Search Results (3,529)

Quercus variabilis is a key species for reforestation in East Asia, yet the mechanisms by which arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) influence seedling growth and responses to soil-borne fungal challenge remain incompletely understood. This study combined physiological and metagenomic approaches to address this gap. Among seven rhizosphere fungal isolates, Fusarium tricinctum (F15) exerted the strongest growth-inhibitory effect on Q. variabilis seedlings and was therefore selected for subsequent experiments. Inoculation with the AMF Rhizophagus intraradices significantly promoted seedling growth (p < 0.05), increasing root length by 4.94% relative to the uninoculated control and increasing ground diameter and aboveground fresh weight by 28.57% and 117.07%, respectively, relative to F15-treated seedlings. AMF inoculation also significantly altered substrate nutrient status (p < 0.05), particularly nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, and enhanced the activity of antioxidant enzymes, including peroxidase and catalase (p < 0.05). Metagenomic analysis revealed that AMF significantly reshaped rhizosphere microbial community composition and bacterial α-diversity (p < 0.05), enriching beneficial taxa such as Mesorhizobium. Functional profiling showed differences in predicted microbial functional profiles between AMF-inoculated and F15-treated groups. Together, these results indicate that AMF enhances seedling growth and mitigates the negative effects associated with F15 challenge, potentially through altered substrate nutrient dynamics, enhanced antioxidant capacity, and modulation of the rhizosphere microbial community. Full article

Species of the genus Auricularia (wood ear mushrooms) are among the most economically important edible and medicinal mushrooms worldwide, particularly in Asia. Although numerous studies have investigated their taxonomy, cultivation practices, and bioactive properties, the available information remains dispersed, with limited comprehensive overviews from biological characteristics to sustainable production practices. This review summarizes and critically discusses the current knowledge of Auricularia species from the wild to their cultivation and production systems, including growth requirements, cultivation methods, nutritional value, medicinal potential, and future development, focusing mainly on recent advances in cultivation systems. The literature shows considerable differences among Auricularia species, which have significantly different environmental needs for mycelial growth and fruiting body production, indicating the importance of species-specific cultivation practices. Recent improvements in substrate formulation, spawn production, and environmental management have greatly enhanced cultivation efficiency. In addition, the use of agricultural and forestry residues as cultivation substrates supports waste recycling and contributes to the development of a circular bioeconomy. Auricularia species are also recognized for their considerable nutritional and medicinal value due to their high dietary fiber content and diverse bioactive compounds. This review further discusses the major pests and diseases affecting Auricularia cultivation, along with current management strategies, and identifies key knowledge gaps and future research priorities to improve sustainable production and commercial development. Full article

The increasing prevalence of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis underscores the urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies. We found that the natural product chaetocin exhibits in vitro bactericidal activity against drug-sensitive and drug-resistant M. tuberculosis strains. Biochemical and genetic analyses revealed that chaetocin exerts its antibacterial activity by disrupting bacterial thiol-redox homeostasis, with the thioredoxin reductase TrxB2 as a key mediator. Chaetocin treatment leads to a disruption of cellular thiol-redox homeostasis and accumulation of lethal reactive oxygen species. Notably, modulation of TrxB2 expression directly altered bacterial susceptibility to chaetocin, indicating that TrxB2 is involved in the response to chaetocin. These findings establish chaetocin as an in vitro active compound and a promising lead for further investigation targeting bacterial redox homeostasis and provide a promising foundation for the development of a new class of anti-tuberculosis agents. Full article

