RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification, the most abundant epigenetic modification in eukaryotic mRNAs, regulates gene expression via modulating mRNA translation, degradation, and other post-transcriptional processes, and is critical for plant growth, development, and abiotic stress responses. Soybean (Glycine max), a globally vital food and oil crop, suffers severe yield and quality losses under salt and drought stresses; however, the functions of m6A regulatory genes, especially methyltransferases, in soybean abiotic stress responses remain largely uncharacterized. In this study, four GmFIP37 genes were identified in the soybean genome. Bioinformatic analyses revealed that GmFIP37 proteins have conserved physicochemical properties, harbor the core WTAP functional domain, and their promoters contain abundant abiotic stress-responsive cis-acting elements. Expression pattern analysis showed GmFIP37 are ubiquitously expressed across soybean tissues (with the highest expression in stems and roots) and are rapidly induced under salt and PEG (drought-mimic) stresses. Subcellular localization assays confirmed GmFIP37 localizes to the nucleus. Functional validation demonstrated that heterologous expression of GmFIP37c in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain INVSc1 significantly enhanced yeast tolerance to salt and drought stresses. Overexpression of GmFIP37c in soybean hairy root composite plants increased total root m6A content, improved growth traits (e.g., root length, root surface area, plant height), and enhanced salt tolerance via increasing antioxidant enzyme (SOD, POD) activities and osmolyte (proline, betaine) contents while reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. Conversely, virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of GmFIP37c in soybean reduced salt and drought tolerance. Additionally, heterologous overexpression of GmFIP37c in Arabidopsis thaliana promoted seedling growth and improved tolerance to both stresses. Collectively, our findings indicate that GmFIP37 acts as a key component of the soybean m6A methyltransferase complex and positively regulates soybean responses to salt and drought stresses by modulating m6A modification. This study provides novel insights into the epigenetic regulatory mechanisms underlying soybean abiotic stress tolerance and lays a foundation for the genetic improvement of stress-resistant soybean varieties.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A), a key epigenetic posttranscriptional modification, plays a critical role in regulating gene expression and mRNA stability. However, its functional mechanisms in mediating plant adaptation to abiotic stresses remain largely unexplored. Here, we demonstrate that HcFIP37 is a member of the m6A methyltransferase family in kenaf and that it possesses m6A methylation activity. Functional characterization showed that HcFIP37 overexpression significantly increased global m6A levels and enhanced kenaf salt tolerance, while its silencing had opposite effects. We further found that HcFIP37 expression was inducible by the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) and identified HcABF2, a core regulatory component of the ABA signaling pathway, as the key transcription factor responsible for the activation of HcFIP37 expression. Additionally, analysis indicated that the interaction of HcHB7 with HcFIP37 promoted the protein stability of HcFIP37 and enhanced the ability of HcFIP37 to bind the canonical m6A motifs (RRACH and UGUAY). To elucidate the downstream effects, virus-induced gene silencing of HcFIP37 triggered global transcriptional reprogramming, and RNA-seq identified 3066 differentially expressed transcripts. Mechanistically, HcFIP37 binds to the canonical m6A motif (RRACH) within HcPYL2 mRNA, enhancing both its transcript stability and translation efficiency. Genetic analyses confirmed that HcPYL2 functions downstream of HcFIP37. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that the m6A methyltransferase HcFIP37 serves as a core mediator of kenaf salt tolerance, which integrates the ABA signaling by regulating mRNA stability, defining a novel HcABF2-HcFIP37-HcPYL2 regulatory pathway.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) regulatory genes are widespread in plants and play crucial roles in abiotic stress responses. However, these genes remain largely unexplored in kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.), an economically important fiber crop. In this study, we conducted a genome-wide identification and comprehensive analysis of m6A regulatory genes in kenaf, uncovering 44 members, including 10 writers, 13 erasers, and 21 readers. These genes were unevenly distributed across 18 chromosomes. Through comprehensive analyses of collinearity, physicochemical properties, gene structure, and cis-acting elements in the promoter regions, we observed evolutionary conservation and enrichment of stress- and hormone-responsive elements among these genes. Notably, under abiotic stress and plant hormone treatment, m6A regulatory genes displayed distinct expression patterns, with the m6A readers gene HcYTH21 being strongly induced. We subsequently cloned HcYTH21 and generated its overexpression lines in both Arabidopsis and kenaf hairy roots. Overexpression of HcYTH21 enhanced salt tolerance in both Arabidopsis and kenaf, whereas virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of HcYTH21 significantly impaired salt tolerance. Under salt stress, HcYTH21-silenced plants showed decreased activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, and POD), downregulated expression of salt stress-related genes, and increased accumulation of H2O2 and O2 - accumulation, collectively contributing to reduced salt tolerance. Furthermore, HcYTH21 likely binds to the transcripts of positive salt-stress regulators, thereby stabilizing their mRNAs and promoting stress adaptation. This study first systematically analyzes the m6A regulatory gene family in kenaf and provides new insights into its roles in salt stress adaptation.

