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Qian Gao

Publications and source records attributed to Qian Gao.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2026

Transcription factor NtELF3 promotes the polyphenol accumulation by targeting NtFLS-1 and NtCHIL-2 genes in tobacco.

Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) is an important economic crop, from which polyphenols are crucial for regulating its growth and development as well as shaping its quality. However, few genes associated with polyphenol accumulation have been cloned from tobacco, and the molecular mechanisms underlying this process remain poorly understood. Here, we found that the tobacco transcription factor EARLY FLOWERING 3 (NtELF3), which is highly expressed in tobacco leaves, positively regulates the accumulation of chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, rutin, scopoletin, and total polyphenols in tobacco middle leaves. The metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses of middle leaves showed that a total of 177 differentially accumulated metabolites and 7409 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in ntelf3-1 mutant versus wild type, respectively. Further investigation identified that 17 DEGs were involved in phenylpropanoid metabolic and flavonoid metabolic processes. Combined analysis indicated that the phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis pathways were also co-enriched in kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes enrichment analysis. Molecular biology experiment demonstrated that NtELF3 directly binds to the promoters of NtFLS-1 and NtCHIL-2 that are both associated with phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis, and promotes their expression. Taken together, our results not only provide new theoretical support for in-depth understanding of the regulatory mechanisms underlying polyphenol accumulation in tobacco, but also offer excellent genes and germplasm resources for tobacco quality breeding.

NtCHIL↗
PubMed2026

Molecular characterization of 16 MAPK genes in silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and the differences of their mRNA expression between Qiandao Lake and Taihu Lake.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), a serine-threonine protein kinase, is involved in a variety of stress-induced responses and also plays an important regulatory role in cell metabolism. In the study the open reading frames (ORFs) of 16 MAPK genes in silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) were obtained and verified, with the evaluations of their taxonomy, structures, conserved motifs, and evolutionary linkages. And the expression patterns of these genes in the silver carp from Qiandao Lake and Taihu Lake were explored for better understanding the response of MAPK genes to different water environment. MAPK genes of silver carp were divided into three subfamilies, including extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) subfamily, p38 subfamily and C-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) subfamily. All these genes possessed similar structures and conserved motifs of MAPK family. Realtime qPCR revealed that the expression patterns of 10 MAPK genes (ScMAPK1, ScMAPK3, ScMAPK4, ScMAPK7, ScMAPK15, ScMAPK8a, ScMAPK8b, ScMAPK9, ScMAPK10 and ScMAPK11) in head kidney, spleen and gill of silver carp in Taihu Lake and Qiandao Lake were different. These findings provide a basis for further research on the function of MAPK in silver carp.

