@article {pmid41707067,
year = {2026},
author = {Liang, Z and Kong, L},
title = {Surface-Associated Bacteria Trigger Cyanobacterial Cell Lysis during Preozonation.},
journal = {Environmental science & technology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1021/acs.est.5c12918},
pmid = {41707067},
issn = {1520-5851},
abstract = {Preozonation is widely used to enhance the effectiveness of coagulation and filtration in algae-laden water treatment, but cyanobacterial cell rupture and the subsequent release of intracellular organic matter and cyanotoxins can increase treatment burdens and pose health risks. In natural waters, cyanobacteria are often surrounded by symbiotic bacteria, whose influence on ozonation performance and underlying mechanisms remains unclear. Herein, we found that axenic filamentous cyanobacteria (Leptolyngbya sp.) exhibited strong resistance to ozonation (0.3 mg L[-1], 20 min), whereas the presence of surface-associated bacteria markedly increased the cell rupture rate from 12 ± 6% to 76 ± 2%. Removal of loosely bound extracellular polymeric substances (LB-EPS) significantly reduced ozonation resistance in axenic cyanobacteria but unexpectedly enhanced that of xenic cultures. By integrating reactive oxygen species identification, extracellular metabolomics, and metabolic reconstruction, we demonstrate that surface-colonizing bacteria degrade the algal LB-EPS envelope, releasing metabolites that facilitate hydroxyl radical formation during ozonation, thereby intensifying cell rupture. Our results highlight surface-associated bacteria as a critical yet overlooked factor shaping cyanobacterial responses to preozonation, underscoring the need to re-evaluate ozone application strategies in bloom-impacted waters to minimize cell rupture and byproduct formation.},
}

@article {pmid41705361,
year = {2026},
author = {Bouterse, A and Pruneski, JA and Oettl, FC and Zsidai, B and Tischer, T and Longo, UG and Seil, R and Hirschmann, MT and Samuelsson, K},
title = {Artificial intelligence in orthopaedics: Enhanced examinations, ambient intelligence and the future of clinical practice.},
journal = {Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1002/ksa.70339},
pmid = {41705361},
issn = {1433-7347},
abstract = {Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to rapidly transform the practice of medicine, with clinicians increasingly adopting data-driven decision-making aids and diagnostic support tools. Orthopaedic physicians are well poised to harness the capabilities of AI, with an abundance of quantifiable imaging, biomechanical data, and structured clinical parameters lending themselves to algorithmic interpretation and automation. Namely, AI-augmented vision systems may increase the breadth of information readily available to clinicians, whereas smart exam rooms and automated clinical summaries may soon streamline clinical workflows to decrease administrative burden and allow more time for direct patient care. Personalised education materials and visual aids may improve patient understanding and compliance, with the aim of optimising patient outcomes. Generative medical and orthopaedic event models may soon alter decision-making heuristics and improve patient counselling. While the widespread adaptation of AI into clinical practices is not without limitations, physicians will likely come to share an increasingly symbiotic relationship with these platforms throughout their continued evolution. Accordingly, it is imperative that current and future orthopaedic practitioners become well-versed in harnessing the capabilities of AI and continue to identify new avenues for such technologies to benefit clinicians and patients alike. As such, the current manuscript provides a narrative review of the potential future applications of AI within orthopaedic practices by exploring current and developing technologies and detailing how the continued integration of AI-powered systems may serve to revolutionise the delivery of orthopaedic care. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V.},
}

