Journal of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology最新文献

{"title":"Propolis alleviates brain tissue damage and oxidative abnormalities in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes","authors":"Ahmed M. Ashour","doi":"10.1016/j.jgeb.2026.100663","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jgeb.2026.100663","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Diabetes is a serious and rapidly growing global health issue that can affect many organs, including the brain. It is often linked to complications such as cardiovascular disease and cerebral ischemia. Propolis, a natural resin produced by honey bees, is rich in phenols and flavonoids known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-modulating properties.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This primary aim in this research was to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of propolis on brain tissue in rats that have diabetes which is introduced through nicotinamide (NA) and streptozotocin (STZ).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Male Wistar rats were separated into categories. Except for the control category, all were fed a diet that had high fat levels. Diabetes was induced using intraperitoneal injections of NA and STZ. After induction, diabetic rats received oral propolis at doses of 50 or 100 mg/kg daily for eight weeks. Throughout the study, lipid profiles, fasting blood glucose, insulin levels, and oxidative stress markers were assessed by taking measurements. At the end of the experiment, brain tissues were analyzed for cytokine levels, antioxidant activity, and DNA damage using the COMET assay, in addition to histopathological and immunohistochemical examinations.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Treatment with propolis significantly reduced fasting blood glucose and insulin levels, improved profiles of lipid, and decreased oxidative stress and inflammatory mediators. Histological analysis showed that rats treated with propolis had noticeably less brain tissue damage compared to untreated diabetic rats.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Propolis demonstrated clear neuroprotective effects in diabetic rats, likely through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. These findings suggest that propolis may present a considerably potential solution as a natural therapeutic agent for reducing diabetes-induced brain damage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":53463,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology","volume":"24 1","pages":"Article 100663"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146188326","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Morpho-molecular diversity of improved Indonesia’s rice varieties based on grain morphology and three types of DNA-based markers","authors":"Reflinur Reflinur ,&nbsp;Adin Heriyan Nugroho ,&nbsp;Zidni Muflikhati ,&nbsp;Muh. Aswad Ashan ,&nbsp;Kristianto Nugroho ,&nbsp;Muhammad Ace Suhendar ,&nbsp;Rerenstradika Tizar Terryana ,&nbsp;Dodin Koswanudin ,&nbsp;Nur Azizah ,&nbsp;Prita Sari Dewi ,&nbsp;Aris Hairmansis ,&nbsp;Indrastuti Apri Rumanti","doi":"10.1016/j.jgeb.2026.100661","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jgeb.2026.100661","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Genetic improvement of rice (<em>Oryza sativa</em> L.) requires a clear understanding of both phenotypic and molecular diversity. This study examined 82 improved Indonesian rice varieties using grain morphological traits and three DNA-based marker systems: Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR), Subspecies-Specific Sequence-Tagged Site (SS-STS), and Start Codon Targeted (SCoT). Phenotypic evaluation revealed significant variation in grain length, width, and thickness. Principal component analysis condensed four traits into two axes explaining 94.4% of variance, separating genotypes into three clusters largely corresponding to indica and japonica types. Across 32 markers, 157 alleles were detected, with average gene diversity (He) values of 0.30 (SSR), 0.29 (SS-STS), and 0.22 (SCoT). Polymorphic information content (PIC) was generally low. SS-STS markers revealed fixation of indica-type alleles, consistent with major varieties IR64 and Ciherang, while rare alleles were scarce (1.1–1.5 per locus). Although SCoT markers generated 8.5 bands per locus, heterozygosity remained low (0.005–0.010). Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that 90–91% of the genetic variation was distributed within subpopulations, while only 5–8% was explained by differences among subpopulations, indicating weak population structure (FST = 0.055 for SSR; 0.084 for SS-STS). STRUCTURE analysis inferred different subpopulation numbers for each marker type (K = 7 for SS-STS, K = 2 for SSR, K = 4 for SCoT). Phylogenetic clustering separated the genotypes into two to three subpopulations, which partly corresponded to grain type and inferred subspecies background. These results reveal limited molecular diversity despite observable phenotypic variation, suggesting genetic narrowing associated with the repeated use of closely related parental lines during breeding. Broader germplasm, including landraces and wild relatives, is essential for future rice breeding.