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The development of a porcine 50K SNP panel using genotyping by target sequencing and its application Zipeng Zhang, Siyuan Xing, Ao Qiu, Ning Zhang, Wenwen Wang, Changsong Qian, Jia’nan Zhang, Chuduan Wang, Qin Zhang, Xiangdong Ding 2025, 24 (5): 1930-1943.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.07.033 Abstract （347）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Genotyping by target sequencing (GBTS) integrates the advantages of silicon-based technology (high stability and reliability) and genotyping by sequencing (high flexibility and cost-effectiveness).  However, GBTS panels are not currently available in pigs.  In this study, based on GBTS technology, we first developed a 50K panel, including 52,000 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), in pigs, designated GBTS50K.  A total of 6,032 individuals of Large White, Landrace, and Duroc pigs from 10 breeding farms were used to assess the newly developed GBTS50K.  Our results showed that GBTS50K obtained a high genotyping ability, the SNP and individual call rates of GBTS50K were 0.997–0.998, and the average consistency rate and genotyping correlation coefficient were 0.997 and 0.993, respectively, in replicate samples.  We also evaluated the efficiencies of GBTS50K in the application of population genetic structure analysis, selection signature detection, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), genotyped imputation, genetic selection (GS), etc.  The results indicate that GBTS50K is plausible and powerful in genetic analysis and molecular breeding.  For example, GBTS50K could gain higher accuracies than the current popular GGP-Porcine bead chip in genomic selection on 2 important traits of backfat thickness at 100 kg and days to 100 kg in pigs.  Particularly, due to the multiple SNPs (mSNPs), GBTS50K generated 100K qualified SNPs without increasing genotyping cost, and our results showed that the haplotype-based method can further improve the accuracies of genomic selection on growth and reproduction traits by 2 to 6%.  Our study showed that GBTS50K could be a powerful tool for underlying genetic architecture and molecular breeding in pigs, and it is also helpful for developing SNP panels for other farm animals. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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Establishing an induced infertile chicken line for efficient germline transmission of exogenous PGCs Haimei Qin, Xiaoxuan Jia, Zhenwen Huang, Yifei Zhi, Na Ji, Meiyu Lan, Lang Zhang, Xingting Liu, Huiyan Xu, Yangqing Lu 2026, 25 (1): 227-234.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2024.08.009 Abstract （302）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are the stem-cell population of adult animal gametes, which develop into sperm or eggs.  It can be propagated in vitro and injected into the host chicken for genome editing to obtain germline chimeric chicken.  However, it has the limitation that the host embryo contains endogenous PGCs, which raises complications, resultantly donor PGCs fail to compete, and transmission efficiency reduced.  Therefore, to increase the transmission efficiency, we generated a novel sterile chicken with the inducible elimination of endogenous PGCs in the host.  This is the first study that applied the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-TK) cell ablation system in avian.  CRISPR/Cas9-mediated homology-directed repair was performed to localize the HSV-TK suicide gene to the last exon of the deleted in azoospermia-like (DAZL) gene, and ganciclovir (GCV) was added to induce the apoptosis in the germ cells of the host embryo.  The sterilized host embryo introduced genome-edited PGCs to produce chimeric chicken carrying exogenous germ cells only.  It was observed that the germline transmission efficiency was 100% achieved, and the obtained chicks were purely from donor breeds.  The technologies established in the current study have important applications in germplasm conservation and gene editing in chicken. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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PDL1-dependent trans-acting siRNAs regulate lateral organ polarity development in rice Yi Zhang, Jing You, Jun Tang, Wenwen Xiao, Mi Wei, Ruhui Wu, Jinyan Liu, Hanying Zong, Shuoyu Zhang, Jie Qiu, Huan Chen, Yinghua Ling, Fangming Zhao, Yunfeng Li, Guanghua He, Ting Zhang 2025, 24 (9): 3297-3310.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2024.01.025 Abstract （288）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Leaves and glumes act as lateral organs and have essential effects on photosynthesis and seed morphology, thus affecting yield.  However, the molecular mechanisms controlling their polarity development in rice still need further study.  Here, we isolated a polarity defect of lateral organs 1 (pdl1) mutant in rice, which exhibits twisted/filamentous-shaped leaves and cracked/filamentous-shaped lemmas caused by defects in polarity development.  PDL1 encodes a SUPPRESSOR OF GENE SILENCING 3 protein localized in the cytoplasmic granules.  PDL1 is expressed in the shoot apical meristem, inflorescence meristem, floral meristem, and lateral organs including leaves and floral organs.  PDL1 is involved in the synthesis of tasiR-ARF, which may subsequently modulate the expression of OsARFs.  