Haplotype-resolved 3D chromatin architecture of the hybrid pig.

In diploid mammals, allele-specific three-dimensional (3D) genome architecture may lead to imbalanced gene expression. Through ultradeep in situ Hi-C sequencing of three representative somatic tissues (liver, skeletal muscle, and brain) from hybrid pigs generated by reciprocal crosses of phenotypically and physiologically divergent Berkshire and Tibetan pigs, we uncover extensive chromatin reorganization between homologous chromosomes across multiple scales. Haplotype-based interrogation of multi-omic data revealed the tissue dependence of 3D chromatin conformation, suggesting that parent-of-origin-specific conformation may drive gene imprinting. We quantify the effects of genetic variations and histone modifications on allelic differences of long-range promoter-enhancer contacts, which likely contribute to the phenotypic differences between the parental pig breeds. We also observe the fine structure of somatically paired homologous chromosomes in the pig genome, which has a functional implication genome-wide. This work illustrates how allele-specific chromatin architecture facilitates concomitant shifts in allele-biased gene expression, as well as the possible consequential phenotypic changes in mammals.

High-affinity monoclonal antibodies against the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus S1 protein.

The porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) infection inflicted substantial economic losses upon the global pig-breeding industry. This pathogen can infect all pigs and poses a particularly high fatality risk for suckling piglets. The S1 subunit of spike protein is a crucial target protein for inducing the particularly neutralizing antibodies that can intercept the virus-host interaction and neutralize virus infectivity. In the present study, the HEK293F eukaryotic expression system was successfully utilized to express and produce recombinant S1 protein. Through quantitative analysis, five monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specifically targeting the recombinant S1 protein of PEDV were developed and subsequently evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), and flow cytometry assay (FCA). The results indicate that all five mAbs belong to the IgG1 isotype, and their half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) values measured at 84.77, 7.42, 0.89, 14.64, and 7.86 pM. All these five mAbs can be utilized in ELISA, FCA, and IFA for the detection of PEDV infection. MAb 5-F9 exhibits the highest sensitivity to detect as low as 0.3125 ng/mL of recombinant PEDV-S1 protein in ELISA, while only 0.096 ng/mL of mAb 5-F9 is required to detect PEDV in FCA. The results from antigen epitope analysis indicated that mAb 8-G2 is the sole antibody capable of recognizing linear epitopes. In conclusion, this study has yielded a highly immunogenic S1 protein and five high-affinity mAbs specifically targeting the S1 protein. These findings have significant implications for early detection of PEDV infection and provide a solid foundation for further investigation into studying virus-host interactions.

Acetate Alleviates Gut Microbiota Depletion-Induced Retardation of Skeletal Muscle Growth and Development in Young Mice.

The normal growth and development of skeletal muscle is essential for the health of the body. The regulation of skeletal muscle by intestinal microorganisms and their metabolites has been continuously demonstrated. Acetate is the predominant short-chain fatty acids synthesized by gut microbiota through the fermentation of dietary fiber; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms governing the interaction between acetate and skeletal muscle during the rapid growth stage remains to be further elucidated. Herein, specific pathogen-free (SPF) mice, germ-free (GF) mice, and germ-free mice supplemented with sodium acetate (GS) were used to evaluate the effects of acetate on the skeletal muscle growth and development of young mice with gut microbiota deficiency. We found that the concentration of serum acetate, body mass gain, succinate dehydrogenase activity, and expression of the myogenesis maker gene of skeletal muscle in the GS group were higher than those in the GF group, following sodium acetate supplementation. Furthermore, the transcriptome analysis revealed that acetate activated the biological processes that regulate skeletal muscle growth and development in the GF group, which are otherwise inhibited due to a gut microbiota deficiency. The in vitro experiment showed that acetate up-regulated Gm16062 to promote skeletal muscle cell differentiation. Overall, our findings proved that acetate promotes skeletal muscle growth and development in young mice via increasing Gm16062 expression.

