3 Biotech最新文献

Plants, as sessile organisms, are constantly exposed to biotic and abiotic stresses, making their ability to respond crucial for survival. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have emerged as key regulators in these stress responses, with several studies identifying numerous stress-responsive ncRNAs (SRNs). However, a comprehensive collection of SRNs derived from sequencing data in Arabidopsis thaliana has been lacking. To address this, we utilized high-throughput experimental data and mined published studies to construct AraNSdb (Arabidopsis ncRNA Stress Database), a systematic resource for storing and querying SRNs. AraNSdb documents over 1,000 expression profiles from diverse stress datasets, encompassing 6,616 SRNs, including microRNAs (miRNAs), small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs). The database features an intuitive web interface for exploring SRNs associated with specific stress types and provides detailed ncRNA annotations to support functional and regulatory studies. AraNSdb offers a valuable platform for advancing our understanding of ncRNA-mediated stress responses and is freely accessible at http://www.nipgr.ac.in/AraNSdb.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-026-04708-z.

Silibinin-loaded micelle/liposome nanocarriers (SMLNs) were successfully synthesized and characterized using FT-IR, SEM, TEM, XRD and TGA analyses. The nanocarriers exhibited an average particle size of 16.33 nm as determined by TEM imaging and less than 60 nm by FE-SEM analysis. They displayed an amorphous structure, and high thermal stability, maintaining integrity at temperatures exceeding 650 °C. The silibinin loading content and entrapment efficiency were 3.2% and 83.3%, respectively. In vitro release studies demonstrated a rapid, pH-dependent release, achieving complete drug release within 60 min at pH 5.0 and 65 min at pH 7.4. The combination of SMLNs with ciprofloxacin produced strong synergistic antibacterial effects, reducing the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of ciprofloxacin by 2- to 128-fold against resistant E. coli isolates. Biofilm formation decreased significantly under combination therapy compared with ciprofloxacin alone. Quantitative RT-PCR revealed that co-treatment downregulated efflux pump (acrA, acrB and tolC) and virulence (fimH and sfa) genes, while upregulating the repressor gene acrR. Molecular docking confirmed strong binding of silibinin to AcrAB-TolC, acrR, and fimH with binding affinities ranging from - 6.0 to - 8.9 kcal/mol.These findings demonstrate that SMLNs enhance the antibacterial efficacy of ciprofloxacin by inhibiting efflux pumps and biofilm formation, highlighting their potential as a multifunctional nanoplatform to combat antibiotic-resistant E. coli.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-025-04604-y.

This study investigated the diversity of endophytic fungal communities in P. ternata from three regions (MS, SL, and ZT) and explored their correlation with alkaloid accumulation. The results showed that the Shannon index (ranging from 3.15 to 4.34) and Simpson index (ranging from 0.93 to 0.98) of the SL samples were significantly higher, indicating greater species diversity and evenness compared to those of ZT and MS. Taxonomic annotation identified a total of 8 phyla, 17 classes, 38 families, 70 orders, and 84 genera of fungi, indicating the considerable complexity of the endophytic fungal community in P. ternata. Alkaloid content analysis demonstrated that SL exhibited the highest alkaloid accumulation (1.15 g/kg), whereas ZT and MS showed significantly lower levels (0.7 g/kg and 0.76 g/kg, respectively). Co-occurrence network analysis identified a tightly connected microbial module, and Spearman correlation analysis further highlighted significant positive associations (p < 0.05) between the relative abundances of specific genera (e.g., Paraphoma, Trichoderma) and alkaloid content. In conclusion, this study reveals that region-specific assembly of endophytic fungal communities, rather than overall diversity per se, is a key determinant of alkaloid accumulation in P. ternata tubers. These findings offer important perspectives into the mechanisms underlying alkaloid synthesis in P. ternata and offer a scientific basis for the sustainable cultivation and quality enhancement of P. ternata.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-026-04705-2.

This study explores the cryopreservation of Rubia cordifolia L. using the encapsulation-dehydration technique. The economic importance of this species, coupled with the depletion of its genetic diversity due to overexploitation and inadequate cultivation, necessitates effective conservation strategies. Cryopreservation offers a viable strategy for long-term conservation of plant genetic resources. Six regeneration media combinations and three explant types (shoot tips, nodal halves, and nodal explants) were evaluated for optimizing a cryopreservation protocol for R. cordifolia. Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with gibberellic acid (GA3) and 2-isopentenyl adenine (2-iP) proved optimal, inducing 50% shoot regeneration within 3 days in control explants and demonstrating superior shoot length and node count. Nodal explants (2 mm) were most effective, achieving a mean shoot length of 3.57 ± 0.20 cm. On testing the explants for cryopreservation using encapsulation-dehydration by encapsulating them in calcium alginate beads and air desiccation before liquid nitrogen storage, both control and desiccated explants exhibited 100% survival rates. Post-cryopreservation, predominantly callogenesis was observed, with the highest callus induction (60.00 ± 3.24%) on MS + 2- iP (1.0 mg/L) + GA3 (0.2 mg/L) medium after 6 h of air desiccation. Histological analysis revealed stress-induced cellular changes in desiccated explants. Control explants showed prominent meristematic zones, vascular bundles, and shoot primordia, while explants exposed to liquid nitrogen lacked shoot primordia, suggesting encapsulation-dehydration cryopreservation induced damage in cellular structures critical for shoot regeneration. This study offers valuable insights into effect of low temperature on R. cordifolia and serves as a foundation for further research on its long-term conservation.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-026-04718-x.