@article {pmid41705219,
year = {2025},
author = {Nakamura, Y and Numata, K and Hirosaki, M and Miyajima, H and Fujita, S},
title = {Dynamic glycan network engineering of native mucin enables reversible, self-healing, and adhesive hydrogel interfaces.},
journal = {Nanoscale advances},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {41705219},
issn = {2516-0230},
abstract = {Mucin, a glycoprotein with a network-like structure of O-linked oligosaccharides, is a major component of the mucus layer and is essential for lubricating tissues, protecting against pathogens and chemicals, and maintaining intestinal symbiosis. Mucin-based hydrogels are promising for biomedical applications; however, conventional mucin hydrogels typically require chemical crosslinking, which involves complex procedures that cause irreversible structural changes. In this study, we developed a physically crosslinked mucin hydrogel via pH-dependent interactions between the diol groups of mucin oligosaccharides and boric acid (BA) without using chemical crosslinkers. This hydrogel was prepared by simply mixing porcine gastric mucin (PGM) and BA, followed by pH adjustment. It exhibited reversible gelation and tunable mechanical strength depending on PGM and BA concentrations. Increased gel strength was associated with increased crosslink density and reduced mesh size, which are attributed to dense multipoint crosslinking via the branched structure of mucin. The hydrogel demonstrated rapid self-healing within 1 min, strong adhesion to glass, and retention of mechanical integrity after ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, indicating compatibility with UV-based sterilization. These features highlight its potential as a reversible hydrogel for cell culture, tissue adhesives, and wound healing applications.},
}

@article {pmid41704313,
year = {2026},
author = {Ramzan, F and Vassiliou, L and Tsaltas, D},
title = {Unveiling the diversity and mechanisms of plant growth-promoting bacteria in orchids: a comprehensive review.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {17},
number = {},
pages = {1697953},
pmid = {41704313},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {Orchids, one of the most diverse and ecologically important plant families, form complex associations with endophytic microorganisms that are vital for their survival, growth, and adaptation. These endophytes, including both fungi and bacteria, inhabit orchid tissues without causing harm and contribute to key physiological processes such as nutrient acquisition, stress tolerance, and disease resistance. This review explores the diversity and ecological roles of orchid-associated endophytes, emphasizing their significance in promoting germination, biomass production, and resilience to environmental stressors. Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria (PGPB) such as Pseudomonas, Bacillus, and Burkholderia enhance nutrient uptake and plant defense, offering eco-friendly alternatives to chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Beyond ecological functions, endophytes show potential in biotechnology for sustainable agriculture, conservation, and novel bioactive compound discovery. Despite advances in molecular tools like metagenomics and next-generation sequencing, challenges persist in fully understanding and utilizing these microbes. This review highlights the need for multidisciplinary collaboration to optimize microbial inoculants, elucidate symbiotic mechanisms, and develop practical applications for conservation and sustainable horticulture. By integrating fundamental research with applied strategies, this work aims to unlock the full potential of orchid-associated endophytes in ecological and commercial domains.},
}

@article {pmid41704035,
year = {2026},
author = {Shin, S and Liauzun, M and Solorzano, J and Bras, ML and Jean, C and Fourneaux, B and Dore, M and Fevrier, L and Belhabib, I and Brunel, A and Neuzillet, C and Larroque, M and Joffre, C and Rocchi, S and Fraunhoffer, N and Perraud, A and Mathonnet, M and Pancaldi, V and Linares, L and Iovanna, J and Dusetti, N and Larsson, O and Nicolle, R and Pyronnet, S and Bousquet, C and Martineau, Y},
title = {Decoding the Integrated Stress Response of Pancreatic Cancer: Identifying a Serine-dependent Tumor Subset Under Metabolic Relationships With CAFs.},
journal = {Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e15740},
doi = {10.1002/advs.202515740},
pmid = {41704035},
issn = {2198-3844},
support = {EL2021_to_CB//Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer/ ; INCa_2023-050_to_CB//Institut National du Cancer/ ; 2021-073_to_YM//Institut National du Cancer/ ; ANR_SubRnaAct_to_YM//French National Research Agency/ ; Pancreas2024_to_CB//ARC Foundation/ ; Pancreas2025_to_YM//ARC Foundation/ ; INSERM/FTCS/Pierre_Fabre_to_VP//Chair of Bioinformatics in Oncology of the CRCT/ ; 2021-2030_Framework_to_CJ//ITMO Cancer of Aviesan/ ; 2020-01665_to_OL//Swedish Research Council/ ; 222186_to_OL//Swedish Cancer Society/ ; //Wallenberg Academy Fellow program to OL/ ; },
abstract = {Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) transcriptomic profiling has identified prognostic subtypes, yet patient-specific first-line therapies remain elusive. Here, we stratified PDA tumors by mRNA translation rates, a frequently dysregulated step in gene expression, using translatome profiling of 27 patient-derived xenografts (PDXs). Unsupervised analysis revealed a distinct tumor subset with low global protein synthesis but sustained translation of Integrated Stress Response (ISR) mRNAs, including ATF4. These ISR-activated cancer cells exhibited broad chemoresistance and apoptosis resistance, yet were auxotrophic for serine due to loss of PHGDH and CBS expression, impairing serine and cysteine biosynthesis. This vulnerability correlated with improved overall survival in patients with low expression of both enzymes. Notably, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) reprogrammed by ISR-activated cells, shifting from myCAF to iCAF phenotype with reduced collagen synthesis and glycine-to-serine conversion, produced serine and sustained tumor growth in amino acid-depleted environments. Our findings demonstrate the power of translatome profiling to reveal stable, drug-resistant PDA cell states and identify a targetable CAF-tumor metabolic symbiosis, opening new avenues for therapeutic intervention in this highly lethal malignancy.},
}

