This study investigated cold plasmas for multiple biological applications.  Our previous work has found dielectric barrier discharge plasma improves chicken sperm quality.  The number of Sertoli cells (SCs) decides spermatogenesis.  However, whether cold plasma can regulate SC proliferation remains unclear.  This study explored the effects of cold plasma on immature chicken SC proliferation and the regulation mechanism.  Results showed that cold plasma exposure at 2.4 W for 30 s twice with an interval of 6 h produced (P<0.05) the maximum SC viability, cell growth, and cell cycle progression.  SC proliferation-promoting effect of cold plasma treatment was regulated by increasing (P<0.05) the adenosine triphosphate production and the respiratory enzyme activity in the mitochondria.  This process was potentially mediated by the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)–mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, which was regulated by the microRNA (miRNA) targeting regulation directly and by the intracellular reactive oxygen species homeostasis indirectly.  The cold plasma treatment increased (P<0.01) the miR-7450-5p expression and led to a decreased (P<0.01) AMPKα1 level.  On the other hand, miR-100-5p expression was reduced (P<0.05) and led to an increased (P<0.05) mTOR level in SCs.  A single-stranded synthetic miR-7450-5p antagomir and a double-stranded synthetic miR-100-5p agomir reduced (P<0.05) the SC proliferation.  However, this could be ameliorated (P<0.05) by the cold plasma treatment.  Our findings suggest that appropriate cold plasma treatment provides a safe strategy to improve SC proliferation, which is beneficial to elevating male chicken reproductive capacity.

Salinity threatens soybean germination, growth and production.  The germination stage is a key period in the life of soybean.  Wild soybean contains many genes related to stress resistance that are valuable resources for the genetic improvement of soybean.  To identify the genetic loci of wild soybean that are active during seed germination under salt stress, two populations, a soybean interspecific hybrid population comprising 142 lines and a natural population comprising 121 wild soybean accessions, were screened for three germination-related traits in this study.  By using single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers with three salt tolerance indices, 25 quantitative trait loci (QTLs), 21 significant SNPs (–log₁₀(P)≥4.0) and 24 potential SNPs (3.5<–log₁₀(P)<4.0) were detected by linkage mapping and a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in two environments.  The key genetic region was identified based on these SNPs and QTLs.  According to the gene functional annotations of the W05 genome and salt-induced gene expression qRT-PCR analysis, GsAKR1 was selected as a candidate gene that responded to salt stress at the germination stage in the wild soybean.  These results could contribute to determining the genetic networks of salt tolerance in wild soybean and will be helpful for molecular marker-assisted selection in the breeding of salt-tolerant soybean.