Melatonin in food allergy: Mechanism and potential therapy.

Food allergy affects more than 500 million people in the world, and its prevalence is increasing at an alarming rate causing serious public health concerns; however, prevention and treatment methods are still under investigation and are relatively scarce so far. Insights on pathophysiology reveal a complex interplay of the immune cells (e.g., DCs, T cells, and B cells) resulting in allergy or tolerance. Studies have shown that melatonin metabolisms are altered in patients with allergic diseases, suggesting that melatonin might impact allergic diseases. Notably, melatonin can orchestrate the differentiation and function of immune cells. Additionally, the disease severities of many allergic diseases and the function of the immune system exhibit circadian rhythmicity. Therefore, melatonin, a rhythm regulator, may also act indirectly on the immune system through the circadian clock to regulate food allergies. Herein, we reviewed the impacts of melatonin on food allergy and its underlying regulatory mechanisms, providing a theoretical reference for melatonin as effective means of prevention and treatment for food allergy in the future.

Comparison of maternal and neonatal gut microbial community and function in a porcine model.

Our knowledge of the difference in maternal and neonatal gut microbiota composition is not fully understood. Using the Bama miniature pig model, the bacterial community in the feces from sows and piglets was analyzed on an IonS5TMXL platform targeting the single-end reads strategy. Results revealed that the maternal and neonatal bacteria profile in the pig model was distinct. Compared with the piglets, sows had higher proportions of bacteria in Spirochetes, Clostridiales, and Spirochaetales (p < 0.10) and had a lower abundance of bacteria in Tyzzerella (p < 0.05) and Alistipes (p < 0.10). Meanwhile, the proportions of bacteria in Oscillibacter and the index of Chao1, Shannon, and observed_species increased in the sows compared with those in the piglets (p < 0.05). Moreover, the abundance of bacteria associated with the human disease was higher (p < 0.05) and the population of bacteria associated with cellular processes was lower (p < 0.05) in the piglets compared with those in the sows. Collectively, the diversity and beneficial bacteria populations in the sow fecal microbiota exhibit more than those in the piglets. This study indicates that maternal fecal microbiota may be a beneficial source of transplanted bacteria to promote healthy function in neonates.

Gut microbiota absence and transplantation affect diarrhea: an investigation in the germ-free piglet model.

This experiment was conducted to explore the effects of gut microbiota on neonatal diarrhea in a germ-free (GF) pig model. Twelve hysterectomy-derived GF piglets were housed in six sterile isolators. Among them, six piglets were treated as the GF group, and the other six piglets were orally introduced with healthy sow fecal suspension and regarded as the fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) group. Another six piglets from natural birth were considered as the conventional (CV) group. The GF and FMT piglets were hand-fed with sterile milk powder for 21 days, and the CV piglets were suckled for the same days. Then, all piglets were fed with sterile feed for another 21 days. Results exhibited that the GF group's fecal score and moisture level were higher than those in the CV and FMT groups (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the abundances of colonic AQP1 and AQP8 in the GF group were the greatest among these treatments (p < 0.05). However, FMT piglets had a lower fecal score in d 22-28 and d 29-35 than that in the CV piglets (p < 0.05). Collectively, the absence of gut microbiota may cause diarrhea in the piglet model, and transplantation of maternal fecal microbiota may reverse it.

Generation of fully human anti-GPC3 antibodies with high-affinity recognition of GPC3 positive tumors.

