Innate immunity is the primary defense against viral infections, with Toll-like receptors (TLRs) playing a crucial role in this process. This study aims to highlight the effectiveness of a pyrrolo[3,2-d]pyrimidine derivative (named TLR713), a potential TLR7 agonist, in inhibiting pseudorabies virus (PRV) replication both invitroand invivo. Tests on PK-15 cells demonstrated that TLR713 had no significant impact on cell viability, cell cycle progression, or apoptosis at concentrations of 0–3 μmol L^–1.TLR713 could promote the phosphorylation of IκBα, p38, and JNK through TLR7, and increase the expression of inflammatory cytokines. Invitro, when cells were treated with TLR713, PRV proliferation was inhibited viaTLR7 pathway. Analysis of the viral life cycle indicated that TLR713 could inhibit the replication of PRV, but not affect viral attachment, entry, assembly, or release. Invivo, TLR713 showed no side effects on mice at a concentration of 25 mg kg^–1. It improved the survival rate of PRV-infected mice, reduced tissue viral load, and alleviated the inflammatory response. In summary, this study highlights the potential of TLR713 as a novel TLR7 agonist capable of inhibiting PRV replication and may offer new opportunities for developing antiviral therapies.

Oral immunization is an alternative or supplementary approach that can significantly improve dog vaccination coverage, especially for free-roaming dogs. Safe and effective oral rabies vaccines for dogs are still being sought. In our previous studies, we generated a genetically modified rabies virus (RABV) ERA strain, rERAG_333E, containing a mutation from arginine (Arg, R) to glutamic acid (Glu, E) at residue 333 of the G protein (G_333E). Our previous results demonstrated that rERAG_333Ewas safe for adult mice and dogs, and oral vaccination with rERAG_333Einduced a strong and long-lasting protective immune response in dogs. Here, we further investigated the safety and immunogenicity of rERAG_333Ein non-target species, including suckling mice, rhesus monkeys, foxes, raccoon dogs, piglets, goats, and sheep. Suckling mice studies demonstrated that the G_333Emutation significantly reduced the virulence of the ERA strain. All of the suckling mice aged 10 days and above survived and showed no apparent signs of disease after intracerebral inoculation with rERAG_333E. Animal studies demonstrated that rERAG_333Ewas safe in rhesus monkeys, foxes, raccoon dogs, piglets, goats, and sheep. None of those animals inoculated orally with 10 times the intended field dose of rERAG_333Eshowed abnormal clinical signs before and after the booster immunization with Rabvac 3, an inactivated rabies vaccine. Meanwhile, oral inoculation with rERAG_333Einduced strong neutralizing antibody (NA) responses to RABV in rhesus monkeys, foxes, raccoon dogs, and piglets. These results demonstrated that rERAG_333Ehas the potential to serve as a safe oral rabies vaccine for dogs.

Global population pressures have necessitated increased focus on protecting and developing resilient plant species that can maintain productivity despite environmental challenges. Environmental degradation, driven by climate change and anthropogenic activities, poses significant threats to global food security through various forms of physical stress. Major environmental constraints affecting agricultural yields worldwide include salinity, water scarcity, nutritional imbalances (encompassing mineral toxicity and deficiencies), and extreme temperatures. Crop yield is influenced by multiple abiotic factors, including agronomic conditions, climatic variables, and soil nutrient availability. Plants develop various survival mechanisms at molecular, cellular, and physiological levels in response to stress. Abiotic stress, whether occurring individually or in combination, significantly impacts crop growth and productivity. For instance, drought stress reduces leaf area, plant height, and overall crop development. Cold stress inhibits plant development and crop efficiency, leading to diminished productivity. Salinity stress not only induces water stress in plants but also negatively affects cytosolic metabolism, cell development, membrane function, and increases reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Elevated CO₂ concentrations may enhance global precipitation patterns, potentially resulting in increased rainfall that can adversely affect crop development. Plants under excessive water stress exhibit reduced amylose content but increased crude protein levels. This affects both quality and quantity of crop production by inhibiting seed germination and causing growth impairment through combined effects of elevated osmotic potential and ion toxicity. Plants have evolved various escape-avoidance and tolerance mechanisms in response to abiotic stress, including physiological adaptations and integrated cellular or molecular responses. This review paper examines the impact of abiotic stress on morpho-physiological, biochemical, and molecular activities across various crops. Additionally, it analyzes crop interactions with abiotic stress regarding response and adaptation mechanisms, providing a fundamental framework for species selection and development of stress-tolerant varieties in the future.

The interplay between gut microbiota and host health has attracted significant interest in the animal science community. Maintaining gut microbiota homeostasis by supplementing probiotics to treat clinical conditions like calf diarrhea is an emerging area of research nowadays because of increased concerns regarding antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and drug residues in animal products. Probiotics reduce the incidence of calf diarrhea by increasing the gut microbiota diversity and richness with more commensal bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium that produce antimicrobial compounds, as well as modulating the immune response by increasing cytokines, Interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and reducing tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), by increasing production of antibodies, especially immunoglobulin E (IgE), also IgG, differentiating naïve Th lymphocytes (Tho) into Th1, hence stimulate innate immunity and prime the adaptive immune response. Specific probiotic strains of bacteria and yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) derived probiotics maintain the integrity of the intestinal barrier. In this review, data are being organized to address the role of probiotics in treating calf diarrhea by modulating gut microbiota and stimulating an immune response against notorious pathogens, to present animal and veterinary scientists and nutritionists with a new concept to treat infectious diseases from the perspective of the gut microbiota, increasing animal health, performance, and welfare. In conclusion, health status and gut microbiome are strongly interlinked. Research data indicated a significant reduction in the incidence of diarrhea after probiotic administration. If interrelations between probiotics and existing gut microbiota are explored more quantitatively, novel antibiotic substitutes can emerge in the future.

