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Trends in the global commercialization of genetically modified crops in 2023 Xingru Cheng, Haohui Li, Qiaoling Tang, Haiwen Zhang, Tao Liu, Youhua Wang 2024, 23 (12): 3943-3952.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2024.09.012 Abstract （663）      PDF in ScienceDirect       The commercialization of genetically modified (GM) crops has increased food production, improved crop quality, reduced pesticide use, promoted changes in agricultural production methods, and become an important new production strategy for dealing with insect pests and weeds while reducing the cultivated land area.  This article provides a comprehensive examination of the global distribution of GM crops in 2023.  It discusses the internal factors that are driving their adoption, such as the increasing number of GM crops and the growing variety of commodities.  This article also provides information support and application guidance for the new developments in global agricultural science and technology. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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OsNPF3.1, a nitrate, abscisic acid and gibberellin transporter gene, is essential for rice tillering and nitrogen utilization efficiency Junnan Hang, Bowen Wu, Diyang Qiu, Guo Yang, Zhongming Fang, Mingyong Zhang 2024, 23 (4): 1087-1104.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.04.024 Abstract （630）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Low-affinity nitrate transporter genes have been identified in subfamilies 4–8 of the rice nitrate transporter 1 (NRT1)/peptide transporter family (NPF), but the OsNPF3 subfamily responsible for nitrate and phytohormone transport and rice growth and development remains unknown.  In this study, we described OsNPF3.1 as an essential nitrate and phytohormone transporter gene for rice tillering and nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUtE).  OsNPF3.1 possesses four major haplotypes of its promoter sequence in 517 cultivars, and its expression is positively associated with tiller number.  Its expression was higher in the basal part, culm, and leaf blade than in other parts of the plant, and was strongly induced by nitrate, abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellin 3 (GA3) in the root and shoot of rice.  Electrophysiological experiments demonstrated that OsNPF3.1 is a pH-dependent low-affinity nitrate transporter, with rice protoplast uptake assays showing it to be an ABA and GA3 transporter.  OsNPF3.1 overexpression significantly promoted ABA accumulation in the roots and GA accumulation in the basal part of the plant which inhibited axillary bud outgrowth and rice tillering, especially at high nitrate concentrations.  The NUtE of OsNPF3.1-overexpressing plants was enhanced under low and medium nitrate concentrations, whereas the NUtE of OsNPF3.1 clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) plants was increased under high nitrate concentrations.  The results indicate that OsNPF3.1 transports nitrate and phytohormones in different rice tissues under different nitrate concentrations.  The altered OsNPF3.1 expression improves NUtE in the OsNPF3.1-overexpressing and CRISPR lines at low and high nitrate concentrations, respectively. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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Whole-genome characterization of CKX genes in Prunus persica and their role in bud dormancy and regrowth  Xuehui Zhao, Jianting Liu, Xiling Fu, Long Xiao, Qingjie Wang, Chaoran Wang, Zhizhang Chen, Jiakui Li, Changkun Lu, Hui Cao, Ling Li 2024, 23 (12): 4058-4073.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2024.09.002 Abstract （623）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Bud dormancy is a complex physiological process of perennial woody plants living in temperate regions, and it can be affected by various phytohormones.  Cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenases (CKXs) are a group of enzymes essential for maintaining cytokinin homeostasis, yet a comprehensive analysis of these enzymes in peach remains lacking.  Here, a total of 51 CKX members from different species, including six from peach, eleven from apple, nine from poplar, seven from Arabidopsis, eight from strawberry, and ten from rice, were identified using the Simple HMM Search tool of TBtools and a BLASTP program and classified into four groups using phylogenetic analysis.  Conserved motif and gene structure analysis of these 51 CKX members showed that 10 conserved motifs were identified, and each CKX gene contained at least two introns.  Cis-element analysis of PpCKXs showed that all PpCKX genes have light-responsive elements and at least one hormone-responsive element.  The changed relative expression levels of six PpCKX genes in peach buds from endodormancy to bud-break were observed by qRT-PCR.  Among them, the expression trend of PpCKX6 was almost opposite that of PpEBB1, a positive bud-break regulator in woody plants, around the bud-break stage.  