The interactions between nematodes and fungi are important for soil carbon cycling. However, their cascading effects on soil organic carbon (SOC) accrual remain unclear, particularly the role of soil aggregates and manure amendments in mediating this trophic cascade. Using a 19-year fertilization experiment, we examined how nematode predation influences fungal necromass carbon (FNC) and glomalin-related soil proteins (GRSPs), and quantified their contributions to SOC across soil aggregates under different manure amendments. Our findings showed that nematode predation significantly enhanced fungal biomass and promoted deterministic assembly of fungal communities. These effects were strongly dependent on aggregate size, with the most pronounced responses observed in the large macroaggregate (LA) fraction. A complementary microcosm experiment confirmed that nematode predation increased fungal biomass by over 6%, particularly in the LA fraction. Manure amendments further stimulated fungal growth and reinforced deterministic community assembly, thereby enhancing trophic cascade-driven accrual of FNC and GRSPs. Of the two fungal-derived carbon sources, FNC contributed more substantially to SOC (40%) than GRSPs (17%), with the greatest contribution found in the LA fraction. Path analysis further revealed that nematode-induced changes in fungal communities mediated the positive effects of manure amendments on fungal-derived carbon accrual. Overall, these findings underscore the pivotal role of nematodes in driving positive trophic cascade impact on SOC accrual. Our study offers new insights into aggregate-scale carbon dynamics and biologically mediated strategies for soil carbon management.

Saliva plays a crucial role in mediating plant–insect interactions, yet the functional diversity of salivary proteins remains poorly understood. Here, we identify NlSP6935, a salivary gland-specific protein conserved among rice planthoppers but absent in bamboo-feeding relatives. Silencing NlSP6935 causes severe lethality, feeding impairment, and infertility in Nilaparvata lugens, independent of host plant resistance. Transient expression assays reveal that NlSP6935 suppresses H₂O₂ accumulation in plants, while overexpression in rice downregulates terpenoid biosynthesis and enhances host attractiveness. However, transgenic NlSP6935 plants only weakly rescue RNAi-induced lethality, demonstrating its dual role in insect physiology and plant defense suppression. Our findings reveal a novel effector essential for both planthopper survival and host adaptation, providing new insights into pest control strategies.

Although pigs lack classical brown adipose tissue, several studies have demonstrated that porcine adipocytes possess the capacity to undergo thermogenesis through UCP1-independent mechanisms. However, the developmental processes and regulatory mechanisms underlying these thermogenic adipocytes remain poorly characterized. Here, we found that dorsal subcutaneous adipose tissues (subWATs) in pigs exhibits significant thermogenic potential under cold stress. Notably, we observed substantial cold-induced structural remodeling in dorsal subWATs, characterized by increased fibrotic deposition. An integrated analysis of snRNA-seq and RNA-seq data on dorsal subWATs identified MFAP5, which encodes a microfibril-associated glycoprotein in the extracellular matrix, as a potential regulator of the cold-induced plasticity of dorsal subWATs. Both MFAP5 overexpression and MFAP5-conditioned medium (MFAP5-CM) not only inhibited preadipocyte differentiation into adipocytes but also promoted their commitment to non-adipogenic fibrogenic lineages. Furthermore, MFAP5 treatments significantly enhanced the mitochondrial biogenesis of these fibrogenic cells. Mechanistic investigations showed that these phenotypic alterations are predominantly mediated through the Hippo signaling pathway. In summary, our findings elucidate the pivotal role of MFAP5 in regulating adipocyte development following cold exposure, thus providing crucial insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying porcine adaptation to cold stress.

The CONSTANS/CONSTANS-LIKE (CO/COL) gene family plays important roles in plants flowering and stress response. In this study, two variants of the MiCOL14B gene were identified from two different mango cultivars; they were designated as MiCOL14B-GQ and MiCOL14B-JH, which exhibited significant differences in sequence and B-box domain. Both genes were expressed in various tissues of mango, localized in the nucleus, and responsive to drought and salt stress. In transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana, MiCOL14B-GQ delayed flowering, while MiCOL14B-JH promoted flowering. This phenotypic divergence stemmed from their molecular regulatory specificity. Yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) and dual-luciferase reporter assays demonstrated that both variants directly bind to the promoters of florigen genes (MiFTs), with MiCOL14B-GQ repressing their transcription and MiCOL14B-JH enhancing it. Altered expression levels of MiFTs in the roots of transgenic mango further validated this mechanism. Moreover, both MiCOL14B-GQ and MiCOL14B-JH improved stress tolerance under drought and salt conditions in transgenic A. thaliana as well as in transgenic mango roots. These variants significantly increased stress tolerance by increasing proline (Pro) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, while reducing malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) accumulation. Yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays revealed that MiCOL14B-GQ and MiCOL14B-JH interact with several stress-related proteins. This study demonstrates for the first time the functional effects of sequence variation in the MiCOL14B gene on flowering and stress responses, providing valuable genetic resources for mango molecular breeding.