Meanwhile, the expression levels of abaxial miR165/166 and the adaxial identity genes OSHBs were respectively increased and reduced significantly.  The results of this study clarify the molecular mechanism by which PDL1-mediated tasiR-ARF synthesis regulates the lateral organ polarity development in rice. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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The VGLL2 gene participates in muscle development in Gushi chickens Wenya Li, Haoxiang Ma, Yanxing Wang, Yushi Zhang, Yang Liu, Ruili Han, Hong Li, Hanfang Cai, Xiaojun Liu, Xiangtao Kang, Ruirui Jiang, Zhuanjian Li 2025, 24 (1): 246-260.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.06.017 Abstract （286）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Previous studies have shown that VGLL2, a member of the mammalian Vestigial-like (VGLL) family, plays important roles in the growth and development of animal skeletal muscle, but its specific role in the development of chicken skeletal muscle is unclear.  The main goal of this study was to explore the biological functions of VGLL2 in the development of chicken skeletal muscle and the proliferation and differentiation of skeletal muscle cells in vitro.  In this study, we detected the effect of VGLL2 on the proliferation of myoblasts by CCK8, EdU and flow cytometry analyses after overexpressing and interfering with VGLL2.  Indirect immunofluorescence was used to detect the effect of VGLL2 on the differentiation of myoblasts.  qRT-PCR and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining were used to evaluate the effects of VGLL2 overexpression on the growth rate and muscle fiber structure of chicken skeletal muscle.  The results showed that VGLL2 inhibited the proliferation of primary cultured chicken myoblasts and promoted the differentiation of these cells.  Interestingly, food intake and muscle fiber development were significantly enhanced by the overexpression of VGLL2 in chickens.  Taken together, these data demonstrate that the VGLL2 gene may be a useful marker for improving muscle mass in poultry. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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Mechanism of mitigating on Deoxynivalenol-induced intestinal toxicity in swine and its dietary regulation strategy Ting Pan, Ruiting Guo, Weiwei Wang, Xing Liu, Bing Xia, Linshu Jiang, Ming Liu 2025, 24 (7): 2449-2464.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2024.07.037 Abstract （280）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Mycotoxins are the most widely existing pollutants in both dietary provisions and livestock feed, and they pose a series of hazards for humans and animals.  Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a prevalent mycotoxin that is primarily produced by Fusarium spp. and commonly found in various cereal products.  Feeding swine diets contaminated with trichothecene DON can lead to major adverse effects, including reduced feed intake, diminished weight gains, and compromised immune function.  Among all animal species, swine are the most sensitive to DON.  Here we explore the disruption of gut health by DON, considering aspects such as intestinal histomorphology, epithelial barrier functions,  immune system, microflora, and short-chain fatty acid production in the intestines.  Numerous additives have been documented for their potential in the detoxification of DON.  These additives can alleviate the toxic effects of DON on pigs by modulating the Nrf2-Keap1, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and Nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling pathways.  Additionally, there are additives capable of mitigating the toxicity of DON through adsorption or biotransformation.  This update has novel potential for advancing our comprehension of the mechanisms linked to DON intestinal toxicity and facilitating the formulation of innovative strategies to mitigate the impact of DON. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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Genome-wide association study identifies novel loci associated with feed efficiency traits in Hu lambs Deyin Zhang, Xiaolong Li, Fadi Li, Xiaoxue Zhang, Yuan Zhao, Yukun Zhang, Zongwu Ma, Huibin Tian, Xiuxiu Weng, Weimin Wang 2025, 24 (4): 1259-1269.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.10.011 Abstract （279）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Feed efficiency (FE) is a crucial economic trait that significantly impacts profitability in intensive sheep production, and can be evaluated by the residual feed intake (RFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR).  However, the underlying genetic mechanisms that underlie FE-related traits in sheep are not fully understood.  Herein, we measured the FE-related traits of 1,280 Hu sheep and conducted the phenotype statistics and correlation analysis, the result showcase that there was a large variation for FE-related traits, and RFI was significant positive correlation with average daily feed intake (ADFI) and FCR.  Moreover, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted using whole-genome resequencing data to investigate the genetic associations of ADFI, FCR and RFI.  For ADFI and FCR traits, 2 and one single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) exceeded the genome-wide significance threshold, whereas ten and 5 SNPs exceeded the suggestive significance threshold.  