Y1H, EMSA, and dual-luciferase assays indicated that PpEBB1 negatively regulated PpCKX6 through direct binding to a GCC box-like element located in the promoter region of PpCKX6.  In addition, a transient assay showed that overexpression of PpCKX6 delayed the bud-break of peach.  These results indicate that the PpCKX genes play an essential role in the dormancy-regrowth process, and PpCKX6 may act downstream of PpEBB1 directly to regulate the bud-break process, which further improves the hormone-regulatory network of dormancy-regrowth of woody plants, and provides new insights for molecular breeding and genetic engineering of peach. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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Establishment of a system for screening and identification of novel bactericide targets in the plant pathogenic bacterium Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae using Tn-seq and SPR Chaoyue Pang, Ling Jin, Haoyu Zang, Damalk Saint-Claire S. Koklannou, Jiazhi Sun, Jiawei Yang, Yongxing Wang, Liang Xu, Chunyan Gu, Yang Sun, Xing Chen, Yu Chen 2024, 23 (5): 1580-1592.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.04.043 Abstract （603）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Xanthomonas spp. cause severe bacterial diseases.  However, effective strategies for prevention and management of these diseases are scarce.  Thus, it is necessary to improve the efficiency of control of diseases caused by Xanthomonas.  In this study, Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), which causes rice bacterial leaf blight, has been studied as a representative.  A transposon insertion library of Xoo, comprising approximately 200,000 individual insertion mutants, was generated.  Transposon sequencing data indicated that the mariner C9 transposase mapped at 35.7–36.4% of all potential insertion sites, revealing 491 essential genes required for the growth of Xoo in rich media.  The results show that, compared to the functions of essential genes of other bacteria, the functions of some essential genes of Xoo are unknown, 25 genes might be dangerous for the Xanthomonas group, and 3 are specific to Xanthomonas.  High-priority candidates for developing broad-spectrum, Xanthomonas-specific, and environment-friendly bactericides were identified in this study.  In addition, this study revealed the possible targets of dioctyldiethylenetriamine using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) in combination with high performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS).  The study also provided references for the research of some certain bactericides with unknown anti-bacterial mode of action.  In conclusion, this study urged a better understanding of Xanthomonas, provided meaningful data for the management of bacterial leaf blight, and disclosed selected targets of a novel bactericide. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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Genome-wide identification, molecular evolution, and functional characterization of fructokinase gene family in apple reveal its role in improving salinity tolerance Jing Su, Lingcheng Zhu, Pingxing Ao, Jianhui Shao, Chunhua Ma 2024, 23 (11): 3723-3736.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2024.09.001 Abstract （586）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Fructokinase (FRK) is a regulator of fructose signaling in plants and gateway proteins that catalyze the initial step in fructose metabolism through phosphorylation.  Our previous study demonstrated that MdFRK2 protein exhibit not only high affinity for fructose, but also high enzymatic activity due to sorbitol.  However, genome-wide identification of the MdFRK gene family and their evolutionary dynamics in apple are yet to be reported.  A systematic genome-wide analysis in this study identified a total of nine MdFRK gene members, which could phylogenetically be clustered into seven groups.  Chromosomal location and synteny analysis of MdFRKs revealed that their expansion in the apple genome is primarily driven by tandem and segmental duplication events.  Divergent expression patterns of MdFRKs were observed in four source-sink tissues and at five different apple fruit developmental stages, which suggested their potential crucial roles in the apple fruit development and sugar accumulation.  Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) identified candidate NaCl or drought stress responsive MdFRKs, and transgenic apple plants overexpressing MdFRK2 exhibited considerably enhanced salinity tolerance.  Our results will be useful for understanding the functions of MdFRKs in the regulation of apple fruit development and salt stress response. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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Physiological and transcriptome analyses of Chinese cabbage in response to drought stress Lin Chen, Chao Li, Jiahao Zhang, Zongrui Li, Qi Zeng, Qingguo Sun, Xiaowu Wang, Limin Zhao, Lugang Zhang, Baohua Li 2024, 23 (7): 2255-2269.