The acceleration of therapeutic antibody development has been motivated by the benefit to and their demand for human health. In particular, humanized transgenic antibody discovery platforms, combined with immunization, hybridoma fusion and/or single cell DNA sequencing are the most reliable and rapid methods for mining the human monoclonal antibodies. Human GPC3 protein is an oncofetal antigen, and it is highly expressed in most hepatocellular carcinomas and some types of squamous cell carcinomas. Currently, no fully human anti-GPC3 therapeutic antibodies have been reported and evaluated in extensive tumor tissues. Here, we utilized a new humanized transgenic mouse antibody discovery platform (CAMouse) that contains large V(D)J -regions and human gamma-constant regions of human immunoglobulin in authentic configurations to generate fully human anti-GPC3 antibodies. Our experiments resulted in four anti-GPC3 antibodies with high-specific binding and cytotoxicity to GPC3 positive cancer cells, and the antibody affinities are in the nanomolar range. Immunohistochemistry analysis demonstrated that these antibodies can recognize GPC3 protein on many types of solid tumors. In summary, the human anti-human GPC3 monoclonal antibodies described here are leading candidates for further preclinical studies of cancer therapy, further, the CAMouse platform is a robust tool for human therapeutic antibody discovery.

Vitamin D signaling maintains intestinal innate immunity and gut microbiota: potential intervention for metabolic syndrome and NAFLD.

A lack of sunlight exposure, residence in the northern latitudes, and dietary vitamin D insufficiency are coprevalent with metabolic syndrome (MetS), Type 2 diabetes (T2D), and nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD), implying a potential causality and underlying mechanism. Whether vitamin D supplementation or treatment can improve these disorders is controversial, in part, because of the absence of large-scale trials. Experimental investigations, on the other hand, have uncovered novel biological functions of vitamin D in development, tumor suppression, and immune regulation, far beyond its original role as a vitamin that maintained calcium homeostasis. While the large intestine harbors massive numbers of microbes, the small intestine has a minimal quantity of bacteria, indicating the existence of a gating system located in the distal region of the small intestine that may restrain bacterial translocation to the small intestine. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) was found to be highly expressed at the distal region of small intestine, where the vitamin D signaling promotes innate immunity, including the expression of α-defensins by Paneth cells, and maintains the intestinal tight junctions. Thus, a new hypothesis is emerging, indicating that vitamin D deficiency may impair the intestinal innate immunity, including downregulation of Paneth cell defensins, leading to bacterial translocation, endotoxemia, systemic inflammation, insulin resistance, and hepatic steatosis. Here, we review the studies for vitamin D for innate immunity and metabolic homeostasis, and we outline the clinical trials of vitamin D for mitigating MetS, T2D, and NAFLD.

Production of F0 mice from embryonic stem cells injected eight-cell stage embryos which stored at refrigeration temperature.

At refrigeration temperature, mouse embryos can retain their developmental ability for a couple of days. Previous research reports have focused on the effect of cool temperature on the development of 2-cell stage embryos, morulae or blastocysts and determined that the embryo still has the ability to produce offspring after about 48 h storage at refrigeration temperature. Here we examined whether refrigeration temperature affects the development of the eight-cell stage and if the stored eight-cell stage embryo can still be used as a host embryo for ES cell injection. Our results show that eight-cell stage embryos can develop into blastocysts and yield pups after cold storage for 24 and 48 h. After ES cell injection, stored eight-cell stage embryos can support ES cells developing to F0 pups. In summary, cool storage can preserve the developmental ability of eight-cell stage embryos for at least 48 h, allowing transportation of the embryos at refrigeration temperature between different labs and their subsequent use as host embryos for ES cell injection.

Twisting electrospun nanofiber fine strips into functional sutures for sustained co-delivery of gentamicin and silver.

Surgical site infections (SSIs) represent the most common nosocomial infection among surgical patients. In order to prevent SSIs in a sustained manner and lessen side effects, we developed a twisting method for generation of nanofiber-based sutures capable of simultaneous delivery of silver and gentamicin. The prepared sutures are composed of core-sheath nanofibers with gentamicin/pluronic F127 in the core and silver/PCL in the sheath produced by co-axial electrospinning. The diameters of obtained sutures range from ~80 µm to ~1.2 mm. The in vitro release profiles of silver and gentamicin exhibit an initial burst followed by a sustained release over 5 weeks. The co-encapsulated sutures were able to kill bacteria much more effectively than gentamicin or silver alone loaded nanofiber sutures, without showing obvious impact on proliferation and migration of dermal fibroblasts and keratinocytes. The gentamicin and silver co-loaded PCL nanofiber sutures may hold great potential for prevention of SSIs.

