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GLP-1 receptor agonists are primarily used clinically for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and have the potential for weight loss, while they are currently expanding their horizons in the treatment of hypertension, non-alcoholic liver disease, depression, and neurodegenerative diseases. In particular, in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, a large number of animal models and a handful of clinical studies have demonstrated the potential efficacy of GLP-1 receptor agonists, making it highly probable that they will become a new entrant in the drug list for Alzheimer's disease. At present, the research on the mechanism of GLP-1 receptor agonist in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease is mainly based on in-depth analysis of the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and exploration of the mechanism of its comorbidity with diabetes. This article mainly reviews the latest advances in the mechanism of GLP-1 receptor agonists in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, introduces the latest achievements in animal studies and clinical studies, and aims to provide reference for the subsequent relevant basic research and clinical application.

Transcription, as a crucial step in the transmission of genetic information, is completed by DNA-dependent RNA polymerase. In eukaryotes, the transcription of protein-coding genes is completed by RNA polymerase II (Pol II). A distinctive feature of Pol II is the carboxy-terminal domain (CTD) of its largest subunit, RPB1, which is composed of a series of heptapeptide repeats that play a vital role in transcription. Here, we provide a comprehensive review and summary of the sequence characteristics and evolutionary trajectory of the eukaryotic RPB1 CTD, as well as its regulatory function within the transcription cycle. We particularly focus on the mechanisms by which the CTD participates in the regulation of transcription and co-transcriptional processing through post-translational modifications. This deepens our understanding of the intricate regulatory mechanisms governing gene transcription in eukaryotes and lays the groundwork for further investigation into the role of the RPB1 CTD.

Transcription is the process by which genetic information is copied from DNA to RNA, and it can be divided into three stages: transcription initiation, elongation, and termination. Transcription termination is the last step of gene transcription and is crucial for accurate gene expression. Two prevailing modes of transcription termination exist in bacteria: Rho-dependent termination and intrinsic termination (Rho-independent termination). Transcription termination is positively and negatively regulated by bacterial or bacteriophage proteins. In this review, we summarize the research progress of bacterial transcription and its regulation, with the aim of providing a theoretical foundation for further studies and understanding of transcription termination process.

Driven by adaptive evolution, animals have developed a variety of adaptive traits that are critical to their survival and reproduction. Unraveling the molecular mechanisms of adaptive evolution is of key significance for understanding important biological phenomena such as species diversification and phenotypic convergence, etc. With the development and maturation of multi-omics technologies, genomic non-coding DNA regulatory elements have been proven to play important regulatory roles in the evolution of adaptive traits in animals. In this review, we summarize the characteristics and mechanisms of non-coding DNA regulatory elements and reviews their molecular mechanisms in the evolution of adaptive traits in animals from three aspects: adaptive traits of animal appendages, traits for adaptation to extreme environments, and other special phenotypic adaptive traits. It offers significant insights for understanding the molecular mechanisms of adaptive trait evolution in animals.

Genetic epistasis is a fundamental concept in genetics that describes how interactions between genes determine phenotypic traits. To enhance students' understanding and practical application of genetic epistasis, this experiment is designed and conducted using gene mutations in the adenine biosynthesis pathway of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker's yeast). S. cerevisiae is a classic model organism for genetic teaching experiments. In its adenine biosynthesis pathway, a mutation in the ADE2 gene leads to the accumulation of the intermediate 5'-phosphoribosylaminoimidazole (AIR), causing the cells to appear red. However, if a gene upstream of ADE2 in the adenine biosynthesis pathway (such as ADE8) is defective, the red phenotype of yeast will disappear. Conversely, a defect in a gene downstream of ADE2 (such as ADE1) does not alter the red phenotype. Therefore, ADE8 is epistatic to ADE2. In this experiment, the CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology is employed, allowing students to perform single knockout of ade2Δ, as well as double knockouts of ade2Δade8Δ and ade2Δade1Δ in S. cerevisiae. By observing the phenotypic changes in yeast mutants from white to red and back to white, students gain a profound understanding of the basic genetic theory of how genes determine phenotypes and the concept of epistasis in gene interactions. This experiment also enables students to master fundamental yeast genetic techniques, significantly enhancing their ability to design and conduct experiments in real research environments. This is of great significance for their future research work and academic development.