For RFI traits, only 4 SNPs exceeded the suggestive significance threshold.  Finally, a total of 8 genes (LOC101121953, LOC101110202, CTNNA3, IZUMO3, PPM1E, YIPF7, ZSCAN12 and LOC105603808) were identified as potential candidate genes for FE-related traits.  Simultaneously, we further analyzed the effects of 2 candidate SNPs associated with RFI on growth and FE traits in enlarged experimental population, the results demonstrated that these 2 SNPs was not significantly associated with growth traits (P>0.05), but significantly related to RFI traits (P<0.05).  These findings will provide valuable reference data and key genetic variants that can be used to effectively select feed-efficient individual in sheep breeding programs. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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A genome-wide association study and transcriptome analysis reveal the genetic basis for the Southern corn rust resistance in maize Yang Wang, Chunhua Mu, Xiangdong Li, Canxing Duan, Jianjun Wang, Xin Lu, Wangshu Li, Zhennan Xu, Shufeng Sun, Ao Zhang, Zhiqiang Zhou, Shenghui Wen, Zhuanfang Hao, Jienan Han, Jianzhou Qu, Wanli Du, Fenghai Li, Jianfeng Weng 2025, 24 (2): 453-466.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.10.039 Abstract （272）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Southern corn rust (SCR) is an airborne fungal disease caused by Puccinia polysora Underw. (P. polysora) that adversely impacts maize quality and yields worldwide.  Screening for new elite SCR-resistant maize loci or genes has the potential to enhance overall resistance to this pathogen.  Using phenotypic SCR resistance-related data collected over two years and three geographical environments, a genome-wide association study was carried out in this work, which eventually identified 91 loci that were substantially correlated with SCR susceptibility.  These included 13 loci that were significant in at least three environments and overlapped with 74 candidate genes (B73_RefGen_v4).  Comparative transcriptomic analyses were then performed to identify the genes related to SCR infection, with 2,586 and 797 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) ultimately being identified in the resistant Qi319 and susceptible 8112 inbred lines following P. polysora infection, respectively, including 306 genes common to both lines.  Subsequent integrative multi-omics investigations identified four potential candidate SCR response-related genes.  One of these genes is ZmHCT9, which encodes the protein hydroxycinnamoyl transferase 9.  This gene was up-regulated in susceptible inbred lines and linked to greater P. polysora resistance as confirmed through cucumber mosaic virus (CMV)-based virus induced-gene silencing (VIGS) system-mediated gene silencing.  These data provide important insights into the genetic basis of the maize SCR response.  They will be useful for for future research on potential genes related to SCR resistance in maize. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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Application of dsRNA of FgPMA1 for disease control on Fusarium graminearum Luoyu Wu, Furong Chen, Pengwei Wang, Chongjing Xu, Weidong Wen, Matthias Hahn, Mingguo Zhou, Yiping Hou 2025, 24 (6): 2285-2298.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.11.046 Abstract （272）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Fusarium graminearum is a fungal plant pathogen which causes Fusarium head blight (FHB), a devastating disease on cereal crops.  Here we report that FgPMA1 could be a new target to control FHB by the application of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) of FgPMA1.  FgPMA1 was divided into 6 segments to generated RNA interference (RNAi) constructs (FgPMA1RNAi-1, -2, -3, -4, -5, and -6), and these constructs were transformed in F. graminearum strain PH-1.  The expression of FgPMA1 reduced by 18.48, 33.48 and 56.93% in FgPMA1RNAi-1, FgPMA1RNAi-2 and FgPMA1RNAi-5, respectively.  FgPMA1RNAi-1, -2, and -5 mutants inhibited fungal development, including mycelium growth, mycelial morphology, asexual and sexual development, and toxin production.  The length of lesions on wheat leaves, wheat coleoptiles and wheat ears were shorter after infection with FgPMA1RNAi-1, -2, and -5 mutants than wild type PH-1.  These results showed that three segments (FgPMA1RNAi-1, -2, and -5) exhibited effective silencing effects.  After treatment with 25 ng µL–1 dsRNA of these segments in vitro, the growth rate of mycelium growth was significant decreased, mycelium became deformed with bulbous structure at the tip, and the mycelium lost the ability to produce conidia in F. graminearum strain PH-1, Fusarium asiacitum strain 2021 and phenamacril-resistant strain YP-1.  After application of FgPMA1RNAi-1-dsRNA and FgPMA1RNAi-2-dsRNA to wheat ears, pathogenicity reduced 34.21–35.40%. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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Transcriptome-wide N6-methyladenosine (m6A) profiling of compatible and incompatible responses reveals a nonhost resistance-specific m6A modification involved in soybean–soybean cyst nematode interaction Qianqian Shi, Xue Han, Xinhao Zhang, Jie Zhang, Qi Fu, Chen Liang, Fangmeng Duan, Honghai Zhao, Wenwen Song 2025, 24 (5): 1875-1891.