Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents a formidable subtype with a grim prognosis. This study aims to pinpoint the molecular targets of Glycosyltransferases (GTs) in TNBC, with the goal of improving prognostic accuracy and boosting the effectiveness of immune therapies. Using publicly available datasets, we combined differentially expressed and correlated genes based on AUCell scores from single-cell sequencing. These were then subjected to enrichment analysis and utilized for constructing a risk model. A total of 780 genes were identified as being closely associated with GTs. Using 101 algorithm combinations, a 17-gene signature emerged with predictive capabilities for TNBC patient prognosis. At the same time, we examined the role of these model genes in the tumor microenvironment(TME). We identified key transcription factors correlating with GTs, including CREB3L1, which showed significant association with the CERCAM gene. Subsequently, the pro-cancerous effects of GTs were validated through a series of experiments, including CCK-8 cell viability assays, scratch wound healing assays, and Transwell migration and invasion assays. This research lays the foundation for targeted drug therapies, offering new opportunities to enhance clinical outcomes in TNBC.

Colorectal carcinogenesis and progression are closely associated with metabolic dysregulation. The role of MOGAT2 in colorectal cancer (CRC) advancement and its underlying metabolic mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to explore how MOGAT2 influences tumorigenesis by modulating lipid metabolism. MOGAT2 expression was assessed in four CRC cell lines using qRT-PCR and Western blot. Functional consequences of MOGAT2 modulation were examined following siRNA-mediated knockdown or lentivirus-mediated overexpression in HCT116/SW620 cells. Assays measured cell proliferation, colony formation, apoptosis, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Key lipid metabolites and metabolic enzymes were analyzed. A CRC xenograft mouse model was used for in vivo validation. RNA sequencing and rescue experiments identified ACSM1 as a key downstream mediator. MOGAT2 knockdown enhanced cell proliferation, colony formation, and invasion, as well as inhibited apoptosis. While its overexpression significantly suppressed malignant phenotypes, induced apoptosis, and inhibited EMT. Mechanistically, MOGAT2 modulated lipid metabolism by reducing FFA accumulation and regulating cholesterol transport, accompanied by downregulation of lipid synthesis enzymes (GPAT2, GPAT3, and GAAT). In vivo, MOGAT2 overexpression inhibited tumor growth, improved histopathology, and restored lipid balance. Crucially, ACSM1 was identified as a critical downstream effector. Silencing ACSM1 abolished the tumor-suppressive effects of MOGAT2 overexpression, reinstating aggressive growth, suppression of apoptosis, EMT, and metabolic dysregulation. MOGAT2 functions as a tumor suppressor in CRC by inhibiting proliferation, promoting apoptosis, and suppressing invasion/EMT via ACSM1-mediated metabolic reprogramming, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target.

Cervical cancer (CC) is a major malignancy and a serious threat to women's health worldwide. The role of FAM72A in CC remains poorly defined. This study aimed to investigate its function in CC progression and its impact on the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.FAM72A expression in CC was examined using TCGA-CESC and GEO (GSE63514) datasets, and then validated in CC tissues and cell lines. Functional assays assessed cell proliferation (CCK-8, EdU), invasion (Transwell), apoptosis (flow cytometry), and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT; Western blot for E-cadherin/N-cadherin). The role of FAM72A in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway was further evaluated by Western blot and pharmacological modulation with the activator 740 Y-P and the inhibitor LY294002. In vivo, a xenograft model with BALB/c nude mice was used to assess tumor growth, apoptosis (TUNEL staining), proliferation (Ki-67 IHC), and pathway activation (p-PI3K, p-AKT, and p-mTOR).FAM72A expression was upregulated in CC tissues and correlated with poor survival. Subgroup analysis showed that high FAM72A expression was associated with advanced FIGO stage, lymph node metastasis, and deep stromal invasion, indicating a link with aggressive clinical features. FAM72A silencing suppressed proliferation and invasion but promoted apoptosis, mainly through inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Conversely, FAM72A overexpression enhanced these malignant traits. In vivo, FAM72A knockdown reduced tumor burden and altered EMT markers and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway activity.FAM72A promotes CC progression, at least in part, through activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, supporting its value as a potential therapeutic target.

Taste value of rice grain is one of the key determinants of its quality, regulated through a complex molecular module. It was revealed that amylose is the key determinant of rice grain quality and precise manipulation of amylose could able to enhance rice grain dietary quality. Together with amylose, grain protein content (GPC) also plays a crucial role to maintaining grain quality and higher accumulation glutelin can deteriorate grain quality. Recently, Cao et al. (2025) demonstrated that the OsGATA7-SMOS1-OsGluA2 module enhances grain taste value by reducing GPC in the elite haplotype OsGATA7Hap1 and SMOS1Hap1, providing a holistic approach to improve rice grain quality.

Glutamate receptor-like (GLR) is a ligand-gated ion channel essential for plant growth, development, and response to environmental stressors. This study identified GLR family members from 15 representative plants. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the GLRs may have originated from early algae. Subcellular localization and structure predictions suggest functional diversity of GLR family proteins. Furthermore, we revealed the evolutionary trajectory of GLRs via conserved motif analysis. Moreover, transcriptome expression profiling revealed functional differentiation of the CsGLR family during long-term evolution. Notably, the results of stress treatment and gene suppression indicate that CsGLRs not only respond to drought and salt stress but also affect the abscission of tea flowers. The results of the correlation analysis suggested that CsGLRs may participate in the metabolism of theobromine and jasmonic acid. Overall, our results provide valuable insights into the origin, evolution and biological functions of the GLR family.

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a severe inflammatory disease characterized by pancreatic acinar cell injury and oxidative stress. Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of cell death driven by lipid peroxidation, has been implicated in AP pathogenesis. However, the molecular mechanisms linking ferroptosis to AP remain unclear. Using a cerulein-induced AP mouse model and cerulein-stimulated 266-6 pancreatic acinar cells, we performed RNA sequencing to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Claudin-4 (CLDN4) was selected for further investigation. We evaluated the effects of CLDN4 knockdown on cell viability, apoptosis, inflammatory cytokine production, ferroptosis markers, and janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway utilizing quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), Western blot, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, and histopathological analyses, respectively. We found that CLDN4 expression was significantly upregulated in AP pancreatic tissues and cells. CLDN4 knockdown enhanced cell viability, reduced apoptosis, and decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS), iron accumulation, and inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-17). It also restored glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) levels and reduced acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4) expression, indicating suppression of ferroptosis. In vivo, CLDN4 knockdown ameliorated pancreatic injury and oxidative stress. Mechanistically, CLDN4 knockdown correlated with decreased activation of the JAK2/STAT3 pathway, and combined inhibition with AG490 provided additive protective effects. Our study identifies CLDN4 as a novel regulator of ferroptosis and inflammation in AP that may be linked to the JAK2/STAT3 pathway. Targeting CLDN4 may offer a promising therapeutic strategy for mitigating pancreatic injury in acute pancreatitis.

Plastome evolution in species-rich angiosperm lineages remains poorly understood despite recent advances in phylogenomics, particularly regarding the mechanistic drivers of codon usage bias (CUB) and their relationship to adaptive evolution. The genus Bidens (Asteraceae), comprising approximately 280 species, represents a morphologically diverse lineage with significant medicinal and economic value. Here, we assembled the complete plastid genome (plastome) of Bidens alba and conducted comprehensive comparative analyses across 31 Bidens species, integrating structural characterization, simple sequence repeat (SSR) distribution, codon usage bias assessment, and selection pressure analysis through Ka/Ks ratios and phylogenomic reconstruction. All plastomes exhibited the canonical angiosperm quadripartite structure (150,490 - 151,856bp) with consistent AT bias (average GC content: 37.48%) and mononucleotide SSR predominance (37.43%). Twenty-nine high-frequency codons displayed strong AT preference, with multiple analytical approaches confirming natural selection as the primary driver of codon usage bias. The non-synonymous (Ka) /synonymous (Ks) substitution ratios revealed that most protein-coding genes showed evidence of purifying selection (Ka/Ks < 0.5), though the ycf2 and accD genes displayed elevated ratios suggesting adaptive evolution. Phylogenomic reconstruction supported Bidens monophyly with high bootstrap values and resolved species relationships with high confidence. Comparative structural analysis revealed exceptional genomic conservation across the genus, suggesting that while sequence evolution has occurred, the fundamental genomic architecture remains stable. These findings provide crucial insights into significant structural conservation across Bidens plastomes while demonstrating active sequence-level evolution, providing crucial insights into plastome evolutionary mechanisms within rapidly diversifying lineages and establish a robust genomic framework for understanding ecological adaptation and phylogenetic relationships in this ecologically important lineage.

Cayratia japonica is a traditional Chinese herbal plant rich in flavonoid compounds, with anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Although Cayratia japonica has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries, the mechanisms underlying flavonoid biosynthesis in this plant remain largely unexplored. In this study, combining transcriptomics and bioinformatics, we constructed a transcriptome database for three tissues of Cayratia japonica. We identified 38 unigenes related to the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway. Pearson's correlation analysis indicated that the expression levels of three key enzyme-encoding genes in the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway (a 4-coumarate-CoA ligase gene (DN990) and two chalcone isomerase genes (DN1381, DN2421)) were significantly and positively correlated with the total flavonoid content. Subsequently, the tertiary structures of 4-coumarate-CoA ligase and chalcone isomerases were constructed, and structure-based docking analysis was carried o ut. The expression levels of 16 key enzyme genes in the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway were verified using quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. Four MYB transcription factors involved in flavonoid biosynthesis were also identified. In addition, five potentially important therapeutic targets for Ulcerative colitis were predicted through network pharmacological analysis. This study provides references for understanding the mechanisms involved in the regulation of key enzyme-encoding genes in the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway, as well as a scientific basis for the further development of the medicinal potential of Cayratia japonica.

This study presents the whole-genome sequencing and comprehensive analysis of Bacillus subtilis MBBL2, a strain isolated from soil samples in Lahore, Pakistan. The genome consists of 4,574,405 base pairs, with a GC content of 42.99%, and is assembled into 908 contigs. Using a range of bioinformatics tools, we performed genome assembly, functional annotation, secondary metabolite biosynthesis prediction, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) gene identification, and CRISPR array detection. The genome was initially assembled, achieving an average coverage of 126.534x, and its quality was also assessed to ensure completeness. Prokka was used to annotate 5,392 genes, including 5,033 protein-coding sequences, tRNAs, and rRNAs. Secondary metabolite biosynthesis clusters were identified revealing several important clusters involved in riboflavin, vitamin B6 biosynthesis, and antimicrobial peptide production via non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS). Notably, a novel bacteriocin gene cluster was detected, suggesting the strain's potential as a source of antimicrobial peptides. AMR genes were identified highlighting resistance to various antibiotics. CRISPR arrays were also analyzed indicating the strain's adaptive immune system. Genomic comparisons provided insights into the genetic diversity and evolutionary relationships of Bacillus subtilis strains. This study reveals the potential of B. subtilis MBBL2 as a probiotic in aquaculture, with applications in sustainable practices such as biocontrol. The findings contribute valuable genomic resources to the B. subtilis research community and open avenues for future biotechnological applications.

The wax of sugarcane buds, especially alkanol, was correlated to sugarcane smut resistance in previous studies. Moreover, alkanol could induce smut teliospore germination. This study aimed to analyze wax-related genes in sugarcane buds. In this study, the wax contents in germinated sugarcane buds from smut-resistant Zhongzhe 9 (ZZ9) and smut-susceptible Guitang 42 (GT42) were measured, showing that total wax content and alkanol content of GT42 were significantly higher than that of ZZ9 after bud germination. The gene expression profiles of germinated buds from ZZ9 and GT42 were analyzed using transcriptome analysis, and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) terms for cutin, suberine, and wax biosynthesis were enriched between ZZ9 and GT42. In addition, a lipid transfer protein (LTP) gene (c97015.graph_c0) may be involved in wax transportation that caused higher wax content in GT42 buds, and a SoCER4 gene (c120140.graph_c0) may play a key role in alkanol synthesis that caused higher alkanol content in GT42 buds. Here, the SoCER4 gene was functionally characterized via overexpression in Nicotiana benthamiana. The alkanol contents of SoCER4 transgenic N. benthamiana leaves were significantly higher than that of wild type, indicating SoCER4 was responsible for alkanol synthesis. These results would be helpful in understanding alkanol synthesis in sugarcane buds.