Thinopyrumponticum(2n=10×=70), a wild relative of common wheat (TriticumaestivumL.), is considered an invaluable genetic resource for wheat improvement due to its abundance of genes conferring resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. This study focused on the CH97 line, derived from the BC₁F₇progeny of a cross between wheat cv. 7182 and Th. ponticum. Cytological evidence showed that CH97 has 42 chromosomes, forming 21 bivalents at meiotic metaphase I, with the bivalents subsequently separating and moving to opposite poles during meiotic anaphase I. Through a combination of fluorescence insituhybridization (FISH), genomic insituhybridization (GISH), multicolor GISH (mc-GISH), and liquid array analysis, it was determined that CH97 comprises 40 wheat chromosomes and two alien chromosomes from the E^egenome of Th. ponticum, featuring the absence of a pair of 5D chromosomes and variations in 1B, 6B, and 7B chromosomes. These findings confirm that CH97 is a stable wheat-Th. ponticum5E (5D) alien disomic substitution line. Inoculation experiments revealed that CH97 exhibits high resistance to wheat powdery mildew and stripe rust throughout the growth period, in contrast to the highly susceptible common wheat parent 7182. Compared to 7182, CH97 displayed improvements in thousand-kernel weight and kernel length. Additionally, utilizing specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq) technology, chromosome 5E-specific molecular markers were developed and validated, achieving a 33.3% success rate, facilitating marker-assisted selection for disease resistance in wheat. Overall, the CH97 substitution line, with its resistance to diseases and improved agronomic traits, represents valuablenew germplasm for wheat chromosome engineering and breeding.

Carbohydrate partitioning from source to sink tissues is essential for plant growth and development. However, in maize (ZeamaysL.), the molecular mechanisms by which callose synthase genes regulate this process remain largely unexplored. This study demonstrates that mutation of maize callosesynthase12(ZmCals12) results in increased carbohydrate accumulation in photosynthetic leaves but decreased carbohydrate content in sink tissues, leading to plant dwarfing and male sterility. Histochemical β-glucuronidase (GUS) activity assay and mRNA insituhybridization (ISH) revealed that ZmCals12expression mainly occurs in the vascular transport system. ZmCals12 loss-of-function decreased callose synthase activity and callose deposition in plasmodesmatas (PDs) and surrounding phloem cells (PCs) of the vascular bundle. The drop-and-see (DANS) assay indicated reduced PD permeability in photosynthetic cells and diminished transport competence of leaf veins in Zmcals12mutants, resulting in decreased symplastic transport. Paraffin section analysis revealed that less-developed vascular cells (VCs) in Zmcals12mutants likely disrupted sugar transport, contributing to the pleiotropic phenotype. Furthermore, impaired sugar transport inhibited internode development by suppressing auxin (IAA) biosynthesis and signaling in Zmcals12mutant. These findings elucidate the mechanism by which ZmCals12-mediated callose deposition and symplastic transport regulate maize growth and development

The pathogenesis-related protein PR10 plays a vital role in plant growth, development, and stress responses. This study systematically identified and analyzed PR10genes in cultivated peanut (ArachishypogaeaL.), examining their phylogenetic relationships, conserved motifs, gene structures, and syntenic relationships. The analysis identified 54 AhPR10genes, which were classified into eight groups based on phylogenetic relationships, supported by gene structure and conserved motif characterization. Analysis of chromosomal distribution and synteny demonstrated that segmental duplications played a crucial role in the expansion of the AhPR10gene family. The identified AhPR10genes exhibited both constitutive and inducible expression patterns. Significantly, AhPR10-7, AhPR10-33, and AhPR10-41demonstrated potential importance in peanut resistance to Aspergillus flavus. Invitrofungistatic experiments demonstrated that recombinant AhPR10-33 effectively inhibited A.flavusmycelial growth. These findings provide valuable insights for future investigations into AhPR10 functions in protecting peanut from A.flavusinfection.

Alternate wetting and drying irrigation (AWD) significantly influences the cooking and eating quality of rice (Oryza sativa L.). However, the mechanisms by which AWD affects rice cooking and eating quality remain unclear. Lipid and free fatty acid contents in grains correlate positively with cooking and eating quality of rice. This study examined Yangdao 6 (YD6, a conventional taste indica inbred) and Nanjing 9108 (NJ9108, a superior taste japonica inbred) cultivated under conventional irrigation (CI), alternate wetting and moderate drying irrigation (AWMD), and alternate wetting and severe drying irrigation (AWSD) from 10 days after transplanting to maturity. The research investigated the relationship between lipid and free fatty acid biosynthesis in grains and the cooking and eating quality of rice. Compared to CI treatment, AWMD significantly enhanced the contents of lipid, total free fatty acids (TFFAs), free unsaturated fatty acids (FUFAs), linoleic acid, and oleic acid in milled rice by increasing activities of enzymes associated with lipid synthesis, while AWSD produced opposite effects. Correlation analysis revealed that elevated levels of lipid, TFFAs, FUFAs, linoleic acid, and oleic acid contribute to improved rice cooking and eating quality. The findings demonstrate that AWMD enhances cooking and eating quality of milled rice through optimization of lipid and fatty acid synthesis in rice grains.