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.10.023 Abstract （259）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Soybean cyst nematode (SCN, Heterodera glycines) is a devastating pathogen that infects soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill) and disrupts soybean production worldwide.  SCN infection upregulates or downregulates the expression of multiple genes in soybean.  However, the regulatory mechanisms that underlie these changes in gene expression remain largely unexplored.  N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation, one of the most prevalent mRNA modifications, contributes to transcriptional reprogramming during plant responses to pathogen infection.  Nevertheless, the role of m6A methylation in establishing compatible and incompatible soybean responses to SCN has not previously been studied.  Here, we performed transcriptome-wide m6A profiling of soybean roots infected with virulent and avirulent populations of SCN.  Compared with the compatible response, the incompatible response was associated with higher global m6A methylation levels, as well as more differentially modified m6A peaks (DMPs) and differentially expressed genes (DEGs).  A total of 133 and 194 genes showed significant differences in both transcriptional expression and m6A methylation levels in compatible and incompatible interactions; the most significantly enriched gene ontology terms associated with these genes were plant–pathogen interaction (compatible) and folate biosynthesis (incompatible).  Our findings demonstrate that the m6A methylation profiles of compatible and incompatible soybean responses are distinct and provide new insights into the regulatory mechanism underlying soybean response to SCN at the post-transcriptional modification level, which will be valuable for improving the SCN-resistant breeding. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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Deletion of Salmonella pathogenicity islands SPI-1, 2 and 3 induces substantial morphological and metabolic alternation and protective immune potential Gaosong Liu, Xuelian Lü, Qiufeng Tian, Wanjiang Zhang, Fei Yi, Yueling Zhang, Shenye Yu 2025, 24 (1): 272-289.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.11.009 Abstract （259）      PDF in ScienceDirect       The Salmonella pathogenicity islands (SPIs) play crucial roles in the progression of Salmonella infection.  In this study, we constructed an improved λ Red homologous recombination system to prepare single and triple deletion mutants of 3 prominent SPIs (SPI-1, 2, and 3), aiming at the impact of deletion on morphology, carbon source metabolism, adhesion and invasion capacity, in vivo colonization, and immune efficacy in chicks.  Our examination revealed that the surface of the single deletion mutants (SM6ΔSPI1, ΔSPI2, and ΔSPI3) exhibited a more rugged texture and appeared to be enveloped in a layer of transparent colloid, whereas the morphology of the triple deletion mutant (SM6ΔSPI1&2&3) remained unaltered when compared to the parent strain.  The carbon metabolic spectrum of the SPI mutants underwent profound alterations, with a notable and statistically significant modification observed in 30 out of 95 carbon sources, primarily carbohydrates (17 out of 30).  Furthermore, the adhesion capacity of the 4 mutants to Caco-2 cells was significantly reduced when compared to that of the parent strain.  Moreover, the invasion capacity of mutants SM6ΔSPI1 and SM6ΔSPI1&2&3 exhibited a substantial decrease, while it was enhanced to varying degrees for SM6ΔSPI3 and SM6ΔSPI2.  Importantly, none of the 4 mutants induced any clinical symptoms in the chicks.  However, they did transiently colonize the spleen and liver.  Notably, the SM6ΔSPI1&2&3 mutant was rapidly cleared from both the spleen and liver within 8 days post-infection and no notable pathological changes were observed in the organs.  Additionally, when challenged, the mutants immunized groups displayed a significant increase in antibody levels and alterations in the CD3+CD4+ and CD3+CD8+ subpopulations, and the levels of IL-4 and IFN-γ cytokines in the SM6ΔSPI1&2&3 immunized chicken serum surpassed those of other groups.  In summary, the successful construction of the 4 SPI mutants lays the groundwork for further exploration into the pathogenic (including metabolic) mechanisms of SPIs and the development of safe and effective live attenuated Salmonella vaccines or carriers. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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FGF7 secreted from dermal papillae cell regulates the proliferation and differentiation of hair follicle stem cell Niu Wang, Weidong Zhang, Zhenyu Zhong, Xiongbo Zhou, Xinran Shi, Xin Wang 2025, 24 (9): 3583-3597.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.10.012 Abstract （258）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Hair follicle stem cell (HFSC), capable of self-renewal and differentiation in hair follicle, represents an emerging stem cell model for regenerative medicine.  The interaction between HFSC and dermal papilla cell (DPC) governs hair follicle development.  FGF7 functions as a paracrine protein regulating epithelial proliferation, differentiation and migration.  The single-cell transcriptome profiling and immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated that FGF7 localizes at DPC, while FGF7 receptor (FGFR2) expresses in both DPC and HFSC.  