Z. Zhong

Biosynthetic Enzyme-guided Disease Correlation Connects Gut Microbial Metabolites Sulfonolipids to Inflammatory Bowel Disease Involving TLR4 Signaling

Understanding the binding mechanisms of Alzheimer risk factor TREM2 in lipid bilayer using multi-scale molecular dynamics simulations

This paper uses multi-scale molecular dynamics simulations to study the TREM2/DAP12 transmembrane domain complex formation and its role in Alzheimer's disease.

Genome-wide CRISPR screen identifies AC9 as a key regulator of ER calcium homeostasis involved in neuronal differentiation.

The paper identifies AC9 as a key regulator of ER calcium homeostasis during neuronal differentiation using CRISPR screening and functional analysis.

MBD2 couples DNA methylation to Transposable Elements silencing during male gametogenesis.

This study identifies MBD2 as a methyl reader that silences transposable elements during male gametogenesis by acting downstream of DNA methylation.

Biosynthesis- and Metabolomics-guided discovery of antimicrobial cyclopeptides against drug-resistant clinical isolates

This study discovers new Avi(Me)Cys-containing cyclopeptide antibiotics effective against drug-resistant bacteria using genome mining and metabolomics.

Self-assembly vascularized human cardiac organoids model cardiac diseases in petri dishes and in mice

This study generates self-assembling cardiac organoids from human pluripotent stem cells to model myocardial infarction and SARS-CoV-2 fibrosis, showing in vitro and in vivo disease characteristics and vascular integration.

Cooperation between bacteriocytes and endosymbionts drives function and development of symbiotic cells in mussel holobionts

The paper constructs a single-cell expression atlas of gill tissue in deep-sea mussels to study the molecular function and developmental trajectory of bacteriocytes and their interaction with endosymbionts.

Recurrent FBXW7 mutations bypass Wnt/β-catenin addiction in cancer

This study identifies FBXW7 mutations as a mechanism of resistance to anti-Wnt/β-catenin therapies in RNF43-mutant/RSPO-fusion cancers and shows that these tumors are susceptible to multi-CDK inhibition.

Metabolic Nutrient Preferences of Vibrio mimicus: Leveraging Nucleotides and Oligopeptides from Yellow Catfish for Enhanced Infectivity

This study identifies host-specific metabolites that enhance Vibrio mimicus infectivity in yellow catfish by providing nutrients like deoxyguanosine.

Mechanotransduction governs CD40 function and underlies X-linked Hyper IgM syndrome

This study shows that CD40-CD40L interactions form catch bonds that enhance B cell signaling and antibody class-switch, and mutations in CD40L disrupt this mechanism, causing X-linked Hyper IgM syndrome.

circDesign Algorithm for Designing Synthetic Circular RNA

This paper introduces circDesign, an algorithm for designing synthetic circular RNA that improves stability and protein translation efficiency, demonstrated using rabies virus glycoprotein.

Levy statistics define anxiety and depression in mice subjected to chronic stress

This paper identifies Levy statistics as a marker for anxiety and depression in mice under chronic stress, using movement patterns and machine learning for classification.

Deciphering deep-sea chemosynthetic symbiosis by single-nucleus RNA-sequencing

This study uses single-nucleus RNA sequencing to create a cell atlas of deep-sea mussel gills, revealing cell types and their roles in supporting chemosynthetic symbiosis and environmental adaptation.

H1 restricts euchromatin-associated methylation pathways from heterochromatic encroachment

This study shows H1 restricts RdDM from encroaching into heterochromatin, maintaining genomic boundaries through chromatin compaction and preventing methylation gains.

Bacterial Cytochrome P450-catalyzed Post-translational Macrocyclization

This study identifies and characterizes bacterial P450 enzymes that catalyze post-translational macrocyclization of peptides, expanding the known functional capabilities of P450s.

Perinuclear damage from nuclear envelope deterioration elicits stress responses that contribute to LMNA cardiomyopathy

This study identifies perinuclear stress responses from nuclear envelope deterioration as contributors to LMNA cardiomyopathy using a mouse model and translatome profiling.

Arabidopsis TRB proteins function in H3K4me3 demethylation by recruiting JMJ14

This study shows TRB proteins recruit JMJ14 to demethylate H3K4me3 and coordinate with PRC2 to repress target genes.

The MOM1 complex recruits the RdDM machinery via MORC6 to establish de novo DNA methylation.

The paper shows MOM1 recruits RdDM machinery via MORC6 to establish de novo DNA methylation and maintain chromatin state at RdDM sites.

MORC proteins regulate transcription factor binding by mediating chromatin compaction in active chromatin regions

The paper investigates RdDM-independent functions of MORC proteins, showing they compact chromatin and repress gene expression by reducing TF accessibility, especially under stress.

A gene silencing screen uncovers diverse tools for targeted gene repression in Arabidopsis

The paper identifies multiple proteins that can silence genes in Arabidopsis through various epigenetic mechanisms and develops a machine learning model to predict silencing efficacy.

Genome editing in plants using the compact editor Cas{Phi}

This paper demonstrates that the hypercompact Cas{Phi} nuclease can generate heritable gene edits in Arabidopsis with high specificity and efficiency, and shows that its performance is influenced by chromatin environment and temperature.

Histone chaperone ASF1 mediates H3.3-H4 deposition in Arabidopsis

This study shows that ASF1 in Arabidopsis preferentially interacts with the HIRA complex for H3.3-H4 deposition, affecting chromatin structure and gene regulation.

Haplotype resolved DNA methylome of African cassava genome

This study presents a haplotype-resolved DNA methylome of the African cassava genome using long-read sequencing and chromosomal conformation capture techniques.

Mutations in DNA polymerase δ subunit 1 mediate CMD2-type resistance to Cassava Mosaic Geminiviruses

The paper identifies a nonsynonymous SNP in MePOLD1 as the causal mutation for CMD2-type resistance to Cassava Mosaic Geminiviruses, validated through virus-induced gene silencing and allele analysis.

Engineering ecologically complementary rhizosphere probiotics using consortia of specialized bacterial mutants

This study improves plant growth-promotion by engineering specialized bacterial mutants within a single species and assembling them into consortia that enhance root colonization and disease resistance.

Ascorbic acid derived carbon dots promote circadian rhythm and contribute to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

This paper shows that ascorbic acid-derived carbon dots (VCDs) improve circadian rhythm and reduce hyperactive behavior in a zebrafish ADHD model caused by per1b mutation.

Blood-brain barrier permeability to enrofloxacin in Pengze crucian carp (Carassius auratus var. Pengze)

This study investigates enrofloxacin's ability to cross the blood-brain barrier in crucian carp and its impact on brain injury markers.

Improving cassava bacterial blight resistance by editing the epigenome

This study edits the epigenome of cassava to improve resistance to bacterial blight by blocking a susceptibility gene's activation.

Correlational networking guides the discovery of cryptic natural product biosynthetic enzymes

The paper uses correlational networking to identify cryptic proteases involved in lanthipeptide biosynthesis across bacterial genomes.

The tetrameric assembly of 2-aminomuconic acid dehydrogenase is a functional requirement of cofactor NAD+ binding

This paper identifies the tetrameric assembly of AmnC as essential for NAD+ binding and enzymatic activity in 2-aminophenol metabolism.