Identifying genes for resistant starch, slowly digestible starch, and rapidly digestible starch in rice using genome-wide association studies

Ning Zhang,Maike Wang,Ji Fu,Yi Shen,Yi Ding,Dianxing Wu,Xiaoli Shu,Wenjian Song 한국유전학회 2020 Genes & Genomics Vol.42 No.11

Background The digestibility of starch is important for the nutritive value of staple food. Although several genes are responsible for resistant starch (RS) and slowly digestible starch (SDS), gaps persist concerning the molecular basis of RS and SDS formation due to the complex genetic mechanisms of starch digestibility. Objectives The objective of this study was to identify new genes for starch digestibility in rice and interprete the genetic mechanisms of RS and SDS by GWAS. Methods Genome-wide association studies were conducted by associating the RS and SDS phenotypes of 104 re-sequenced rice lines to an SNP dataset of 2,288,867 sites using a compressed mixed linear model. Candidate genes were identifed according to the position of the SNPs based on data from the MSU Rice Genome Annotation Project. Results Seven quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were detected to be associated with the RS content, among which the SNP 6 m1765761 was located on Waxy. Starch branching enzymes IIa (BEIIa) close to QTL qRS-I4 was detected and further identifed as a specifc candidate gene for RS in INDICA. Two QTLs were associated with SDS, and the LOC_Os09g09360 encoding lipase was identifed as a causal gene for SDS. Conclusions GWAS is a valid strategy to genetically dissect the formation of starch digestion properties in rice. RS formation in grains is dependent on the rice type; lipid might also contribute to starch digestibility and should be an alternative factor to improve rice starch digestibility.

Monitoring and Cause Analysis of Tread Abnormal Wear in a Metro Line

Heji Zhang,Guiming Mei,Hengyu Wang,Wenjian Wang,Zefeng Wen,Xuesong Jin 한국도시철도학회 2014 IJAR Vol.2 No.2

Abnormal wera of tread is a commonly seen problem in the operation of metro systems. It was found that abnormal wear of tread widely exists on vehicles in a line of Beijing metro. The two main types of abnormal wear are “w” shape wear and narrow grooves on tread. It was found that hardness of the tread is strongly correlated with abnormal wear. Monitoring was conducted to watch the growth of abnormal wear on tread surface. Monitoring results show that abnormal wear of tread disappeared after changing brake shoes. Analysis showed that hardness of brake shoes have a great effect on tread wear. The competition between the wear of wheel tread caused by brake shoes and rail head was discussed to explain the reason of commonly seen abnormal wear of tread in metro systems.

Monitoring of Corrugation Growth on Tracks with Cologne Egg Fastening System

Hengyu Wang,Stuart Grassie,Yongquan Deng,Heji Zhang,Wenjian Wang,Zefeng Wen,Xuesong Jin 한국도시철도학회 2014 IJAR Vol.2 No.2

Corrugation is a serious problem in railway industry. It may be more commonly seen in metro networks for that metro lines usually have more and sharper curves than the main lines. Research has shown that fastening system is an influence factor on corrugation. Server corrugation was found on tracks with Cologne egg fastening system (Cologne egg for short) shortly after the operation of a metro line. To understand the effects of Cologne eggs on the development of corrugation, curved and tangent lines with Cologne eggs were selected for corrugation growth monitoring. In order to compare the effects of different fastening systems on corrugation, monitoring was also conducted on tracks with the same line condition but using ordinary short sleeper fastening system. Monitoring of rail roughness was done during the whole period between two rail grinding operations using a Corrugation Analysis Trolley (CAT). The characteristics of corrugation growth, such as the speed of growth, the wavelength of corrugation, the distribution of corrugation, etc. were analyzed on different track configurations. Corrugation showed a rapid growth in the first a few weeks after grinding and slowed down after that. Monitoring results show that fasting system is a strong influence factor of corrugation growth. The effect of grinding was discussed. Comparison of corrugation growth of different grinding methods shows that proper grinding method would not only reduce the speed of corrugation growth, but also the final rail roughness level.

Extracolonic manifestations of Gardner syndrome: A case report

Blackwell McKenzie C,Thakkar Bhushan,Flores Andres,Zhang Wenjian 대한영상치의학회 2023 Imaging Science in Dentistry Vol.53 No.2

Gardner syndrome has head and neck manifestations that may be recognized during dental visits. Features such as multiple gnathic osteomas, impacted supernumerary teeth, and multiple foci of idiopathic osteosclerosis can be easily identified on dental radiographs, prompting the clinician to refer the patient for further investigation. A dental examination and routine radiographs play a vital role in revealing the extracolonic presentation of Gardner syndrome, which facilitates timely screening and detection of colorectal cancer and other malignancies associated with this condition. This report discusses the case of a 50-year-old Caucasian man who presented with a hard swelling of the left angle of the mandible and was diagnosed with Gardner syndrome based on abnormal findings from an oral examination, dental imaging, and medical and family history.

