Publications by authors named "Ming-An Sun"

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infection poses a serious threat to swine health, with ileal injury representing a key pathological manifestation. However, the role of nuclear receptor NR4A1 in PRRSV-induced ileal damage remains unclear. This study investigated the relationship between PRRSV-induced ileal injury and nuclear receptor NR4A1.

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The translation of global cellular proteins is almost completely repressed in cells with flavivirus infection, while viral translation remains efficient. The mechanisms of flaviviruses evade host translational shutoff are largely unknown. Here, it is found that Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) can adopt cap-independent (CI) translation to escape the host translational shutoff.

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The increasing demand for energy in cooling systems due to global warming presents a significant challenge. Conventional air-conditioning methods exacerbate climate change by contributing to heightened carbon emissions. Glass facades, renowned in modern architecture for their versatility and aesthetic appeal, inadvertently trap solar radiation, resulting in heat buildup and the greenhouse effect.

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Heat stress (HS) is a significant concern in broiler chickens, which is vital for global meat supply in the dynamic field of poultry farming. The impact of heat stress on the ileum and its influence on the redox homeostatic genes in chickens remains unclear. We hypothesized that adding zinc to the feed of heat-stressed broilers would improve their resilience to heat stress.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study highlights the importance of nutrient sensing in the placenta for healthy pregnancy and fetal growth, focusing on how the placenta adapts to low nutrient levels.
  • It reveals that the transcription factor TFEB plays a crucial role in the differentiation of trophoblasts into syncytiotrophoblasts (STBs), which are vital for maternal-fetal interactions during pregnancy.
  • Disruption of TFEB leads to impaired STB formation and severe developmental issues, establishing TFEB as a key player in linking nutrient sensing to trophoblast differentiation.
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Transposable elements (TEs) are abundant in the genomes of various eukaryote organisms. Increasing evidence suggests that TEs can play crucial regulatory roles-usually by creating cis-elements (e.g.

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Article Synopsis
  • Polycomb group (PcG) proteins play a crucial role in silencing developmental genes by modifying histones and compacting chromatin through two main complexes, PRC1 and PRC2, which are directed to DNA by specific regions known as CpG islands (CGIs) and Polycomb response elements (PREs).
  • When genes are turned OFF, PcG proteins attach to PREs, causing gene silencing through stabilizing loops that connect these elements.
  • Interestingly, while most PcG proteins detach from PREs when genes are active (ON state), a specific PRC1 component, Ph, stays bound, and PREs can create loops with each other and nearby enhancers, indicating their role as important structural features for regulating gene
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Post-weaning diarrhea caused by enterotoxigenic E. coli F18 introduces enormous losses to the porcine industry. N-methyladenosine (mA) is a ubiquitous epitranscriptomic biomarker that modulates host cell resistance to pathogen infection, however, its significance in E.

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Zinc (Zn), an essential trace element for poultry, plays a crucial role in promoting growth, improving feed conversion efficiency, enhancing antioxidant activity, and preventing disease. This study investigated the impact of different levels and sources of dietary Zn supplementation on the growth performance, intestinal morphology and antioxidant activity of broiler chickens under heat stress conditions. In this experiment, 1024 Xueshan chickens were divided into eight groups and subjected to heat stress conditions with different levels of Zn supplementation (30 mg/kg, 60 mg/kg, and 90 mg/kg) using organic or inorganic sources.

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As a promising solution to address the global challenge of freshwater scarcity, solar-powered interfacial steam generation has undergone notable advancements. This study introduces a novel solar-driven interfacial evaporation membrane (ZnInS@SiO/ACSA, ZSAS) comprising a ZnInS@SiO composite and a black sodium alginate aerogel infused with activated carbon. The ZSAS membrane demonstrates exceptional light absorption and thermal insulation, leading to elevated surface temperatures and reduced heat dissipation into the bulk water.

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Polycomb group proteins (PcG) mediate epigenetic silencing of important developmental genes and other targets. In Drosophila, canonical PcG-target genes contain Polycomb Response Elements (PREs) that recruit PcG protein complexes including PRC2 that trimethylates H3K27 forming large H3K27me3 domains. In the OFF transcriptional state, PREs loop with each other and this looping strengthens silencing.

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Heat stress can cause intestinal inflammation, impaired barrier integrity, and decreased immunity in poultry. While zinc is known to mitigate the adverse effects of heat stress, how the dietary supplementation of different sources and levels of it can improve the heat stress capacity of Chinese landraces remains unclear. This study investigated Xueshan chickens, which are an important local breed in China.

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Like other mammalian species, the pig genome is abundant with transposable elements (TEs). The importance of TEs for three-dimensional (3D) chromatin organization has been observed in species like human and mouse, yet current understanding about pig TEs is absent. Here, we investigated the contribution of TEs for the 3D chromatin organization in three pig tissues, focusing on spleen which is crucial for both adaptive and innate immunity.

