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Microorganisms are fundamental components of terrestrial ecosystems, acting not only as symbionts or pathogens but also as key nutritional resources for invertebrates. Despite their ubiquity, their role in shaping early-life survival and phenotypic variation in terrestrial animals remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated how microbial resource regimes act as early-life ecological filters influencing survival, growth, and reproductive morphology in the phally polymorphic wetland microsnail Vertigo antivertigo. Using eggs and early juveniles, life stages characterized by high natural mortality, we conducted a series of laboratory experiments manipulating access to the species' fecal- and litter-associated bacteria, soil and litter fungi, and the cyanobacterium Limnothrix sp. Survival emerged as the most consistent response variable across treatments. Fungal supplementation combined with plant litter supported growth and survival to sexual maturity, whereas bacterial resources alone did not compensate for the absence of intact litter-associated microorganisms. Exposure to Limnothrix sp. resulted in severe growth suppression and complete juvenile mortality, irrespective of bacterial supplementation. Disrupted microbial conditions were also associated with shifts in reproductive morphology, including reduced or absent male copulatory organs. Our findings demonstrate that microbial resource regimes can function as strong early-life ecological filters, shaping survival, growth and reproductive morphology.

The nucleus is the characteristic organelle of eukaryotic organisms. Unlike the classic textbook view of static nuclei, nuclear shape is dynamic in live cells. Altered or deformed nuclear shape is a hallmark of cancer in animal cells and environmental stress in plants. Nuclear envelope proteins interact with chromatin to regulate gene expression. Unfortunately, little is known about the impact of abiotic stress on nuclear shape, movement, and chromatin dynamics. To confront this issue, we developed a pipeline using confocal microscopy and particle tracking software to quantify nuclear and chromatin dynamics in Arabidopsis roots under control and abiotic stress condition. This confocal imaging method utilizes a dual fluorescently tagged marker line - nuclear envelope protein and chromatin - to perform live cell imaging of the root in model plant Arabidopsis thaliana under control and salt-stressed conditions. These captured movies are analyzed to quantify nuclear and chromatin dynamics using open-source image processing software Fiji/ImageJ with the help of the TrackMate plugin. To validate this method, we imaged and quantified chromatin movement in control and salt-stressed roots, revealing a decrease in chromatin speed under salt-stressed conditions. This method allows for quantitative live cell imaging of root nuclear shape and chromatin dynamics during plant development and environmental stress, thus enabling analysis of changes in nuclear and chromatin dynamics caused by abiotic stressors.

The ancestral angiosperm whole-genome duplication (ε-WGD) is a pivotal event that has long been debated. A recent study refuted the ε-WGD based on the retention patterns of dosage-sensitive gene duplicates. However, this study provides both structural (orthologous synteny) and phylogenetic (subgenome-aware) evidence that strongly confirms the genuine occurrence of the ε-WGD event.

Apomixis, the asexual reproduction through seeds, has repeatedly evolved in angiosperms, but its developmental pathways and inheritance are still incompletely understood. Here, we investigated the potential for infectious apomixis via pollen transfer in Hieracium, the largest apomictic genus with nearly obligate diplosporous apomixis and autonomous endosperm development. We tested whether pollen from apomictic polyploids can transfer apomixis to sexual diploids and assessed the fertility and reproductive mode of the resulting hybrids and their progeny. We performed controlled reciprocal crosses between sexual diploid H. alpinum and apomictic tetraploid H. nigrescens, followed by back-crosses and reciprocal F2 crosses. Flow cytometry was used to determine the ploidy of seedlings and of both embryo and endosperm in seeds to infer reproductive pathways. Gene flow was unidirectional from apomicts to sexuals. Crosses yielded rare triploid F1 hybrids (~7% of the progeny), morphologically intermediate between the parents. F1 triploids reproduced exclusively by apomixis but showed low and variable seed set (~30%, semi-sterility). The same pattern was inherited in the F2 progeny arising by apomixis from the F1. We provide the first experimental evidence of infectious transfer of apomixis in Hieracium s.str., leading to the formation of morphologically distinct, exclusively apomictic and likely reproductively isolated triploid lineage. However, as these apomicts were semi-sterile, their long-term evolutionary significance is uncertain. Further research should focus on the incidence of infectious apomixis and semi-sterile apomicts in natural populations as these may represent an early stage in the evolution of new apomictic lineages with more stable expression of apomixis.

