Evolutionary dynamics of transposable elements during silkworm domestication

Min‑Jin Han,Hong‑En Xu,Xiao‑Min Xiong,Hua‑Hao Zhang 한국유전학회 2018 Genes & Genomics Vol.40 No.10

Although there are some documented examples on population dynamics of transposable elements (TEs) in model organisms, the evolutionary dynamics of TEs in domesticated species has not been systematically investigated. The objective of this study is to understand population dynamics of TEs during silkworm domestication. In this work, using transposondisplay we examined the polymorphism of seven TE families [they represent about 59% of silkworm (Bombyx mori) total TE content] in four domesticated silkworm populations and one wild silkworm population. Maximum likelihood (ML) was used to estimate selection pressure. Population differentiation and structure were performed by using AMOVA analysis and program DISTRUCT, respectively. The results of transposon-display showed that significant differentiation occurred between the domesticated silkworm and wild silkworm. These TEs have experienced expansions and fixation in the domesticated silkworm but not in wild silkworm. Furthermore, the ML results indicated that purifying selection of TEs in the domesticated silkworm were significantly weaker than that in the wild silkworm. Interestingly, an adaptation insertion induced by BmMITE-2 was found, and this insertion can reduce the polymorphism of the flanking regions of its neighboring COQ7 gene. Our results suggested that TEs expanded and were fixed in the domesticated silkworm might result from demographic effects and artificial selection during domestication. We concluded that the data presented in this study have general implication in animal and crop improvements as well as in domestication of new species.

Three-dimensional Network Structure of Conductive Composites by Hybrid Conductive Fillers of Silver/graphene

Xiao Min Zhang,Kun-yan Wang,Guo Zhao,Qi Long Li,Bin Wang 한국섬유공학회 2019 Fibers and polymers Vol.20 No.6

In order to explore new generations of interconnecting materials in electronic packaging industries, silvernanoparticles (Ag NPS) and graphene nanosheets (GNS) were introduced into matrix resin to prepare conductive composites. The electrical and mechanical of above electrically conductive adhesives (ECAs) were investigated and characterized. It wasfound that the ECAs can be solidified through a chemical sintering in the air at 150 oC for 30 min. The results indicated thatthe percolation threshold of resistivity reaches 3.5×10-4 Ω·cm for ECAs filled with 65 wt.% Ag NPS, 0.5 wt.% GNS and theshear strength reaches 10.8 MPa, suggesting excellent electric conductivity and bonding strength.

Performance of fluidized bed electrode in a molten carbonate fuel cell anode

Jubing Zhang,Zhaoping Zhong,Jianmin Xiao,Zongming Fu,Jinxiao Zhao,Weiling Li,Min Yang 한국화학공학회 2011 Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.28 No.8

A fluidized bed electrode could lower concentration polarization and activation polarization because of its high mass and heat transfer coefficient. The polarization characteristics of the fluidized bed electrode are systematically investigated in a molten carbonate fuel cell anode with an O_2/CO_2/gold reference electrode. The results show that polarization performance of the anode is improved by selecting proper flow rates of H_2, O_2 and CO_2, choosing suitable nickel particle content together with appropriate O_2/CO_2 ratio, and increasing reaction temperature as well as the area of the current collector. Limiting current density of 115.56 mA·cm^(−2) is achieved under optimum performance as follows:a cylindrically curved nickel plate current collector, nickel particle content of 7.89%, the reaction temperature of 923 K,H_2 flow rate of 275 mL·min^(−1), O_2/CO_2 flow rate of 10/20 mL·min−1 and O_2/CO_2 ratio of 1 : 2.

Covalent Immobilization of Penicillin G Acylase onto Fe₃O₄@Chitosan Magnetic Nanoparticles

( Xiao Min Ling ),( Xiang Yu Wang ),( Ping Ma ),( Yi Yang ),( Jie Mei Qin ),( Xue Jun Zhang ),( Ye Wang Zhang ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2016 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.26 No.5

Penicillin G acylase (PGA) was immobilized on magnetic Fe₃O₄@chitosan nanoparticles through the Schiff base reaction. The immobilization conditions were optimized as follows: enzyme/support 8.8 mg/g, pH 6.0, time 40 min, and temperature 25℃. Under these conditions, a high immobilization efficiency of 75% and a protein loading of 6.2 mg/g-support were obtained. Broader working pH and higher thermostability were achieved by the immobilization. In addition, the immobilized PGA retained 75% initial activity after ten cycles. Kinetic parameters Vmax and Km of the free and immobilized PGAs were determined as 0.113 mmol/min/mg-protein and 0.059 mmol/min/mg-protein, and 0.68 mM and 1.19 mM, respectively. Synthesis of amoxicillin with the immobilized PGA was carried out in 40% ethylene glycol at 25℃ and a conversion of 72% was obtained. These results showed that the immobilization of PGA onto magnetic chitosan nanoparticles is an efficient and simple way for preparation of stable PGA.

