Li Zhang

Spatial Transcriptomics Reveal Developmental Dynamics of the Human Cerebral Cortex and Striatum

This study uses spatial transcriptomics and snRNA-seq to identify 25 forebrain regions and characterize dynamic changes in the human fetal cortex and striatum during late first and early second trimesters.

A pleiotropic EPAS1 enhancer mediating Tibetan adaptation to hypoxia is active in adipocytes

The paper investigates the role of the EPAS1 enhancer ENH5 in adipocytes, showing its conditional effects on thermogenesis and adipocyte differentiation under hypoxia and thermogenic stimulation.

Characterizing the metabolomes of microglia, astrocytes, and neurons in aging and Alzheimer's brains

The paper characterizes the metabolomes of microglia, astrocytes, and neurons in aging and Alzheimer's brains, identifying cell-type-specific metabolic pathways and their changes with age and disease.

Shared loci but distinct variants underlie genetic architecture of allergic diseases

The paper identifies disease-specific risk variants and shared effector genes in allergic diseases using functional fine-mapping and expression quantitative trait loci.

Structural innovations and neurogenic continuity define avian brain development and evolution

This study presents a single-cell and spatial transcriptomic atlas of the budgerigar brain, revealing structural and developmental insights into avian neurogenesis and brain evolution.

Single cell discovery of m6A RNA modifications in the hippocampus

The paper identifies m6A RNA modifications in hippocampal cells, highlighting disease-associated transcripts and their potential role in Camk2a neurons.

The subcommissural organ regulates brain development via secreted peptides

The paper identifies three genes highly expressed in the subcommissural organ (SCO) and shows their ablation causes brain developmental defects, with peptide reintroduction rescuing these defects.

Mapping of individual sensory nerve axons from digits to spinal cord with the Transparent Embedding Solvent System

The paper introduces a method to map individual sensory nerve axons from digits to spinal cord at sub-micron resolution.

6mA-Sniper: Quantifying 6mA Sites in Eukaryotes at Single-Nucleotide Resolution

6mA-Sniper quantifies 6mA sites in eukaryotes at single-nucleotide resolution, revealing their functional roles in gene regulation and conservation across strains.

Long-read genome assemblies reveals a cis-regulatory landscape associated with phenotypic divergence in two sister Siniperca fishes

The paper identifies structural variants and H3K4me3 domains in two closely related fish species, showing their role in cis-regulatory divergence and phenotypic traits like metabolism and immunity.

Genomic Analyses of New Genes and Their Phenotypic Effects Reveal Rapid Evolution of Essential Functions in Drosophila Development

The paper analyzes new genes in Drosophila to show that recently evolved genes can quickly become essential for development.