Recently, increasing natural infection cases and experimental animal challenge studies demonstrated domestic cats are susceptible to multiple subtypes influenza A virus (IAV) infections.  Notably, some subtype IAV strains could circulate in domestic cats after cross-species transmission and even infected humans, posing a threat to public health.  Host factors related to viral polymerase activity could determine host range of IAV and acidic nuclear phosphoprotein 32 (ANP32) is the most important one among them.  However, role of cat-derived ANP32 on viral polymerase activity and host range of IAV is still unknown.  In the present study, a total of 10 feline ANP32 (feANP32) splice variants (including 5 feANP32A, 3 feANP32B, and 2 feANP32E) were obtained from domestic cats by RT-PCR.  Sequence alignment results demonstrated amino acid deletions and/or insertions occurred among feANP32 variants, but all feANP32 proteins were primarily localized to cell nucleus.  Minigenome replication systems for several representative IAV strains were established and the support ability of feANP32 on IAV polymerase activity was estimated.  The results indicated that most feANP32A and feANP32B splice variants were able to support all the tested IAV strains, though the support activity of a single feANP32 protein on polymerase activity varied among different IAV strains.  In addition, the role of feANP32 in supporting H3N2 canine influenza virus was determined by investigating viral replication in vitro.  Collectively, our study systematically investigated the support activity of feANP32 on IAV, providing a clue for further exploring the mechanism of susceptibility of cats to IAV.

Coronaviruses are widely transmissible between humans and animals, causing diseases of varying severity.  Porcine enteric alphacoronavirus (PEAV) is a newly-discovered pathogenic porcine enteric coronavirus in recent years, which causes watery diarrhea in newborn piglets.  The host inflammatory responses to PEAV and its metabolic regulation mechanisms remain unclear, and no antiviral studies have been reported.  Therefore, we investigated the pathogenic mechanism and antiviral drugs of PEAV.  The transcriptomic analysis of PEAV-infected host cells revealed that PEAV could upregulate lipid metabolism pathways.  In lipid metabolism, steady-state energy processes, which can be mediated by lipid droplets (LDs), are the main functions of organelles.  LDs are also important in viral infection and inflammation.  In infected cells, PEAV increased LD accumulation, upregulated NF-κB signaling, promoted the production of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-8, and induced cell death.  Inhibiting LD accumulation with a DGAT-1 inhibitor significantly inhibited PEAV replication, downregulated the NF-κB signaling pathway, reduced the production of IL-1β and IL-8, and inhibited cell death.  The NF-κB signaling pathway inhibitor BAY11-7082 significantly inhibited LD accumulation and PEAV replication.  Metformin hydrochloride also exerted anti-PEAV effects and significantly inhibited LD accumulation, downregulated the NF-κB signaling pathway, reduced the production of IL-1β and IL-8, and inhibited cell death.  LD accumulation in the lipid metabolism pathway therefore plays an important role in the replication and pathogenesis of PEAV, and metformin hydrochloride inhibits LD accumulation and the inflammatory response to exert anti-PEAV activity and reducing pathological injury.  These findings contribute new targets for developing treatments for PEAV infections.

The constant evolution of pathogens poses a threat to wheat resistance against diseases, endangering food security.  Developing resistant wheat varieties is the most practical approach for circumventing this problem.  As a close relative of wheat, Aegilops geniculata, particularly accession SY159, has evolved numerous beneficial traits that could be applied to improve wheat.  In this study, we established the karyotype of SY159 by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using the oligonucleotide probes Oligo-pTa535 and Oligo-pSc119.2 and a complete set of wheat–Ae. geniculata accession TA2899 addition lines as a reference.  Using specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq) technology, 400 specific markers were established for detecting the SY159 chromosomes with efficiencies reaching 81.5%.  The SY159-specific markers were used to classify the different homologous groups of SY159 against the wheat–Ae. geniculata addition lines.  We used these specific markers on the 7M^g chromosome after classification, and successfully confirmed their suitability for studying the different chromosomes of SY159.  This study provides a foundation for accelerating the application of SY159 in genetic breeding programs designed to improve wheat. 