A de novo silencer causes elimination of MITF-M expression and profound hearing loss in pigs.

BACKGROUND: Genesis of novel gene regulatory modules is largely responsible for morphological and functional evolution. De novo generation of novel cis-regulatory elements (CREs) is much rarer than genomic events that alter existing CREs such as transposition, promoter switching or co-option. Only one case of de novo generation has been reported to date, in fish and without involvement of phenotype alteration. Yet, this event likely occurs in other animals and helps drive genetic/phenotypic variation. RESULTS: Using a porcine model of spontaneous hearing loss not previously characterized we performed gene mapping and mutation screening to determine the genetic foundation of the phenotype. We identified a mutation in the non-regulatory region of the melanocyte-specific promoter of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) gene that generated a novel silencer. The consequent elimination of expression of the MITF-M isoform led to early degeneration of the intermediate cells of the cochlear stria vascularis and profound hearing loss, as well as depigmentation, all of which resemble the typical phenotype of Waardenburg syndrome in humans. The mutation exclusively affected MITF-M and no other isoforms. The essential function of Mitf-m in hearing development was further validated using a knock-out mouse model. CONCLUSIONS: Elimination of the MITF-M isoform alone is sufficient to cause deafness and depigmentation. To our knowledge, this study provides the first evidence of a de novo CRE in mammals that produces a systemic functional effect.

Transgenic expression of human cytoxic T-lymphocyte associated antigen4-immunoglobulin (hCTLA4Ig) by porcine skin for xenogeneic skin grafting.

Porcine skin is frequently used as a substitute of human skin to cover large wounds in clinic practice of wound care. In our previous work, we found that transgenic expression of human cytoxicT-lymphocyte associated antigen4-immunoglobulin (hCTLA4Ig) in murine skin graft remarkably prolonged its survival in xenogeneic wounds without extensive immunosuppression in recipients, suggesting that transgenic hCTLA4Ig expression in skin graft may be an effective and safe method to prolong xenogeneic skin graft survival. In this work, using a transgene construct containing hCTLA4Ig coding sequence under the drive of human Keratine 14 (k14) promoter, hCTLA4Ig transgenic pigs were generated by somatic nuclear transfer. The derived transgenic pigs were healthy and exhibited no signs of susceptibility to infection. The hCTLA4Ig transgene was stably transmitted through germline over generations, and thereby a transgenic pig colony was established. In the derived transgenic pigs, hCTLA4Ig expression in skin was shown to be genetically stable over generations, and detected in heart, kidney and corneal as well as in skin. Transgenic hCTLA4Ig protein in pigs exhibited expected biological activity as it suppressed human lymphocyte proliferation in human mixed lymphocyte culture to extents comparable to those of commercially purchased purified hCTLA4Ig protein. In skin grafting from pigs to rats, transgenic porcine skin grafts exhibited remarkably prolonged survival compared to the wild-type skin grafts derived from the same pig strain (13.33 ± 3.64 vs. 6.25 ± 2.49 days, P < 0.01), further indicating that the transgenic hCTLA4Ig protein was biologically active and capable of extending porcine skin graft survival in xenogeneic wounds. The transgenic pigs generated in this work can be used as a reproducible resource to provide porcine skin grafts with extended survival for wound coverage, and also as donors to investigate the impacts of hCTLA4Ig on xenotransplantation of other organs (heart, kidney and corneal) due to the ectopic transgenic hCTLA4Ig expression.

A novel hysteroscopic hook for extracting retained contraceptive intrauterine devices under direct vision.

