Characterization of Quantitative Trait Loci for Fusarium Head Blight Resistance and Agronomic Traits in Wheat Cultivar 'Jagger' and Its Mutant 'JagR1097'.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a devastating disease in wheat () worldwide. To discover novel quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for FHB resistance and study their relationships with agronomic traits, a linkage map of single-nucleotide polymorphism markers was constructed using F recombinant inbred lines developed from 'JagR1097' × 'Jagger'. Jagger is a popular hard winter wheat cultivar in the U.

OsDNR1 as a key regulator of rice resistance to 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase-inhibiting herbicides.

DULL NITROGEN RESPONSE 1 (OsDNR1) is a key gene in rice resistance to herbicides that target 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase, which are phytotoxic due to their effects on homogentisic acid levels. Knocking out OsDNR1 leads to hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid accumulation in rice plants, thereby increasing homogentisic acid levels and conferring herbicide resistance.

GWAS and RNA-seq reveal novel loci and genes of low-nitrogen tolerance in cucumber ( L.).

Cucumber ( L.), a globally significant horticultural crop, requires substantial nitrogen inputs due to its high nutrient demand. However, the prevalent issues of low nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in cultivars and excessive fertilizer application have led to increased production costs and environmental burdens.

Structure-Guided Tunnel Engineering to Reveal the Molecular Basis of Sugar Chain Extension of Inulosucrase.

Inulosucrase (IS) is a key enzyme in the synthesis of inulin, a multifunctional polysaccharide with significant physiological benefits and wide-ranging applications. Lactobacillus IS has the unique capability to produce both high-molecular-weight polysaccharides and oligosaccharides with diverse degrees of polymerization. Understanding the mechanism of sugar chain extension by IS is essential for modulating chain length and engineering custom-designed inulin.

The Biological and Agronomic Nexus Behind Protoporphyrinogen IX Oxidase (PPO)-Inhibiting Herbicide Resistance in Crops.

The repeated use of a single herbicide over many years results in the emergence of resistant weeds, posing a significant danger to food security. Current attempts to prevent herbicide-resistant weeds from evolving and spreading rely mostly on the creation of genetically engineered herbicide-resistant crops and the implementation of herbicide rotation strategies with varied modes of action. In recent years, protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO)-inhibiting herbicides have gained popularity for weed management in fields as a result of the slow evolution of PPO-inhibitor resistance and the widespread emergence of weed resistance to acetolactate synthase-inhibitor and glyphosate.

Development and validation of universal PCR, basic ERA, and qPCR assays targeting the 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer region for Mycoplasma detection.

Mycoplasma contamination poses a persistent challenge in cell culture systems and the production of cell-derived biological products, including vaccines and therapeutic drugs. Current detection methods suffer from several limitations: they risk false-negative results due to incomplete species coverage, exhibit high detection limits in molecular assays, and prove time-consuming while lacking sensitivity for certain fastidious mycoplasma species that grow poorly in vitro, as outlined in pharmacopeial testing standards. To address these issues, we developed three improved detection methods-PCR, enzymatic recombinase amplification (ERA), and quantitative PCR (qPCR)-using universal primer pairs targeting conserved regions across 143 mycoplasma species.

Overexpressing CrSMT disrupts the growth and development of herbivorous insects by changing the composition of sterols in cotton.

Background: Herbivorous insects cause substantial losses in cotton production worldwide. To resolve insect resistance and environmental pollution challenges, an innovative and eco-friendly strategy for pest management is needed. Insects acquire sterols from dietary sources because they cannot endogenously synthesize them de novo.

A five-year examination into the occurrence of herbicide-resistant barnyardgrass populations in paddy from Jiangsu Province, China.

To assess resistance situation and evolutionary risks, 510 Echinochloa populations from 13 rice-growing regions in Jiangsu Province (2018-2022) were tested against seven herbicides (penoxsulam, quinclorac, cyhalofop-butyl, bispyribac-sodium, pretilachlor, metamifop, and florpyrauxifen-benzyl), with cross- and multiple-resistance patterns analyzed. Penoxsulam resistance increased ninefold over five years, while quinclorac resistance consistently exceeded 40% annually for four years. Cyhalofop-butyl and bispyribac-sodium resistance frequencies also rose annually, with the strongest resistance to penoxsulam and bispyribac-sodium observed in southern Jiangsu, particularly in Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou, and Zhenjiang.

Mechanosensing antagonizes ethylene signaling to promote root gravitropism in rice.

Root gravitropism relies on gravity perception by the root cap and requires tightly regulated phytohormone signaling. Here, we isolate a rice mutant that displays root coiling in hydroponics but normal gravitropic growth in soil. We identify COILING ROOT IN WATER 1 (CRW1) encoding an ETHYLENE-INSENSITIVE3 (EIN3)-BINDING F-BOX PROTEIN (OsEBF1) as the causative gene for the mutant phenotype.

Paenibacillus mesotrionivorans sp. nov., a Mesotrione-Degrading Strain Isolated from Soil.

