Soil salinization severely constrains agricultural production. Sophora alopecuroides L., a salt-tolerant wild legume, is an ideal model for investigating plant salt adaptation mechanisms. However, the dynamic reprogramming of sugar metabolism in its roots under salt stress remains poorly understood. Here, we conducted an integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis of S. alopecuroides roots subjected to 200 mM NaCl over a time course (0, 4, 24, 48, and 72 h). Our results revealed that salt stress triggered a three-phase response: early osmotic stress (0 - 4 h), intermediate adjustment (4 - 48 h), and late ionic stress (48 - 72 h). Integrated multi-omics analysis identified 303 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 16 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) from seven core sugar metabolic pathways. Both the DEGs and DAMs were significantly enriched in the starch and sucrose metabolism pathway, and the DEGs exhibited five distinct temporal expression profiles. Coupling analysis of genes and metabolites uncovered a precise "sugar-energy axis" regulatory model: during the early stage, β-amylase (AMY)-mediated starch degradation fueled glycolysis (PFK, GAPDH) for rapid energy production; at the intermediate stage, carbon flux was redirected to the synthesis of osmoprotectants, including sucrose, raffinose, and trehalose (SUS, Rafs, TPS), while the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) was enhanced to supply NADPH; during the late stage, the TCA cycle (IDH, ACO) was reactivated to restore energy homeostasis, whereas starch synthesis (glgA) was persistently suppressed to conserve carbon sources. This dynamic equilibrium of the "sugar-energy axis" constitutes a central mechanism enabling its efficient salt tolerance. To functionally validate a key node within this axis, we cloned a highly induced enolase gene (SaENO2) from the glycolytic pathway. Heterologous overexpression of SaENO2 significantly enhanced salt tolerance in both yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), confirming its pivotal role in mediating salt adaptation. Our study not only elucidates a dynamic metabolic reprogramming model but also provides a verified genetic resource for improving crop salt tolerance.

Soybean (Glycine max L.) is a major oilseed crop worldwide, and its seed oil quality is largely determined by fatty acid composition. Although the enzymatic framework of plant fatty acid biosynthesis has been extensively characterized, the molecular mechanisms that regulate fatty acid partitioning and seed oil accumulation are not fully understood. In this study, genome-wide association analysis of soybean seed oil content identified GmKASII as a candidate gene underlying natural variation in seed oil accumulation, which was further supported by expression analysis and functional SNP characterization. Genetic manipulation of GmKASII significantly altered soybean seed oil accumulation and fatty acid composition. GmKASII overexpression increased seed oil content and promoted the accumulation of specific C18 fatty acids, including stearic acid (C18:0) and linoleic acid (C18:2), whereas gmkasII knockout reduced seed oil content and resulted in increased palmitic acid (C16:0) and decreased C18:0 levels. Protein-protein interaction assays, including yeast two-hybrid, luciferase complementation, and co-immunoprecipitation analyses, demonstrated that GmKASII physically interacts with acyl-ACP thioesterase GmFATA1B, suggesting a potential functional connection between fatty acid chain elongation and acyl-ACP hydrolysis pathways. Transient expression analysis in tobacco further suggested that co-expression of GmKASII and GmFATA1B influences fatty acid composition in a heterologous system. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that GmKASII plays an important role in regulating plastidial fatty acid flux and seed oil biosynthesis, and reveal a potential regulatory connection between fatty acid elongation and acyl-ACP release pathways in soybean.

A new height locus qPH19.1 was identified, and Glyma.19G206100 was verified as the key gene regulating soybean plant height. Plant height stands as a pivotal component of the plant ideotype and has a substantial influence on crop yield. However, the genetic basis of this trait in soybean plant height remains poorly understood. To identify the genetic determinants of plant height, a BC1F2 segregating population was developed by crossing the super-dwarf soybean line F02 (derived from recombinant inbred lines, RILs) as the paternal parent with ZB (a progenitor of the RIL population) as the maternal parent. Genetic analysis of the BC1F2 population revealed that the ultra-dwarf trait was controlled by a single recessive gene, designated qPH19.1. The candidate gene was initially mapped to chromosome 19 via bulked segregant analysis (BSA-seq) combined with whole-genome sequencing and then fine-mapped to a 53.7-kb region using 2662 BC1F2:3 individuals. Comprehensive sequence analysis, expression profiling, gene annotation, and haplotype analysis identified Glyma.19G206100, which encoded an auxin response factor, as the most probable candidate gene for qPH19.1. Four single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the promoter, coding, and 3′ UTR regions differentiated between the parental lines F02 and ZB, collectively defining five distinct haplotypes. Among them, Hap-2 (ZB type) and Hap-4 (F02 type) predominated in landraces and cultivars, and plants carrying these haplotypes showed significant differences in plant height. These findings provide new perspectives for understanding the genetic mechanisms underlying soybean plant height and offer valuable genetic resources for breeding improved plant architecture.