Improving soil organic matter (SOM) maintenance is crucial for terrestrial carbon (C) sequestration and ecosystem functioning. Conservation tillage favors SOM pool buildup; however, it remains unclear how the decomposition of heterogeneous components is manipulated by microbial substrate utilization strategy from the view of SOM stability. Here, a one-year microcosm incubation was conducted using surface soils developed under 12 years of conservation tillage (high-C soil) and maize residue removal (low-C soil). Temporal changes in lignin phenols, neutral sugars, and amino sugars in the soil were monitored along with microbial phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) and enzyme activities. Throughout incubation, lignin phenols declined more (20.8–26.3%) than the SOM (12.3–14.5%) and amino sugars (10.6–12.3%), highlighting the key role of plant debris in SOM mineralization, and complementarily, the greater contribution of microbial necromass to SOM stabilization. Moreover, the decomposition dynamics of neutral sugars and lignin were strongly influenced by C availability. In the low-C soil, these two types of compounds decomposed with similar temporal patterns and extents, and such substrate co-metabolism was dominantly mediated by actinomycetes. In contrast, in the high-C soil, a lower oxidases-to-carbohydrolases ratio regulated the sequential decomposition of labile neutral sugars followed by recalcitrant lignin. Such microbial substrate selectivity was associated with a shift in microbial community from bacterial dominance toward increased fungal contribution. Overall, our findings underscore the significant interplay between soil C availability and flexible microbial substrate utilization strategy in regulating decomposition of heterogeneous SOM components, as well as their distinct contributions in SOM turnover and stabilization.

The composition and function of root exudates in rhizosphere iron (Fe) mobilization are significantly influenced by environmental pH conditions. While the role of organic acids in Fe solubilization is well-recognized, the molecular mechanisms underlying this pH-dependent process remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that under weakly acidic conditions, proton excretion alone is insufficient to solubilize sparingly soluble Fe. Instead, a pH-dependent ligand specificity emerges as a critical factor in Fe mobilization. Notably, within the pH range of 5.0–6.0, citric acid exuded by roots exhibits superior Fe solubilization efficacy compared to oxalic acid and malic acid. We identified SlFRDL1, a gene induced by Fe deficiency, as a key player in this process. SlFRDL1 encodes a plasma membrane-localized protein with citrate permeability, as confirmed by its functional expression in Xenopus oocytes. Knockout mutants of SlFRDL1 displayed exacerbated Fe deficiency symptoms, which were associated with a significant reduction in citrate secretion from roots. Furthermore, we discovered that SlSTOP1, a transcription factor, binds to the promoter region of SlFRDL1 and activates its expression. Slstop1 mutants exhibited leaf chlorosis symptoms similar to those observed in Slfrdl1 mutants, highlighting the functional interplay between these two genes. Interestingly, while Fe deficiency triggers the FER-mediated Fe uptake system under both acidic and alkaline conditions, the SlSTOP1–SlFRDL1 module is specifically activated only in acidic environments. This pH-specific regulation underscores the importance of the SlSTOP1–SlFRDL1 pathway in root-mediated Fe solubilization under acidic conditions.