This dataset presents 352 nuclear genes assembled from whole genome skimming data of 43 Rhododendron samples. The data were generated from 14 Rhododendron dauricum collected from seven distinct geographical populations in Northeast China, together with sequence data from 29 additional Rhododendron samples downloaded from the NCBI database. Using the universal set of 353 angiosperm nuclear genes as a reference, all genes were assembled with the HybPiper v2.1.1 pipeline. The dataset contains raw assembly sequences in FASTA format for each gene. Sequence alignment, trimming, and phylogenetic analysis were performed to construct phylogenetic trees. The resulting phylogenies based on concatenated 352-gene dataset and the screened 17-gene sub-dataset clearly distinguished R. dauricum from other Rhododendron species. Moreover, both datasets resolved individuals from the same population into distinct clades, enabling geographical origin traceability for the protected species R. dauricum. This dataset provides high-resolution molecular markers for research on Rhododendron phylogenomics, population genetics, conservation, and molecular identification.

Auxin conjugation represents a key metabolic mechanism in regulating auxin activity within plant cells. GRETCHEN HAGEN3 (GH3) enzymes conjugate the major naturally occurring auxin indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) with amino acids, thereby contributing to the maintenance of auxin homeostasis. Although the transcription of GH3 genes is auxin-regulated, the complexity of this regulation is still not fully understood. Therefore, in this study, we employed β-estradiol-inducible and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knock-out transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) cell lines with modified expression of representative genes from two GH3 subgroups with contrasting response to auxin, NtGH3.1a and NtGH3.6e. Using IAA metabolite profiling and bacterial enzyme assays, we show that NtGH3.1a preferentially catalyzes the formation of indole-3-acetyl-aspartate (IAA-Asp), while NtGH3.6e facilitates the production of the less-characterized conjugates indole-3-acetyl-glutamine (IAA-Gln) and 2-oxindole-3-acetyl-glutamine (oxIAA-Gln). We further validated these results by testing the Arabidopsis thaliana homologs of both GH3 subgroups, showing that AtGH3.1 favors aspartate, while both AtGH3.5/6 preferentially utilize glutamine. Finally, subcellular localization analyses using GFP-tagged NtGH3.1aT and NtGH3.6eT expressed under inducible promoters demonstrated that both enzymes localized to the nucleus and cytoplasm, independently of the presence of auxin. Moreover, we provide evidence of GH3 localization under native promoters, confirming their presence in both compartments. Collectively, our results suggest the evolutionary conservation of amino acid type-preferential IAA conjugation and underscore the functional divergence of GH3 isoforms in IAA metabolism.

The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) is vital for plant growth and response to environmental stresses. Nevertheless, detailed information regarding the EAR and PYR/PYL-PP2C-SnRK2 families, central components of the ABA signaling pathway, remains uncharacterized in Scaevola sericea, which is a salt-tolerant plant widely distributed in coastal areas. In our research, extreme salt stress induced ABA accumulation as well as changes in stress-responsive genes involved in ABA signaling transduction in leaves of S. sericea. Then, 5 SsEARs, 5 SsPYR/PYLs, 69 SsPP2Cs, and 7 SsSnRK2s genes were identified, and physicochemical properties and subcellular localizations were conducted. Further analysis showed that 3 SsEARs, 2 SsPYR/PYLs, and 39 PP2Cs genes were significantly altered by NaCl treatment and had various correlations with accumulated ABA contents. Arabidopsis transgenic lines overexpressing SsPYR1 exhibited reduced ABA tolerance; overexpression of SsEAR4 and SsEAR5 alleviated ABA sensitivity but showed complicated performance to salinity; SsPP2C14 and SsPP2C26 genes significantly enhanced plants' resistance to ABA and salt stimulation, evidenced by seed germination, seedling growth, and root elongation. Y2H and LCI assays imply that SsPYR1/SsEAR4 interacts with SsPP2C14 and SsEAR1/SsEAR3 interacts with SsPP2C26. Further studies verified that the accumulated SsPP2C14 and SsPP2C26 triggered by salt treatment limited ABA-responsive gene expressions but promoted salt-responsive gene expressions and thereby enhanced the adaptations of Arabidopsis to adverse stress. This study enhances our understanding of the SsEAR, SsPYR/PYL, and SsPP2C gene families in S. sericea and offers valuable gene resources that could be helpful to engineer salt-tolerant plants for ecological restoration.