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2024.03.067 Abstract （573）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Chinese cabbage is an important leafy vegetable crop with high water demand and susceptibility to drought stress.  To explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the response to drought, we performed a transcriptome analysis of drought-tolerant and -sensitive Chinese cabbage genotypes under drought stress, and uncovered core drought-responsive genes and key signaling pathways.  A co-expression network was constructed by a weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and candidate hub genes involved in drought tolerance were identified.  Furthermore, abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis and signaling pathways and their drought responses in Chinese cabbage leaves were systemically explored.  We also found that drought treatment increased the antioxidant enzyme activities and glucosinolate contents significantly.  These results substantially enhance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying drought responses in Chinese cabbage. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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Basal defense is enhanced in a wheat cultivar resistant to Fusarium head blight Xinlong Gao, Fan Li, Yikun Sun, Jiaqi Jiang, Xiaolin Tian, Qingwen Li, Kaili Duan, Jie Lin, Huiquan Liu, Qinhu Wang 2024, 23 (4): 1238-1258.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.06.014 Abstract （487）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Fusarium head blight (FHB), mainly caused by the fungal pathogen Fusarium graminearum, is one of the most destructive wheat diseases.  Besides directly affecting the yield, the mycotoxin residing in the kernel greatly threatens the health of humans and livestock.  Xinong 979 (XN979) is a widely cultivated wheat elite with high yield and FHB resistance.  However, its resistance mechanism remains unclear.  In this study, we studied the expression of genes involved in plant defense in XN979 by comparative transcriptomics.  We found that the FHB resistance in XN979 consists of two lines of defense.  The first line of defense, which is constitutive, is knitted via the enhanced basal expression of lignin and jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis genes.  The second line of defense, which is induced upon F. graminearum infection, is contributed by the limited suppression of photosynthesis and the struggle of biotic stress-responding genes.  Meanwhile, the effective defense in XN979 leads to an inhibition of fungal gene expression, especially in the early infection stage.  The formation of the FHB resistance in XN979 may coincide with the breeding strategies, such as selecting high grain yield and lodging resistance traits.  This study will facilitate our understanding of wheat–F. graminearum interaction and is insightful for breeding FHB-resistant wheat. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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The auxin transporter OsAUX1 regulates tillering in rice (Oryza sativa) Luqi Jia, Yongdong Dai, Ziwei Peng, Zhibo Cui, Xuefei Zhang, Yangyang Li, Weijiang Tian, Guanghua He, Yun Li, Xianchun Sang 2024, 23 (5): 1454-1467.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.05.041 Abstract （477）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Tillering is an important agronomic trait of rice (Oryza sativa) that affects the number of effective panicles, thereby affecting yields.  The phytohormone auxin plays a key role in tillering.  Here we identified the high tillering and semi-dwarf 1 (htsd1) mutant with auxin-deficiency root characteristics, such as shortened lateral roots, reduced lateral root density, and enlarged root angles.  htsd1 showed reduced sensitivity to auxin, but the external application of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) inhibited its tillering.  We identified the mutated gene in htsd1 as AUXIN1 (OsAUX1, LOC_Os01g63770), which encodes an auxin influx transporter.  The promoter sequence of OsAUX1 contains many SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE (SPL) binding sites, and we demonstrated that SPL7 binds to the OsAUX1 promoter.  TEOSINTE BRANCHED1 (OsTB1), a key gene that negatively regulates tillering, was significantly downregulated in htsd1.  Tillering was enhanced in the OsTB1 knockout mutant, and the external application of IAA inhibited tiller elongation in this mutant.  Overexpressing OsTB1 restored the multi-tiller phenotype of htsd1.  These results suggest that SPL7 directly binds to the OsAUX1 promoter and regulates tillering in rice by altering OsTB1 expression to modulate auxin signaling. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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What factors control plant height? Li Miao, Xiangyu Wang, Chao Yu, Chengyang Ye, Yanyan Yan, Huasen Wang 2024, 23 (6): 1803-1824.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2024.03.058 Abstract （476）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Plant height (PH) is one of the most important components of the plant ideotype, and it affects plant biomass, yield, lodging resistance, and the ability to use mechanized harvesting.  