This study developed and characterized a novel antibacterial coating for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tracheal tubes by depositing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) onto a polydopamine (PDA) layer. The PDA coating successfully enhanced surface hydrophilicity, as confirmed by contact angle analysis. Characterization via UV-VIS, FTIR, FE-SEM, AFM, and XRD verified the successful synthesis and deposition of AgNPs with an average size of ~ 70-100 nm and over 50% surface coverage. The antimicrobial efficacy of the PDA/AgNP-coated tubes was evaluated against six pathogens. Results demonstrated significant, time-dependent growth inhibition of Candida albicans, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus. In contrast, Acinetobacter baumannii exhibited resistance. A key finding was the inverse relationship between the incubation time for AgNP deposition and antimicrobial efficacy, attributed to nanoparticle agglomeration. Furthermore, coatings stabilized at a lower ultrasonic power (150 W) showed significantly greater antibacterial activity and stability than those treated at 300 W, due to reduced nanoparticle detachment. This research confirms that PDA/AgNP-coated tracheal tubes are a promising strategy to reduce microbial colonization, with the optimization of deposition and stabilization parameters being crucial for maximizing their clinical potential.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-026-04710-5.

Astaxanthin, a lipid-soluble carotenoid, exhibits strong antioxidant activity in vitro and in animal studies, but its effectiveness in reducing exercise-induced oxidative stress in humans remains unclear due to inconsistent clinical findings. Variability in study design, supplementation protocols, and biomarker assessment contributes to these discrepancies. Advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), chlorinated cross-linked plasma proteins generated via myeloperoxidase-derived hypochlorous acid, serve as integrative indicators of protein oxidative damage and may offer improved sensitivity. This meta-analysis, prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251119762), synthesized randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published through August 2025 across major databases. Eligible trials examined oxidative or inflammatory responses to astaxanthin supplementation (4-28 mg·day^-1 for 4 days to 12 weeks). Standardized mean differences (SMDs) were pooled using random-effects models, with heterogeneity and sensitivity analyses performed. Seven RCTs involving 188 participants met inclusion criteria. Astaxanthin significantly reduced AOPP (SMD =  - 1.06; 95% CI - 1.49 to - 0.62; I² = 48%), indicating decreased protein-level oxidative stress, consistent with proposed mechanisms such as radical scavenging, modulation of myeloperoxidase activity, and Nrf2 pathway activation. Other oxidative or injury-related biomarkers (MDA/TBARS, SOD, SH, CK, IL-6) showed no significant changes, likely reflecting assay variability, insufficient dosing, or limited statistical power. Overall, astaxanthin may attenuate protein oxidation, but broader physiological or performance benefits remain unconfirmed. Larger, longer-duration RCTs with standardized biomarker timing and dosing are needed to clarify its clinical relevance.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-026-04730-1.

The widespread occurrence of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) in the environment has spurred rising concerns over their health risks, notably concerning harm to the central nervous system. Due to their small size, MPs and NPs can migrate across biological barriers, such as the blood-brain barrier, accumulating in nervous tissue. Overall, emerging evidence suggests that these particles behave as neurotoxicants leading to oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and synaptic pathological changes. This review summarizes our understanding of the neurotoxic effects of MPs and NPs, with specific focuses on bioaccumulation, generation of reactive oxygen species, microglia and astrocyte activation, inflammatory signaling pathways, and opportunities for chronic plastic exposure to mediate neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders. The current review integrates mechanistic work described from in vitro, in vivo, and limited human studies to summarize important mechanistic information and expose gaps in our present understanding related to the long-term neurological consequences of plastic exposure. This review provides urgent evidence for the need to conduct interdisciplinary research toward development of policy to mitigate the neurotoxic burden of environmental plastics, while also acknowledging current limitations in experimental models, human data, and exposure assessment, and highlighting future prospects for advancing mechanistic insights, translational research, and preventive strategies.