Uranium(VI) contamination in aquatic environments poses significant environmental and public health concerns, creating a need for efficient and selective adsorbents. In this study, polyphosphate-functionalized poly(glycidyl methacrylate)-grafted mesoporous silica nanoparticles (PP-PGMA/MSNs) were successfully synthesized and evaluated for U(VI) removal from aqueous solutions. A key novelty of this work lies in the incorporation of phosphate-rich functionalities onto PGMA-grafted MSNs prepared via ATRP, together with the systematic investigation of their effects on U(VI) adsorption equilibrium and selectivity in multi-metal systems. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) confirmed the successful incorporation of phosphate-containing functional groups onto the MSN surface. The adsorbent exhibited rapid adsorption, reaching equilibrium within 120 min, with optimum performance observed at pH 4–6. A maximum U(VI) removal efficiency of 73.81% was achieved at an initial concentration of 10 mg L⁻¹, while the maximum adsorption capacity reached 114.94 mg g⁻¹. Equilibrium data were well described by the Langmuir isotherm model (R² = 0.9697), indicating predominantly monolayer adsorption on relatively homogeneous adsorption sites. Despite a substantial reduction in surface area following functionalization, the material maintained a high adsorption capacity, suggesting that uranium uptake is governed primarily by interactions at phosphate-containing active sites. Furthermore, the adsorbent exhibited preferential affinity toward U(VI) in multi-metal systems containing Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb ions, demonstrating enhanced selectivity toward uranyl species. The adsorption behavior suggests that phosphate functionalities serve as the primary binding sites through surface complexation and coordination interactions. These findings demonstrate the potential of PP-PGMA/MSNs as selective adsorbents for U(VI) removal from complex aqueous systems and environmental remediation applications. Full article

Litter size is a critical determinant of reproductive efficiency and economic productivity in livestock breeding. Inhibin, a glycoprotein hormone of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily, plays a pivotal role in regulating follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) secretion through negative feedback within the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis. By modulating FSH levels, inhibin influences follicular recruitment, maturation, and ovulation rate—key processes that determine litter size. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of inhibin isoforms (inhibin A and inhibin B), their antagonistic relationship with activin signaling, and their species-specific roles in reproductive regulation. Genetic studies in small ruminants and non-ruminants indicate that polymorphisms in inhibin-related genes, particularly INHA, may contribute to variation in prolificacy-related traits; however, the strength and consistency of these associations differ among species and populations. This review further integrates findings from functional validation studies, particularly in mouse models, demonstrating that partial reduction of inhibin bioactivity can enhance FSH secretion, promote follicular recruitment, and increase ovulation rate and litter size, whereas excessive disruption of inhibin signaling may impair reproductive efficiency. Importantly, the biological effects of inhibin modulation depend on the degree of pathway alteration and the balance between follicular recruitment and prenatal survival. Although inhibin represents an important endocrine regulator of reproductive performance, current genomic evidence suggests that litter-size variation is controlled by multiple interacting pathways, and the contribution of inhibin-related genes requires further functional validation. Future integration of genomic, endocrine, and functional approaches will be essential to clarify the role of inhibin pathways and determine their potential application in sustainable livestock breeding strategies. Full article

Green roofs are a key component of urban green infrastructure and can support diverse urban biota. However, the effects of global change factors, such as nitrogen (N) deposition, on arthropod communities in green roofs remain poorly understood. We conducted a controlled N addition experiment on an experimental green roof planted with four species. Ground-dwelling arthropods were collected by pitfall traps and identified to the family or genus level. We assigned individuals to functional groups based on feeding habits and analyzed how N addition and plant characteristics affect functional group structure. N addition did not change total arthropod abundance or richness, but it increased predator abundance significantly (p = 0.023) and herbivore abundance marginally (p = 0.060). The interaction between N addition and plant identity affected Shannon–Wiener and Pielou evenness of detritivore arthropods. PCoA and PERMANOVA testing showed that plant identity explained 23.7% of community variation (p = 0.006), whereas N addition was marginal (R² = 7.7%, p = 0.056). Plant characteristics were closely related to the community structure of different functional groups. These results indicate that N addition caused functional group-specific shifts rather than overall diversity loss, and that plant identity was a major driver of ground-dwelling arthropod communities on green roofs. Full article