OBJECTIVE: The study evaluated the efficacy of removing retained intrauterine devices (IUDs) under direct vision using a novel hysteroscopic hook. METHODS: In a retrospective observational study, 83 patients (group 1) underwent IUD extraction using a hysteroscopic IUD removal hook (HIRH) and 60 patients (group 2) underwent traditional hysteroscopic IUD extraction. We recorded the blood loss, operation time and success rate. RESULTS: The operation time was shorter (10.7 vs. 17.7 min; p < 0.001) and the success rate higher in group 1 compared with group 2 (odds ratio 1.09; p = 0.027). CONCLUSIONS: The HIRH is an effective, simple, inexpensive and durable tool for the direct visual removal of IUDs partially embedded in the endometrium and for damaged IUDs.

Slightly acidic electrolyzed water for reducing airborne microorganisms in a layer breeding house.

UNLABELLED: Reducing airborne microorganisms may potentially improve the environment in layer breeding houses. The effectiveness of slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW; pH 5.29-6.30) in reducing airborne microorganisms was investigated in a commercial layer house in northern China. The building had a tunnel-ventilation system, with an evaporative cooling. The experimental area was divided into five zones along the length of the house, with zone 1 nearest to an evaporative cooling pad and zone 5 nearest to the fans. The air temperature, relative humidity, dust concentration, and microbial population were measured at the sampling points in the five zones during the study period. The SAEW was sprayed by workers in the whole house. A six-stage air microbial sampler was used to measure airborne microbial population. Results showed that the population of airborne bacteria and fungi were sharply reduced by 0.71 x 10(5) and 2.82 x 10(3) colony-forming units (CFU) m(-3) after 30 min exposure to SAEW, respectively. Compared with the benzalkonium chloride (BC) solution and povidone-iodine (PVP-I) solution treatments, the population reductions of airborne fungi treated by SAEW were significantly (P < 0.05) more, even though the three disinfectants can decrease both the airborne bacteria and fungi significantly (P < 0.05) 30 min after spraying. IMPLICATIONS: There are no effective methods for reducing airborne microbial levels in tunnel-ventilated layer breeding houses; additionally, there is limited information available on airborne microorganism distribution. This research investigated the spatial distribution of microbial population, and the effectiveness of spraying slightly acidic electrolyzed water in reducing microbial levels. The research revealed that slightly acidic electrolyzed water spray was a potential method for reducing microbial presence in layer houses. The knowledge gained in this research about the microbial population variations in the building may assist producers in managing the bird housing environment and engineers in designing poultry houses.

Melatonergic Signaling Sustains Food Allergy Through FcεRI Recycling.

The prevalence of food allergies is increasing dramatically and causing serious public health concerns. Notably, melatonin metabolism imbalance in patients with food allergies; however, the role of melatonin in food allergies remains unclear. Here, we demonstrated that melatonin suppresses food allergy responses and reprograms the gut microbiota of food-allergic mice, while melatonin aggravates food allergy during gut microbiota depletion. Mechanistically, melatonin boosts the degranulation of mast cells by up-regulating the expression of membrane high-affinity immunoglobulin E (IgE) receptor (FcεRI). Melatonin increases the mRNA expression of Rabenosyn-5 (a component of factors for endosome recycling and Rab interactions) through melatonin receptor 2 (MT2)-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling, thereby driving the recycling of FcεRI and elevating the abundance of membrane FcεRI. Likewise, the inhibition of MT2 attenuates melatonin-induced food allergy in mice with gut microbiota depletion. Collectively, our finding provides insights into the pathogenesis of food allergies and provides a potential therapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of food allergies.

Exploring functional metabolites and proteomics biomarkers in late-preterm and natural-born pigs.

