Salicylic acid inhibits rice endocytic protein trafficking mediated by OsPIN3t and clathrin to affect root growth.

Salicylic acid (SA) plays important roles in different aspects of plant development, including root growth, where auxin is also a major player by means of its asymmetric distribution. However, the mechanism underlying the effect of SA on the development of rice roots remains poorly understood. Here, we show that SA inhibits rice root growth by interfering with auxin transport associated with the OsPIN3t- and clathrin-mediated gene regulatory network (GRN). SA inhibits root growth as well as Brefeldin A-sensitive trafficking through a non-canonical SA signaling mechanism. Transcriptome analysis of rice seedlings treated with SA revealed that the OsPIN3t auxin transporter is at the center of a GRN involving the coat protein clathrin. The root growth and endocytic trafficking in both the pin3t and clathrin heavy chain mutants were SA insensitivity. SA inhibitory effect on the endocytosis of OsPIN3t was dependent on clathrin; however, the root growth and endocytic trafficking mediated by tyrphostin A23 (TyrA23) were independent of the pin3t mutant under SA treatment. These data reveal that SA affects rice root growth through the convergence of transcriptional and non-SA signaling mechanisms involving OsPIN3t-mediated auxin transport and clathrin-mediated trafficking as key components.

2D NiFe2O4/Ni(OH)2 Heterostructure-Based Self-Supporting Electrode With Synergistic Surface/Interfacial Engineering for Efficient Water Electrooxidation.

To meet the industrial demand for overall water splitting, oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts with low-cost, highly effective, and durable properties are urgently required. Herein, a facile confined strategy is utilized to construct 2D NiFe2O4/Ni(OH)2 heterostructures-based self-supporting electrode with surface-interfacial coengineering, in which abundant and ultrastable interfaces are developed. Under the high molar ratio of Ni/Fe, both spinel oxide and hydroxides phases are formed simultaneously to obtain 2D NiFe2O4/Ni(OH)2 heterostructure. The in-depth analysis indicates that the NiFe2O4/Ni(OH)2 interface displays strong electronic interactions and triggers the formation of crystalline-amorphous coexisting catalytic active NiOOH. Meanwhile, the stable catalyst-collector interface favors the electron transfer and oxygen molecules transport. The resultant 2D NiFe2O4/Ni(OH)2@CP electrode exhibits superior OER performance, including a low overpotential of 389 mV and a long operating time of 12 h at 1 A cm-2. This work paves a novel method for fabricating efficient and low-cost electrocatalysts for electrochemical conversation devices.

The association between triglyceride glucose-body mass index and all-cause mortality in critically ill patients with atrial fibrillation: a retrospective study from MIMIC-IV database.

BACKGROUND: The TyG-BMI index, which is a reliable indicator of insulin resistance (IR), has been found to have a significant correlation with the occurrence of cardiovascular events. However, there still lacks study on the TyG-BMI index and prognosis in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The objective of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between TyG-BMI index at admission to ICU and all-cause mortality in critically ill patients with AF. METHODS: The patient's data were extracted from Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV(MIMIC-IV) database. All patients were divided into four groups according to TyG-BMI index. Outcomes include primary and secondary endpoints, with the primary endpoint being the 30-day and 365-day all-cause mortality and the secondary endpoint being the 90-day and 180-day all-cause mortality. TyG-BMI index was quartile and Kaplan-Meier curve was used to compare the outcome of each group. Cox proportional-hazards regression model and restricted cubic splines (RCS) were conducted to assess the relationship between TyG-BMI index and outcomes. RESULTS: Out of a total of 2509 participants, the average age was 73.26 ± 11.87 years, with 1555 (62.0%) being males. Patients with lower level of TyG-BMI had higher risk of 30-day, 90-day, 180-day and 365-day all-cause mortality, according to the Kaplan-Meier curves (log-rank P < 0.001). In addition, cox proportional-hazards regression analysis revealed that the risk of 30-day, 90-day, 180-day and 365-day all-cause mortality was significantly higher in the lowest quartile of TyG-BMI. Meanwhile, the RCS analysis indicated that L-typed relationships between TyG-BMI index and all-cause mortality, with inflection points at 223.60 for 30-day and 255.02 for 365-day all-cause mortality, respectively. Compared to patients with TyG-BMI levels below the inflection points, those with higher levels had a 1.8% lower risk for 30-day all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 0.982, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.9676-0.988) and 1.1% lower risk for 365-day all-cause mortality (HR 0.989, 95% CI 0.986-0.991). CONCLUSION: In critically ill patients with AF, a lower TyG-BMI level is significantly associated with a higher risk of 30-day, 90-day, 180-day and 365-day all-cause mortality. TyG-BMI index could be used as a valid indicator for grading and treating patients with AF in the ICU.

