The rice white tip nematode (RWTN) Aphelenchoides besseyi secretes effectors that manipulate host plant cells to facilitate successful parasitism and sustain infection.  Although the number of identified RWTN effectors remains limited, their mechanisms of interaction with host plants are largely unknown.  Profilins (PFNs) function as molecular hubs that regulate complex interaction networks.  To advance understanding of PFN3 in plant-parasitic nematodes, we identified an effector from A. besseyi, designated AbPFN3.  AbPFN3 is transcriptionally upregulated during the juvenile stage of the nematode, and in situ hybridization localized its expression to the esophageal glands.  Three rice (Oryza sativa) proteins, ADP/ATP carrier protein 1 (OsAAC1), B-cell receptor-associated protein 31 (OsBAP31) and Small Auxin Up RNA 50 (OsSAUR50), were identified as interactors of AbPFN3, with interactions occurring in distinct cellular compartments, including the endoplasmic reticulum, cytoplasm, and plasma membrane.  Transgenic analyses revealed that AbPFN3 expression significantly increased plant height and upregulated AAC1 and BAP31, while downregulating RGA2 and SAUR50.  This study characterizes AbPFN3 as a novel effector secreted by A. besseyi that interacts with multiple host proteins, highlighting its potential role in modulating host defense responses and cell development processes.

Magnaporthe oryzae is the causal agent of rice blast.  Glycosylation plays key roles in vegetative growth, development, and infection of M. oryzae.  However, several glycosylation-related genes have not been characterized.  In this study, we identified a Glyco_transf_22 domain-containing protein, MoAlg9, and found that MoAlg9 is localized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER).  Deletion of MoALG9 significantly affected conidial production, normal appressorium formation, responses to stressors, and pathogenicity of M. oryzae.  We also found that the ΔMoalg9 mutant was defective in glycogen utilization, appressorial penetration, and invasive growth in host cells.  Moreover, we further demonstrated that MoALG9 regulates the transcription of several target genes involved in conidiation, appressorium formation, and cell wall integrity.  In addition, we found that the Glyco_transf_22 domain is essential for normal MoAlg9 function and localization.  We also provide evidence that MoAlg9 is involved in N-glycosylation pathway in M. oryzae.  Taken together, these results show that MoAlg9 is important for conidiation, appressorium formation, maintenance of cell wall integrity, and the pathogenesis of M. oryzae.

Skin and hair pigmentation in animals involve intricate regulatory processes.  Circular RNA-microRNA (circRNA-miRNA) networks play vital roles in various biological processes, although their involvement in pigmentation has been underexplored.  This study focused on circKIF27 expression, which differs significantly in melanocytes isolated from white and brown Boer coat-colored skin, yet its function remains unclear.  Here, we investigated the roles of circKIF27 in melanocytes.  In situ hybridization assays demonstrated that circKIF27 is expressed in the cytoplasm of melanocytes.  qRT-PCR results revealed differential expression levels of circKIF27 in various tissues of male and female goats.  Functional analysis showed that circKIF27 overexpression in melanocytes significantly reduces melanin production (P<0.01) and inhibits cell proliferation (P<0.0001).  Bioinformatics analysis identified a putative miR-129-5p binding site on circKIF27, and luciferase reporter assays confirmed their interaction.  Overexpression of miR-129-5p in melanocytes enhances melanin production (P<0.01) and promotes cell proliferation (P<0.05).  Further analysis revealed that TGIF2 possesses two potential miR-129-5p binding sites, and miR-129-5p overexpression in melanocytes significantly inhibits TGIF2 expression (P<0.0001), suggesting a targeted regulatory relationship between these two molecules.  Silencing TGIF2 expression via siRNA-TGIF2 transfection leads to increased melanocyte proliferation (P<0.0001) and increased melanin production (P<0.01).  These findings highlight the involvement of the circRNA-miRNA network in pigmentation, offering new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying pigmentation and guiding animal hair color breeding strategies.

Fungal diseases affecting maize not only reduced maize yields but also generate fungal toxins that pose risks to both human and animal health, particularly when the straw is returned to the field. Microbial in-situ control is considered an environmentally friendly method that effectively addresses the limitations of unstable effects. In this study, we isolated Bacillus velezensis zm026 from rhizosphere soil for in-situ restoration, based on the soil community structure, which exhibits high antagonistic activity against Fusarium verticillioides and Exserohilum turcicum. Zm026 effectively colonized the surface of maize roots within five days and activated the plant immune system, significantly increasing the expression of defense genes such as ZmGST, ZmZHD, ZmPR-1, ZmPR-2, and ZmPR-3. The efficient anti-fungal substance of zm026 was identified by HPLC-MS and determined to be bacillomycin D. Further observations using trypan blue staining, along with DAPI (4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) and PI (Propidium iodide) fluorescent staining, revealed that bacillomycin D could inhibit fungal spore germination, disrupt the integrity of fungal cell membranes, induce apoptosis, and cause spore tips to protrude, swell, or rupture. Ultimately, indoor pot experiments demonstrated that the application of zm026 fermentation broth significantly promoted growth, inhibited the onset of fungal diseases in corn, and effectively reduced the abundance of Fusarium spp. in corn grains. This research provides a beneficial in-situ restoration strain for the high-quality development of corn.

Genomic selection (GS) is one of the most effective approaches for accelerating genetic improvement in animals and plants, but its efficiency largely depends on the size of the training population. However, establishing a large training population is often time-consuming and costly. An alternative strategy is to combine multiple populations distributed across different breeding farms or companies for joint GS, but this is greatly constrained by data-security concerns and the lack of a public platform for secure collaborative analysis. In this study, we developed HEGS (Homomorphic Encryption Genomic Selection), an open-source platform for privacy-preserving joint GS across institutions, which is in principle applicable to diploid species. HEGS uses homomorphic encryption to perform genomic analyses directly on encrypted data without revealing raw information, and extends the encrypted analysis framework from the initial genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP) model to include both conventional best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) and single-step GBLUP (ssGBLUP), thereby broadening its applicability in breeding evaluation. To demonstrate the utility of the platform, we constructed a large encrypted pig dataset comprising four breeds (Duroc, Yorkshire, Landrace, and Pietrain), 36 economically important traits, 180 pre-encrypted datasets, and more than 580,000 phenotypic records, enabling immediate joint analyses without exposing raw data. Using both simulated and real datasets, we demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of GS under homomorphic encryption. After model fitting, HEGS outputs genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs) for genotyped candidates without phenotypic records, facilitating selection without additional phenotyping. Overall, HEGS provides a deployable and scalable open-source solution for privacy-preserving cross-institutional collaboration in animal breeding.