Animals↗
PubMed2026

Meta-analysis of prostacyclin therapy for persistent pulmonary hypertension with congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of prostacyclin in the treatment of persistent pulmonary hypertension in congenital diaphragmatic hernia. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted in four main databases (PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). The protocol was registered in advance in the International Prospective of Systematic Reviews (CRD420261325458). RESULTS: A total of nine studies were included involving a total of 7009 infants in this systematic review and meta-analysis. GRADE assessment revealed substantial heterogeneity in the quality of evidence across outcomes, with most outcomes rated very low quality and only one rated moderate quality. Studies were performed meta-analysis, which showed the use of prostacylin resulted a statistically significant decrease in the OI compared to the control group (Mean Difference (MD), 9.34; I2 0%; p < 0.00001), no statistically significant in mortality (OR, 0.83; I2 84%; p = 0.70), ECMO (OR = 4.9; I2 98%; p = 0.27), BNP (std MD, 6.98; I2 98%; p = 0.31), FiO2 (SMD = 8.0;, I2 64%; p = 0.11), Systolic orientation of IVS curvature (SMD = 0.69; I2 97%; p = 0.32), Diastolic orientation of IVS differences (MD = 0.62; I2 93% p = 0.26). After applying the Hartung-Knapp adjustment, with the exception of BNP, the pooled effects of the other outcomes were not statistically significant, and there was high heterogeneity in measures such as ECMO and ventricular septal curvature. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, this meta-analysis has confirmed that prostacyclin may temporarily improve oxygenation. However, after applying the Hartung-Knapp adjustment, with the exception of BNP, the pooled effects of the other outcomes were not statistically significant, and there was high heterogeneity in measures such as ECMO and ventricular septal curvature. Further validation through high-quality studies are still needed. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO: CRD420261325458.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Analysis of tuberculosis and multiple diseases as co-morbidities: a narrative review.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) remains the leading cause of death from infectious diseases worldwide, and its control is increasingly complicated by chronic comorbidities. Diabetes mellitus (DM), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer (LC) substantially affect TB susceptibility, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. METHODS: This narrative review summarizes evidence on the interactions between TB and DM, HIV infection, COPD, and LC. Relevant literature was identified through PubMed, Web of Science, and World Health Organization publications, focusing on studies published between 2001 and 2025. Priority was given to peer-reviewed original studies and reviews addressing immune mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatment. RESULTS: DM increases TB risk by impairing innate and adaptive immunity and complicates prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. HIV-1 weakens antimycobacterial defense through lymphocyte depletion, macrophage dysfunction, granuloma instability, and immune exhaustion, markedly increasing susceptibility to active TB. TB and COPD mutually aggravate pulmonary inflammation, oxidative stress, and structural lung damage, contributing to poor respiratory outcomes. Mycobacterium tuberculosis(M.tb) infection may also be associated with LC development through chronic inflammation, oxidative stress-related genomic instability, and oncogenic signaling. Overall, these comorbidities increase diagnostic difficulty, therapeutic complexity, and the risk of adverse outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: TB associated comorbidities remain a major challenge to global TB control. Understanding these interactions may support bidirectional screening, risk stratification, and integrated management. Although these conditions share immune dysregulation, chronic inflammation, and oxidative stress, they differ in dominant mechanisms, diagnostic challenges, and treatment priorities. Future research should prioritize biomarker discovery, mechanistic clarification, and multilevel prevention and control strategies.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Association between packed red blood cell transfusion and clinical deterioration in neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: No systematic review has evaluated the existing evidence regarding the association between packed red blood cell (pRBC) transfusion and clinical worsening of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in neonates. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to address this knowledge gap. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Library, EBSCO, Embase, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and PubMed for studies on pRBC transfusion and NEC published before May 10, 2025. Relevant articles were selected through title, abstract, and full-text screening. English-language case-control studies or cohort studies, or randomized controlled trials involving newborns with NEC that compared pRBC transfusion with no transfusion and reported changes in NEC clinical status were included. Review articles, systematic reviews, case reports, editorials, animal studies, duplicate publications, and studies with incomplete data were excluded. RESULTS: Five studies involving 971 neonates with NEC were included. The pooled analysis demonstrated a potential association between pRBC transfusion and clinical deterioration of NEC in neonates (odds ratio: 6.05, 95% confidence interval: 3.02-12.14). CONCLUSIONS: pRBC transfusion was associated with an exacerbation of NEC in neonates. However, these findings should be interpreted cautiously because of the small number of eligible studies included in this meta-analysis, and future large-scale, well-designed studies are needed to confirm the observed association.

Humans↗
PubMed2025

A robust transfer learning approach for high-dimensional linear regression to support integration of multi-source gene expression data.

Transfer learning aims to integrate useful information from multi-source datasets to improve the learning performance of target data. This can be effectively applied in genomics when we learn the gene associations in a target tissue, and data from other tissues can be integrated. However, heavy-tail distribution and outliers are common in genomics data, which poses challenges to the effectiveness of current transfer learning approaches. In this paper, we study the transfer learning problem under high-dimensional linear models with t-distributed error (Trans-PtLR), which aims to improve the estimation and prediction of target data by borrowing information from useful source data and offering robustness to accommodate complex data with heavy tails and outliers. In the oracle case with known transferable source datasets, a transfer learning algorithm based on penalized maximum likelihood and expectation-maximization algorithm is established. To avoid including non-informative sources, we propose to select the transferable sources based on cross-validation. Extensive simulation experiments as well as an application demonstrate that Trans-PtLR demonstrates robustness and better performance of estimation and prediction when heavy-tail and outliers exist compared to transfer learning for linear regression model with normal error distribution. Data integration, Variable selection, T distribution, Expectation maximization algorithm, Genotype-Tissue Expression, Cross validation.

