DNA methylation, a key epigenetic modification, plays a crucial role in regulating lipid metabolism. Consistent correlations have been observed between aberrant DNA methylation patterns and lipid metabolic disorders. Emerging evidence indicates that methyl donor micronutrients could influence DNA methylation patterns, consequently exerting an influence on lipid metabolism. Specifically, the deficiency or excesses of methyl donor micronutrients (folate, choline, betaine, B vitamins and methionine) have been associated with altered DNA methylation patterns linked to lipid metabolism. These alteration in DNA methylation levels, occurring globally and within promoter regions, could affect gene expression related to lipid metabolism. However, the mechanisms through which methyl donor micronutrients regulate lipid metabolism via the DNA methylation modification and the role of methyl donor micronutrients supplementation on DNA methylation profiles remain unclear. In this review, we summarized the regulatory role of DNA methylation in lipid metabolism, and highlighted recent findings investigating the impact of methyl donor micronutrients on lipid metabolism, as well as DNA methylation-mediated adipogenesis and adipose deposition. Taken together, this review deepened our understanding of how the complex interplay between methyl donor micronutrients, DNA methylation, and lipid metabolism, and provides valuable information for accurately regulating lipid metabolism of livestock and poultry, thereby improving meat quality, and promoting the development of animal husbandry.

Rice yield is a complex trait affected by many related traits. Traditional single-trait genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have limitations when studying complex traits, as they cannot account for the genetic relationships among multiple traits. Multi-trait GWAS can consider the relationships among multiple traits and identify pleiotropic loci, so it is more suitable for complex traits such as rice yield than single-trait GWAS. In this study, we conducted a multi-trait GWAS on 11 two-trait combinations of yield and yield-related traits with 575 hybrid rice varieties across two environments. All these yield-related traits showed significant genetic correlations with yield (YD), including filled grains per panicle (FGPP), 1,000-grain weight (KGW), tillers per plant (TP), primary branch number (PB), secondary branch number (SB), and main panicle length (MPL). In total, we identified 44 pleiotropic quantitative trait loci (pQTLs), including 29 new pQTLs not found in a single-trait GWAS. We then screened 23 pQTLs showing common effects in two traits as key pQTLs. These key pQTLs were subsequently analyzed by haplotype analysis, which identified 13 pleiotropic candidate genes. Finally, we identified two optimal yield-enhancing allele combinations by pyramiding the superior haplotypes: GS3-GL3.1-OsCIPK17for the YD-KGW combination and GNP12for the YD-FGPP and YD-SB combinations. This study provides pleiotropic candidate genes and allele combinations that exhibit superior differences in both yield and yield-related traits, offering valuable information for future high-yielding rice breeding.

Increasing the oil content is a key objective in peanut breeding programs. Accurate identification of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) with linked markers for oil content can facilitate marker-assisted selection for high-oil breeding. In this study, a high-density bin map was constructed by resequencing a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population (ZH16×J11) consisting of 295 lines. The bin map contained 4,212 loci and had a total length of 1,162.3 cM. Ten QTLs for oil content were identified in six linkage groups. Notably, two of these QTLs, qOCB03.1and qOCB06.1, were consistently detected in a minimum of three environments and explained up to 13.62% of the phenotypic variation. They have not been reported in previous studies and thus are novel QTLs. The combination of favorable alleles from qOCB03.1and qOCB06in the RIL population could increase oil content across multiple environments from 1.50 to 2.46%. Two insertions/deletions (InDels) markers linked to qOCB03.1and qOCB06.1were developed, and their association with oil content was validated in another RIL population (ZH10×ICG12625) with diverse phenotypes. In addition, the high-resolution map allowed for the precise positioning of qOCB03.1and qOCB06.1within a 1.77 Mb interval on chromosome B03 and a 1.51 Mb interval on chromosome B06, respectively. The annotation of genomic variants, analysis of transcriptome sequencing, and evaluation of the allelic effects in 292 peanut varieties revealed two candidate genes associated with oil content for each of the two QTLs. The candidate genes identified in this study can enable the map-based cloning of key genes controlling oil content in peanut. Furthermore, these novel and stable QTLs and their tightly linked markers are valuable for marker-assisted breeding for greater oil content in peanut.

NsaCMS is a type of cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) in rapeseed that originated from the cross between Xinjiang wild rapeseed (Sinapisarvensis) and Xiangyou 15 (BrassicanapusL.). Although this CMS variant shows promising applications, the factors contributing to its sterility and their underlying mechanisms remain unclear. To the best of our knowledge, we successfully assembled and analyzed the mitochondrial genome of 1258A (NsaCMS) for the first time. This mitochondrial genome spans 263,010 bp and contains 91 genes, including 33 protein-coding and 36 orfgenes. Our analysis identified a novel mitochondrial gene, orf113b, and a mutated, truncated gene, orf146, both likely linked to the sterility observed in 1258A. ORF113b and ORF146 were found to impede cell growth, disrupt gene expression associated with complexes I, III, and V of the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation pathway, and trigger reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. In addition, transcriptome data analysis revealed key nuclear genes co-expressed with orf113band orf146, suggesting that their aberrant expression may be influenced by retrograde signaling from the mitochondria. This signaling could lead to atypical programmed cell death (PCD) in the tapetum layer, resulting in pollen sterility. In conclusion, our study not only provides the first characterization of the NsaCMS mitochondrial genome but also identifies orf113band orf146as crucial for pollen sterility. Furthermore, it suggests that the ROS induced by these mitochondrial genes may play a central role in the abnormal regulation of nuclear genes essential for pollen development, thus offering new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying NsaCMS.

Plant height is an essential characteristic of agronomic traits, and an ideal plant height is essential for achieving high crop yields. Foxtail millet (Setariaitalica) has become a novel diploid C₄model crop. The proteomic profiles of the internode, node, and leaf in two foxtail millet varieties with different heights, Ci846 and Yugu 18, were investigated at the jointing stage in this study. There were different degrees of enrichment in various processes, such as plant hormone signal transduction, the MAPK signaling pathway, and others. In particular, the proper content of auxin could activate downstream SiARFs-SiSAURs expression, which enhances the length of internodes. Haplotype analysis of SiSAUR-like revealed two differential haplotypes of associated plant height, Hap1 and Hap2. The molecular marker SiSAUR-like-FCM1-2 can effectively separate materials into Hap1 and Hap2. Two additional genes, designated SiGH3and SiTCH4, were found to be associated with plant height regulation. In conclusion, this study not only uncovers the crucial role of auxin regulators in modulating plant height during the jointing stage but also provides molecular markers that will be invaluable for molecular breeding efforts. The findings of this research help to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of plant height determination that can be used for crop variety innovation and breeding.

Global climate warming is characterized by diurnal and seasonal asymmetry, with greater increases at nighttime and in winter and spring. Growing evidence has recognized that night-warming in winter and spring significantly impacts winter wheat production. Pre-crop straw returning is the principal method for straw utilization, but the interactions between straw returning and night-warming on wheat yield and N use efficiency (NUE) remain unclear. Here, a consecutive three-year field experiment with two straw treatments (S0, straw removal; S1, straw returning) and two warming treatments (W0, no warming control; W1, night-warming) found that both S1 and W1 improved wheat grain yield and NUE, with W1 exhibiting more pronounced improvements. Notably, the interaction between S1 and W1 (S1W1) further enhanced yield and NUE by 13.0 and 16.5%, respectively, compared to S0W0 through increasing grain number and 1,000-grain weight (three-year average). Additionally, root growth and topsoil inorganic N content decreased in S1 before jointing, thereby reducing plant dry matter and N accumulation. However, W1 exhibited an opposite trend, thereby mitigating these negative effects. Simultaneously, under S1W1, increased N translocation to grain and post-anthesis dry matter accumulation, driven by greater N distribution to leaves and higher N metabolism enzyme activity, enhanced both yield and NUE. This improvement was supported by better root morphology and biomass, particularly in the 0–40 cm soil layer, boosting plant N absorption. Additionally, elevated soil N-acquiring enzyme activity after jointing increased the net N mineralization rate and microbial biomass N, enhancing soil N-supply capacity. As a result, post-jointing inorganic N content rose in the 0–20 cm layer while decreasing at 20–60 cm, thus reducing the apparent N surplus. Collectively, straw returning, night-warming, and their interactions enhanced root distribution and N-supply capacity after jointing in the topsoil layer, thereby increasing plant N uptake and its translocation to grains, along with post-anthesis dry matter accumulation, ultimately improving grain yield and NUE.

Nitrogen is a key nutrient for wheat (TriticumaestivumL.) growth and yield, particularly during the grain-filling stage, where most nitrogen is redistributed from vegetative organs to the grain, significantly influencing yield. However, it remains unclear during which period the nitrogen translocation from the vegetative phase to grain maturation occurs and how it correlates with flag leaf senescence. In this study, a field experiment was conducted using the winter wheat cultivar ‘Xinong 511’ under two nitrogen fertilizer treatments: regular nitrogen supply (240 kg ha^–1(N₂₄₀)) and no nitrogen supply (0 kg ha^–1(N₀)). The results revealed that nitrogen accumulation in wheat flag leaves peaked at 7–14 days, with a nitrogen content 4.55%, after which nitrogen was redistributed to the grains. Nitrogen content in flag leaves decreased by 56% during 21–35 days, while that in the grains increased by 51%. The plant analysis development value (relative chlorophyll content), photosynthetic rate, free amino acid concentration, and soluble protein content in flag leaves peaked at 7–14 days, indicating nitrogen transportation from the flag leaves to the grains. Nitrogen application significantly increased the nitrogen remobilization rate in flag leaves by 20% compared with that of N₀, reduced reactive oxygen species accumulation by 21%, and delayed flag leaf senescence. Under nitrogen deficiency, autophagy was induced earlier, with a 5–7-fold increase in the expression of autophagy-related genes (TaATG8), suggesting that regulation of the autophagy pathway and enhancement of autophagy activity can optimize nitrogen fertilization. Our study demonstrates that the remobilization of nitrogen from vegetative parts to grains initiates leaf senescence and is closely correlated with the expression of autophagy-related genes.

Farmers in China often use nitrogen (N) fertilizers to ensure adequate crop growth. However, inappropriate applications have increased the risk of environmental pollution, lowered maize yields, and reduced profits for farmers. Proper N fertilizer management is crucial for improving yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). This study conducted a three-year experiment involving nine N treatments (0, 45, 90, 135, 180, 225, 270, 315, and 360 kg ha^–1) on a field under nitrogen fertilizer precision management (NFPM) in Northeast China. The results were compared with studies published within the past decade that analyzed yield and dry matter (DM) content under two management practices in Northeast China: conventional nitrogen fertilization management (CNFM) and water-saving fertilization management (WSFM). The findings reveal that maize yield increases with rising N application rates up to 270 kg ha^–1, after which yield decreases. The kernel number (KN) and kernel weight (KW) of maize grown under NFPM were 13.7 and 14.7% higher than those grown under WSFM, respectively. Furthermore, they surpassed crops grown under CNFM by 38.4 and 21.2%, respectively. The maximum total yield of the NFPM treatment was 41.8 and 78.8% higher than under WSFM and CNFM, respectively. In addition, compared with CNFM and WSFM, NFPM significantly increased NUE across the various N-level treatments. Optimizing nitrogen management can help farmers to achieve higher yields and promote sustainable agricultural development.

Cultivar mixtures increase crop diversification and grain yield stability. Achieving high grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) with environmentally friendly practices is a major challenge, but it is currently unclear whether maize cultivar mixtures can improve NUE. A two-year field experiment was conducted using two maize cultivars with different roots angles and leaf angles planted in monoculture or in mixtures under four nitrogen levels N0 (0kg N ha^–1), N140 (140kg N ha^–1), N280 (280kg N ha^–1) and N340 (340kg N ha^–1). Cultivar mixtures significantly increased light interception of the middle canopy, dry matter accumulation and total root length under N0, N140, and N280 conditions. Light interception of the middle canopy was positively related to dry matter accumulation and thus increased grain yield. In addition, light interception of the whole canopy was positively related to total lateral root length, while the greater total lateral root length of outer nodal roots significantly improved nitrogen accumulation and NUE. Thus, cultivar mixtures promoted an optimal canopy structure and good root growth, thereby improving grain yield and NUE. These findings deepen our understanding of the facilitating effect of canopy structure and root traits of cultivar mixtures on the combined promotion of grain yield and NUE.

Flavonols and flavanones are important bioactive compounds with multiple pharmacological activities and health benefits. Transcriptional activation of flavonol and flavanone biosynthesis has been studied extensively, while little is known about the negative regulators. CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology, with the advantage of precise genetic modification, is a desirable tool for breeding biofortified materials and exploring potential molecular mechanisms. In this study, a transcriptional repressor, SlMYB32, was characterized in tomato fruit. Phenotype and metabolomic analyses confirmed that knockout of SlMYB32resulted in increased accumulation of flavonols and flavanones, especially about 1 mg g^–1FW of quercetin 3-O-rutinoside (rutin). Transcriptome analysis indicated that expression of key genes SlPAL6, Sl4CL3and Sl4CL4as well as five candidate SlUGTs were significantly up-regulated in slmyb32mutants. Dual-luciferase and EMSA assays indicated SlMYB32 could bind to and repress promoter activities of SlPAL6and Sl4CL3. Expression of 27 transcription factors belonging to 12 families was significantly changed in slmyb32mutants, among which two SlMYBs, two SlNACs, two SlAP2s and one SlWRKY were clustered with known flavonoid regulators. Our results provide new insights into improving bioactive compounds in fruit and understanding negative regulatory mechanisms in flavonol and flavanone biosynthesis.