Nuclear receptors for epidermal lipid barrier: Advances in mechanisms and applications.

The skin plays an essential role in preventing the entry of external environmental threats and the loss of internal substances, depending on the epidermal permeability barrier. Nuclear receptors (NRs), present in various tissues and organs including full-thickness skin, have been demonstrated to exert significant effects on the epidermal lipid barrier. Formation of the lipid lamellar membrane and the normal proliferation and differentiation of keratinocytes (KCs) are crucial for the development of the epidermal permeability barrier and is regulated by specific NRs such as PPAR, LXR, VDR, RAR/RXR, AHR, PXR and FXR. These receptors play a key role in regulating KC differentiation and the entire process of epidermal lipid synthesis, processing and secretion. Lipids derived from sebaceous glands are influenced by NRs as well and participate in regulation of the epidermal lipid barrier. Furthermore, intricate interplay exists between these receptors. Disturbance of barrier function leads to a range of diseases, including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and acne. Targeting these NRs with agonists or antagonists modulate pathways involved in lipid synthesis and cell differentiation, suggesting potential therapeutic approaches for dermatosis associated with barrier damage. This review focuses on the regulatory role of NRs in the maintenance and processing of the epidermal lipid barrier through their effects on skin lipid synthesis and KC differentiation, providing novel insights for drug targets to facilitate precision medicine strategies.

Potential optimized route for mesenchymal stem cell transplantation in a rat model of cerebral palsy.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a movement and posture disorder that affects over 50 million people worldwide. Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell (hUC-MSC) transplantation has emerged as an attractive therapeutic strategy for CP. The administration route appears to be crucial for hUC-MSC to provide adequate neuroprotection. Wistar rats were given hypoxia-ischemia to make the CP model on postnatal day 5. On postnatal day 21, DiR-labeled hUC-MSC were transplanted into the CP rats by intravenous, intrathecal, and lateral ventricle for cell tracking. Uninfused CP rats served as the negative control. The motor behavioral and pathological alteration was analyzed 11, 25, and 39 days after transplantation to assess motor function, immune inflammation, neurotrophy, and endogenous repair. In vivo imaging tracking techniques revealed that intravenous infusion resulted in fewer transplanted cells in the target brain than intrathecal and lateral ventricle infusion (p＜0.05). Three different routes of hUC-MSC infusion improved the motor function of CP rats (p＜0.05). At 11 days post-infusion, intrathecal infusion outperformed intravenous with a significant neurotrophic and oligodendrocyte maturation effect (p＜0.05). Intrathecal infusion equaled lateral ventricle infusion after 25 days. At 39 days post-infusion, lateral ventricle infusion exceeded intravenous and intrathecal infusion with a significant immunosuppressive effect (p＜0.05). Considering the improved effect and less trauma shown early in the intrathecal infusion, repeated intrathecal administration may ultimately lead to the greatest benefit.

Association of Nogo-A Gene Polymorphisms with Cerebral Palsy in Southern China: A Case-Control Study.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a motor and postural disorder syndrome caused by the nonprogressive dysfunction of the developing brain. Previous studies strongly indicated that the Nogo-A gene might be related to the pathogenesis of CP. The objective of this research was to explore the relationship between Nogo-A polymorphisms (rs1012603, rs12464595, and rs2864052) and CP in Southern China. The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) testing, allele and genotype frequencies analysis, and haplotype association analysis were applied to the genotyping of 592 CP children and 600 controls. The results showed that the allele and genotype frequencies of rs1012603 of CP group were significantly different from the control group. The haplotype "TTGGG" was significantly associated with an increased risk of CP. The allele frequencies of rs1012603 were significant differences between CP with spastic diplegia, female CP cases, and controls. Furthermore, significant differences in allele and genotype frequencies were also noticed between GMFCS I of CP and controls for rs1012603, and significant differences in allele and genotype frequencies were observed between the ADL (>9) of CP and controls for rs1012603 and rs12464595. This study showed that the SNPs rs1012603 of Nogo-A were significantly correlated with CP, and the correlations were also found in spastic diplegia, GMFCS I of CP, ADL (>9) of CP, and female subgroups, indicating that Nogo-A might mainly affect mild types of CP and there might be sex-related differences.