Linear Models↗
PubMed2006

Anorectic estrogen mimics leptin's effect on the rewiring of melanocortin cells and Stat3 signaling in obese animals.

Metabolic hormones, such as leptin, alter the input organization of hypothalamic circuits, resulting in increased pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) tone, followed by decreased food intake and adiposity. The gonadal steroid estradiol can also reduce appetite and adiposity, and it influences synaptic plasticity. Here we report that estradiol (E2) triggers a robust increase in the number of excitatory inputs to POMC neurons in the arcuate nucleus of wild-type rats and mice. This rearrangement of synapses in the arcuate nucleus is leptin independent because it also occurred in leptin-deficient (ob/ob) and leptin receptor-deficient (db/db) mice, and was paralleled by decreased food intake and body weight gain as well as increased energy expenditure. However, estrogen-induced decrease in body weight was dependent on Stat3 activation in the brain. These observations support the notion that synaptic plasticity of arcuate nucleus feeding circuits is an inherent element in body weight regulation and offer alternative approaches to reducing adiposity under conditions of failed leptin receptor signaling.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Identification of unique genetic markers in Rv0927c among Mycobacterium tuberculosis W-Beijing strains.

Fifty-six clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis were analyzed by spoligotyping to determine the prevalence of W-Beijing strains. Forty-nine of the 56 isolates belonged to W-Beijing strains and 7 isolates were non-Beijing strains. Comparative two-dimensional gel electrophoresis analysis of protein patterns between the W-Beijing and non-Beijing strains identified a unique protein Rv0927c that is absent in the former but present in the latter and the reference strain M. tuberculosis H37Rv. Compared with 7 non-Beijing clinical isolates and H37Rv, all 49 W-Beijing strains had two characteristic mutations, a deletion of AGC at nucleotide position 421 of Rv0927c gene encoding a putative short dehydrogenase/reductase, causing deletion of serine codon at amino acid position 141 and a -127 G-->A mutation in Rv0927c-pstS3 intergenic region, resulting in failure to express Rv0927c. Western blot analysis indicated that polyclonal antibody raised against H37Rv Rv0927c overexpressed in Escherichia coli reacted with non-Beijing strains and H37Rv but not W-Beijing strains. Characteristic mutations of Rv0927c that are present in W-Beijing strains can be used as a novel genetic marker for rapid molecular typing of M. tuberculosis W-Beijing strains.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMed2006

Thoughts for food: brain mechanisms and peripheral energy balance.

The past decade has witnessed dramatic advancements regarding the neuroendocrine control of food intake and energy homeostasis and the effects of peripheral metabolic signals on the brain. The development of molecular and genetic tools to visualize and selectively manipulate components of homeostatic systems, in combination with well-established neuroanatomical, electrophysiological, behavioral, and pharmacological techniques, are beginning to provide a clearer picture of the intricate circuits and mechanisms of these complex processes. In this review, we attempt to provide some highlights of these advancements and pinpoint some of the shortcomings of the current understanding of the brain's involvement in the regulation of daily energy homeostasis.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

