Search Results (161)

As the global urbanization process accelerates, rural settlements in China are facing the challenges of rural hollowing and widening urban–rural disparities. The establishment of the national scenic area system has made scenic settlements a primary direction for tourism development. However, industrial transformation has led to significant restructuring of the human–land relationship and the spatial functions of these settlements, resulting in issues such as over-tourism, ecological degradation, and cultural loss. This paper focuses on the Mosuo settlements around Lugu Lake, selecting nine villages, including Gesha Village, Wuzhiluo Village, and Daluoshui Village, to explore the formation and expression of Mosuo spatial concepts. Through spatial measurement, area statistics, and the analysis of development paths, the core of the research is to propose that “there is consistency between conceptual order and spatial form,” revealing the multi-dimensional evolutionary mechanism of Mosuo settlement spatial morphology under the intertwining of traditional concepts, market logic, and institutional policies, providing a replicable Chinese reference for global cultural heritage rural areas. Full article

Sarcomyxa edulis is a characteristic low-temperature, edible mushroom in Northeast China. It has a delicious taste and rich nutritional and medicinal value. S. edulis can undergo explosive fruiting, neat fruiting, and unified harvesting, making it suitable for factory production. The molecular mechanisms underlying fruiting body development in S. edulis remain poorly understood. This study employed transcriptome analysis to compare the post-ripening mycelium (NPM) and primordial fruiting bodies (PRMs) of the thermostable S. edulis strain PQ650759, which uniquely forms primordia under constant temperature. A total of 4862 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (|log2(fold change)| ≥ 1) were identified and found to be predominantly enriched in biological processes such as cell wall organization, DNA replication, and carbohydrate metabolism. KEGG pathway analysis revealed significant enrichment in 20 metabolic pathways, including mismatch repair, yeast cell cycle, and starch/sucrose metabolism. Ten candidate genes (e.g., SKP1, MRE11, GPI) linked to cell cycle regulation, DNA repair, and energy metabolism were randomly selected and prioritized for functional analysis. Quantitative PCR validation confirmed the reliability of transcriptome data, with expression trends consistent across both methods. Our findings provide critical insights into the molecular regulation of fruiting body development in S. edulis and establish a foundation for future mechanistic studies and strain optimization in industrial cultivation. Full article

With the advancement of human industrial activities, increased carbon dioxide emissions have made global warming an inescapable trend. Elevated temperatures exert profound effects on the viability of large macroalgae. Bangia fuscopurpurea (Rhodophyta) is a commercially important large red alga widely cultivated along the coastal waters of Putian, Fujian Province, China; however, its physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses to heat stress remain unclear. To address this question, we cultured B. fuscopurpurea at 15 °C (control) and 28 °C (heat stress) for 7 days, assessed changes in growth and photosynthetic parameters, and performed transcriptome sequencing. Growth analysis revealed that the relative growth rate of B. fuscopurpurea at 28 °C was significantly lower than that at 15 °C. After 1 day at 28 °C, the chlorophyll a and carotenoid contents increased significantly; the phycobiliprotein levels rose markedly on days 4 and 7, whereas the Fv/Fm ratio decreased significantly on days 1, 4, and 7. Transcriptomic analysis indicated that heat stress up-regulated the majority of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in B. fuscopurpurea. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed that the DEGs were predominantly associated with photosynthesis, carbohydrate and energy metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and the glutathione cycle. In summary, B. fuscopurpurea mitigates the adverse effects of heat stress by up-regulating genes involved in photosynthesis, antioxidant defenses, and glycerophospholipid metabolism. These findings enhance our understanding of the physiological adaptations and molecular mechanisms by which B. fuscopurpurea responds to heat stress. Full article

As an important characteristic and horticultural crop in China, sweetpotato can be used as food, industrial raw material, vegetable, and ornamental material. Purple sweetpotato for table use is rich in anthocyanin, which leads to some bitter taste, so it needs further quality improvement. Genetic engineering technology is an effective method to improve crop traits, but there are few reports on genes that can improve sweetpotato sweetness and taste. A xylosidase gene (Ibα-XYL1) was cloned from sweetpotato variety ‘Yanshu 25’ with a fragment size of 2796 bp and encoding 932 amino acid sequences. It has a typical transmembrane domain and three functional domains, which are localized at cell membrane. Reduction in Ibα-XYL1 gene expression had no significant effect on the expansion characteristics and anthocyanin content of sweetpotato storage root (SPSR), but it could up-regulate the expression of sucrose synthesis related genes (SuS, SuPS) and promote the accumulation of soluble sugar in fresh transgenic SPSR. At the same time, it could up-regulate the expression of genes related to starch synthesis modifications (GASS, SBE) and starch decomposition (AMY and BAM), reduce the starch granule size and the starch pasting temperature, promote the conversion of starch to maltose, increase the soluble sugar content, and improve the sweetness and taste of steamed transgenic SPSR. The results are of great significance for quality improvement of sweetpotato. Full article

China’s livestock industry grapples with challenges posed by infectious diseases and the misuse of antibiotics, resulting in a heightened risk of drug-resistant pathogens. This study explored the immunomodulatory effects of co-expressing porcine interleukin 3, 7, and 15 in Yarrowia lipolytica, denoted as Po1h-IL-3/7/15. A 42-day experiment involving mouse immunization and pathogen challenge was conducted, during which in vivo assessments of antibodies, immune-related cells, and gene expression were detected following oral administration of Po1h-IL-3/7/15. Immunological alterations in mice were analyzed using flow cytometry, qRT-PCR, ELISA, and HE staining. Notably, the serum IgG and intestinal sIgA levels in the Po1h-IL-3/7/15 group were substantially elevated compared to the control groups (p < 0.01), so were the contents of IL-7, IL-15, IFN-γ, IL-22, IL-23, and TNF-α. Furthermore, there was a marked increase in naïve T cells and central memory T cells, accompanied by a significant decrease in regulatory T cells in peripheral blood. Post-challenge with Staphylococcus aureus or Salmonella typhimurium, the expression levels of BD2, IL-1β, IL-8, Jak1, RegⅢ, S100A8, STAT1, and TNF-α genes in the intestines of the Po1h-IL-3/7/15 group were markedly higher than those in the control groups (p < 0.01). Following the challenges, the survival rate of the Po1h-IL-3/7/15 group was 100%, a significant increase compared to the 20% and 40% survival rates observed in the control groups (p < 0.05). These results confirm that IL-3/7/15 significantly boosts innate immunity, humoral and cell-mediated immune responses, and intestinal mucosal immunity in mice, enhancing resistance to bacterial infections and exhibiting potent protective effects. Full article

As a key pillar of China’s economy, the manufacturing industry faces sustainable financial risk management challenges as it undergoes digital and green low-carbon transformation. However, existing financial risk prediction models often suffer from limited accuracy, insufficient robustness, and a suboptimal activation function design. In this study, we investigated advanced deep learning architectures to address these limitations, and we introduced a novel composite triple activation function (CTAF) framework to enhance predictive performance and model robustness. We began by evaluating several deep learning models, such as CNNs, BiLSTM, CNN-AM, and BiLSTM-AM, demonstrating that CNN-BiLSTM-AM achieved the highest performance. On the basis of this model structure, we proposed a CTAF, a composite activation mechanism that combines two distinct functions applied to the raw input x, effectively mitigating gradient instability and enhancing nonlinear expressiveness. Through ablation experiments with different composite activation functions, we verified that the CTAF consistently outperformed alternatives. Meanwhile, the mainstream activation functions and CTAF were applied to different layers for comparison, further verifying the CTAF’s advantages in various structures. The optimal configuration was achieved when tanh was used in the CNN and Dense layers and the CTAF (tanh_relu) was applied in a Lambda layer after a BiLSTM layer, resulting in the highest accuracy of 99.5%. Furthermore, paired t-tests and evaluations on cross-industry datasets confirmed the optimal model’s stability and generalizability. Full article

Pleurotus ostreatus is the third largest cultivated species in China’s edible mushroom industry; however, its agricultural cultivation method is easily affected by high-temperature environments. To understand the response mechanism of mycelia to heat stress, the mycelia of P. ostreatus, which had been grown at 28 °C for 4 days, were subjected to heat stress at 32 °C and 36 °C for 2 days, followed by RNA-seq analysis. These results indicate that, under heat stress, mycelial growth was significantly inhibited, the cell membrane was disrupted, the cell walls became thicker, and chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase activities decreased. Transcriptome analysis revealed 2118 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) under 36 °C heat stress, and 458 DEGs were identified under 32 °C heat stress. A total of 328 DEGs were upregulated or downregulated under heat stress at 36 °C and 32 °C. The functional enrichment analysis of these genes revealed significant enrichment in genes related to hydrogen peroxide metabolism, oxidoreductase activity, ATP hydrolysis, and cell wall structure composition. There was a total of 80 DEGs specific to heat stress at 32 °C, and they were significantly enriched in catalase activity, the cell wall, the aminoglycan catabolic process, and oxidoreductase activity. However, 817 DEGs specific to heat stress at 36 °C were significantly enriched in the cell wall, integral components of the membrane, and oxidoreductase activity. The identification of cell wall-related genes revealed that hydrophobic proteins, Cerato plateau proteins, laccases, and glycoside hydrolases may respond to stress. The results of qRT-PCR for cell wall-related genes are consistent with the RNA-seq data. This study revealed several potential candidate genes for high-temperature thermal response, laying the foundation for the study of the thermal response mechanism of P. ostreatus. Full article

Malolactic fermentation (MLF), an essential enological process for wine deacidification and aroma development, is predominantly mediated by Oenococcus oeni (O. oeni). This investigation characterized 170 indigenous O. oeni isolates from two principal Chinese viticultural regions (Yinchuan, Ningxia, and Changli, Hebei) through polyphasic analysis. Forty-nine strains demonstrating genetic potential for efficient malate metabolism and biosafety compliance (absence of ethyl carbamate and biogenic amines genes) were subjected to adaptive laboratory evolution under enologically relevant stress conditions. Comparative evaluation with the superior indigenous strain SD-2a revealed eight stress-adapted isolates exhibiting superior MLF kinetics, completing L-malic acid degradation in Marselan wine. Solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS) profiling identified three isolates’ (3-31, 9-10, and 9-50) significant enhancement of key fermentation aromas in experimental fermentations. These oenologically adapted indigenous strains demonstrate promising potential as regional-specific starter cultures, providing a scientific foundation for developing terroir-expressive winemaking practices and optimizing microbial resources in China’s wine industry. Full article

This research explored the potential of plant antimicrobial compounds as natural alternatives to synthetic antimicrobials in the food and pharmaceutical industries, emphasizing the urgent need to combat antimicrobial resistance. It detailed various mechanisms by which these plant-derived compounds inhibit microbial growth, including disrupting cell membrane integrity, impeding cell wall and protein synthesis, and preventing biofilm formation, ultimately leading to bacterial cell death. This study highlighted the specific effects of plant antimicrobials on bacterial cells, such as inhibiting biofilm formation, cellular respiration, and cell motility, while also modulating oxygen consumption and reactive oxygen species generation, which are vital in addressing biofilm-mediated infections. Additionally, these compounds can regulate the expression of virulence factors and efflux pumps, enhancing antibiotic efficacy. A bibliometric analysis revealed a growing trend in research output and international collaboration, particularly from China and the United States, with key journals including “Frontiers in Microbiology” and “Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.” The analysis identified six clusters related to plant antimicrobial research, underscoring the need for further investigation into the mechanisms and applications of these bioactive compounds. In conclusion, understanding the action of plant antimicrobials is important for their effective application in combating antimicrobial resistance. Full article

Acrossocheilus parallens has become an important commercial aquaculture species in southern China due to its high nutritional content and ornamental value. However, at present, there is very little research on its gonad development and reproductive regulation, which has restricted the development of its aquaculture industry. In this research, the gonadal transcriptome sequencing data of female and male A. parallens were first analyzed and compared. A total of 67,251 unigenes were successfully assembled and a total of 34,069 unigenes were annotated. After the comparative transcriptome analysis, a sum of 14,514 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between the male and female gonads, with 9111 having significantly high expression in the testes and 5403 having high expression in the ovaries. Additionally, 82 DEGs related to reproduction, gonad development and differentiation in the gonads were identified and the differential expression profiles of partial genes were further validated using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. These results provide basic data for further research on the functions of the genes and pathways related to sex differentiation and gonad development in A. parallens. Full article

Cold-adapted pectin lyases are particularly useful in the extraction and clarification of freshly squeezed fruit juices at low temperatures, as they effectively reduce juice viscosity and improve light transmittance. With the increasing attention on low-temperature pectinase in industrial applications, the exploration of low-temperature pectinase with novel characteristics has become one of the key focuses of research and development. In this study, a 1026 bp gene, pel1Ba, encoding a 42.7 kDa pectin lyase, was cloned from sediment samples collected from the South China Sea and heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli. The purified Pel1Ba exhibited an optimal temperature of 40 °C and an optimal pH of 10, with a total enzyme activity of 5100 U/mL. Notably, Pel1Ba is a cold-adapted enzyme that retains 80% of its relative activity across the temperature range of 0–40 °C. When 20 U/mL purified Pel1Ba was added to orange juice, the juice volume increased by 43.00% and its clarity improved by 37.80%. Meanwhile, site-directed mutagenesis analysis revealed that the residual enzyme activities of the mutants A230I, F253I, and L292I were increased by 22.5%, 34.4%, and 25.1%, respectively, compared to the wild type. This study concludes that the cold-active pectate lyase Pel1Ba exhibits potential for applications in the food industry. Full article

Cyprinid herpesvirus 2 (CyHV-2) is a major pathogen posing a serious threat to crucian carp farming and has led to major economic losses in China’s aquaculture industry. This research aimed to explore how the CyHV-2-ORF41 protein influences viral replication. Firstly, we found that ORF41 overexpression in Gibel carp brain (GiCB) cells significantly enhanced CyHV-2 replication. Subsequently, GST pull-down and LC-MS/MS analyses were conducted to identify ORF41’s protein interactions. The results showed that ORF41 might interact with pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH)-E1β, an enzyme connecting glycolysis to the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Furthermore, ORF41 expression decreased the PDH-E1β levels, leading to pyruvate and lactic acid accumulation. Molecular docking and dynamics simulations confirmed a stable interaction between ORF41 and PDH-E1β. This research not only deepens our understanding of CyHV-2’s mechanisms of infection but also suggests potential targets for therapeutic strategies in aquaculture. Full article

Biotechnological research and application of microbial enzyme production have consistently been focal points for scientific inquiry and industrial advancement. In this study, Bacillus subtilis Y4X3 was isolated from saline–alkaline soil in Xinjiang, China. Extracellular enzyme production analysis revealed that B. subtilis Y4X3 can secrete various enzymes, including cellulase, xylanase, protease, and amylase. Sequencing and assembly of the complete genome of this strain revealed a genome size of 4,215,636 bp with 43.51% C + G content, including 4438 coding genes. Genome annotation was performed with databases to predict gene functions in B. subtilis Y4X3, and a variety of genes related to carbohydrate metabolism were identified. A cellulase-encoding gene was subsequently cloned from the genome and heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli. The optimum pH and temperature for the purified cellulase Cel5A were 5.0 and 60 °C, respectively. Stability analysis revealed that Cel5A remained stable at pH 5.0–9.0 and 20–60 °C; after 1 h at pH 9.0, the relative enzyme activity still exceeded 60%. Additionally, Cel5A was positively affected by various metal ions and exhibited good tolerance to multiple chemical reagents. The results indicate that B. subtilis Y4X3 has the potential to produce a variety of industrial enzymes and could serve as a promising candidate for more efficient and cost-effective industrial applications; the characterized thermostable and alkali-resistant cellulase Cel5A also has potential applications in biotechnology and industry. Full article

In livestock production, deeply understanding the molecular mechanisms of growth and metabolic differences in different breeds of cattle is of great significance for optimizing breeding strategies, improving meat quality, and promoting sustainable development. This study aims to comprehensively reveal the molecular-level differences between Chinese domestic cattle and Simmental crossbred cattle through multi-omics analysis, and further provide a theoretical basis for the efficient development of the beef cattle industry. The domestic cattle in China are a unique genetic breed resource. They have characteristics like small size, strong adaptability, and distinctive meat quality. There are significant differences in the growth rate and meat production between these domestic cattle and Simmental hybrid cattle. However, the specific molecular-level differences between them are still unclear. This study conducted a comprehensive comparison between the domestic cattle in China and Simmental crossbred cattle, focusing on microbiology, short-chain fatty acids, blood metabolome, and transcriptome. The results revealed notable differences in the microbial Simpson index between the domestic and Simmental crossbred cattle. The differential strain Akkermansia was found to be highly negatively correlated with the differential short-chain fatty acid isocaproic acid, suggesting that Akkermansia may play a key role in the differences observed in isocaproic acid levels or phenotypes. Furthermore, the transcriptional metabolomics analysis indicated that the differentially expressed genes and metabolites were co-enriched in pathways related to insulin secretion, thyroid hormone synthesis, bile secretion, aldosterone synthesis and secretion, and Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate (cAMP) signaling pathways. Key genes such as ADCY8 and 1-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine emerged as crucial regulators of growth and metabolism in beef cattle. Full article

Red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) is one of the most important aquaculture species in China. Frequent outbreaks of diseases seriously threatened the sustainable development of the industry. It is necessary to understand the causes of disease and study the mechanism of disease resistance in P. clarkii. In this paper, the pathogenic bacteria causing head ulcers in juvenile P. clarkii were found and identified as Citrobacter freundii, which can cause severe pathological changes in the hepatopancreas and intestines of juvenile P. clarkii. Detection of humoral immune factors revealed that PO activity and lysozyme activity of infected P. clarkii were significantly enhanced at 15 and 20 dpi, respectively. Transcriptome analysis was conducted of hepatopancreas from normal and diseased P. clarkii after C. freundii injection, as well as bacteria-free control of P. clarkii. It was found that DEGs are rich in NF-κB, oxidative phosphorylation, JAK/STAT, Leukocyte transendothelial migration, MAPK, and PPAR signaling pathway. These pathways are related to immune modulation, metabolism, and pathogen clearance. Meanwhile, immune-related genes such as Gip, nfyA, psmD13, and FGFR were significantly highly expressed in the normal group, which was verified by qRT-PCR results, suggesting that they may be the key regulatory genes for juvenile P. clarkii resistance to C. freundii. This study will help to elucidate the molecular mechanism of the immune response of P. clarkii to C. freundii. The results are instructive for the prevention and treatment of P. clarkii diseases and for further understanding of the invertebrate immune system. Full article