Traditional fermented foods constitute a vital component of ethnic community diets; consequently, characterizing their specific food microbiome is essential for elucidating their nutritional, functional and health related attributes. In this study, targeted metagenomics was employed to investigate the bacterial and fungal compositions of fermented fish and vegetables from North Bengal, India. The functional predictions of the fermented food microbiomes was performed using PICRUSt2. High throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA and ITS genes revealed substantial differences in the diversity indices amongst the fermented fishes and vegetables. Fish samples were dominated by Pseudomonadota (23.05%), whereas vegetables were enriched in Bacillota (32.17%), with Psychrobacter and Aliivibrio prevalent in fishes and lactic acid bacteria including Levilactobacillus, Paucilactobacillus and Pediococcus dominant in vegetables. The fungal genera Bisifusarium belonging to Ascomycota and Cystobasidium affiliated to Basidiomycota, were abundant in the fermented fishes and vegetables, respectively. Functional predictions of bacterial and fungal communities revealed enhanced carbohydrate metabolism, biosynthesis pathways related to vitamins, short-chain fatty acids, organic acids, proteolytic enzymes and compounds contributing to organoleptic attributes in these fermented foods. The assessment of microbial communities associated with the traditionally fermented foods of North Bengal revealed the key microbial taxa involved in the fermentation process and their nutritional properties.

The Annonaceae family, which consists mainly of trees and shrubs, is one of the most diverse among the basal angiosperms and is widely represented in Brazilian flora. The genus Guatteria, commonly known as 'envira', is the most numerous, comprising around 280 described species. Several species of the genus have been traditionally used in folk medicine, as well as being the subject of phytochemical and pharmacological studies that demonstrate their therapeutic potential. This review aims to compile and analyze the existing scientific literature on the chemical composition and biological activities of Guatteria essential oils, focusing on their medicinal potential. This review highlights that essential oils from species of the genus exhibit promising activities related to antimicrobial and antitumor potential and was conducted through a bibliographic survey of databases such as SciELO, PubMed, Elsevier, and Google Scholar. Guatteria species exhibit remarkable bioactivity, justifying further research into their phytochemical and pharmacological properties and therapeutic applications, with the aim of developing safe and effective natural products.

The native vascular flora of Rwanda is currently the subject of ongoing study aimed at producing a comprehensive and up-to-date national checklist. The discovery of Diospyros abyssinica forms part of the Flora of Akagera National Park project, a focused initiative designed to document and synthesise the vascular plant diversity of this protected area in Rwanda's Eastern Province. The ultimate objective of this project is to generate a complete and authoritative checklist of the Park's vascular plant species, incorporating current taxonomic treatments, verified distributional data and conservation status assessments. The checklist is being developed through the integration of systematic field observations, the assembly and analysis of a comprehensive database of herbarium specimens and a critical review of relevant published and unpublished botanical literature. A new country-level record of a native vascular plant species previously unrecorded in Rwanda emerged during 2023 fieldwork inventory in the Eastern Province. Diospyros abyssinica is reported as new to the Province, where it is represented in a relict population of only 15 individuals in less than 20 hectares. Due to the species having many uses, it has been prioritised as a species for indigenous tree planting programmes.