Through co-culture experiments of HFSC and DPC, the results indicated that FGF7 secreted from DPC promotes the proliferation of DPC and HFSC via Wnt signaling pathway and induces HFSC differentiation.  Furthermore, CUT&Tag assay revealed genomic colocalization between FGF7 and pluripotency-related genes and GSK3β.  Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) demonstrated that FGF7 interacts with the promoter region of CISH and PRKX.  This research provides valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the hair cycle.  Understanding the interaction between HFSC and DPC, as well as the role of FGF7, may advance regenerative medicine and hair loss treatment. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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Effects of long-term experimental warming on phyllosphere epiphytic bacterial and fungal communities of four alpine plants Gang Fu, Guangyu Zhang, Huakun Zhou 2025, 24 (3): 799-814.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2024.06.008 Abstract （249）      PDF in ScienceDirect       The effects of climatic warming on phyllosphere microbial communities remain uncertain.  In this study, the effects of long-term (>10 years) experimental warming on phyllosphere epiphytic bacterial and fungal communities of Carex alrofusca, Kobresia pygmaea, Potentilla bifurca and Stipa capillacea were examined in the northern Tibet.  Overall, warming increased bacterial α-diversity, but reduced fungal α-diversity across the four host plants.  Warming altered the bacterial and fungal community compositions mainly by increasing Actinobacteria, Firmicutes and pathotroph-saprotroph fungi, and reducing Basidiomycota and symbiotroph fungi across the four host plants.  Warming increased the relative effect of the ‘drift & others’ process in the bacterial community, but reduced the relative effect of the ‘dispersal limitation’ process in the bacterial community and the relative effect of the ‘homogeneous selection’ process in the fungal community across the four host plants.  The overall warming effects on the bacterial and fungal communities may be due to overall warming effects on temperature, leaf morphology structure and physicochemical properties, ecological processes of community assembly and topological parameters of species co-occurrence networks of bacteria and fungi.  Warming altered the bacterial species co-occurrence network mainly by increasing the vertex, clustering coefficient and heterogeneity, while reducing the average path length and network diameter across host species.  Warming altered the fungal species co-occurrence network mainly by increasing the network diameter and reducing the vertex across host species.  Warming effects on bacterial and fungal communities varied among host plants, which may be due to the diverse responses to warming of plant height, leaf malondialdehyde, ecological processes of community assembly and topological parameters of species co-occurrence network.  Therefore, warming can alter phyllosphere epiphytic bacterial and fungal communities of alpine plants.  Such changes varied among host plants and may cause adverse effects on the host plants. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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Supplementation of serine in low-gossypol cottonseed meal-based diet improved egg white gelling and rheological properties by regulating ovomucin synthesis and magnum physiological function in laying hens Jianmin Zhou, Yu Fu, Uchechukwu Edna Obianwuna, Jing Wang, Haijun Zhang, Xiubo Li, Guanghai Qi, Shugeng Wu 2025, 24 (3): 1152-1166.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.09.020 Abstract （246）      PDF in ScienceDirect       This study examined the effect of dietary serine (Ser) on egg white quality, ovomucin content of laying hens fed low-gossypol cottonseed meal (LCSM)-based diet and sought to explore the regulatory mechanism underlying the effects.  A total of 288 Hy-Line Brown layers were randomly assigned into 3 treatments and respectively offered soybean meal (SBM)-based diet, LCSM-based diet, and LCSM-based diet supplemented with 0.435% L-Ser.  Dietary Ser supplementation reversed the decrease in quality indices of albumen, including the proportion of thick albumen (P<0.05), thick-to-thin ratio (P<0.05), albumen height (P<0.05), Haugh unit (P<0.05), and apparent viscosity that were caused by LCSM intake.  Also, dietary Ser supplementation mitigated the LCSM-induced reduction in ovomucin content of the albumen (P<0.05).  FT-IR analysis of ovomucin revealed differences in second derivative spectra at 1,200–800 cm–1 between birds received SBM- and LCSM-based diets, meanwhile, the α-helix of ovomucin was decreased by LCSM but increased by Ser addition (P<0.05).  Furthermore, Ser addition up-regulated the mRNA expression of β-ovomucin in magnum mucosa at 2 and 7.5 h post-oviposition (P<0.05).  Ser mitigated the LCSM-induced impairment of magnum epithelium, increased goblet cell counts (P<0.05), and up-regulated the expression of occludin, mucin 2, and the relevant glycosyltransferases for O-glycosylation in magnum mucosa (P<0.05).  Conclusively, the alleviating effect of Ser on declining albumen quality due to dietary LCSM, could be explained by the efficacy of Ser in regulating ovomucin synthesis.  This regulation occurred at the levels of transcription and post-transcriptional O-glycosylation modification of β-ovomucin, while positive effect on magnum morphology and barrier function could also in part account for the ovomucin content.  