Manchurian walnut (Juglans mandshurica) is a rare woody oil tree and a key species for ecological restoration in northern China. The Wulingshan National Nature Reserve serves as the core germplasm habitat within its distribution range. However, the coupling mechanism between fruit traits of wild germplasm and soil environment in this region has not been systematically evaluated, restricting germplasm conservation and breeding utilization. In this study, 50 wild J. mandshurica germplasm accessions from the reserve were analyzed. Fruit phenotypic traits, kernel quality traits and rhizosphere soil nutrient indices were determined, and comprehensive germplasm evaluation was conducted via variation analysis, cluster analysis, principal component analysis, membership function method and correlation analysis. The coefficients of variation of 20 quantitative traits ranged from 6.58% to 45.17%, with quality traits showing higher variability than phenotypic traits. The average kernel oil content reached 59.46%. The 50 accessions were clustered into four distinct groups with significantly divergent trait profiles. With increasing elevation, soil properties such as soil hydrolyzable nitrogen, available phosphorus, and electrical conductivity all showed a consistent decreasing trend. For J. mandshurica, green fruit length, green fruit width, the three principal nut diameters, and nut starch content, together with the aforementioned soil hydrolyzable nitrogen and electrical conductivity, were all negatively correlated with elevation. Six germplasm accessions (A32, A42, A34, A21, A47, A15) with excellent comprehensive traits were finally selected. This study clarifies the germplasm variation characteristics of J. mandshurica in Wulingshan and the regulatory effects of soil environmental factors, providing a scientific basis for its resource conservation and targeted breeding. Full article

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) has a negative impact on reproductive performance in domestic animals. In this study, we attempt to explore the etiology of IUGR in sows and test the potential beneficial effects and underlying molecular mechanisms of melatonin on IUGR. The results indicated that there was a negative correlation between the concentration of melatonin in the peripheral blood of pregnant sows and the ratio of IUGR, and the concentration of melatonin in the umbilical cord blood of IUGR piglets was abnormally decreased. Supplementing sows with an appropriate dose of melatonin can increase the average birth weight of piglets and reduce the proportion of IUGR piglets. Reduced representation bisulfite sequencing revealed a direct association between abnormal DNA methylation in the placenta of sows and IUGR piglets. The increased DNA methylations of key genes responsible for placenta functions downregulated their expressions. Gene downregulation caused placenta dysfunction and IUGR. Melatonin significantly reduced DNA methylation of genes related to placental function. We identified that melatonin supplementation during mid-gestation stages specifically targeted the CGI, CGI shore, exon, intron, and 3′ untranslated regions of placental genes. The results provide novel information to target the high incidence of IUGR in pigs as well as other species. Full article

Water temperature is a critical environmental determinant of aquatic organism survival. The Asian swamp eel (Monopterus albus), a major aquaculture species, is highly vulnerable to acute summer heat stress at the early-juvenile stage. Juveniles exposed to 32 °C for 96 h (versus 25 °C controls) exhibited 3498 differentially expressed hepatic genes, with enrichment in amino acid metabolism, immune regulation, and apoptosis pathways; immunity, metabolism, and ion binding were top enriched functions. Key genes linked to immune activation, apoptosis, and metabolic reprogramming were upregulated. Gut 16S rRNA profiling revealed increased microbial diversity and taxonomic shifts indicative of microbiota disruption. These findings show that acute heat stress disrupts hepatic homeostasis via coordinated inflammatory, apoptotic, and metabolic responses while altering gut microbiota, offering an integrated view of thermal resilience mechanisms in early-life-stage teleosts. Full article

Heat stress, a critical environmental stressor intensified by global warming, increasingly threatens bull semen quality. This review synthesizes the multi-level mechanisms underlying this impairment. Heat-stressed bulls exhibit behavioral changes that serve as early indicators of reproductive dysfunction, alongside pronounced declines in routine semen parameters and alterations in the seminal plasma biochemical microenvironment. At the endocrine level, heat stress disrupts the hypothalamic–pituitary axes, suppressing testosterone synthesis and perturbing the testicular microenvironment to compromise spermatogenesis. At the molecular level, altered expression of heat-stress-related genes and epigenetic reprogramming—involving non-coding RNAs, DNA methylation, and m⁶A methylation—collectively disturb this process. Notably, the “gut–testis” axis emerges as a key pathway: heat-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis compromises intestinal barrier integrity, and immune and endocrine signals from translocated microbial metabolites ultimately impair testicular function and semen quality, as evidenced by cross-species studies. At the application level, the above mechanistic evidence, which is largely derived from model animals or non-bovine livestock, still requires direct and systematic validation in bulls. Collectively, this review provides an integrative mechanistic framework for heat stress-induced deterioration of bull semen quality and highlights critical directions for developing targeted mitigation strategies under global climate change. Full article

