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Tri‐ortho‐cresyl phosphate (TOCP), a widely used plasticizer in industry, can cause female reproductive damage. Tea polyphenols (TPs) have multiple health effects via inhibiting oxidative stress. However, the reproductive protection of TPs in TOCP‐induced female reproductive system damage is yet to be elucidated. In the study, TOCP inhibited cell viability and induced autophagy of mouse ovarian granulosa cells; while TPs could rescue the inhibition of viability and induction of autophagy. 3‐MA, an autophagy inhibitor, could also rescue the inhibition of cell viability. These results indicated that TPs played a protective role in TOCP‐induced autophagy. Furthermore, TPs could inhibit the induction of oxidative stress of the cells by TOCP, which implying that TPs might alleviate TOCP‐induced autophagy via inhibiting oxidative stress. Furthermore, TPs could rescue TOCP‐induced autophagy and oxidative stress in the mouse ovarian tissues. Taken together, these results indicated that TPs could protect TOCP‐induced ovarian damage via inhibiting oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a widely used plasticizer in industry, di‐2‐ethylhexylphthalate (DEHP) can cause testicular toxicity, yet little is known about the potential mechanism. In this study, DEHP exposure dramatically inhibited cellviability and induced apoptosis of mouse GC‐1 spg cells. Furthermore, DEHP significantly increased the levels of autophagy proteins LC3‐II, Beclin1 and Atg5, as well as the ratio ofLC3‐II/LC3‐I. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) further confirmed that DEHP induced autophagy of mouse GC‐1 spg cells. DEHP was also shown to induceoxidative stress; while inhibition of oxidative stress with NAC could increase cell viability and inhibit DEHP‐induced apoptosis and autophagy. These results suggested that DEHP induced apoptosis and autophagy of mouse GC‐1 spg cells via oxidative stress. 3‐MA, an inhibitor of autophagy, could rescue DEHP‐induced apoptosis. In summary, DEHP induced apoptosis and autophagy of mouse GC‐1 spg cells via oxidative stress, and autophagy might exert a cytotoxic effect on DEHP‐induced apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The transcriptome of resistant and susceptible radish inoculated with P. brassicae. was determined. • Stress/defense response and hormone metabolic process are directly involved in the defense response process. • Effector-triggered immunity (ETI) plays key roles in defense response. Plasmodiophora brassicae is a protozoan pathogen that causes clubroot disease, which is one of the most destructive diseases for Brassica crops, including radish. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism of clubroot resistance in radish. In this study, we performed a comparative transcriptome analysis between resistant and susceptible radish inoculated with P. brassicae. More differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified at 28 days after inoculation (DAI) compared to 7 DAI in both genotypes. Gene ontology (GO) and KEGG enrichment indicated that stress/defense response, secondary metabolic biosynthesis, hormone metabolic process, and cell periphery are directly involved in the defense response process. Further analysis of the transcriptome revealed that effector-triggered immunity (ETI) plays key roles in the defense response. The plant hormones jasmonic acid (JA), ethylene (ET), and abscisic acid (ABA) related genes are activated in clubroot defense in the resistant line. Auxin (AUX) hormone related genes are activated in the developing galls of susceptible radish. Our study provides a global transcriptional overview for clubroot development for insights into the P. brassicae defense mechanisms in radish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influence of climate change on the geospatial heterogeneity in agricultural production remains poorly understood. In this study, heterogeneity in climate's impacts on wheat production across the North China Plain (NCP) was explored by integrating APSIM model, process–based factor–control quantitative approach, and geostatistical analyses. The results indicated that increased precipitation and minimum temperature boosted yields, while elevated maximum temperature and reduced radiation exerted adverse effects. The most pronounced negative impact arose from the coupling variation between maximum temperature and radiation, contributing to yields' variations of −5.84% from 2000 to 2010 and –5.22% from 2010 to 2020. In last two decades, climate change has augmented the overall geospatial heterogeneity degree in wheat yields. The chief factor contributing to yields' heterogeneity was the maximum temperature during anthesis–maturation stage, explaining an average of 37.6% of yields' heterogeneity, followed by precipitation throughout the whole growth period and the anthesis–maturation stage, explaining 36.1% and 34.5% respectively. A reciprocal enhancement mechanism exists between factors in driving yields' heterogeneity. Wheat yields in the southwestern NCP benefited more from increased precipitation and minimum temperature. Between 2000 and 2010, yields in the central NCP (junctions of Henan, Hebei, and Shandong) experienced the most pronounced adverse impact from increased maximum temperature. However, by 2010–2020, significant adverse impact shifted to western NCP, expanding spatially. During 2010–2020, the geospatial scope of radiation's significant negative impact expanded compared to the preceding decade, particularly affecting the yields in central and eastern NCP. The identified geospatial heterogeneity pattern of climate's impacts can guide spatially–matched climate–adaptive management adjustments. For instance, intensifying the defense against high–temperature's impacts in northwestern Henan, southern Hebei, and western Shandong, while improving the adaptation to radiation reduction in the central and eastern NCP. The findings are expected to advance regional–scale climate–smart agricultural development. • Geospatial heterogeneity in climate's impacts on wheat production was assessed. • Climate change exacerbated yield's overall spatial heterogeneity degree. • Tmax in anthesis–maturation explained 37.6% of yields' heterogeneity. • Geospatial pattern in climate's impacts on yields shift over time. • Identified heterogeneity pattern can guide spatially-matched climate-adaptive management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is an economically important vegetable crop in the Solanaceae family, with extensive diversity among landraces and close relatives. Here, we report a high-quality reference genome for the eggplant inbred line HQ-1315 (S. melongena-HQ) using a combination of Illumina, Nanopore and 10X genomics sequencing technologies and Hi-C technology for genome assembly. The assembled genome has a total size of ~1.17 Gb and 12 chromosomes, with a contig N50 of 5.26 Mb, consisting of 36,582 protein-coding genes. Repetitive sequences comprise 70.09% (811.14 Mb) of the eggplant genome, most of which are long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons (65.80%), followed by long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs, 1.54%) and DNA transposons (0.85%). The S. melongena-HQ eggplant genome carries a total of 563 accession-specific gene families containing 1009 genes. In total, 73 expanded gene families (892 genes) and 34 contraction gene families (114 genes) were functionally annotated. Comparative analysis of different eggplant genomes identified three types of variations, including single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), insertions/deletions (indels) and structural variants (SVs). Asymmetric SV accumulation was found in potential regulatory regions of protein-coding genes among the different eggplant genomes. Furthermore, we performed QTL-seq for eggplant fruit length using the S. melongena-HQ reference genome and detected a QTL interval of 71.29–78.26 Mb on chromosome E03. The gene Smechr0301963, which belongs to the SUN gene family, is predicted to be a key candidate gene for eggplant fruit length regulation. Moreover, we anchored a total of 210 linkage markers associated with 71 traits to the eggplant chromosomes and finally obtained 26 QTL hotspots. The eggplant HQ-1315 genome assembly can be accessed at http://eggplant-hq.cn. In conclusion, the eggplant genome presented herein provides a global view of genomic divergence at the whole-genome level and powerful tools for the identification of candidate genes for important traits in eggplant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular RNA (circRNA) is a newly discovered non-coding RNA, which play significant roles in the function and transcriptional regulation of microRNA. To date, in Chinese cabbage, the functional characteristic of circRNAs in response to calcium deficiency-induced tip-burn have not been reported. In this study, 730 circRNAs were isolated from Chinese cabbage leaves, of which 23 and 22 were differentially expressed in different calcium deficiency stages compared with the control. Forty-six host genes of the differentially expressed circRNAs were identified, and one circRNA was found to act as miRNAs sponges. Based on the functional analysis of host genes and target mRNAs of the corresponding miRNAs, the identified circRNAs might participated in response to stimulus, electron carrier activity, ATPase activity, cell wall metabolism, transcription factors and plant hormone signal transduction. ABF2, a positive regulator of the abiotic stress response in the abscisic acid (ABA) pathway, may play a role in calcium deficiency tolerance through a circRNA regulatory pathway. Correspondingly, the concentration of ABA is also increased during the Ca2+ deficiency stress. Our results suggest that circRNAs participate in a broad range of biological processes and physiological functions in the response to calcium deficiency-induced tip-burn and provide a basis for further studies of the biological roles that circRNAs play in the plant stress response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed dormancy is a life adaptation trait exhibited by plants in response to environmental changes during their growth and development. The dormancy of commercial seeds is the key factor affecting seed quality. Eggplant seed dormancy is controlled by quantitative trait loci (QTLs), but reliable QTLs related to eggplant dormancy are still lacking. In this study, F2 populations obtained through the hybridization of paternally inbred lines with significant differences in dormancy were used to detect regulatory sites of dormancy in eggplant seeds. Three QTLs (dr1.1, dr2.1, and dr6.1) related to seed dormancy were detected on three chromosomes of eggplant using the QTL-Seq technique. By combining nonsynonymous sites within the candidate regions and gene functional annotation analysis, nine candidate genes were selected from three QTL candidate regions. According to the germination results on the eighth day, the male parent was not dormant, but the female parent was dormant. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to verify the expression of nine candidate genes, and the Smechr0201082 gene showed roughly the same trend as that in the phenotypic data. We proposed Smechr0201082 as the potential key gene involved in regulating the dormancy of eggplant seeds. The results of seed experiments with different concentrations of gibberellin A3 (GA3) showed that, within a certain range, the higher the gibberellin concentration, the earlier the emergence and the higher the germination rate. However, higher concentrations of GA3 may have potential effects on eggplant seedlings. We suggest the use of GA3 at a concentration of 200–250 mg·L−1 to treat dormant seeds. This study provides a foundation for the further exploration of genes related to the regulation of seed dormancy and the elucidation of the molecular mechanism of eggplant seed dormancy and germination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The leucine-rich repeat receptor-like protein kinase (LRR-RLK) plays an important role in plant development and disease defence. Although genome-wide studies of LRR-RLKs have been performed in several species, a comprehensive analysis, including evolutionary, structural and expressional analyses and their relationships to function, has not been carried out in the radish (Raphanus sativus L.). In this study, we identified 292 LRR-RLK genes in the R. sativus genome and classified them into 23 subgroups. The subgroups containing genes involved in defence were more likely to evolve from tandem duplication rather than whole genome triplication (WGT), had lower expression profiles and were expressed in fewer tissues than the subgroups related to development. Gene structures and conserved domains did not differ in the defence-related or development-related subgroups, but they were distinct in each subgroup. This study sheds light on the evolutionary and expressional relationships with the functions of R. sativus LRR-RLKs and provides an integrated framework for additional investigation into these functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The DSSAT model, integrated the calibrated Hargreaves ET model and dynamic crop coefficient, was run with the generated weather data by SDSM4.2 and CanESM2 to predict the potential yield and crop water requirement (ETC) of winter wheat in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain in China under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. The results showed that the spatial distribution of potential yield in the future under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 were similar, characterized by an increasing trend from the northwest inland to the southeast coast. The spatial distribution of ETC decreased gradually from the Shandong Peninsula to the surrounding area, and the minimum ETC was observed in the southern part of Huang-Huai-Hai Plain. The potential yield, ETC, and effective precipitation during winter wheat growing seasons might increase in the future under RCP4.5, while irrigation water requirements (IWR) would decrease. Under RCP8.5, the effective precipitation during the wheat growing seasons decreased first and then increased. However, the potential yield, ETC, and IWR of winter wheat increased first and then decreased. This study can provide some scientific evidence to mitigate the negative effects of climate change on agricultural production and water use in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research provides a comprehensive analysis of the spatiotemporal evolution of the regional cropping structure and its influencing factors. Using Landsat satellite images, field surveys, and yearbook data, we developed a planting structure extraction model employing the classification regression tree algorithm to obtain data on the major crop cultivation and structural characteristics of Alar reclamation from 1990 to 2023. A dynamic model and transfer matrix were used to analyze temporal changes, and a centroid migration model was used to study spatial changes in the cropping structure. Nonparametric mutation tests and through-traffic coefficient analysis were utilized to quantify the main driving factors influencing the cropping structure. During the period of 1990–2023, the cotton area in the Alar reclamation region expanded by 722.08 km2, while the jujube exhibited an initial increase followed by a decrease in the same period. The primary reasons are linked to the cost of purchase, agricultural mechanization, and crop compatibility. In the Alar reclamation area, cotton, chili, and jujube are the primary cultivated crops. Cotton is mainly grown on the southern side of the Tarim River, while chili cultivation is concentrated on the northern bank of the river. Over the years, there has been a noticeable spatial complementarity in the distribution and density of rice and cotton crops in this region. In the Alar reclamation, the main factors influencing the change in cultivated land area are cotton price, agricultural machinery gross power, and population. Consequently, implementing measures such as providing planting subsidies and other policy incentives to enhance planting income can effectively stimulate farmers' willingness to engage in planting activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the microbial characteristics of yak uteri collected using intrauterine cotton swabs (CS) during different reproductive stages and the correlation of these microbial characteristics with reproductive status. Methods: We used a macrogenomic approach to analyze the functional aspects of different microorganisms in samples collected during the pre-estrus, estrus, late estrus, and diestrus stages. Results: The results revealed the presence of 1293 microbial genera and 3401 microbial species in the uteri of yaks at different reproductive stages. The dominant bacterial species varied across the different periods, with Micrococcus and Proteus being dominant during pre-estrus; Pseudomonas, Clostridium, Flavobacterium, Bacillus, and Staphylococcus during estrus; Acinetobacter, Bacillus and Proteus during late estrus; and Pseudomonas, Escherichia coli, and Proteus during diestrus. Discussion: The primary functions of these bacteria are enriched in various metabolic pathways, including carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism, intracellular transport and secretion, post-translational protein modification, and drug resistance. These findings suggest that the microbial diversity in the uterus of yaks plays a crucial role in reproductive regulation and can help prevent reproductive tract-related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional photonic crystals (PCs) have a good modulation effect on the in-plane propagating light field, which enhance the Faraday rotation of MO material. However, for the axially propagating light field, the effect of PCs is limited. To overcome this, we present a method that is based on optical tunneling, and a large Faraday rotation and small ellipticity can be achieved through a Bi:YIG nanoparticle that is coated with a low-index SiO2 material. This model is composed of a Glass matrix of two-dimensional PCs filled with a Bi:YIG\ SiO2 nanoparticle at the point defect, which is compatible with traditional processes. The conversion of linear polarized light propagating axially was simulated by the finite difference time domain algorithm with MATLAB. The suggested model has Faraday rotation and an ellipticity of θF = 24.06° and εF = 0.012 for the wavelength λ = 975 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the microflora inhabiting the reproductive tract is important for a better understanding of female physiology and reproductive health. The endometrial fluid from mice in three reproductive stages (A: Unproductive mice; B: Postovulatory mice; C: Postpartum mice) was extracted for microbial DNA extraction and sequencing. Phenotypic and functional analyses of endometrial microbial enrichment was undertaken using LefSe. The results showed 95 genera and 134 species of microorganisms in the uteri of mice. There were differentially distributed genera, among which Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, and Streptococcus were more abundant in the endometrial fluid of mice in the unproductive group. That of mice in the postovulatory group was colonized with Salmonella enterica and Campylobacter and was mainly enriched in metabolic pathways and steroid biosynthesis. The presence of Chlamydia, Enterococcus, Pseudomonadales, Acinetobacter, and Clostridium in the endometrial fluid of postpartum mice, in addition to the enrichment of the endocrine system and the Apelin and FoxO signaling pathways, resulted in a higher number of pathogenic pathways than in the other two groups. The results showed that the microbial diversity characteristics in the endometrium of mice in different reproductive states differed and that they could be involved in the regulation of animal reproduction through metabolic pathways and steroid biosynthesis, suggesting that reproductive diseases induced by microbial diversity alterations in the regulation of animal reproduction cannot be ignored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autophagy plays an important role in mammalian oocyte maturation and early embryonic development and rapamycin is well known for inducing autophagy. Although previous studies have reported the effects of rapamycin on oocytes in vitro maturation (IVM) in different species, few studies have been reported on the role of rapamycin in yak oocytes IVM and embryonic development. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the effect of rapamycin treatment on yak oocytes IVM and early embryonic development. Specifically, immature yak oocytes during IVM or parthenogenetic (PA) embryos were treated with different rapamycin concentrations to select an optimal dose. Then evaluated its effect on maturation rates, cleavage, and blastocyst formation rates, mitochondrial membrane potential, ROS levels. Related genes and proteins expression in matured oocytes and blastocysts were also evaluated. The results show that 10 nM rapamycin treatment during IVM significantly improved oocyte maturation rates of oocytes and blastocyst formation rates. Treatment with 10 nM rapamycin reduced ROS level but increased mitochondrial membrane potential. Correspondingly, mRNA and protein expressions of LC3, Beclin-1, and Bcl-2 up-regulated while Bax down-regulated in matured yak COCs. When parthenogenetic embryos were treated with different rapamycin concentrations, 10 nM rapamycin treatment showed higher 8-cell and blastocyst formation rates. Also, CDX2 , POU5F1, SOX2 , and Nanog levels in blastocysts were upregulated. In summary, our findings demonstrate that rapamycin treatment improves oocytes maturation probably by increasing mitochondrial membrane potential, reducing ROS levels, and regulating the apoptosis in mature yak oocytes. Rapamycin treatment also improves embryonic developmental competence in the yak. • Autophagy plays an important role in yak oocyte maturation and early embryonic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Growing oocytes acquire the ability to mature through two-way communication between gametes and surrounding somatic cumulus cells (CCs). Granulosa cells (GCs) support oocyte growth, regulate meiosis progression, and modulate global oocyte transcription activity. However, the proliferation and differentiation of the yak ovary in GCs and CCs remain unclear. To characterize the important roles of long non-coding RNA, (lncRNA), microRNA (miRNA), and messenger RNA (mRNA), whole-transcriptome analysis was performed. Real-time quantitative fluorescence PCR was performed to verify the selected RNA sequences. Results: Important gene ontology terms and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways related to differentiation and oocyte development were identified for the target genes of differentially expressed lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs. In total,6223 mRNAs (2197 upregulated, 4026 downregulated), 643 lncRNAs (204 upregulated, 479 downregulated), and 559 miRNAs (311 upregulated, 248 downregulated) were significantly altered between the two groups. Target genes involved in cell adhesion, cell differentiation, regulation of developmental processes, cell proliferation, embryo development, signal transduction, apoptosis, and aromatic compound biosynthetic processes were significantly enriched. These RNAs were involved in ECM-receptor interaction, MAPK signaling, Hippo signaling, PI3K-Akt signaling, cell cycle, cell adhesion, leukocyte trans-endothelial migration, and actin cytoskeleton regulation. Conclusions: A comprehensive analysis of the co-expression network of competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) will facilitate the understanding of the process of granulosa cell proliferation and differentiation and offer a theoretical basis for the development of oocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sugar not only is an important biomacromolecule that plays important roles in plant growth, development, and biotic and abiotic stress tolerance but also provides a skeleton for other macromolecules, such as proteins and nucleic acids. Sugar transporter proteins (STPs) play essential roles in plant sugar transport and ultimately affect the abovementioned life processes. However, the evolutionary dynamics of this important gene family in Brassicaceae crops are still largely unknown, and the functional differentiation of radish STP genes remains unclear. Results: In the present study, a comparative genomic study of STP genes in five representative Brassicaceae crops was conducted, and a total of 25, 25, 28, 36 and 49 STP genes were individually identified in Raphanus sativus (Rs), Brassica oleracea (Bo), B. rapa (Br), B. napus (Bn) and B. juncea (Bj), which were divided into four clades by phylogenetic analysis. The number of STP genes was no direct correlation with genome size and the total number of coding genes in Brassicaceae crops, and their physical and chemical properties showed no significant difference. Expression analysis showed that radish STP genes play vital roles not only in flower and seedpod development but also under heavy metal (cadmium, chromium and lead), NaCl and PEG-6000 stresses, Agrobacterium tumefaciens infection, and exogenous sugar treatment. RsSTP13.2 was significantly upregulated in the resistant radish cultivar by A. tumefaciens infection and induced by heavy metal, NaCl and PEG-6000 stress, indicating that it is involved in resistance to both biotic and abiotic stress in radish. Conclusions: The present study provides insights into the evolutionary patterns of the STP gene family in Brassicaceae genomes and provides a theoretical basis for future functional analysis of STP genes in Brassicaceae crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An accurate and dynamic evaluation of the latent heat flux (LE) of greenhouse crops is imperative for advancing precision irrigation. Previous studies used the Penman-Monteith model to evaluate LE and treated the canopy as a holistic leaf, overlooking the discrepancies in structure and microclimate across canopy vertical sections. This study divided the canopy into a shaded and a sunlit layer in line with the structural characteristics of the tomato canopy and the shift in solar elevation angle β. A full-layer model (PMI) and a semi-layer model (PMT) were established based on the layering difference in the evaluation of canopy resistance (r c) and aerodynamic resistance (r a). Eight models: PMI 1 , PMI 2 , PMI 3 , PMI 4 , PMT 1 , PMT 2 , PMT 3 , and PMT 4 , were obtained using meteorological data from 2 m above the ground and 2/3 of the canopy height in 2022 and 2023. The performance was compared with the big leaf model (PMB) and verified based on the LE measured by the lysimeter (LE m). The results indicated that LE had the highest sensitivity to canopy absorbed net radiation during the flowering stage (1≤ LAI ≤3), while PMI 2 and PMI 4 overestimated LE with the fitting slopes (LE-LE m) of 1.72 and 1.67 in 2022 and 1.70 and 1.55 in 2023, respectively. PMT 3 and PMB underestimated LE ; the fitting slopes in two years were both 0.83 and 0.80, respectively; PMI 3 with the fitting slopes were 0.99 and 0.96 in two years, respectively. In the picking period (LAI≥5), LE was the most sensitive to vapor pressure deficit (VPD); PMI 3 and PMB accurately simulated LE with the fitting slops, both over 0.9 in two years. Therefore, the canopy was layered when evaluating r c while treating it as a unit in evaluating r a , PMI 3 showed the best comprehensive performance when simulating LE in different seasons and growth periods using meteorological data at 2 m above the ground. • Suggest dividing the canopy into two layers when evaluating canopy resistance. • Suggest regard the canopy as a whole when evaluating aerodynamic resistance. • Tomato latent heat fluxes have different sensitivity to variables at different stage. • The modified model has the highest accuracy using above-canopy meteorological data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]