome completeness was observed, with 97.38% (metazoa_odb10 database) and 95.26% (mollusca_odb10 database) in BUSCO analysis. Genome annotation revealed approximately 65.46% of the repeat sequences and 26,315 protein-coding genes. Comparative genome analysis revealed 28 expanded and 48 contracted families (p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.05) in P. maxima, with 3.2% of genes (894) being species-specific. This chromosome-level genome serves as an essential resource for research in evolutionary genomics, phylogenetics, and biomineralization.

Animals↗