Zhengjie Zhu

Tropical maize often exhibits photoperiod sensitivity, which limits its adaptation to temperate regions. Understanding its proteomic dynamics under long-day conditions is therefore crucial for germplasm improvement. This study employed a Tandem Mass Tag (TMT)-based proteomic approach to investigate stage-specific protein expression patterns in the tropical maize inbred line QR273 under long-day conditions (16 h light/8 h dark). Seeds were cultivated in climate chambers, and leaves were collected at the four-leaf (P4) and nine-leaf (P9) stages. A total of 2881 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were quantified between the P4 and P9 stages, among which only 7 were upregulated and 2874 were downregulated at the P9 stage. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis revealed that these DEPs were significantly enriched in processes related to proteolysis, membrane components, and ATP binding. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis revealed the enrichment of DEPs in amino acid biosynthesis, secondary metabolite biosynthesis, and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis pathways. Protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis identified 60S ribosomal protein L12, adenosine 5′-phosphosulfate reductase, and RuvB helicase as core hub proteins. Based on functional annotation of representative DEPs, the DEPs were classified into four categories: 9 proteins related to storage material protection, 14 proteins related to protein modification, 12 proteins related to photosynthesis, and 25 proteins with other biological functions. Comparative analysis demonstrated a decrease in storage material protection, protein modification, and photosynthetic capacity at the P9 stage relative to the P4 stage. These findings provide insights into the proteomic dynamics underlying tropical maize development under long-day conditions and offer a theoretical basis for genetic improvement of tropical maize germplasm. Notably, inferences regarding nutrient reallocation based on DEP downregulation are derived solely from proteomic data and require further experimental validation.

Background: Mango ( Mangifera indica L.) growth is affected by temperature, and heat stress often occurs in southern China, leading to a sharp decline in mango quality and yield. Understanding the response mechanism of mangoes and conducting research on their acute heat stress response and genetic breeding are urgently needed. Results and discussion: Heat stress induces multiple physiological impairments in mango seedlings through oxidative stress. Metabolome analysis identified 12 major metabolite classes, with amino acids and derivatives (AADs), phenolic acids (PAs), flavonoids (FLs), and lignans and coumarins (Lc) being the most responsive to acute heat stress, which provides a solid basis for subsequent research. RNA-seq analysis revealed that 12,635 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were related to photosynthesis, homeostasis regulation, stomatal regulation, and other key plant hormone pathways. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis identified that copper chaperone, cytochrome c, and 5’-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) were the key genes involved in acute heat stress response. Integrated Pearson correlation analysis across 36 samples revealed a strong, statistically significant gene–metabolite network (|r| > 0.7, p < 0.001), with AMPK showing the most extensive associations to lipids, flavonoids, and amino acid derivatives. These findings provide a unique theoretical basis for studying early heat-stress response mechanisms and for genetic breeding of mango, and offer valuable information for breeding heat−tolerant mango varieties.

In this study, the active components in the seed of Mangifera indica L. were isolated, the main chemical components were identified, and then their antioxidant activities and their effects on liver injury and intestinal microbiota were evaluated. The results showed that all the components of mango column chromatography exhibited antioxidant activity. F2 had the lowest IC₅₀ value of 93.61 μg/mL and exhibited the strongest DPPH radical scavenging activity. Given its superior overall antioxidant activity, F2 was selected for further compositional analysis and activity evaluation. UPLC-MS/MS analysis showed that the isolated components of mango F2 contained 11 active ingredients, including mangiferin, gallic acid and quercetin. The results showed that specific mango fractions significantly reduced serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels, and showed a protective effect on liver injury induced by alcohol. rRNA sequencing analysis showed that high alcohol intake could reduce the species diversity of intestinal microbiota in mice, and mango fractions could effectively alleviate this phenomenon. High alcohol intake decreases the relative abundance of Bacteroidota and increases the abundance of Bacillota and Thermodesulfobacteriota phyla. The high-dose mango group alleviated the above changes, which was manifested by an increase in the relative abundance of Bacteroidota and Thermodesulfobacteriota bacteria. The relative abundance of families such as Muribaculaceae in the high-dose mango group decreased compared to the model group. This study provides a scientific basis for the analysis and high-value utilization of mango components, and provides a new alternative for protecting against alcoholic liver injury and regulating intestinal microbiota.

Seed pelleting is an emerging precision‐agriculture technology that transforms small or irregular seeds into uniform units to enhance mechanical sowing, placement accuracy, and early crop establishment. Pelleting performance depends on the interplay among binder–filler composition, pellet structure, and post‐pelleting moisture conditions, which collectively influence durability, germination, and seedling vigor. Recent developments include biodegradable and bio‐based materials, biochar and micronutrient additives, and biological agents that enhance stress tolerance and early growth. Advances in pelleting machinery and quality‐control tools have improved uniformity and process automation, while nano‐enabled and stimuli‐responsive coatings introduce new opportunities for controlled release and climate‐resilient applications. Integrating mechanistic insights on filler–binder interactions with digital technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) offers a pathway toward more consistent and scalable formulations. Despite these gains, adoption remains limited in smallholder systems due to cost, access, and material constraints. Seed pelleting represents a converging frontier of material science, engineering, and sustainable agriculture, with significant potential to improve input efficiency and contribute to resilient food systems.

Kobresia humilis, an alpine meadow-constructive species, has significant ecological and economic importance on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP). Understanding the diversity and structure of the rhizosphere microbiota associated with K. humilis is essential for advancing microbiome engineering aimed at promoting sustainable ecosystem functioning in alpine meadows. However, little is known about the composition of bacterial community associated with K. humilis and the environmental drivers affecting microbiota assembly on a larger scale. This study revealed that bacterial communities inhabiting the rhizosphere exhibited greater diversity and higher compositional dissimilarity than those within the root compartment (ANOSIM, R = 0.86, p = 0.001). The bacterial genus Sphingomonas was identified as the predominant taxon in both microbial niches. A total of 196 and 176 core genera were detected in the roots and rhizosphere, respectively, with chemoheterotrophy and aerobic chemoheterotrophy representing the dominant functional groups. Co-occurrence network analysis identified hub genera, including Sphingomonas, Rhodomicrobium, Rhizobacter, and Phyllobacterium within root, and Allorhizobium-Neorhizobium-Pararhizobium-Rhizobium, Acidibacter, RB41, and Sphingomonas in the rhizosphere. Among the sampling sites, Haiyan (HY) emerged as the central hub (EIC_HY = 1), followed by Tianjun (EIC_root = 0.98; EIC_soil = 0.99) and Xinghai (EIC_root = 0.97; EIC_soil = 0.95). Redundancy analysis indicated that bacterial abundance in roots was significantly influenced by geographic variables, temperature, and edaphic factors, whereas bacterial communities in the rhizosphere were primarily affected by latitude, altitude, pH, and climatic conditions (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the core bacterial genera exhibited stronger correlations with geographic and edaphic parameters than with climatic factors (p < 0.05). Collectively, these results enhance the current understanding of K. humilis–microbe–environment interactions within the alpine meadow ecosystems of the QTP.

The growth of rice (Oryza sativa L.) is affected by long days, which occur throughout the year in southern China, leading to a sharp decline in rice varieties and yields. In order to conduct adaptive genetic breeding research on rice, it is urgent to understand the long days response mechanism of rice. This study used RNA-seq technology to analyze rice under long day conditions and found that RNA, Ehd1, chlorophyll a/b binding protein, were identified as key genes or proteins under long day conditions. MAPK is closely related to long day conditions. This study provides a unique theoretical basis for long-term research and genetic breeding of rice by screening key genes related to the photoperiod.