@article {pmid41702871,
year = {2026},
author = {Wen, M and Ma, X and Chen, J and Wu, J and Wu, F and Ma, R and Peng, R},
title = {Composition, Structure, and Diversity of Rhizosphere Soil Microbial Community in Saffron (Crocus sativus) Affected by Root Bulb Rot.},
journal = {Plant disease},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1094/PDIS-07-25-1456-RE},
pmid = {41702871},
issn = {0191-2917},
abstract = {Fusarium oxysporum, first identified in Yunnan Province as the causal agent of saffron corm rot, causes a destructive soil-borne disease that has become a devastating threat to saffron cultivation in Shangri-La, causing over 50% mortality. This pathogen infects saffron corms, leading to vascular browning and rot, ultimately causing plant death and severe production losses. Given the crucial role of the rhizosphere microbiome in plant immunity and soil ecology, deciphering pathogen-microbiome interactions is essential for developing sustainable disease-control strategies. High-throughput sequencing of ITS/16S rRNA (Illumina MiSeq) was combined with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) analysis to compare the community structures of fungi, bacteria, and AMF in the rhizosphere of healthy and diseased saffron. The effects of soil physicochemical factors on microbiome assembly were systematically evaluated. The rhizosphere microbiome of diseased plants was significantly dysregulated: (1) pathogen-related taxa (e.g., Lauriomyces) proliferated, while saprotrophic functional taxa (e.g., Mortierella elongata) underwent community restructuring; (2) disease-suppressive taxa (e.g., fususidium) were enriched, while symbiotic mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) essential for nutrient acquisition sharply declined; (3) the soil parameter-microbiome relationship changed under different health conditions:available phosphorus (AP) and available potassium (AK) drove the aggregation of pathogenic soil fungi, while pH/organic matter (OM) dominated the aggregation of healthy soil fungi; (4) Knufia and Phomopsis were important taxa regulating soil ammonia oxidation and plant vitality. Fusarium infection disrupts the rhizosphere balance by inhibiting beneficial symbionts and promoting the colonization of pathogenic or saprotrophic microorganisms, ultimately compromising the innate resistance of saffron. Our findings reveal the rhizosphere ecological mechanism underlying corm rot progression and provide a microbiome informatics framework for the selection of biocontrol agents and rhizosphere engineering. Moreover, the worker safety benefits from the reductions in psychic emanations mandate industry adoption.},
}