[Relationship between pterygium onset and ultraviolet rays exposure time].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the dose-effect relationship between the radiation of ultraviolet ray and the onset of pterygium quantitatively. METHODS: Interrogation was conducted to 95 patients with pterygium in Yacheng district, Sanya City, Hainan Province, 37 males and 58 females, aged 55.7 +/- 13.8 (20 - 80), and 95 local volunteers in 1:1 pairs matched in age, sex, race, and similar habits of wearing glasses and caps (control group). Both the pterygium group and control group were re-divided into three sub-groups: youth (aged < or = 40), middle-aged (aged 41 - 60), and elderly (aged > 60). The time of exposing to ultraviolet ray was calculated. Photo of the pterygium was taken. The length of the pterygium invading into cornea was measured. RESULTS: The ultraviolet ray exposure time of the youth subgroup, pterygium group, was 35,637 +/- 13,587 hours, significantly higher than that of the youth subgroup, control group (26,188 +/- 17,423 hours, t = 3.352, P = 0.006). The ultraviolet ray exposure time of the middle-aged subgroup, pterygium group, was 73,412 +/- 23,082 hours, significantly higher than that of the middle-aged subgroup, control group (63,368 +/- 25,091 hours, t = 2.322, P = 0.024). However, there was no significant difference in the ultraviolet ray exposure time between the elderly subgroups of both groups. The length of the pterygium invading into cornea was positively correlated with the ultraviolet ray exposure time (r = 0.361, P < 0.05), and the length showed a trend of increased with aging. CONCLUSION: There is a certain dose-effect correlation between ultraviolet ray exposure and the etiology of pterygium.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Role of the luxS quorum-sensing system in biofilm formation and virulence of Staphylococcus epidermidis.

Nosocomial infections caused by Staphylococcus epidermidis are characterized by biofilm formation on implanted medical devices. Quorum-sensing regulation plays a major role in the biofilm development of many bacterial pathogens. Here, we describe luxS, a quorum-sensing system in staphylococci that has a significant impact on biofilm development and virulence. We constructed an isogenic DeltaluxS mutant strain of a biofilm-forming clinical isolate of S. epidermidis and demonstrated that luxS signaling is functional in S. epidermidis. The mutant strain showed increased biofilm formation in vitro and enhanced virulence in a rat model of biofilm-associated infection. Genetic complementation and addition of autoinducer 2-containing culture filtrate restored the wild-type phenotype, demonstrating that luxS repressed biofilm formation through a cell-cell signaling mechanism based on autoinducer 2 secretion. Enhanced production of the biofilm exopolysaccharide polysaccharide intercellular adhesin in the mutant strain is presumably the major cause of the observed phenotype. The agr quorum-sensing system has previously been shown to impact biofilm development and biofilm-associated infection in a way similar to that of luxS, although by regulation of different factors. Our study indicates a general scheme of quorum-sensing regulation of biofilm development in staphylococci, which contrasts with that observed in many other bacterial pathogens.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

[Primary drug-resistance is the main cause of drug-resistant tuberculosis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the main cause of drug-resistant tuberculosis. METHODS: Clinic isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from 1996 to 2004 in Shanghai were analyzed and the proportion of isolates from new cases (the proxy of primary drug-resistance) and retreatment cases (the proxy of acquired drug-resistance) were calculated. Mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units (MIRU) genotyping was performed and analyzed on pairs of isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from 16 recurrent patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis. RESULTS: Of all 8 120 isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from new cases, 707 isolates (8.7%) were drug resistant. Of all 610 isolates from retreatment cases, 150 isolates (24.6%) were drug resistant. Primary drug resistance accounted for 82.5% (707/857) of all drug resistant isolates. Based on the MIRU genotypes, 13 of all 16 recurrent drug-resistant patients were reinfected with new drug-resistant strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. CONCLUSION: Primary drug-resistance is the main cause of drug-resistant tuberculosis.

Antitubercular Agents↗
PubMed2006

[Study on the cause of tuberculosis recurrence by Mycobacterium tuberculosis genotyping method].