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":53463,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology","volume":"24 1","pages":"Article 100661"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146188329","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gamma-Aminobutyric acid profiling (GABA) and standardization of in-vitro regeneration protocol in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) genotypes","authors":"D. Ram Babu ,&nbsp;Zakir Hussain ,&nbsp;Praveen Kumar Singh ,&nbsp;Suman Lata ,&nbsp;Alka Joshi ,&nbsp;Navinder Saini ,&nbsp;T.S. Chaithra","doi":"10.1016/j.jgeb.2025.100624","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jgeb.2025.100624","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This present study focused on assessing Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels in seventy <em>kharif</em> tomato genotypes to highlight its importance in neurotransmission. The experiment was performed at ICAR- Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, during 2021–2022. Analysis revealed that most genotypes exhibited a decline in GABA content from the green to turning stages. However, the yellow and orange fruited genotypes K-69 and K-70 consistently maintained stable GABA levels throughout ripening, underscoring their potential for biofortification. In this experiment, efforts were also made to use <em>in-vitro</em> regeneration methods, emphasising proper sterilization technique. Among the different sterilization techniques, NaOCl 2 % for 10 min showed less contamination. Treatment T₇ (BAP 2 mg/l, NAA 1.5 mg/l, IBA 0.5 mg/l) was most effective for callus induction, while T₅ (BAP 1 mg/l, NAA 0.5 mg/l, IBA 2 mg/l) showed maximum shoot multiplication rate and average number of roots per shoot. Explant length and precise growth regulator combinations were found to be critical factors influencing successful regeneration outcomes. The study encountered challenges such as genotype-dependent variability in tissue culture response and contamination risks, which limited reproducibility across genotypes. Nevertheless, the identification of GABA-stable tomato genotypes and optimized regeneration protocols provides important insights into the relationship between fruit ripening and GABA metabolism. These findings not only advance tissue culture applications for trait improvement and cultivar development but also highlight the nutritional and health benefits of enhancing GABA content in tomato, thereby linking agricultural biotechnology with human health promotion.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":53463,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology","volume":"24 1","pages":"Article 100624"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145665530","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"AI based multiomics integration for cancer diagnosis and prognosis","authors":"Moshira Ghaleb,&nbsp;Maryam Al-Berry,&nbsp;Hala Ebied,&nbsp;Mohamed Tolba","doi":"10.1016/j.jgeb.2025.100639","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jgeb.2025.100639","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cancer remains a critical global health challenge, driving the need for innovative approaches in diagnosis and treatment. This research introduces OmicsFusionNet, an AI-powered hybrid model integrating machine learning and deep learning to revolutionize cancer care. The tool incorporates up to six multiomics datasets—genomics, transcriptomics, and epigenomics—achieving 80.2% accuracy across 23 cancer types. Notably, RNAseq and methylation integration reached 99.8% accuracy, highlighting XGBoost’s feature selection and deep learning’s classification strength.</div><div>For ovarian cancer stage detection, OmicsFusionNet optimized analysis using CPTAC-OV and TCGA-OV datasets, achieving accuracies between 83% and 91% by combining ElasticNet and XGBoost with deep learning. Additionally, KEGG pathway enrichment of multiomics biomarkers identified key cancer-related pathways, advancing early detection, biomarker discovery, and personalized treatments.</div><div>This study underscores the transformative potential of AI and multiomics integration in cancer research, enabling precise interventions and uncovering novel mechanisms that enhance patient outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":53463,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology","volume":"24 1","pages":"Article 100639"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145939429","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Direct organogenesis and genetic fidelity of papaya ‘Red Lady’ with improved acclimatization using foliar silicon and salicylic acid","authors":"Manal E. Ahmed ,&nbsp;Walaa M. Ibrahim ,&nbsp;Reda E.E. Abo El-Fadl ,&nbsp;Heba A.M. Abdalla ,&nbsp;Yara S Abuhashem ,&nbsp;Tamer M. Abd Elaziem","doi":"10.1016/j.jgeb.2025.100632","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jgeb.2025.100632","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Micropropagation of Papaya (<em>Carica papaya</em> L.) cultivar ’Red Lady’, a commercially the important tropical fruit crop, is a highly efficient biotechnological tool for the mass production of disease-free, genetically uniform, and high-quality planting material compared to conventional propagation methods that cause genetic segregation and disease susceptibility. SCoT is a vital molecular marker for detect genetic stability in plant micropropagation protocols. Accordingly, using SCoT markers to assess genetic stability among <em>carica papaya</em> L. cultivar ‘Red Lady’ plantlets.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The present study aimed to develop an efficient <em>in vitro</em> propagation protocol for papaya using leaves. The highest survival percentage, mean number and length of adventitious buds of papaya leaf segments (97.00 ± 2 %, 119.00 ± 1.53 and 4.8 ± 0.4 cm, respectively) were achieved by using 1.0 mg/l of <em>meta</em>-topoline (<em>m</em>T) after 12 weeks of culture. On the other hand, using 0.5 g/l <em>m</em>T without activated charcoal (AC) showed to give the highest shoot numbers/ explant (73.50 ± 1.0). During rooting stage, using 0.50 mg/l of IBA in combination with NAA at 0.25 mg/l is the most promising treatment that gave the highest significant percentage of rooting (74 ± 2.64 %). In acclimatization stage, 200 ppm silicon (Si) showed to give the most promising results for survival percentage (85 %) that were foliar sprayed and watered acclimatized plantlets with it.</div><div>In current study, plantlets obtained by direct organogenesis, eight SCoT markers generated a total of 704 amplicons. Plantlets showed 0.90 genetic uniformity from mother plants during using 8 SCoT markers. These findings strongly support our micropropagation techniques is an vital methodology to generation <em>carica papaya</em> L. cultivar ‘Red Lady’.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Compared with other <em>in vitro</em> propagation methods, direct organogenesis offers a faster and more reliable approach for producing true-to-type papaya plants. This regeneration pathway proved to be efficient, reproducible, and genetically stable, as no somaclonal variation was observed among the regenerated plantlets. Our protocol is controlled and reliable, as adventitious shoots transplanted more than 8 times are consistent with the genetic stability of first-generation donor material. Therefore, Si application can be considered an effective and co-friendly strategy to improve the success rate of acclimatization in tissue cultured plants. The findings of the study proved that there is a significant correlation between physiological parameters (CAT, MDA, stomatal density) and survival percentage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":53463,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology","volume":"24 1","pages":"Article 100632"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145694616","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bioinformatics-Guided structural characterization and immunogenicity assessment of multi-epitope vaccine candidates against Zika virus","authors":"Sirajul Islam,&nbsp;Md. Akramul Haque,&nbsp;Md. Sakhawat Hossain,&nbsp;Md. Al Amin,&nbsp;Shahin Mahmud","doi":"10.1016/j.jgeb.2025.100641","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jgeb.2025.100641","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Zika virus (ZIKV) causes a significant global health threat, necessitating the development of effective vaccines. In this study, using bioinformatics and software-based vaccinology approaches, firstly we evaluated the antigenicity of all proteins of ZIKV (EU545988.1), identifying Protein Pr, E, and NS1 as the most antigenic. Subsequent investigation into the antigenic profiles of these proteins across the top 10 infectious ZIKV strains unveiled Strain Zika (USA, KU312312), Rio-U1 (Brazil, KX601166), and Zika (Brazil, KU321639) as harboring the highest antigenicity for Protein Pr (0.7194555), E (0.6559635), and NS1 (0.6115945), respectively. Next, T cell and B cell epitopes were predicted for these proteins, and their antigenicity, allergenicity, and toxicity were evaluated. Binding affinity of T cell epitopes with MHC I and II molecules was determined. Population coverage and conservancy analysis were conducted. Three B cell epitopes (ATMSYECPMLDHVQI, TMSGKAISFATTLG, and KDAHAKRQTVYVCKR) and three T cell epitopes (DLGHTCDATMSYECP, ALGGVMIFLSTAVSA, and TSVWLKYHPDSPRRL) from Protein Pr, E, and NS1 were identified as optimal vaccine candidates. Among them, ALGGVMIFLSTAVSA and TSVWLKYHPDSPRRL showed 100% conservancy and 71.88% and 95.24% Population coverage (worldwide) where DLGHTCDATMSYECP showed 95.24% Conservancy and 94.77% Population coverage. Using them, the multi-epitope vaccine (MEV) was constructed with an appropriate adjuvant (<span><span>P29459</span><svg><path></path></svg></span>) and linkers, including a His-tag for ease of isolation during in vivo procedures. Secondary and tertiary structures of the MEV were predicted, and physiochemical properties and subcellular localization were analyzed. Furthermore, allergenicity, toxicity and immune simulation of the MEV were assessed. Molecular docking analysis confirmed binding affinity with human receptor proteins TLR3 (PDB: <span><span>7C76</span><svg><path></path></svg></span>) and stability was evaluated through Molecular Dynamics Simulation analysis. Post-translational modifications analysis was conducted, and in