Since many complex pathways controlling plant growth and development remain poorly understood, we are still unable to obtain the most ideal plants solely through breeding efforts.  PH can be influenced by genotype, plant hormonal regulation, environmental conditions, and interactions with other plants.  Here, we comprehensively review the factors influencing PH, including the regulation of PH-related developmental processes, the genetics and QTLs contributing to PH, and the hormone-regulated molecular mechanisms for PH.  Additionally, the symbiotic influence of grafting on PH is discussed, focusing on the molecular regulation of gene expression and genetics.  Finally, we propose strategies for applying recent findings to breeding for better PH, highlight some knowledge gaps, and suggest potential directions for future studies. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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Genome wide association analysis identifies candidate genes for fruit quality and yield in Actinidia eriantha  Yingzhen Wang, Ying Wu, Xinlei Wang, Wangmei Ren, Qinyao Chen, Sijia Zhang, Feng Zhang, Yunzhi Lin, Junyang Yue, Yongsheng Liu 2024, 23 (6): 1929-1939.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.11.025 Abstract （461）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Quality and yield are the primary concerns in kiwifruit breeding, but research on the genetic mechanisms of fruit size, shape, and ascorbic acid (ASA) content is currently very limited, which restricts the development of kiwifruit molecular breeding.  In this study, we obtained a total of 8.88 million highly reliable single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers from 140 individuals from the natural hybrid offspring of Actinidia eriantha cv. ‘White’ using whole genome resequencing technology.  A genome-wide association study was conducted on eight key agronomic traits, including single fruit weight, fruit shape, ASA content, and the number of inflorescences per branch.  A total of 59 genetic loci containing potential functional genes were located, and candidate genes related to single fruit weight, fruit length, ASA content, number of inflorescences per branch and other traits were identified within the candidate interval, such as AeWUSCHEL, AeCDK1 (cell cycle dependent kinase), AeAO1 (ascorbic oxidase) and AeCO1 (CONSTANS-like 4).  After constructing an RNAi vector for AeAO1 and injecting it into the fruit of cv. ‘Midao 31’ to interfere with the expression of the AeAO1 gene, the results showed that the activity of ascorbic oxidase in the fruit of ‘Midao 31’ significantly decreased, while the content of ASA significantly increased.  This study provides valuable insights into the genetic basis of variation in A. eriantha fruit traits, which may benefit molecular marker-assisted breeding efforts. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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Consensus linkage map construction and QTL mapping for eight yield-related traits in wheat using BAAFS 90K SNP array Lihua Liu, Pingping Qu, Yue Zhou, Hongbo Li, Yangna Liu, Mingming Zhang, Liping Zhang, Changping Zhao, Shengquan Zhang, Binshuang Pang 2024, 23 (11): 3641-3656.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.07.028 Abstract （453）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Identifying stable quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for yield-related traits across populations and environments is crucial for wheat breeding and genetic studies.  Consensus maps also play important roles in wheat genetic and genomic research.  In the present study, a wheat consensus map was constructed using a doubled haploid (DH) population derived from Jinghua 1×Xiaobaidongmai (JX), an F2 population derived from L43×Shanxibaimai (LS) and the BAAFS Wheat 90K SNP array single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array.  A total of 44,503 SNP markers were mapped on the constructed consensus map, and they covered 5,437.92 cM across 21 chromosomes.  The consensus map showed high collinearity with the individual maps and the wheat reference genome IWGSC RefSeq v2.1.  Phenotypic data on eight yield-related traits were collected in the JX population, as well as the F2:3 and F2:4 populations of LS, in six, two and two environments, respectively, and those data were used for QTL analysis.  Inclusive composite interval mapping (ICIM) identified 32 environmentally stable QTLs for the eight yield-related traits.  Among them, four QTLs (QPH.baafs-4B, QKNS.baafs-4B, QTGW.baafs-4B, and QSL.baafs-5A.3) were detected across mapping populations and environments, and nine stable QTLs (qKL.baafs-1D, QPH.baafs-2B, QKNS.baafs-3D, QSL.baafs-3D, QKW.baafs-4B, QPH.baafs-5D, QPH.baafs-6A.1, QSL.baafs-6A, and QSL.baafs-6D) are likely to be new.  The physical region of 17.25–44.91 Mb on chromosome 4B was associated with six yield-related traits, so it is an important region for wheat yield.  The physical region around the dwarfing gene Rht24 contained QTLs for kernel length (KL), kernel width (KW), spike length (SL), and thousand-grain weight (TGW), which are either from a pleiotropic effect of Rht24 or closely linked loci.  