OBJECTIVE: To study the contribution of exogenous reinfection to tuberculosis recurrence. METHODS: Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from patients who had experienced 2 successive tuberculosis episodes during the years from January 1999 to March 2004 were genotyped by mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units (MIRU) method. The cause of tuberculosis recurrence was determined by comparing the MIRU pattern of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates responsible for different tuberculosis episodes from patients. RESULTS: Of 37 qualified patients with recurrent tuberculosis, the isolates from 25 patients in their two tuberculosis episodes showed different MIRU patterns, indicating that 68% recurrent patients were due to exogenous reinfection. The exogenous reinfection rate decreased with the age from 3/3 (under 30 years) to 73% (11/15, 30 to 60 years) and 58% (11/19, over 60 years). The frequency of exogenous reinfection increased with the tuberculosis recurrent interval. Within 6 months, the exogenous reinfection accounted for 58% (7/12) of all the recurrence, while for the time more than one year, the percentage increased to 79% (11/14). CONCLUSIONS: Exogenous reinfection was a major cause of tuberculosis recurrence in Shanghai. MIRU genotyping method is useful to study the cause of tuberculosis recurrence.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Co-activation of ERK, NF-kappaB, and GADD45beta in response to ionizing radiation.

NF-kappaB has been well documented to play a critical role in signaling cell stress reactions. The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) regulates cell proliferation and survival. GADD45beta is a primary cell cycle element responsive to NF-kappaB activation in anti-apoptotic responses. The present study provides evidence demonstrating that NK-kappaB, ERK and GADD45beta are co-activated by ionizing radiation (IR) in a pattern of mutually dependence to increase cell survival. Stress conditions generated in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells by the administration of a single exposure of 5 Gy IR resulted in the activation of ERK but not p38 or JNK, along with an enhancement of the NF-kappaB transactivation and GADD45beta expression. Overexpression of dominant negative Erk (DN-Erk) or pre-exposure to ERK inhibitor PD98059 inhibited NF-kappaB. Transfection of dominant negative mutant IkappaB that blocks NF-kappaB nuclear translocation, inhibited ERK activity and GADD45beta expression and increased cell radiosensitivity. Interaction of p65 and ERK was visualized in living MCF-7 cells by bimolecular fluorescence complementation analysis. Antisense inhibition of GADD45beta strikingly blocked IR-induced NF-kappaB and ERK but not p38 and JNK. Overall, these results demonstrate a possibility that NF-kappaB, ERK, and GADD45beta are able to coordinate in a loop-like signaling network to defend cells against the cytotoxicity induced by ionizing radiation.

Active Transport, Cell Nucleus↗
PubMed2005

Gene expression diversity among Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates.

Intraspecies genetic diversity has been demonstrated to be important in the pathogenesis and epidemiology of several pathogens, such as HIV, influenza, Helicobacter and Salmonella. It is also important to consider strain-to-strain variation when identifying drug targets and vaccine antigens and developing tools for molecular diagnostics. Here, the authors present a description of the variability in gene expression patterns among ten clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, plus the laboratory strains H37Rv and H37Ra, growing in liquid culture. They identified 527 genes (15 % of those tested) that are variably expressed among the isolates studied. The remaining genes were divided into three categories based on their expression levels: unexpressed (38 %), low to undetectable expression (31 %) and consistently expressed (16 %). The expression categories were compared with functional categories and three biologically interesting gene lists: genes that are deleted among clinical isolates, T-cell antigens and essential genes. There were significant associations between expression variability and the classification of genes as T-cell antigens, involved in lipid metabolism, PE/PPE, insertion sequences and phages, and deleted among clinical isolates. This survey of mRNA expression among clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis demonstrates that genes with important functions can vary in their expression levels between strains grown under identical conditions.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed2005

Factors characterizing Staphylococcus epidermidis invasiveness determined by comparative genomics.

Virulence mechanisms of the leading nosocomial pathogen Staphylococcus epidermidis are poorly understood. We used microarray-based genome-wide comparison of clinical and commensal S. epidermidis strains to identify putative virulence determinants. Our study revealed high genetic variability of the S. epidermidis genome, new markers for invasiveness of S. epidermidis, and potential targets for drug development against S. epidermidis infections.

Bacterial Proteins↗