To avoid photodamage of photosystem I (PSI) under fluctuating light, plants have evolved multiple photoprotective mechanisms. One key mechanism is photosynthetic control, in which acidification of the thylakoid lumen downregulates electron transport through the cytochrome b6f (Cyt b6f) complex, thereby preventing over-reduction of PSI. The Arabidopsis proton gradient regulation 5 (pgr5) mutant, which is defective in cyclic electron transport around PSI, fails to induce photosynthetic control and consequently suffers severe PSI photodamage under fluctuating light. Previously, we showed that introduction of the pgr1 mutation, which enhances the pH sensitivity of the Cyt b6f complex, partially restored PSI oxidation and alleviated PSI photodamage in the pgr5 background. However, excessively strong photosynthetic control limits electron transport at relatively low light intensities. To investigate whether a milder enhancement of photosynthetic control can protect PSI without compromising photosynthetic performance, we introduced a series of amino acid substitutions into the Rieske subunit of the cytochrome b6f complex using Target-AID-mediated base editing. Among these, the E143K mutation partially oxidized PSI and improved photosynthetic induction in the pgr5-2 background more effectively than the pgr1 mutation. Although the E143K mutation had little effect on electron transport parameters in the wild-type background, it significantly reduced the proton motive force. The unexpected reduction in proton motive force suggests that moderately enhanced photosynthetic control can be accommodated without major impairment of photosynthetic electron transport.

The current study establishes the mechanism on how dietary flavonoid, catechin fractions of Osbeckia parvifolia Arn. could be used as a therapeutic treatment for ovarian cancer, using a combination of network pharmacology, molecular validation and nano-formulations. From network modelling analysis, 420 protein targets linked to ovarian cancer, including five that act as major regulatory hubs - AKT1, STAT3, IL6, ESR1 and CASP3 were found. Catechin had the strongest binding affinity to all of these five hub proteins, especially for ESR1 (-11.089 kcal/mol) and AKT1 (-9.221 kcal/mol). In molecular dynamics simulation studies over 100 ns, catechin bonded strongly with its target proteins. HPLC guided fractionation (RT: 3.887 min) LC-MS/MS (RT:6.51 min), HPTLC (Rf: 0.973) were performed, which resulted in the confirmation of the presence of both catechin and epicatechin and verified the biosynthetic pathway of both through the measurement of the expression of their respective biosynthetic genes LAR (0.3637 folds) and ANR (0.2746 folds) in O. parvifolia. The evaluation of the six different nano-formulations of phytoniosomes led to F5 being the most stable with uniform spherical architecture, having an optimal particle size (229.2 nm), a high positive zeta potential (+ 42.7mV), and having the highest cytotoxicity (93.17%) in SKOV3 cells, the mechanism of action being through apoptosis induction and cell-cycle arrest. Hence, this study supports the hypothesis that catechin extracted from O. parvifolia can serve as an effective therapeutic candidate for the targeted treatment of ovarian cancer.

Aspergillus fumigatus is a major cause of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), yet diagnosis remains challenging due to overlap with other atopic conditions. Asp f 10, a secreted aspartic protease, is listed as an allergen but remains poorly characterized in terms of biochemical properties and diagnostic relevance. We profiled the A. fumigatus secretome under host-mimicking conditions to identify IgG-reactive proteins, followed by cloning and recombinant expression of full-length and mature Asp f 10. Biochemical stability, enzymatic activity, and serological reactivity (IgE and IgG) were evaluated using sera from patients with ABPA, steroid-unresponsive severe asthma with Aspergillus sensitization (SAAS), and other allergic and non-allergic controls. Diagnostic performance was assessed by ROC and linear discriminant analyses. Asp f 10 was identified as an extracellular IgG-reactive protease. Recombinant mature Asp f 10 exhibited folded conformation, structural stability, and gelatinolytic activity, whereas the full-length protein lacked defined structure. Both isoforms bound patient IgE and IgG; however, only Asp f 10-specific IgG responses were significantly elevated in ABPA and SAAS. ROC analysis demonstrated excellent diagnostic capacity for IgG (AUC = 0.90), far surpassing IgE (AUC = 0.54). Despite IgE recognition, mature Asp f 10 failed to induce histamine release, suggesting limited effector activity. Asp f 10 is a biologically active protease, and Asp f 10-specific IgG responses provide a robust biomarker for ABPA, outperforming IgE in diagnostic accuracy. Incorporating Asp f 10 into serological panels may improve differential diagnosis of Aspergillus-associated respiratory diseases.

