Genome-wide association study of drought tolerance traits in sugar beet germplasms at the seedling stage.

Introduction: Sugar beets are an important crop for global sugar production. Intense drought and the increasing lack of water resources pose a great threat to sugar beet cultivation. It is a priority to investigate favourable germplasms and functional genes to improve the breeding of drought tolerant plants. Methods: Thus, in this study, 328 sugar beet germplasms were used in a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and candidate genes associated with drought tolerance. Results: The results showed that under drought stress (9% PEG-6000), there were 11 significantly associated loci on chromosomes 2, 3, 5, 7, and 9 from the 108946 SNPs filtered using a mixed linear model (MLM). Genome-wide association analysis combined with qRT-PCR identified 13 genes that were significantly differentially expressed in drought-tolerant extreme materials. Discussion: These candidate genes mainly exhibited functions such as regulating sugar metabolism, maintaining internal environmental stability and participating in photosystem repair. This study provides valuable information for exploring the molecular mechanisms of drought tolerance and improvement in sugar beet.

Genetic diversity and genome-wide association study of 13 agronomic traits in 977 Beta vulgaris L. germplasms.

BACKGROUND: Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is an economically essential sugar crop worldwide. Its agronomic traits are highly diverse and phenotypically plastic, influencing taproot yield and quality. The National Beet Medium-term Gene Bank in China maintains more than 1700 beet germplasms with diverse countries of origin. However, it lacks detailed genetic background associated with morphological variability and diversity. RESULTS: Here, a comprehensive genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 13 agronomic traits was conducted in a panel of 977 sugar beet accessions. Almost all phenotypic traits exhibited wide genetic diversity and high coefficient of variation (CV). A total of 170,750 high-quality single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were obtained using the genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS). Neighbour-joining phylogenetic analysis, principal component analysis, population structure and kinship showed no obvious relationships among these genotypes based on subgroups or regional sources. GWAS was carried out using a mixed linear model, and 159 significant associations were detected for these traits. Within the 25 kb linkage disequilibrium decay of the associated markers, NRT1/PTR FAMILY 6.3 (BVRB_5g097760); nudix hydrolase 15 (BVRB_8g182070) and TRANSPORT INHIBITOR RESPONSE 1 (BVRB_8g181550); transcription factor MYB77 (BVRB_2g023500); and ethylene-responsive transcription factor ERF014 (BVRB_1g000090) were predicted to be strongly associated with the taproot traits of root groove depth (RGD); root shape (RS); crown size (CS); and flesh colour (FC), respectively. For the aboveground traits, UDP-glycosyltransferase 79B6 (BVRB_9g223780) and NAC domain-containing protein 7 (BVRB_5g097990); F-box protein At1g10780 (BVRB_6g140760); phosphate transporter PHO1 (BVRB_3g048660); F-box protein CPR1 (BVRB_8g181140); and transcription factor MYB77 (BVRB_2g023500) and alcohol acyltransferase 9 (BVRB_2g023460) might be associated with the hypocotyl colour (HC); plant type (PT); petiole length (PL); cotyledon size (C); and fascicled leaf type (FLT) of sugar beet, respectively. AP-2 complex subunit mu (BVRB_5g106130), trihelix transcription factor ASIL2 (BVRB_2g041790) and late embryogenesis abundant protein 18 (BVRB_5g106150) might be involved in pollen quantity (PQ) variation. The candidate genes extensively participated in hormone response, nitrogen and phosphorus transportation, secondary metabolism, fertilization and embryo maturation. CONCLUSIONS: The genetic basis of agronomical traits is complicated in heterozygous diploid sugar beet. The putative valuable genes found in this study will help further elucidate the molecular mechanism of each phenotypic trait for beet breeding.

Low nitrogen stress-induced transcriptome changes revealed the molecular response and tolerance characteristics in maintaining the C/N balance of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.).