For the stable QTLs, 254 promising candidate genes were identified.  Among them, TraesCS5A03G1264300, TraesCS1B03G0624000 and TraesCS6A03G0697000 are particularly noteworthy since their homologous genes have similar functions for the corresponding traits.  The constructed consensus map and the identified QTLs along with their candidate genes will facilitate the genetic dissection of wheat yield-related traits and accelerate the development of wheat cultivars with desirable plant morphology and high yield. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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Establishment of a transformation system in close relatives of wheat under the assistance of TaWOX5 Yanan Chang, Junxian Liu, Chang Liu, Huiyun Liu, Huali Tang, Yuliang Qiu, Zhishan Lin, Ke Wang, Yueming Yan, Xingguo Ye 2024, 23 (6): 1839-1849.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.06.021 Abstract （452）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Species closely related to wheat are important genetic resources for agricultural production, functional genomics studies and wheat improvement.  In this study, a wheat gene related to regeneration, TaWOX5, was applied to establish the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation systems of Triticum monococcum, hexaploid triticale, and rye (Secale cereale L.) using their immature embryos.  Transgenic plants were efficiently generated.  During the transformation process, the Agrobacterium infection efficiency was assessed by histochemical staining for β-glucuronidase (GUS).  Finally, the transgenic nature of regenerated plants was verified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based genotyping for the presence of the GUS and bialaphos resistance (bar) genes, histochemical staining for GUS protein, and the QuickStix strip assay for bar protein.  The transformation efficiency of T. monococcum genotype PI428182 was 94.4%; the efficiencies of four hexaploid triticale genotypes Lin456, ZS3297, ZS1257, and ZS3224 were 52.1, 41.2, 19.4, and 16.0%, respectively; and the transformation efficiency of rye cultivar Lanzhou Heimai was 7.8%.  Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) analyses indicated that the GUS transgenes were integrated into the distal or near centromere (proximal) regions of the chromosomes in transgenic T. monococcum and hexaploid triticale plants.  In the transgenic hexaploid triticale plants, the foreign DNA fragment was randomly integrated into the AABB and RR genomes.  Furthermore, the transgene was almost stably inherited in the next generation by Mendel’s law.  The findings in this study will promote the genetic improvement of the three plant species for grain or forage production and the improvement of cereal species including wheat for functional genomics studies. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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Mapping and identification of QTLs for seed fatty acids in soybean (Glycine max L.) Yiwang Zhong, Xingang Li, Shasha Wang, Sansan Li, Yuhong Zeng, Yanbo Cheng, Qibin Ma, Yanyan Wang, Yuanting Pang, Hai Nian, Ke Wen 2024, 23 (12): 3966-3982.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.09.010 Abstract （432）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Soybean is one of the most important sources of vegetable oil.  The oil content and fatty acid ratio have attracted significant attention due to their impacts on the shelf-life of soybean oil products and consumer health.  In this study, a high-density genetic map derived from Guizao 1 and Brazil 13 was used to analyze the quantitative trait loci of palmitic acid (PA), stearic acid (SA), oleic acid (OA), linoleic acid (LA), linolenic acid (LNA), and oil content (OC).  A total of 54 stable QTLs were detected in the genetic map linkage analysis, which shared six bin intervals.  Among them, the bin interval on chromosome 13 (bin106–bin118 and bin123–bin125) was found to include stable QTLs in multiple environments that were linked to OA, LA, and LNA.  Eight differentially expressed genes (DEGs) within these QTL intervals were determined as candidate genes according to the combination of parental resequencing, bioinformatics and RNA sequencing data.  All these results are conducive to breeding soybean with the ideal fatty acid ratio for food, and provide the genetic basis for mining genes related to the fatty acid and oil content traits in soybean. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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Advances in the study of waterlogging tolerance in plants Zhengyuan Xu, Lingzhen Ye, Qiufang Shen, Guoping Zhang 2024, 23 (9): 2877-2897.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.12.028 Abstract （427）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Waterlogging is one of the major abiotic stresses threatening crop yields globally.  Under waterlogging stress, plants suffer from oxidative stress, heavy metal toxicity and energy deficiency, leading to metabolic disorders and growth inhibition.  