Endometriosis is a chronic, estrogen-dependent gynecological condition often associated with pelvic pain, dyspareunia, difficulties of defecation and urination, and infertility. The disease poses significant treatment challenges and has a high recurrence rate, causing considerable distress to patients and substantial social and economic impacts. Currently, the exact etiology of endometriosis remains unclear, and the lack of specific biomarkers complicates early diagnosis. Advances in high-throughput sequencing technologies have significantly propelled research into the human microbiome, revealing intricate connections between microbiota and diseases. Notably, the microbiota in the female oral cavity, genital tract, peritoneal cavity, and gut are closely linked to the development and progression of gynecological disorders. This article reviews the correlations between the human microbiome and endometriosis and explores the potential applications of microbiota in the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis.

Root-knot nematode, among the most destructive plant-parasitic nematodes, poses a severe threat to global agricultural production. The plant root microbiome is considered as the “second genome” of host plant and plays an indispensable role in plant growth, development, and stress response. Parasitism by root-knot nematode significantly disrupts the community structure and function of root-associated microbial communities in plants. The disturbance of host microbiome not only exacerbates plant pathological processes but also may induce cascade effects through tripartite interactions among microorganism, plant, and nematode. This review comprehensively elucidates the multifaceted impacts of root-knot nematode parasitism on the root micro-ecosystem of host plant, particularly focusing on the variation in the structural and functional characteristics of both the rhizosphere and endophytic microbiome, as well as their roles in the occurrence of nematode diseases and maintaining plant health. Investigating the interaction between pathogenic nematodes and plant microbiome on community level will not only advance our understanding the intricate network among plant, nematode, and microorganism, but also provide theoretical and practical insights for developing innovative strategies for controlling plant nematode diseases.

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a liver disease caused by long-term excessive alcohol consumption and is one of the most common chronic liver diseases worldwide. At present, no effective approach is available for preventing or reversing this disease, causing a serious social burden and increasing the pressure for prevention and treatment. In recent years, researchers have found that long-term alcohol abuse can lead to significant changes in the structure and function of the gut microbiota, thereby disrupting the balance of the gut microbiota, which can promote the progression of ALD. Therefore, maintaining gut microbiota balance can provide new targets for the prevention and treatment of ALD. This article reviews the research and intervention progress of the gut microbiota and its metabolites in ALD in recent years, providing reference for future studies on the pathogenesis and treatment of this disease.

Currently, the sustainable development of global agriculture is facing multiple challenges, including soil degradation, resource constraints, and environmental pollution. With the continuous growth of the population and the increasing demand for food quality, improving soil health has become a crucial foundation for ensuring food security. Although chemical fertilizers play an important role in maintaining the high yields and high quality of plants, their excessive or unreasonable use can cause environmental problems, such as soil acidification and water eutrophication. Rhizosphere microbial communities play an essential role in plant nutrient acquisition, tolerance to environmental stress, and adaptation to environmental changes. Among them, synthetic microbial communities (SynComs) are designed via the targeted assembly of multiple microorganisms with well-defined functions and clear genetic backgrounds, enabling the achievement of complex functionalities that cannot be accomplished by single strains. They are powerful tools for deciphering the key interface interaction mechanisms among plants, soil, and microorganisms and play a vital role in promoting efficient utilization of plant nutrients, enhancing plant stress resistance, and increasing the efficiency and reducing the application of fertilizers. This study reviews the conceptual evolution, current research trends, and construction principles, methods, and tools of SynComs, and summarizes the role of SynComs in the sustainable development of agriculture from the aspects of promoting plant growth, inhibiting biotic and abiotic stresses, and improving and restoring soil health. Furthermore, this paper makes an outlook on the future research directions and emphasizes the research and development of targeted microbial agents, the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in community assembly, and the performance improvement of SynComs in field applications, aiming to support the coordinated and multi-objective development of food security, efficient resource utilization, and environmental protection through near-natural microbial means, thereby facilitating the green agricultural development of China.

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), a rapid and sensitive method of nucleic acid isothermal amplification, is characterized by high specificity and sensitivity and holds broad application prospects in nucleic acid detection. However, the development of detection schemes based on LAMP encounters issues, such as non-specific and non-template amplification during the amplification process, which can affect the accuracy and specificity of the detection results. This article elaborates on the recent research progress in the strategies avoiding false positives and enhancing detection efficacy of LAMP, which include primer design, optimization of conditions, and introduction of special chemical substances. Finally, this article explores the breakthroughs and innovations of LAMP in the field of detection.

SnoaL family proteins belong to a class of the nuclear transport factor 2 (NTF2)-like superfamily, which are characterized by a distinctive α+β barrel fold structure. To date, proteins of this family have been demonstrated to catalyze a variety of reactions, such as aldol reaction, hydroxylation, decarboxylation, epoxide hydrolysis, and cycloaddition reaction, playing crucial roles in the biosynthesis of complex bioactive natural products. These proteins are widely distributed in various organisms including bacteria and fungi. However, research on proteins of this family is relatively limited at present. We reviewed the research progress on proteins of SnoaL family. The review not only provides beneficial guidance for the subsequent functional identification and mechanism research of related proteins but also helps to discover novel biocatalytic tools, laying a foundation for the research of bioactive molecule biosynthesis.