The circulating avian influenza viruses in wild birds have a high possibility of spillover into domestic birds or mammals at the wild bird-domestic bird or bird-mammal interface. H8N4 viruses primarily circulate in migratory wild waterfowl and have rarely been identified in domestic birds. In this study, we summarized the spatial and temporal distribution of global H8 viruses, specified their natural reservoirs, and performed detailed evolutionary analysis on the dominant H8N4 viruses. Here, we also reported a novel H8N4 virus isolated from a Eurasian coot sample from a wetland in eastern China in 2022. Animal infection studies indicated that the wild bird-originated H8N4 virus can replicate and transmit efficiently in ducks but has not adapted to chickens. Additionally, this naturally isolated H8N4 virus can replicate in mice without prior adaptation. These results indicate that H8 viruses exist mainly in the wild duck reservoir and pose a high infection risk to domestic ducks. Therefore, the active surveillance of influenza viruses at the wild and domestic waterfowl interface will contribute to monitoring the circulation of these viruses.

Cover cropping is a diversifying agricultural practice that can improve soil structure and function by altering the underground litter diversity and soil microbial communities. Here, we tested how a wheat cover crop alters the decomposition of cucumber root litter. A three-year greenhouse litterbag decomposition experiment showed that a wheat cover crop accelerates the decomposition of cucumber root litter. A microcosm litterbag experiment further showed that wheat litter and the soil microbial community could improve cucumber root litter decomposition. Moreover, the wheat cover crop altered the abundances and diversities of soil bacterial and fungal communities, and enriched several putative keystone OTUs, such as Bacillus spp. OTU1837 and Mortierella spp. OTU1236, that were positively related to the mass loss of cucumber root litter. The representative bacterial and fungal strains B186 and M3 were isolated and cultured. In vitro decomposition tests demonstrated that both B186 and M3 had cucumber root litter decomposition activity and a stronger effect was found when they were co-incubated. Overall, a wheat cover crop accelerated cucumber root litter decomposition by altering the soil microbial communities, particularly by stimulating certain putative keystone taxa, which provides a theoretical basis for using cover crops to promote sustainable agricultural development. 

Maize (Zea mays L.) is a crucial global crop, serving as a primary source of food and feed.  However, its kernels are susceptible to infection by Aspergillus flavus, a fungus known for producing aflatoxins- highly carcinogenic compounds harmful to human and animal health. Identifying quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for aflatoxin resistance and developing aflatoxin-resistant maize varieties are essential for mitigating aflatoxin contamination.  In this study, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using an enlarged genotypic panel of 311 maize inbred lines to identify genetic loci associated with A. flavus resistance.  Phenotypic data on A. flavus resistance were collected through controlled inoculation experiments conducted under controlled conditions.  The results revealed that the resistance traits to A. flavus follow a normal distribution. Additionally, temperate inbreds exhibited stronger resistance to A. flavus than tropical/subtropical materials.  This study identified 15 novel QTLs encompassing 47 high-expressed genes, with each QTL explaining 8.22-27.71% of the phenotypic variation, indicating that increased marker density improved statistical power.  Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis revealed that these genes are related to fatty acid synthesis, glycoside decomposition, and root growth and development.  One specific gene, Zm00001d021197, located on ZmAFR16, displayed clustered peaks and accounted for an average of 10.21% of the phenotypic variation.  This gene was found to play a role in cell membrane formation and possess alpha-L-fucosidase activity, promoting glycoside metabolism and contributing to polysaccharide degradation.  Haplotype analysis showed significant differences in resistance to A. flavus among different haplotypes of the Zm00001d033637 and Zm00001d021197.  Inbreds carrying the favorable haplotype combination of these two genes exhibited strong resistance to A. flavus.  By select sweep analysis, it was found that Zm00001d021197 was selected during the domestication of teosinte (Zea mays ssp. mexicana) to modern maize, as well as during the adaptation from tropical/subtropical maize to temperate maize. Importantly, we developed molecular markers in the promoter region of Zm00001d021197 to efficiently identify maize germplasm with beneficial haplotypes for resistance to A. flavus.  These findings not only enhance our understanding of the genetic factors influencing maize kernel resistance to A. flavus but also offer valuable insights for improving existing germplasm and developing new maize varieties with enhanced resistance to this pathogen.

Water-driven crop simulation models are commonly employed to evaluate crop yields and irrigation management strategies to improve agricultural water productivity.  Well-tested models can serve as powerful tools for guiding agricultural practices.  The objective of this study was to assess the capability of the AquaCrop model for simulation of cotton transpiration and water use under drip irrigation conditions comparing with field sap flow measurements.  A two-year field experiment (2020-2021) in cotton was conducted in Xinjiang China including two row spacing and two topping methods.  The model adequately estimated canopy cover with a normalized root mean square error (nRMSE) of less than 5% and a model efficiency (EF) close to 1.  The model estimation of transpiration obtained a good agreement with sap flow measurements (nRMSE=22.4%) across all years and treatments.  The model simulated water use efficiency (WUE, 4.42 g m^-2 mm^-1) of cotton were lower than those calculated from actual measurements with WUE of 4.79 g m^-2 mm^-1.  The estimated transpiration was slightly higher than that measured using sap flow meter due to an 11.5% of overestimation for crop coefficient in the model when cotton grew in short and dense canopy structure under drip irrigation and plastic film cover conditions.  Air temperature, vapor pressure difference and radiation had positive effects on cotton transpiration while humidity had negative effects.  The model could capture the trends of transpiration with climate factors, but the climatic effects were stronger than that of sap flow.  In conclusion, AquaCrop model is useful tool in optimizing cotton irrigation strategies.

In recent years, the rational utilization of saline water resources for agricultural irrigation has emerged as an effective strategy to alleviate water scarcity. To safely and efficiently exploit saline water resources over the long term, it is crucial to understand the effects of salinity on crops and develop optimal water-salinity irrigation strategies for processing tomatoes. A two-year field experiment was conducted in 2018 and 2019 to explore the impact of water salinity levels (S1: 1 g L^–1, S2: 3 g L^–1, and S3: 5 g L^–1) and irrigation amounts (W1: 305 mm, W2: 485 mm, and W3: 611 mm) on the soil volumetric water content and soil salinity, as well as processing tomato growth, yield, and water use efficiency. The results showed that irrigation with low to moderately saline water (<3 g L^–1) enhanced plant water uptake and utilization capacity, with the soil water content (SWC) reduced by 6.5‒7.62% and 10.52‒13.23% for the S1 and S2 levels, respectively, compared to the S3 level in 2018. Under S1 conditions, the soil salt content (SSC) accumulation rate gradually declined with an increase in the irrigation amount. For example, W3 decreased by 85.00 and 77.94% compared with W1 and W2 in 2018, and by 82.60 and 73.68% 2019, respectively. Leaching effects were observed at the W3 level under S1, which gradually diminished with increasing water salinity and duration. In 2019, the salt contents of soil under each of the treatments increased by 10.81‒89.72% compared with the contents in 2018. The yield of processing tomatoes increased with an increasing irrigation amount and peaked in the S1W3 treatment for the two years, reaching 125,304.85 kg ha^–1 in 2018 and 128,329.71 kg ha^–1 in 2019. Notably, in the first year, the S2W3 treatment achieved relatively high yields, exhibiting only a 2.85% reduction compared to the S1W3 treatment. However, the yield of the S2W3 treatment declined significantly in two years, and it was 15.88% less than that of the S1W3 treatment. Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that soil environmental factors (SWC and SSC) directly influence yield while also exerting indirect impacts on the growth indicators of processing tomatoes (plant height, stem diameter, and leaf area index). The TOPSIS method identified S1W3, S1W2, and S2W2 as the top three treatments. The single-factor marginal effect function also revealed that irrigation water salinity contributed to the composite evaluation scores (CES) when it was below 0.96 g L^–1. Using brackish water with a salinity of 3 g L^–1 at an irrigation amount of 485 mm over one year ensured that processing tomatoes maintained high yields with a relatively high CES (0.709). However, using brackish water for more than one year proved unfeasible.