@article {pmid41702430,
year = {2026},
author = {Nozaki, T and Kobayashi, Y and Ikeda, M and Shigenobu, S},
title = {Symbiont replacement and subsequent genome erosion reshape a dual obligate aphid symbiosis.},
journal = {Proceedings. Biological sciences},
volume = {293},
number = {2065},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1098/rspb.2025.2484},
pmid = {41702430},
issn = {1471-2954},
support = {//Japan Society for the Promotion of Science/ ; },
mesh = {*Symbiosis ; Animals ; *Aphids/microbiology/physiology ; *Buchnera/genetics/physiology ; *Serratia/genetics/physiology ; *Genome, Bacterial ; Phylogeny ; },
abstract = {Many insects rely on obligate microbial symbioses, often involving multiple partners. Although symbiont replacement is well-documented, how newly acquired and resident obligate symbionts adapt after such events remains unclear. Here, we investigate the dual obligate symbiosis of the aphid Lachnus tropicalis, where an ancestral Serratia lineage was replaced by a newly acquired Serratia lineage while the primary symbiont Buchnera remained. Our metagenomic sequencing yielded complete genomes of Buchnera (0.42 Mb) and Serratia (2.8 Mb), revealing developing metabolic complementarity. Although the Serratia genome retained abundant gene sets for amino acid synthesis, it also contained pseudogenes in leucine and methionine pathways, which would be compensated for by Buchnera or the host. Comparison with Lachnus roboris, which harbours the ancestral Serratia lineage, showed that the newly acquired Serratia in L. tropicalis exhibits identical tissue localization and vertical transmission pattern, suggesting the smooth succession of the prior microniche. Notably, Buchnera in L. tropicalis exhibited a slightly more degenerated genome than its counterpart in L. roboris, indicating that symbiont replacement can accelerate gene loss even in ancient symbionts. Overall, our findings provide new insights into the dynamics of novel mutualism establishment and highlight symbiont replacement as a driver of host-symbiont co-evolution.},
}

*Symbiosis
Animals
*Aphids/microbiology/physiology
*Buchnera/genetics/physiology
*Serratia/genetics/physiology
*Genome, Bacterial
Phylogeny

@article {pmid41702306,
year = {2026},
author = {Yang, W and Ding, Y and Tian, H},
title = {Metabolic crosstalk between cancer and stromal cells: Implications for precision oncology.},
journal = {Surgical oncology},
volume = {65},
number = {},
pages = {102366},
doi = {10.1016/j.suronc.2026.102366},
pmid = {41702306},
issn = {1879-3320},
abstract = {Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancer that extends beyond the boundaries of individual tumor cells to encompass a complex metabolic network within the tumor microenvironment (TME). Cancer cells engage in dynamic metabolic crosstalk with stromal components including fibroblasts, immune cells, endothelial cells, and adipocytes through the exchange of metabolites, signaling molecules, and extracellular vesicles. These interactions coordinate energy production, redox homeostasis, and biosynthetic pathways that sustain tumor growth, angiogenesis, immune evasion, and therapeutic resistance. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) supply lactate, amino acids, and lipids that fuel tumor anabolism; immune cells undergo metabolic suppression under nutrient competition and acidic stress; endothelial and adipose cells contribute to angiogenesis and metastatic adaptation through glycolysis and lipid transfer. This metabolic dialogue is governed by key signaling pathways (HIF-1α, mTOR, AMPK, c-Myc, PPAR, NRF2) and modulated by epigenetic mechanisms linking metabolic flux to gene expression. Understanding these multilayered communications provides novel insights into the cooperative and competitive nature of tumor metabolism. Emerging technologies such as spatial metabolomics and single-cell multi-omics are now enabling the identification of patient-specific metabolic dependencies. Targeting metabolic symbiosis rather than isolated pathways represents a promising direction for precision oncology, offering opportunities to disrupt tumor stroma cooperation, overcome therapeutic resistance, and personalize metabolism-based interventions.},
}

@article {pmid41702173,
year = {2026},
author = {Pu, X and Zhao, N and Dong, X and Ye, S and Zhang, W and Lv, L and Wang, X and Sun, L and He, M and Liu, J},
title = {Plant community responses to polypropylene microplastic and cadmium co-exposure: Implications for mycorrhizal strategies in a coastal wetland.},
journal = {Journal of hazardous materials},
volume = {505},
number = {},
pages = {141411},
doi = {10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141411},
pmid = {41702173},
issn = {1873-3336},
abstract = {The co-occurrence of microplastics and heavy metals, particularly cadmium (Cd), in terrestrial ecosystems poses a growing ecological risk, yet their combined effects on plant community functioning remain unclear. We conducted a full-factorial mesocosm experiment with four polypropylene microplastic levels (0%, 0.1%, 0.5%, and 1% w/w) and two Cd treatments (0 and 10 mg·kg[-1]) to assess species-specific and community-level responses. Measurements of soil properties, community composition, root traits, and productivity revealed that microplastic-Cd co-exposure consistently reduced community productivity, primarily through suppression of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) plant dominance. Root trait analyses indicated diminished intrinsic nutrient acquisition capacity, leading to greater dependence on AM symbiosis and narrowing the Levins' ecological niche breadth of AM-associated species. Structural equation modeling identified community mycorrhization as the key mediator of productivity loss, while random forest analysis ranked the mycorrhizal index (determined by community-level mycorrhization) as the strongest predictor. Altered soil C:N:P stoichiometry and ionic conditions further emerged as critical environmental drivers constraining AM plants under co-exposure. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that microplastic-Cd interactions destabilize plant-soil symbioses and weaken community productivity by undermining AM plant dominance, underscoring the vulnerability of AM-dominated communities and the importance of integrating symbiotic strategies into ecological risk assessments.},
}

