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Note: The papers published below will continue to be available from this page until they are assigned to an issue. To see an article, click its [PDF] link. To review many abstracts, check the boxes to the left of the titles you want, and click the 'Selected articles' button. To see one abstract at a time, click its [Abstract] link. Please wait a minute... For Selected: Download Citations EndNote Ris BibTeX Toggle Thumbnails Select A single nucleotide mutation in BrECB2 impaired RNA editing efficiency and early chloroplast biosynthesis Zifan Zhao, Feng Pan, Tianxiang Zhao, Luyao Zhang, Qingli Hou, Tianer Tang, Nan Wang, Chong Tan, Yun Zhang, Zhiyong Liu DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.11.001 Online: 05 November 2025 Abstract （0）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Chloroplasts are important organs for photosynthesis, which is essential for increasing the yields of pak choi. In this study, we evaluated a delayed chloroplast development mutant ‘M136’ during self-crossing of the pak choi inbred ‘136’. The newborn true leaves of ‘M136’ were yellow and gradually green with maturation. Chloroplast development, pigment contents and photosynthesis parameters were impaired and gradually recovered with growth in ‘M136’, and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were also impaired in ‘M136’. Based on genetic analysis and bulk segregant analysis (BSA)-seq, the mutant phenotype was controlled by a single recessive gene, identified as BraA06g011520.3.5C (BrECB2), which encoded a DYW-type pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) protein. In ‘M136’, a T-to-C single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the 4th PPR motif of BrECB2 caused a Threonine-to-Isoleucine amino acid substitution. BrECB2 was mainly expressed in young leaves. The chloroplast RNA editing efficiency of ‘M136’ was affected and fully recovered after the leaf turned green, and the editing efficiency was partially restored in complementary lines. The plastid-encoded RNA polymerase activity was not affected in ‘M136’. Functional complementation analyses revealed that the transient overexpression of BrECB2 partially rescued the mutant phenotype and the RNA editing efficiency of ‘M136’. In summary, this study indicate that BrECB2 is involved in early chloroplast development and RNA editing, providing a theoretical basis for understanding the regulatory network involved in chloroplast development in pak choi. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Development and characterization of monoclonal antibodies against p72 protein of African swine fever virus reveals a novel conserved B-cell epitope Hua Cao, Mengjia Zhang, Junhua Dong, Pengfei Li, Ahmed H Ghonaim, Xuexiang Yu, Yongtao Li, Suphot Wattanaphansak, Wenjuan Du, Anan Jongkaewwattana, Chao Kang, Pan Tao, Qigai He, Wentao DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.10.024 Online: 05 November 2025 Abstract （0）      PDF in ScienceDirect       African swine fever (ASF), caused by African swine fever virus (ASFV), is a highly contagious disease that has spread globally, posing a significant threat to swine production and international trade. As rapid diagnosis is crucial for controlling ASF, its major capsid protein, p72, has become a key target for diagnostic and vaccine development. In this study, we generated five monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against the p72 protein by immunizing mice with inactivated virus. Using phage display technology, we identified the epitope for one mAb as a novel linear B-cell epitope within amino acids 130-152 of the p72 protein. Structural and homology analyses revealed that this epitope is highly conserved across diverse ASFV genotypes and is exposed on the surface of the p72 trimer. Importantly, the epitope showed strong reactivity with sera from ASFV-positive swine. These findings offer a foundation for creating improved serological diagnostics and designing epitope-based vaccines against ASFV. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Analysis of the characteristics of walnut cultivars and construction of the suitability evaluation model for soluble proteins processing Shanshan Li, Xue Hei, Shinuo Cao, Jing Zhou, Chao Wu, Qizhai Li, Yonghao Chen, Bo Jiao, Benu Adhikari, Aimin Shi, Xiaojie Ma, Qiang Wang DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.10.023 Online: 05 November 2025 Abstract （1）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Thirty-six walnut cultivars were analyzed for apparent, nutritional, processing and protein properties. Systematic cluster analysis (SCA) was applied to classify 36 walnut cultivars, while multivariate linear regression (MLR) analysis was used to develop a model for evaluating walnut protein solubility. The walnut cultivars were classified into three distinct clusters. Wen 185 and Xinguang had protein purity of 64.42, 70.57, and solubility of 27.04, 30.04%, respectively. Wen 185 and Xinguang were identified as the more suitable cultivars for extracting and processing soluble proteins. The MLR model revealed critical factors influencing protein solubility, such as arginine (Arg), glutamic acid (Glu), threonine (Thr), lysine (Lys), histidine (His), and crude fat. Glu (r=-0.64) and Arg (r=-0.57) showed a significant negative correlation with solubility. With a R2 of 0.832 between predicted and experimental values, the model was validated. This study has improved the efficiency of walnut protein during the processing and pointed out the direction for the processing and utilization of different cultivars of walnuts. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select The Nicotiana benthamiana microtubule-associated E3 ubiquitin ligase degrades a host immune regulator and a viral effector to enhance antiviral defense Kun Wang, Shuai Fu, Yuchong Tan, Liang Wu, Yaqin Wang, Xueping Zhou DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.10.022 Online: 05 November 2025 Abstract （1）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Geminiviruses mainly infect economically important dicot plants and cause serious damages in agriculture. Here we report that the dicot plant Nicotiana benthamiana microtubule-associated E3 ligase (MEL) plays a dual role in regulating geminivirus infection in N. benthamiana. On the one hand, NbMEL functioned as a defense factor to mediate resistance against geminiviruses with single-stranded, circular DNA genomes by promoting the degradation of plant immune negative regulator. On the other hand, NbMEL could specifically recognize geminivirus-encoded V2 protein, a viral gene silencing suppressor and effector, for polyubiquitination and degradation to suppress geminivirus infection. These findings provide a fundamental basis for utilizing MEL to generate crop for broad-spectrum resistance in dicot plants. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Prophage mediate the emergence of NDM-13-positive monophasic Salmonella Indiana by imprecise excision Zhenyu Wang, Yue Jiang, Pengyun Shao, Xinan Jiao, Jing Wang, Qiuchun Li DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.10.021 Online: 05 November 2025 Abstract （0）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Patterns and geographical drivers for the abundance of CO2-assimilating bacteria, methanotrophs and CO-oxidizing bacteria in agricultural soils across eastern China Shengmeng Zheng, Yinhang Xia, Hang Qiao, Ji Liu, Fen Jia, Miaomiao Zhang, Hongzhao Yuan, Youming Zhang, Xunyang He, Jinshui Wu, Yirong Su, Xiangbi Chen DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.10.020 Online: 05 November 2025 Abstract （0）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Microorganisms carrying cbbL, pmoA and coxL genes play crucial roles in regulating soil-atmosphere exchanges of carbon trace gases (CO2, CH4, and CO). However, the geographical distribution patterns of these functional genes in agricultural ecosystems and their environmental drivers remain poorly understood. Here, we surveyed agricultural soils across four climate zones (tropical, subtropical, warm temperate, and mid-temperate) in eastern China to quantify the abundances of CO2-assimilating bacteria (cbbL gene), methanotrophs (pmoA gene), and CO-oxidizing bacteria (coxL gene). We found significant ecosystem-specific patterns: the cbbL gene was more abundant in upland soils (averaging 9.46×109 copies g-1) than in paddy soils (6.44×109 copies g-1). In contrast, methanotrophs abundance was 1 to 3 orders of magnitude higher in paddy (averaging 1.17×108 copies g-1) than in upland (5.78×106 copies g-1) soils. The coxL gene maintained similar abundance levels across both soil types (averaging 6.12×108 vs. 5.91×108 copies g-1). Structural equation models revealed that spatial factors primarily shaped cbbL and pmoA in uplands, whereas total bacterial abundance was the dominant predictor for all three genes in paddy soils. These results highlight distinct ecological controls on microbial functional groups and provide a predictive framework for how land use and climate change may regulate microbial mediation of carbon gas fluxes across a continental-scale transect in eastern China. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Current status of African swine fever vaccine research and thoughts Jiarong Yu, Shengbin Gao, Jiao Xu, Yonggang Zhao, Linlin Fang, Xiaozhen Wang, Yingli Wang, Jingyue Bao, Zhiliang Wang DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.10.019 Online: 05 November 2025 Abstract （0）      PDF in ScienceDirect       African swine fever (ASF) represents a highly contagious and fatal condition affecting both domestic and wild pigs, necessitating mandatory reporting status as designated by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). Currently, the primary strategy for preventing and controlling ASF revolves around early detection and stringent culling practices. However, the swift dissemination of ASF in both newly affected and previously impacted countries and regions underscores the absence of efficient measures to effectively curb the disease. To address this threat, a diverse array of methodologies is being employed globally in the pursuit of developing vaccines to combat ASF. In this context, we delve into the advancements achieved in ASF vaccine research over the past decade, encompassing the challenges and prospects associated with attenuated vaccines, subunit/live vector vaccines, and more. A profound comprehension of the virus's genetic diversity, pathogenic mechanisms, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of vaccine-induced immune protection, will pave the way for the development of novel vaccines in the future. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select EjRabF2b enhances cold resistance in loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) through antioxidant regulation Hao Fu, Qian Chen, Shunyuan Yong, Toru Fujiwara, Jiangbo Dang, Danlong Jing, Di Wu, Guolu Liang, Qigao Guo DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.10.018 Online: 05 November 2025 Abstract （0）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica.) is an evergreen fruit tree native to China, with a flowering period that typically occurs in winter (October to January), making it vulnerable to low-temperature stress during critical reproductive stages. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying cold tolerance in loquat remain largely unclear. In this study, transcriptome data from multiple loquat cultivars were analyzed using Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA), identifying two gene modules (brown and turquoise module) highly associated with cold treatment. Among the cold-responsive candidates, the Rab5 family GTPase EjRabF2b was consistently upregulated under low-temperature conditions. Functional validation revealed that overexpression of EjRabF2b in Arabidopsis thaliana and tomato significantly enhanced cold tolerance, while its silencing in loquat compromised stress resistance. Mechanistically, EjRabF2b contributed to maintaining cell membrane integrity and enhancing antioxidant enzyme activity. Promoter analysis and interaction assays further confirmed that the C2H2-type transcription factor EjZAT10 directly binds to the EjRabF2b promoter and activates its transcription under cold stress. Collectively, this study uncovers a regulatory module composed of EjZAT10 and EjRabF2b that participates in loquat cold adaptation through vesicle-mediated antioxidant defense and membrane protection, offering a theoretical foundation and potential targets for the molecular breeding of cold-tolerant cultivars. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Functional genes associated with the occurrence of mycotoxins produced by Aspergillus in foods Mei Gu, Can Liu, Xiaofeng Yue, Du Wang, Xiaoqian Tang, Qi Zhang, Peiwu Li DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.10.017 Online: 05 November 2025 Abstract （0）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Aspergillus species are ubiquitous fungi that produce mycotoxins (secondary metabolites) known as sterigmatocystin, aflatoxin, ochratoxin A, and cyclopiazonic acid in many different kinds of foods, which leads to serious contamination in agricultural products thereby endangering human health. With the rapid advancement of molecular biology technology, extensive studies on Aspergillus fungi have been conducted on growth and development, mycotoxin biosynthesis, and their interactions with environment. Here, we summarized a series of functional genes of the main Aspergillus fungi relative to toxins occurrence in foods, which revealed the signal transduction mechanisms of their involvement in growth and development, toxin production, and response to environmental changes, anticipating providing theoretical guidance on developing control and prevention technologies for mycotoxin contamination in agricultural products to ensure food safety. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Age-related functional deterioration of medullary bone is linked with senescent bone marrow microenvironment in laying hens Xujie Liao, Aoze Wang, Shutong Wang, Wanting Zhao, Jionghao Chen, Nan Wang, Menglin Wang, Jiakun Yan, Yanli Liu, Xin Yang, Xiaojun Yang, Zhouzheng Ren DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.10.016 Online: 05 November 2025 Abstract （0）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Medullary bone is a labile calcium store for eggshell deposition. The dysfunctional mineralization function of medullary bone in aged laying hens leads to decreased eggshell mineralization and increased egg breakage. Understanding the mechanisms underlying age-related decline in medullary bone mineralization function is critical for developing novel strategies to improve eggshell quality in aged laying hens. Hy-Line Brown laying hens were sampled at different ages (48, 61, 74, and 87 wk of age; n=12 at each age). Analyses were conducted to determine the effect of aging on eggshell mineralization, medullary bone remodeling, and physiological and molecular biological parameters for bone marrow microenvironment senescence. The results showed that: (1) compared with 48- and 61-wk-old la`ying hens, 74- and 87-wk-old laying hens had decreased (P<0.05) eggshell quality; (2) micro computed tomography scans illustrated a progressive decrease (P<0.05) with age in femoral mineralization; (3) compared with 48-wk-old laying hens, 61-, 74- and 87-wk-old laying hens had decreased (P<0.05) osteoblastic function, characterized by decreased serum alkaline phosphatase levels and decreased protein expression of osteogenic markers (runt-related transcription factor 2, osteopontin and alkaline phosphatase) of femoral medullary bone; (4) compared with 48- and 74-wk-old laying hens, 87-wk-old laying hens had increased (P<0.05) protein expression of osteoclastic marker (tartrate resistant acid phosphatase) of femoral medullary bone; (5) compared with other ages, 87-wk-old laying hens had increased (P<0.05) mRNA expression of senescence-associated secretory phenotype in the femoral marrow microenvironment; (6) compared with 48- and 61-wk-old laying hens, 74- and 87-wk-old laying hens had increased (P<0.05) protein expression of senescence biomarkers (gamma H2A.X, galactosidase beta 1 and tumor suppressor protein 53) in the femoral marrow microenvironment; (7) compared with 48-wk-old laying hens, 61-, 74- and 87-wk-old laying hens had increased (P<0.05) femoral adipose deposition. Age-related decline in mineralization function of medullary bone was accompanied by an uncoupling of medullary bone osteoblastic and osteoclastic functions, which may link to a senescent femoral marrow microenvironment in aged laying hens. Methods are needed to monitor and manage the bone marrow microenvironment in the later laying periods.   Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Matrix effect of hydroxycinnamic acids on chromatic properties and phenolic profile of Cabernet Sauvignon dry red wine Lulu Wu, Yu Zhang, Mario Prejanò, Tiziana Marino, Nino Russo, Guojie Jin, Yongsheng Tao, Yunkui Li DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.10.014 Online: 28 October 2025 Abstract （4）      PDF in ScienceDirect       The effect of adding hydroxycinnamic acids (caffeic acid, sinapic acid, p-coumaric acid and chlorogenic acid) in Cabernet Sauvignon dry red wine before and after fermentation was investigated, taking into account the color, anthocyanins and other polyphenols in the wine samples. The copigmentation effect of malvidin-3-O-glucoside and sinapic acid was further explored in model solution and through theoretical calculations. The results indicated that the addition of hydroxycinnamic acids significantly enhanced the wine's color with sinapic acid (before the fermentation) showing the most pronounced color protection effect. Furthermore, the content of total phenols and total anthocyanins increased by 36% and 28%, respectively. Thermodynamic analysis revealed that the interaction between sinapic acid and malvidin-3-O-glucoside was spontaneous and exothermic. Theoretical studies identified hydrogen bonding and dispersion forces as the main contributors to binding, with the carboxyl group of sinapic acid playing a critical role, while the anthocyanin backbone also influenced the interaction. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Understanding cropland parcel change without producing cropland parcel maps: A novel structural change detection approach Shiyao Li, Qiangyi Yu, Yulin Duan, Huibin Li, Wenjuan Li, Zhanli Sun, Daniel Müller, Baofeng Su, Wenbin Wu DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.10.013 Online: 28 October 2025 Abstract （6）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Cropland parcels are the basic unit for agricultural production, and their size and shape may change due to human activities, e.g. land consolidation. Remote sensing has been increasingly used for mapping cropland parcel, yet detecting changes in cropland parcels by wall-to-wall mapping is time-consuming. This paper proposes a new algorithm to identify whether and where cropland parcel changes have been undertaken without generating complete parcel maps. We use the number of edge pixels derived from remote sensing imagery as a proxy indicator for cropland parcel changes. First, we apply a Sobel operator to delineate the total edge pixels of parcels from dual-time images. Second, we apply the connected-components labeling to remove pseudo-edges arising from non-cropland built structures and transmission towers. We then perform topological optimization, including morphological dilation and skeleton extraction, to eliminate redundant edge pixels for parcel structure. Finally, we detect whether parcel changes have been undertaken by counting and comparing the number of edge pixels derived from dual-time images. We applied this innovative framework in five regions in East Asia where land consolidation has significantly changed cropland parcels. Our method demonstrated robust detection results, with stable accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score, all exceeding 0.85. Screening redundant edge pixels reduced noise and permitted efficient detection of changes in cropland parcels. Our method extends the traditional detection of semantic change to structural change and can quickly detect cropland parcel changes with high accuracy. This capability offers the potential to identify hotspot areas of cropland changes on a larger scale without the need to produce full cropland maps, which is particularly useful for monitoring land consolidation programs. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select The inhibition of photosynthesis and enhancement of pigment degradation resulted in variegated phenotype in tea leaves (Camellia sinensis) Yifan Li, Huiyan Jia, Yafei Guo, Zuguo Xi, Yufei Wang, Mengqian Lu, Wei Tong, Qianying Dai, Weiwei Deng DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.10.012 Online: 27 October 2025 Abstract （13）      PDF in ScienceDirect       A novel variegated tea cultivar exhibiting a stable variegated phenotype was recently identified, demonstrating significantly elevated amino acid content concomitantly with reduced polyphenolic compound levels compared to conventional green-leaf varieties. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, variegated leaves and normal leaves of ‘Huangshanzhong’ tea plant were used to perform pigment content analysis and comparative transcriptome analysis. The chlorophyll content in variegated leaves significantly decreased compared to normal leaves, while the ratio of Chl a to Chl b was enhanced. Multiple genes (CsrpiA, CsGAPDH, CsgpmI, CsPK and CsOGDH) involved in sugar metabolism exhibited downregulated expression in variegated leaves. Key genes involved in the photosynthetic pathway were down-regulated in variegated leaves, such as light-harvesting protein complex chlorophyll a/b binding proteins (CsLhca1, CsLhca4, CsLhcb1 and CsLhcb3) and photosystem II complex proteins (CspsbP and CspsbW). Meanwhile, genes involved in chlorophyll degradation metabolism (CsSGR, CsCLH1) were upregulated in variegated leaves. Compared to the wild type, transgenic plants of CsCLH1 and CsCLH2 exhibited no significant changes in chlorophyll content. Enzyme activity assays showed that CsCLH1 could degrade chlorophyll in vitro. Subcellular localization results revealed that CsCLH1 and CsCLH2 were localized in the cytoplasm and nucleus. These findings suggest that impaired photosynthetic system function, suppressed carbohydrate synthesis, and accelerated degradation of photosynthetic pigments collectively contribute to the variegated phenotype in tea leaves. This study advances our understanding of mechanisms underlying plant leaf variegation. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses reveal the mechanism of anthocyanin metabolism in H18 pepper leaves and the function of CaDFR1 Han Wang, Dongchen Li, Congsheng Yan, Muhammad Aamir Manzoor, Qiangqiang Ding, Yan Wang, Xiujing Hong, Tingting Song, Li Jia, Haikun Jiang DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.10.011 Online: 23 October 2025 Abstract （15）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Anthocyanins play a crucial role in plant growth, development, reproduction, and stress response. Additionally, anthocyanins enhance the quality of fruits and vegetables due to their antioxidant properties. While numerous previous research has been conducted on anthocyanins, limited information exists regarding their composition and the role of the anthocyanin pathway gene DFR (dihydroflavonol 4-reductase) in chili pepper leaves. In this study, we used a purple leaf pepper cultivar H18 with anthocyanins on the leaves decreasing as they grow and develop. Targeted anthocyanin metabolite assays revealed that the contents of delphinidin, malvidin, and petunidin derivatives followed the same trend as the overall anthocyanin content, with delphinidin derivatives being the predominant component of H18 pepper leaves. Transcriptome sequencing was performed on H18 leaves at four different stages. The results showed that DEGs at various stages were primarily associated with biological processes and flavonoid metabolic pathways. Through evolutionary tree and expression analysis, three candidate genes involved in DFR function were identified. Substrate catalysis assays of CaDFRs demonstrated that only CaDFR1 was active, catalyzing DHQ, DHM, and DHK. VIGS-mediated silencing of CaDFR1 resullted in a significant decrease reduction in anthocyanin levels in H18 pepper leaves and stems and along with a decreased reduction in the expression levels of other candidate functional genes in the anthocyanin metabolic pathway. This study identifies the key anthocyanin components in the leaves of H18 peppers and validates the function of CaDFR1, providing a theoretical foundation for modifying anthocyanin content in pepper plants through molecular breeding. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Sea barley: evolutionary insights and potential for crop improvement Zhengyuan Xu, Zheng Wang, Yuling Zheng, Hao Gao, Qiufang Shen, Guoping Zhang DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.10.010 Online: 22 October 2025 Abstract （15）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Triticeae represents one of the most significant sources of cereal crops in Poaceae, including wheat, barley, and rye. Global annual production reaches 900 million tons, constituting 30% of total grain production. The utilization of wild relatives is crucial for enhancing crop resilience. Sea barley (Hordeum marinum Huds), a wild relative species of wheat and barley, demonstrates exceptional salt/waterlogging tolerance and other valuable traits. Moreover, it exhibits partial cross-compatibility with common wheat. Sea barley has emerged as an essential donor of elite genes for crop breeding, with potential applications both as a de novo domesticated crop and as forage cultivated in saline-alkali soils and waterlogged areas. This review synthesizes current knowledge regarding sea barley, emphasizing its origin, evolution, genome characteristics, genetic transformation, mechanisms of stress tolerance, fungal resistance, and cross-compatibility with wheat. Additionally, we identify key knowledge gaps and future research directions to enhance its utilization for crop breeding and novel crop development, aiming to transform sea barley from an underutilized wild grass into a genetic resource for climate-smart agriculture. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Novel role of VrPG1 in salt-tolerant germination of mungbean revealed by genome-wide association study Xi Zhang, Jinyang Liu , Shicong Li, Jingbin Chen, Yun Lin, Yixiang Pu, Qiang Yan, Ranran Wu, Na Yuan, Prakit Somta, Lixia Wang, Xin Chen, Xingxing Yuan DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.10.009 Online: 22 October 2025 Abstract （12）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Soil salinization severely impairs mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) seedling uniformity and productivity. In this study, genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted using a natural population of 374 mungbean accessions and 4,875,143 SNPs. By evaluating the population under two independent environments and applying two statistical models, we identified a significant SNP (Chr01_26769549) associated with relative germination traits under salt stress. Based on this locus, a Kompetitive Allele-Specific PCR (KASP) marker was successfully developed for marker assisted selection. Integrated haplotype and expression analyses confirmed polygalacturonase gene VrPG1 as a key candidate gene regulating salt tolerance during seed germination. Two haplotypes of VrPG1 (Hap1/Hap2) were identified, with a mutation in the Hap1 promoter region enhancing its transcriptional activity. Overexpression of VrPG1 in Arabidopsis thaliana significantly increased germination rates under salt stress by promoting endosperm cell wall softening. Salt-tolerant mungbean varieties exhibit higher polygalacturonase activity and earlier loosening of thin-walled cell walls during the germination period, which promotes seed imbibition and radicle emergence. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that VrPG1 enhances salt tolerance during germination through cell wall remodeling. This study provides novel genetic targets and efficient marker-assisted selection tools for breeding salt-tolerant mungbean. This study provides novel genetic targets and efficient marker-assisted selection tools for breeding salt-tolerant mungbean varieties.   Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select An approach integrating molecular markers and differential strains of Pyricularia oryzae for identifying functional major blast-resistant genes in rice Fengrui Zhang, Xue Dong, Zhiqin Lun, Jingfeng Zhang, Yuxin Zhang, Houxiang Kang, Juntao Ma, Guomin Zhang, Han Yan, Wensheng Zhao, You-Liang Peng, Jun Yang DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.10.008 Online: 22 October 2025 Abstract （12）      PDF in ScienceDirect       The rapid and accurate identification of functional major blast-resistance genes represents a crucial and essential step in rice blast-resistance breeding. This study focused on five major blast-resistance genes at the Piz/Pi9 locus: Piz, Pi2, Pi9, Pizt, and Pigm. Molecular markers were developed for each gene, and one Pyricularia oryzae differential strain containing only the avirulence gene Avr-Pizt was identified through screening. This screening utilized a set of rice monogenic lines containing 24 major blast-resistance genes and a landrace Gumei 4 containing the major blast-resistance gene Pigm. Analysis of 193 rice varieties from Heilongjiang province using the molecular markers identified 42 varieties containing Pizt and 54 ones containing Piz. Subsequently, using the differential strain of Avr-Pizt, 29 varieties, including Longgeng 31, Longgeng 3013, and Longgeng 1614, were confirmed to contain functional Pizt. This research establishes an approach that combines molecular markers and P. oryzae differential strains for efficient and precise identification of functional major blast-resistance genes in rice. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Spatiotemporal sucrose accumulation drives tissue-specific anthocyanin biosynthesis under low phosphorus in maize Zu-Dong Xiao, Wang Tang, Zhen-Yuan Chen, Yi-Hsuan Lin, Xiao-Gui Liang, Xin Wang, Shou-Bing Huang, Sebastian Munz, Simone Graeff-Hönninger, Si Shen, Shun-Li Zhou DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.10.007 Online: 22 October 2025 Abstract （9）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Low phosphorus (LP) stress induces tissue-specific anthocyanin biosynthesis and sugar accumulation in plants. However, the relationship between sugar levels and phosphate (Pi) availability in regulating anthocyanin remains unclear. This study investigated the spatiotemporal patterns of sugar accumulation and anthocyanin biosynthesis in maize seedlings, and conducted experiments modifying sugar status to examine the significance of sugar accumulation for LP-induced anthocyanin biosynthesis. The results demonstrated that, under LP conditions, anthocyanin biosynthesis and sucrose accumulation were spatially and temporally coupled, with leaf sheaths exhibiting the lowest Pi content and highest sucrose and anthocyanin levels. Artificially increasing endogenous sucrose through cold-girdling promoted anthocyanin biosynthesis, whereas reducing sucrose via leaf-shading inhibited it. Analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between sucrose and anthocyanin levels. In vitro incubation of leaves and sheaths with different sugars further confirmed that sucrose accumulation was indispensable for LP-induced anthocyanin biosynthesis. Therefore, the temporal and spatial patterns of anthocyanin biosynthesis under LP are determined by both tissue Pi levels and sucrose accumulation, and anthocyanin distribution can be modulated by altering Pi and sucrose patterns. Transcriptome analysis of LP-treated leaf sheaths, with or without sucrose accumulation, suggested that PHR1 may mediate the interaction between sugar and LP signaling pathways in regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis. These insights elucidate the mechanisms governing tissue-specific anthocyanin biosynthesis under LP conditions, while providing potential targets for improving phosphorus use efficiency via anthocyanin regulation. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Cotton plant point cloud completion by collaborative segmentation and improved completion network Chunjing Si, Zhiben Yin, Liping Chen, Xiangyang Li, Mingdeng Shi, Xuping Feng, Tiecheng Bai, Yong He DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.10.006 Online: 22 October 2025 Abstract （11）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Cotton leaves are fundamental components for cotton growth and serve vital roles in photosynthesis and transpiration. The completion of point cloud data on cotton leaf morphology is critically important for examining the interaction between morphological parameters and the environment. Previous methods have shown effective performance in capturing objects with regular shapes and continuous surfaces, particularly for industrially produced 3D-modeled objects. However, these techniques demonstrate limitations in processing plants with diverse morphological structures. This study proposes PCompNet (a segmentation and improved completion network) for cotton leaf point cloud completion, reconstructing complete geometries from whole plants with diverse shapes and discontinuous surfaces through morphological part segmentation technique with deep hierarchical point-set feature learning. Additionally, a unified loss function was implemented to effectively penalize the average distance discrepancy between patch centers and their nearest neighbors in PF-Net, preventing the generated missing point clouds of cotton leaves from excessive concentration. The experimental results demonstrated that PCompNet achieved substantial reductions in Chamfer distance (CD) on the Cotton3D dataset compared to PMP-Net, GRNet, SnowfakeNet, FoldingNet, and PF-Net, with reductions of 95.46, 98.45, 97.46, 100.00, and 84.93%, respectively. Moreover, PCompNet accurately completed missing regions at different scales while maintaining the geometry of the input point cloud. Even with 75% of data missing, the CD value remained at 0.115. These results demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of PCompNet in completing point cloud data for cotton leaves, indicating its potential for applications in cotton growth and environmental studies. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Chemical fertilizer and liming-induced changes in aluminum, iron oxides and soil organic carbon fractions: implications for carbon sequestration in an upland red soil Mahmoud Abdelaziz, Zhe Shen, Dongchu Li, Lu Zhang, Dong Ai, Jun Yan, Kiya Adare Tadesse, Imtiaz Ahmed, Chu Zhang, Chunhong Wu, Jiwen Li, Huimin Zhang DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.10.005 Online: 17 October 2025 Abstract （12）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Lime application represents an established approach for ameliorating soil acidity, and understanding its effects on the interactions between aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe) oxides and soil organic carbon (SOC) fractions is essential for promoting sustainable agricultural practices that enhance carbon sequestration. This investigation examined the interactions among Al and Fe oxides and SOC fractions under long-term fertilization and liming. A long-term field experiment was implemented with five treatments: CK (no fertilizer), N (nitrogen fertilizer), NCa (N plus lime), NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizer), and NPKCa (NPK plus lime). Soil samples were obtained from three depths: 0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm. The findings revealed that lime application increased SOC by 20.84% under the N treatment but decreased SOC by 9.97% under NPK, compared with CK. At the 0–10 cm depth, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was substantially higher under NCa (410.51 mg kg-1) and NPKCa (372.83 mg kg-1) compared with CK. Particulate organic carbon (POC) and mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) demonstrated consistent enhancement under NPK and NPKCa across all soil depths compared with CK. DOC exhibited significant positive correlations with both aluminum (Ald), reactive aluminum (Alo) and aluminum (Alp), indicating a key role of organically bound and reactive Al in carbon dynamics. Compared to the CK treatment, SOC stock increased significantly by 43.49% under NPK and by 36.82% under NPKCa. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that lime application mitigated the negative effects of free Al (Ald) on carbon sequestration, while Fe oxides (Fed) contributed positively to SOC stabilization. DOC showed no significant impact on carbon sequestration rate (CSR), while easily oxidizable carbon (EOC) negatively affected CSR directly. These results highlight the crucial role of lime in improving acidic soil conditions and enhancing the stability and sequestration of soil organic carbon. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics page Page 1 of 18 Total 346 records First page Prev page Next page Last page