Unleashing the biocontrol and plant growth promoting potential of native rhizosphere Streptomyces spp. against Phytophthora foot rot in black pepper (Piper nigrum L.).

Drought response in plants is complex, involving integration across a range of physiological processes. However, our knowledge of how different mechanisms of drought response are linked at the genetic level is limited. We investigated multi-trait adaptation in Arabidopsis thaliana from the Cape Verde Islands (CVI). Using a high-throughput phenotyping platform that minimizes spatial heterogeneity, we measured variation in rosette area, growth rate, leaf color, water use efficiency (WUE), and stomatal patterning under precisely controlled water conditions. Relative to the Moroccan outgroup, CVI populations evolved earlier flowering, a smaller rosette size with faster growth, and reduced WUE, consistent with drought escape adaptation. Genome-wide association mapping revealed evidence for pleiotropy involving MPK12 (WUE, rosette area, growth rate, and leaf color), NHL26 (WUE and leaf color), SUVH4 (stomatal patterning, rosette area, and leaf color), and FRI (flowering time, WUE, and leaf color), along with an enrichment of signals in ABA response. This study advances our knowledge of the genetic mechanisms driving plant adaptation to a novel precipitation environment. By identifying key genetic components and their contributions to multi-trait adaptation, our findings offer insights into how plants respond to environmental challenges and contribute to predicting plant responses to future climate change.

The sbp3 gene of Streptococcus suis plays an important role in biofilm formation, adhesion, invasion, and cytotoxicity in the human intestinal epithelial cell line.

The transition from outcrossing to selfing involve convergent patterns of flower trait covariation.

Human-modified landscapes alter species interactions, yet the spatial scale at which landscape features influence predator-prey interactions remains poorly understood. Caudal autotomy, a widespread antipredator defense in many reptile species, has been proposed as a proxy of predation pressure. We investigated landscape-scale variation in tail autotomy frequency in two synanthropic lizards, Podarcis muralis and P. siculus, across four metropolitan areas in Italy. We combined extensive field sampling (386 individuals) across 33 localities along a gradient of urbanization with multi-scale analyses of landscape composition and configuration, as well as proxies of predator occurrence (citizen-science records, species distribution models, and the distribution of colonies of free-ranging cats). Using generalized linear mixed models, we assessed which landscape features and spatial scales best explained variation in autotomy frequency. Overall, 66% of individuals exhibited autotomy. The frequency of autotomy was higher in P. muralis than in P. siculus and increased significantly with body size. Landscape composition strongly influenced the frequency of autotomy. Forest cover within 50 m of capture sites was the strongest predictor of autotomy, with individuals from areas characterized by lower forest cover showing a higher probability of tail loss. The explanatory power of landscape composition decreased at broader spatial scales. Instead, neither landscape configuration metrics, estimated predator richness, nor proximity to cat colonies significantly improved model performance. The frequency of caudal autotomy in Podarcis lizards varies along the urbanization gradient and is primarily associated with fine-scale habitat structure. These findings underscore the strong role of landscape composition in shaping multiple animal traits and support the use of morphological indicators to assess the ecological effects of human-driven landscape change.

We are only beginning to understand the extent and reasons for the individual variation in postprandial response dynamics in key hormones and metabolites such as insulin, glucose, and triacylglycerols (TAGs). More nuanced statistical approaches for postprandial curve analyses, coupled with phenotyping of curve-associated factors, may help uncover the underlying physiology and possible associations with disease risk. In a clinical trial of 190 adults (90 males and 100 females) with abdominal obesity (age: 21-56 yr, BMI: 26-54), we used functional principal component analysis (FPCA) to examine postprandial serum glucose, C-peptide, and TAGs after a 4-h standardized mixed meal test. Correlations were explored between identified curve patterns and more than 100 anthropometric and fasting biochemistry traits. Postprandial curve levels, peaks, and dips varied substantially. Although the primary patterns in postprandial glucose, C-peptide, and TAGs uncovered by FPCA corresponded with area under the curve (AUC), the presence and timing of curve peaks and dips were uncorrelated with AUC. Males had higher postprandial levels and larger variation than females. Over 40% of the participants had nonsynchronized postprandial glucose and C-peptide curves. A postprandial phenotype characterized by elevated and delayed postprandial peaks in glucose and C-peptide, and a high postprandial TAG level and peak, was strongly associated with multiple blood biomarkers and anthropometric traits linked to insulin resistance and liver pathologies (correlation range: -0.49, 0.63). Although our findings support the general usefulness of postprandial AUC, FPCA provided detailed insight into individual postprandial glucose and insulin dynamics, which may inform improved diagnostics and personalized dietary advice.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Functional principal component analysis (FPCA) revealed large individual and sex-specific differences in postprandial glucose, C-peptide, and triacylglycerol dynamics in obesity. Although the primary postprandial patterns correlated strongly with the area under the curve (AUC), the presence and timing of peaks varied independently of AUC. Over 40% of participants showed nonsynchronized postprandial glucose and C-peptide curves. High and delayed peaks were associated with markers of insulin resistance, altered amino acid metabolism, visceral adiposity, and liver dysfunction.

Microbacterium sp. PI-SA-G is a pigmented and extremotolerant bacterium isolated from Festuca orthophylla plant aerial tissue in the high-altitude Salar Aguilar (Atacama Desert). Its complete and single circular chromosome (3.72 Mb) encodes multiple stress-tolerance and plant growth-promoting traits. Also, average nucleotide identity (ANI) (84.5%) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) (37%) values fall below established species thresholds.

Soil salinization and fungal diseases severely constrain cotton production in Xinjiang, necessitating the development of sustainable and regionally adapted biocontrol strategies. This study aimed to evaluate the plant growth-promoting and biocontrol potential of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens XSZ-1, a bacterial strain isolated from continuous cotton field soil in Xinjiang. The strain XSZ-1 demonstrated pronounced tolerance to saline-alkaline stress, sustaining growth at NaCl concentrations up to 60.00g/L and pH values ranging from 7.0 to 9.0. XSZ-1 exhibited multiple plant growth-promoting traits, including solubilization of both organic and inorganic phosphorus and IAA production (12.38µg/mL). Antagonistic assays revealed broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against all tested phytopathogens. Inoculation with XSZ-1 significantly enhanced cotton plant height (12.67%), root length (11.44%), and dry matter accumulation (up to 122.05% increase in root dry weight) compared to the uninoculated control. Bacillus amyloliquefaciens XSZ-1 is a promising multi-functional bacterium with both plant growth-promoting and biocontrol capabilities, well-suited for integration into cotton production systems in saline-alkaline regions. These findings provide a foundation for further field validation and mechanistic studies to support sustainable agriculture in Xinjiang.

Plant architecture is a key agronomic trait of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), which is closely associated with yield, stress resistance, and suitability for mechanical harvesting. However, research on the genetics and gene mining of peanut plant architecture remains relatively limited, thereby hindering the genetic improvement of peanut plant architecture. Most cultivated peanut varieties exhibit an erect or semi-prostrate growth habit, whereas wild peanut species predominantly display a trailing growth habit. In the present study, a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population, designated as the TI population was developed by crossing the female parent Tifrunner with the male parent IpaDur, a synthetic amphidiploid derived from cross of Arachis ipaënsis × Arachis duranensis. Traits related to plant architecture, including lateral branch angle (LBA), lateral branch length (LBL), main stem height (MSH), main stem thickness (MST), lateral branch thickness (LBT), internode length (IL), number of branches (NBS), and biomass (BIO), were evaluated across three environments. Based on a high-density genetic linkage map, 20 QTLs associated with these traits were identified, which explained 6.04%-18.68% of the phenotypic variance (PVE). A locus controlling LBA, LBL, and MST was mapped to an overlapping interval (122.57-137.18Mb) on chromosome 14. Phenotypic effect analysis revealed that this wild species-derived segment is crucial for controlling the typical morphogenesis of wild-type peanut species. In addition, we identified a set of genotypes derived from cultivated-wild hybrid population, which exhibited the convergence of one or more favorable agronomical traits. Using a cultivar-wild hybrid population, 20 QTLs for plant architecture were identified in peanut. A wild-derived genomic segment was found to control typical wild-type morphogenesis. Novel germplasm pyramiding multiple agronomic favorable traits were selected. This study provides key theoretical insights and valuable resources for utilizing wild species in peanut improvement.

