The study goal was to determine the effects of sodium propionate (NaPr) during the postpartum period on lactation performance, milk fatty acid (FA) profile, blood metabolites, and fat mobilization.  This study selected 24 cows with the same parity (3), similar due date, and physical condition in the postpartum period and randomly allocated them into two groups.  The constituents of the two treatments were (1) a normal diet for the Control group and (2) a normal diet containing 246 g d^–1 of NaPr for the NaPr group.  This study demonstrated that supplementation of NaPr to dairy cows in the postpartum period had no significant impact on dry matter intake (DMI) and milk composition.  The milk proportions of 4:0, 8:0, 10:0, 13:0, 16:0, cis-10 15:1, cis-13, cis-16 22:2, total odd-chain FA, and de novo FA increased, and those of all remaining individual saturated fatty acids (SFA) and preformed FA decreased in cows fed NaPr vs. the Control diet.  Supplementing with NaPr significantly increased the concentrations of triglycerides (TG), glucose, and insulin in the plasma of cows.  This indicates that NaPr supplementation in the postpartum period provides energy for cows, which is beneficial for the body’s glucose and lipid balance.  The TG content, Perilipin-1 (PLIN1) protein expression, and orange-red lipid droplet deposition in adipose tissue were increased in cows fed NaPr vs. the Control diet.  The mRNA expression of ACCα and ACSS2 in adipose tissue was up-regulated, and the expression of CPT1A and CPT2 genes was down-regulated.  This indicates that dietary NaPr supplementation promotes the generation of acetyl CoA, thereby up-regulating the FA synthesis pathway and reducing FA oxidation.  In conclusion, dietary supplementation with NaPr promotes energy deposition, improves milk quality and fat accumulation, and alleviates negative energy balance (NEB) in postpartum dairy cattle.

Chloroplast gene expression relies on nucleus-encoded factors for RNA metabolism processing, but the mechanisms under cold stress remain poorly understood.  In this study, we isolated and characterized a foxtail millet (Setaria italica) mutant, temperature-sensitive chlorophyll-deficient (sitcd1), which exhibited reduced chlorophyll content and abnormal chloroplasts, resulting in an albino phenotype during early leaf development at low temperatures (20°C during the day and 18°C at night).  Map-based cloning revealed that SiTCD1 encoded a P-type PPR protein localized in chloroplasts.  In sitcd1 background, transgenic lines of SiTCD1 overexpression appeared nearly normal green leaves under L20/D18 condition.  SiTCD1 was especially expressed in earlier development of leaves under low temperature.  Additionally, SiTCD1 directly bound to the plastid gene atpF in vitro, which might participate in the splicing of plastid gene atpF under low temperature.  RNA-seq indicated that the expression of genes related to metabolism (such as porphyrin, chlorophyll and glutathione metabolism), which required ATP for energy, was down-regulated in sitcd1, resulting in decreased chlorophyll content, GSH, and its redox couple (GSH/GSSG) at low temperature.  As sitcd1 exhibited more sensitive at the bud bursting stage than germination and seedling stage under cold stress, we identified two haplotypes of SiTCD1 (SiTCD1^Hap1 and SiTCD1^Hap2) in 195 accessions, and found that accessions carrying the SiTCD1^Hap2 allele were more tolerant to cold stress than those with the SiTCD1^Hap1 allele at the bud bursting stage.  In summary, our results suggest that SiTCD1 is essential for early chloroplast development under low temperature in foxtail millet.

    Plant WRKY transcription factors are involved in various physiological processes, including biotic and abiotic stress responses, as well as developmental processes. In this study, the expression patterns of the WRKY68 protein during interactions between rice 4021 containing the bacterial blight resistance gene Xa21 and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) were investigated. A possible modified form of the WRKY68 protein appeared in the Xa21-mediated disease resistance response, and its expression levels were similar in compatible and incompatible responses, but differed significantly from that of the mock control treatment, suggesting that WRKY68 may be involved in the bacterial blight response in rice. To further understand WRKY68’s roles in the resistance signaling pathway, WRKY68 recombinant protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and a microscale thermophoresis analysis was performed to investigate the interactions between WRKY68 and cis-elements in crucial pathogenesis-related (PR) genes. The results showed that the WRKY68 protein binds to W-boxes in the PR1b promoter region, with an apparent dissociation constant of 25 nmol L^–1, while the binding between WRKY68 and PR10a was W-box independent. The results suggested that a possible modified form of the WRKY68 protein was induced during the interaction between rice and Xoo, which then regulated the activity of the downstream PR genes by binding with the W-boxes in the PR1b gene’s promoter region. Moreover, the constitutive transcription of the WRKY68 gene in dozens of rice tissues and the expression of the WRKY68 protein in leaves during all growth stages suggests that WRKY68 plays important roles in rice during normal growth processes.

Plant defensins are small, basic cysteine-rich peptides that play important roles in disease resistance. A gene, designated BoDFN, was isolated from Brassica oleracea var. italica. Gene sequence has been submitted to NCBI with an accession no. of HQ436486. Complete coding sequence of BoDFN is 243 bp in length encoding 80 amino acids. Sequence comparison results showed that BoDFN shared high homology with those of crucifer plants and there were only few DNA base differences. RT-PCR results indicated an increase of gene expression in Hyaloperonospora parasitica infected leaves and revealed a significant increase at 24 and 36 h of treatment. A recombinant plasmid, named pBI121-BoDFN, was constructed and introduced into Agrobacterium tumefacien LBA4404. PCR screening for 65 regenerated plantlets, 17 positive plantlets were obtained, PCR screening results revealed that 17 out of 65 regenerated plantlets were positive. Disease resistant identification results indicated that all positive plants showed an increase in resistance to H. parasitica.

Against the backdrop of profound changes in the global economic landscape and the interweaving of multiple crises, agro-product trade is facing unprecedented uncertainties. The resurgence of unilateralism and protectionism, the escalation of geopolitical conflicts, as well as the multiple shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate crisis and so on, have significantly exacerbated the systemic risks of global agro-product trade, transforming it from a single market issue to a comprehensive governance issue covering economic, political and environmental dimensions. Based on 2,702 papers from the Web of Science database published between 2001 and 2024, this study employs the BERTopic model to systematically explore the core themes, structural relationships and evolutionary trends of agro-product trade research in the context of global uncertainty. The study identifies 20 core themes, which are further categorized into 7 research directions: non-tariff barriers, supply chain resilience, China's role and regional cooperation, food security, African and Brazilian markets, climate change and energy transition and social welfare and health. The findings indicate that this field is highly multidimensional and interdisciplinary.. The evolution of research hotspots exhibits significant synchronicity with global major events, and the research paradigm has shifted from efficiency priority to resilience priority, and from purely economic analysis to a comprehensive assessment of sustainability. This study provides a reference for understanding the complex mechanisms of agro-product trade under multiple crises, and offers implications for subsequent policy formulation and academic exploration.