Drought stress was a critical environmental factor limiting plant growth, metabolism, and secondary metabolite production. Among these compounds, rosmarinic acid (RA) plays a key role due to its antioxidant and pharmaceutical properties, making its biosynthesis highly sensitive to water availability. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) had been shown to enhance stress tolerance by modulating physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses. This study investigated the effects of AMF (Funneliformis mosseae) and PGPR (Pseudomonas fluorescens and Azospirillum lipoferum), both individually and in combination, on rosmarinic acid biosynthesis and molecular mechanisms in M. officinalis under drought stress (50% field capacity, FC) and optimal irrigation (100% FC). The results revealed that microbial inoculation significantly improved rosmarinic acid accumulation, particularly under drought conditions, with dual inoculation (P. fluorescens + F. mosseae) leading to an 8.08 mg g⁻¹ DM increase in rosmarinic acid content 50.9% higher than non-inoculated plants. Furthermore, microbial treatments upregulated key genes involved in rosmarinic acid biosynthesis, including PAL, 4CL, and RAS, with the highest expression levels observed in P. fluorescens + F. mosseae treated plants under water deficit conditions (PAL: 7.84-fold, 4CL: 7.90-fold, RAS: 7.24-fold). Inoculation also enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase) and reduced oxidative damage by lowering lipid peroxidation and hydrogen peroxide levels. These findings indicate that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria synergistically enhance drought tolerance in M. officinalis by improving water status, increasing antioxidant defense, and upregulating molecular pathways involved in rosmarinic acid biosynthesis. This study highlighted the potential application of microbial inoculants as sustainable biofertilizers to enhance secondary metabolite production and stress resilience in medicinal plants.

The genome-wide analysis identified 55 PeSTs (Passiflora edulis sugar transporters), having significant variations in exon-intron structure, protein motifs, cis-regulatory elements, and syntenic relationships, which might reveal their functional diversity. Phylogenetic analysis classified these genes into eight subfamilies, where the STP subfamily showed significant expansion during the process of evolution. In molecular docking, the strongest binding affinities in Glu-PePLT4, Fru-PeSTP10, Gal-PePLT4, and Suc-PeTMT2 complexes might reveal their substrate specificity and transport kinetics. Following that, the molecular dynamics simulation supported the stability of the docked complexes. The presence of significant light, hormone, and stress regulatory cis-elements among the PeST promoters might reveal their hormone and stress regulatory functions. The highest homologous pairs (62) of PeSTs with M. domestica during synteny analysis among five plant genomes might guide their duplication pattern across the genomes. RNA-seq-based expression analysis, following real-time qRT-PCR mediated validation of upregulated expression of PeERD6L-1, PeSTP6, PeSTP8, PePLT1, and PeTMT5 genes under drought, salt, cold, and heat stresses, might guide their potential regulatory roles in tolerance to the respective stresses. Significant protein-protein and protein-TFs interactions in PeSTs might reveal their inter-regulatory roles in transporting sugars. These critical findings might guide the plant biologists in developing a synthetic biology-guided circuit enabled multiple abiotic stress-tolerant high-sugar passion fruit.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-026-04707-0.

The Western Ghats of India, a UNESCO World Heritage site, are a biodiversity hotspot harbouring diverse microbial communities with their significant potential in agriculture. Bacillus thuringiensis is a Gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium well known for its insecticidal activity; however, its plant growth-promoting (PGP) potential remains underexplored. The present study aimed to isolate and characterize indigenous B. thuringiensis strains from the Western Ghats, emphasizing their dual role as PGP and biocontrol agents. A total of 100 B. thuringiensis strains were isolated and characterized using morphological, biochemical, and molecular analyses. Initial screening revealed diverse crystal morphologies- bipyramidal, pyramidal, and cuboidal and high frequencies of protease (89 strains), lipase (84 strains), lecithinase (64 strains), and chitinase (27 strains) activities, indicating strong entomopathogenic potential. PGP screening demonstrated that all strains produced indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and ammonia, with 81 strains showing phosphate solubilization and 35 producing siderophores. Quantitative estimation revealed IAA production ranging from 10.42 to 112.21 µg mL⁻¹ and ammonia production from 21.30 to 80.12 µg mL⁻¹. Ten efficient strains were further evaluated through a groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) seed germination assay, where B. thuringiensis NBAIR Bt68 exhibited the highest germination rate (9.67%), radicle length (15.13 cm), and fresh weight (0.58 g) compared with the control. Protein estimation and crystal quantification revealed that strain Bt68 recorded the highest protein concentration (2504.6 µg mL⁻¹) and crystal count (105 crystals per microscopic field), confirming its superior biocontrol potential. Overall, these findings highlight B. thuringiensis NBAIR Bt68 as a promising multifunctional bioinoculant integrating plant growth promotion and insecticidal efficacy for sustainable agricultural applications.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-026-04711-4.