IQM(IQ-motif containing protein),a plant-specific calmodulin-binding protein,plays crucial roles in plant growth,development,and responses to various stresses.In order to study the characteristics and potential functions of the maize IQM gene family,bioinformatics approaches were used to identify IQM genes in the maize whole genome,and protein properties,phylogenetic relationship,gene structure,chromosome location,gene replication,cis-acting element,tissue-specific expression and expression patterns under various stresses were investigated.A total of 11 ZmIQMs genes were identified in the whole genome of maize,named ZmIQM1 to ZmIQM11 based on their chromosomal locations.ZmIQMs genes could be classified into three subfamilies,with genes within different subfamilies exhibiting similar structures.Segment duplication was found to play a major role in the amplification and evolution of the ZmIQMs gene family.Cis-acting element analysis showed that the promoter region of ZmIQMs gene contained multiple hormone and stress response elements.The expression pattern of ZmIQMs genes was investigated,and it was found that ZmIQMs genes had different expression patterns in different tissues,and the expression levels of several ZmIQMs genes were changed under different abiotic and biotic stresses.qRT-PCR results showed that under drought stress,the expression of ZmIQM3,ZmIQM4 and ZmIQM10 was up-regulated, and ZmIQM3,ZmIQM4,ZmIQM5,ZmIQM10 and ZmIQM11 responded to Cochliobolus heterostrophus infection.The results showed that ZmIQMs genes played an important role in stress response.

The ubiquitination pathway is one of the key signaling pathways in response to drought stress.In order to clarify the biological function of E3 ubiquitin ligase TaSINA101 gene in response to drought stress,the TaSINA61,TaSINA101 and TaSINA105 genes were cloned from JM47,an excellent drought-resistant wheat cultivar,and their sequence characteristics were analyzed by bioinformatics methods,and the expression levels of the three genes in wheat roots and leaves were detected by qRT-PCR under PEG-6000,NaCl,low temperature and ABA treatments.The heterologous expression of TaSINA101 in transgenic rice was used to analyze the biological function of TaSINA101 in response to drought stress.The results showed that the TaSINA61,TaSINA101 and TaSINA105 genes contained one intron and two exons,and the encoded proteins were composed of 282 amino acids.The qRT-PCR expression analysis showed that the expression of these three genes was induced by various abiotic stresses such as drought stress in roots and leaves.Phenotypic analysis of TaSINA101 transgenic rice under drought stress showed that the leaf fresh weight and dry weight, maximum root length, average root diameter and leaf relative water content of transgenic rice lines OE-1, OE-2 and OE-3 were significantly lower than those of wild type,while the relative conductivity of leaves of transgenic rice lines OE-1 and OE-2 was significantly higher than that of wild type.Therefore,TaSINA101 negatively regulates drought stress tolerance in rice.This study provides a basis for in-depth analysis of the biological function of TaSINA101 gene in wheat.

To improve the growth,yield,and quality of cantaloupe under extreme high temperature weather in Turpan,Xinjiang,the effects of spraying prohexadione-calcium(PCa)on the physiological growth of cantaloupe under high temperature stress were investigated,distilled water(CK)and PCa with concentrations of 20(PCa1),50(PCa2),100(PCa3),150 mg/L(PCa4)were sprayed on cantaloupe leaves.Through comprehensive analysis of indicators such as photosynthesis,reactive oxygen species content,antioxidant enzymes,antioxidant substances,vine length,stem thickness,yield,and quality of cantaloupe under high temperature stress,the optimal concentration of PCa suitable for foliar spraying of cantaloupe in the region was found.The results showed that as the concentration of PCa increased,the chlorophyll a,chlorophyll b, $\mathrm{O}_{2}^{-}$,H₂O₂,and stem diameter of cantaloupe gradually increased at different stages,with increases of 9.25%-36.29%,4.25%-49.92%,21.45%-334.55%,5.36%-109.41%,and 2.33%-20.69% compared to CK,respectively;and MDA gradually decreased,with a decrease of 7.37%-48.83% compared to CK,respectively.Spraying PCa increased photosynthesis and reactive oxygen species in cantaloupe under high temperature stress,reducing the damage of high temperature to cantaloupe biofilm.PCa1,PCa2,and PCa3 treatments increased the levels of soluble protein,soluble sugar,PRO,SOD,POD,AsA,GSH,yield,soluble solids content,and soluble sugar content of the fruit in cantaloupe under high temperature stress compared to CK.Among the three treatments,PCa2 treatment showed better performance in terms of various indicators.Spraying PCa at an appropriate concentration significantly improved the osmotic regulation substances,antioxidant enzymes,antioxidant substances,and yield and quality of cantaloupe under high temperature stress,enhanced its heat resistance,and achieved increased yield and quality of cantaloupe.Although PCa4 treatment increased the yield of cantaloupe,it reduced the content of soluble solids and soluble sugars in the fruit.High concentrations of PCa delayed the growth of cantaloupe and affected its quality at harvest.Therefore,PCa2 treatment in production is the best treatment to achieve heat resistance,yield increase,and quality improvement of cantaloupe under high temperature stress.It is recommended that the optimal concentration for spraying PCa in this area is 50 mg/L.

The effects of tillage depth and organic fertilizer rates on photosynthetic characteristics,yield formation,and economic benefits of wheat were explored to provide a theoretical and technical basis for fluvo-aquic soil or similar soil types.The two-factor split-plot field experiment was conducted in the typical fluvo-aquic soil area of Qihe County,Dezhou City,Shandong Province from 2022 to 2024,where the tillage depth 15-20 cm(D1)and tillage depth 30-35 cm(D2)were assigned to the main plots,and the organic fertilizer rates of 800(L),1 200(M),and 1 600 kg/ha(H)were assigned to the subplots.The photosynthetic characteristics,aboveground dry matter accumulation characteristics and yield composition,in wheat were tested in fluvo-aquic soil under different tillage depths and organic fertilizer rates.Both D2M and D2H treatments were beneficial to improve the yield and yield components of wheat,and the spike number,kernels per spike,1000-grain weight,and grain yield significantly increased by 5.5%-8.5%,3.5%-12.1%,6.7%-13.2% and 6.6%-12.8%,compared with other treatments,respectively.D2M and D2H treatments also stabilized or increased the above-ground dry matter accumulation at jointing,anthesis,and maturity stages by improving the above-ground dry matter accumulation rate at each growth stage,which was 9.0%-22.1%,8.9%-25.8% and 10.7%-24.3% higher than averaged across the two years of other treatments,respectively.Compared with D1,D2 was more conducive to promoting the effect of organic fertilizer on the SPAD of leaves at different growth stages.Under D2M and D2H treatments,higher chlorophyll content could be maintained from the mid- to late-filling stages.Under M and H organic fertilizer application rates,the Pn of leaves at different growth stages of D2 was significantly higher than that of D1.At jointing,booting,flowering,mid-filling,and late-filling stages,on average over the two years,D2M and D2H increased significantly by 12.0% to 16.7%,13.7% to 16.8%,13.8% to 19.7%,20.2% to 25.8%,and 24.6% to 44.8%,respectively,compared with D1M and D1H.Under the same organic fertilizer application rates,the difference in leaf LAI between the two tillage depths gradually increased with the progression of the growth process.D2M and D2H performed best at anthesis and mid-filling stages,increasing by 13.2% to 27.2%,and 13.4% to 29.4%,respectively,compared with other treatments on average over the two years.In conclusion,both D2M and D2H treatments could enhance the photosynthetic characteristics of plants and the above-ground dry matter accumulation ability,thereby optimizing the yield components and achieving the drastically improvement of wheat yield.However,there were no significant differences in the indices between D2M and D2H treatments.Therefore,considering resource conservation,this study suggests that the combination of a tillage depth of 30-35 cm and an organic fertilizer application rate of 1 200 kg/ha can achieve wheat high yielding.

The effects of different nitrogen reduction and efficiency enhancement measures on ammonia volatilization and crop yield in fluvo-aquic soil of wheat-maize rotation system were studied to provide guidance for rational fertilization and agricultural environmental protection.A long-term nitrogen reduction was carried out since 2016 at the experimental station of Xuchang fluvo-aquic soil area in Henan Province.No nitrogen fertilizer control(CK),conventional nitrogen fertilizer(100N),20% nitrogen reduction(80N),and 20% nitrogen reduction combined with straw returning(80NS),nitrification inhibitor(80NI),and biochar(80NB)were set up.The soil physical and chemical properties,annual ammonia volatilization characteristics and wheat and maize yield of different treatments were studied from 2021 to 2022.In the wheat season,the pH value of 80NS,80NI and 80NB treatments was significantly higher than that of 100N treatment.The organic matter content significantly increased, while the soil bulk density significantly decreased in the 80NS and 80NB treatments, compared with the 80N and CK treatments, respectively. At the base fertilizer stage of wheat,the ammonia volatilization accumulation of 80NS,80NI and 80NB treatments was significantly lower than that of 100N by 28.71%,35.61% and 22.99%,respectively.During the topdressing stage of wheat season,the ammonia volatilization accumulation of 80NS and 80NB treatments was significantly lower than that of 100N by 14.94% and 17.58%,respectively.The ammonia volatilization accumulation of 80NS and 80NI treatments was significantly increased by 22.27% and 27.69% compared with 80N.During the whole growth period of wheat,the accumulation of ammonia volatilization in different nitrogen treatments accounted for 1.31%-2.47% of the nitrogen application rate,showing 100N> 80NB> 80NS> 80NI> 80N.In the maize season,compared with the accumulation of ammonia volatilization under 100N treatment,80N and 80NS treatments significantly decreased by 37.14% and 29.63%,respectively,and 80NI treatment significantly increased by 60.83%.Compared with 80N treatment,the accumulation of ammonia volatilization in 80NI and 80NB treatments increased significantly by 155.79% and 44.05%.The accumulation of ammonia volatilization in maize growth period accounted for 5.81%-14.86% of nitrogen application rate,showing 80NI> 100N> 80NB> 80NS> 80N.The wheat yield results indicated that compared with 100N treatment,80N treatment significantly reduced the yield by 16.67%,while 80NS,80NI and 80NB treatments did not significantly reduce the yield.Maize yield data showed that there was no significant difference between 100N treatment and four nitrogen reduction treatments.In summary,the application of nitrification inhibitors,straw and biochar on the basis of reducing nitrogen by 20% in the experimental fluvo-aquic soil can effectively improve soil fertility and stabilize crop yield.However,nitrification inhibitors and biochar significantly increase the accumulation of ammonia volatilization in maize season,which needs special attention in actual production.

To explore the effects of nitrogen application rate on nitrogen uptake and translocation characteristics,nitrogen use efficiency,and the formation mechanisms of yield and quality in soft wheat under weak light stress during the after anthesis stage,under pot conditions,the soft wheat variety Quanmai 725(QM725)was used as the material,and the ¹⁵N tracer method was used.Two nitrogen rates were set in the experiment,namely N1(N 120 kg/ha),N2(N 180 kg/ha),and two shading treatments were set at the wheat filling stage(7-35 d after anthesis)under each nitrogen application rate,namely CK(no shading),SH(30% shading).The relationship between nitrogen application rate and grain yield and quality of soft wheat under weak light after anthesis was analyzed,and the effects of different nitrogen application rates on nitrogen accumulation,transport,grain yield and quality of soft wheat under weak light after anthesis were studied.The results showed that compared with the control,under the conditions of N1 and N2,the nitrogen accumulation of plants at flowering stage and vegetative organs at maturity stage was significantly reduced by weak light treatment after anthesis,and the proportion of nitrogen from fertiliser was significantly higher than that from soil nitrogen,while the proportion of nitrogen accumulation in grains at maturity stage from soil nitrogen was significantly higher than that from fertiliser nitrogen.Under the same nitrogen application rate,the proportion of basal nitrogen fertiliser was greater than that of topdressing nitrogen fertiliser.Under the same weak light treatment conditions,compared with N1,N2 increased the accumulation of fertiliser nitrogen at flowering stage,the accumulation of total nitrogen and fertiliser nitrogen at maturity stage,and the accumulation of total nitrogen,fertiliser nitrogen and soil nitrogen at maturity stage.Under N1 and N2 treatments,the nitrogen harvest index,nitrogen harvest index,nitrogen production efficiency,grain number per spike,1000-grain weight and grain yield of wheat decreased significantly with the decrease of light intensity after anthesis.The content and accumulation of protein and starch in soft wheat grains increased significantly with the increase of nitrogen fertilizer.However,under the same nitrogen application rate,weak light stress reduced the starch content,protein and starch accumulation in grains.Weak light stress after anthesis significantly affected the nitrogen accumulation of soft wheat plants,reduced the transport efficiency of storage substances from vegetative organs to grains after anthesis,resulting in a decrease in the contribution rate of vegetative organs to grains,which was not conducive to the overall nitrogen transport efficiency of plants.With the increase of nitrogen application rate,the nitrogen harvest index,nitrogen harvest index,nitrogen production efficiency and nitrogen use efficiency of wheat were significantly improved.Under the same nitrogen application rate of N1 and N2,after anthesis weak light stress significantly reduced the accumulation of protein and starch in soft wheat grains,which in turn affected the formation of grain weight,resulting in a decrease in yield.

Fusarium head blight(FHB)is a devastating fungal disease that seriously threatens the safety of wheat production.Marker-assisted selection(MAS)and pyramiding of resistance genes represent efficient strategies for FHB-resistant breeding.To establish a high-throughput screening system for FHB resistance genes and enhance wheat resistance in Sichuan Province,we performed genome-wide genotyping using a 100K SNP array on 14 Sichuan wheat varieties(lines)along with three FHB-resistant genetic materials.Based on the reported genetic linkage intervals of major FHB resistance genes(Fhb2,Fhb4,Fhb5),we identified SNPs co-segregating with Fhb5 or linked to Fhb2,Fhb4,and subsequently developed kompetitive allele-specific PCR(KASP)markers.Results showed that the genetic relationship of 17 wheat varieties(lines)could be clustered into two major groups:two northern wheat-derived resistant materials(NMAS070 and NMAS069)formed an independent cluster distinct from the Sichuan varieties(lines)while the remaining 15 varieties(lines)were clustered together and subdivided into two subgroups.Functional gene profiling revealed FHB-resistant parents carried superior resistance loci,whereas agronomic parents harbored favorable alleles for yield and quality traits.Through SNP screening,we identified 8 critical SNPs within the linkage intervals of Fhb2,Fhb4 and the co-segregation region of Fhb5.These SNPs enabled the successful development of 4,2,and 2 high-specificity KASP marker systems for Fhb2,Fhb4 and Fhb5,respectively.Validation experiments confirmed all KASP markers achieved precise genotyping and were effectively implemented in molecular breeding for FHB-resistance.This study established a high-efficiency KASP marker system for Fhb2,Fhb4 and Fhb5,providing a robust technical platform for improving FHB resistance breeding of wheat varieties in Southwest China.

Muscle formation depends on the interplay of various cellular and extracellular signals and factors.This study investigates the regulatory relationship between Myocyte enhancer factor 2A(MEF2A)expression levels and promoter methylation at both tissue and cellular levels,to provide theoretical references for the genetic development of Guanling cattle.Guanling cattle were used as experimental subjects.Initially,the expression levels of the MEF2A in Guanling cattle tissues were analyzed in conjunction with their promoter methylation status.Subsequently,overexpression and interference vectors of the MEF2A gene were successfully transfected into primary myoblasts of Guanling cattle,and the effects of MEF2A expression level changes on promoter methylation levels were analyzed.The results showed that the MEF2A expression levels in various tissues of young Guanling cattle were higher than those in adult cattle,while the methylation rate of MEF2A in young cattle tissues was lower than that in adult cattle,with DNMT1 expression trends consistent with this.Additionally,increased MEF2A expression led to a decrease in its methylation rate,whereas decreased MEF2A expression resulted in an increase in its methylation rate.This study confirms from both tissue and cellular perspectives that the expression level of the MEF2A gene in Guanling cattle is negatively correlated with its methylation rate,providing a theoretical basis for genetic marker-assisted genetic improvement of cattle.

In order to analyze the alterations in the expression profile of circular RNA(circRNA)in chicken liver cancer cells line(LMH)infected by fowl adenovirus serotype 4(FAdV-4),and the regulatory role of circRNA in the FAdV-4 infecting process,transcriptome sequencing was carried out on FAdV-4-infected LMH cells and uninfected ones.Enrichment analysis of GO functions and KEGG signaling pathways was executed for differentially expressed circRNAs,and five randomly selected circRNAs were verified by Real-time Fluorescent Quantitative PCR(qRT-PCR).The results demonstrated that the circRNAs in the infected and uninfected groups were distributed on the preponderance of chromosomes,and their lengths were mainly concentrated between 300 and 1 000 bp.Differential expression analysis identified 72 circRNAs,with 32 showing significantly upregulated expression levels and 40 presenting downregulated expression levels.GO functional analysis revealed that the genes from which the differential circRNAs originated were mainly enriched in processes such as cellular processes,metabolic processes,catalytic activity,and nucleic acid-binding transcription factor activity.KEGG pathway analysis indicated that the differentially expressed circRNAs were primarily enriched in the Notch signaling pathway,RNA degradation,and the MAPK signaling pathway.The qRT-PCR results showed that the expression levels of the five verified circRNAs were consistent with the sequencing results,further validating the reliability of the sequencing results.This study analyzed the expression profile of circRNAs in FAdV-4-infected LMH cells and screened out differentially expressed circRNAs,providing data support for exploring the functions of circRNAs during the FAdV-4 infection process and the interaction mechanism between the host and FAdV-4.

Plant sodium-hydrogen antiporter(NHX,Na⁺/H⁺ antiporter)plays a crucial role in plant sodium and potassium ion balance and cellular pH regulation.In order to investigate the relationship between salt tolerance and ScNHXs,it was conducted to identify and analyze the ScNHXs by bioinformatics process,and to examine the expression pattern of ScNHXs under salt stress by RT-qPCR,which can provide the reference information for the investigation of the potential functions of ScNHXs as well as the mining of salt tolerance genes in rye.A total of 10 rye NHX gene family members(ScNHX1—ScNHX10)were identified,and the phylogenetic tree analysis showed that they could be divided into two subfamilies,Vac and Endo,containing four and six genes,respectively.Physicochemical property analysis of the encoded proteins showed that most of the molecular weight ranged from 27.92 to 59.72 ku,the number of amino acids from 253 to 546 aa,and the isoelectric point between 5.17 and 8.81,with most of proteins being classified as acidic proteins.Signal peptide prediction indicated the absence of signal peptides in the members,and transmembrane structure analysis revealed that all members possessed transmembrane structures.The subcellular localization prediction indicated that ScNHXs were located in the plasma membrane and vesicles.Spatial structure prediction showed that their secondary structures mainly consisted of α-helices and irregular convolutions.Gene structure and motif analyses revealed that the number of exons of the ScNHXs varied from 13 to 24,and all of them possessed a conserved Na⁺/H⁺ exchange structural domain.In addition,cis-acting element analysis revealed that numerous elements related to hormone response and abiotic stresses were found in the promoter region of ScNHXs.Analysis of rye transcriptome data revealed significant differences in the expression patterns of ScNHXs in different tissues of rye.RT-qPCR analysis showed that ScNHXs responded differently to different concentrations of NaCl stress,and were able to persistently respond to salt stress over a long period of time.In summary,ScNHXs may be involved in the biological regulation during salt stress in rye.

To investigate the role of the BnMLP2 gene in drought tolerance in ramie,the BnMLP2 gene encoding a metallothionein-like protein in ramie was obtained by analyzing ramie transcriptome data using Zhongzhu-1 as the material.The BnMLP2 gene was screened and cloned from the ramie transcriptome data,and bioinformatics analyses were conducted,including sequence alignment,domain prediction,and subcellular localization prediction.Fluorescent Quantitative PCR was used to determine the expression profile of the BnMLP2 gene in different tissues of ramie and to explore its expression changes under drought stress.The BnMLP2 gene was introduced into Arabidopsis thaliana to construct transgenic plants.Under drought stress conditions,phenotypic,physiological,and biochemical differences between transgenic and wild-type Arabidopsis were compared,along with the expression of stress-related genes.The results showed that the open reading frame of the BnMLP2 gene in ramie was 243 bp in length,encoding 80 amino acids.BnMLP2 had the closest amino acid sequence homology to metallothionein(MT)or metallothionein-like protein (MLP) from Malus domestica,both belonging to the metallothionein family; it contained the PFAM01439 domain and belonged to class Ⅱ metallothionein,with a predicted subcellular localization in the cytoplasm.The BnMLP2 gene was expressed in all tissues of ramie,and its expression was significantly induced by drought,especially in stems.Under drought stress,transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing BnMLP2 exhibited stronger drought tolerance compared to wild-type plants,as evidenced by significantly increased root length and fresh weight,enhanced antioxidant enzyme and γ-glutamylcysteine ligase (γ-GCL) activities,and accumulation of more proline (Pro),glutathione(GSH),glutathione disulfide (GSSG),and phytochelatins (PCs) to regulate intracellular ion homeostasis.The contents of malondialdehyde (MDA)and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)in transgenic lines were significantly lower than in wild-type plants,at 55% and 80% of wild-type levels,respectively.In addition, the content of sodium and potassium ions in transgenic Arabidopsis under drought conditions was 4.4 times and 1.4 times higher than that of the wild type, respectively. Overexpression of BnMLP2 induced increased expression of three stress-related genes,AtMT1a,AtNCED3,and AtWRKY40,with maximum expression levels of 1.5,1.9,and 2.8 times those in wild-type plants,respectively.These results suggest that the BnMLP2 gene enhances the tolerance of Arabidopsis to drought stress.

In order to investigate the effects of different mulching measures on soil moisture and heat status and yield of winter wheat in northwest dry area,winter wheat Kangzhuang 974 was used as test material.From September 2022 to July 2023,three different coverage treatments including wheat straw strip covering three rows(M3),four rows(M4)and five rows(M5)and plastic film covering(PM)treatment were set up in the experimental base of Gansu Agricultural University,The open field(CK)was used as the control.The results showed that:compared with CK,the soil water storage of 0—200 cm during the whole growth period of winter wheat was significantly increased by mulch,the average increase of straw strip mulch was 13.22%,the increase range was M3>M4>M5,and the PM increased by 19.65%.The soil moisture increasing effect of mulch increased gradually with the progress of growth stage,and the maximum increase was 37.53—87.76 mm at maturity stage.It decreased with the deepening of soil layer,and the increase of 0—20 cm was the largest,ranging from 5.10—9.48 mm.Mulching significantly reduced the total water consumption and total water consumption intensity during the whole growth period,and the influence of mulching on water consumption and total water consumption intensity during the later growth period was most obvious.Compared with CK,wheat straw strip mulching significantly reduced the soil temperature of 0—25 cm during the whole growth period by 1.60—2.70 ℃,and M3 treatment had the largest decrease.The maximum decrease occurred at the grouting stage(3.67 ℃),and the maximum decrease between soil layers(3.01 ℃)occurred at 5 cm.Compared with CK,PM significantly increased the soil temperature from 0 to 25 cm during the whole growth period by 1.50 ℃,and the overwintering period and 5 cm had the largest increase,which were 2.20,1.79 ℃,respectively.The temperature of straw mulch increased at 7:00 at wintering stage,jointing stage and ripening stage,and the temperature increased and decreased at other times.PM temperature increased at all time except at 14:00 in grouting stage and ripening stage.Compared with CK, the yield and water use efficiency of M5 and PM were increased by 8.67%, 26.49% and 0.96, 2.94 kg/(ha·mm), panicle number was the most significant factor(CV=17.67%).Yield was significantly positively correlated with spike number(r=0.754^**),WUE(r=0.891^**)and soil temperature(r=0.723^**),and significantly positively correlated with grain number per spike(r=0.522^*).Banded mulching of wheat stalk can achieve both ecological and economic benefits,and M5 is more conducive to the formation of yield.