@article {pmid41566412,
year = {2026},
author = {Wang, YY and Chen, YJ and Wang, HL and Zhu, CC and Lei, T and Liu, YQ},
title = {The reduced genome of Candidatus Portiera sp. in Bemisia afer: evolutionary trajectories and functional implications.},
journal = {BMC genomics},
volume = {27},
number = {1},
pages = {205},
pmid = {41566412},
issn = {1471-2164},
support = {S202510350038//Undergraduate Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program/ ; 25nya21//the Science & Technology Project of Taizhou/ ; CARS-23-C05//Earmarked Fund for China Agriculture Research System/ ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Bemisia afer is a globally distributed whitefly species and a significant agricultural pest, yet the genomic and functional roles of its obligate endosymbiont remain poorly understood. The primary endosymbiont of whiteflies belongs to the genus Candidatus Portiera. Portiera is essential for host survival, providing nutritional supplementation and facilitating ecological adaptation, but its evolutionary dynamics and host-specific adaptations in B. afer are largely unexplored. Comparative genomic studies of Portiera from other whitefly species have revealed distinct evolutionary patterns, yet no such data exist for B. afer, highlighting a critical knowledge gap.

RESULTS: We present the first complete genome of Portiera BeAf, the obligate endosymbiont of B. afer. The genome exhibits classic signatures of reductive evolution, including extreme AT bias (25.3% GC content), high coding density (74.7%), and significant gene loss, particularly in DNA replication and repair pathway and lysine biosynthesis pathway. Average Nucleotide Identity values below the species threshold of 95% between Portiera BeAf and known symbionts support its designation as a novel species. Phylogenetic analyses place Portiera BeAf within a clade sister to B. tabaci-associated symbionts, yet reveal unique structural rearrangements and lineage-specific gene losses. Notably, Portiera BeAf harbors specific hypothetical proteins, including a putative ABCD4-like transporter, suggesting potential adaptations in nutrient transport or stress response. Comparative genomics further demonstrate weakened codon usage bias and accelerated substitution rates in Bemisia-associated Portiera, reflecting relaxed selection in their obligate symbiotic niche.

CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides foundational insights into the genomic architecture and evolutionary trajectory of Portiera in B. afer, revealing both conserved and divergent features compared to other whitefly symbionts. The loss of key metabolic and repair genes underscores the role of host compensation in maintaining symbiont functionality, while lineage-specific innovations may reflect adaptations to host ecological demands. These findings advance our understanding of Portiera's genomic diversity and highlight the complex interplay between reductive evolution and host-symbiont coadaptation in ancient symbiotic systems.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-025-12509-6.},
}

@article {pmid41700603,
year = {2026},
author = {Dang, Y and Chen, W and Wang, X and Zhang, Y and Wei, K and Cao, L},
title = {Regulatory role of endosymbionts in parasitoid under thermal stress: a case study of Tetrastichus planipennisi.},
journal = {Pest management science},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1002/ps.70662},
pmid = {41700603},
issn = {1526-4998},
support = {//National Natural Science Foundation of China (31971666, 32471875)/ ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Climate warming poses a critical challenge to ectotherm survival. While endosymbionts are known to influence host thermal tolerance, the fitness consequences of this symbiosis under sustained warming, particularly for parasitoids used in biological control, remain unclear. Here, we investigated this phenomenon using the key endoparasitoid Tetrastichus planipennisi of the emerald ash borer - a destructive wood-boring pest across Asia, North America, and Europe.