Sphingolipid composition and metabolism differ in three auchenorrhynchous pests of rice

Zhang Min-Jing,Shi Xiao-Xiao,Bai Yue-Liang,Zhou Wen-Wu,Zhu Zeng-Rong 한국응용곤충학회 2021 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.24 No.3

Sphingolipids (SPLs), a group of membrane and intracellular lipids, mediate numerous cellular processes. The composition and metabolism of sphingolipids varies according to species and the sphingolipid studies of insects, as compared to mammals, are not yet clear. In the current study, we subjected three auchenorrhynchous insects, including whitebacked planthopper (WBPH), Sogatella furcifera, small brown planthopper (SBPH), Laodelphax striatellus, and green rice leafhopper (GRLH), Nephotettix cincticeps, as representative rice pests for sphingolipid analysis. We performed sphingolipid species profiling using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS and isolated sphingolipid metabolic genes from their transcriptomic data. C14-, C16-, C18- and C20-sphingoid base were detected in both planthoppers, but no C14- sphingoid base was found in GRLH. The planthoppers had more abundant sphingosine-1-phosphates (Sph-1-P) and ceramides than leafhopper. A total of 14, 13 and 16 sphingomyelin species were found in SBPH, WBPH and GRLH, respectively. The composition of sphingomyelin species varied in three insects. Coordinated with the abundance in sphingomyelin species, the leafhopper possessed more sphin gomyelinase (SMase) gene isoforms for metabolism of different sphingomyelins than planthoppers. The phylo genetic analysis showed the three tested insects all possessed one potential neutral-SMase homologue, whereas SBPH and GRLH both had another potential acid-SMase homologue. This study is a comprehensive sphingoli pidomic analysis, suggesting that sphingolipid profiles significantly differed among the three insects. By providing information of sphingolipid metabolic gene homologues of these three insects, our findings will contribute to the further sphingolipid studies of auchenorrhynchous insects and provide a research foundation for rice pest management.

Identification and evolutionary history of the DD41D transposons in insects

Xiao-Gu Zhang,Hua-Hao Zhang,Yi-Hong Shen,Xiao-Min Xiong,Min-Jin Han 한국유전학회 2016 Genes & Genomics Vol.38 No.2

The rosa monophyletic group of transposons is a group of transposable element with characteristics of encoding a DD41D motif in the catalytic domain. However, biology and evolutionary history of this monophyletic group are still poorly understood. In this study, we report the first description for the presence of a rosa transposon in the silkworm Bombyx mori. Further analyses confirmed that this element in the silkworm genome had recently amplified and might still be capable of transposition. In addition, we present evidence, based on searches of publicly available insect genomes, that a new clade of the rosa monophyletic group was identified. Interestingly, analysis of their three dimensional structures suggested that these proteins showed highly similar protein structures with that of the Mos1 transposase. These results provided useful insights into the functionality of these transposases and their structural and functional deviations from other transposases in the Tc1/mariner superfamily. Meanwhile, sequence and phylogenetic analysis confirmed that DD41D and maT elements might represent another independent large group of the Tc1/mariner superfamily. Importantly, the result of the comparison of terminal inverted repeats (TIRs) validated that DD41D and maT elements almost had identical consensus terminal sequences (50-CAGGGTGNS NCA-30), implying they might have similar cleavage sites or patterns during the process of their transposition. In a word, this study will enrich and expand our knowledge of the Tc1/mariner superfamily.

Gene-metabolite network analysis in different nonalcoholic fatty liver disease phenotypes

Xiao-Lin Liu,Ya-Nan Ming,Jing-Yi Zhang,Xiao-Yu Chen,Min-De Zeng,Yi-Min Mao 생화학분자생물학회 2017 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.49 No.-

We sought to identify common key regulators and build a gene-metabolite network in different nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) phenotypes. We used a high-fat diet (HFD), a methionine-choline-deficient diet (MCDD) and streptozocin (STZ) to establish nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL), nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and NAFL+type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in rat models, respectively. Transcriptomics and metabolomics analyses were performed in rat livers and serum. A functional network-based regulation model was constructed using Cytoscape with information derived from transcriptomics and metabolomics. The results revealed that 96 genes, 17 liver metabolites and 4 serum metabolites consistently changed in different NAFLD phenotypes (42-fold, Po0.05). Gene-metabolite network analysis identified ccl2 and jun as hubs with the largest connections to other genes, which were mainly involved in tumor necrosis factor, P53, nuclear factor-kappa B, chemokine, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor and Toll-like receptor signaling pathways. The specifically regulated genes and metabolites in different NAFLD phenotypes constructed their own networks, which were mainly involved in the lipid and fatty acid metabolism in HFD models, the inflammatory and immune response in MCDD models, and the AMPK signaling pathway and response to insulin in HFD+STZ models. Our study identified networks showing the general and specific characteristics in different NAFLD phenotypes, complementing the genetic and metabolic features in NAFLD with hepatic and extra-hepatic manifestations.