On the other hand, plants have evolved waterlogging-tolerance or adaptive mechanisms, including morphological changes, alternation of respiratory pathways, antioxidant protection and endogenous hormonal regulation.  In this review, recent advances in studies on the effects of waterlogging stress and the mechanisms of waterlogging tolerance in plants are presented, and the genetic differences in waterlogging tolerance among plant species or genotypes within a species are illustrated.  We also summarize the identified QTLs and key genes associated with waterlogging tolerance.   Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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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 （413）      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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Membrane vesicles derived from Streptococcus suis serotype 2 induce cell pyroptosis in endothelial cells via the NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD pathway Keda Shi, Yan Li, Minsheng Xu, Kunli Zhang, Hongchao Gou, Chunling Li, Shaolun Zhai 2024, 23 (4): 1338-1353.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.09.022 Abstract （413）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Streptococcus suis serotype 2 (S. suis 2) is a zoonotic pathogen that clinically causes severe swine and human infections (such as meningitis, endocarditis, and septicemia).  In order to cause widespread diseases in different organs, S. suis 2 must colonize the host, break the blood barrier, and cause exaggerated inflammation.  In the last few years, most studies have focused on a single virulence factor and its influences on the host.  Membrane vesicles (MVs) can be actively secreted into the extracellular environment contributing to bacteria-host interactions.  Gram-negative bacteria-derived outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) were recently shown to activate host Caspase-11-mediated non-canonical inflammasome pathway via deliverance of OMV-bound lipopolysaccharide (LPS), causing host cell pyroptosis.  However, little is known about the effect of the MVs from S. suis 2 (Gram-positive bacteria without LPS) on cell pyroptosis.  Thus, we investigated the molecular mechanism by which S. suis 2 MVs participate in endothelial cell pyroptosis.  In this study, we used proteomics, electron scanning microscopy, fluorescence microscope, Western blotting, and bioassays, to investigate the MVs secreted by S. suis 2.  First, we demonstrated that S. suis 2 secreted MVs with an average diameter of 72.04 nm, and 200 proteins in MVs were identified.  Then, we showed that MVs were transported to cells via mainly dynamin-dependent endocytosis.  The S. suis 2 MVs activated NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD canonical inflammasome signaling pathway, resulting in cell pyroptosis, but it did not activate the Caspase-4/-5 pathway.  More importantly, endothelial cells produce large amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lost their mitochondrial membrane potential under induction by S. suis 2 MVs.  The results in this study suggest for the first time that MVs from S. suis 2 were internalized by endothelial cells via mainly dynamin-dependent endocytosis and might promote NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD pathway by mitochondrial damage, which produced mtDNA and ROS  under induction, leading to the pyroptosis of endothelial cells. 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 （413）      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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Genetic and pathogenic characterization of new infectious bronchitis virus strains in the GVI-1 and GI-19 lineages isolated in central China Yuhan Yang, Dou Wang, Yaning Bai, Wenyan Huang, Shimin Gao, Xingchen Wu, Ying Wang, Jianle Ren, Jinxin He, Lin Jin, Mingming Hu, Zhiwei Wang, Zhongbing Wang, Haili Ma, Junping Li, Libin Liang 2024, 23 (7): 2407-2420.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.10.029 Abstract （411）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Avian infectious bronchitis (IB) is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), which is prevalent in many countries worldwide and causes serious harm to the poultry industry.  At present, many commercial IBV vaccines have been used for the prevention and control of IB; however, IB outbreaks occur frequently.  In this study, two new strains of IBV, SX/2106 and SX/2204, were isolated from two flocks which were immunized with IBV H120 vaccine in central China.  Phylogenetic and recombination analysis indicated that SX/2106, which was clustered into the GI-19 lineage, may be derived from recombination events of the GI-19 and GI-7 strains and the LDT3-A vaccine.  Genetic analysis showed that SX/2204 belongs to the GVI-1 lineage, which may have originated from the recombination of the GI-13 and GVI-1 strains and the H120 vaccine.  The virus cross-neutralization test showed that the antigenicity of SX/2106 and SX/2204 was different from H120.  