RESULTS: The study of four T. planipennisi populations (Jilin, Liaoning, Xinjiang, and Beijing) revealed the Jilin population exhibited better heat tolerance with 100% endosymbiont infestation. At 40 °C, endosymbiont-negative (E[-]) wasps showed 3-h shorter survival than endosymbiont-positive (E[+]) counterparts, with weaker antioxidant capacity. Critically, elevated temperatures diminished parasitoid reproductive output and severely compromised vertical endosymbiont transmission efficiency.

CONCLUSION: While endosymbionts provide measurable thermal protection, their heat sensitivity creates an ecological trade-off that may disadvantage parasitoids under climate warming. These findings advance understanding of endosymbiont-mediated thermal adaptation in parasitoids and have important implications for optimizing biological control strategies in warming environments. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.},
}

@article {pmid41698861,
year = {2026},
author = {Mosoh, DA and Vendrame, WA},
title = {The cellular harvest: a symbiotic road map for food sovereignty.},
journal = {Trends in biotechnology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1016/j.tibtech.2025.12.022},
pmid = {41698861},
issn = {1879-3096},
abstract = {The 'predatory replacement' model in agriculture is untenable. We propose a symbiotic framework valorizing farmer-supplied agricultural waste side-streams to fuel bioengineered plant callus for decentralized high-value metabolite biosynthesis. Anchored in open-source governance and codesign, this approach shifts from displacement to innovation, reintegrating farmers to enhance sovereignty and resilience.},
}

@article {pmid41698752,
year = {2026},
author = {Boral, S and Black, L and Velis, CA},
title = {Conceptualising systems thinking and complexity modelling for circular economy quantification: A systematic review and critical analysis.},
journal = {Waste management & research : the journal of the International Solid Wastes and Public Cleansing Association, ISWA},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {734242X251413436},
doi = {10.1177/0734242X251413436},
pmid = {41698752},
issn = {1096-3669},
abstract = {Quantification of circular economy (CE) is essential for effective implementation, yet also fundamentally challenging, because it is inherently complex, featuring multiple interactions and system-level dynamicity. Two main approaches of systems thinking, commonly used to model complexities in intricate systems, are: system dynamics (SD), providing a top-down, macroscopic view; and agent-based modelling and simulation (ABMS), offering a bottom-up, microscopic perspective. Here we conducted a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) review, examining 60 studies applying SD or ABMS to CE, across sectors such as bio-based materials, construction and industrial symbiosis. Both methods capture aspects of circularity's feedback loops and time evolution, but they are often used in isolation in the absence of integrated platforms along with concerns over computational costs. This limits their capacity to comprehensively model internal dynamics at multiple scales and provide system-wide decision support. Few studies explore the potential of combining SD and ABMS or attempt to integrate them with static tools, such as life-cycle assessment and multi-criteria decision analysis. Standardised metrics and operational holistic evaluation tools incorporating economic, environmental, technical and social sustainability aspects are missing - especially with the latter. A more unified and comprehensive systems approach to support informed decisions on circularity would improve evidence-based policymaking and empower wider industrial adoption.},
}

@article {pmid41696163,
year = {2026},
author = {Kaur, A and Sirengo, DK and Karki, P and Powers, TO and Brown, AMV},
title = {Harnessing entomopathogenic nematodes for sustainable pest management: mechanisms, challenges, and innovations.},
journal = {Frontiers in plant science},
volume = {17},
number = {},
pages = {1755114},
pmid = {41696163},
issn = {1664-462X},
abstract = {Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) of the genera Heterorhabditis and Steinernema are increasingly recognized as potent biological control agents due to their ability to infect and kill diverse insect pest taxa through a symbiotic partnership with insect-pathogenic bacteria. Over the last decades, substantial progress has been made in improving EPN field performance through advances in formulation and application methods, use of biodegradable polymers and nanocarriers, and elucidation of stress tolerance mechanisms. However, despite their proven efficacy, large-scale commercialization of EPNs remains limited by high production costs, formulation instability, and environmental constraints. While numerous reviews have separately addressed EPN biology, mass production, or field application independently, a critical and integrative synthesis linking molecular mechanisms, and formulation strategies remains lacking. This review synthesizes current understanding of EPN biology with emphasis on molecular mechanisms governing host localization, invasion, and immune suppression, as well as their biotic ecological interactions within soil environments. We also discuss advances in stress tolerance mechanisms, innovations in formulation, and outline future research priorities needed to develop ecologically resilient EPN-based biocontrol products. As agriculture shifts toward more regenerative and environmentally sustainable systems, a comprehensive understanding of EPN biology, full ecological potential of EPN-bacteria partnerships holds promise not only for effective pest suppression but also for advancing fundamental understanding of host-microbe interactions and ecosystem resilience.},
}

@article {pmid41696022,
year = {2026},
author = {Thobor, BM and Hill, CEL and Custer, GF and Garcias-Bonet, N and Fox, MD and El-Khaled, YC and Aylagas, E and Dini-Andreote, F and Struck, U and Tilstra, A and Peixoto, R and Carvalho, S and Wild, C and Mueller, B},
title = {Contrasting physiological adaptation strategies to natural environmental change in two Red Sea coral holobionts.},
journal = {ISME communications},
volume = {6},
number = {1},
pages = {ycag008},
pmid = {41696022},
issn = {2730-6151},
abstract = {Coral holobionts acquire energy and nutrients from heterotrophic feeding, Symbiodiniaceae symbiosis, and additional metabolic functions (e.g. nitrogen (N) fixation) from associated bacterial communities. Since symbioses often require stable environmental conditions, corals in environments with seasonal variability have likely evolved adaptation strategies by either maintaining (i.e. regulating) or shifting (i.e. conforming) key functional traits, but empirical data is needed. We investigated carbon (C) and N elemental and stable isotope ratios alongside bacterial community composition in the hydrocoral Millepora dichotoma and the scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata every two months over one year. These data were integrated with environmental parameters to investigate potential adaptation strategies of the coral holobionts over a seasonal cycle. S. pistillata showed temporal changes in δ[13]C, δ[15]N and C:N ratios in both host and Symbiodiniaceae tissues (indicating stable host-Symbiodiniaceae C/N cycling), in combination with stable bacterial communities. M. dichotoma, did not exhibit temporal changes in elemental and stable isotope ratios, but higher δ[15]N and C:N variability, and 61% higher C:N ratios in Symbiodiniaceae compared to host tissue. Temporal shifts in bacterial communities resulted in significantly enriched predicted metabolic functions for C, N, and sulfur cycling in winter. Stable C/N cycling and bacterial community composition suggest a regulator-like life history strategy of S. pistillata, whereas variable C/N cycling and flexible bacterial communities indicate a conformer-like life history strategy for M. dichotoma. Both contrasting adaptation strategies enable these organisms to succeed amid current environmental change, yet to what extent this can be maintained under future climate scenarios remains to be investigated.},
}

@article {pmid41696020,
year = {2026},
author = {Kim, J and Murakami, T and Toyoda, A and Mori, H},
title = {Behavioural phase transitions in the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria, are related to changes in the gut bacterial composition.},
journal = {ISME communications},
volume = {6},
number = {1},
pages = {ycag009},
pmid = {41696020},
issn = {2730-6151},
abstract = {Locusta migratoria is a grasshopper species that can change its behaviour from solitary to gregarious. Previous studies have implicated metabolites such as serotonin and dopamine in the regulation of behavioural transition in this species. While many studies using cultured microbes have demonstrated that some microbes harbor the neuroactive metabolic potential of these neurotransmitters, the association between microbial community composition and phase transition remains poorly understood. Here, we employed 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and shotgun metagenomic sequencing analyses to compare the composition of gut microbial communities of L. migratoria in different behavioural phases. We found that Serratia ureilytica was enriched in the gut of gregarious individuals in contrast to the decreased presence of Klebsiella aerogenes, one of the most abundant taxa in wild individuals. The gut microbiome of gregarious individuals was functionally characterised by enriched kynurenine and tryptophan synthesis pathways, and by reduced representation of GABA, indole, and dopamine metabolism pathways compared with that of solitary individuals. These compositional changes were consistent with the enrichment of S. ureilytica and depletion of K. aerogenes, which possess the corresponding genes. In particular, the genes for kynurenine synthesis encoded by S. ureilytica specific to the gregarious phase, are known to be involved in the tryptophan production and are associated with reduced serotonin synthesis. These results highlight a distinct shift in both the taxonomic and functional composition of the gut microbiome across behavioural phases and suggest a potential microbial contribution to the behavioural changes of L. migratoria.},
}