Cadmium (Cd) stress severely compromises crop growth and yields globally. The APETALA2/Ethylene-Responsive Factor (AP2/ERF) family is essential in modulating plant tolerance to Cd. However, the molecular mechanisms governing AP2/ERF-driven adaptation to Cd stress in kenaf have remained largely unexplored. This study identified 213 HcAP2/ERF members within the kenaf genome and classified them into 11 distinct groups. Notably, nuclear-localized HcERF37 was significantly induced upon CdCl2 exposure. Overexpression of HcERF37 in Arabidopsis markedly enhanced Cd tolerance, as evidenced by improved seed germination, seedling growth, and antioxidant capacity, alongside reduced Cd accumulation. Conversely, silencing HcERF37 in kenaf exacerbated Cd toxicity, resulting in substantial transcriptional reprogramming of stress-responsive genes. Mechanistic studies revealed that HcERF37 binds to the promoter of HcPDR1, facilitating Cd2+ extrusion from cells and thereby improving Cd tolerance. These findings reveal a novel regulatory axis, HcERF37-HcPDR1, providing valuable genetic resources for the development of Cd stress-resilient crops.

Cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (CNGCs) are evolutionarily conserved calcium-permeable non-selective cation channels that play critical regulatory roles in plant abiotic stress responses. This study characterizes HcCNGC11 in kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) through integrated genomic and functional analyses. Subcellular localization analysis using GFP-fusion constructs confirmed plasma membrane-specific targeting of HcCNGC11. Tissue-specific expression profiling revealed that HcCNGC11 transcripts accumulate predominantly in roots (2.8-fold higher than leaves), followed by leaves, stems, flowers, and seeds. Notably, HcCNGC11 demonstrated rapid transcriptional upregulation under 150 mM NaCl stress, reaching maximum induction at 3 h post-treatment. Virus-induced gene silencing of HcCNGC11 significantly inhibited kenaf growth under salt stress. Biochemical analyses of the silenced lines showed 5–66

Cadmium (Cd) is a heavy metal with high biotoxicity that inhibits plant growth processes. Seed priming has important applications in crop production, as it promotes crop growth and stress tolerance, and improves both yield and quality. However, the mechanism by which Proline (Pro) priming modulates the seed response to Cd stress during kenaf seedling development remains unclear and lacks in-depth research. In this study, we examined the priming treatment of kenaf seeds with different concentrations of Pro and investigated the physiological and biochemical mechanisms of Pro-priming-induced antioxidant enzyme activity in kenaf under Cd stress. The results showed that Pro priming significantly enhanced the Cd tolerance of kenaf seedlings, with the best effect achieved with the 5 mM Pro priming treatment. Compared with the control group under Cd stress, Pro priming significantly increased the activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase, and peroxidase in kenaf seedlings, while significantly reducing the contents of malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and superoxide anion (O2−). In addition, Pro priming promoted the absorption of essential nutrients, including N, P, Zn, and Fe. Moreover, the differentially expressed gene HcMC9 was functionally analyzed via the virus-induced gene silencing technique, and the results showed that silencing HcMC9 significantly reduced Cd tolerance in kenaf. Conversely, overexpression of HcMC9 significantly enhanced the Cd tolerance in Arabidopsis, and the exogenous Pro application further improved Cd tolerance. Collectively, our study supports the application of Pro priming in agricultural production to enhance crop Cd stress tolerance and improve crop performance.

