The successful team gets together. Members of professor Li Guangpeng’s research team take a break from their work to have a group photo. [Photo/imu.edu.cn]

A paper containing the research results of professor Li Guangpeng's research group at the state key laboratory of reproductive regulation and breeding of grassland livestock in Inner Mongolia University was published in a leading international journal -- Journal Pineal Research -- according to June 5 report on the IMU website.

IMU officials said the publication marked a new achievement made by the key lab in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Titled Melatonin restores the pluripotency of long-term-cultured embryonic stem cells through melatonin receptor-dependent m6A RNA regulation, the first author of the research paper is Yang Lei, a doctoral candidate in professor Li’s research group. IMU officials said the paper is the first to reveal the role of melatonin in the pluripotency of embryonic stem cells at the RNA level.

Professor Li Guangpeng is the independent correspondence author of the research paper. In addition, professor Li's team of researchers, graduate students and teachers of IMU were also involved in the research.

Their study was supported by the independent project of the state key laboratory of reproductive regulation and breeding of grassland livestock, the major national science and technology project and the major science and technology project of Inner Mongolia autonomous region.