Hippo signaling is intrinsically regulated during cell cycle progression by APC/C^Cdh1

Kim, Wantae,Cho, Yong Suk,Wang, Xiaohui,Park, Ogyi,Ma, Xueyan,Kim, Hanjun,Gan, Wenjian,Jho, Eek-hoon,Cha, Boksik,Jeung, Yun-ji,Zhang, Lei,Gao, Bin,Wei, Wenyi,Jiang, Jin,Chung, Kyung-Sook,Yang, Yingzi National Academy of Sciences 2019 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF Vol.116 No.19

<P><B>Significance</B></P><P>The Hippo signaling pathway is evolutionarily conserved in the animal kingdom and plays essential roles in regulating tissue growth during development and regeneration. We have identified APC/C<SUP>Cdh1</SUP>, a core component of cell cycle control machinery, as an evolutionarily conserved and previously unknown regulator of large tumor suppressor (LATS) kinases, which critically inhibit the YAP/TAZ transcription factors in transducing Hippo signaling. Our results suggest a model that APC/C<SUP>Cdh1</SUP> destabilizes LATS1/2 kinases in G1 phase of the cell cycle, leading to increased YAP/TAZ activities that promote G1/S transition by upregulating downstream gene expression, including <I>E2F1</I>. Our findings have important implications for a link between cell proliferation and LATS-regulated YAP/TAZ activities.</P><P>The Hippo-YAP/TAZ signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in growth control during development and regeneration and its dysregulation is widely implicated in various cancers. To further understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying Hippo signaling regulation, we have found that activities of core Hippo signaling components, large tumor suppressor (LATS) kinases and YAP/TAZ transcription factors, oscillate during mitotic cell cycle. We further identified that the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C)<SUP>Cdh1</SUP> E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, which plays a key role governing eukaryotic cell cycle progression, intrinsically regulates Hippo signaling activities. CDH1 recognizes LATS kinases to promote their degradation and, hence, YAP/TAZ regulation by LATS phosphorylation is under cell cycle control. As a result, YAP/TAZ activities peak in G1 phase. Furthermore, we show in <I>Drosophila</I> eye and wing development that Cdh1 is required in vivo to regulate the LATS homolog Warts with a conserved mechanism. Cdh1 reduction increased Warts levels, which resulted in reduction of the eye and wing sizes in a Yorkie dependent manner. Therefore, LATS degradation by APC/C<SUP>Cdh1</SUP> represents a previously unappreciated and evolutionarily conserved layer of Hippo signaling regulation.</P>

Ultrasmall iron oxide nanoparticles induced ferroptosis via Beclin1/ATG5-dependent autophagy pathway

Wen Jian,Chen Hanren,Ren Zhongyu,Zhang Peng,Chen Jianjiao,Jiang Shulian 나노기술연구협의회 2021 Nano Convergence Vol.8 No.10

Iron-based nanoparticles, which could elicit ferroptosis, is becoming a promising new way to inhibit tumor cell growth. Notably, ultrasmall iron oxide nanoparticles (USIONPs) have been found to upregulate the autophagy process in glioblastoma (GBM) cells. Whether USIONPs could also elicit ferroptosis and the relationship between the USIONPs-induced autophagy and ferroptosis need to be explored. In the current study, our synthesized USIONPs with good water solubility could significantly upregulate the ferroptosis markers in GBM cells, and downregulate the expression of anti-ferroptosis genes. Interestingly,ferrostatin-1 could reverse USIONPs- induced ferroptosis, but inhibitors of apoptosis, pyroptosis, or necrosis could not. Meanwhile, autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine could also reverse the USIONPs-induced ferroptosis. In addition, shRNA silencing of upstream genes Beclin1/ATG5 of autophagy process could significantly reverse USIONPs-induced ferroptosis, whereas overexpression of Beclin1/ATG5 of autophagy process could remarkably promote USIONPs-induced ferroptosis. Furthermore, lysosome inhibitors could significantly reverse the USIONPs-induced ferroptosis. Collectively, these facts suggest that USIONPs-induced ferroptosis is regulated via Beclin1/ATG5-dependent autophagy pathway.