Nitrogen (N) is an essential macronutrient for plants, acting as a common limiting factor for crop yield. The application of nitrogen fertilizer is related to the sustainable development of both crops and the environment. To further explore the molecular response of sugar beet under low nitrogen (LN) supply, transcriptome analysis was performed on the LN-tolerant germplasm '780016B/12 superior'. In total, 580 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in leaves, and 1,075 DEGs were identified in roots (log2 |FC| ≥ 1; q value < 0.05). Gene Ontology (GO), protein-protein interaction (PPI), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses clarified the role and relationship of DEGs under LN stress. Most of the downregulated DEGs were closely related to "photosynthesis" and the metabolism of "photosynthesis-antenna proteins", "carbon", "nitrogen", and "glutathione", while the upregulated DEGs were involved in flavonoid and phenylalanine biosynthesis. For example, GLUDB (glutamate dehydrogenase B) was identified as a key downregulated gene, linking carbon, nitrogen, and glutamate metabolism. Thus, low nitrogen-tolerant sugar beet reduced energy expenditure mainly by reducing the synthesis of energy-consuming amino acids, which in turn improved tolerance to low nitrogen stress. The glutathione metabolism biosynthesis pathway was promoted to quench reactive oxygen species (ROS) and protect cells from oxidative damage. The expression levels of nitrogen assimilation and amino acid transport genes, such as NRT2.5 (high-affinity nitrate transporter), NR (nitrate reductase [NADH]), NIR (ferredoxin-nitrite reductase), GS (glutamine synthetase leaf isozyme), GLUDB, GST (glutathione transferase) and GGT3 (glutathione hydrolase 3) at low nitrogen levels play a decisive role in nitrogen utilization and may affect the conversion of the carbon skeleton. DFRA (dihydroflavonol 4-reductase) in roots was negatively correlated with NIR in leaves (coefficient = -0.98, p < 0.05), suggesting that there may be corresponding remote regulation between "flavonoid biosynthesis" and "nitrogen metabolism" in roots and leaves. FBP (fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase) and PGK (phosphoglycerate kinase) were significantly positively correlated (p < 0.001) with Ci (intercellular CO2 concentration). The reliability and reproducibility of the RNA-seq data were further confirmed by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) validation of 22 genes (R2 = 0.98). This study reveals possible pivotal genes and metabolic pathways for sugar beet adaptation to nitrogen-deficient environments.

Sugarbeet Seed Germination Prediction Using Hyperspectral Imaging Information Fusion.

Germination rate is important for seed selection and planting and quality. In this study, hyperspectral image technology integrated with germination tests was applied for feature association analysis and germination performance prediction of sugarbeet seeds. In this study, we proposed a nondestructive prediction method for sugarbeet seed germination. Sugarbeet seed was studied, and hyperspectral imaging (HIS) performed by binarization, morphology, and contour extraction was applied as a nondestructive and accurate technique to achieve single seed image segmentation. Comparative analysis of nine spectral pretreatment methods, SNV + 1D was used to process the average spectrum of sugarbeet seeds. Fourteen characteristic wavelengths were obtained by the Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence, as the spectral characteristics of sugarbeet seeds. Principal component analysis (PCA) and material properties verified the validity of the extracted characteristic wavelengths. It was extracted of six image features of the hyperspectral image of a single seed obtained based on the gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM). The spectral features, image features, and fusion features were used to establish partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), CatBoost, and support vector machine radial-basis function (SVM-RBF) models respectively to predict the germination. The results showed that the prediction effect of fusion features was better than spectral features and image features. By comparing other models, the prediction results of the CatBoost model accuracy were up to 93.52%. The results indicated that, based on HSI and fusion features, the prediction of germinating sugarbeet seeds was more accurate and nondestructive.

Drought resistance evaluation of sugar beet germplasms by response of phenotypic indicators.

Sugar beet is a main sugar crop worldwide that often faces drought stress. The identification of drought tolerance of sugar beet germplasms is beneficial for breeding, but the research about it has been rarely reported. In this study, the drought tolerance of germplasms 92005-1, 94002-2 and 92021-1-1 was tested under simulated conditions. Seven days and 9% PEG treatment were the optimal conditions for evaluation, under which more phenotypic indicators showed significant difference in drought tolerance coefficient. The objective weighting and membership function method were established for evaluating the drought tolerance of different sugar beet germplasms. Drought stress decreased the biomass of leaves and roots of sugar beet germplasms. The drought-sensitive germplasm responded faster for leaf weight, root weight, plant height and root length. These indicators declined more significantly under long-term and severe stress. Increasing the root-shoot ratio and proline content were universal strategies of sugar beet germplasms to overcome drought stress. The drought-tolerant germplasms held higher peroxidase activity and better ability to scavenge reactive oxygen for preventing the damage.