Problems Biochar has been extensively applied to mitigate the adverse impacts of saline-alkali stress on crop growth. Nevertheless, the long-term effects of a one-time biochar application on ionic homeostasis, stress physiology, photosynthetic performance, and grain yield of rice cultivated in highly sodic saline-alkali soils remain poorly understood. Methods Here, a 7-year field study from 2017 to 2023 was conducted in a soda saline-alkali paddy field using two nitrogen application levels (0 and 225 kg ha−1) and four biochar input rates [0 (B0), 1.5% (B1.5), 3.0% (B 3.0), and 4.5% (B4.5) biochar, w/w]. The long-term effects of a one-time biochar application on rice ion homeostasis, osmotic regulation, antioxidant defense, leaf water potential, cell membrane permeability, photosynthetic capacity, and grain yield were investigated. Results The one-time biochar application significantly decreased leaf Na+ concentration and the Na+/K+ ratio, with the decreasing trend becoming more pronounced over year. In comparison to the control (B0), the B1.5, B3.0, and B4.5 treatments increased leaf K+ concentrations by 95.32–182.73%. A sustained reduction in soluble sugar content (43.84–55.95%) was observed over the seven-year period, which was accompanied by an increase in soluble protein (34.31–49.12%) relative to B0. Proline content, however, exhibited a transient increase in the initial two years post-application, followed by a significant decreasing trend thereafter. Biochar application initially enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes—including superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX)—in the first year, though these activities declined with prolonged duration. Meanwhile, it consistently reduced the concentrations of abscisic acid (ABA), malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), and superoxide anion (O₂•⁻), while also improving leaf water potential and lowering relative electrical leakage across all years. Furthermore, biochar one-time application conferred long-term improvements in leaf nitrogen content, SPAD value, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, leaf area index, and photosynthetic potential. These enhancements collectively resulted in a significant increase in both the leaf photosynthetic rate and net assimilation rate of rice. Consequently, grain yields under the B1.5, B3.0, and B4.5 treatments were remarkably elevated by 102.91%, 90.89%, and 74.50%, respectively, compared to the control (B0). Factorial analysis revealed a significant interaction between biochar and nitrogen fertilizer, with the combined treatment showing a substantially greater advantage than biochar alone. Conclusions Considering its efficacy in enhancing both physiological parameters and grain yield, an application rate of 3.0% (w/w) biochar in combination with nitrogen fertilizer was determined to be the optimal synergy for the long-term reclamation of soda saline-alkali paddy soils.

Background The unique physicochemical properties of soda saline-alkali soils significantly reduce soil nitrogen availability and crop nitrogen use efficiency. While high-yield and high-efficiency cultivation practice offer a key strategy for the synergistic improvement of both crop productivity and resource use efficiency. However, the optimal nitrogen input rate for these practices remains to be determined.Methods Hence, a three-year field study was implemented with nitrogen fertilizer application rates ranging from 0 to 325 kg ha-1 (0, 125, 175, 225, 275, 325 kg ha-1) to assess their effects on ionic balance, stress physiology, nitrogen use efficiency, and grain yield in rice grown under soda saline-alkali soil conditions.Results The findings indicate that additional nitrogen fertilizer, particularly at 275 kg ha-1 within the high-yield and high-efficiency cultivation practice, significantly reduced the leaf Na+/K+ ratio and levels of superoxide anion (O2-) and malondialdehyde (MDA), while increasing K+ concentration and enhancing the levels of soluble proteins and proline, as well as the activities of peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX). Conversely, leaf Na+ concentration increased significantly with rising nitrogen application rates. Furthermore, supplementary nitrogen fertilizer significantly improved total nitrogen uptake, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), and nitrogen agronomic efficiency (NAE) in rice, which can be attributed to markedly enhanced activities of key nitrogen metabolism enzymes. Consequently, grain yields under the N4 (275 kg ha-1), N5 (325 kg ha-1), N3 (225 kg ha-1), N2 (175 kg ha-1), and N1 (125 kg ha-1) treatments exhibited significant increases of 94.34%, 62.40%, 56.15%, 37.78%, and 24.01%, respectively, relative to the N0 control. These results demonstrate that, within the high-yield and high-efficiency cultivation practice, nitrogen fertilization at a rate of 275 kg ha-1 plays a crucial role in improving rice productivity and optimizing nitrogen use efficiency in soda saline-alkali paddy fields.