Plasma Metabolomic Changes in Children with Cerebral Palsy Exposed to Botulinum Neurotoxin.

The long-term effect of botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNT-A) on children with cerebral palsy (CP) is unclear, and how the dynamic changes of metabolites impact the duration of effect remains unknown. To tackle this, we collected 120 plasma samples from 91 children with spastic CP for analysis, with 30 samples in each time point: prior to injection and 1, 3, and 6 months after injection. A total of 354 metabolites were identified across all the time points, 39 of which exhibited significant changes (with tentative IDs) (p values <0.05, VIP > 1). Principal component analysis and partial least-squares discriminant analysis disclosed a clear separation between different groups (p values <0.05). Network analysis revealed the coordinated changes of functional metabolites. Pathway analysis highlighted the metabolic pathways associated with energy consumption and glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism and cysteine and methionine metabolism. Collectively, our results identified the significant dynamic changes of plasma metabolite after BoNT-A injections on children with CP. Metabolic pathways associated with energy expenditure might provide a new perspective for the effect of BoNT-A in children with CP. Glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism and cysteine and methionine metabolism might be related to the duration of effect of BoNT-A.

Role of formin INF2 in human diseases.

Formin proteins catalyze actin nucleation and microfilament polymerization. Inverted formin 2 (INF2) is an atypical diaphanous-related formin characterized by polymerization and depolymerization of actin. Accumulating evidence showed that INF2 is associated with kidney disease focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and cancers, such as colorectal and thyroid cancer where it functions as a tumor suppressor, glioblastoma, breast, prostate, and gastric cancer, via its oncogenic function. However, studies on the underlying molecular mechanisms of the different roles of INF2 in diverse cancers are limited. This review comprehensively describes the structure, biochemical features, and primary pathogenic mutations of INF2.

A study of validity and reliability for Subjective Global Nutritional Assessment in outpatient children with cerebral palsy.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the reproducibility, stability, internal consistency and the ability to grade malnutrition of Subjective Global Nutritional Assessment (SGNA) in outpatient children with cerebral palsy. METHODS: This was a part of a larger, cross-sectional study (ChiCTR2000033869) at the outpatient of a tertiary hospital. The recruitment and data collection of children with Cerebral Palsy aged from 1 to 18 years were from August 2020 to March 2021. The concurrent validity, inter-rater reliability, test-retest reliability and internal consistency of SGNA were tested. To analyze data, specificity, sensitivity, Kendall coefficient, Cohen's kappa coefficient, Spearman coefficient and Cronbach's α coefficient were used. RESULTS: The agreement between SGNA and anthropometric data was moderate to strong (k = 0.540-0.821). The sensitivity (71.70% to 89.74%) and specificity (77.67% to 91.03%) of SGNA to identify participants with z-score ≤-2 were good. The sensitivity of SGNA to identify participants with weight for age z-score ≤-3 was poor (30.00%). The interrater reliability (k = 0.703) and test-retest reliability (k = 0.779) were good. The item of edema was with poor agreement to SGNA nutritional grades (rs = 0.072), and after deleting it from SGNA, the Cronbach's α coefficient of SGNA increased from 0.736 to 0.871. FINDINGS: SGNA is good at identifying malnourished outpatient children with cerebral palsy, with excellent reproducibility and short-time stability. However, the ability to grade malnutrition is unsatisfactory. For further application in this group, a more appropriate item should be designed to replace the item of edema.

SPOP suppresses testicular germ cell tumors progression through ubiquitination and degradation of DPPA2.

Dysregulation of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway is strongly associated with cancer initiation and progression. Speckle-type POZ(pox virus and zinc finger protein) protein(SPOP) is an adapter protein of CUL3-based E3 ubiquitin ligase complexes. Gene expression profiling from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) suggests that SPOP is downregulated in testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs), but the specific contribution of this protein remains to be explored. In this study, we show that the germ line-specific factor DPPA2 was identified as a proteolytic substrate for the SPOP-CUL3-RBX1 E3 ubiquitin-ligase complex. SPOP specifically binds to a SPOP-binding consensus (SBC) degron located in DPPA2 and targets DPPA2 for degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. SPOP downregulation increases the expression of pluripotency markers OCT4 and Nanog but decreases that of early differentiation marker gene Fst. This effect is partly dependent on its activity toward DPPA2. In addition, the dysregulation of SPOP-DPPA2 axis contributes to the malignant transformation phenotypes of TGCT cells.

Versatile Nanoscale Metal-Organic Frameworks (nMOFs): An Emerging 3D Nanoplatform for Drug Delivery and Therapeutic Applications.

For decades, nanoscale metal-organic frameworks (nMOFs) have attracted extensive interest in biomedicine due to their distinct characteristics, including facile synthesis, porous interior, and tunable biocompatibility. With high porosity, versatile nMOFs allow for the facile encapsulation of various therapeutic agents with exceptionally high payloads. Constructed from metal ions and organic linkers through coordination bonds, nMOFs with plentiful functional groups enable the surface modification for active targeting and enhanced biocompatibility. This review outlines the up-to-date progresses on the exploration of nMOFs in the field of biomedicine. First, the classification and synthesis of nMOFs are discussed, followed by the concrete introduction of drug loading strategies of nMOFs and mechanisms of stimulation-responsive drug release. Second, the smart designs of the nMOFs-based platforms for anticancer and antibacterial treatment are summarized. Finally, the basic challenges faced by nMOFs research and the great potential of biomimetic nMOFs are presented. This review article affords an inspiring insight into the interdisciplinary research of nMOFs and their biomedical applications, which holds great expectation for their further clinical translation.

INDITTO2 transposon conveys auxin-mediated DRO1 transcription for rice drought avoidance.

Transposable elements exist widely throughout plant genomes and play important roles in plant evolution. Auxin is an important regulator that is traditionally associated with root development and drought stress adaptation. The DEEPER ROOTING 1 (DRO1) gene is a key component of rice drought avoidance. Here, we identified a transposon that acts as an autonomous auxin-responsive promoter and its presence at specific genome positions conveys physiological adaptations related to drought avoidance. Rice varieties with a high and auxin-mediated transcription of DRO1 in the root tip show deeper and longer root phenotypes and are thus better adapted to drought. The INDITTO2 transposon contains an auxin response element and displays auxin-responsive promoter activity; it is thus able to convey auxin regulation of transcription to genes in its proximity. In the rice Acuce, which displays DRO1-mediated drought adaptation, the INDITTO2 transposon was found to be inserted at the promoter region of the DRO1 locus. Transgenesis-based insertion of the INDITTO2 transposon into the DRO1 promoter of the non-adapted rice variety Nipponbare was sufficient to promote its drought avoidance. Our data identify an example of how transposons can act as promoters and convey hormonal regulation to nearby loci, improving plant fitness in response to different abiotic stresses.

Effect of interband polarization on a solid's high-order-harmonic generation just belowthe band gap.

A series of theoretical and experimental results has proved that harmonics below/above the band gap are produced mainly by the intraband current/interband polarization for solids in strong mid-infrared laser pulses. However, which mechanism dominates the harmonic process is still debated. In this work, based on simulating high-order-harmonic generation from an MgO crystal in a linearly polarized mid-infrared laser by solving semiconductor Bloch equations, we demonstrate that harmonics just below the band gap originate from the interference between intraband and interband currents. Furthermore, it is found that intensities of harmonics just below the band gap are apparently enhanced with an increase in the incident laser's strength. By analyzing the band dispersion and the transition dipole moment of the 001-cut MgO crystal, this can be attributed to the interband polarization between two conduction bands.

Lampropedia aestuarii sp. nov., isolated from the estuary of a freshwater river.

A Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, catalase-positive and oxidase-positive bacterium, designated strain YIM MLB12T, was isolated from estuary sediment sampled at Maliao River where it flows into a plateau lake (Dianchi) in Yunnan, south-west PR China. Cells were non-motile and rod-shaped. Growth was observed at 15-35 °C (optimum, 25-30 °C), pH 6.0-10.0 (optimum, pH 7.0-8.0) and in the presence of 0-7 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0.5-2 %). Results of phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain YIM MLB12T formed a tight phylogenic lineage with members of the genus Lampropedia and was closely related to 'Lampropedia puyangensis' 2-bin with 98.3 % sequence similarity and had low similarities to the type strains of Lampropediahyalina ATCC 11041T (96 %) and Lampropedia cohaerens CT6T (95.5 %). Average nucleotide identity and in silico DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain YIM MLB12T and 'L. puyangensis' KCTC 32235 were 76.5 and 22.6 %, respectively. Strain YIM MLB12T contained ubiquinone-8 as the major quinone. The predominant cellular fatty acids were summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω7c and/or C16 : 1 ω6c), C16 : 0, C10 : 0 3-OH, summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω6c and/or C18 : 1 ω7c), C12 : 0 3-OH and C14 : 0. The polar lipid profile of strain YIM MLB12T was composed predominantly of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol. The major polyamine was spermidine. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain YIM MLB12T was 56.8 mol%. Based on its genotypic and chemotaxonomic features and results of phenotypic analyses, strain YIM MLB12T represents a novel species of the genus Lampropedia, for which the name Lampropediaaestuarii sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YIM MLB12T (=KCTC 42886T=CGMCC 1.17071T).

Colonization of endophyte Acremonium sp. D212 in Panax notoginseng and rice mediated by auxin and jasmonic acid.

Endophytic fungi can be beneficial to plant growth. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying colonization of Acremonium spp. remain unclear. In this study, a novel endophytic Acremonium strain was isolated from the buds of Panax notoginseng and named Acremonium sp. D212. The Acremonium sp. D212 could colonize the roots of P. notoginseng, enhance the resistance of P. notoginseng to root rot disease, and promote root growth and saponin biosynthesis in P. notoginseng. Acremonium sp. D212 could secrete indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and jasmonic acid (JA), and inoculation with the fungus increased the endogenous levels of IAA and JA in P. notoginseng. Colonization of the Acremonium sp. D212 in the roots of the rice line Nipponbare was dependent on the concentration of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) (2-15 µmol/L) and 1-naphthalenacetic acid (NAA) (10-20 µmol/L). Moreover, the roots of the JA signaling-defective coi1-18 mutant were colonized by Acremonium sp. D212 to a lesser degree than those of the wild-type Nipponbare and miR393b-overexpressing lines, and the colonization was rescued by MeJA but not by NAA. It suggests that the cross-talk between JA signaling and the auxin biosynthetic pathway plays a crucial role in the colonization of Acremonium sp. D212 in host plants.

Acanthosis nigricans in a Chinese girl with FGFR3 K650 T mutation: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Acanthosis nigricans (AN) is a clinical manifestation featured by velvety brown plaques in skin folds that occurs in some hereditary and syndromic disorders. Fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) mutations have been identified as one of the genetic causes of inherited AN. CASE PRESENTATION: A 17-year-old Chinese female had presented generalized acanthosis nigricans since she was 4 years old. She yielded no family history of short stature or AN. Apart from a short stature, no skeletal defects, neurological defects or other abnormalities were found. To identify the aetiology of the clinically diagnosed AN, we screened the proband for genetic mutations using whole exome sequencing. A heterozygous mutation (c.1949A > C, p.Lys650Thr) in FGFR3 was found in the proband. To date, 26 cases of AN harbouring this specific gene mutation have been reported in the literature, and only one child carried a de novo mutation instead of inheriting the specific mutation from their parents. The present case is the first-reported Chinese patient with isolated AN with a de novo K650 T mutation in FGFR3. CONCLUSIONS: We reported a new case of AN caused by a heterozygous mutation (c.1949A > C, p.K650 T) in FGFR3, and review the past reports of AN with the same gene mutation. Sequencing of the FGFR3 gene is a feasible approach to identify the aetiology of AN, especially for early onset extensive AN.

All-optical reconstruction of k-dependent transition dipole moment by solid harmonic spectra from ultrashort laser pulses.

Band structure and transition dipole moment play important roles in high-order harmonic generation from solid materials. In this work we provide a new all-optical technique to reconstruct the momentum-dependent transition dipole moment using the harmonic spectrum from MgO crystal driven by an ultrashort mid-infrared laser pulse. Under the influence of the ultrashort laser pulse, the emitted photon energy and the crystal momentum form a one-to-one match, in the same way between the intensity of the harmonic above the minimum bandgap and the square of the amplitude of the transition dipole moment, resulting in a realization of directly probing the transition dipole moment. Our all-optical method paves a way to image the two-dimensional transition dipole moment of crystals with the inversion symmetry.

Mitochondrial Genome Encoded Proteins Expression Disorder, the Possible Mechanism of the Heart Disease in Metabolic Syndrome.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The direct consequence of metabolic syndrome (MS) is the increased morbidity and mortality caused by the heart disease. We tried to explain why the heart is more severely damaged during MS from the point of mitochondria, the center of cellular metabolism. METHODS: 1. The classic diet induced MS rat model was used to observe the morphological changes of mitochondria by transmission electron microscope (TEM); 2. The expression of mitochondrial DNA (mt-DNA) encoded proteins was observed by immunohistochemistry and Western blot; 3. The expression of mitochondrial ribosomal proteins (MRPs) was observed by real-time PCR. RESULTS: 1. The mitochondrial volume increased but the number was normal in myocardial cells of the MS rats. But in the hepatocytes and skeletal muscle cells, the mitochondrial number decreased; 2.The mt-DNA encoded protein cytochrome b increased significantly in heart but decreased in liver and the ATPase6 increased in liver but decreased in heart of the MS rats; 3. The mRNA levels of MRPS23, MRPL27, MRPL45 and MRPL48 elevated in heart but down-regulated in liver of the MS rats. CONCLUSION: The morphologic and functional alterations of mitochondrion in MS were tissue specific. Heart displays a distinctive pattern of mitochondrial metabolic status compared with other tissues.

Exploring the Role of Ubiquitin-Proteasome System in the Pathogenesis of Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder among the elderly population. The pathogenesis of PD encompasses genetic alterations, environmental factors, and age-related neurodegenerative processes. Numerous studies have demonstrated that aberrant functioning of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) plays a crucial role in the initiation and progression of PD. Notably, E3 ubiquitin ligases serve as pivotal components determining substrate specificity within UPS and are intimately associated with the regulation of various proteins implicated in PD pathology. This review comprehensively summarizes the mechanisms by which E3 ubiquitin ligases and deubiquitinating enzymes modulate PD-associated proteins and signaling pathways, while exploring the intricate relationship between UPS dysfunctions and PD etiology. Furthermore, this article discusses recent research advancements regarding inhibitors targeting PD-related E3 ubiquitin ligases.

Genome-based identification of phosphate-solubilizing capacities of soil bacterial isolates.

Identifying genomic markers for phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) is vital for advancing agricultural sustainability. This study utilizes whole-genome sequencing and comprehensive bioinformatics analysis, examining the genomes of 76 PSB strains with the aid of specialized genomic databases and analytical tools. We have identified the pqq gene cluster, particularly the pqqC gene, as a key marker for (P) solubilization capabilities. The pqqC gene encodes an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of precursors to 2-keto-D-gluconic acid, which significantly enhances P solubilization in soil. This gene's importance lies not only in its biochemical function but also in its prevalence and effectiveness across various PSB strains, distinguishing it from other potential markers. Our study focuses on Burkholderia cepacia 51-Y1415, known for its potent solubilization activity, and demonstrates a direct correlation between the abundance of the pqqC gene, the quantitative release of P, and the production of 2-keto-D-gluconic acid over a standard 144-h cultivation period under standardized conditions. This research not only underscores the role of the pqqC gene as a universal marker for the rapid screening and functional annotation of PSB strains but also highlights its implications for enhancing soil fertility and crop yields, thereby contributing to more sustainable agricultural practices. Our findings provide a foundation for future research aimed at developing targeted strategies to optimize phosphate solubilization, suggesting areas for further investigation such as the integration of these genomic insights into practical agricultural applications to maximize the effectiveness of PSB strains in real-world soil environments.