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Metal-tolerance proteins (MTPs) are divalent cation transporters and play fundamental roles in plant metal tolerance and ion homeostasis. Despite that, a systematic investigation of MTPs in Pear is still lacking. In this study, 18 MTPs were identified from the pear genome database and renamed as PbrMTP1–18. They were phylogenetically divided into four clusters (Zn-cation diffusion facilitator proteins [CDFs], cation efflux domain, CzcD, and FieF) and further subdivided into six groups (G1, G5, G6, G7, G8, and G09). Characterization analysis revealed that most MTPs were plasma-membrane-located hydrophobic proteins. Motif and exon/intron analysis showed that members in the same group contained similar conserved motifs and gene structures. Moreover, eight pairs of segmental-like duplication events were found in the pear genome. Gene ontology (GO) and cis-elements revealed that PbrMTP genes are highly responsive to stresses and participate in developmental activities via hormonal regulation. Tissue-specific expression analysis disclosed that PbrMTPs could be involved in organ development. Comprehensive expression of PbrMTPs in 5 pear cultivars at different fruit developmental stages unveiled their crucial role. The PbrMTP04 was highly expressed at all the fruit developmental stages and could be involved in pear fruit setting and ripening. Our study, for the first time, highlighted the role of MTP genes during fruit developmental stages. We believe our work would provide an impetus for future pear breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels is an important traditional Chinese herbal medicine, and its main medicinal part is the root. In recent years, root rot has become one of the bottlenecks hindering the healthy and green development of Angelica cultivation due to the inappropriate application of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, plant growth regulators, and continuous cropping. In this study, high-throughput sequencing technology was adopted to reveal the differences in the community structure and diversity of endophytic bacteria and fungi in the roots of healthy and diseased A. sinensis. The results showed that the diversity index of endophytic bacterial communities was significantly higher in healthy root than in diseased Angelica root systems. There was a significant difference in endophytic fungal community diversity only at the m1 sampling site. There was a significant difference in the β-diversity of bacterial communities, but not of fungi. In terms of community composition, Proteobacteria was the dominant phylum of bacteria, and Sphingobium and Pseudomonas were the dominant genera; Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were the dominant phyla of fungi, and Plectosphaerella, Paraphoma, and Fusarium were the dominant genera. In addition, the relative abundance of the genera Sphingobium and Pseudomonas was higher in healthy roots, while Fusarium was higher in diseased samples. Among the five pathogens isolated from diseased root, four strains were Fusarium sp., and one was Paraphoma chrysanthemicola, which is reported for the first time. Our findings indicate that the endophyte community structure of A. sinensis infected with root rot changed significantly compared with healthy plants, and Fusarium is an important pathogenic factor, which provides a valuable microbiological basis for the targeted biocontrol of Angelica root rot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice (Oryza sativa) is a staple food crop globally, with origins in wild progenitors within the AA genome group of Oryza species. Oryza rufipogon and Oryza meridionalis are native to tropical Asia and Northern Australia and offer unique genetic reservoirs. Here we explored the relationships of the genomes of these wild rice species with the domesticated rice genome. We utilized long read sequencing (PacBio HiFi) and chromatin mapping (Hi-C) to produce de novo chromosomal level genomes of Oryza meridionalis, the most divergent AA gnome species, and the unique Australian Oryza rufipogon like taxon that is a sister to the clade of domesticated and wild AA genome rice species of Asia and Africa. Comparative genomic analyses were conducted to identify structural variations and syntenic relationships between these wild taxa and the domesticated rice variety Nipponbare. The genome assemblies of the wild rice species achieved high completeness and contiguity, revealing the shared and unique genes in each species. Both wild species uniquely shared some genes with domesticated rice many of which were associated with disease resistance and stress tolerance. Structural differences included the large 6 Mb inversion on chromosome 6 specific to Japonica rice. Functional annotation highlighted conserved biological functions and novel genes unique to the wild taxa. These findings provide a deeper understanding of rice domestication and highlight the genetic contributions of wild species to enhancing the genetic diversity and ecological adaptability of modern rice varieties. Our study emphasizes the importance of conserving wild rice populations as genetic resources for breeding and adaptation in changing environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial canker of kiwifruit is the most destructive bacterial disease caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae. Bacteriophages are regarded as promising biocontrol agents against kiwifruit bacterial pathogens due to their exceptional host specificity and environmentally friendly nature. However, the underlying mechanism of phages in the control of kiwifruit bacterial canker disease remains elusive. In this study, the field trial results showed that phage cocktail could significantly reduce the incidence of bacterial canker in kiwifruit. The high throughput sequencing results showed that the phage cocktail regulated the impact of pathogen invasion on branch endophytic communities, adjusted the diversity of the bacterial community structure, regulated the composition of rare taxa and abundant taxa, and increased the proportion of deterministic processes in community assembly processes. The phage cocktail significantly reduced the relative abundance of Pseudomonadaceae, Pectobacteriaceae, and Yersiniacea. Furthermore, the application of the phage cocktail resulted in an increase in the relative abundance of Beijerinckiaceae, Sphingomonadaceae, and Xanthomonadaceae, most of which are abundant taxa of the corresponding microbial communities. Additionally, the composition of rare taxa was also altered under the influence of phages. These findings offer perspectives on the phage-mediated biocontrol of kiwifruit bacterial canker and provide practical backing for the implementation of phage cocktails in sustainable agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uptake of excess iron by lowland rice plants causes iron toxicity, which is a major problem in the affected areas. This study investigated molecular diversity, genetic structure, and marker–trait associations for tolerance to iron toxicity in a panel of germplasm lines using microsatellite markers. The studied population showed a moderate to high degree of genetic diversity, as revealed by the estimated molecular diversity parameters and principal component, cluster and box plot analyses. The landraces Mahipal, Dhusura, Dhabalabhuta, Champa, Sunapani and Kusuma were identified as suitable for cultivation in the areas affected by high iron levels. The landraces Dhusura, Kusuma, Kendrajhali, Ranisaheba, Panjabaniswarna, Mahipal, Dhinkisiali, Champa, Kalamara and Ratanmali, which showed low scores for tolerance, were considered good donors for iron toxicity tolerance improvement programs. Utilizing STRUCTURE software, a total of four genetic structure groups were detected in the panel germplasm of lines. These structural subgroups exhibited good correlations among their members for iron toxicity tolerance and other yield-related traits. Marker–trait association analysis validated the reported iron toxicity tolerance QTLs qFeTox 4.2 and qFeTox 4.3, which are useful for marker-assisted improvement. A new QTL, qFeTox 7.1, located on chromosome 7, was detected as controlling iron toxicity tolerance in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mg alloys have recently been investigated and optimized for the development of biodegradable implants for orthopedic, dental, vascular, and other applications. However, their rapid degradation in a physiological environment remains the main obstacle to their development. In this work, the effects of nitrogen and hydrogen plasma treatments on the surface properties and corrosion behavior of an Mg-2Y-1Zn-1Mn (WZM211) alloy were investigated. Plasma treatment effectively modified the surface of a WZM211 alloy by removing the original oxide layer, followed by the formation of a new surface layer with controlled composition, thickness, and wettability. The water contact angle decreased from 100° to 17° after nitrogen plasma and to 45° after hydrogen plasma treatment. The nitrogen plasma treatment, shortly N-Plasma, resulted in the lowest corrosion rate (CR N  = 0.038 ± 0.010 mm/y) if compared with the hydrogen plasma treatment, shortly H-Plasma (CR H  = 0.044 ± 0.003 mm/y) and untreated samples (0.233 ± 0.097 mm/y). The results demonstrate the potential of nitrogen and hydrogen plasma treatment for the development of resorbable Mg-based implants., (© 2025 The Author(s). Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B: Applied Biomaterials published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)