The genus Allium L. represents one of the largest and taxonomically complex groups of monocots, with Central Asia recognized as a major center of its diversity. Despite the high species richness of Allium in Kazakhstan, genomic data for many native taxa remain limited. In this study, we sequenced, assembled, and analyzed the complete chloroplast genomes of 12 Allium species from Kazakhstan. All chloroplast genomes exhibited a conserved quadripartite structure, with genome sizes ranging from 152,029 to 153,521 bp and a uniform gene content of 137 genes, including 88 protein-coding genes, 38 tRNAs, 8 rRNAs, and 3 pseudogenes. Comparative analyses revealed high structural conservation, with most sequence divergence concentrated in intergenic regions. Several highly variable regions, including ycf1, matK, rpoC2, and ycf2, were identified as potential molecular markers. Phylogenetic analyses based on chloroplast genome sequences using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian approaches recovered three major chloroplast genome-based lineages within Allium, largely consistent with previous phylogenomic studies. Divergence-time analyses suggested that major chloroplast lineage diversification events within the genus occurred during the early Eocene (ca. 47.97 Mya). Overall, this study expands the currently available chloroplast genomic resources for Allium from Kazakhstan, provides insights into chloroplast genome evolution and chloroplast genome-based relationships, and establishes a valuable foundation for future phylogenetic, taxonomic, and evolutionary studies of this diverse genus.

Oreocharis sihuiensis sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) is described from Guangdong Province, China. Morphologically, the flower shape of this new species is similar to that of O. dayaoshanioides, but it can be distinguished by its leaf blade being adaxially densely pubescent, with hairs 0.2-0.5 mm long (vs. adaxially sparsely villous to villous, with hairs longer than 1 mm), lobes of the corolla upper lip subrounded and apex rounded (vs. broadly ovate to orbicular-ovate and apex acute), 3 staminodes (vs. absent or 2), disc margin cleft (vs. subentire), shorter filaments (ca. 6.0 mm long vs. 8.0-12.0 mm long), and shorter capsules (ca. 1.0 cm long vs. ca. 2.0 cm long). Considering its scarce number of individuals, and the presence of severe human disturbance, we preliminarily assess the new species as 'Critically Endangered' (CR) according to IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria.

Malate dehydrogenase (MDH) catalyzes the reversible conversion of malate to oxaloacetate and plays essential roles in plant metabolism, redox balance, and stress adaptation. However, comprehensive characterization of TaMDH genes in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), including their evolutionary features and stress-responsive expression patterns, remains limited. In this study, 18 TaMDH genes were systematically identified and characterized using integrated computational and transcriptomic approaches. Phylogenetic analysis grouped TaMDH proteins into three distinct sub-clades, while chromosomal mapping revealed their distribution across chromosomes 1, 3, 5, and 7 of the A, B, and D subgenomes. Gene structure, conserved motif, and duplication analyses indicated both evolutionary conservation and functional diversification within the TaMDH family. Functional annotation and protein-protein interaction network analysis suggested their involvement in the tricarboxylic acid cycle, malate metabolism, and carbon-nitrogen metabolic pathways. Promoter analysis identified multiple stress, hormone, and light-responsive cis-elements, whereas nine putative miRNAs were predicted to regulate TaMDH gene expression. Tissue-specific expression profiling showed that TaMDH4 and TaMDH5 were highly expressed across multiple tissues and developmental stages, whereas TaMDH1, TaMDH8, and TaMDH9 exhibited moderate to high expression. Under abscisic acid (ABA) treatment as well as cold, heat, and salt stresses, TaMDH genes displayed relatively stable and minimal transcriptional variation in shoots, indicating limited responsiveness to these general abiotic stresses. In contrast, exposure to heavy metals, including cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), and cadmium (Cd), triggered pronounced, metal-specific, and time-dependent expression changes in both shoots and roots. Notably, TaMDH2, TaMDH4, TaMDH5, TaMDH7, TaMDH10, TaMDH15, and TaMDH17 showed strong upregulation at early (6-12 h) and/or late (24 h) stages, with distinct tissue-specific expression patterns between shoots and roots, particularly under Cd and Ni stress. Overall, these findings indicate that TaMDH genes exhibit stronger transcriptional responsiveness to heavy metal exposure, highlighting their potential roles in metal detoxification, redox regulation, and stress adaptation in wheat. This study provides a valuable foundation for future functional investigations and for improving wheat resilience to heavy metal-contaminated environments.