Oxetanes and azetidines have emerged as increasingly prominent motifs in medicinal chemistry, offering compact, polar frameworks that finely modulate the physicochemical properties of drug candidates. The selective late-stage incorporation of these highly strained, C(sp3)-rich heterocycles into complex bioactive molecules opens exciting new chemical space and allows practitioners to focus on core scaffold design rather than the synthetic challenges intrinsic to these unique ring systems. This Minireview highlights recent advances in the late-stage modification of complex bioactive molecules with oxetane and azetidine units, featuring representative studies reported between 2022 and 2025.

Isoflavonoids are widely regarded as phytoalexins and plant estrogens, with applications in plant defense and human healthcare. However, the mechanism of soy isoflavone synthesis remains unclear. In this study, we identified a gene from Glycine max, designated as basic helix-loop-helix 13 (GmbHLH13), which is a member of the bHLH transcription factor family. Overexpression of GmbHLH13 significantly enhanced the accumulation of isoflavonoids in soybean seeds. A combined analysis of the transcriptome and metabolome showed that GmbHLH13 enhanced the expression of multiple genes in the phenylpropanoid metabolism pathway, leading to increased production of downstream metabolites. We established that GmbHLH13 interacted with GmMYB12B2 and GmWD40-7 to form a MYB-bHLH-WD40 (MBW) complex that binded directly to the promoter region of GmCHS7, further increasing GmCHS7 expression. In addition, GmbHLH13 alone or complexed with GmMYB12B2 or GmWD40-7, positively regulated GmCHS7 expression, however, the effect was lower than that of the MBW complex. The findings of this study provide a valuable genetic breeding resource and gene for improving soybean varieties with high isoflavone content.

The influenza virus has caused a global pandemic with significant morbidity and mortality, highlighting the need to optimize antibodies for improved antiviral efficacy. The 3E1 antibody effectively neutralizes influenza subtypes H1 and H5 by inhibiting acid-induced conformational changes of hemagglutinin (HA). This study aimed to optimize the antibody's bioactivity by modifying amino acid residues, resulting in single-point mutants (3E1-L [W32I], 3E1-H [F103I]) and a double mutant (3E1-H+L [F103I, W32I]). The binding affinity, neutralizing activity, and antiviral mechanisms of the mutants were evaluated. Notably, the 3E1-L mutant showed significantly enhanced antiviral activity against H1N1 and H3N2 compared to wild-type 3E1, inhibiting both viral entry and release. The prophylactic and therapeutic efficacy of the 3E1-L mutant was validated. Molecular dynamics simulations of the 3E1-L/HA complex showed that the W32I mutation reduces steric hindrance between tryptophan at position 32 and the complementarity-determining region (CDR) L1 loop of HA. In conclusion, the W32I substitution enhances the antiviral activity of wild-type 3E1, making the optimization of 3E1-L a promising strategy for developing more effective influenza therapies.

Soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) are a multifunctional crop that contributes significantly to global food security, economic development, and agricultural sustainability. Genomic selection (GS) is widely used in plant breeding, which can effectively reduce breeding costs and shorten the breeding cycle compared to traditional breeding methods. In this study, Hyper-seq technology was used to gather data on 104,728 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sites from 420 natural populations of soybean that were chosen as experimental materials. Furthermore, three years’ worth of phenotypic data on the population’s main stem node count were gathered for this investigation. Comparative analysis was used to assess the validity and accuracy of a number of GS models, including Ridge Regression Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (RRBLUP), Genomic Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (GBLUP), and various Bayesian techniques (Bayesian_A, Bayesian_B, Bayesian_C, Bayesian_RR, Bayesian_LOOS, and Bayesian_RKHS). Each model’s performance was compared using fivefold cross-validation. The research findings indicate that the data obtained by Hyper-seq technology is particularly useful for breeding experiments, including genome-wide selection. The most accurate of them is Bayesian_A, whereas the one with the quickest computational efficiency is GBLUP. Using Hyper-seq technology requires integrating at least 15,000 SNPs to guarantee the model’s stability. It is also important to note that, even if 153 Hyper-seq datasets are 50% less expensive than 153 Whole Genome Sequencing datasets, the difference in prediction accuracy between the two datasets is less than 4%. This discovery further validates the reliability and efficacy of Hyper-seq technology within the domain of genome-wide selection breeding.

Soybean (Glycine max (Linn.) Merr.) is a significant grain, oil, and food crop, originating in China. It is of vital strategic significance for the development of the national economy. In this study, we used an electron accelerator to treat Tianlong No.1 and Williams 82 soybean varieties with different doses of mutagenesis treatments, and Hyper-seq technology was used to rapidly detect the mutation loci in 321 radiated soybean M1 generation materials, and a total of 1,002,604 variant sites were detected, including 871,817 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), 67,451 insertions (INSs), and 63,336 deletions (DELs), of which the number of SNPs accounted for about 87%. In addition, the Williams 82 soybean variety was more sensitive to radiation than the Tianlong No.1 soybean variety under the same radiation treatment and possessed more variable loci. Although soybeans originated in China, limitations in soybean varieties, planting patterns, and available planting areas have led to a situation where China's total soybean production falls short of meeting domestic demand. Consequently, imports have risen, posing a significant threat to China's food security. The results of this study provide a reference for the rapid screening of radiation mutagenesis materials, and through the in-depth analysis of the mutation loci, the response mechanism of soybean to radiation mutagenesis can be better understood, which will in turn accelerate the improvement of soybean varieties.

Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is the most cost-effective and environmentally benign method for nitrogen fertilization. Isoflavones are important signaling factors for BNF in leguminous plants. Whether chalcone isomerase (CHI), the key enzyme gene in the flavonoid synthesis pathway, contributes to soybean (Glycine max) nodulation has not yet been fully clarified. In the present study, we identified the functions of three types of GmCHI for BNF using a hairy root system. The results showed that GmCHI1A and GmCHI1B1 positively increased nodulation while GmCHI1B2 did not, with the GmCHI1A gene having a greater effect than GmCHI1B1. Meanwhile, the daidzein and genistein contents were significantly increased in composite plants overexpressing GmCHI1A and reduced in composite plants, thus interfering with GmCHI1A. However, overexpression of GmCHI1B1 significantly increased the content of glycitein but not daidzein, genistein content implied that homologous genes exhibit functional differentiation. These results provide a reference for subsequent studies on improving nitrogen fixation in soybeans and providing functional genes for the improvement of new varieties.

Soybean isoflavones, natural phytoestrogens within the flavonoid family, exhibit diverse physiological benefits such as anticancer, antioxidant, and cardioprotective properties. Yet, the underlying biosynthetic pathways remain unclear. Research is required to get better knowledge of soybean isoflavone production and its potential uses. Our work thoroughly examined the R2R3-MYB subclass in soybean and discovered a new MYB transcription factor, GmMYB3a, which shares significant similarities with Arabidopsis MYB genes and regulates isoflavone biosynthesis. Our study reveals that GmMYB3a localizes to the nucleus and membrane, concurs with its potential involvement in the biosynthesis of isoflavones. Our analysis also indicated a synergistic expression pattern between GmMYB3a and seed development, thereby creating the hypothesis that it has a critical role in the regulation of isoflavone synthesis. Transgenic experiments further demonstrated that GmMYB3a positively regulates isoflavone biosynthesis and leads to its overexpression. GmMYB3a has been implicated in abiotic stress responses, affecting soybean stress tolerance. RNA sequencing analysis revealed that GmMYB3a regulates downstream genes involved in isoflavone, flavonoid, and phenylalanine metabolism, especially the key chalcone synthase genes, CHS7 and CHS8. Moreover, GmMYB3a was shown to be tightly associated with GmCHS7 and GmCHS8 expressions, potentially regulating them directly. Yeast two-hybrid screening identified GmMYB3a interacting proteins crucial for the synthesis of physiologically active substances and abiotic stress responses. Our results increase knowledge of the regulatory mechanisms of GmMYB3a and establish a molecular network involving GmMYB3a, GmCHS7, and GmCHS8, thereby offering novel strategies for improving soybean quality and stress-tolerant breeding.