A Gram-stain-positive, facultatively anaerobic, motile with peritrichous flagella, and rod-shaped bacterium, designated as P15, was isolated from an agricultural soil sample collected in Jiangxi Province, PR China. Strain P15 completely degraded 100 mg/L of mesotrione, a herbicide, within 48 h of incubation. Strain P15 grew at 15-42 °C (optimum 30 °C), pH 6.

Coordination of Carbon and Nitrogen Metabolism Through Well-Timed Mid-Stage Nitrogen Compensation in Japonica Super Rice.

The carbon and nitrogen (N) metabolism of rice under different mid-stage N compensation timings is unclear. Two Japonica super rice cultivars were examined under four N compensation timings (N1-N3: N compensation at mid-tillering, panicle initiation, and spikelet differentiation. N0: no N compensation) and CK with no N application.

A dynamic regulome of shoot-apical-meristem-related homeobox transcription factors modulates plant architecture in maize.

Background: The shoot apical meristem (SAM), from which all above-ground tissues of plants are derived, is critical to plant morphology and development. In maize (Zea mays), loss-of-function mutant studies have identified several SAM-related genes, most encoding homeobox transcription factors (TFs), located upstream of hierarchical networks of hundreds of genes.

Results: Here, we collect 46 transcriptome and 16 translatome datasets across 62 different tissues or stages from the maize inbred line B73.

Crystal structure and structure-guided tunnel engineering in a bacterial β-1,4-galactosyltransferase.

Lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT), a representative oligosaccharide found in human milk, has been previously examined for its beneficial traits. However, the LNnT titer is limited by the efficient glycosyltransferase pathway, particularly with respect to the catalysis of rate-limiting steps. As data on the crystal structure of the key enzyme required for synthesizing LNnT are lacking, the synthesis of LNnT remains an uncertainty.

Research Advancements in Salt Tolerance of Cucurbitaceae: From Salt Response to Molecular Mechanisms.

Soil salinization severely limits the quality and productivity of economic crops, threatening global food security. Recent advancements have improved our understanding of how plants perceive, signal, and respond to salt stress. The discovery of the Salt Overly Sensitive (SOS) pathway has been crucial in revealing the molecular mechanisms behind plant salinity tolerance.

Taxonomic and functional changes in wheat rhizosphere microbiome caused by imidazoline-based herbicide and genetic modification.

Genetically modified (GM) crop cultivation has received a lot of attention in recent years due to the substantial public debate. Consequently, an in-depth investigation of excessively used GM herbicide-tolerant crops is a vital step for the biosafety of genetically modified plants. Several studies have been conducted to study the impact of transgenic GM crops on soil microbial composition; however, research into the effects of non-transgenic GM crops is inadequate.

Grain Protein Content Phenotyping in Rice via Hyperspectral Imaging Technology and a Genome-Wide Association Study.

Efficient and accurate acquisition of the rice grain protein content (GPC) is important for selecting high-quality rice varieties, and remote sensing technology is an attractive potential method for this task. However, the majority of multispectral sensors are poor predictors of GPC due to their broad spectral bands. Hyperspectral technology provides a new analytical technology for bridging the gap between phenomics and genomics.

Genetic diversity and population structure of wheat landraces in Southern Winter Wheat Region of China.

Background: Wheat landraces are considered a valuable source of genetic diversity for breeding programs. It is useful to evaluate the genetic diversity in breeding studies such as marker-assisted selection (MAS), genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and genomic selection. In addition, constructing a core germplasm set that represents the genetic diversity of the entire variety set is of great significance for the efficient conservation and utilization of wheat landrace germplasms.

Nocardioides imazamoxiresistens sp. nov. Isolated from the Activated Sludge.

A Gram-staining-positive actinomycete named YZH12 was isolated from the sediment of the Yangtze River in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China. Cells were aerobic, non-spore forming, non-motile, short rod (0.4-0.

Differential Resistance to Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase Inhibitors in Rice: Insights from Two Distinct Target-Site Mutations.

Weeds present a significant challenge to agricultural productivity, and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase)-inhibiting herbicides have proven to be effective in managing weed populations in rice fields. To develop ACCase-inhibiting herbicide-resistant rice, we generated mutants of rice ACCase (OsACC) featuring Ile-1792-Leu or Gly-2107-Ser substitutions through ethyl methyl sulfonate (EMS) mutagenesis. The Ile-1792-Leu mutant displayed cross-resistance to aryloxyphenoxypropionate (APP) and phenylpyrazoline (DEN) herbicides, whereas the Gly-2107-Ser mutants primarily exhibited cross-resistance to APP herbicides with diminished resistance to the DEN herbicide.

A Novel Allele in the Promoter of Decreases Gene Expression and Confers Lower Apparent Amylose Contents in Rice ( L.).

is the key gene that controls amylose content (AC), and various alleles have been found in rice populations. is the major allele in and produces moderate AC (15~18%). It was recently found that editing the promoter of could produce a series of alleles that have different Wx activities.