Introduction: Pigs are often used to study the intestinal development of newborns, particularly as preterm pig models that mimic the intestinal growth of human preterm infants. Neonatology's study of delivery mode's impact on neonatal development is crucial. Methods: We established 14 newborn pigs delivered via cesarean sections (C-section, at 113 days of gestational age, CS group) and 8 naturally born pigs were used as controls (at 114 days of gestational age, NF group). The impact of two alternative delivery procedures (C-section and natural birth) on the levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and organic acids in the hepatic and intestines of newborn pigs were compared using metabolomics. The underlying molecular pathways are examined at the "protein-metabolite" level by integrating proteomic data. Results: The findings demonstrated that the mode of delivery changed the metabolism of SCFAs in newborn pigs, perhaps by affecting the physiology levels of cyclic intermediates such as lactate and malate in the pyruvate metabolic pathway. Additionally, by participating in the fatty acid metabolism pathway, two distinct proteins (FASN and HSD17B4) may impact the physiological concentration of these tiny metabolites. Discussion: In conclusion, this study provided reliable animal model data for understanding the physiological SCFA metabolic information and its affecting mechanism of large-gestational age preterm infants.

Unveiling the Regulatory Role of LncRNA MYU in Hypoxia-Induced Angiogenesis via the miR-23a-3p Axis in Endothelial Cells.

Background: Angiogenesis is essential for various physiological and pathological processes, such as embryonic development and cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play pivotal roles in normal homeostasis and disease processes by regulating gene expression through various mechanisms, including competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) of target microRNAs (miRNAs). The lncRNA MYU is known to promote prostate cancer proliferation via the miR-184/c-Myc regulatory axis and to be upregulated in vascular endothelial cells under hypoxic conditions, which often occurs in solid tumors. In the present study, we investigated whether MYU might affect cancer growth by regulating angiogenesis in vascular endothelial cells under hypoxia. Methods: The expression of MYU-regulated miR-23a-3p and interleukin-8 (IL-8) in HUVEC cell lines was examined using qRT-PCR. The CCK-8 assay, EdU assay, wound-healing assay, and tube-formation assay were used to assess the effects of MYU on cell proliferation, migration, and tube formation of HUVEC cells in vitro. The dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to examine the effects of miR-23a-3p on MYU and IL-8 expression. Results: We found that the overexpression of MYU and knockdown of miR-23a-3p in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) under hypoxia promoted cell proliferation, migration, and tube formation. Mechanistically, MYU was shown to bind competitively to miR-23a-3p, thereby preventing miR-23a-3p binding to the 3' untranslated region of IL-8 mRNA. In turn, increased production of pro-angiogenic IL-8 promoted HUVEC proliferation, migration, and tube formation under hypoxia. Conclusion: This study identified a new role for lncRNA MYU as a ceRNA for miR-23a-3p and uncovered a novel MYU-miR-23a-3p-IL-8 regulatory axis for angiogenesis. MYU and/or miR-23a-3p may thus represent new targets for the treatment of hypoxia-related diseases by promoting angiogenesis.

Gut microbiota regulates host melatonin production through epithelial cell MyD88.

Melatonin has various physiological effects, such as the maintenance of circadian rhythms, anti-inflammatory functions, and regulation of intestinal barriers. The regulatory functions of melatonin in gut microbiota remodeling have also been well clarified; however, the role of gut microbiota in regulating host melatonin production remains poorly understood. To address this, we studied the contribution of gut microbiota to host melatonin production using gut microbiota-perturbed models. We demonstrated that antibiotic-treated and germ-free mice possessed diminished melatonin levels in the serum and elevated melatonin levels in the colon. The influence of the intestinal microbiota on host melatonin production was further confirmed by fecal microbiota transplantation. Notably, Lactobacillus reuteri (L. R) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) recapitulated the effects of gut microbiota on host melatonin production. Mechanistically, L. R and E. coli activated the TLR2/4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway to promote expression of arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT, a rate-limiting enzyme for melatonin production), and MyD88 deficiency in colonic epithelial cells abolished the influence of intestinal microbiota on colonic melatonin production. Collectively, we revealed a specific underlying mechanism of gut microbiota to modulate host melatonin production, which might provide novel therapeutic ideas for melatonin-related diseases.