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As in mammals, ovarian folliculogenesis in teleosts also consists of two phases: the primary growth (PG) and secondary growth (SG) phases, which are analogous to the preantral and antral phases respectively in mammals. In this study, we performed a proteomic analysis on zebrafish follicles undergoing the PG-SG transition aiming to identify factors involved in the event. Numerous proteins showed significant changes, and the most prominent one was Y-box binding protein 1 (YB-1; Ybx1/ybx1), a transcription factor and mRNA-binding protein.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Mammalian brains have more neurons and complex connections than reptile brains, but how this complexity is genetically regulated is not well understood.
  • - A protein called ZFP661 has been identified as crucial for preventing CTCF from inhibiting cohesin, which is important for proper neural development and connectivity.
  • - Disruption of ZFP661 leads to issues in brain structure and social behaviors in mice, highlighting its role in both neural development and potential links to autism-like traits.
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The Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are fundamental epigenetic regulators that control the repressive state of target genes in multicellular organisms. One of the open questions is defining the mechanisms of PcG recruitment to chromatin. In Drosophila, the crucial role in PcG recruitment is thought to belong to DNA-binding proteins associated with Polycomb response elements (PREs).

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is a probiotic with bacteriostatic effects, which can effectively inhibit the activity of pathogens. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the inhibition of pathogens by in intestinal cells remains unclear. Using the porcine intestinal cell line IPEC-J2 as a model, we combined RNA-seq and ATAC-seq methods to delineate the porcine genome-wide changes in biological processes and chromatin accessibility in IPEC-J2 cells stimulated by BNCC186354, as well as ATCC 53608.

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is the main cause of postweaning diarrhea in pigs, leading to economic loss. As a probiotic, has been used to inhibit in clinical applications; however, its integrative interactions with hosts remain unclear, especially in pigs. Here, we found that effectively inhibited F18ac adhering to porcine IPEC-J2 cells, and explored the genome-wide transcription and chromatin accessibility landscapes of IPEC-J2 cells by RNA-seq and ATAC-seq.

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Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) have been proposed as a driving force for the evolution of the mammalian placenta, however, the contribution of ERVs to placental development and the underlying regulatory mechanism remain largely elusive. A key process of placental development is the formation of multinucleated syncytiotrophoblasts (STBs) in direct contact with maternal blood, through which constitutes the maternal-fetal interface critical for nutrient allocation, hormone production and immunological modulation during pregnancy. We delineate that ERVs profoundly rewire the transcriptional program of trophoblast syncytialization.

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The placenta is an organ with extraordinary phenotypic diversity in eutherian mammals. Recent evidence suggests that numerous human placental enhancers are evolved from lineage-specific insertions of endogenous retroviruses (ERVs), yet the transcription factors (TFs) underlying their regulation remain largely elusive. Here, by first focusing on MER41, a primate-specific ERV family previously linked to placenta and innate immunity, we uncover the binding motifs of multiple crucial trophoblast TFs (GATA2/3, MSX2, GRHL2) in addition to innate immunity TFs STAT1 and IRF1.

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Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) is a highly contagious disease, caused by porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), which causes huge economic losses. Tight junction-associated proteins play an important role during virus infection; therefore, maintaining their integrity may be a new strategy for the prevention and treatment of PEDV. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) participate in numerous cellular functional activities, yet whether and how they regulate the intestinal barrier against viral infection remains to be elucidated.

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Alveolar macrophages (AMs) form the first defense line against various respiratory pathogens, and their immune response has a profound impact on the outcome of respiratory infection. Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), which catalyzes the trimethylation of H3K27 for epigenetic repression, has gained increasing attention for its immune regulation function, yet its exact function in AMs remains largely obscure. Using porcine 3D4/21 AM cells as a model, we characterized the transcriptomic and epigenomic alterations after the inhibition of EZH2.

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Background & Aims: Disruption of lipid metabolism is largely linked to metabolic disorders, such as hypercholesterolemia (HCL) and liver steatosis. While cholesterol metabolic re-programmers can serve as targets for relevant interventions. Here we explored the dietary conjugated linoleic acids (CLA)-induced HCL in mice and the molecular regulation behind it.

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Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a common environmental toxin that is secreted by fusarium fungi that frequently contaminates feedstuff and food. While the detrimental effects of DON on human and animal reproductive systems have been well recognized, the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. Ovarian granulosa cells (GCs), which surround oocytes, are crucial for regulating oocyte development, mainly through the secretion of hormones such as estrogen and progesterone.

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Synopsis of recent research by authors named "Ming-An Sun"

  • - Ming-An Sun's recent research focuses on the intersection of dietary supplementation, genomics, and epigenetics, particularly in the context of animal health under stress conditions, as demonstrated through studies on broiler chickens and porcine models.
  • - Key findings include that organic zinc supplementation can enhance the oxidative gene response in heat-stressed broiler chickens, and that transposable elements play significant roles in chromatin organization and regulation of gene expression across various species.
  • - Additionally, Sun's work has revealed crucial insights into trophoblast biology in mammals, including how nutrient sensing affects placental development and the role of endogenous retroviruses in regulating trophoblast movements and gene expression during pregnancy.