Paurocephala sauteri Enderlein is an important pest of tropical and subtropical mulberry, which seriously threatens the diversified development of tropical sericulture industry. Fatty acyl-CoA reductase (FAR) exists in various organisms and participates in the biosynthesis of fatty acid derivatives, and then participates in many life activities such as wax synthesis, reproduction, sexual information recognition and communication. A total of 23 FAR genes were screened in this study. Protein analysis showed that most of them were alkaline proteins with hydrophilicity. Subcellular localization prediction found that 17 FAR proteins were located in the cytoplasm, one FAR proteinin the mitochondria, one FAR protein in the nucleus, and four FAR proteins in the plasma membrane, indicating that the main place for the PsmFAR gene to function was the cytoplasm. Combined with the function of other known insect FAR genes and the expression analysis of FAR genes in nymphs, female adults, male adults and different parts of P. sauteri, it was found that FAR genes could be involved in development, reproduction, wax synthesis, cuticle synthesis, pheromone synthesis and detoxification. In addition to seven genes only involved in wax synthesis, the remaining 16 genes may be involved in multiple biological functions, including 16 genes (69.56%) involved in reproduction, 16 genes (69.56%) involved in wax synthesis, 12 genes (52.17%) involved in cuticle synthesis, and nine genes (39.13%) involved in development. There were five genes (21.74%) related to detoxification and four genes (17.39%) related to pheromone synthesis. In this study, based on the transcriptome sequencing analysis, the identification, sequence composition and expression analysis of the FAR gene family were carried out to explore the function of the FAR gene in the life activities of the P. sauteri, and to provide a theoretical basis for its efficient prevention and control technology and the development and application of targeted insecticides. Further verification of subsequent functions would provide a basis for the development of precise prevention and control agents targeting the FAR gene.

Cibotium barometz, a nationally second-class protected plant in China, exhibits significant medicinal and ornamental value. It is naturally distributed in the southern regions of China and exhibits stringent requirements for its growth environment. Investigating the physiological response mechanisms of C. barometz to low-temperature stress can provide a scientific foundation for its artificial cultivation and the comprehensive development and utilization of its resources. This study utilized artificially cultivated C. barometz as the experimental material and established three temperature levels: 5 ℃, 15 ℃ and 25 ℃. Each temperature level was subjected to treatments lasting 5 days, 10 days, and 15 days, respectively. Following the stress treatment, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, physiological indicators, and total flavonoid content in the leaves were measured. The growth and physiological characteristics of C. barometz under different temperature conditions were analyzed based on the experimental results. The results indicated that following exposure to 5 ℃ and 15 ℃, the photosynthetic capacity of C. barometz leaves significantly decreased, whereas the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) markedly increased. In contrast, no significant differences were observed in the levels of free proline (Pro) and soluble sugars. After 15 days of treatment at 5 ℃, the malondialdehyde (MDA) content in the leaves of C. barometz significantly increased. Proper low-temperature treatment significantly enhanced the accumulation of total flavonoids in the leaves of C. barometz. On the 10th day of treatment at 5 ℃and 15 ℃, the total flavonoid content reached 688.78% and 511.01% of that in the 25 ℃ treatment group, respectively, representing the highest levels observed. This study demonstrated that low-temperature stress exerts differential effects on various physiological indicators in C. barometz. The activities of SOD and POD, and the total flavonoid content, can serve as key indicators for evaluating the cold tolerance of C. barometz seedlings. Temperatures of 15 ℃ and below can significantly reduce the photosynthetic capacity of C. barometz, leading to abiotic stress and a marked increase in the total flavonoid content in its leaves. This result could provide an important reference for optimizing temperature control conditions in the artificial cultivation of. C. barometz.

Coffee is an important economic crop in Yunnan, China. To investigate the effects of bee pollination on coffee production, this study examined the species of pollinating bees and the foraging behavior of dominant bee species during the coffee flowering period in Lisou, Ximeng, Yunnan. Additionally, the study evaluated and compared the fruit traits of coffee under bee pollination and control groups. The results showed that the bee species visiting coffee flowers included Apis dorsata, Apis cerana cerana, Apis florea and bumblebees (Bombus spp.), with A. dorsata and A. cerana cerana being the dominant species. A. dorsata visited coffee flowers throughout the day (from 9: 00 to 17: 00), while A. cerana cerana primarily foraged in the morning. However, the visiting duration per flower of A. cerana cerana was extremely significantly longer than that of A. dorsata (P<0.01). Introducing A. cerana cerana colonies increased the number of flower-visiting bees. Compared with the control group, the bee pollination group showed significantly higher fruit set rates, single fruit weight, seed weight, and seed number. Moreover, the fruit skins became thinner, and other traits improved, with a higher proportion of fruits reaching high maturity at harvest. The findings suggest that bee pollination can significantly improve coffee fruit traits, promote fruit maturation, and effectively enhance coffee quality. The results would provide a theoretical basis for improving coffee cultivation and productivity.