Myriophyllum spicatum L. methanolic extract was examined through integrated biochemical, phytochemical, computational analyses. The extract exhibited strong α-glucosidase inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 198.54 µg/mL, demonstrating markedly higher potency than reference inhibitor acarbose (IC50= 4738.12 µg/mL), while no inhibitory activity was detected against α-amylase under tested conditions. In anticholinesterase assays, extract showed acetylcholinesterase inhibition with an IC50 value of 9.70 µg/mL, whereas standard inhibitor donepezil exhibited a significantly stronger activity (IC50= 0.30 µg/mL). No inhibitory effect was observed against butyrylcholinesterase for the extract, while donepezil displayed potent inhibition (IC50= 15.40 µg/mL). Extract showed strong ABTS•+ scavenging activity (85.7% at 40 µg/mL) but weak DPPH• activity (25.6% at 25 µg/mL), suggesting higher affinity for hydrophilic radicals. High total phenolic, flavonoid and tannin contents correlated with antioxidant potential. LC-MS/MS revealed thirteen phenolics, mainly vanillic acid, gallic acid and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside. Docking studies supported selective α-glucosidase binding of vanillic acid.

Rangeland degradation is a major ecological problem in Central Asia, where extensive pasture systems support biodiversity, livestock production, and rural livelihoods. This study presents a systematic review of research on ecological monitoring of rangeland degradation in the region, focusing on satellite-based methods and field observations. Publications from 1990 to 2026 were screened using a structured review process, and 44 studies were included in the final analysis. The reviewed studies show that satellite-based methods are used more frequently because they allow monitoring over large areas, while field studies usually provide more detailed ecological information but cover smaller territories. A major contribution of this review is the combined analysis of regional patterns and monitoring methodologies used across Central Asia. The review analyzes monitoring practices across Central Asia and discusses the advantages and limitations of existing approaches. The review shows that the most reliable assessments are produced when satellite observations are supported by field data on vegetation, biomass, and soil condition. The reviewed studies report different degradation patterns depending on ecological conditions, observation periods, and research methods. In most cases, degradation is associated with both climatic factors and human activities. At the same time, such integrated approaches are still not widely applied, and research remains concentrated in a few countries, especially Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Considerable gaps persist in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. Overall, the reviewed literature shows the importance of developing more unified monitoring approaches that integrate satellite observations with field-based ecological data in different parts of Central Asia.

Aridity alters soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) stoichiometry, yet the implications of these processes for soil microbial functional traits and potentials at the genomic level remain poorly synthesized. Here we combine measurements of soil C, N and P pools and ratios with shotgun metagenomes from 200 natural ecosystems spanning major biomes worldwide. Across sites, increased aridity is associated with lower soil C:N and N:P (and C:P) ratios and with a coordinated shift in microbial functional potential. Genes linked to catabolic resource acquisition-including carbohydrate-active enzymes and pathways for degradation of plant litter and organophosphorus compounds-are declined as C becomes relatively scarce. In contrast, genes supporting anabolic investment in growth and drought resistance, such as RNA transcription, protein synthesis and intracellular transport, are increased. These patterns indicate that aridity-related change in soil elemental ratios is coupled to a broad shift from catabolic to anabolic strategies in soil microbiomes. By linking soil elemental ratios to microbial functional traits across biomes, our study provides a framework for anticipating how climate-driven drying may reorganize microbial metabolism with consequences for carbon and nutrient cycling.