An intronic enhancer of Cebpa regulates adipocyte differentiation and adipose tissue development via long-range loop formation.

Cebpa is a master transcription factor gene for adipogenesis. However, the mechanisms of enhancer-promoter chromatin interactions controlling Cebpa transcriptional regulation during adipogenic differentiation remain largely unknown. To reveal how the three-dimensional structure of Cebpa changes during adipogenesis, we generated high-resolution chromatin interactions of Cebpa in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and 3T3-L1 adipocytes using circularized chromosome conformation capture sequencing (4C-seq). We revealed dramatic changes in chromatin interactions and chromatin status at interaction sites during adipogenic differentiation. Based on this, we identified five active enhancers of Cebpa in 3T3-L1 adipocytes through epigenomic data and luciferase reporter assays. Next, epigenetic repression of Cebpa-L1-AD-En2 or -En3 by the dCas9-KRAB system significantly down-regulated Cebpa expression and inhibited adipocyte differentiation. Furthermore, experimental depletion of cohesin decreased the interaction intensity between Cebpa-L1-AD-En2 and the Cebpa promoter and down-regulated Cebpa expression, indicating that long-range chromatin loop formation was mediated by cohesin. Two transcription factors, RXRA and PPARG, synergistically regulate the activity of Cebpa-L1-AD-En2. To test whether Cebpa-L1-AD-En2 plays a role in adipose tissue development, we injected dCas9-KRAB-En2 lentivirus into the inguinal white adipose tissue (iWAT) of mice to suppress the activity of Cebpa-L1-AD-En2. Repression of Cebpa-L1-AD-En2 significantly decreased Cebpa expression and adipocyte size, altered iWAT transcriptome, and affected iWAT development. We identified functional enhancers regulating Cebpa expression and clarified the crucial roles of Cebpa-L1-AD-En2 and Cebpa promoter interaction in adipocyte differentiation and adipose tissue development.

Diversity and host interaction of the gut microbiota in specific pathogen-free pigs.

Pigs are widely used as animal models in various studies related to humans. The interaction between the gut microbiota and the host has significant effects on the host's health and disease status. However, although there have been many studies investigating the pig gut microbiota, the findings have been inconsistent due to variations in rearing conditions. Interactions between the gut microbiota and host have not been fully explored in pigs. Specific pathogen-free (SPF) pigs are ideal non-primate large animals to study the interactions between the gut microbiota and the host. In this study, we performed high-throughput sequencing analysis of the gut microbiota and the gut tissue transcriptome of six SPF pigs to provide a systematic understanding of the composition, function, and spatial distribution of gut microbiota in SPF pigs. We identified significant differences in microbial diversity and functionality among different gastrointestinal tract sites. Metagenomics data analysis revealed significant differences in alpha diversity and beta diversity of microbiota in different gastrointestinal sites of SPF pigs. Additionally, transcriptomic data indicated significant differences in gene expression as well as KEGG and GO functional enrichment between the small intestine and large intestine. Furthermore, by combining microbial metagenomics and host transcriptomics analyses, specific correlations were found between gut microbiota and host genes. These included a negative correlation between the TCN1 gene and Prevotella dentalis, possibly related to bacterial metabolic pathways involving vitamin B12, and a positive correlation between the BDH1 gene and Roseburia hominis, possibly because both are involved in fatty acid metabolism. These findings lay the groundwork for further exploration of the co-evolution between the microbiota and the host, specifically in relation to nutrition, metabolism, and immunity. In conclusion, we have elucidated the diversity of the gut microbiota in SPF pigs and conducted a detailed investigation into the interactions between the gut microbiota and host gene expression. These results contribute to our understanding of the intricate dynamics between the gut microbiota and the host, offering important references for advancements in life science research, bioproduct production, and sustainable development in animal husbandry.