Articles in Press

Articles in press have been peer-reviewed and accepted, which are not yet assigned to volumes/issues, but are citable by Digital Object Identifier (DOI).
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Distinguished biological adaptation architecture aggravated population differentiation of Tibeto-Burman-speaking people inferred from 500 whole-genome data from 39 populations
Yuntao Sun, Mengge Wang, Qiuxia Sun, Yan Liu, Shuhan Duan, Zhiyong Wang, Yunyu Zhou, Jun Zhong, Yuguo Huang, Xinyu Huang, Qingxin Yang, Xiangping Li, Haoran Su, Yan Cai, Xiucheng Jiang, Jing Chen, Jiangwei Yan, Shengjie Nie, Liping Hu, Junbao Yang, Renkuan Tang, Chuan-Chao Wang, Chao Liu, Xiaohui Deng, Libing Yun, Guanglin He
, Available online  , doi: 10.1016/j.jgg.2023.10.002
Abstract (605) PDF (25)
Abstract:
Tibeto-Burman (TB) people have endeavored to adapt to the hypoxic, cold, and high-UV high-altitude environments in the Tibetan Plateau and complex disease exposures in lowland rainforests since the late Paleolithic period. However, the full landscape of genetic history and biological adaptation of geographically diverse TB-speaking people, as well as their interaction mechanism remain unknown. We generate a whole-genome meta-database of 500 individuals from 39 TB-speaking populations in East Asia and Southeast Asia and present a comprehensive landscape of genetic diversity, admixture history, and differentiated adaptative features of geographically different TB-speaking people. We identify genetic differentiation related to geography and language among TB-speaking people, consistent with their differentiated admixture process with incoming or indigenous ancestral source populations. A robust genetic connection between the Tibetan-Yi corridor and ancient Yellow River people supports their Northern China origin hypothesis. We finally report substructure-related differentiated biological adaptative signatures between highland Tibetans and Loloish speakers. Adaptative signatures associated with the physical pigmentation (EDAR and SLC24A5) and metabolism (ALDH9A1) are identified in Loloish people, which differed from the high-altitude adaptative genetic architecture in Tibetan. TB-related genomic resources provide new insights into the genetic basis of biological adaptation and better reference for the anthropologically-informed sampling design in biomedical and genomic cohort research.
IMAGGS: a radiogenomic framework for identifying multi-way associations in breast cancer subtypes
Shuyu Liang, Sicheng Xu, Shichong Zhou, Cai Chang, Zhiming Shao, Yuanyuan Wang, Sheng Chen, Yunxia Huang, Yi Guo
, Available online  , doi: 10.1016/j.jgg.2023.09.010
Abstract (359) PDF (11)
Abstract:

The investigation of correlations between radiomic and genomic profiling in breast cancer (BC) molecular subtypes is crucial for understanding disease mechanisms and providing personalized treatment. We present a well-designed radiogenomic framework—image-gene-gene set (IMAGGS), which detects multi-way associations in BC subtypes by integrating radiomic and genomic features.Our dataset consists of 721 patients, each of whom has 12 ultrasound (US) images captured from different angles and gene mutation data. To better characterize tumor traits, 12 multi-angle US images are fused using two distinct strategies. Then, we analyze complex many-to-many associations between phenotypic and genotypic features using a machine learning algorithm, deviating from the prevalent one-to-one relationship pattern observed in previous studies. Key radiomic and genomic features are screened using these associations. In addition, gene set enrichment analysis is performed to investigate the joint effects of gene sets and delve deeper into the biological functions of BC subtypes. We further validate the feasibility of IMAGGS in a glioblastoma multiforme dataset to demonstrate the scalability of IMAGGS across different modalities and diseases. Taken together, IMAGGS provides a comprehensive characterization for diseases by associating imaging, genes, and gene sets, paving the way for biological interpretation of radiomics and development of targeted therapy.

scEpiTools: a database to comprehensively interrogate analytic tools for single-cell epigenomic data
Zijing Gao, Xiaoyang Chen, Zhen Li, Xuejian Cui, Qun Jiang, Keyi Li, Shengquan Chen, Rui Jiang
, Available online  , doi: 10.1016/j.jgg.2023.09.011
Abstract (307) PDF (12)
Abstract:
A mutation in TBXT causes congenital vertebral malformations in humans and mice
Shuxia Chen, Yunping Lei, Yajun Yang, Chennan Liu, Lele Kuang, Li Jin, Richard H. Finnell, Xueyan Yang, Hongyan Wang
, Available online  , doi: 10.1016/j.jgg.2023.09.009
Abstract (111) PDF (6)
Abstract:

T-box transcription factor T (TBXT; T) is required for mesodermal formation and axial skeletal development. Although it has been extensively studied in various model organisms, human congenital vertebral malformations (CVMs) involving T are not well established. Here, we report a family with 15 CVM patients distributed across four generations. All affected individuals carry a heterozygous mutation, T c.596A>G (p.Q199R), which is not found in unaffected family members, indicating co-segregation of the genotype and phenotype. In vitro assays show that T p.Q199R increases the nucleocytoplasmic ratio and enhances its DNA-binding affinity, but reduces its transcriptional activity compared to the wild-type. To determine the pathogenicity of this mutation in vivo, we generated a Q199R knock-in mouse model that recapitulates the human CVM phenotype. The heterozygous Q199R mice show subtle kinked or shortened tails, while the homozygous mice exhibit tail filaments and severe vertebral deformities. Overall, we show that the Q199R mutation in T causes CVM in humans and mice, providing new evidence supporting the function of T in the genetic etiology of human CVM.

Mechanisms underlying key agronomic traits and implications for molecular breeding in soybean
Chao Fang, Haiping Du, Lingshuang Wang, Baohui Liu, Fanjiang Kong
, Available online  , doi: 10.1016/j.jgg.2023.09.004
Abstract (80) PDF (16)
Abstract:
Soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) is an important crop that provides protein and vegetable oil for human consumption. As soybean is a photoperiod-sensitive crop, its cultivation and yield are limited by the photoperiodic conditions in the field. In contrast to other major crops, soybean has a special plant architecture and a special symbiotic nitrogen fixation system, representing two unique breeding directions. Thus, flowering time, plant architecture, and symbiotic nitrogen fixation are three critical or unique yield- determinative factors. This review summarizes the progress made in our understanding of these three critical yield-determining factors in soybean. Meanwhile, we propose potential research directions to increase soybean production, discuss the application of genomics and genomic-assisted breeding, and explore research directions to address future challenges, particularly those posed by global climate change.
Coiled-coil domain-containing 38 is required for acrosome biogenesis and fibrous sheath assembly in mice
Yaling Wang, Xueying Huang, Guoying Sun, Jingwen Chen, Bangguo Wu, Jiahui Luo, Shuyan Tang, Peng Dai, Feng Zhang, Jinsong Li, Lingbo Wang
, Available online  , doi: 10.1016/j.jgg.2023.09.002
Abstract (111) PDF (7)
Abstract:
During spermiogenesis, haploid spermatids undergo dramatic morphological changes to form slender sperm flagella and cap-like acrosomes, which are required for successful fertilization. Severe deformities in flagella cause a male infertility syndrome, multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagella (MMAF), while acrosomal hypoplasia in some cases leads to sub-optimal embryonic developmental potential. However, evidence regarding the occurrence of acrosomal hypoplasia in MMAF is limited. Here, we report the generation of base-edited mice knocked out for coiled-coil domain-containing 38 (Ccdc38) via inducing a nonsense mutation and find that the males are infertile. The Ccdc38-KO sperm display acrosomal hypoplasia and typical MMAF phenotypes. We find that the acrosomal membrane is loosely anchored to the nucleus and fibrous sheaths are disorganized in Ccdc38-KO sperm. Further analyses reveal that Ccdc38 knockout causes a decreased level of TEKT3, a protein associated with acrosome biogenesis, in testes and an aberrant distribution of TEKT3 on sperm. We finally show that intracytoplasmic sperm injection overcomes Ccdc38-related infertility. Our study thus reveals a previously unknown role for CCDC38 in acrosome biogenesis and provides additional evidence for the occurrence of acrosomal hypoplasia in MMAF.
Translation machinery: the basis of translational control
Shu Yuan, Guilong Zhou, Guoyong Xu
, Available online  , doi: 10.1016/j.jgg.2023.07.009
Abstract (128) PDF (15)
Abstract:

Messenger RNA (mRNA) translation consists of initiation, elongation, termination, and ribosome recycling, carried out by the translation machinery, primarily including tRNAs, ribosomes, and translation factors (TrFs). Translational regulators transduce signals of growth and development, as well as biotic and abiotic stresses, to the translation machinery, where global or selective translational control occurs to modulate mRNA translation efficiency (TrE). As the basis of translational control, the translation machinery directly determines the quality and quantity of newly synthesized peptides and, ultimately, the cellular adaption. Thus, regulating the availability of diverse machinery components is reviewed as the central strategy of translational control. We provide classical signaling pathways (e.g., integrated stress responses) and cellular behaviors (e.g., liquid-liquid phase separation) to exemplify this strategy within different physiological contexts, particularly during host-microbe interactions. With new technologies developed, further understanding this strategy will speed up translational medicine and translational agriculture.