This would provide a promising research direction on the adoption of nutritional interventions for manipulation of egg white quality from perspectives of albumen protein synthesis. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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OsEXO70L2 is required for large lateral root formation and arbuscular mycorrhiza establishment in rice Tongming Wang, Kai Zhou, Bingxian Yang, Benoit Lefebvre, Guanghua He 2025, 24 (6): 2035-2045.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2024.04.007 Abstract （246）      PDF in ScienceDirect       As a major subunit of the exocyst complex, members of the EXO70 family have mainly been shown to play roles in cell polarity and morphogenesis in Arabidopsis, but their roles in plant endosymbiosis, such as with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), have rarely been reported.  Here, using knockout and overexpression lines, we show that OsEXO70L2, which encodes a divergent EXO70 protein in rice, controls the number of primary roots and is essential for large lateral root formation.  Furthermore, the OsEXO70L2 mutant sr1 displayed rare internal AMF hyphae and no arbuscules.  We also found that AMF sporulation can occur in roots despite low colonization and that AMF colonization and sporulation are modulated by photoperiod and co-culture with clover.  Finally, genes related to auxin homeostasis were found to be affected in the OsEXO70L2 knockout or overexpression lines, suggesting that auxin is at least partly responsible for the phenotypes.  This study provides new perspectives on the role of the exocyst complex during root development and AM in rice. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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The desertification process alters soil microbial metabolic limitations and their effects on soil carbon sequestration in a Tibetan alpine steppe Jialuo Yu, Peili Shi, Ning Zong, Yongxing Cui, Ge Hou, Xueying Chen, Tiancai Zhou, Xiaofang Huang 2025, 24 (3): 845-858.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2024.07.038 Abstract （240）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Tibetan alpine steppes are large and sensitive terrestrial carbon (C) reservoirs that are experiencing desertification due to global change and overgrazing, which can lead to stronger resource limitations for both above- and below-ground communities. Soil nutrients, especially nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), are the crucial resources for plant growth and microbial metabolism. However, whether both plant and soil microbial communities in the degraded alpine steppes are limited by these soil nutrients remains unclear, which limits our understanding of the mechanisms of desertification and subsequent ecosystem restoration. Here, we evaluated potential nutrient limitations of the plant and soil microbial communities in the alpine steppe across five stages of desertification using stoichiometry-based approaches. Our results showed that soil microbial metabolism was mainly limited by C and P, and the plant N limitation and microbial C limitation were intensified while the microbial P limitation was relieved during desertification. Plant-soil-microbe interactions had significant impacts on the microbial C and P limitations, explaining 72 and 61% of the variation, respectively. Specifically, desertification ultimately affected microbial metabolic limitations by regulating soil pH, soil nutrients, and the plant N limitation. Moreover, the microbial C limitation further reduced microbial C use efficiency (CUE) with desertification, which is detrimental for organic C retention in the degraded soil. Overall, this study revealed that microbial metabolic limitations through plant-microbe interactions were the key drivers affecting soil microbial CUE, and it provided insights that can advance our knowledge of the microbial regulation of nutrient cycles and C sequestration. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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Comparative genomics study between high and low laying goose breeds reveals the important role of ESR1 in laying abilit Qingyuan Ouyang, Hengli Xie, Shenqiang Hu, Cong Lan, Mingxia Ran, Jiwei Hu, Hua He, Liang Li, Hehe Liu, Hao Qu, Jiwen Wang 2025, 24 (3): 1167-1180.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.05.028 Abstract （238）      PDF in ScienceDirect       The low egg production of goose greatly limits the development of the industry.  China possesses the most abundant goose breeds resources.  In this study, genome resequencing data of swan goose (Anser cygnoides) and domesticated high and low laying goose breeds (Anser cygnoides domestiation) were used to identify key genes related to egg laying ability in geese and verify their functions.  Selective sweep analyses revealed 416 genes that were specifically selected during the domestication process from swan geese to high laying geese.  Furthermore, SNPs and Indels markers were used in GWAS analyses between high and low laying breed geese.  The results showed that RTCB, BPIFC, SYN3, SYNE1, VIP, and ESR1 may be related to the differences in laying ability of geese.  Notably, only ESR1 was identified simultaneously by GWAS and selective sweep analysis.  