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Introduction: Licorice stands out as an exceptional medicinal resource with a long history of application, attributed to its substantial pharmacological potential. The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors (TFs) gene family, being the second-largest in plants, is vital for plant development and adapting to environmental shifts. Despite this, the comprehensive characteristics of licorice bHLH gene family are not well-documented. Results: In this study, a detailed and thorough genome-wide identification and expression analysis of Glycyrrhiza uralensis bHLH gene family was carried out, resulting in the identification of 139 licorice bHLH members. Our duplication analysis highlighted the significant contribution of segmental duplications to the expansion of G. uralensis bHLH genes, with GubHLH genes experiencing negative selection throughout evolution. It was discovered that GubHLH64 and GubHLH38 could be importantly linked to the licorice trichome initiation and anthocyanin biosynthesis and GubHLH64 was also involved in the abiotic stress response. Additionally, certain subfamily III (d+e) GubHLH members could be implicated in the licorice drought response. GubHLH108, GubHLH109, and GubHLH116 were suggested to form a tightly related cluster, initiating transcriptional responses via JA signaling pathway. Discussion: In summary, our findings furnish a foundational understanding for future investigations of GubHLH gene functions and regulation mechanisms, shedding light on the potential applications of licorice in medicine and agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are among the most important signaling molecules, playing a significant role in plant growth, development, and responses to various environmental stresses. Respiratory burst oxidase homologs (RBOHs) are key enzymes in ROS production. Plants tightly regulate the activation and deactivation of RBOHs through various post‐translational modifications (PTMs), including phosphorylation, ubiquitination, S‐nitrosylation, and persulfidation. These PTMs fine‐tune ROS production, ensuring normal plant growth and development while facilitating rapid responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. This review discusses the effects of different PTMs on RBOH function and their biological relevance. Additionally, we examine the evolutionary conservation of PTM sites and emphasize the complex interplay between multiple PTMs regulating RBOHs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Older horses often show reduced autonomic responses, affecting their well-being. While regular exercise can help maintain autonomic function, the impact of structured exercise on geriatric horses is not well understood. A study involving 27 geriatric horses examined their autonomic modulation over 12 weeks under different activity levels. Horses were divided into three groups: (1) sedentary (SEL), (2) those participating in unstructured activities (RAT), and (3) those following a structured exercise regimen (SER). Results showed that the minimum and average heart rates decreased in the structured exercise group from weeks 10 to 12. In contrast, no changes were observed in the other groups. Furthermore, beat-to-beat intervals did not change in sedentary horses, fluctuated in horses engaged in unstructured activities from weeks 8 to 10 (p

IntroductionLicorice stands out as an exceptional medicinal resource with a long history of application, attributed to its substantial pharmacological potential. The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors (TFs) gene family, being the second-largest in plants, is vital for plant development and adapting to environmental shifts. Despite this, the comprehensive characteristics of licorice bHLH gene family are not well-documented.ResultsIn this study, a detailed and thorough genome-wide identification and expression analysis of Glycyrrhiza uralensis bHLH gene family was carried out, resulting in the identification of 139 licorice bHLH members. Our duplication analysis highlighted the significant contribution of segmental duplications to the expansion of G. uralensis bHLH genes, with GubHLH genes experiencing negative selection throughout evolution. It was discovered that GubHLH64 and GubHLH38 could be importantly linked to the licorice trichome initiation and anthocyanin biosynthesis and GubHLH64 was also involved in the abiotic stress response. Additionally, certain subfamily III (d+e) GubHLH members could be implicated in the licorice drought response. GubHLH108, GubHLH109, and GubHLH116 were suggested to form a tightly related cluster, initiating transcriptional responses via JA signaling pathway.DiscussionIn summary, our findings furnish a foundational understanding for future investigations of GubHLH gene functions and regulation mechanisms, shedding light on the potential applications of licorice in medicine and agriculture.

Plants face many abiotic stresses throughout their life cycle, such as drought, high temperature, low temperature, and salinity. To survive and reproduce, plants have evolved a complex and elaborate signal transduction network to sense stress signals and initiate corresponding defense mechanisms. Calcium ion (Ca2+), as a secondary messenger, plays an important role in mediating signal transduction in plant cells. Calmodulin (CaM) is an important class of Ca2+ receptors that sense changes in cellular calcium ion concentration and can interact with a range of proteins to regulate the activity of downstream target proteins. Calmodulin-binding transcription factors (CAMTAs) are a family of transcription factors (TFs) that are widely present in plants and can bind to CaM. The CAMTAs are regarded as the most characterized CaM-binding TF family in the plant Ca2+ signaling pathway. In recent years, studies have shown that CAMTAs play an important regulatory role in plant abiotic stress response and plant growth and development. Therefore, this review summarizes the recent progress in the discovery, structure, and role of CAMTAs under abiotic stresses, with a view to providing a reference for future CAMTA studies. Finally, the prospects and directions for further research on the potential mechanisms of CAMTAs in plants are also discussed.

Engineered living materials (ELMs) integrate aspects of material science and biology into a unique platform, leading to materials and devices with features of life. Among those, ELMs containing microalgae have received increased attention due to the many benefits photosynthetic organisms provide. Due to their relatively recent occurrence, photosynthetic ELMs still face many challenges related to reliability, lifetime, scalability, and more, often based on the complicated crosstalk of cellular, material-based, and environmental variables in time. This Viewpoint aims to summarize potential avenues for improving ELMs, beginning with an emphasis on understanding the cell's perspective and the potential stresses imposed on them due to recurring flaws in many current ELMs. Potential solutions and their ease of implementation will be discussed, ranging from choice of organism, adjustments to the ELM design, to various genetic modification tools, so as to achieve ELMs with longer lifetime and improved functionality.

Cyanobacteria are ancient and abundant photosynthetic prokaryotes that play crucial roles in global carbon and nitrogen cycles. They exist in a variety of environments and have been used extensively as model organisms for studies of photosynthesis and environmental adaptation. Lysine acetylation (Kac), a widespread and evolutionarily conserved protein posttranslational modification, is reversibly catalyzed by lysine acetyltransferases (KAT) and lysine deacetylases (KDACs). Over the past decade, a growing number of acetylated proteins have been identified in cyanobacteria, and Kac is increasingly recognized as having essential roles in many cellular processes, such as photosynthesis, energy metabolism, and stress responses. Recently, cGNAT2 and CddA were identified as KAT and KDAC in the model cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002, respectively. The identified Kac regulatory enzymes provide novel insight into the mechanisms that globally regulate photosynthesis in cyanobacteria and potentially other photosynthetic organisms. This review summarizes recent progress in our understanding of the functions and mechanisms of lysine acetylation in Cyanobacteria. The challenges and future perspectives in this field are also discussed., (© 2025 The Author(s); published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.)

Phosphorus is one of the key limiting factors for maize growth and productivity, and low-phosphorus stress severely restricts crop yield and stability. Enhancing the ability of maize to grow under low-phosphorus stress and improving phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) are crucial for achieving high and stable yields. Phosphate transporter (PHT) family proteins play a crucial role in the absorption, transport, and utilization of phosphorus in plants. In this study, we systematically identified the PHT gene family in maize, followed by the phylogenetic, gene structure, and expression profiles. The results show that these genes are widely distributed across the 10 chromosomes of maize, forming multiple subfamilies, with the PHT1 subfamily having the largest number. Cis-regulatory element analysis revealed that these genes might play key roles in plant stress responses and hormone regulation. Transcriptome analysis under phosphorus-deficient and normal conditions demonstrated developmental stage- and tissue-specific expression patterns, identifying candidate genes, such as ZmPHT1-3 , ZmPHT1-4 , ZmPHT1-10 , and ZmPHO1-H3 , involved in phosphorus stress response. This study presents a comprehensive and systematic analysis of the PHT gene family in maize, providing key molecular resources for improving phosphorus use efficiency and breeding phosphorus-efficient maize varieties.

The outer membrane (OM) of Gram-negative bacteria is the outermost layer of the cell and serves as permeability barrier against environmental toxins, including antibiotics. The OM is built by several pathways that transport and assemble lipids and proteins into the OM. Since the OM is an essential organelle for the cell, envelope stress responses (ESRs) continuously monitor its assembly to preserve viability if defects arise. While ESRs have been extensively characterized in Escherichia coli , they are generally narrowly conserved. Lipoprotein trafficking to the OM via the "Lol" pathway is a linchpin for all OM assembly pathways. In E. coli , defects in this essential process are sensed when the sensor OM lipoprotein NlpE activates the CpxAR two-component system. Distantly related Acinetobacter baumannii encodes an NlpE homolog but lacks any Cpx homolog; how OM lipoprotein stress might be sensed and mitigated in these bacteria is therefore unclear. Here, we used CRISPRi to transiently induce defects in OM lipoprotein synthesis (targeting lgt and lnt ) or trafficking (targeting lolA ) in A. baumannii . We defined the transcriptional response to blocks in OM lipoprotein biogenesis. After scrutinizing candidate ESRs, we identified the BfmRS two-component systems as specifically critical for preserving A. baumannii viability during stress in OM lipoprotein biogenesis. Surprisingly, A. baumannii NlpE played no role in combatting OM lipoprotein stress. Our study identifies an A. baumannii ESR for OM lipoprotein biogenesis defects that acts in a distinct mechanism, not involving the NlpE sensor lipoprotein., Importance: As the cell's surface, the outer membrane (OM) of bacteria, such as Acinetobacter baumannii , is continuously under assault from the environment or host. OM integrity is needed for cell survival, and envelope stress responses (ESRs) act to detect and repair any defects. ESRs are well-defined in Escherichia coli but are poorly conserved. We sought to identify an ESR for the essential process of OM lipoprotein biogenesis in A. baumannii . We found that the BfmRS two-component system performs this function and does so without relying on its NlpE sensor homolog, suggesting a novel mechanism of stress sensing is involved in A. baumannii . Our work identifies a key cellular role for BfmRS., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Petroleum hydrocarbon pollution has become one of the global environmental problems, posing a serious threat to the environment and human health. Microbial remediation plays an important role in the remediation of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated environment. Nevertheless, the stress factors present in the environment polluted by petroleum hydrocarbons limit the effectiveness of microbial remediation. This paper reviews the common stress factors in petroleum hydrocarbon-polluted environment and the response mechanisms of microorganisms to these factors. Furthermore, we introduce the methods to improve microbial tolerance, such as irrational modification, rational modification based on systems biology tools or tolerance mechanisms, and the construction of microbial consortia. The application of these methods is expected to improve the viability and remediation efficiency of microorganisms in petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated environment and provide new perspectives and technical support for environmental remediation.

Objective: Pediatric brain tumor survivors (PBTS) are at risk for neurocognitive late effects that can resemble symptoms of cognitive disengagement syndrome (CDS). In the current study, we compared the CDS symptoms of PBTS to those of healthy comparison classmates (CC) and examined whether CDS might explain group differences in depressive symptoms. We also explored whether CDS symptoms were associated with engagement-based coping strategies and stress responses, thereby testing one mechanism by which CDS could lead to affective difficulties., Methods: Data were from a larger, multisite study examining the psychosocial impact of pediatric brain tumors on survivors (ages 8-15; 1- to 5-year post-treatment) and their families. PBTS (n = 68) and CC (n = 64) were matched on age and sex and reported depressive symptoms, coping strategies, and stress responses during a home-based assessment. Caregivers reported child CDS symptoms. Analyses used multiple regression with post hoc bootstrapping to test indirect effects., Results: CDS symptoms were elevated in PBTS compared to CC (d = 0.49, p = .005), and elevated CDS symptoms partially explained higher depressive symptoms for PBTS. Exploratory serial mediation models suggested that coping strategies and stress responses did not account for the relationship between CDS and depressive symptoms. Alternative mechanisms to explain the association between CDS and depressive symptoms are discussed., Conclusions: CDS may be a relevant framework to understand why some PBTS are at risk for depressive symptoms. Although additional research is needed, clinicians should consider screening for CDS symptoms to assess risk for depressive symptoms in survivorship., (© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Personalized approaches to behavior change to improve mental and physical health outcomes are needed. Reducing the intensity, duration, and frequency of stress responses is a mechanism for interventions to improve health behaviors. We developed an ambulatory, dynamic stress measurement approach that can identify personalized stress responses in the moments and contexts in which they occur; we propose that intervening in these stress responses as they arise (ie, just in time; JIT) will result in positive impacts on health behaviors., Objective: This study aims to (1) use an experimental medicine approach to evaluate the impact of a smartphone-delivered JIT stress management intervention on the frequency and intensity of person-specific stress responses (ie, stress reactivity, nonrecovery, and pileup); (2) evaluate the impact of the JIT intervention on the enactment of health behaviors in everyday life (physical activity and sleep); and (3) explore whether changes in stress responses mediate the interventions' effects on health behaviors., Methods: In a 2-arm phase 2 clinical trial, we will enroll 210 adults in either a JIT stress management intervention or an active control condition. For 4 weeks, participants will complete 8 brief smartphone surveys each day and wear devices to assess sleep and physical activity. After a 1-week run-in period, participants will be randomized into the JIT intervention or an active control condition for 2 weeks. Participants in the JIT intervention will receive very brief stress management activities when reporting greater than typical stress responses, whereas control participants will receive no personalized stress management activities. Participants enrolled in both conditions will engage in self-monitoring for the entire study period and have access to a general stress management education module. Self-report outcomes will be assessed again 1 month after the intervention. We will use mixed-effects models to evaluate differences in person-specific stress responses between the intervention and control groups. We will conduct parallel analyses to evaluate whether the intervention is associated with improvement in health behavior enactment (ie, sleep and physical activity). The Pennsylvania State University Institutional Review Board approved all study procedures (STUDY00012740)., Results: Initial participant recruitment for the trial was initiated on August 15, 2022, and enrollment was completed on June 9, 2023. A total of 213 participants were enrolled in this period. Data are currently being processed; analyses have not yet begun., Conclusions: We anticipate that this research will contribute to advancing stress measurement, thereby enhancing understanding of health behavior change mechanisms and, more broadly, providing a conceptual roadmap to advance JIT interventions aimed at improving stress management and health behaviors., Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT05502575; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05502575., International Registered Report Identifier (irrid): DERR1-10.2196/58985., (©Jillian A Johnson, Matthew J Zawadzki, Martin J Sliwinski, David M Almeida, Orfeu M Buxton, David E Conroy, David Marcusson-Clavertz, Jinhyuk Kim, Robert S Stawski, Stacey B Scott, Christopher N Sciamanna, Paige A Green, Emily M Repka, Meynard John L Toledo, Nicole L Sturges, Joshua M Smyth. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (https://www.researchprotocols.org), 22.01.2025.)