As the core saccharification agent in traditional Chinese brewing processes, Daqu plays an irreplaceable role in Baijiu production due to its complex microbial community and multifunctional enzyme system. This review begins by outlining the application scenarios and characteristics of saccharification agents in both Eastern and Western brewing industries. Subsequently, based on the research of microbiology, genomics, proteomics, etc., this review elaborates on the diversity of microorganisms and enzymes with saccharifying function in Daqu, along with the roles of Daqu in saccharification. Finally, strategic approaches are proposed, including utilizing multi-omics technologies to elucidate the functional mechanisms of Daqu during brewing and enhancing the integration of mechanism research with industrial practice, which may provide references for the innovative development of saccharification agents in the brewing industry.

[Objective] To construct an Escherichia coli mutant strain that accumulates pyruvate by genetic modification guided by the genome-scale metabolic network model. [Methods] Using a genome-scale metabolic network model as a guide, we simulated pyruvate production of E. coli, screened key genes in metabolic pathways, and developed gene editing procedures accordingly. We knocked out the acetate kinase gene ackA, phosphate acetyltransferase gene pta, alcohol dehydrogenase adhE, glycogen synthase gene glgA, glycogen phosphorylase gene glgP, phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate (PRPP) synthase gene prs, ribose 1,5-bisphosphate phosphokinase gene phnN, and transporter encoding gene proP. Furthermore, we knocked in the transporter encoding gene ompC, flavonoid toxin gene fldA, and d-serine ammonia lyase gene dsdA. [Results] A shake flask process with the genetically edited mutant strain MG1655-6-2 under anaerobic conditions produced pyruvate at a titer of 10.46 g/L and a yield of 0.69 g/g. Metabolomic analysis revealed a significant increase in the pyruvate level in the fermentation broth, accompanied by notable decreases in the levels of certain related metabolic byproducts. Through 5 L fed-batch fermentation and an adaptive laboratory evolution, the strain finally achieved a pyruvate titer of 45.86 g/L. [Conclusion] This study illustrated the efficacy of a gene editing strategy predicted by a genome-scale metabolic network model in enhancing pyruvate accumulation in E. coli under anaerobic conditions and provided novel insights for microbial metabolic engineering.

[Objective] Rotavirus (RV) is a major pathogen causing acute dehydrating gastroenteritis in infants and young children. Currently, no specific therapeutic drugs are available, making preventive vaccination the most effective strategy for controlling RV infection. We targeted the RV receptor-binding domain viral protein 8^* (VP8^*) and selected its functional region ΔVP8^* (amino acids 65-223) to construct a single-chain dimer ΔVP8^*-sc-dimer. We expressed and purified this recombinant protein in a prokaryotic system using the pET-30a(+) vector and evaluated its immunogenicity and neutralizing antibody induction capacity to provide scientific evidence for developing safe and effective RV subunit vaccines. [Methods] The ΔVP8^*-sc-dimer sequence was synthesized and cloned into the prokaryotic expression vector pET-30a(+) via homologous recombination. The purified recombinant protein was formulated with AddaVax adjuvant and administered to 6 to 7-week-old BALB/c mice via intramuscular injection. ΔVP8^*-specific IgG antibody titers in sera were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and neutralization activity of immune sera was assessed through virus neutralization assays. [Results] The recombinant protein ΔVP8^*-sc-dimer was successfully expressed with 90% purity. ELISA results showed that both ΔVP8^* and ΔVP8^*-sc-dimer induced specific anti-ΔVP8^* IgG antibodies following immunization, with the ΔVP8^*-sc-dimer group exhibiting significantly higher antibody titers. Virus neutralization assays revealed that immune sera from both groups neutralized the RV Wa strain, with the ΔVP8^*-sc-dimer group showing significantly superior neutralizing antibody titers. [Conclusion] The ΔVP8^*-sc-dimer subunit vaccine effectively stimulates high-level antibody production against RV Wa strain, demonstrating significantly enhanced immune responses compared with ΔVP8^*. With its excellent immunogenicity, ΔVP8^*-sc-dimer represents a promising candidate antigen for developing novel RV vaccines with substantial clinical application potential.

[Objective] Porcine circovirus type 3 (PCV3) is associated with the development of reproductive disorders in sows, piglet dermatitis, and myocarditis. However, due to the difficulty in stably passaging PCV3 in vitro, the animal infection model construction and specific pathogenicity of PCV3 remain to be investigated. This study aims to solve the above problems. [Methods] A PCV3 strain (PCV3-HK) was successfully isolated by inoculating PK-15 cells with lymph node samples from PCV3-positive weaned piglets. The strain was identified using PCR, indirect immunofluorescence assay, and transmission electron microscopy, and its complete genome was sequenced. The whole genome of the strain was sequenced. The pathogenicity of the strain was evaluated based on the clinical symptoms, body weight changes, virus excretion, and pathological changes of 21-day-old non-weaned piglets after inoculation with the 15th-passage viral cell culture at a dose of 10^6.4 TCID₅₀/mL. [Results] PCV3-HK had a genome length of 2 000 bp and belonged to PCV3c subtype. The viral particles were spherical, non-enveloped, about 15-20 nm in diameter, and capable of reacting specifically with the monoclonal antibody against PCV3 Cap protein. The results of infection in piglets showed that the PCV3-HK infected pigs developed obvious symptoms such as dermatitis, slow weight gain and even wasting, as well as anatomical changes such as lymph node edema and interstitial pneumonia. The viral nucleic acid was detected in oral swabs and anal swabs on day 7-21 post infection, and viremia was observed. The virus infected multiple organs, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, and lymph nodes. Notably, inflammatory cell infiltration and aggregation of necrotic cells were observed in the kidneys and lymph nodes. [Conclusion] We isolate a PCV3 strain with classical circovirus morphology and establish a piglet infection model, which provides key materials for pathogenic mechanism study and vaccine development regarding PCV3.