Mulberry leaves supplementation alters lipid metabolism and promotes fatty acid ß oxidation in growing mutton sheep.

Mulberry leaves (MLs) are an unconventional feed with fiber and various active ingredients, and are acknowledged as likely to regulate lipid metabolism, while the molecular mechanism remains undefined. Therefore, our objective was to define the role of MLs on the overall lipid metabolism. We conducted a feeding experiment of three groups on growing mutton sheep fed with dried mulberry leaves (DMLs), with fermented mulberry leaves (FMLs), or without MLs (as control). Analyses of transcriptome and widely target lipids demonstrated the addition of MLs triggered big perturbations in genes and metabolites related to glycerolipid, phospholipid, ether lipid, and sphingolipid metabolism. Additionally, the variations of the above lipids in the treatment of MLs possibly facilitate immunity enhancement of growing mutton sheep via the activation of complement and coagulation cascades. Furthermore, treatments with MLs could expedite proceedings of lipid degradation and fatty acid ß oxidation in mitochondria, thereby to achieve the effect of lipid reduction. Besides, added DMLs also fuel fatty acid ß-oxidation in peroxisomes and own much stronger lipolysis than added FMLs, possibly attributed to high fiber content in DMLs. These findings establish the novel lipid-lowering role and immune protection of MLs, which lays the foundation for the medicinal application of MLs.

Mulberry leaves (MLs) are rich in a wide variety of active ingredients and are also a kind of traditional Chinese medicine with the same origin as medicine and food. Previous studies have found that MLs may regulate lipid metabolism. But the exact mechanism remains unclear. Our study reveals that ML supplement not only alters lipid metabolism including glycerol phospholipid, ether lipid as well as sphingolipid metabolism, which may help to improve immunity but also promote fatty acid degradation as well as ß oxidation to achieve the effect of fat reduction.

Grafting seedling rootstock strengthens tolerance to drought stress in polyploid mulberry (Morus alba L.).

The economically adaptable mulberry (Morus alba L.) has a long history of grafting in China, yet the physiological mechanisms and advantages in drought tolerance remain unexplored. In our study, we investigated the responses of self-rooted 2X (diploid), 3X (triploid), and 4X (tetraploid) plants, as well as polyploid plants grafted onto diploid seedling rootstocks (2X/2X, 3X/2X, and 4X/2X) under drought stress. We found that self-rooted diploid plants exhibited the most severe phenotypic damage, lowest water retention, photosynthetic capacity, and the least effective osmotic stress adjustment compared to tetraploid and triploid plants. However, grafted diploid and triploid plants showed effective mitigation of drought-induced damage, with higher relative water content and improved soil water retention. Grafted plants also improved the photosystem response to drought stress through elevated photosynthetic potential, closed stomatal aperture, and faster recovery of chlorophyll biosynthesis in the leaves. Additionally, grafted plants altered osmotic protective compound levels, including starch, soluble sugar, and proline content, thereby enhancing drought resistance. Absolute quantification PCR indicated that the expression levels of proline synthesis-related genes in grafted plants were not influenced after drought stress, whereas they were significantly increased in self-rooted plants. Consequently, our findings support that self-rooted triploid and tetraploid mulberries exhibited superior drought resistance compared to diploid plants. Moreover, grafting onto seedling rootstocks enhanced tolerance against drought stress in diploid and triploid mulberry, but not in tetraploid. Our study provides valuable insights for a comprehensive analysis of physiological effects in response to drought stress between stem-roots and seedling rootstocks.

Transcriptomics and metabolomics analysis reveal the anti-oxidation and immune boosting effects of mulberry leaves in growing mutton sheep.

Introduction: Currently, the anti-oxidation of active ingredients in mulberry leaves (MLs) and their forage utilization is receiving increasing attention. Here, we propose that MLs supplementation improves oxidative resistance and immunity. Methods: We conducted a trial including three groups of growing mutton sheep, each receiving fermented mulberry leaves (FMLs) feeding, dried mulberry leaves (DMLs) feeding or normal control feeding without MLs. Results: Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses revealed that promoting anti-oxidation and enhancing disease resistance of MLs is attributed to improved tryptophan metabolic pathways and reduced peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Furthermore, immunity was markedly increased after FMLs treatment by regulating glycolysis and mannose-6-phosphate pathways. Additionally, there was better average daily gain in the MLs treatment groups. Conclusion: These findings provide new insights for understanding the beneficial effects of MLs in animal husbandry and provide a theoretical support for extensive application of MLs in improving nutrition and health care values.

Inferring Invasion History of Red Swamp Crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) in China from Mitochondrial Control Region and Nuclear Intron Sequences.

Identifying the dispersal pathways of an invasive species is useful for adopting the appropriate strategies to prevent and control its spread. However, these processes are exceedingly complex. So, it is necessary to apply new technology and collect representative samples for analysis. This study used Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) in combination with traditional genetic tools to examine extensive sample data and historical records to infer the invasion history of the red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, in China. The sequences of the mitochondrial control region and the proPOx intron in the nuclear genome of samples from 37 sites (35 in China and one each in Japan and the USA) were analyzed. The results of combined scenarios testing and historical records revealed a much more complex invasion history in China than previously believed. P. clarkii was most likely originally introduced into China from Japan from an unsampled source, and the species then expanded its range primarily into the middle and lower reaches and, to a lesser extent, into the upper reaches of the Changjiang River in China. No transfer was observed from the upper reaches to the middle and lower reaches of the Changjiang River. Human-mediated jump dispersal was an important dispersal pathway for P. clarkii. The results provide a better understanding of the evolutionary scenarios involved in the rapid invasion of P. clarkii in China.

Characterization of a novel CC chemokine CCL4 in immune response induced by nitrite and its expression differences among three populations of Megalobrama amblycephala.

A novel CC chemokine gene, chemokine CC motif ligand 4 (CCL4), was isolated from Megalobrama amblycephala. The full-length cDNA was 913 bp, encoding 94 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequence possessed the typical arrangement of four cysteines as found in other known CC chemokines. The expression of M. amblycephala CCL4 during the early development showed the mRNA levels before hatching and at 62 h post fertilized (hpf) were significantly higher than other post-hatching stages (P < 0.05). Besides, it was widely expressed in all detected tissues with the highest transcription in liver, followed by intestine, spleen and gill, where a larger number of immune cells including lymphocytes and macrophages are present. Our findings had fully confirmed that CCL4 expression was strongly induced in vitro and quickly up-regulated after nitrite stress, then substantially altered in all tested tissues, supporting a potential pro-inflammatory function. We also indicated that inflammation effect might firstly happen in blood after nitrite stress. Furthermore, the tissue expression differences of CCL4 among three natural populations revealed that CCL4 mRNA in Yuni Lake population was obviously higher than the other two populations, Liangzi Lake population and Poyang Lake population, which will provide valuable insights into breeding strategies for selecting population with better immune property of M. amblycephala.