External application of regulator can reduce the damage of plants under low temperature stress, and 2,4-epibrassinolide (EBR) is a regulator that can enhance the cold resistance of plants. The study was aimed to investigate the influences of exogenous 2,4-epibrassinolide on the physiological characteristics of Dendrobium hybrida seedlings under low-temperature stress. In this study, the seedlings of Dendrobium hybrida ‘Sweel Maple’ were treated with various concentrations of EBR solutions (0, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 mg/L) through foliar spraying, and then treated under 5 ℃ low-temperature in artificial climate chamber. The yellowing leaf rate, defoliation rate and the malondialdehyde (MDA), soluble sugar, soluble protein, proline and chlorophyll content of treated samples were measured. The results indicated that EBR could significantly reduce the rates of yellow leaves and defoliation in D. hybrida seedlings under temperature stress, with the optimal treatment concentration being 2.0 mg/L. Compared with the control, the rate of 50% yellow leaves, 100% yellow leaves, and defoliation decreased by 27.41%, 16.55% and 20.64%, respectively. Additionally, 2.0 mg/L EBR effectively mitigated the decline in chlorophyll content in seedlings’ leaves under low-temperature stress and decreased the relative electrical conductivity and MDA content. Specifically, the relative electrical conductivity decreased by 14.33% and the MDA content by 29.03%, compared to the control. Furthermore, 2.0 mg/L EBR enhanced the content of osmotic adjustment substances in the seedlings’ leaves under low-temperature stress. On the eighth day of stress, the soluble protein and soluble sugar contents reached 1.68 mg/mL and 46.49 mg/mL, respectively, while proline content peaked at 142.28 μg/mL on the second day after returning to normal temperature, which was significantly higher than that in the control. In summary, EBR effectively alleviated the damage caused by low-temperature stress to D. hybrida seedlings. Various indicators demonstrated that 2.0 mg/L EBR exhibited the most prominent effect in enhancing the seedlings’ cold resistance, making it the optimal treatment concentration.

Considering the deficiencies such as low substrate utilization rate, prone to lose typical flavor, and weak taste in liquid fermentation process of pineapple vinegar, the paper intended to explore the effects of different carbon sources (sucrose, inulin) and nitrogen sources (chromium-rich yeast, soybean protein) on the physicochemical indexes (total acid, reducing sugar, total polyphenols and total acid), antioxidant activity (DPPH free radical and ABTS⁺ clearance rate) and volatile components in the fermentation process of pineapple vinegar, which was aimed to improve substrate utilization and vinegar quality. The results showed that not only different carbon sources and but also nitrogen sources could significantly increase the acid production of acetic acid bacteria, and the abilities of nitrogen sources to promote the utilization of reducing sugar and acid production of acetic acid bacteria were better than that of carbon sources. The nitrogen source had higher effects on the contents of total polyphenols, total flavonoids and the ability of scavenging DPPH and ABTS free radicals than carbon source. Besides, a total of 37 volatile components were detected in pineapple vinegar under four treatments, mainly included esters, alcohols, acids, phenols, ketones and so on. The total concentration of volatile components of pineapple vinegar in nitrogen source treatments was higher than that in carbon source treatments. The concentrations of esters and acids were the highest with value of 3712.37 μg/L and 972.97 μg/L, and were 6.39 times and 8.76 times of those in the sucrose treatment, respectively. Compared with sucrose treatment, the total concentration of volatile components in other treatments increased by 3.78-5.19 times. There were two key volatile compounds in the sucrose treatment (ethyl decanoate and phenylethanol), ethyl caproate, isoamyl acetate, ethyl decanoate and phenyl ethyl) were key volatile compounds in the inulin treatment, and five key volatile compounds in the nitrogen source group were isoamyl acetate, ethyl caproate, ethyl decanoate, linalool and phenylethanol. Appropriate addition of organic nitrogen source could promote acetic acid fermentation process, maximize the fermentation potential of acetobacter, enhance antioxidant activity of pineapple vinegar, to improve the content of total phenol and total flavone, and pineapple vinegar flavor.