The genotype of Indelchr3:54429172, located downstream of ESR1, was confirmed to affect the expression of ESR1 in the ovarian stroma and showed significant correlation with body weight at first egg and laying frequency of geese.  CCK-8, EdU, and flow cytometry confirmed that ESR1 can promote the apoptosis of goose pre-hierarchical follicles ganulosa cells (phGCs) and inhibit their proliferation.  Combined with transcriptome data, it was found ESR1 involved in the function of goose phGCs may be related to MAPK and TGF-beta signaling pathways.  Overall, our study used genomic information from different goose breeds to identify an indel located in the downstream of ESR1 associated with goose laying ability.  The main pathways and biological processes of ESR1 involved in the regulation of goose laying ability were identified by cell biology and transcriptomics methods.  These results are helpful to further understand the laying ability characteristics of goose and improve the egg production of geese. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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Expression of tissue factor pathway inhibitor 2 in the follicles of chicken ovaries and its regulatory mechanism in cultured granulosa cells Chong Li, Yangguang Ren, Yudian Zhao, Zihao Zhang, Bin Zhai, Jing Li, Qi Li, Guoxi Li, Zhuanjian Li, Xiaojun Liu, Xiangtao Kang, Ruirui Jiang, Yadong Tian, Donghua Li 2025, 24 (2): 680-696.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.06.038 Abstract （237）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Tissue factor pathway inhibitor 2 (TFPI2) plays a key role in female reproduction.  However, its expression and function in chickens are still unclear.  In this study, RNA-seq was performed on ovarian tissues from chickens aged 30 and 15 weeks to identify the differentially expressed gene TFPI2.  The full-length cDNA of TFPI2 was obtained from adult chicken ovaries by rapid-amplification of cDNA ends (RACE), and the putative TFPI2 protein was found to share a highly conserved amino acid sequence with known bird homologs.  In addition, TFPI2 was widely expressed in the tissues of adult chicken follicles according to quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting.  Immunohistochemistry suggested that the TFPI2 protein existed in chicken ovary follicles at different developmental states, such as primordial follicles, the ovarian stroma, and the granulosa and theca layers of prehierarchical follicles (6–8 mm) and preovulatory follicles (F1).  In vitro, follicle stimulating hormone or luteinizing hormone (FSH/LH) stimulated the expression of TFPI2 in chicken granulosa cells.  FSH-/LH-induced TFPI2 mRNA expression was mediated by signaling pathways such as the PKA, PKC, PI3K, and mTOR pathways.  Functionally, TFPI2 promoted the proliferation and viability of cultured granulosa cells and decreased the secretion of Progesterone (P4) and Estrogen (E2) and the mRNA abundance of key steroidogenic enzymes (STAR, Cyp17a1, Cyp19a1 and 3B-HSD) as well as MMPs (MMP2, 7, 9 and 11).  Mechanistically, TFPI2 inhibited the expression of MMP7 via the Wnt signaling pathway.  These findings indicate that TFPI2 may play an important role in regulating chicken follicular development and ovulation and suggest the molecular regulation mechanisms. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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Protection of chickens from Mycoplasma gallisepticum through the MAPK/ERK/JNK pathway by a compound of ten Chinese medicine formulas Tengfei Wang, Changyong Fan, Yufei Xiao, Shan Lü, Guangyang Jiang, Mengyun Zou, Yingjie Wang, Qiao Guo, Zhenghao Che, Xiuli Peng 2025, 24 (6): 2356-2370.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.11.043 Abstract （237）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) is a common avian pathogen that mainly infects poultry, causing significant reductions in body weight gain and egg production, along with damage to immune organs and immunosuppression.  MG is susceptible to co-infections with other pathogens, leading to increased mortality rates and significant economic losses in the global poultry industry.  While antibiotics have been extensively applied worldwide to treat MG infections in poultry production, concerns regarding antibiotic resistance and residue remain prevalent.  Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), renowned for its natural, safe, and non-toxic properties, has shown significant anti-inflammatory and immune-enhancing effects.  This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of TCM on production performance and its impact on MG-induced immunosuppression through the MAPK/ERK/JNK signaling pathway in chickens.  Our results showed that TCM alleviated the negative effects of MG infection on production performance, as evidenced by improvements in body weight gain, feed conversion rate, survival rate, and immune organ index.  TCM exhibited direct inhibition of the MG proliferation in vitro and in vivo.  Furthermore, TCM treatment promoted the normalization of trachea and lung tissue structure in MG-infected chickens, leading to a significant reduction in inflammatory damage.  Moreover, following the treatment with the TCM, the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) decreased significantly, accompanied by the downregulation of pro-apoptotic genes caspase3, caspase9, and BAX, both in vitro and in vivo.  