Heavy metal transfer from agricultural soils to edible crops is an important concern for food safety and sustainable land management in tropical regions, where intensive weathering and heterogeneous parent materials can decouple total soil metal concentrations from plant uptake. In this study, 1120 soil samples and 1093 crop samples representing 55 crop species and five operational crop groups were collected across Hainan Island, China. Geological background and 38 soil physicochemical properties, including available micronutrients such as B, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, S, and Zn, were integrated into Random Forest models to evaluate their associations with the bioaccumulation factors (BCFs) of Pb, Cr, Cd, As, and Hg. Mean BCFs on a dry-weight basis were 1.144 for Cd, 0.111 for Hg, 0.057 for Cr, 0.046 for As, and 0.009 for Pb. Cd transfer was relatively higher in vegetables, whereas woody fruits generally showed lower transfer. Five-block spatial validation with a 5 km training buffer yielded BCF R² values of 0.045 for Cd, 0.122 for Cr, 0.060 for Hg, −0.079 for Pb, and −0.061 for As, which were substantially lower than the corresponding OOB estimates. Removing soil Cr reduced the spatial R² for Cr BCF from 0.122 to 0.002, whereas removal of soil Cd had little effect on Cd BCF performance. Excluding crop group also reduced predictive performance for Cd, Cr, and Hg. Geological background was associated with total soil metal distributions, whereas soil pH, Fe/Al-related variables, exchangeable cations, and crop group showed associations with variation in soil-to-crop transfer. Accumulated local effects analysis showed nonlinear fitted relationships between BCF and several key soil properties within the observed data range. Overall, total soil metal concentrations alone provided an incomplete indication of crop accumulation. These results highlight the value of considering soil acidity, exchangeable base-cation status, geological background, and crop type together when evaluating heavy-metal transfer in highly weathered tropical agricultural soils. Full article

Contemporary mine restoration faces challenges in achieving self-sustaining ecosystems. Accelerating pedogenesis within iron tailings offers a promising strategy by fostering organic carbon (OC) stabilization and soil structure development via organo-mineral complex formation. This study elucidated the microscale mechanisms governing exogenous OC fixation at mineral interfaces in iron tailings during simulated pedogenesis. Controlled microcosm experiments employed iron tailings of sandy and loam textures amended with farmyard manure (F), Mollisols (M), or their combination (FM), alongside original iron tailings as a control. Over 160 days, we tracked OC fractionation, Fe/Al oxide dynamics and mineralogical evolution. Key findings revealed that FM treatment induced the most significant OC accumulation, increasing total OC by 163% (loam) and 108% (sand), with MOC exhibiting the largest relative surge (455% loam, 217% sand). This coincided with pronounced increases in reactive Fe/Al oxides, particularly oxalate-extractable Fe (Fe_ox; +230% loam, +212% sand) and pyrophosphate-extractable Al (Al_p; +122% loam, +54% sand). Mineralogical characterization (XRD) demonstrated distinct phase transformations in amended tailings (e.g., formation of anorthite, grunerite, ankerite), indicative of accelerated weathering. XPS analysis confirmed the presence of surface Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ species and suggested Al-O-C bonding. These reactive secondary phases, characterized by high specific surface area, facilitated robust OC sequestration primarily through MOC formation. The synergistic input of farmyard manure and Mollisols proved most effective in driving these processes, particularly in loam-textured tailings. Our results provide novel mechanistic insights into Fe/Al-OC association dynamics during tailings pedogenesis. This understanding underpins strategies for enhancing in situ soil formation in iron tailings, ultimately promoting sustainable ecological restoration of mine-degraded landscapes. Full article