It was aimed to investigate the characteristics of variations in color and sugar components within sweet potato tuberous root under diverse storage temperatures and to offer references for the formulation of storage and quality control measures for sweet potato tuberous root. The sweet potato tuberous root of Pushu 32 was respectively stored in environments of 25 ℃ (normal temperature control), 14 ℃ (low-temperature treatment), and –4 ℃ (near -freezing temperature treatment). The color of the tuberous root was measured using a colorimeter, and the contents of total soluble sugar, sucrose, fructose, glucose, and starch within the tuberous root were determined. Meanwhile, the activity of amylase, neutral invertase, and acid invertase involved in sugar metabolism of the tuberous root was measured, and the correlation analysis was conducted on color and sugar contents. During the storage period (0-60 days), the L^* value of the tuberous root at 25 ℃ control and 14 ℃ did not exhibit significant changes compared with the initial sampling point (0 days), while the L^* value of the tuberous root at –4 ℃ was consistently significantly lower than that of the initial sampling point. The a^* and b^* values of the tuberous root at the three temperatures fluctuated with the prolongation of the storage time. Under the 14 ℃, the content of soluble sugar in the tuberous root gradually increased with the extension of the storage time, and the sucrose content of the tuberous root under the 14 ℃ was always higher than that of the 25℃control and –4 ℃ treatment during the same period. The starch content of the tuberous root at the three temperatures significantly decreased with the prolongation of the storage time. In the early stage of storage (0-20 days), the activity of amylase, neutral invertase, and acid invertase within the sweet potato tuberous root at –4℃ was higher than those at 25 ℃ and 14 ℃. The correlation analysis indicated that the starch c ontent of the tuberous root was extremely significantly negatively correlated with neutral invertase and acid invertase; the L^* value, b^* value, and H° value of the tuberous root were extremely significantly positively correlated with sucrose, which could be utilized as indicators for evaluating the sucrose content in the tuberous root. Thus, among the three storage temperatures, 14 ℃ induced the best saccharification effect on sweet potato tuberous root, effectively facilitating the accumulation of soluble sugar substances within the tuberous root, and could be regarded as a more suitable storage temperature for this variety; –4 ℃exerted a considerable influence on the color change of sweet potato tuberous root. The color change during the storage process of the tuberous root was closely related to sugar metabolism, and invertase might be the key enzyme regulating the metabolism of soluble sugar during the storage process of this variety. The research findings would offer a reference for enhancing the quality characteristics and optimizing the processing techniques of sweet potato processed products.

The browning of the fruit pericarp is one of the most significant quality deterioration characteristics of litchi during storage, transportation, and circulation after harvest, which seriously affects its commercial value. In this study, three stress treatments were applied to litchi, mild dehydration treatment (DT), heat shock treatment (HT), and cold shock treatment (CT). We analyzed the changes in appearance quality, browning index, physiological indices, and the activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) after treatment to explore a new approach to delay pericarp browning by inducing resistance in litchi. The results indicated that after the three stress treatments, the browning of the litchi pericarp was exacerbated, accompanied by a decrease in pericarp brightness, water content, and increased membrane permeability at room temperature. The browning in the DT group was the most rapid, reaching a browning index of 4.99 on the 6th day. In contrast, HT and CT significantly delayed the browning of the litchi pericarp. The completely browned pericarp in the DT group was dry, yellow, and brittle, with the lowest water content (27.76%), which was significantly lower than that in the HT and CT groups (45.20% and 42.99%, respectively). The order of respiration rates was CT>HT>DT, and the relative electrical conductivity was DT>HT>CT. The activity of PPO and POD in the HT and CT groups was inhibited during the early part of storage, while the activity of SOD significantly increased at the later stage. Transmission electron microscopy results showed that the cell structure of the brown peel was destroyed and the contents were largely degraded in the DT and CT groups, whereas the brown pericarp cells in the HT group remained structurally intact and contained a large amount of coalesced sediments. Correlation analysis results showed that the browning index of the litchi pericarp under the three stress treatments was positively correlated with relative conductivity and negatively correlated with L^* (brightness), water content in the pericarp, and anthocyanin content (P<0.05). In conclusion, mild dehydration treatment led to rapid browning of litchi, while heat shock and cold shock stress treatments maintained higher water content in the pericarp and respiratory intensity of the litchi fruit. The treatments inhibited the increase of relative electrical conductivity and the activities of PPO and POD enzymes and increased the activity of SOD in the later storage period by stimulating the litchi’s self-resistance, thereby inhibiting the browning of litchi fruits and delaying the decline in fruit quality.

GASA (gibberellic acid-stimulated Arabidopsis) is a small molecule polypeptide widely presented in plants, playing an important role in plant growth and development processes. It has potential value especially in the regulation of mulberry bud dormancy. However, currently, the understanding of the functions of MaGASA genes in mulberry during the bud dormancy process is limited. The study aimed to identify the members of the mulberry GASA gene family and analyze the roles in bud dormancy. Bioinformatics methods were used to identify the members and analyze the physicochemical properties and other characteristics. Meanwhile, real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and transcriptome data were utilized to analyze the expression patterns. The results showed that there were 12 MaGASA family members (MaGASA1-MaGASA12) in mulberry, which were distributed on eight chromosomes. There were differences in acidity and alkalinity among the members, and the average hydrophilicity coefficients were positive or negative, but all contained the GASA conserved domain. The phylogenetic tree showed that they had a close genetic relationship with peach. Collinearity analysis revealed that there were three collinear relationships in the MaGASA gene family. The promoter regions of MaGASAs contained cis-acting elements that respond to light, low temperature, and various hormones. The MaGASA family members showed tissue-variety specific expression. Among them, the expression level of MaGASA12 in mulberry buds was significantly higher than that in other parts. Transcriptome analysis indicated that the expression level of MaGASA12 decreased significantly during the dormancy breaking process, while the expression level of MaGASA10 increased sharply during the dormancy breaking process. The expression levels of MaGASA10 and MaGASA12 at different dormancy stages were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR technology, and the results further verified the conclusions of the transcriptome analysis, indicating that they may be related to the winter bud dormancy process of Morus. The research results would provide a theoretical reference for the in-depth study of the biological functions of MaGASA in mulberry and genetic breeding.

Polygalacturonase (PG) plays a crucial role in plant growth and development, and in stress responses, by participating in the degradation of pectin and altering cell wall structure. Although studies on PG genes have been conducted in various plants, there is a lack of research on the identification and functional characterization of the PG gene family in cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz). This study identified a total of 89 members of the MePG family in the cassava genome, encoding proteins with 183 to 808 amino acids, molecular weights ranging from 19.75 to 87.07 kDa, and theoretical pI values between 4.64 and 9.71. Most of the family members are predicted to be localized in the cell membrane. Chromosome mapping analysis revealed that MePG family members were unevenly distributed across 17 chromosomes. Based on evolutionary relationships, MePGs were classified into seven subgroups (A to G), with similar gene structures within subgroups and evidence of tandem duplication. Comparative analysis indicated that the PG family genes in cassava were more closely related to rubber than to Arabidopsis. The promoter regions of MePG genes were enriched with elements responsive to light, hormones, and stress. MePG genes exhibit tissue specificity and were associated with cassava growth and development. During postharvest deterioration of cassava, MePGs displayed similar expression patterns, particularly MePG20, MePG21, MePG25, MePG64 and MePG72, which showed an initial increase followed by a decrease in expression, suggesting that the genes may initially respond to stress, upregulate to break down pectin, and then downregulate as cell wall hydrolysis is completed. This implies a significant role for PG in stress responses. Collectively, the findings suggest that MePG gene family members may have evolved through segmental duplication and intron loss and may perform different functions by sensing various types of signals, leading to diverse expression patterns. This would study provide a foundation for further exploration of the role of MePGs in the postharvest deterioration mechanism of cassava roots.

Pathogenic bacteria are the primary causative agents of economic losses in the aquaculture industry, and biological control is currently regarded as a promising strategy for prevention and management. Algae, as crucial components of marine ecosystems, host diverse and abundant microbial communities within their phycospheres. In order to explore the diversity and potential application value of algae-associated symbiotic or epiphytic actinomycetes resources in South China Sea, the isolation identification and antibacterial activity screening of symbiotic or epiphytic actinomycetes from Caulerpa sertularoides f. Longipes, collected from Lingshui, Hainan, were carried out. Actinomycetes were isolated through dilution coating method and identified according to the 16S rRNA gene sequences alignment and by phylogenetic tree construction. The results revealed that 20 strains were identified as Streptomyces, one as Nocardiopsis, and one as Microbacterium. The antibacterial activity of the fermented crude extracts of the obtained strains was evaluated against nine pathogenic bacteria, including Vibrio owensii using the filter paper method. Results showed that all strains exhibited inhibitory effects on at least one type of bacteria. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was employed to assess the chemical diversity of the crude extracts. Results showed that strain HZ057 had a higher abundance of secondary metabolites than other strains. To further investigate the salt stress tolerance of the strains, salt tolerance tests were conducted. The results showed that all the strains could grow well on 0%-4% NaCl, HZ054 and HZ057 could still grow at a salt concentration of 12%. The whole genome of HZ057 was sequenced and the functions of each gene cluster were predicted using antiSMASH. The analysis revealed that the genome contained 29 secondary metabolite genes clusters with diverse structural types, indicating that this strain is associated with a rich diversity of secondary metabolites. In this study, strains of Streptomyces, Nocardiopsis and Micrococcus were isolated firstly from the algae Caulerpa sertularoides f. Longipes in the South China Sea, indicating that the algae contained abundant actinomycete resources. Moreover, it was found that the identified strains exhibited significant antibacterial activity and the ability to produce a variety of secondary metabolites, suggesting the potentials for future research and applications.