Tree fine-root morphological, anatomical, and chemical traits are important to reflect belowground resource acquisition strategies to support tree growth, but their measurements involve several labor-intensive and time-consuming procedures. We examined the efficacy of visible (VIS), near-infrared (NIR), and shortwave infrared region (SWIR) spectral reflectance for predicting a comprehensive set of fine-root traits. Spectral features of fresh fine roots in 20 tree species were analyzed using three distinct spectral datasets: the VIS-NIR (458-960 nm), the SWIR (967-2391 nm), and the combined spectral region (full-range; 458-2391 nm). The partial least square regression (PLSR) model using root spectral reflectance was developed to estimate nine functional root traits. Comparison of the models revealed that the prediction accuracy was higher when using the SWIR and full-range datasets than when using the VIS-NIR dataset. The trait with the highest prediction accuracy was root diameter. The predicted multiple root traits successfully reproduced the ordination of the multidimensional trait space, exhibiting a pattern highly similar to that of the observed traits. This method can advance our understanding of multidimensional fine-root trait spaces and resource strategies by enabling efficient measurement and spatial modeling of root traits across diameter classes.

Cold stress is a major abiotic constraint to wheat production in temperate regions, particularly in the Kashmir Valley of north-western Himalayas, India, where prolonged low temperatures delay growth, reduce yield, and disrupt the rice-wheat cropping system. To address this challenge, we evaluated a panel of 340 nested synthetic hexaploid wheat introgression lines, developed by introgressing allelic diversity from Aegilops tauschii and Triticum durum into bread wheat. The panel was phenotyped for cold stress tolerance, electrolyte leakage index, and yield-related traits across three temperate environments and genotyped using the 35K Axiom® Wheat Breeder's Array. Genome-wide association study using FarmCPU and BLINK models identified 152 stable marker-trait associations (MTAs), with - log₁₀(P) values ranging from 3.00-14.64. Several stable MTAs surpassed the Bonferroni-adjusted significance threshold and were designated as high-confidence loci. A number of stable MTAs co-localized with previously reported genomic regions, whereas others represent potentially novel loci. Multiple pleiotropic loci were detected, indicating potential for simultaneous improvement of multiple traits. Haplotype analysis identified 32 major LD blocks significantly associated with target traits, with favorable haplotypes conferring enhanced stress tolerance and productivity. Several putative candidate genes were identified within chromosome-specific LD intervals of high-confidence MTAs. Literature mining, in silico expression profiling and network analyses further supported their functional relevance in cold stress adaptation and yield regulation. The identified genomic regions, haplotypes, and candidate genes provide valuable resources for marker-assisted and haplotype-based breeding to develop cold-tolerant, high-yielding wheat cultivars suited to temperate regions, thereby supporting the sustainability of rice-wheat cropping systems.

Protocol for evaluating salt and alkaline tolerance in maize seedlings using a sand-bed germination assay.

Interpretation is central to skeletal trauma analysis; however, the influence of intrinsic skeletal variation, such as long bone shape, on injury is not fully understood. While previous studies have emphasized extrinsic variables such as loading rate, direction, and number of impacts, this study investigates whether diaphyseal shape variation of the tibia contributes to differential injury outcomes sustained under standardized blunt trauma experiments. Sixty adult human tibiae were subjected to controlled four-point bending tests in a lateral-medial direction at 6 m/s, and resulting fractures were analyzed by count and overall injury complexity. Diaphyseal surface morphology was quantified as continuous shape traits represented by unscaled and scaled principal components to capture size-dependent and shape-only variation, respectively. Multinomial logistic regression models identified shape-injury associations and examined the moderating effects of age and sex. Multiple shape traits, particularly those involving anterior crest morphology and diaphyseal curvature, were significantly associated with fracture count and injury complexity. Notably, low-variance traits also influenced outcomes, suggesting individual morphology may modulate injury outcomes. Sex- and age-based interactions further indicate that similar morphologies may result in different outcomes between males or females and across adult age groups. Compared to fracture count, injury complexity produced more interpretable and biologically meaningful results. Collectively, these results show injury outcomes vary with tibial morphology, even under identical loading conditions, suggesting shape may warrant consideration when interpreting trauma in forensic casework. Accounting for shape variation may improve interpretation reliability, avoid misinterpretation of extrinsic factors, and support the development of probabilistic frameworks in forensic reconstructions.

Integrated genomic and phenotypic analysis of an endophytic bacterium reveals biocontrol and plant growth-promoting mechanisms

Climate warming is altering thermal regimes across freshwater and marine ecosystems, with important consequences for fish life-history schedules, particularly during early life stages that span connected habitats. We characterized long-term variation in multiple early life-history traits and examined how thermal factors relate to shifts in the early life-history schedule of amphidromous ayu Plecoglossus altivelis. Individuals initiating spring upstream migration earlier were hatched earlier and were larger in body size across brood years, consistent with established patterns. In contrast, age at migration showed no consistent relationship with migration timing, indicating that variation in marine residence duration is not solely determined by migration phenology but is influenced by conditions experienced during the marine phase. Over the past three decades, age at spring migration declined significantly, indicating progressive shortening of the marine residence period. This decline was closely associated with elevated winter seawater temperature, whereas riverine thermal indicators representing the onset and termination of marine residence showed no comparable relationship. Although delayed autumn reproduction has been reported under warming river conditions, enhanced winter growth in the marine environment may offset these effects, resulting in little long-term change in migration timing. Overall, this study provides evidence that climate-driven changes in coastal marine thermal conditions are associated with shifts in marine residence duration and early life-history schedules in amphidromous fishes, highlighting the importance of integrated freshwater-marine thermal regimes under ongoing climate warming.

The present investigation was designed to identify molecular marker loci linked to essential agronomic traits and oil content under contrasting salinity regimes, and to evaluate the stability of these associations within a globally representative safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) germplasm collection. Over two successive years, 100 accessions were evaluated, generating 341 polymorphic amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers using 10 EcoRI/MseI primer combinations. These markers were subsequently employed in association mapping analyses encompassing 17 agronomic traits and their derived indices. Population structure assessment revealed three genetically distinct subgroups within the panel. Mixed linear model (MLM) analysis facilitated the identification of 140 significant MTAs under non-saline conditions and 128 MTAs under salinity stress. Several loci exhibited associations with multiple traits, suggesting either pleiotropic regulatory functions or tight genetic linkage. Markers M61/E37-1, M61/E37-16, M62/E41-15, M60/E38-9, M51/E41-31, M61/E40-20, and M47/E37-9 were consistently associated with salinity tolerance across environments. After confirmation, these MTAs represent valuable resources for marker-assisted selection and for the targeted introgression of favorable alleles into safflower breeding programs adapted to both optimal and saline conditions. Furthermore, the results provide a critical framework for fine-scale genetic mapping and the eventual isolation of causal genes and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that confer salinity tolerance.

Because mutation rates vary widely across genomes and environments, natural selection is typically presented with highly biased variation. Yet, the idea that mutational tendencies can influence adaptation is still controversial. While mutation-driven adaptation has been observed in diverse taxa, critics contend it reflects small populations or weak-effect mutations. Therefore, the importance and generality of this phenomenon remain unclear, largely due to a lack of empirical tests across broad population-size gradients and multiple fitness-relevant traits. Here, we address this gap using a system in which two Escherichia coli mutator lineages evolve antibiotic resistance via two mutationally favoured, yet genetically distinct, routes. Simulations and experiments show that the scaling of mutation-biased adaptation with population size is complex, highly dependent on biological details, and - most critically - on how closely mutation bias aligns with selection. Contrary to the common view, we find that mutation-biased adaptation may not wane in large populations, but instead intensify depending on the bias. Crucially, we demonstrate that distinct mutation biases produce markedly different collateral sensitivity profiles to multiple antibiotics, even at large population sizes. Our findings suggest that mutation-biased adaptation may be widespread, with far-reaching and unpredictable consequences both within and beyond the original selective context.

The extensive and persistent application of glyphosate has led to its accumulation in agricultural soils, creating potential ecological and health risks. In this study, a novel glyphosate-degrading bacterium, Rhizobium dioscoreae Q9a, was isolated and characterized. Strain Q9a effectively degraded glyphosate (50 mg/L) within 9 d in liquid culture. In addition to its degradative ability, strain Q9a exhibited multiple plant growth-promoting traits, including solubilization of up to 150 mg/L insoluble phosphate, production of 45 μg/mL indole-3-acetic acid, and siderophore secretion. Genome sequencing revealed multiple candidate genes potentially responsible for glyphosate metabolism, and heterologous expression validated the glyphosate oxidoreductase function of the key enzyme GoxD encoded by an oxidoreductase gene. Further, molecular docking and site-directed mutagenesis confirmed that Ser38 serves as the critical active site in GoxD for catalyzing glyphosate. These findings highlight the potential of strain Q9a as a promising bioinoculant for the bioremediation of glyphosate-contaminated environments and for enhancing crop growth.

Hypoxia is a common feature of solid tumors and is associated with cancer progression. We investigated the effect of hypoxia followed by reoxygenation on the phenotypic behavior of two breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231. MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells were exposed to controlled hypoxia (1% O2, 1h and 24h) followed by reoxygenation (24h to 96h) and compared to their normoxic controls for cell proliferation, survival, migration and invasion, and chemoresistance. Image-iT™ Green hypoxia reagent confirmed the time-dependent induction of hypoxia in both cell lines. Hypoxia exerted cell-type specific effects on proliferation and cell-cycle regulation. MDA-MB-231 cells demonstrated marked G2/M arrest (p = 0.0016) following 24h of hypoxia. Distinct cell-death pathways were observed, with hypoxia inducing apoptosis in MCF-7 cells (hypoxia vs. normoxia, 19.45% Vs 3.70%, p < 0.0001) and necrosis in MDA-MB-231 cells (hypoxia vs. normoxia, 52.43% Vs 22.86%, p < 0.0001). Hypoxia-reoxygenation increased proliferation in MCF-7 cells, particularly after long term (24h) hypoxic preconditioning. In contrast, MDA-MB-231 cells showed increased proliferation after short-term (1h) hypoxia but reduced proliferation following prolonged hypoxia. Moreover, hypoxia-reoxygenation significantly increased anchorage independent growth, migration and invasion in MCF-7 cells, particularly after short-term hypoxia, while MDA-MB-231 cells exhibited minimal changes in migration and reduced invasion after prolonged hypoxia. Lastly, hypoxia significantly increased chemoresistance, with MCF-7 cells exhibiting three-fold and MDA-MB-231 cells nine-fold increase in resistance to doxorubicin. These findings suggest that hypoxia followed by reoxygenation results in transient alterations in multiple phenotypic traits, especially in less aggressive breast cancer cells, highlighting the need for strategies to mitigate hypoxia-driven tumour progression.

Despite achieving substantial progress in caloric food security, micronutrient deficiencies remain a major global health challenge, highlighting a persistent disconnect between crop productivity and nutritional quality. Crop biofortification has emerged as a promising strategy to address this gap by enhancing the intrinsic nutrient content of widely consumed foods to meet dietary requirements through complementary roles of staple crops and horticultural species in improving diet quality. In this review, we reposition biofortification within a broader nutrition-sensitive food system framework and discuss two complementary approaches to accelerate its impact. First, we examine how systematic exploration of global crop diversity can identify nutritionally superior germplasm from seed/genebanks for deployment in breeding and food systems. Second, we evaluate advances in modern breeding and genome-editing approaches for improving minerals, vitamins, and health-promoting phytochemicals across major crop groups. We further propose that a conserved set of nutrient-regulatory pathways provides a unifying framework for cross-crop biofortification, enabling more efficient, scalable strategies to enhance multiple nutritional traits to support a transition toward crop portfolios designed not only for yield and resilience but also for improved human health in the 21st century.