Santalum album is highly valued for its fragrant essential oil from heartwood. Volatile terpenoids involved in aroma formation in plants can be emitted in response to a variety of environmental stresses. However, the regulatory mechanisms underpinning the response of S. album to external stresses are not yet known. In this study, the regulatory mechanism of S. album leaves was investigated after the application of methyl jasmonate (MeJA), a stressor. Eight classes of volatile organic compounds were identified in S. album leaves, including terpenes, aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, esters, benzenoids, alkanes and heterocyclic compounds. In total, 15 terpenoids, such as ocimene, linalool, nerolidol and α-farnesene, were considerably induced 6 h after MeJA treatment, amounting to 38.01 % of all volatiles. Notably, transcript levels of the genes in the MVA pathway were enhanced by 2- to 8-fold after 6 h of MeJA treatment compared to the control. Exogenously applied MeJA resulted in the significant upregulation of ten terpene synthase (SaTPS) genes. In vitro enzyme activity assays confirmed that four SaTPS recombinant proteins converted substrates into (E)-nerolidol and linalool. Overexpression of the four SaTPS genes produced (E)-nerolidol, (Z)-nerolidol and linalool in sandalwood callus. These results suggest that the four SaTPS genes have the ability to synthesize nerolidol and linalool in S. album leaves in response to MeJA treatment. This study provides insight into the regulatory mechanism of the biosynthesis of terpenoids in S. album in response to an environmental stress.

Glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) typically demonstrates unique preference toward glucose, leaving tiny space for catalytic promiscuity and displaying no activity toward other saccharide substrates. Enzyme engineering centering on sites with low conservation is distressingly weak on altering this situation. In this context, we came up with a "single-point mutation regulation strategy" to realize the switch between "specificity" and"promiscuity", which was based on highly conserved residues, namely E96 and W152. This strategy was successfully achieved with a single mutation and manageable screening through 96-well plate, yielding three best-performing variants, namely DN46-W152N, DN46-E96Q and DN46-E96V, toward mannose, xylose and ribose, respectively. Among these variants, DN46-W152N displayed a kcat/Km value 260 times higher than that of BsGDH towards mannose, and a 360-fold increasement was observed in the case of DN46-E96Q toward xylose. Meanwhile, DN46-96 V demonstrated a meaningful yet rarely achievable activity toward ribose. Above results facilitated one step forward in the promiscuity engineering of GDH, paving the way for further enriching the functionality of dehydrogenase.

We aimed to identify HD-Zip (homologous domain leucine zipper) family genes based on the complete Sophora alopecuroides genome sequence. Eighty-six Sophora alopecuroides HD-Zip family (SaHDZ) genes were identified and categorized into four subclasses using phylogenetic analysis. Chromosome localization analysis revealed that these genes were distributed across 18 chromosomes. Gene structure and conserved motif analysis showed high similarity among members of the SaHDZ genes. Prediction analysis revealed 71 cis-acting elements in SaHDZ genes. Transcriptome and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses showed that under salt stress, SaHDZ responded positively in S. alopecuroides, and that SaHDZ22 was significantly upregulated afterward. Functional verification experiments revealed that SaHDZ22 overexpression increased the tolerance of Arabidopsis to salt and osmotic stress. Combined with cis-acting element prediction and expression level analysis, HD-Zip family transcription factors may be involved in regulating the balance between plant growth and stress resistance under salt stress by modulating the expression of auxin and abscisic acid signaling pathway genes. The Sophora alopecuroides adenylate kinase protein (SaAKI) and S. alopecuroides tetrapeptide-like repeat protein (SaTPR; pCAMBIA1300-SaTPR-cLUC) expression levels were consistent with those of SaHDZ22, indicating that SaHDZ22 may coordinate with SaAKI and SaTPR to regulate plant salt tolerance. These results lay a foundation in understanding the salt stress response mechanisms of S. alopecuroides and provide a reference for future studies oriented toward exploring plant stress resistance.

The MYB(v-myb avian myeloblastosis viral oncogene homolog)family of transcription factors is the largest class of genes among higher plant transcription factors,which can be divided into four subfamilies,with the R2R3-MYB being the most common subfamily type.R2R3-MYB transcription factors are widely involved in the regulation of organ development and secondary metabolite biosynthesis in plants.To investigate the role of R2R3-MYB family transcription factors in the synthesis of flavonoids and glandular trichome development in Artemisia argyi,this study screened and identified 92 R2R3-MYB transcription factors based on the whole genome data of A.argyi,and predicted their potential functions based on bioinformatics.The results showed that the amino acid lengths of the 92 transcription factors ranged from 168 to 547 aa,with relative molecular weights ranging from 19.6 to 60.5 kDa,all of which were hydrophilic proteins.Subcellular localization analysis showed that 89 AaMYB proteins were located in the nucleus,while three proteins were simultaneously located in the nucleus and cytoplasm.According to the classification of Arabidopsis R2R3-MYB family,the 92 A.argyi R2R3-MYB proteins were divided into 26 subfamilies,with similar gene structures within the same subfamily.Cis-acting element prediction results showed that light-responsive elements,methyl jasmonate elements,and abscisic acid elements were widely distributed in the promoter regions of R2R3-MYB genes.Transcriptome expression analysis results showed that the expression of AaMYB60,AaMYB63,and AaMYB86 in leaves was higher than that in stems and roots,indicating that these three transcription factors mainly function in leaves.Additionally,five candidate R2R3-MYB transcription factors involved in A.argyi flavonoid biosynthesis or glandular trichome development were selected through phylogenetic analysis.This study provides important genetic resources for the breeding of superior varieties and germplasm innovation of A.argyi in the future.

Chalcone isomerase (CHI) is an important enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of flavonoids, one that is crucial in both plant defense and human health. Although many CHI genes have been previously identified, the function of CHI-like genes in soybean remains unclear. In this study, we cloned the CHI-like genes GmCHI4A and GmCHI4B (GmCHI4s) in soybean. The real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed that GmCHI4s were expressed primarily in soybean root, but were also present in other tissues, including the stem, leaf, and seed with a low expression level. Overexpression of GmCHI4s was able to significantly improve some beneficial traits of the transformed hair roots of cotyledon or composite plants under salt stress conditions. Root length, root wet weight, and the underground biomass was increased, and the elevation of MDA content was inhibited under 100 mmol L−1 or 150 mmol L−1 NaCl treatment. Leaf chlorophyll content was elevated in overexpressed GmCHI4A composite plants under 150 mmol L−1 NaCl treatment. The expression levels of salt-stress-related genes GmSOD1, GmAPX1, GmSOS1, and GmNHX1 were significantly upregulated in overexpressed GmCHI4 hairy roots compared to that in empty-vector-expressed hairy roots. The above results indicated GmCHI4s’ potential action against salt stress. Furthermore, overexpression of GmCHI4A and GmCHI4B increased the total isoflavone content by six times and three times, respectively. Glycitin and glycitein levels were significantly elevated in the overexpressed GmCHI4A hairy roots, while glycitin, genistin, daidzein, and genistein were significantly increased in overexpressed GmCHI4B hairy roots. This study identified a new function of the CHI-like gene, as well as providing a new selected gene for salt tolerance and isoflavone improvement using biotechnological approaches in soybean.

Abstract Steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (SONFH) represents a frequent and debilitating orthopedic condition. It is widely believed that the adipogenic/osteogenic differentiation disorder of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) contributes to the development of SONFH. However, the regulatory mechanism of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the differentiation disorder of BMSCs remains elusive. The expression levels of H19 were detected in both femoral head tissues and BMSCs from patients with SONFH. The role of the lncRNA H19 in SONFH was explored through bioinformatics analysis complemented by relevant validation experiments. Our findings revealed that H19 was significantly up-regulated in SONFH tissues as well as BMSCs. Silencing H19 suppressed BMSC adipogenic differentiation in SONFH and the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ). Furthermore, we found that H19 could interact with miR-130b-3p, and miR-130b-3p could directly inhibit PPARγ expression. In conclusion, this study uncovered that abnormally up-regulated H19 leads to abnormal lipogenic differentiation in SONFH by acting as a sponge for miR-130b-3p and upregulating PPARγ.