Animal experiments found that both SX/2106 and SX/2204 could replicate effectively in the lungs and kidneys of chickens and cause disease and death, and H120 immunization could not provide effective protection against the two IBV isolates.  It is noteworthy that the pathogenicity of SX/2204 has significantly increased compared to the GVI-1 strains isolated previously, with a mortality rate up to 60%.  Considering the continuous mutation and recombination of the IBV genome to produce new variant strains, it is important to continuously monitor epidemic strains and develop new vaccines for the prevention and control of IBV epidemics. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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Dual carbon goal and agriculture in China: Exploring key factors influencing farmers’ behavior in adopting low carbon technologies Jinpeng Zou, Lulin Shen, Fang Wang, Hong Tang, Ziyang Zhou 2024, 23 (9): 3215-3233.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2024.07.016 Abstract （409）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Identifying the factors influencing farmers’ adoption of low-carbon technologies (FA) and understanding their impacts are essential for shaping effective agricultural policies amied at emission reduction and carbon sequestration in China.  This study employs a meta-analysis of 122 empirical studies, delves into 23 driving factors affecting FA and addresses the inconsistencies present in the existing literature.  We systematically examine the effect size, source of heterogeneity, and time-accumulation effect of the driving factors on FA.  We find that significant heterogeneity in the factors influencing FA, except for farming experience, sources of heterogeneity from the survey zone, methodology model, technological attributes, report source, financial support, and the sampling year.  Additionally, age, farming experience, and adoption cost negatively correlate with FA.  In contrast, educational level, health status, technical training, economic and welfare cognition, land contract, soil quality, terrain, information accessibility, demonstration, government promotion, government regulation, government support, agricultural cooperatives member, peer effect, and agricultural income ratio demonstrate a positive correlation.  Especially, demonstration and age show a particularly strong correlation.  Finally, the effect of demonstration, age, economic and welfare cognition, farming experience, land contract, soil quality, information accessibility, government promotion, and support, as well as agricultural cooperative membership and peer effects on FA, are generally stable but exhibit varying degrees of attenuation over time.  The effect of village cadre, family income, farm scale, gender, health status, technical training, and off-farm work on FA show notable temporal shifts and maintain a weak correlation with FA.  This study contributes to shaping China’s current low-carbon agriculture policies across various regions.  It encourages policymakers to comprehensively consider the stability of key factors, other potential factors, technological attributes, rural socio-economic context, and their interrelations. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

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A novel live attenuated vaccine candidate protects chickens against subtype B avian metapneumovirus Lingzhai Meng, Mengmeng Yu, Suyan Wang, Yuntong Chen, Yuanling Bao, Peng Liu, Xiaoyan Feng, Tana He, Ru Guo, Tao Zhang, Mingxue Hu, Changjun Liu, Xiaole Qi, Kai Li, Li Gao, Yanping Zhang, Hongyu Cui, Yulong Gao 2024, 23 (5): 1658-1670.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.10.025 Abstract （407）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) is a highly contagious pathogen that causes acute upper respiratory tract diseases in chickens and turkeys, resulting in serious economic losses.  Subtype B aMPV has recently become the dominant epidemic strain in China.  We developed an attenuated aMPV subtype B strain by serial passaging in Vero cells and evaluated its safety and efficacy as a vaccine candidate.  The safety test showed that after the 30th passage, the LN16-A strain was fully attenuated, as clinical signs of infection and histological lesions were absent after inoculation.  The LN16-A strain did not revert to a virulent strain after five serial passages in chickens.  The genomic sequence of LN16-A differed from that of the parent wild-type LN16 (wtLN16) strain and had nine amino acid mutations.  In chickens, a single immunization with LN16-A induced robust humoral and cellular immune responses, including the abundant production of neutralizing antibodies, CD4+ T lymphocytes, and the Th1 (IFN-γ) and Th2 (IL-4 and IL-6) cytokines.  We also confirmed that LN16-A provided 100% protection against subtype B aMPV and significantly reduced viral shedding and turbinate inflammation.  Our findings suggest that the LN16-A strain is a promising live attenuated vaccine candidate that can prevent infection with subtype B aMPV. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics