Search Results (124)

Vegetatively propagated crops, including cassava, sweet potato, banana, and potato, are susceptible to mixed-pathogen infections resulting from the continuous use of clonal planting material and infrequent seed replacement. A diverse array of viruses, bacteria, and fungi can accumulate within these materials over successive cultivation cycles, precipitating seed degeneration and complex disease syndromes that complicate diagnosis and management. Mixed infections frequently trigger synergistic interactions that exacerbate disease severity and yield losses. This review synthesizes data on mixed-pathogen complexes in vegetatively propagated crops, with particular focus on vascular and systemically colonizing pathogens and analyzing starch crops to highlight the epidemiological, biological, and ecological drivers of synergism and antagonism. Furthermore, the review examines host defense responses during coinfection, including the modulation of plant immune pathways, and evaluates how interpathogen dynamics influence pathological outcomes. Although advancements in molecular diagnostics—notably next-generation sequencing and metagenomics—have revolutionized the detection of mixed infections, they have also introduced challenges in differentiating causal agents from commensal microorganisms. Finally, we discuss the implications for integrated disease management, emphasizing clean seed systems, resistance breeding, and phenotyping strategies tailored to multipathogen environments. The dynamics of mixed infections is critical for resilient and sustainable management strategies amidst increasingly complex agricultural and climatic shifts. Full article

Successive cropping frequently causes a decline in Chinese Fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) biomass, a problem intricately tied to soil nutrient shifts and microbial processes. This research investigates the mechanisms governing biomass carbon partitioning and soil nutrient shifts in these plantations. This study investigated five Chinese Fir clones (‘ck’, ‘b44’, ‘K13’, ‘F13’, and ‘kt13’) across two cultivation regimes: continuous cropping (second-generation plantation, G2) and first-generation plantation (G1). The focus was on their biomass and soil nutrient status. The results showed that: (1) The biomass of different Chinese Fir clones at 25 years of age decreased significantly with increasing generations of continuous cultivation. Tree height showed no significant differences among clones within the same generation; however, the G2 cultivation significantly inhibited diameter at breast height (DBH). (2) The changes in soil nutrients and microbial activity under different successive generations (G1, G2) was closely linked to the decline in Chinese Fir biomass carbon. Analysis revealed that the decreases in dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), and Catalase (CAT) activity were significantly positively correlated with the reduction in biomass carbon. Concurrently, the decrease in soil pH showed a significant negative correlation with microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and Sucrase (SUC) activity. (3) Regarding growth traits, although tree height showed no significant differences among clones within the same generation, DBH was generally and significantly inhibited under G2 cultivation. An exception was the ‘K13’ clone, which remained largely unaffected. In terms of carbon accumulation, G2 cultivation led to a universal decline in biomass carbon across clones; however, the magnitude of reduction in different components (leaf, branch, stem, root) and total biomass carbon varied clone-specifically. Notably, ‘K13’ exhibited the strongest tolerance, with a significantly smaller decrease in tree biomass carbon compared to the other four clones, which showed substantially lower tree carbon stocks across all components relative to G1 plantations. This indicates that successive cropping of Chinese Fir likely constrains the carbon sequestration capacity of plantations by altering soil nutrient properties, thereby suppressing tree DBH growth and biomass carbon accumulation, likely through reduced net primary productivity. Among the five clones, ‘K13’ was the least affected, demonstrating its high potential for adaptation to continuous cultivation. These findings provide implications for sustainable forest management by guiding clone selection to mitigate productivity decline under successive cropping. Full article

Shoot tip cryopreservation is essential for the long-term conservation of plant genetic resources. It provides the only reliable method for establishing a long-term, readily available gene pool of clonally propagated crops and elite in vitro clones used in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries. Still, its success is often limited by the inherent sensitivity of many species to the osmotic and chemical stresses imposed by concentrated cryoprotectant (vitrification) solutions and severe dehydration. The optimization of modern cryopreservation protocols primarily focuses on modifying shoot tip preculture, cryoprotectant treatments, or regrowth conditions, while frequently overlooking donor plant preconditioning or relegating it to a secondary role. However, the physiological state of in vitro plants from which apical or axillary shoot tips are extracted may hold the key to successful post-cryopreservation recovery, especially in cryo-sensitive taxa. This review revisits the critical role of donor plant vigor and induced stress tolerance in the cryopreservation of clonal crops by systematically evaluating preconditioning strategies, including cold acclimation, sucrose pretreatment, and the use of growth regulators and signaling molecules such as abscisic, jasmonic, and salicylic acids, involved in stress signaling and tolerance development. The beneficial physiological changes induced by donor plant pretreatment, such as reduced freezable water content and the accumulation of protective compounds, are discussed in the context of contemporary cryopreservation methods. The effects of culture conditions, including the roles of ammonium and nitrates, light quality, culture density and aeration, medium strength, culture age, and subculture duration, are also considered. We analyze how different treatments of in vitro donor plants improve shoot tip tolerance to osmotic and/or chemical toxicity imposed by specific cryopreservation methods to support a material-centered selection of a cryopreservation procedure. Future directions and potential approaches for integrating target donor plant preconditioning into modern cryopreservation protocols for shoot tips, particularly in stress-sensitive species, are discussed. Full article

Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL) remains a high-risk entity despite advances in tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), immunotherapy, and cellular therapies. Relapse driven by clonal evolution, central nervous system (CNS) sanctuary disease, and TKI resistance, particularly T315I mutations, continues to limit durable disease control. Asciminib, a first-in-class allosteric BCR::ABL1 (STAMP) inhibitor, has demonstrated efficacy and favorable tolerability in chronic myeloid leukemia, but its optimal role in Ph+ ALL remains to be defined. We report a three-patient case series of Ph+ acute leukemia treated with asciminib across diverse high-risk clinical settings, including multiply relapsed disease, CNS involvement, T315I-mutated leukemia, post-CAR-T-cell relapses, and transplant bridging. Clinical outcomes are contextualized through a comprehensive review of emerging clinical trial data, real-world cohorts, and mechanistic studies evaluating asciminib in Ph+ ALL. Across all cases, asciminib was incorporated as part of combination or consolidation strategies rather than as monotherapy in active disease. Asciminib contributed to molecular disease control, CNS leukemia clearance, and successful bridging to allogeneic transplantation or cellular therapy, with acceptable tolerability and no major vascular toxicity. Integration of published evidence demonstrates that asciminib exhibits consistent biological activity in Ph+ ALL, with improved durability when used in rational combinations, particularly with immunotherapy or ATP-competitive TKIs. Preclinical data further support asciminib’s compatibility with antibody-based and cellular therapies through preservation of immune effector function. Asciminib represents a versatile but context-dependent therapeutic option in Ph+ ALL. Its greatest clinical value appears to lie in rational combination regimens, maintenance strategies, and bridging to definitive therapies rather than single-agent salvage. Emerging structural biomarkers and ongoing clinical trials are expected to further refine patient selection, sequencing, and optimal integration of asciminib, particularly in CNS-involved disease and post-CAR-T cell relapse. Full article

Acinetobacter baumannii is a leading cause of healthcare-associated infections and is classified among the highest-priority antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. Its clinical success reflects the convergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and biological traits that promote environmental persistence and transmission. Acinetobacter baumannii has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past few decades, evolving from a relatively obscure environmental bacterium into a globally recognized multidrug-resistant pathogen. Its prevalence in healthcare settings, particularly intensive care units, has made it a leading cause of ventilator-associated pneumonia, bloodstream infections, wound infections, and urinary tract infections. Beyond its antibiotic resistance, the bacterium’s ability to persist in hospital environments and adapt to host defences has amplified its clinical significance. Recent research has uncovered complex networks of virulence factors, regulatory systems, and metabolic strategies that enable A. baumannii to thrive in hostile environments and evade host immunity, providing new insights into its pathogenesis and potential therapeutic vulnerabilities. This review summarizes the main mechanisms underlying its pathogenicity, including desiccation tolerance, biofilm formation, disinfectant resistance, metal acquisition, motility, and the ability to enter viable but non-culturable states. In A. baumannii, AMR functions as a pathogenesis-adjacent trait, enhancing survival and clonal dissemination through genomic plasticity, resistance islands, efflux systems, and envelope remodeling. Key resistance pathways involve carbapenem-hydrolyzing oxacillinases, metallo-β-lactamases, permeability defects, and multidrug efflux, often coexisting within high-risk clones. From a clinical perspective, management of carbapenem-resistant strains requires accurate infection diagnosis, reliable susceptibility testing, site-specific and PK/PD-optimized therapy, and early reassessment. Overall, the success of A. baumannii reflects the integration of resistance and persistence within healthcare ecosystems, highlighting the need for coordinated strategies combining stewardship, infection control, improved diagnostics, and anti-biofilm or anti-virulence approaches. Full article

The walnut cultivar ‘Yunxin No. 14’ is an early fruiting, high-yielding, and widely adaptable fruit tree with compact growth and superior nuts. Establishing a successful tissue culture system for this cultivar is crucial for its rapid clonal propagation and as a foundation for future genetic transformation. Using young fruits as explants, 3% NaClO sterilization for 20 min effectively controlled contamination and browning. Somatic embryos induced from zygotic embryos cultured on DKW medium with 30 g·L⁻¹ sucrose showed high proliferation and minimal browning. After a 4-day dehydration treatment using saturated NH₄NO₃, mature somatic embryos germinated rapidly on differentiation medium (DKW containing 1 mg·L⁻¹ 6-BA and 0.1 mg·L⁻¹ IBA), reaching 90.0% germination. Optimal shoot multiplication was achieved on DKW medium supplemented with 2 mg·L⁻¹ 6-BA and 0.3 mg·L⁻¹ IBA, yielding a proliferation rate of 91.1% and a proliferation index of 3.1. For rooting, shoots (~3 cm) treated with Clonex^® rooting gel were transferred to a low-cost, sugar-free vermiculite medium with gaseous CO₂ as the sole carbon source. Root initiation occurred within two weeks at a rate of 54.2%, significantly shortening the rooting phase. Rooted plantlets were acclimatized in a peat:perlite:vermiculite (2:2:1, v/v/v) mixture under high humidity for two weeks before outdoor transfer, achieving an 88.6% survival rate. This study provides a reliable protocol for the micropropagation of ‘Yunxin No. 14’ and a valuable reference for other difficult-to-root woody species. Full article

Clonal propagation of rust-resistant sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana Dougl.) is currently limited by extreme rooting recalcitrance and highly variable donor responses to nursery management. This study identified seed zone-specific nutritional sensitivities and evaluated rooting success; we hypothesized that northern seed sources would exhibit greater sensitivity to high nutrient loads and that stable microclimates would outperform high-intensity rooting systems. In Study 1, seedlings from five United States Department of Agriculture seed zones were grown for 27 weeks in five nutrient solutions (tap-water control, modified Hoagland, Foliage-Pro^®, Andrejow, and FloraNova^®) spanning 0.72–3.00 dS m⁻¹. The nutrient-rich Foliage-Pro^® and FloraNova^® solutions defined the upper end of the nutrient-intensity range and revealed strong seed zone contrasts: northern zones (526, 550) showed marked sensitivity, with survival declining from 70 to 100% in the control to 15–40% under the highest-EC formulations, whereas southern zones (992, 993) maintained high survival (≥75%) across all treatments and exhibited increased branching (up to 3.7 branches plant⁻¹) under higher-nutrient solutions. In Study 2, stem cuttings were rooted in three environments (non-mist, hydroponic, and aeroponic) and four hormone treatments (control, Clonex^®, Dip’n Grow^®, and IBA + Ethrel). Rooting occurred exclusively in the non-mist propagator; untreated controls achieved 65% success and outperformed all hormone treatments (0–10%). These results demonstrate that P. lambertiana propagation depends on seed zone-specific donor nutrition and stable, hormone-independent rooting environments. Full article

Carbapenems are essential for the treatment of severe infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria, particularly in critically ill and immunocompromised patients. However, the global rise of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter baumannii has significantly eroded their effectiveness, and the phenomenon is now recognized as a major public health threat. Resistance is driven by the complex and evolving interplay of enzymatic and non-enzymatic mechanisms, occurring within highly successful clonal lineages and mobile genetic platforms. This review summarizes advances since 2020 in the molecular basis of carbapenem resistance, integrating enzymatic mechanisms across Ambler classes A, B, C, and D with emerging non-enzymatic contributors, including porin remodeling, efflux pump upregulation, target-site alterations, and outer-membrane adaptations. Particular attention is given to adaptive genome dynamics, such as IS26-mediated gene amplification, plasmid multimerization, and heteroresistance, that generate unstable resistance phenotypes and complicate routine susceptibility testing. Newly introduced β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations exert distinct selective pressures: ceftazidime–avibactam favors KPC Ω-loop variants and permeability defects, often restoring carbapenem susceptibility, whereas meropenem–vaborbactam and imipenem–relebactam resistance is driven mainly by porin loss and β-lactamase gene amplification. Cefiderocol resistance is multifactorial, frequently involving impaired siderophore uptake and heteroresistance, while sulbactam–durlobactam remains active against OXA-producing A. baumannii but is compromised by metallo-β-lactamases and PBP3 alterations. Carbapenem resistance is increasingly characterized by convergent, multi-layered adaptations that undermine both established and novel therapies. While high-level randomized evidence remains limited for some resistance mechanisms, emerging mechanistic, microbiological, and clinical data support the need for mechanism-aware diagnostics, repeated susceptibility assessment during therapy, and stewardship strategies informed by resistance biology. Integrating molecular context into routine practice will be critical to preserving emerging treatment options and limiting the global impact of carbapenem resistance. Full article

Background: Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) play a key role in the immune response against melanoma. They act as both markers of an active tumor environment and as treatments in adoptive cell therapy. This narrative review covers what is currently known about TIL biology, their prognostic and predictive value, and the use of TIL-based adoptive cell therapy (TIL-ACT) in advanced melanoma. Methods: We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science and clinicaltrials.gov through January 2026 using terms related to melanoma, TILs, adoptive cell therapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors, neoantigens, T-cell receptor clonality, and spatial transcriptomics. We included original research, major clinical trials, translational studies and key reviews. Results: Melanoma often has many neoantigens, which leads to a high number of tumor-resident TILs. These TILs, their arrangement, and their interactions with myeloid cells influence how well they fight tumors. Features of TILs seen under the microscope and through other tests can help predict patient outcomes, even before treatment. Studies show that TIL-ACT leads to objective responses in about 30–50% of patients whose melanoma did not respond to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Some patients achieve lasting complete remissions, though the treatment can cause significant, mostly short-term side effects from lymphodepletion and interleukin-2. New research points to factors related to the patient, tumor, and TIL product that affect treatment success, supporting the use of biomarkers and combination strategies. Conclusions: TIL-based adoptive cell therapy is now a promising, personalized treatment for advanced melanoma after anti-PD-1 therapy has failed. Future studies should focus on identifying reliable biomarkers, improving TIL products, combining therapies to change the tumor environment, and making manufacturing more efficient to ensure more patients can safely access TIL therapy. Full article

Somatic embryogenesis (SE) represents the most efficient and scalable technology for the mass clonal propagation and genetic improvement of superior conifer genotypes, which is crucial for meeting global wood demand and supporting forest adaptation to climate change. Despite its immense potential, SE in the genus Pinus still faces major limitations, including low initiation frequencies, restricted explant availability, and pronounced genotype dependence. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the factors influencing SE in Pinus species, with a specific focus on two ecologically vital Tertiary relicts endemic to the Balkan Peninsula: Pinus peuce (Macedonian pine) and Pinus heldreichii (Bosnian pine). For these species, traditional vegetative propagation methods are difficult or ineffective, making SE the priority approach for clonal propagation. Detailed studies on these species revealed that SE induction is highly dependent on the explant type and developmental stage. Successful embryogenic tissue formation was achieved only from whole megagametophytes containing immature zygotic embryos, within a narrow developmental window spanning 4–10 weeks post-fertilization. Furthermore, medium composition, particularly reduced ammonium concentration, proved critical for P. heldreichii success. These findings underscore the need for continued, species-specific optimization to overcome current bottlenecks and realize the full potential of SE for the conservation and sustainable clonal forestry of these high-value pines. Full article

Eucalypt plantations form the basis of Brazilian forestry; however, successive rotations under coppice systems often experience productivity declines. This study presents an original long-term investigation over a 13-year cultivation cycle (2005–2018) with Eucalyptus grandis W. Hill ex Maiden × E. urophylla S. T. Blake, assessing whether the full maintenance of nine phosphate fertilization packages could sustain productivity from the first to the second rotation in a commercial plantation in Itamarandiba, Minas Gerais. Continuous forest inventories and rotation-specific growth modeling were used. Productivity in the second rotation declined by 33%–46% in packages TP1 to TP6, which included various phosphorus sources, highlighting the recurring challenges of coppice systems. Conversely, the highest and most consistent yields (~305 m³ ha⁻¹ rotation⁻¹) were obtained with package TP9, which consisted of 280 kg ha⁻¹ of triple superphosphate (TSP) applied at the beginning of each rotation and 600 kg ha⁻¹ of ammonium sulfate (SA) in split topdressing applications. These findings demonstrate that the full maintenance of fertilization, specifically with highly soluble phosphorus sources combined with balanced nitrogen and sulfur supplementation, is an effective strategy to secure productivity and ensure the economic viability of coppice systems. This offers a new paradigm for managing successive rotations, where nutritional synergy, rather than single-nutrient fertilization, is key to enhancing the resilience of clonal eucalypt plantations. Full article

The sustainable cultivation of Moringa oleifera is constrained by limited availability of high-quality planting materials. This study established an integrated propagation framework combining seed, cutting, and air-layering methods for the rapid and reliable multiplication of superior genotypes with good morphological traits and elevated astragalin content. Seed pretreatment trials showed that simple soaking for 12 h significantly reduced mean germination time without affecting final germination percentage, while a topsoil–cocopeat–compost mixture enhanced early seedling survival and growth. HPLC profiling identified four genotypes with significantly higher astragalin concentrations (187–281 ppm), linking phytochemical quality with propagation performance. Vegetative propagation experiments revealed that cutting position and girth strongly influenced regeneration success. Cutting position experiments showed clear positional differences, with basal cuttings achieving the highest rooting response. Bottom cuttings produced the highest number of shoots (4.22), nodes (5.00), and thickest shoots (24.65 mm), as well as the highest rooting percentage. Middle cuttings developed the longest shoots (40.21 cm) and the greatest number of roots (32.83), with a rooting percentage of 66.70%. Top cuttings showed the lowest performance across all shoot and root traits. Larger-diameter cuttings produced more shoots but fewer roots while smaller-diameter cuttings produced more roots but fewer shoots. Air-layering with Jiffy-7 pellets achieved the highest root number (43.83) and length (7.23 cm), with 100% survival. Overall, the study provides a robust, mechanism-supported propagation strategy that enables large-scale, uniform production of superior Moringa genotypes, strengthening future programs in clonal improvement, genetic conservation, and sustainable agroforestry development. Full article

Somatic embryogenesis (SE) is a morphogenetic pathway widely employed in the commercial micropropagation of plants. This route enables the generation of somatic embryos from somatic tissues, which give rise to complete (bipolar) plants that develop like zygotic embryos. SE can proceed via direct or indirect pathways, and both approaches have been adapted not only for large-scale clonal propagation but also for the regeneration of genetically modified plants. In this context, SE can be harnessed as a versatile platform for recombinant protein production, including vaccine antigens and therapeutic proteins, by combining plant tissue culture with genetic transformation strategies. Successful examples include non-model plants, as Daucus carota and Eleutherococcus senticosus expressing the cholera and heat-labile enterotoxin B subunits, respectively; Oryza sativa, Nicotiana tabacum, and Medicago sativa producing complex proteins such as human serum albumin (HSA), α₁-antitrypsin (AAT), and monoclonal antibodies. However, challenges remain in optimizing transformation efficiency, scaling up bioreactor-based suspension cultures, and ensuring proper post-translational modifications under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards. Recent advances in synthetic biology, modular vector design, and glycoengineering have begun to address these limitations, improving control over transcriptional regulation and protein quality. This review highlights the application of SE as a biotechnological route for recombinant protein production, discusses current challenges, and presents innovative strategies and perspectives for the development of sustainable plant-derived biopharmaceutical systems. Full article

Apple represents one of the most economically significant fruit crops worldwide, and the performance of its scion is largely determined by the physiological and genetic characteristics of the rootstock. Despite their superior ecological adaptability and growth-controlling attributes, many dwarfing apple rootstocks exhibit inherently poor rooting competence, which poses a critical limitation to their large-scale clonal propagation and commercial utilization. Adventitious root (AR) formation is a pivotal yet highly intricate developmental process that governs the success of asexual propagation. It is orchestrated by a complex network of hormonal signaling, transcriptional regulation, metabolic reprogramming, and environmental cues. Over the past decade, remarkable advances have elucidated the physiological, biochemical, and molecular frameworks underpinning AR formation in apple rootstocks. This review provides an integrative synthesis of current progress in vegetative propagation techniques—including cutting, layering, and tissue culture—and systematically dissects the endogenous and exogenous factors influencing AR development. Particular emphasis is placed on the regulatory interplay among phytohormones, carbohydrate and nitrogen metabolism, phenolic compounds, transcription factors (such as WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX (WOX), LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES DOMAIN (LBD), and RESPONSE FACTOR (ARF families), and epigenetic modulators that collectively coordinate root induction and emergence. Furthermore, emerging insights into multi-omics integration and genotype-specific molecular regulation are discussed as strategic pathways toward enhancing propagation efficiency. Collectively, this review establishes a comprehensive theoretical framework for optimizing the asexual propagation of apple rootstocks and provides critical molecular guidance for breeding novel, easy-to-root genotypes that can drive the sustainable intensification of global apple production. Full article

Gametogenesis is a fundamental biological process that ensures both genetic recombination and the continuity of successive generations. Interspecific hybrids can reproduce through modified mechanisms, such as hybridogenesis, by transmitting clonal, unrecombined genomes of only one of the parental species via their gametes. Pelophylax grafi (RP) is a natural hybrid frog composed of mixed genomes (subgenomes) of two related species, Pelophylax perezi (P) and Pelophylax ridibundus (R), and coexists in populations with P. perezi. This study tested the involvement of programmed genome elimination in gamete production of P. grafi, providing new insight into reproductive mechanisms of hybrid vertebrates. Using comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), we examined the genomic constitution of germline cells in tadpoles and adult male and female P. grafi. Controlled crosses between P. perezi and P. grafi produced F1 hybrid tadpoles, whose genotypes confirmed that P. grafi parents transmitted the R subgenome through their gametes. In the early germline cells (gonocytes) of these tadpoles, P chromosomes were selectively eliminated via micronuclei formation during interphase. The occasional presence of the R genome and mixed R/P genome micronuclei suggests variability and imperfect fidelity in the elimination process. In adult hybrids, the majority of diplotene oocytes, spermatogonial stem cells (SSC) and spermatocytes carried R subgenomes. We demonstrated that programmed genome rearrangement in Pelophylax hybrids is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism underlying this unique reproductive strategy. Full article