In plants, Spatial Genetic Structure (SGS) is shaped by gene dispersal and effective population density and is further modulated by life-history traits such as clonality and dioecy. However, the combined effects of these factors on SGS remain unclear, particularly in tree species. Here, we examined how clonal reproduction shapes SGS and whether dioecy compounds this pattern in Populus alba (white poplar), a key component of riparian forests. Using 15 nuclear microsatellite markers and population genetic analyses of 1,068 individuals, we investigated sex-specific patterns in semi-natural and urban stands. In the studied stands, clonal growth predominated, with compact clonal architecture and occasional long-distance spread. Our results indicate that clonality intensifies SGS, with a nearly twofold stronger effect at the ramet level than at the genet level. Our results support the assumption that differences in clonal architecture between female and male individuals can generate sex-specific spatial patterns and thereby influence population genetic structure, with stronger SGS in female ramets (Sp = 0.129 and 0.177 in the semi-natural and urban stands, respectively) than in male ramets (Sp = 0.115 and 0.066). A comparison of semi-natural and urban stands indicates that the intensity of spatial genetic structure reflects the combined effects of clonal structure and habitat-specific factors. Spatio-temporal variation in resource availability and disturbance regimes may contribute to these patterns by influencing population dynamics. Given the degradation of Europe’s riparian forests and the limited knowledge of genetic resources of white poplar, understanding these spatial processes is crucial for informing restoration efforts and the sustainable management of genetic resources of the species. Our study revealed that the observed SGS patterns are strongly habitat-dependent; therefore, the protection and restoration of dynamic riparian forests should adopt an integrated genetic–environmental approach to ensure their long-term adaptive potential under ongoing climate change. Full article

The yak (Bos grunniens) is a crucial species adapted to the extreme high-altitude environment of the Tibetan Plateau. However, a systematic understanding of how gut metabolic homeostasis contributes to this adaptation, particularly across altitudinal gradients and in comparison with sympatric species, remains limited. This study employed untargeted metabolomics to profile the intestinal contents of high-altitude yaks (HYs, 3800 m), low-altitude yaks (LYs, 2500 m), and plateau yellow cattle (PC, 3500 m) from the Gannan region. Multivariate analysis revealed distinct clustering of the three groups, with PLS-DA model validation parameters (R₂Y(cum) > 0.997, Q₂(cum) > 0.990), confirming significant species-specific and altitude-adaptive differentiation in the gut metabolome. A suite of differentially abundant metabolites (DAMs) was identified: HYs were enriched with stress- and inflammation-related molecules (e.g., prostaglandin E2, uric acid-indicative of oxidative stress and inflammatory responses) and steroid metabolites; LYs showed a profile oriented towards basic anabolism and antioxidant defense (e.g., L-galactono-1,4-lactone, allantoin); PC were characterized by unique lipid derivatives (e.g., 5-hexyl-2-furanhexanoic acid) and fungal-origin metabolites. Pathway enrichment analysis pinpointed Linoleic acid metabolism as one of the most significantly enriched pathways, with key hydroxyoctadecadienoic acids (HODEs) and related oxylipins significantly upregulated in HYs. Other significantly enriched pathways included Tryptophan metabolism, ABC transporters, and Protein digestion and absorption. Our findings suggest that high-altitude adaptation in yaks is associated with remodeling of the intestinal metabolic network. The identified signature metabolites and consistently enriched candidate pathways provide novel insights into potential host–microbiome-associated mechanisms and establish a metabolic foundation for the conservation of plateau livestock genetic resources and the development of precision husbandry strategies. However, these findings should be interpreted as hypothesis-generating because altitude, species, diet, and environment were not fully decoupled. Full article

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as important regulators of gene expression acting through transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and epigenetic mechanisms. In teleosts, high-throughput sequencing has identified a growing number of lncRNAs associated with gonadal development and reproductive function, yet current knowledge remains fragmented across species and reproductive contexts. This review summarizes recent progress in understanding lncRNA-mediated regulation of fish reproduction, with emphasis on gametogenesis and germ cell development, gonadal maturation, steroidogenesis, sex determination and differentiation, sex reversal, sexual dimorphism, and fertility. Evidence from transcriptomic and functional studies indicates that lncRNAs are involved in complex regulatory networks through cis- and trans-acting effects, competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) interactions, and hormone-responsive pathways. Several lncRNAs have been associated with key reproductive genes, including gsdf, dmrt1, amhr2, ccne1, and cyp19a1, highlighting their involvement in processes relevant to gonadal development and reproductive function. Despite these advances, most studies are based on transcriptomic descriptions, while functional evidence remains scarce, particularly in vivo. This limitation hinders a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of function and action of lncRNAs in the regulation of fish reproduction. Future studies integrating transcriptomics, genome editing, and mechanistic approaches will be important to define the biological significance of lncRNAs. Overall, current evidence supports lncRNAs as emerging regulatory components of teleost reproductive biology with potential relevance to aquaculture, reproductive biotechnology, and environmental research. Full article