Heavy-metal (HM) contamination in agricultural soils poses significant risks to ecosystems and human health. Eco-friendly solutions such as biochar application and phytoremediation have emerged as promising approaches for HM immobilization. Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.), a fast-growing fiber crop with high biomass yield and strong HM stress tolerance, demonstrates significant potential for phytoremediation. In the present study, kenaf biochar (KBC) demonstrated multi-layer chemisorption behavior within a ternary HM system, exhibiting high affinity for HMs, especially for Cd2+ and Zn2+. A controlled pot experiment was performed to examine the effectiveness of KBC in reducing the solubility of HMs and limiting their uptake by industrial hemp. The results showed that KBC amendment enhanced soil physicochemical properties, significantly promoting hemp growth and increasing biomass yield. Moreover, KBC enhanced photosynthetic efficiency through upregulation of PetH, LHCB7, and photosynthesis-related genes. Transcriptome analysis revealed the KBC mediated the cascade regulation of MAPK and CDPK signaling pathways, as well as plant hormone signaling pathways, thereby promoting the activation of antioxidant enzyme systems to resist HMs stress. KBC also regulated the genes associated with antioxidant enzyme systems, including superoxide dismutase (SOD) genes and non-enzymatic glutathione-ascorbate (AsA-GSH) cycle, reducing malondialdehyde (MDA) content and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation to restore redox homeostasis. Meanwhile, KBC reduced HM bioavailability in soil, thereby limiting their translocation to plant tissues. It also maintained ion homeostasis by modulating key transporters (ZIP, COPT) and CDPK. This study elucidates the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying KBC-mediated HM tolerance in industrial hemp, providing valuable insights for sustainable phytoremediation of mining-degraded soils.

Waterlogging was one of the primarily factors affecting growth and yield of crops. As a gaseous signaling molecule, nitric oxide (NO) pays important roles in stress response and has been successfully applied in various plants to improve the tolerance under waterlogging, while there was little research in ramie. To investigate the function of exogenous NO application in ramie under waterlogging, pot experiments were carried out using ramie cultivar Zhongzhu NO.2 in this study. Three treatments, waterlogging stress (W), waterlogging stress with exogenous sodium nitroprusside (SNP) application (W+SNP), and control group with normal irrigation (CK), were established with both 1-year-old ramie (1 R) and 2-year-old ramie (2 R) plants. The results showed that NO application alleviated waterlogging stress in ramie significantly by decreasing the losses in plant height, leaf area, relative water content in leaf, SPAD value and net photosynthetic rate by 2.31 similar to 3.17 %, 4.99 similar to 5.77 %, 1.69 similar to 2.93 %, 4.48 similar to 9.93 % and 7.15 similar to 9.33 %, respectively. Accumulation of NO under waterlogging with SNP spraying was observed by 1.7 similar to 2.9 times, enhancing antioxidant enzyme activities by 6.75 similar to 37.93 % and modulating osmoregulatory substances (decrease in soluble sugar and malondialdehyde but increase in proline), which resulted in the better performance of plant growth. Catalase (CAT) activity was highly positively correlated with NO, while molecular analysis identified three members of BnCATs in ramie which was up-regulated obviously with exogenous NO application under waterlogging. BnCAT3 was detected to be a candidate gene for further study, which was significantly regulated by NO content, highly expressed in all the tissues and responding positively to waterlogging, NaCl, PEG and ABA stresses. These results provided new insight for genetic breeding and application of resistance in ramie under waterlogging.

Growth regulatory factors (GRFs) are pivotal regulators of plant growth, development, and stress responses, functioning synergistically with GRF-interacting factors (GIFs) as transcriptional co-activators. Despite their characterization in diverse plants, GRF and GIF families remain unstudied in kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus). Here, 33 HcGRF and 7 HcGIF genes were systematically identified from the kenaf genome. Phylogenetic analysis classified HcGRF into 10 subgroups (11 in clade F) and HcGIF into 3 subgroups. Promoter cis-element analysis revealed enrichment in abiotic stress response elements, light-response elements, and hormone response elements in the GRF and GIF promoter region. Based on RNA-Seq data, tissue-specific expression profiling demonstrated predominant accumulation of most HcGRFs (notably HcGRF3 and HcGRF21) and HcGIF1 in leaves and buds, and that the expression of HcGRF3, HcGFR21, and HcGIF1 was 5-fold, 14.7-fold, and 11.3-fold higher than that of leaves, respectively, suggesting that they play a central role in the regulation of growth regulation. Transcriptome-wide interrogation under chromium, salinity, cadmium, and drought stresses revealed spatiotemporal expression divergence. qRT-PCR confirmed that HcGRF3 expression increased gradually under salt/drought stress, while HcGRF21 and HcGIF1 peaked at 12 h. Subcellular localization confirmed nuclear targeting of these genes. In addition, physiological and biochemical analyses through functional validation by VIGS and transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana showed that salt and drought tolerance of kenaf was reduced by gene silencing, whereas overexpression plants showed stronger tolerance. The novelty and significance of these findings for kenaf on the roles of HcGRFs and HcGIFs genes in the growth, development, and abiotic stresses.

Skeletal muscle atrophy is associated with denervation, cancer, diabetes, aging, immobilization, and inflammation, which can significantly impair mobility. It is primarily attributable to increased protein catabolism alongside reduced protein synthesis, although the precise mechanisms underlying this process are not yet fully known. Unlike in the pathway driving increased catabolism, fewer studies have explored the mechanism underpinning muscle atrophy under reduced protein synthesis. Therefore, this study aimed to focus on summarizing relevant studies on the reduction of protein synthesis leading to skeletal muscle atrophy, as driven by alterations in pathways such as the insulin-like growth factor-1-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-protein kinase B-rapamycin signaling pathway, glycogen synthase kinase-3, glucocorticoids, 5′-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, branched-chain amino acid sensors, myostatin, long-term proinflammatory factors, oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, calciumion concentration, activating transcription factor 4, and glycyl-tRNA synthetase alterations. Consolidating these data will provide a foundation and theoretical basis for further investigation into the mechanisms of muscle atrophy from the perspective of reduced protein synthesis pathways.

With the rapid growth of industry and increasing population pressure, environmental pollution has become a serious issue, causing ecosystem disruption and posing significant risks to human health. Consequently, there is a growing need to explore sustainable resources for environmental protection. Present study focuses on multipurpose bast fiber crops, including kenaf, hemp, ramie, jute, and flax, which are known for their environmental benefits. A comprehensive literature review was conducted, using keywords such as bast fiber crops, sustainable environmental remediation, and phytoremediation. This review examines the environmental benefits of bast fiber crops particularly their role in carbon sequestration, desertification mitigation, atmospheric purification, and utilization of problematic lands. Bast fiber plants offer potential for phytoremediation, aiding in the restoration of polluted soils and wastewater. The selected bast fiber crops were chosen based on their widespread cultivation, environmental resilience, and potential contributions to eco-friendly solutions. This review highlights the key results, emphasizing that these crops provide sustainable substitutes for land rehabilitation, climate change mitigation, and the promotion of green bioenergy, contributing to a more sustainable and healthier environment.

Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Channel (CNGC) gene consists a large family and plays an important role in plant growth and development, biotic and abiotic stresses, yet their functions in non-model crops like kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.), a highly stress-resistant bast fiber crop, remain poorly understood. To investigate the role in kenaf abiotic stress response and plant development regulation, we characterized the HcCNGC27 gene in kenaf. Our study aimed to elucidate the role of HcCNGC27 in drought stress response and its impact on plant development. HcCNGC27 was identified subcellularly localized to the plasma membrane. Expression analysis showed that HcCNGC27 is ubiquitously expressed across various tissues including roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and seeds, with the highest expression observed in flowers. Importantly, HcCNGC27 was significantly induced under drought stress conditions. To investigate the function of HcCNGC27, we performed virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) in kenaf and overexpression in Arabidopsis thaliana. Silencing of HcCNGC27 in kenaf resulted in a dwarf phenotype and reduced drought stress tolerance, evidenced by decreased antioxidant enzyme activities, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and decreased osmoregulatory substances content. Additionally, the expression levels of antioxidant enzyme-related genes and stress-responsive genes were markedly down-regulated in the silenced lines. Conversely, overexpression of HcCNGC27 in Arabidopsis thaliana enhanced drought stress tolerance, characterized by stronger protective enzyme activity, better ROS scavenging capacity, improved osmotic adjustment, higher total chlorophyll content, lower death rate, and significant up-regulation of stress-responsive genes. Moreover, overexpression of HcCNGC27 delayed flowering in Arabidopsis thaliana, as indicated by qRT-PCR analysis showing significant down-regulation of AtFT and AtSOC1 and up-regulation of AtFLC in the overexpression lines compared to wild-type controls. In summary, HcCNGC27 emerges as a dual-function regulator enhancing drought tolerance via ROS scavenging and osmotic adjustment while delaying flowering may through modulation of the FT/SOC1/FLC pathway.

C-type lectins (CTLs), a diverse family of pattern recognition receptors, are essential for immune recognition and pathogen clearance in invertebrates. TcCTL17 contains one carbohydrate recognition domain and three scavenger receptor Cys-rich domains. Spatial and temporal expression analysis revealed that TcCTL17 is highly expressed in early pupa, early adult stages, and the larval gut at 20 days. The recombinant TcCTL17 exhibited dose-dependent binding to lipopolysaccharides and peptidoglycans, Ca 2+ -dependent binding and agglutination of bacteria in vitro. Knocking down TcCTL17 before bacterial exposure reduced survival rates and increased bacterial loads in T. castaneum larvae, accompanied by decreased antimicrobial peptide expression and haemolymph phenoloxidase activity. Additionally, TcCTL17 RNA interference caused developmental abnormalities, affecting metamorphosis and fecundity, possibly by influencing the 20E, JH, and vitellogenin pathways. These findings underscore dual functions of TcCTL17 in immunity and development, making it a potential target for pest management.

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.), an important bast fiber crop with strong abiotic stress tolerance, holds significant significance in the utilization of saline-alkali land and other marginal lands. Non-specific lipid transfer protein (nsLTPs) are key regulators of plant stress responses, yet their roles in kenaf and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain uncharacterized. In this study, a genome-wide analysis was conducted and 111 nsLTP genes were identified in kenaf. The identified genes exhibited an uneven distribution across 18 chromosomes and were grouped into nine distinct subfamilies based on phylogenetic analysis. Cis-acting element analysis revealed that HcnsLTPs promoters are enriched with abiotic stress-responsive motifs, suggesting their pivotal role in stress adaptation. Expression profiling under drought and salt stress identified HcnsLTP111 as a key stress-inducible gene, with significantly upregulated transcription and plasma membrane localization. Functional validation in yeast demonstrated that heterologous expression of HcnsLTP111 enhanced survival rate under drought and salt conditions. Conversely, silencing of HcnsLTP111 in kenaf via virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) resulted in pronounced growth inhibition, reduced activities of key antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, CAT), elevated accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and diminished concentrations of osmoregulatory compounds. The expression levels of ROS-scavenging related genes (HcSOD, HcPOD, and HcCAT) and stress tolerance-related genes (HcNHX1, HcSOS1, HcABF2, HcAAP2, HcIPCS1, and HcP5CS1) were significantly reduced in the silenced lines. Additionally, the interaction between HcnsLTP111 and HcIPCS1, a key enzyme involved in stress signaling pathways, was shown through yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) assays and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BIFC) analyses. Collectively, HcnsLTP111 acts as a positive regulator of drought and salt tolerance in kenaf by modulating ROS homeostasis and interacting with stress-response proteins. This study provides novel insights into nsLTP-mediated stress adaptation and identifies HcnsLTP111 as a promising candidate for crop improvement strategies.

Polyploidization is a rapid breeding strategy for producing new varieties with superior agronomic traits. Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.), an important fiber crop, exhibits high adaptability to diverse stress conditions. However, comprehensive studies on polyploid induction, screening, and genetic identification in kenaf remain unreported. This study first established an optimal tetraploid induction system for diploid kenaf seeds using colchicine. The results showed that a 4-h treatment with 0.3% colchicine yielded the highest tetraploid induction rate of 37.59%. Compared with diploids, tetraploid plants displayed distinct phenotypic and physiological characteristics: dwarfism with shortened internodal distance, increased stem thickness, larger and thicker leaves with deeper green color and serration, as well as enlarged flowers, capsules, and seeds. Physiologically, tetraploid leaves featured increased chloroplast numbers in guard cells, reduced stomatal density, and larger pollen grains, elevated chlorophyll content. Further analyses revealed that tetraploid kenaf had elevated contents of various trace elements, enhanced photosynthetic efficiency, prolonged growth duration, and superior agronomic traits with higher biomass (54.54% higher fresh weight, 79.17% higher dry weight). These findings confirm the effectiveness of colchicine-induced polyploidization in kenaf, and the obtained tetraploid germplasm provides valuable resources for accelerating the breeding of elite kenaf varieties with improved yield and quality.

The APETALA2/ethylene response factor (AP2/ERF) family regulates plant responses to abiotic stresses, but the function of ERF transcription factors in kenaf drought tolerance remains unclear. In this study, HcERF5 was isolated from kenaf, and its role in drought stress tolerance was analyzed. Expression analysis revealed that HcERF5 is significantly induced by polyethylene glycol-6000 (PEG-6000) and abscisic acid (ABA) treatment in kenaf seedlings. Histochemical analysis of transgenic Arabidopsis plants containing the HcERF5 promoter-driven beta-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene showed strong GUS activity in roots, stems, and leaves. Functional studies demonstrated that overexpression of HcERF5 in Arabidopsis enhanced seed germination rates under drought or ABA-induced stress and improved the drought tolerance of seedlings by elevating antioxidant enzyme activities. Conversely, aterf5 knockout lines exhibited response to drought stress. Additionally, HcERF5-overexpressing plants exhibited reduced ABA sensitivity. Furthermore, virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of HcERF5 in kenaf resulted in a significant reduction in drought tolerance, as evident by decreased antioxidant enzyme activity, SPAD values, and increased stomatal aperture, malondialdehyde (MDA), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and proline levels under drought stress. RNA-seq analysis indicated that HcERF5 directly regulates the ABA signaling pathway. Yeast-two-hybrid (Y2H) assays identified 29 proteins interacting with HcERF5, and the downstream genes related to drought stress, including HcPRK, HcRD22, HcMAP2, HcCAB, HcCS, and HcCCoAOMT3, showed significantly reduced in HcERF5-silenced plants. These findings highlight the critical role of HcERF5 in improving drought tolerance of kenaf through ABA-mediated signaling.

BACKGROUND:With the development of rapid resistance, new modes of action for pesticides are needed for insect control, such as RNA interference (RNAi)-based biopesticides targeting essential genes. To explore the function of Argonaute-1 (Ago-1) and potential microRNAs (miRNAs) in ovarian development and their impact on rapid resistance in important storage pest Tribolium castaneum, we knocked down Ago-1 and observed the development of ovarian and insecticide susceptibility. RESULTS:Our results indicated that Ago-1 had a relatively high transcriptional level of adult female T. castaneum during the sexual maturation period. RNAi experiment showed that Ago-1 knockdown significantly decreased the expression levels of ovarian development-related genes and disrupted ovarian development and the morphology was atrophied. Reproductive experiments showed that the egg laying rate of female beetles was close to zero, while the fertility of male beetles was not affected. The lipid droplet of the beetles in dsAgo-1 group was significantly higher than dsEGFP group, which may be due to ovarian abnormalities caused by nutrient deficiency. The quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) results showed that the expression level of Ago-1 significantly increased after different pesticide treatments, and knocking down significantly increased the mortality rate of beetles treated with pesticides. CONCLUSION:The results indicate that Ago-1 is indispensable for normal ovarian development in T. castaneum and helps to address the issue of resistance development by enhancing insecticide susceptibility. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Salicylic acid (SA) plays a crucial role in alleviating drought stress in plants. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying exogenous SA on the drought tolerance of kenaf. In this study, the kenaf seedlings were subjected to physiological and transcriptomic analysis under control (CK), moderate drought stress (D), and moderate drought stress with 1 mM SA (D_SA). Under drought conditions, SA significantly improved the plant biomass, leaf area, antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, POD, and CAT), soluble sugars, starch and proline contents, and photosynthesis, while the contents of MDA, H2O2, and O2- were significantly decreased. A total of 3430 (1118 up-regulated and 2312 down-regulated) genes were differentially expressed in group D, compared with group CK. At the same time, 92 (56 up-regulated and 36 down-regulated) genes were differentially expressed in group D_SA compared with group D. GO and KEGG analysis showed that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were enriched in various metabolic pathways, such as carbohydrate metabolism, lipid metabolism, and the metabolism of terpenoids and polyketides. Results showed that the genes related to the antioxidant system, sucrose and starch synthesis, osmoregulation, ABA signal regulation, and differentially expressed transcription factors, such as AP2/ERF4 and NF-Y1, were involved in the increased drought tolerance of kenaf under exogenous SA. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS)-mediated silencing of salicylate binding protein 2 gene (HcSABP2) decreased the drought resistance of kenaf seedlings. Thus, the present study provides valuable insights into the regulatory mechanism of exogenous SA in alleviating drought stress in kenaf.

The growing human population and scarcity of new arable land necessitate exploring contaminated lands for agricultural production. Intercropping, a strategic method involving different plant species to enhance biomass, and soil health. Phytoremediation can promote sustainable agricultural practices on contaminated lands. Therefore, the selection of suitable intercropping systems is of great interest for sustainable agriculture. This research focused on the phytoremediation potential of rapeseed and kenaf in cadmium-contaminated soil, evaluating their performance in both intercropping and monoculture system. Additionally, it examined the growth, morphological, and physicochemical responses of the plants. The results revealed that intercropping of these two species significantly enhanced biomass production, chlorophyll content, and photosynthetic efficiency of the two species compared to monocultures. Antioxidant enzyme activities in both plants were elevated under intercropping, reducing oxidative stress markers such as malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide anion (O2−). Intercropping increased Cd accumulation in both shoots and roots of kenaf and rapeseed, correlating with a decrease in soil pH and an increase in available Cd content in the soil. Both species showed potential for metal phytostabilization, with bioconcentration factor (BCF) > 1 and translocation factor (TF) < 1 in intercropping. It was also found that intercropping enhanced the activity of soil enzymes, urease and catalase while reducing sucrase activity, indicating improved soil health and microbial activity. These findings suggest that intercropping kenaf and rapeseed not only improves plant growth and Cd uptake but also promotes better soil health and resilience under Cd stress, offering a sustainable approach for phytoremediation in contaminated soils.

Iron (Fe) is indispensable to plants, playing a significant role in life activities such as respiration, chlorophyll biosynthesis, and photosynthetic electron transport. The decrease in pH caused by iron deficiency is related to the activation of H+-ATPase in the root plasma membrane, although the reaction mechanism of this enzyme is not well understood in apples. The H+-ATPase (HA) gene family has been extensively studied in Arabidopsis but is rarely reported in other species. In this study, 14 HA genes were identified from the apple genome database through whole genome analysis. These apple H+-ATPase (MdHAs) genes were classified into four subsets (I, II, IV, V) based on phylogenetic analysis. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that these genes exhibited diversity in gene structure, chromosomal distribution, conserved motifs, and cis-acting elements. The qRT-PCR analysis revealed that iron deficiency stress significantly induced the upregulation of nine MdHA genes (MdHA5-MdHA14). Furthermore, in the roots of iron deficiency-resistant rootstock variety QZ1 compared to the non-resistant variety QZ2, the expression levels of nine genes (including MdHA1, MdHA6-MdHA13) in QZ2 were significantly lower than those in QZ1. This study lays a foundation for further study on the function of HA gene family. These findings suggest that the HA gene family is involved in the apple's response to iron deficiency. This study not only lays the groundwork for future research but also highlights the role of MdHAs in iron stress tolerance.