Facile expression of proteins with desired N-terminal amino acid via an engineered cysteine protease domain.

The removal of N-terminal methionine (Met) or fused N-terminal purification tags to expose the first amino acid of the target protein is critically important for studying the potential regulatory role of the N-terminal residue. However, current tag-removal approaches typically rely on enzymatic cleavage or require harsh reaction conditions. Here, we report a strategy for expressing proteins of interest (POI) with custom N-terminal amino acids by introducing an engineered cysteine protease domain (CPD) tag at the N-terminus.

ACE2 Receptor Usage across Animal Species by SARS-CoV-2 Variants.

We analyzed the receptor-binding activity and infectivity of 6 representative SARS-CoV-2 lineages in cell lines expressing angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 proteins from 54 different animal species. All viruses demonstrated infectivity in a broad range of species. Susceptible animal species could serve as natural reservoirs or intermediate hosts for SARS-CoV-2.

[Genotyping and Transfusion Strategy for Pregnant Patients with ABO Blood Typing Difficulties].

Objective: To identify the blood type of specimens from pregnant patients with difficult-to-type ABO status, and to guide clinical safe blood transfusion.

Methods: The specimens from 36 pregnant patients with suspicious ABO blood group were collected. These specimens were submitted by clinical institutions from various regions to our center's genetic testing platform from January 2021 to December 2022.

[Effects of Combined Pollution of Cd and Microplastics on Winter Wheat Based on the PLS Model: Phytotoxicity and Soil Properties].

To explore the effects of heavy metals, microplastics, and their combined action on the growth, physiological ecology, and soil physicochemical properties of winter wheat （ L.）, we sought to identify the major controlling factors and thus to provide a theoretical basis for revealing the physiological ecology response mechanism and ecological restoration of contaminated soil. Soil culture treatment experiments were conducted to study the effects of the heavy metal cadmium （Cd） （0 mg·kg and 5 mg·kg） and polypropylene microplastics （PP-MPs） with different particle sizes （10 μm and 500 μm） and mass concentration （0, 0.

Microbiological and Metabolomic Analysis of Biomarkers for Grades A and B in Stage II Periodontitis.

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by inflammation of the periodontal soft tissues and loss of alveolar bone. In the oral environment, subgingival microorganisms and salivary metabolites reflect the host's health status. This study aimed to understand periodontitis severity and progression rate by analyzing subgingival microflora and salivary metabolites to identify potential biomarkers.

Electroacupuncture Alleviates Neuropathic Pain and Negative Emotion in Mice by Regulating Gut Microbiota.

Background: Neuropathic pain (NP) is a prevalent chronic condition frequently accompanied by adverse emotional states. Previous research has demonstrated the clinical efficacy of electroacupuncture (EA) in mitigating neuropathic pain and its associated mood disorders. Recent studies have underscored a correlation between gut microbiota and both NP and negative emotional states.

Single-cell dissection of multifocal bladder cancer reveals malignant and immune cells variation between primary and recurrent tumor lesions.

Bladder carcinoma (BLCA) is characterized by a high rate of post-surgery recurrence and multifocality. Multifocal tumors have a higher risk of recurrence compared to single tumors, significantly impacting bladder cancer-specific mortality. However, the interregional or intraregional heterogeneity within both primary and recurrent tumors remains poorly understood.

An influenza mRNA vaccine protects ferrets from lethal infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus.

The global spread of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) virus poses a serious pandemic threat, necessitating the swift development of effective vaccines. The success of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine technology in the COVID-19 pandemic, marked by its rapid development and scalability, demonstrates its potential for addressing other infectious threats, such as HPAI A(H5N1). We therefore evaluated mRNA vaccine candidates targeting panzootic influenza A(H5) clade 2.

sc2GWAS: a comprehensive platform linking single cell and GWAS traits of human.

Identifying cell populations associated with risk variants is essential for uncovering cell-specific mechanisms that drive disease development and progression. Integrating genome-wide association studies (GWAS) with single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has become an effective strategy for detecting trait-cell relationships. The accumulation of trait-related single cell data has led to an urgent need for its comprehensively processing.

HPA1-29w Genotyping and the Foundation for the Platelet Apheresis Registry in Jiangsu Province of China by MassARRAY Spectrometry.

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the allele frequencies of the human platelet antigens (HPA) -1-29w system in Jiangsu (China) and establish the platelet apheresis registry in blood donors.

Methods: HPA genotyping was performed using the MassARRAY iPLEX platform. Allele and genotype frequencies were estimated by direct counting and tested for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.

Arthroscopic Capsular Release Versus Manipulation under Anesthesia for Refractory Frozen Shoulder: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.

Objective: Frozen shoulder (FS) is a painful and debilitating condition affecting the shoulder joint. When patients fail to improve after conservative treatments, operative treatments including arthroscopic capsular release (ACR) and manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) are recommended. However, the comparison between these two interventions remains controversial.

Research progress in Fc-effector functions against SARS-CoV-2.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has caused more than 676 million cases in the global human population with approximately 7 million deaths and vaccination has been proved as the most effective countermeasure in reducing clinical complications and mortality rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection in people. However, the protective elements and correlation of protection induced by vaccination are still not completely understood. Various antibodies with multiple protective mechanisms can be induced simultaneously by vaccination in vivo, thereby complicating the identification and characterization of individual correlate of protection.

The causal association between artificial sweeteners and the risk of cancer: a Mendelian randomization study.

Artificial sweeteners (ASs) have been widely added to food and beverages because of their properties of low calories and sweet taste. However, whether the consumption of ASs is causally associated with cancer risk is not clear. Here, we utilized the two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) method to study the potential causal association.

A comprehensive review of oxygen vacancy modified photocatalysts: synthesis, characterization, and applications.

Photocatalytic technology is a novel approach that harnesses solar energy for efficient energy conversion and effective pollution abatement, representing a rapidly advancing field in recent years. The development and synthesis of high-performance semiconductor photocatalysts constitute the pivotal focal point. Oxygen vacancies, being intrinsic defects commonly found in metal oxides, are extensively present within the lattice of semiconductor photocatalytic materials exhibiting non-stoichiometric ratios.

Unveiling the effect of the structural transformation of CoZn-MOF on BiVO photoanode for efficient photoelectrochemical water oxidation.

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting has been widely investigated for solar-to-hydrogen conversion. However, issues like high charge recombination rate and slow surface water oxidation kinetics severely hinder its (PEC) conversion efficiency. Herein, we constructed MOF-derived CoOOH cocatalyst on BiVO photoanode, using a feasible electrochemical activation strategy.

Identification of intratumor bacteria-associated prognostic risk score in adrenocortical carcinoma.

Unlabelled: A landmark study by Poore et al. showed intratumor bacteria (ITBs) playing a critical role in most cancers by reproduction of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) transcriptome data. A recent study by Salzberg et al.

Double-Stranded RNA Targeting White Mold Argonaute 2 for Disease Control via Spray-Induced Gene Silencing.

, the causal agent of white mold infection, is a cosmopolitan fungal pathogen that causes major yield losses in many economically important crops. Spray-induced gene silencing has recently been shown to be a promising alternative method for controlling plant diseases. Based on our prior research, we focused on developing a spray-induced gene silencing approach to control white mold by silencing argonaute 2 (SsAgo2), a crucial part of the fungal small RNA pathway.

SCInter: A comprehensive single-cell transcriptome integration database for human and mouse.

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), which profiles gene expression at the cellular level, has effectively explored cell heterogeneity and reconstructed developmental trajectories. With the increasing research on diseases and biological processes, scRNA-seq datasets are accumulating rapidly, highlighting the urgent need for collecting and processing these data to support comprehensive and effective annotation and analysis. Here, we have developed a comprehensive ingle-ell transcriptome gration database fo human and mouse (SCInter, https://bio.

KnockTF 2.0: a comprehensive gene expression profile database with knockdown/knockout of transcription (co-)factors in multiple species.

Transcription factors (TFs), transcription co-factors (TcoFs) and their target genes perform essential functions in diseases and biological processes. KnockTF 2.0 (http://www.

scATAC-Ref: a reference of scATAC-seq with known cell labels in multiple species.

Chromatin accessibility profiles at single cell resolution can reveal cell type-specific regulatory programs, help dissect highly specialized cell functions and trace cell origin and evolution. Accurate cell type assignment is critical for effectively gaining biological and pathological insights, but is difficult in scATAC-seq. Hence, by extensively reviewing the literature, we designed scATAC-Ref (https://bio.

The Transcription Factor Gene Is Involved in Salt Tolerance in Maize ( L.).

The NAC gene family has transcription factors specific to plants, which are involved in development and stress response and adaptation. In this study, , an NAC gene in maize that plays a role in saline-alkaline tolerance, was isolated and characterized. ZmNAC89 was localized in the nucleus and had transcriptional activation activity during in vitro experiments.