silico cloning in <em>E. coli</em> was performed to assess cloning feasibility of the MEV. This integrative approach provides insights into the development of a potential ZIKV vaccine, laying the groundwork for further wet lab validation and preclinical and clinical investigations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":53463,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology","volume":"24 1","pages":"Article 100641"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145977879","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Broccoli-mediated gold nanoparticles: Eco-friendly synthesis and nano-bio interactions promoting wound healing and targeted cytotoxicity","authors":"Yasser M. Taay ,&nbsp;Mustafa Taha Mohammed ,&nbsp;Ali Hussain Alwan ,&nbsp;Ahmad Hussein Ismail","doi":"10.1016/j.jgeb.2025.100635","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jgeb.2025.100635","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Biogenic gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were synthesized using broccoli extract to assess their antioxidant activity, wound-healing potential, and selective anticancer effects. Green synthesis with broccoli offers an environmentally friendly way to produce stable and biocompatible nanomaterials. In this study, <em>Brassica oleracea</em> aqueous extract served as both the reducing and capping agent, producing AuNPs with a characteristic surface plasmon resonance peak at 560 nm and a well-defined cubic crystalline structure confirmed by XRD. TEM analysis showed uniformly dispersed, semi-spherical nanoparticles with an average size of 7.5 ± 3.6 nm. The biosynthesized AuNPs exhibited potent antioxidant activity, achieving 91.2 % DPPH scavenging at 100 µg/mL. <em>In vivo</em> tests demonstrated significantly faster wound healing, with approximately 90 % contraction by day 7 compared to 60 % in the control group, supported by histological evidence of increased collagen deposition and complete epithelialization. Moreover, AuNPs showed selective cytotoxicity towards HepG2 cancer cells (IC₅₀ = 53.45 µg/mL) while maintaining over 70 % viability in normal HDF cells. This selectivity likely stems from differences in redox balance and mitochondrial vulnerability between cancer and healthy cells. Overall, the study presents broccoli-mediated AuNPs as multifunctional nanomaterials with potent antioxidant, regenerative, and targeted anticancer properties, highlighting their promising potential in biomedical applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":53463,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology","volume":"24 1","pages":"Article 100635"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145749785","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comprehensive gene profiling by Next-Generation sequencing in a cohort of Egyptian pediatric Atypical HUS","authors":"Fatina I. Fadel ,&nbsp;Khalda Amr ,&nbsp;Rasha EssamEldin Galal ,&nbsp;Ghada El-kamah ,&nbsp;Mohamed A Abdel Mawla ,&nbsp;Amr Mohamed Salem ,&nbsp;Mohamed S. Thabet ,&nbsp;Shorouk A.Othman","doi":"10.1016/j.jgeb.2025.100656","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jgeb.2025.100656","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is a rare, severe condition in children, resulting from uncontrolled complement activation caused by genetic factors or autoantibodies; it usually has a poor prognosis. Early identification of the underlying genetic variants is crucial for guiding management and predicting outcomes. This study aimed to identify gene mutations in Egyptian children with aHUS at an early stage. This would enable the selection of the most appropriate treatment options and help prevent adverse outcomes for the patients<strong>.</strong></div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This is an observational cohort study, included 21 children with a clinical diagnosis of aHUS who presented to the Pediatric Nephrology Unit and general wards of Cairo University Children’s Hospital between June 2022 and January 2024 with a follow-up duration of 12 months (median). All patients underwent whole exome sequencing (WES). Clinical data, treatment regimens, and outcomes were recorded and analyzed.</div></div><div><h3>Result</h3><div>Among the 21 patients, around one third had negative WES results while 28.57 % showed CFHR 3/CFHR1 deletion. Most patients progressed to chronic kidney disease (52.4 %), while 28.6 % recovered their kidney functions following plasmapheresis. A significant association was observed between WES category and disease relapse (p = 0.021); patients with CFHR3 deletion, CFHR5 deletion, or MMUT variant developed at least one attack of relapse.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Egyptian children with aHUS demonstrate marked genetic heterogeneity. A substantial proportion lacked identifiable pathogenic variants, highlighting the complexity of the disease. CFHR3/CFHR1 deletion was the most frequent finding. Genetic profiling remains crucial for anticipating relapse risk and guiding therapeutic decisions, particularly in resource-limited settings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":53463,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology","volume":"24 1","pages":"Article 100656"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145884541","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genomic SSR markers elucidate genetic architecture and phenotypic trait associations in Rhododendron Linnaeus","authors":"Jianshuang Shen ,&nbsp;Yuanjun Ye ,&nbsp;Yiwei Zhou ,&nbsp;Xianlin Rong","doi":"10.1016/j.jgeb.2025.100631","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jgeb.2025.100631","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The genus <em>Rhododendron</em> Linnaeus, comprising over 1,000 species distributed across temperate and alpine regions of Asia, Europe, and North America, holds significant value for its ornamental characteristics, ecological adaptability, and medicinal potential. Despite its importance, the genus presents persistent challenges in taxonomic classification and phylogenetic resolution, compounded by the current insufficiency of genomic SSR markers (g-SSRs) for comprehensive genetic studies. In this study, we conducted the first comprehensive genome-wide identification of SSR markers using whole-genome sequencing data of <em>Rhododendron</em> × <em>pulchrum</em> Sweet. Our analysis identified 324,674 SSR loci across the 509.49 Mb genome. From 190 synthesized primer pairs, 124 (65.3 %) demonstrated successful amplification, with 30 (24.2 %) showing high polymorphism. These polymorphic g-SSR markers generated 597 polymorphic bands, exhibiting polymorphic information content (PIC) values ranging from 0.240 to 0.949 (mean = 0.748), reflecting substantial genetic diversity among the studied accessions. Genetic structure, cluster analysis, and principal coordinates analysis of 96 <em>Rhododendron</em> accessions revealed three distinct clades that correlated with geographic origins, hybrid relationships, and utilization values. Association mapping identified 17 SSR markers significantly linked (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) to 10 key morphological traits, explaining 5.68–13.35 % of phenotypic variance. The number of significantly associated markers for each trait was as follows: leaf length (1), remontant (3), corolla lobe shape (2), initial flowering period (3), flower diameter (3), leaf shape (1), petal type (3), petiole length (2), stamen number (4), and flower shape (1). This study provides valuable genomic resources for marker-assisted breeding and establishes a foundation for systematic characterization, conservation, and utilization of <em>Rhododendron</em> genetic resources.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":53463,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology","volume":"24 1","pages":"Article 100631"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145694617","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Metagenomic analysis of bacterial and viral communities of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus","authors":"Shahzadi Asia Nadeem ,&nbsp;Ijaz Ali ,&nbsp;Hazrat Hussain ,&nbsp;Ihsan Ullah ,&nbsp;Wajid Ali ,&nbsp;Khalid J. Alzahrani ,&nbsp;Hamid Ali ,&nbsp;Zarak Imtiaz Khan ,&nbsp;Kasim Sakran Abass ,&nbsp;Rafi ur Rahman","doi":"10.1016/j.jgeb.2025.100643","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jgeb.2025.100643","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The complicated relationship between the <em>Aedes</em> mosquito microbiome, arbovirus transmission and essential physiological processes, is extremely important. Microbial community plays a vital role in shaping vector biology, impacting critical aspects such as parasite replication within the vector, vector longevity, and ultimately, vector competence. Understanding the composition and function of the <em>Aedes</em> microbiome is therefore crucial for developing novel strategies to control arboviral diseases. Therefore, we aimed to identify prevalent bacterial and viral communities in <em>Aedes</em> mosquitoes from Pakistan.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div><em>Ae. aegypti</em> and <em>Ae. albopictus</em> were collected and from three different regions of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, Punjab and federal capital Islamabad. We isolated DNA and sequenced two pools of each species and conducted metagenomic analysis, identifying a variety of bacteria and viruses.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>We found diverse bacterial and viral communities in both studied species. In <em>Ae. aegypti</em>, the most abundant bacterial species was <em>Klebsiella pneumoniae</em> followed by <em>Acinetobacter baylyi</em>. <em>Ae. albopictus</em> presented <em>Pseudomonas putida</em> as the most abundant bacterial species followed by <em>Brevundimonas diminuta</em>. Similarly in <em>Ae. aegypti</em>, we found that <em>Escherichia phage</em> HK639 was the most abundant viral species while in <em>Ae. albopictus</em>, it was <em>Lactobacillus phage</em> 2. It is important to mention that the prevalent viruses in both <em>Aedes</em> species belong to the <em>Siphoviridae</em> genus.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":53463,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology","volume":"24 1","pages":"Article 100643"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145939430","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}