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By collaborating with Prof. Bin Cao and Prof. Wenbin Bao's lab, we demonstrate that the abundant expression of C1qtnf6 is distinctive for hemochorial placentae, which have deep uterine invasion. C1qtnf6 is most highly expressed in human EVT and mouse SpaTGC cells, , and the mpaired placental-secretion of CTRP6 causes partial embryo lethality. Interestingly, C1qtnf6-deficiency also leads to multifaceted abnormality of dNK cells, and CTRP6 injection restores dNK abnormality and alleviates fetal loss. Overall, the partial embryo loss by CTRP6-deficiency coincides with dNK abnormality, which highlights the importance of MFI immune microenvironment for embryo maintenance.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2025.114434
By collaborating with Todd Macfarlan's lab, we characterize the genome-wide binding and function of MNX1 in motor neurons. We identified ~6000 MNX1-bound loci, half are enhancers frequently overlap peaks for core MN-inducing factors ISL1 and LHX3. Despite its widespread binding, Mnx1 knockout affects only a few dozen bound loci and causes mis-regulation of ~100 genes, the majority are neuronal genes highly expressed in both MNs and brain. We identify Pbx3 and Pou6f2 as two putative direct targets of MNX1. Collectively, MNX1 restrains the expression of non-MN-specific neuronal genes likely mainly through an indirect fashion, and the rarity of its direct targets reflects a distinctive mode of transcriptional regulation.
https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkaf1015
We designed the Transposable Element ENrichment Analyzer (TEENA), which is an integrated web server to streamline transposable element enrichment analysis in various model and non-model organisms. It implements an optimized pipeline, hosts the genome/gene/TE annotations of almost one hundred species, and provides multiple parameters to enable its flexibility. Please have a try.
https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkae411
How the PcG protein binding and chromatin loops mediated by PREs at the ON and OFF transcription state differ? Find it out from our collaborative paper with Judith Kassis's lab and Pedro Rocha's lab from NIH/NICHD.
https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adn1837
Our collaborative paper with Cao's lab from Xiemen University uncovered the essential roles of ERV-derived enhancers for human trophoblast syncytialization.
https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkad109
As a followed up study of our previous MBE paper, we further uncovered how numerous ERV-derived enhancers in human TSCs are bound and regulated by the core trophoblast TFs GATA2/3 and MSX2.
https://doi.org/10.1101/gr.277150.122
Our collaborative paper with Todd Macfarlan's lab from NIH/NICHD identified numerous lineage-specific human placental enhancers and found they highly overlap with specific ERV families, including MER21A, MER41A/B, and MER39B that were previously linked to immune response and placental function.
https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msab223