A mechanism-based study showed that in vitro and in vivo treatment with the TCM significantly reduced the expression of key proteins, including early growth response gene 1 (EGR1), p-ERK, p-JNK, and p-JUN.  Altogether, TCM improved body weight gain, inhibited pro-inflammation responses, and alleviated tissue damage by inhibiting the MAPK/ERK/JNK signaling pathway to protect the performance and immune system of MG-infected chickens. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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Development of a piggyBac transgenic system in Bactrocera dorsalis and its potential for research on olfactory molecular targets Jie Zhang, Qi Wang, Jinxi Yuan, Zhen Tian, Shanchun Yan, Wei Liu 2025, 24 (6): 2311-2326.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2024.07.021 Abstract （237）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Chemicals that modify pest behavior are developed to reduce crop damage by altering pest behavior, using specific genes within the olfactory system as molecular targets. The identification of these molecular targets in Bactrocera dorsalis, also known as the functional study of key olfactory genes, relies on CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene knockout techniques.  However, these techniques face limitations when applied to lethal genes.  Transgenic technology offers a solution since it enables precise manipulation of gene expression in specific tissues or during certain developmental stages.  Consequently, this study developed a piggyBac-mediated transgenic system in B. dorsalis to investigate reporter gene expression in olfactory organs, and assessed the olfactory behavior and antennal electrophysiological responses in transgenic lines.  The goal was to assess the potential of this approach for future research on olfactory gene function.  A universally expressed housekeeping gene from the BdorActin family was identified using the developmental transcriptome dataset.  Its candidate promoter region (BdorActinA3a-1P–2k) was then cloned into the piggyBac plasmid.  We subsequently established two stable transgenic lines with specific TTAA insertion sites on chromosomes 4 and 5, consistent with the characteristics of piggyBac transposition.  The transgenic strains exhibited essentially normal survival, with hatchability and adult lifespan unaffected, although there were slight reductions in the emergence rate and oviposition capacity.  The fluorescent reporter has been successfully expressed in olfactory-related organs, such as the antennae, proboscis, maxillary palp, legs, external genitalia, and brain.  The antennal electrophysiological responses to representative chemicals in the transgenic lines were consistent with those of the wild type.  However, some olfactory-related behaviors, such as pheromone response and mating, were significantly affected in the transgenic lines.  These findings suggest that our system could potentially be applied in future olfactory research, such as driving the expression of exogenous elements that are effective in olfactory organs.  However, caution is advised regarding its impact when applied to some olfactory-related behavioral phenotypes. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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Dietary fat supplement affected energy and nitrogen metabolism efficiency and shifted rumen fermentation toward glucogenic propionate production via enrichment of Succiniclasticum in male twin lambs Wenjuan Li, Tao Ma, Naifeng Zhang, Kaidong Deng, Qiyu Diao 2025, 24 (4): 1285-1295.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.06.037 Abstract （236）      PDF in ScienceDirect       The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary fat on energy and nitrogen (N) metabolism efficiency, rumen fermentation, and microbiota in twin suckling lambs.  Thirty pairs of twin male lambs were randomly divided into two groups with one group receiving a high-fat diet (HF) and the other a normal-fat diet (NF).  Two diets (milk replacer and starter) of equal protein and different fat levels.  The metabolism test was conducted when the lambs were 50–60 days old, and nine pairs of twin lambs were randomly selected for slaughter to collect rumen fluid at 60 days old.  The result showed that fat addition increased the final body weight (BW), ruminal ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) content, proportion of propionic acid, and estimated methane production (CH4e) (P<0.05).  The high fat diet tended to improve digestive energy (DE), metabolism energy (ME), DE/ME, utilisation of N (0.05<P<0.1).  However, microbial crude protein (MCP) content, total volatile fatty acids (VFA), acetic acid ratio, and the ratio of acetate to propionate (A:P) were lower than that in the NF group (P<0.05).  Regardless of whether fat is added or not, no different were observed in blood metabolites between the treatment.  High-throughput sequencing revealed that fat addition before weaning increased phyla Proteobacteria and genera of Succinivibrio, but decreased the relative abundance of Clostridium IV, Dialister, Roseburia, Acidaminococcus, and Megasphaera genera.  These findings indicated that high fat diet improved body weight, energy and nitrogen utilization may by shifting the rumen toward propionate fermentation via the enrichment of Succinivibrio. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics