Advances in understanding effects of miRNAs on apoptosis, autophagy, and pyroptosis in knee osteoarthritis.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenous small non-coding RNAs. MicroRNAs-mediated signaling pathways play a critical regulatory role in inducing apoptosis, autophagy, and pyroptosis in developing knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Given this, we searched databases, such as PubMed, using keywords including "miRNA," "knee osteoarthritis," "apoptosis," "autophagy," "pyroptosis", and their combinations. Through an extensive literature review, we conclude that miRNAs can be modulated through various signaling pathways, such as Wnt/ß-catenin, TGF-ß, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, and NLRP3/Caspase-1, to regulate apoptosis, autophagy, and pyroptosis in KOA. Furthermore, we note that P2X7R and HMGB1 may be crucial regulatory molecules involved in the interconnected regulation of apoptosis, autophagy, and pyroptosis in KOA. Additionally, we describe that miR-140-5p and miR-107 can modulate the advancement of KOA chondrocytes by targeting distinct molecules involved in apoptosis, autophagy, and pyroptosis, respectively. Therefore, we conclude that miRNAs may be potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for the early prediction, diagnosis, and effective therapeutic approaches of KOA.

Effect of the odour compound from Periploca sepium Bunge on the physiological and biochemical indices, photosynthesis and ultrastructure of the leaves of Humulus scandens (Lour.) Merr.

Natural odour compounds could be a potential alternative to synthetic herbicides. The odour compound of Periploca sepium Bunge, named 2-hydroxy-4-methoxy-benzaldehyde (HMB), is a herbicidal compound. However, its herbicidal mechanism is unclear. In this experiment, the physiological and biochemical indices, ultrastructure, and photosynthetic function of the leaves of Humulus scandens (Lour.) Merr. treated by HMB were assessed to elucidate the herbicidal mechanism. The results of physiological and biochemical indices are as follows: First, after 4 h of treatment with 2.5 and 5.0 mg/mL, the damage rates in the membrane permeation assay were 74.7% and 89.1%, respectively. Second, compared to the negative control group, multiple physiological and biochemical indices of the two treated groups were changed, including catalase content (-18.5 and -26.5 ng/mL), superoxide dismutase content (-27.4 and -56.6 ng/mL), peroxidase content (382.0 and 880.0 ng/mL), reactive oxygen species content (16.7 and 27.2 ng/mL), malondialdehyde content (8.9 and 25.2 nmol/g), and water potential values (0.2 and 0.3 MPa), except for the photosynthetic pigment contents (chlorophyll a, b, and carotene). Furthermore, the results of transmission electron microscopy showed that the organelles in the mesophyll tissue cells disappeared and severe plasmolysis led to cell atrophy after 4 h of treatment. There were fewer starch granules after 24 h of treatment, but there was no obvious abnormality in the upper and lower epidermal cells. The results of photosynthetic function showed that in the light response, the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration rate (Tr), stomatal conductance (Gs), and stomatal limitation value of the tested leaves were lower than those of the negative control group by 26.6 µmol·m-2·s-1, 7.7 mmol·m-2·s-1, 0.9 mol·m-2·s-1, and 0.2, respectively. However, the intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) increased and was higher than the air CO2 concentration. In the CO2 response, the Pn, Tr and Gs of the tested leaves first increased and then decreased, but the Ci value continuously increased and finally reached 1727.5 µmol·mol-1. It is obvious that HMB may have inhibited the effect on the photosynthetic system of the tested leaves. Overall, HMB killed the weeds by destroying the structure and multiple physiological functions of the tested leaves.

A new method for localizing the landmark of axillary vein and its application.

BACKGROUND: Axillary vein puncture is a popular puncture site for pacemaker implantation. However, due to the lacking of body surface markers, the current puncture method is too complicated and affect the popularization and application of axillary vein puncture. Here, we performed a new body surface landmark to make the blind axillary vein puncture simple and easy. METHODS: The study population included 30 patients referred for pacemaker implantation using axillary vein puncture. Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) was used to determine the direction and the surface landmarks of the axillary vein. Medial cusp of thoracic triangle and the coracoid process were directly touched with fingers. The puncture point was about 1 cm below the coracoid, and the needle tip pointed to the medial cusp of thoracic triangle with the angle of 30-60°. RESULTS: There was little variation in distribution of axillary vein. The body surface landmark of the junction of the axillary vein and the subclavian vein is on the medial cusp of thoracic triangle. In these 30 patients, blind axillary vein puncture was successful obtained in all patients. There was no pneumothorax and inadvertent arterial puncture. The pacemaker lead wire was placed smoothly. Moreover, the pacemaker pocket was ideally positioned when cut along the puncture point. CONCLUSIONS: Blind axillary vein access using the body surface landmark of the thoracic triangle is an effective method for pacemaker implantation and can obvious avoid the complications usually observed with the traditional subclavian vein approach.

Label-free quantitative proteomics analysis of Humulus scandens (Lour.) Merr. leaves treated by an odor compound of Periploca sepium Bunge.

The odor compound from Periploca sepium Bunge, 2-hydroxy-4-methoxy-benzaldehyde (HMB), is an allelochemical agent and is one of the least investigated isomers of vanillin. In this study, we used label-free quantitative proteomics analysis technology to investigate the effect of HMB on the protein expression of Humulus scandens (Lour.) Merr. leaves in July 2019 on Guiyang. A total of 269 proteins of 624 identified proteins were differentially expressed, among which 21.18% of the proteins were up-regulated and 32.71% down-regulated. These proteins were classified into 11 cell components and more than 20% of differentially expressed proteins were located in cell membrane and chloroplast. Functional classification analysis showed that 12 molecular functions were altered upon HMB treatment, and the ratio of catalytic activity was the highest (19.53%). At least 12 biological functions were affected, which involved small molecule metabolic processes, organic substance metabolic processes, gene expression, and photosynthesis. Our data provide resources and insights into the biochemical mechanism by which HMB kills weeds.

Comparative proteomic characterization of bovine milk containing ß-casein variants A1A1 and A2A2, and their heterozygote A1A2.

BACKGROUND: Genetic variants of ß-casein are cosnidered to affect the components of milk. However, limited data are available on the bovine protein components correlated with ß-casein variants at the proteome level. In the present study, cows producing milk containing ß-casein variants (A1A1 and A2A2) and their heterozygote (A1A2) were identified using a high-resolution melting method, and milk samples were collected and tested. Comparative analyses of casein micelles, whey and milk fat globule membrane fractions in each milk variant were performed using a label-free proteomics approach. RESULTS: The results obtained showed that ceruloplasmin and cathelicidin-2 were the most abundant proteins in milk containing variant A1A1; lactoferrin and CD5 molecule-like were the most abundant proteins in milk containing variant A2A2; and selenoprotein P and osteopontin were the most abundant proteins in milk containing heterozygote A1A2. Differences in protein components in milk containing the different ß-casein variants were visualized using hierarchical clustering, and profiles were separated using principal components analysis. The differentially expressed proteins in milk containing A1A1, A2A2 or A1A2 were predominantly involved in response to stress and defense response according to their Gene Ontology annotations. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide new insights into differentially expressed milk proteins corresponding to the presence of different ß-casein variants. This knowledge will help determine their potential biological functions in dairy products and the effects on human health. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Metabolic changes during malignant transformation in primary cells of oral lichen planus: Succinate accumulation and tumour suppression.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is usually diagnosed at late stages, which leads to high morbidity. There are evidence that chronic inflammation (eg oral lichen planus [OLP]) was a risk factor of OSCC, but often misdiagnosed or ignored until invasion and metastasis. By applying precision medicine, the molecular microenvironment variations and relevant biomarkers for the malignant transformation from OLP to OSCC can be fully investigated. Several studies pointed out that the metabolic pathway were suppressed in OSCC. However, it remains unclear how the systemic profile of the metabolites change during the malignant transformation. In this study, we examined and compared the mucosa samples from 11 healthy individuals, 10 OLP patients and 21 OSCC patients. Based on the results, succinate, a key metabolite of the tricarboxylic acid cycle pathway, was accumulated in the primary cultured precancerous OLP keratinocytes and OSCC cells. Then, we found that succinate activated the hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) pathway and induced apoptosis, which could also be up-regulated by the tumour suppressor lncRNA MEG3. These results suggested the critical roles of succinate and MEG3 in the metabolic changes during malignant transformation from OLP to OSCC, which indicated that succinate, HIF1α and downstream proteins might serve as new biomarkers of precancerous OLP for early diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring. In addition, succinate or its prodrugs might become a potential therapy for the prevention or treatment of OSCC.

Identification of the complex regulatory relationships related to gastric cancer from lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network.

The oncogenesis and progression of gastric cancer are closely correlated with the complex regulatory relationships among messenger RNA (mRNA), long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), and microRNA (miRNA). After constructing the gastric cancer lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network, we analyzed the network topology properties and found that lncRNA ADAMTS9-AS2 and C20orf166-AS1 and miRNA hsa-mir-204 are key nodes. Further functional enrichment analysis and survival analysis were performed on these key nodes and the RNAs interacting with them. We found that CHRM2, ANGPT2, and COL1A1 interacting with ADAMTS9-AS2 are enriched in the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and low expression of the ADAMTS9-AS2 is closely related to the prognosis of patients. Abnormal expression of CACNA1H, FLNA, and FLNC interacting with lncRNA C20orf166-AS1 is associated with MAPK signaling pathway in gastric cancer. In addition, the downregulated miRNA hsa-mir-204 promotes invasion and proliferation of gastric cancer cells by regulating the abnormal expression of mRNAs (CHRDL1 and NPTX1) and lncRNAs (ADAMTS9-AS2, NKX2-1-AS1, TLR8-AS1, and VCAN-AS1). This study systematically analyzed the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network of gastric cancer, which not only has a new understanding of the pathogenesis of gastric cancer, but also provides new insights for the early diagnosis and treatment of gastric cancer.

Long Noncoding RNA (lncRNA) n379519 Promotes Cardiac Fibrosis in Post-Infarct Myocardium by Targeting miR-30.

BACKGROUND Abnormally expressed long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are recognized as one of the key causes of cardiac diseases. However, the role of lncRNA in cardiac fibrosis remains largely unknown. MATERIAL AND METHODS The experiment was divided into 4 groups: a sham operation group, a myocardial infarction (MI) group, a lentivirus group (LV-si-n379519), and a lentivirus control (LV-NC) group. The adenovirus expression vectors LV-si-n379519 and LV-NC were constructed and transfected into mice. Echocardiography, HE staining, and Masson staining were performed to detect the heart function and collagen volume fraction in each group. RT-PCR was used to detect the expression level of n379519, miR-30, collagen I, and collagen III. In vitro, cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) were cultured and the relationship between n379519 and miR-30 was verified using luciferase reporter vector, n379519 siRNA, and miR-30 inhibitor. RESULTS The expression of n379519 was markedly upregulated in the hearts of mice with MI and in the fibrotic CFs. Knockdown of endogenous n379519 by its siRNA improved the heart function and reduced collagen deposition and the process of cardiac fibrosis. Further experiments showed the opposite trend of expression between n379519 and miR-30. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assay indicated that n379519 directly binds to miR-30. Moreover, miR-30 inhibitor abrogated the collagen synthesis inhibition induced by n379519. CONCLUSIONS These findings reveal a novel function of n379519-miR-30 axis as a negative regulator for the treatment of MI-induced cardiac fibrosis and the associated cardiac dysfunction.

Insights into Tissue-specific Specialized Metabolism in Tieguanyin Tea Cultivar by Untargeted Metabolomics.

Tea plants produce extremely diverse and abundant specialized metabolites, the types and levels of which are developmentally and environmentally regulated. However, little is known about how developmental cues affect the synthesis of many of these molecules. In this study, we conducted a comparative profiling of specialized metabolites from six different tissues in a premium oolong tea cultivar, Tieguanyin, which is gaining worldwide popularity due to its uniquely rich flavors and health benefits. UPLC-QTOF MS combined with multivariate analyses tentatively identified 68 metabolites belonging to 11 metabolite classes, which exhibited sharp variations among tissues. Several metabolite classes, such as flavonoids, alkaloids, and hydroxycinnamic acid amides were detected predominantly in certain plant tissues. In particular, tricoumaroyl spermidine and dicoumaroyl putrescine were discovered as unique tea flower metabolites. This study offers novel insights into tissue-specific specialized metabolism in Tieguanyin, which provides a good reference point to explore gene-metabolite relationships in this cultivar.

Metabolite Profiling of 14 Wuyi Rock Tea Cultivars Using UPLC-QTOF MS and UPLC-QqQ MS Combined with Chemometrics.

Wuyi Rock tea, well-recognized for rich flavor and long-lasting fragrance, is a premium subcategory of oolong tea mainly produced in Wuyi Mountain and nearby regions of China. The quality of tea is mainly determined by the chemical constituents in the tea leaves. However, this remains underexplored for Wuyi Rock tea cultivars. In this study, we investigated the leaf metabolite profiles of 14 major Wuyi Rock tea cultivars grown in the same producing region using UPLC-QTOF MS and UPLC-QqQ MS with data processing via principal component analysis and cluster analysis. Relative quantitation of 49 major metabolites including flavan-3-ols, proanthocyanidins, flavonol glycosides, flavone glycosides, flavonone glycosides, phenolic acid derivatives, hydrolysable tannins, alkaloids and amino acids revealed clear variations between tea cultivars. In particular, catechins, kaempferol and quercetin derivatives were key metabolites responsible for cultivar discrimination. Information on the varietal differences in the levels of bioactive/functional metabolites, such as methylated catechins, flavonol glycosides and theanine, offers valuable insights to further explore the nutritional values and sensory qualities of Wuyi Rock tea. It also provides potential markers for tea plant fingerprinting and cultivar identification.

[Nontargeted metabolomic analysis of Anoectochilus roxburghii at different cultivation stages].

Anoectochilus roxburghii is a traditional Chinese medicine and natural health products. In the modern cultivation system, A. roxburghii is micropropagated in tissue culture, and the plants are transferred to soil cultivation for months. However, it remains unclear about the necessity of soil cultivation for the accumulation of health beneficial compounds. In this paper, we performed nontargeted metabolomic analysis using GC-TOF-MS and UPLC-Q-TOF-MS, on A. roxburghii plants at tissue culture stage or after 3 months of soil cultivation. The results showed that the primary metabolites such as alcohols and organic acids are abundant in the tissue culture plants. In contrast, polysaccharide, nucleoside, esters and secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, terpenoids were significantly accumulated in cultivated seedlings. Flavonoids and polysaccharides are considered as the principle effective components in A. roxburghii. Soil cultivation period is therefore essential for the accumulation of these metabolites.

Transcatheter Treatment of Large Aortopulmonary Window: A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: Aortopulmonary window (APW), a large aortopulmonary septal defect (APSD), is a serious and rare defect within congenital heart diseases. CASE REPORT: In this study, we reported an APW case with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension. This patient was successfully treated by transcatheter closure with a muscular ventricular septal defect (VSD) occluder. CONCLUSION: We had a successful experience with transcatheter closure of a large APW using a muscular VSD occluder. There was no residual shunt or complications during the 6-month follow-up.

Low expression of glucocorticoid receptor a in oral lichen planus correlates with activation of nuclear factor κB: a preliminary study.

BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence indicates that the interaction between glucocorticoid receptor α (GRα) and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) is a key pathogenetic cross talk in the autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. The objective of this study was to determine the GRα expression in patients with oral lichen planus (OLP) and investigate its correlation with NF-κB in OLP. METHODS: We compared the expression of GRα and NF-κB in oral biopsy specimens from patients with OLP(n = 32) against normal controls (n = 12) and investigated the correlation between the expression of GRα and NF-κB in OLP. RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry showed that GRα mainly expressed in the cytoplasm of keratinocytes of basal and spinosum layer of OLP. Both real-time quantitative PCR and Western blots revealed that the mRNA and protein expression levels of GRα were decreased compared with normal controls (both P < 0.001). Conversely, those levels of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) were increased compared with normal controls (both P < 0.001). Importantly, a significant inverse correlation between the GRα and NF-κB was found (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrated that low expression of GRα in OLP correlates with activation of NF-κB, which indicates that the cross talk between GRα and NF-κB in OLP may become a new therapeutic target and represent a new approach to explore the pathogenesis of OLP.

Protective effect of co-administration of rosuvastatin and probucol on atherosclerosis in rats.

This study aimed to study the combined effect of rosuvastatin and probucol on atherosclerosis (AS) in rats. In total, 95 male Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups: 25 in the control group (A), 25 in the model group (B), 15 in the rosuvastatin group (C), 15 in the probucol group (D), and 15 in the rosuvastatin combined probucol group (E). A high-lipid diet and vitamin D3 were administered to establish AS rat model. Groups C, D, and E received corresponding drugs. Blood lipids, oxidized low-density lipoprotein (OX-LDL), malonaldehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), adiponectin (APN), and vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin) were measured. Platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1) was detected by immune histochemistry. In groups B-E, AS rat models were successfully constructed. In groups C-E, blood lipids, OX-LDL, VE-cadherin, MDA, PECAM-1, and intimal thickness were decreased (p < 0.01), while SOD and APN were increased (p < 0.05), compared with that in group B. Furthermore, group E had lower levels of OX-LDL, MDA, and PECAM-1 but higher levels of SOD and APN and attenuated intimal thickening compared with groups C or D (p < 0.05). Administering rosuvastatin and probucol could attenuate AS lesions through modulation of oxidative stress, PECAM-1, and APN. Both drugs might help slow the progression of AS.

Performance and mechanism of a bioelectrochemical system for reduction of heavy metal cadmium ions.

This study explores the removal of Cd(ii) from wastewater using a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) to investigate the electrochemical performance and removal kinetics of an anodic polarity reversal biocathode and the mechanism of action of electrochemically active bacteria. Comparative electrochemical methods showed that using an anodic polarity reversal biocathode resulted in greater than 90% removal of different concentrations of Cd(ii) within three days, which may be related to the catalytic effect of anodic electrochemically active bacteria. However, due to the ability of bacteria to regulate, up to nearly 2 mg L-1 of Cd(ii) ions will remain in solution. As shown by the linear fitting relationship between scanning speed and peak current, the removal process was dominated by adsorption control for 20-80 mg L-1 Cd(ii) and diffusion control for 100 mg L-1 Cd(ii). The analysis of raw sludge and sludge containing Cd(ii) showed that Arcobacter and Pseudomonas were the primary cadmium-tolerant bacteria, and that the ability to remove Cd(ii) was the result of a synergistic collaboration between autotrophic and heterotrophic Gram-negative bacteria.

Genome-Wide Investigation of Oxidosqualene Cyclase Genes Deciphers the Genetic Basis of Triterpene Biosynthesis in Tea Plants.

Triterpenoids from Camellia species comprise a diverse class of bioactive compounds with great therapeutic potential. However, triterpene biosynthesis in tea plants (Camellia sinensis) remains elusive. Here, we identified eight putative 2,3-oxidosqualene cyclase (OSC) genes (CsOSC1-8) from the tea genome and characterized the functions of five through heterologous expression in yeast and tobacco and transient overexpression in tea plants. CsOSC1 was found to be a ß-amyrin synthase, whereas CsOSC4, 5, and 6 exhibited multifunctional α-amyrin synthase activity. Molecular docking and site-directed mutagenesis showed that the CsOSC6M259T/W260L double mutant yielded >40% lupeol, while the CsOSC1 W259L single mutant alone was sufficient for lupeol production. The V732F mutation in CsOSC5 altered product formation from friedelin to taraxasterol and ψ-taraxasterol. The L254 M mutation in the cycloartenol synthase CsOSC8 enhanced the catalytic activity. Our findings shed light on the molecular basis governing triterpene diversity in tea plants and offer potential avenues for OSC engineering.

Research progress of targeted therapy regulating Th17/Treg balance in bone immune diseases.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) are common bone-immune diseases. The imbalance between helper (Th17) and regulatory T cells (Tregs) produced during differentiation of CD4+ T cells plays a key regulatory role in bone remodelling disorders in RA and PMOP. However, the specific regulatory mechanism of this imbalance in bone remodelling in RA and PMOP has not been clarified. Identifying the regulatory mechanism underlying the Th17/Treg imbalance in RA and PMOP during bone remodelling represents a key factor in the research and development of new drugs for bone immune diseases. In this review, the potential roles of Th17, Treg, and Th17/Treg imbalance in regulating bone remodelling in RA and PMOP have been summarised, and the potential mechanisms by which probiotics, traditional Chinese medicine compounds, and monomers maintain bone remodelling by regulating the Th17/Treg balance are expounded. The maintenance of Th17/Treg balance could be considered as an therapeutic alternative for the treatment of RA and PMOP. This study also summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of conventional treatments and the quality of life and rehabilitation of patients with RA and PMOP. The findings presented her will provide a better understanding of the close relationship between bone immunity and bone remodelling in chronic bone diseases and new ideas for future research, prevention, and treatment of bone immune diseases.

Clinical characteristics of adolescent-onset gout in Chinese: A hospital-based cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: Adolescent-onset gout has a greater impact on the lives and health of patients than adult-onset gout. However, there is a relative lack of clinical information on adolescent-onset gout. Hence, we analyzed a Chinese cohort. METHODS: We studied clinical features of 9,003 Chinese patients. Gout onset age of 12 - 19 years is defined as adolescent-onset group (AG), 20 - 40 years as early-onset group (EG), and 41 - 64 years as late-onset group (LG). Multivariable regression analysis evaluated factors associated with recurrent flares, serum urate (SU) levels, and underexcretion type in AG. RESULTS: Compared with EG and LG, the AG had higher SU levels [AG: 9.5 (2.2) mg/dL, EG: 8.6 (2.1) mg/dL, LG: 7.73 (2.0) mg/dL, P < 0.001], higher percentage of positive family history of gout (AG: 41.8 %, EG: 29.6 %, LG: 24.6 %, P < 0.001), underexcretion type (AG: 62.4 %, EG: 62.5 %, LG: 58.8 %, P = 0.04), recurrent flares (AG: 78.1 %, EG: 70.3 %, LG: 68.9 %, P = 0.01). Urate-lowering therapy (ULT) initiated [OR 6.58 (95 % CI 1.35 - 32.00)] and hypercholesterolemia [OR 4.16 (95 % CI 1.28 - 13.53)] were associated with recurrent flares. eGFR was identified to be a significant variable of increasing SU levels [beta -0.24 (95 % CI -0.04 to -0.01)]. Hypertriglyceridemia [OR 0.35 (95 % CI 0.17 - 0.71)] was related to underexcretion type. CONCLUSION: Adolescent-onset gout patients had clinically distinctive features with higher SU levels, BMI, positive gout family history, underexcretion type and recurrent flares. These specific populations were less likely to achieve ULT target, requiring more clinical attention.

Metabolic Rewiring in Tea Plants in Response to Gray Blight Disease Unveiled by Multi-Omics Analysis.

Gray blight disease, which is caused by Pestalotiopsis-like species, poses significant challenges to global tea production. However, the comprehensive metabolic responses of tea plants during gray blight infection remain understudied. Here, we employed a multi-omics strategy to characterize the temporal transcriptomic and metabolomic changes in tea plants during infection by Pseudopestalotiopsis theae, the causal agent of gray blight. Untargeted metabolomic profiling with ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOFMS) revealed extensive metabolic rewiring over the course of infection, particularly within 24 h post-inoculation. A total of 64 differentially accumulated metabolites were identified, including elevated levels of antimicrobial compounds such as caffeine and (-)-epigallocatechin 3-gallate, as well as oxidative catechin polymers like theaflavins, theasinensins and theacitrins. Conversely, the synthesis of (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, oligomeric proanthocyanidins and flavonol glycosides decreased. Integrated omics analyses uncovered up-regulation of phenylpropanoid, flavonoid, lignin biosynthesis and down-regulation of photosynthesis in response to the pathogen stress. This study provides novel insights into the defense strategies of tea plants against gray blight disease, offering potential targets for disease control and crop improvement.