Bud dormancy is a key adaptive strategy in perennial plants, enabling them to survive adverse environmental conditions. However, it poses challenges in crop cultivation, especially in fruit crops such as apple, in which synchronized bud break is crucial for consistent growth and yield. The synthetic cytokinin 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA) promotes dormancy release; however, its molecular and metabolic mechanisms remain largely unclear. This study investigates dormancy release in nursery-grown Xianheng 01 apple rootstocks through integrated transcriptomic, metabolomic, and hormonal analyses. Dormant buds were treated with 6-BA, with morphological, biochemical, and molecular profiling performed over 30 d. 6-BA treatment increased plant height and leaf emergence by increasing the levels of cytokinins (DHZR, IPA) and decreasing the level of abscisic acid (ABA). Transcriptomics analysis identified 7,009 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in response to 6-BA treatment. The cytokinin-responsive gene A-ARR8 exhibited a distinct expression pattern, being upregulated at 1, 3, and 6 d post-treatment but downregulated at 11 d. In contrast, ABA-related genes SnRK2a/b, PP2C, and ABF3, were consistently downregulated throughout the treatment period. Metabolomic analysis identified 2,053 metabolites, showing early-phase dominance of phenylpropanoids, and flavonoids, followed by a shift towards ABC transporter-mediated nutrient mobilization. Conjoint analysis highlighted the coordinated activation of secondary metabolite biosynthesis and cytokinin signaling. These results demonstrate that 6-BA induces dormancy release through cytokinin–ABA antagonism and phased metabolic reprogramming from stress defense to growth promotion. Our findings provide a comprehensive framework for optimizing dormancy management in apple cultivation and highlight 6-BA as an effective agrochemical for improving temperate fruit production.

Leaf curling is a key agronomic trait that promotes the formation of leafy heads in heading vegetable crops. However, the role of auxin in regulating leaf curling in Chinese cabbage remains largely unknown. In this study, we identified a Chinese cabbage mutant, lic86, which exhibited inward leaf curling and displayed significantly increased transverse curvature indices compared to the wild type. Additionally, among the measured hormones the concentration of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) was significantly reduced in lic86. Exogenous application of IAA caused outward leaf curling, whereas applying the auxin transport inhibitor, TIBA, resulted in inward leaf curling in both wild type and lic86 plants. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes between WT and lic86 were predominantly associated with hormone signal transduction pathways. Notably, the expression levels of two Brassica rapa asymmetric leaves1 (BrAS1) homologs were significantly elevated in lic86, while the expression of B. rapa LIKE-AUX1 (BrLAX1), the auxin influx carrier gene, was markedly downregulated compared to WT plants. Virus-induced gene silencing of BrLAX1 in WT plants resulted in leaf inward curvature, whereas silencing of BrAS1s in lic86 seedlings led to flattened leaf morphology. These findings offer insights into the molecular mechanism underlying leaf curling and leafy head development in Chinese cabbage.

Prohexadione-calcium (Pro-Ca) has been shown to positively regulate crop tolerance to saline–alkali stress. However, the optimal concentration of Pro-Ca application and the mechanisms through which it enhances saline–alkali tolerance and yield in soybean remain unclear. This study aimed to determine the optimal concentration of exogenously applied Pro-Ca and reveal the mechanisms underlying Pro-Ca’s effect on remediation and yield response in soybean under saline–alkali stress. The results indicated that saline–alkali stress negatively impacted the morphological and physiological traits of soybean seedlings by triggering the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to oxidative damage of the grana lamellae due to excessive accumulation of Na⁺. An application of 100 mg L⁻¹ Pro-Ca was found to be optimal, promoting dry matter accumulation and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) by significantly reducing Na⁺ uptake under saline–alkali stress. Moreover, integrated physiological, ultrastructural, and transcriptomic analyses indicated that Pro-Ca significantly enhanced the ascorbate–glutathione (AsA–GSH) cycle by up-regulating the expression of related genes to enhance the activities of ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione reductase (GR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), and the AsA/dehydroascorbate (DHA) and GSH/oxidized glutathione (GSSG) ratios to quench ROS, thereby protecting both thylakoid and mitochondrial membranes from degradation. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) encoding ascorbate and aldarate metabolism were significantly (P<0.05) enriched in the integral component of the membranes. Furthermore, Pro-Ca treatment up-regulated the expression of genes encoding photosystems under saline–alkali stress, thereby reducing the photoinhibition and stomatal limitation (L_s), mitigating damage to photosystems, and preventing yield reduction. In summary, foliar application of Pro-Ca could efficiently enhance soybean seedlings’ tolerance to saline–alkali stress by inhibiting Na⁺ influx, enhancing the AsA–GSH cycle, maintaining the biomembrane system, and improving photosynthetic efficiency.