Tolerance and adaptation characteristics of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) to low nitrogen supply.

Nitrogen (N) is an essential element required for sugar beet growth. Sugar beets with low N (LN) tolerance and high N use efficiency are excellent materials for breeding. Here, we comprehensively evaluated the morphological and physiological responses of nine sugar beet genotypes to LN supply. It was found that 0.5 mmol·L-1 N (LN) significantly influenced the performance of leaves and the topology of roots by reducing the bioproduction of chlorophyll a (Chl a) and soluble protein (SP) and the accumulation of N in leaves and roots (LNA and RNA), thus differentially restricting the growth (hypocotyl diameter, HD; root length, RL) and biomass (leaf and root fresh weight; LFW and RFW; leaf dry weight, LDW) of these sugar beets. Principal component and cluster analyses showed that 780016B/12 superior (F) exhibited excellent tolerance to LN; it had higher SOD activity (62.70%) and APX activity (188.92%) and a higher proline content (131.82%) than 92011 (G, LN sensitive). These attributes helped 780016B/12 superior (F) to better endure LN stress, and the morphology and N distribution changed to adapt to N deficiency, such that the root length increased by 112.48%, leaf area increased by 101.23%, and leaf nitrogen accumulation reached a peak of 14.13 g/plant. It seems that LN-tolerant genotypes increased their root length and surface area by reducing the difference in biomass, thereby expanding the contact between roots and soil, which was conducive to the absorption of nutrients (N) by sugar beets and helped distribute more assimilation products to the roots.

Acclimation of sugar beet in morphological, physiological and BvAMT1.2 expression under low and high nitrogen supply.

Understanding the response and tolerance mechanisms of nitrogen (N) stress is essential for the taproot plant of sugar beet. Hence, in this study, low (0.5 and 3 mmol/L; N0.5 and N3), moderate (5 mmol/L; N5; control) and high (10 and 12 mmol/L; N10 and N12) N were imposed to sugar beet to comparatively investigate the growth and physiological changes, and expression pattern of the gene involving ammonia transporting at different seedling stages. The results showed that, different from N5 which could induce maximum biomass of beet seedlings, low N was more likely to inhibit the growth of beet seedlings than high N treatments. Morphological differences and adverse factors increased significantly with extension of stress time, but sugar beet seedlings displayed a variety of physical responses to different N concentrations to adapt to N abnormal. At 14 d, the chlorophyll content, leaf and root surface area, total dry weight and nitrogen content of seedlings treated with N0.5 decreased 15.83%, 53.65%, 73.94%, 78.08% and 24.88% respectively, compared with N12; however, the root shoot ratio increased significantly as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), glutamine synthetase (GS) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) and proline content, especially in root. The expression of BvAMT1.2 was also regulated in an N concentration-dependent manner, and was mainly involved in the tolerance of beet leaves to N stress, which significantly positively correlated to GS activity on the basis of its high affinity to N. It can be deduced that the stored nutrients under low N could only maintain relatively stable root growth, and faced difficulty in being transported to the shoots. Sugar beet was relatively resilient to N0.5 stress according to the mean affiliation function analysis. These results provide a theoretical basis for the extensive cultivation of sugar beet in N-stressed soil.

High-resolution 3D spatiotemporal transcriptomic maps of developing Drosophila embryos and larvae.

Drosophila has long been a successful model organism in multiple biomedical fields. Spatial gene expression patterns are critical for the understanding of complex pathways and interactions, whereas temporal gene expression changes are vital for studying highly dynamic physiological activities. Systematic studies in Drosophila are still impeded by the lack of spatiotemporal transcriptomic information. Here, utilizing spatial enhanced resolution omics-sequencing (Stereo-seq), we dissected the spatiotemporal transcriptomic changes of developing Drosophila with high resolution and sensitivity. We demonstrated that Stereo-seq data can be used for the 3D reconstruction of the spatial transcriptomes of Drosophila embryos and larvae. With these 3D models, we identified functional subregions in embryonic and larval midguts, uncovered spatial cell state dynamics of larval testis, and revealed known and potential regulons of transcription factors within their topographic background. Our data provide the Drosophila research community with useful resources of organism-wide spatiotemporally resolved transcriptomic information across developmental stages.

Discovery of novel dual RAGE/SERT inhibitors for the potential treatment of the comorbidity of Alzheimer's disease and depression.

Depression is identified as one of the most common psychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The comorbidity of AD and depression increases the burden of clinical treatment and care in elderly patients. In order to find new treatment options, we first proposed the dual RAGE/SERT inhibitors by fusing the key pharmacophore of vilazodone and azeliragon for the potential treatment of AD with comorbid depression. After a series of structural modifications, 34 dual-target directed ligands were designed and synthesized, and their RAGE and SERT inhibitory activities were systematically evaluated. Among them, compound 12 showed good dual-target bioactivities against RAGE (IC50 = 8.26 ± 1.12 µM) and SERT (IC50 = 31.09 ± 5.15 nM) in vitro, better safety profile than azeliragon, good liver microsomal stability, weak CYP inhibition, and acceptable pharmacokinetic properties. Moreover, 12 ameliorated Aß25-35-induced neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells and alleviated the depressive symptom in tail suspension test. In brief, these results indicated that 12 is a prospective prototype for the potential treatment of AD with comorbid depression.

Sinunanolobatone A, an Anti-inflammatory Diterpenoid with Bicyclo[13.1.0]pentadecane Carbon Scaffold, and Related Casbanes from the Sanya Soft Coral Sinularia nanolobata.

A novel diterpenoid, sinunanolobatone A (1), featuring an unprecedented bicyclo[13.1.0]pentadecane carbon framework, along with two new casbane diterpenoids (2 and 3), and five known related ones (4-8) were isolated from the Sanya soft coral Sinularia nanolobata. The structures of the new compounds were established by detailed spectroscopic analysis, X-ray diffraction analysis, chemical reactions, or a quantum chemical computation method. A plausible biosynthetic pathway of 1 was proposed. In bioassay, the novel compound 1 showed significant inhibitory activity against lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced inflammation in BV-2 microglial cells.

Genetic characteristics of human papillomavirus type 16, 18, 52 and 58 in southern China.

Persistent infections of high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are the leading cause of cervical cancers. We collected cervical exfoliated cell samples from females in Changsha city, Hunan Province and obtained 338 viral genomes of four major HPV types, including HPV 16 (n = 82), 18 (n = 35), 52 (n = 121) and 58 (n = 100). The lineage/sublineage distribution of the four HPVs confirmed previous epidemiological reports, with the predominant prevailing sublineage as A4 (50%), A1 (37%) and A3 (13%) for HPV16, A1 (83%) for HPV18, B2 (86%) for HPV52 and A1 (65%), A3 (19%) and A2 (12%) for HPV58. We also identified two potentially novel HPV18 sublineages, i.e. A6 and A7. Virus mutation analysis further revealed the presence of HPV16 and HPV58 sublineages associated with potentially high oncogenicity. These findings expanded our knowledge of the HPV genetic diversity in China, providing valuable evidence to facilitate HPV DNA screening, vaccine effectiveness evaluation and control strategy development.

Sinusiaetone A, an Anti-inflammatory Norditerpenoid with a Bicyclo[11.3.0]hexadecane Nucleus from the Hainan Soft Coral Sinularia siaesensis.

A novel norditerpenoid, sinusiaetone A (1), featuring an uncommon bicyclo[11.3.0]hexadecane carbon skeleton, and four polyoxygenated cembranoids (2-5) were isolated from the Hainan soft coral Sinularia siaesensis. Their structures were established by spectroscopic analysis, X-ray diffraction, quantum chemical computational approaches, and/or a modified Mosher's method. A plausible biosynthetic pathway of 1 and its biogenetic relationship with 2-5 were proposed. New compounds 1-3 displayed an interesting inhibitory activity against lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in BV-2 microglial cells.

New sterols from the South China Sea sponges Halichondria sp.

A detailed chemical investigation of two specimen of South China Sea sponges Halichondria sp. (No. 19-XD-47 and No. 17-XD-87) have resulted in the isolation of three new sterols, namely, halichsterols A (1), B (2) and C (3), together with seven related known ones (4-10). Their structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis and by comparison with the spectral data reported in the literature. In bioassay, compound 2 displayed significantly anti-inflammatory activity in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BV-2 microglial cells.

Ximaoglaucumins A - F, new cembranoids with anti-inflammatory activities from the South China Sea soft coral Sarcophyton glaucum.

Six new cembrane-type diterpenoids, namely ximaoglaucumins A-F (1-6), along with fifteen known related ones (7-10 and 14-24), have been isolated from the soft coral Sarcophyton glaucum collected off the Ximao Island in the South China Sea. Their structures, including absolute stereochemistry, were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis, quantum mechanical nuclear magnetic resonance (QM-NMR) methods, X-ray diffraction analysis, chemical methods, as well as comparison with the reported data in the literature. Further, detailed analysis of spectroscopic data of 7 not only clarified the confusions regarding 7, 11 (sarcophytolol) and 12/13 (sarcotrocheliol) in the literature, but also led to revise the structure of 11, which was mis-assigned due to careless/erroneous interpretation of the 2D NMR spectra, and to correct the structures of 12/13, which were both wrongly depicted. In in vitro bioassay, compounds 8 and 20 exhibited potent inhibitory effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses in BV-2 microglial cells.

Uncommon Diterpenoids from the South China Sea Soft Coral Sinularia humilis and Their Stereochemistry.

The chemical investigation of the South China Sea soft coral Sinularia humilis has resulted in the isolation of a library of diverse diterpenoids, including four new cembranoids, namely, humilisins A-D (1-4), two new uncommon diterpenoids possessing a tetradecahydrocyclopenta[3',4']cyclobuta[1',2':4,5]cyclonona[1,2-b]oxirene ring system, namely, humilisins E and F (5 and 6), and eight known related compounds (7-14). Humilisin A (1) is the first cembranoid with an ether linkage between C-3 and C-7. The structures and absolute configurations of 1-8 were determined by extensive spectroscopic data analyses, chemical reactions, and a series of quantum chemical calculations including quantum mechanical-nuclear magnetic resonance (QM-NMR), time-dependent density functional theory-electronic circular dichroism (TDDFT-ECD), and optical rotatory dispersion (ORD) methods. In bioassay, compound 6 displayed anti-inflammatory activity in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BV-2 microglia cells.

Genetic signatures for lineage/sublineage classification of HPV16, 18, 52 and 58 variants.

Increasing evidences indicate that high-risk HPV variants are heterogeneous in carcinogenicity and ethnic dispersion. In this work, we identified genetic signatures for convenient determination of lineage/sublineage of HPV16, 18, 52 and 58 variants. Using publicly available genomes, we found that E2 of HPV16, L2 of HPV18, L1 and LCR of HPV52, and L2, LCR and E1 of HPV58 contain the proper genetic signature for lineage/sublineage classification. Sets of hierarchical signature nucleotide positions were further confirmed for high accuracy (>95%) by classifying HPV genomes obtained from Chinese females, which included 117 HPV16 variants, 48 HPV18 variants, 117 HPV52 variants and 89 HPV58 variants. The circulation of HPV variants posing higher cancer risk in Eastern China, such as HPV16 A4 and HPV58 A3, calls for continuous surveillance in this region. The marker genes and signature nucleotide positions may facilitate cost-effective diagnostic detections of HPV variants in clinical settings.

Innovative strategies for the elimination of viral hepatitis at a national level: A country case series.

Viral hepatitis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, but has long been neglected by national and international policymakers. Recent modelling studies suggest that investing in the global elimination of viral hepatitis is feasible and cost-effective. In 2016, all 194 member states of the World Health Organization endorsed the goal to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030, but complex systemic and social realities hamper implementation efforts. This paper presents eight case studies from a diverse range of countries that have invested in responses to viral hepatitis and adopted innovative approaches to tackle their respective epidemics. Based on an investment framework developed to build a global investment case for the elimination of viral hepatitis by 2030, national activities and key enablers are highlighted that showcase the feasibility and impact of concerted hepatitis responses across a range of settings, with different levels of available resources and infrastructural development. These case studies demonstrate the utility of taking a multipronged, public health approach to: (a) evidence-gathering and planning; (b) implementation; and (c) integration of viral hepatitis services into the Agenda for Sustainable Development. They provide models for planning, investment and implementation strategies for other countries facing similar challenges and resource constraints.

Molecular digitization of a botanical garden: high-depth whole-genome sequencing of 689 vascular plant species from the Ruili Botanical Garden.

BACKGROUND: Genome sequencing has been widely used in plant research to construct reference genomes and provide evolutionary insights. However, few plant species have had their whole genome sequenced, thus restraining the utility of these data. We collected 1,093 samples of vascular plant species growing in the Ruili Botanical Garden, located in southwest China. Of these, we sequenced 761 samples and collected voucher specimens stored in the Herbarium of China National GeneBank. RESULTS: The 761 sequenced samples represented 689 vascular plant species from 137 families belonging to 49 orders. Of these, 257 samples were identified to the species level and 504 to the family level, using specimen and chloroplast sequences. In total, we generated 54 Tb of sequencing data, with an average sequencing depth of 60X per species, as estimated from genome sizes. A reference phylogeny was reconstructed with 78 chloroplast genes for molecular identification and other possible applications. CONCLUSIONS: The large dataset of vascular plant genomes generated in this study, which includes both high-depth whole-genome sequencing data and associated voucher specimens, is valuable for plant genome research and other applications. This project also provides insight into the feasibility and technical requirements for "planetary-scale" projects such as the 10,000 Plant Genomes Project and the Earth BioGenome Project.

Whole-genome sequencing of 175 Mongolians uncovers population-specific genetic architecture and gene flow throughout North and East Asia.

The genetic variation in Northern Asian populations is currently undersampled. To address this, we generated a new genetic variation reference panel by whole-genome sequencing of 175 ethnic Mongolians, representing six tribes. The cataloged variation in the panel shows strong population stratification among these tribes, which correlates with the diverse demographic histories in the region. Incorporating our results with the 1000 Genomes Project panel identifies derived alleles shared between Finns and Mongolians/Siberians, suggesting that substantial gene flow between northern Eurasian populations has occurred in the past. Furthermore, we highlight that North, East, and Southeast Asian populations are more aligned with each other than these groups are with South Asian and Oceanian populations.

Assessment of the cPAS-based BGISEQ-500 platform for metagenomic sequencing.

Background: More extensive use of metagenomic shotgun sequencing in microbiome research relies on the development of high-throughput, cost-effective sequencing. Here we present a comprehensive evaluation of the performance of the new high-throughput sequencing platform BGISEQ-500 for metagenomic shotgun sequencing and compare its performance with that of 2 Illumina platforms. Findings: Using fecal samples from 20 healthy individuals, we evaluated the intra-platform reproducibility for metagenomic sequencing on the BGISEQ-500 platform in a setup comprising 8 library replicates and 8 sequencing replicates. Cross-platform consistency was evaluated by comparing 20 pairwise replicates on the BGISEQ-500 platform vs the Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform and the Illumina HiSeq 4000 platform. In addition, we compared the performance of the 2 Illumina platforms against each other. By a newly developed overall accuracy quality control method, an average of 82.45 million high-quality reads (96.06% of raw reads) per sample, with 90.56% of bases scoring Q30 and above, was obtained using the BGISEQ-500 platform. Quantitative analyses revealed extremely high reproducibility between BGISEQ-500 intra-platform replicates. Cross-platform replicates differed slightly more than intra-platform replicates, yet a high consistency was observed. Only a low percentage (2.02%-3.25%) of genes exhibited significant differences in relative abundance comparing the BGISEQ-500 and HiSeq platforms, with a bias toward genes with higher GC content being enriched on the HiSeq platforms. Conclusions: Our study provides the first set of performance metrics for human gut metagenomic sequencing data using BGISEQ-500. The high accuracy and technical reproducibility confirm the applicability of the new platform for metagenomic studies, though caution is still warranted when combining metagenomic data from different platforms.