Innate immune responses play a crucial role in maintaining homeostasis, their initiation closely related to pattern recognition receptors or damage-associated molecules on the surface of innate immune cells. CD209, a pattern recognition receptor on the surface of macrophages or dendritic cells, plays an important role in immune functions. However, the impact of CD209 on innate immune cells such as macrophages or neutrophils in vivo remains unclear. In this study, through multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic tree construction, three genes homologous to human CD209 were found in zebrafish. These are cd209(Ensembl ID:ENSDARG00000029461), zgc:174904(Ensembl ID:ENSDARG00000059049) and si:dkey-187I7.2(Ensembl ID: ENSDARG00000096624).Compared to the cd209 and si:dkey-187i8.2 genes in the Ensembl database, zgc:174904 is more similar to human CD209 in sequence. Using whole-mount in situ hybridization and fluorescence co-localization experiments, it was found that zgc:174904 is mainly expressed in macrophages. Further morpholino knockdown experiments showed that knocking down zgc:174904 leads to an upregulation of M1-type macrophage-related genes and a decrease in the number of mature neutrophils, indicating that zgc:174904 is functionally more similar to CD209. These findings not only reveal the potential role of CD209 in regulating macrophage function and neutrophil development but also provide significant insights for research into the mechanisms of innate immunity.

Lonicera japonica Thunb. is a semi-evergreen climbing shrub belonging to the Caprifoliaceae family, whose dried flower buds or flowers on the verge of blooming are known as Jin Yin Hua in traditional Chinese medicine. This plant is not only a high-value and widely used medicinal material but also possesses characteristics that make it suitable for both medicinal and culinary purposes. Currently, there is a robust market demand for Jin Yin Hua, yet the breeding technology for new varieties of Lonicera japonica lags behind, necessitating the integration of modern breeding techniques. With the advancement of genomics in Lonicera japonica, an increasing number of functional genes have been identified, amassing a rich reservoir of genetic resources for molecular breeding of this species. In this review, we summarize the progress in Lonicera japonica genomics, functional gene mining, and the establishment of genetic transformation systems. In light of the existing challenges and deficiencies in the research of functional genes and quality breeding of Lonicera japonica, it is imperative to establish a germplasm resource bank, a mutant library, and an efficient genetic transformation system for this plant. Intensive research into the mining and identification of functional genes should be conducted, and molecular markers closely linked to the functional genes of Lonicera japonica should be developed. This will lay a foundational basis for the identification and cultivation of breakthrough varieties with superior qualities in Lonicera japonica.

Effective delivery of engineered proteins into mitochondria is of great significance for developing efficient mitochondrial DNA editing tools and realizing accurate treatment of mitochondrial diseases. Here, the candidate genes, eGFP and Cas9, were engineered with different mitochondrial localization signal (MLS) sequences introduced at their up- or/and down-streams. The corresponding expression vectors for the engineered proteins were constructed respectively, and HEK293T cells were transfected with these vectors. The fluorescence colocalization and Western blotting assays were used to analyze the mitochondrial targeting presentation effect of different engineered proteins. The results demonstrated that the daul-MLS modification of the eGFP and Cas9 proteins significantly improved the efficiency of mitochondrial targeted presentation, compared with the engineered proteins with single MLS added. Hence, it is speculated that dual MLS strategy can enhance the mitochondrial targeting of engineered proteins, which lays a theoretical foundation for the future development of efficient mitochondrial DNA editing tools.

Angiogenesis refers to the process of forming a new network of blood vessels from existing ones through the migration, proliferation, and differentiation of endothelial cells. This process is crucial for the growth and spread of solid tumors, particularly once the tumor volume exceeds 2 mm³, as the newly formed vascular network provides essential oxygen, nutrients, and growth factors to the tumor. Anti-angiogenesis therapy has become one of the commonly used targeted treatments for cancer in clinical practice. Bevacizumab, the first anti-angiogenesis drug, has been widely applied in the treatment of various solid tumors. However, due to acquired resistance, its efficacy is typically sustained for only 1 to 2 years. Despite the relative genomic stability of endothelial cells, which makes resistance less likely, various types of resistance phenomena have been observed in clinical practice, indicating that resistance to anti-angiogenic therapy remains a challenging research area. This review focuses on the latest advances in the mechanisms of resistance to anti-angiogenic therapy in tumors and explores new prospects for anti-tumor angiogenesis treatment, in order to provide strong theoretical support and guidance for clinical practice.

Single-cell DNA methylation sequencing technology has seen rapid advancements in recent years, playing a crucial role in uncovering cellular heterogeneity and the mechanisms of epigenetic regulation. As sequencing technologies have progressed, the quality and quantity of single-cell methylation data have also increased, making standardized preprocessing workflows and appropriate analysis methods essential for ensuring data comparability and result reliability. However, a comprehensive data analysis pipeline to guide researchers in mining existing data has yet to be established. This review systematically summarizes the preprocessing steps and analysis methods for single-cell methylation data, introduces relevant algorithms and tools, and explores the application prospects of single-cell methylation technology in neuroscience, hematopoietic differentiation, and cancer research. The aim is to provide guidance for researchers in data analysis and to promote the development and application of single-cell methylation sequencing technology.