Electrical Conductivity Enhancement of Epoxy by Hybrid Carbon Nanotubes and Self-made Silver Nanoparticles

Xiao Min Zhang,Xiao-Li Yang,Kun-yan Wang 한국섬유공학회 2019 Fibers and polymers Vol.20 No.7

Flexibility electrode with high stretchability, electrical conductivity, and good mechanical properties are desirable,owing to their promising applications in electronic circuit and human motion monitoring systems. In this paper, a highperformance flexibility electrode was prepared based on printable and electrically conductive adhesive (ECA). Thisflexibility electrode is fabricated by mixing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), carbon nanotube (CNT) and epoxy resin andscreen-printed to a required shape. The spherical AgNPs were prepared by DC arc plasma method. The Ag NPs present apolycrystalline crystal structure, the particle’s diameter range from 20 to 150 nm, with an average of 80 nm. Simultaneously,this flexibility electrode provides the advantages of simple, scalable fabrication, robust mechanical properties and versatilityin applications. Based on these performance characteristics, its applications in flexible printed electrodes are demonstrated,revealing its tremendous potential for applications in flexible and wearable electronics. The flexibility sensor prepared byECA exhibits fascinating comprehensive performances. The ECA filled with 65 % Ag NPs and 0.8 % CNT shows anexcellent electrical conductivity (9×10-4 Ω·cm) and bonding strength (9.2 MPa).

Influence of substrate bias on microstructure and morphology of ZrN thin films deposited by arc ion plating

ZHANG, Min,HU, Xiao-gang,YANG, Xiao-xu,XU, Fei-fei,KIM, Kwang-Ho,SHAO, Zhi-gang Elsevier 2012 Transactions of Nonferrous Metals Society of China Vol.22 No.suppl1

ODV-Associated Proteins of the <i>Pieris rapae</i> Granulovirus

Wang, Xiao-Feng,Zhang, Bao-Qin,Xu, Hai-Jun,Cui, Ying-Jun,Xu, Yi-Peng,Zhang, Min-Juan,Han, Yeon Soo,Lee, Yong Seok,Bao, Yan-Yuan,Zhang, Chuan-Xi American Chemical Society 2011 JOURNAL OF PROTEOME RESEARCH Vol.10 No.6

<P><I>Alphabaculovirus</I> (lepidopteran-specific nucleopolyhedroviruses, NPV) and <I>Betabaculovirus</I> (granuloviruses, GV) are two main genera of the family Baculoviridae. The virion proteomes of <I>Alphabaculovirus</I> have been well studied; however, the <I>Betabaculovirus</I> virion compositions remain unclear. <I>Pieris rapae</I> granulovirus (PrGV) can kill larvae of <I>P. rapae</I>, a worldwide and important pest of mustard family crops. In this study, the occlusion-derived virus (ODV)-associated proteins of PrGV were identified using three mass spectrometry (MS) approaches. The MS analyses demonstrated that 47 proteins were present in PrGV-ODV. Of the 47 PrGV-ODV proteins, 33 have homologues identified previously in other baculovirus ODV/BVs, whereas 14 (P10, Pr21, Pr29, Pr35, Pr42, Pr54, P45/48, Pr83, Pr84, Pr89, Pr92, Pr111, Pr114 and FGF3) were newly identified ODV proteins. Seven of the 14 newly identified ODV proteins are specific to <I>Betabaculovirus</I>, including Pr35, Pr42, Pr54, Pr83, Pr84, Pr111 and Pr114. Furthermore, the data derived from these MS approaches were validated by immunoblotting analysis using antisera prepared from 11 randomly selected recombinant PrGV-ODV proteins (including 5 <I>Betabaculovirus</I>-unique proteins). Comparison analyses revealed the similar and different compositions between <I>Betabaculovirus</I> and <I>Alphabaculovirus</I> virions, which deepen our understanding of the baculovirus virion structure and provide helpful information on <I>Betabaculovirus</I>–host interaction studies.</P><P>We used three mass spectrometry (MS) approaches to identify the occlusion-derived virus (ODV)-associated proteins of the <I>Pieris rapae</I> Granulovirus. A total of 47 proteins were identified; 14 of them were first identified in the ODV, and 7 are specific to Granulovirus.</P><P><B>Graphic Abstract</B> <IMG SRC='http://pubs.acs.org/appl/literatum/publisher/achs/journals/content/jprobs/2011/jprobs.2011.10.issue-6/pr2000804/production/images/medium/pr-2011-000804_0002.gif'></P>