@article {pmid41695820,
year = {2026},
author = {Rodrigues, C and Dos Reis, GA and Ocán-Torres, D and Martinez-Burgos, WJ and Medeiros, ABP and Karp, SG and Goyzueta-Mamani, LD and de Queiroz Fonseca Mota, P and Soccol, CR},
title = {Unlocking the pharmaceutical potential of Kombucha: production, regulatory challenges and patents landscape.},
journal = {Food science and biotechnology},
volume = {35},
number = {3},
pages = {427-442},
pmid = {41695820},
issn = {2092-6456},
abstract = {Kombucha is a traditional fermented beverage known for its potential health benefits, including probiotic, antioxidant and energy-boosting properties. Its production involves the fermentation of sweetened tea with a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY). This article explores kombucha's therapeutic potential in several health areas, such as metabolism regulation, anti-inflammatory and neurocognitive therapies, and dermatological applications. Although there are regulatory challenges in different countries, the lack of global standardization in production and safety of kombucha consumption is a bottleneck for developing new products. The investigation of compounds derived from kombucha for use in pharmaceutical applications is evidenced by several patents registered in recent years, which demonstrate the potential of kombucha for the pharmaceutical and functional food industries. This demonstrates the importance of conducting more robust clinical studies and research into the pharmaceutical potential of different biomolecules in this beverage.},
}

@article {pmid41695212,
year = {2025},
author = {Abbas, M and Abbas, G and Fatima, and Hashmi, AH and Jaffery, S and Li, Y and Zhao, G and Xihe, L},
title = {Sustainable AGP alternatives: a systems approach to non-antibiotic growth regulators standardization, synergistic formulation and environmental safety.},
journal = {Frontiers in veterinary science},
volume = {12},
number = {},
pages = {1695160},
pmid = {41695212},
issn = {2297-1769},
abstract = {Growing consumer preference for livestock products labeled "Raised without Antibiotics" (RWA) or "No Antibiotics Ever" (NAE), escalating crisis of antimicrobial resistance due to long use of antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) along with stringent regulatory restrictions, has intensified the demand for sustainable alternatives. This review summarizes recent advances in non-antibiotic strategies to enhance livestock production while aligning with global regulatory bans on in-feed antibiotics. We first delineate the multifunctional mechanisms of AGPs, primarily through gut microbiota modulation and immunomodulation, to establish a benchmark for alternative efficacy. The core analysis critically evaluates leading antibiotic substitutes, including probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, organic acids, dietary enzymes, and phytogenic food additives (PFAs). Among all, PFAs rich in terpenoids and phenolics for their antimicrobial, antioxidant, and gut health promoting properties along with cost-efficiency, scalability, and one health implications are preferred alternative to antibiotics. Further, we underscore emerging technologies such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), hyper-immune egg yolk antibodies (IgY), bacteriophages, genomic medicines, and clays and trace minerals, highlighting commercially approved examples like bacteriophage to control Salmonella. Despite demonstrated success in improving feed efficiency, growth performance, and overall animal health, challenges regarding consistency, bioavailability, and regulatory approval persist. The conclusive evidence positions a strategic combination of these natural and advanced alternatives, particularly optimized PFA formulations, as a viable and sustainable pathway to achieving antibiotic-free animal husbandry, thereby mitigating AMR risks and ensuring future food security.},
}

@article {pmid41693106,
year = {2026},
author = {Luo, H and Fu, J and Li, L and Yu, W and Peng, Z and Zhang, J and Lai, H and Hu, Y and Wei, S and Zhang, Z and Zhou, W and Wei, F},
title = {Coral-associated microbiome dynamics under thermal and pollution stress.},
journal = {Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e70239},
doi = {10.1111/cobi.70239},
pmid = {41693106},
issn = {1523-1739},
support = {2021YFF0502804//Ministry of Science and Technology of China/ ; 32301465//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; 2021QN02H103//Science and Technology Department of Guangdong Province/ ; 2023A1111110001//Science and Technology Department of Guangdong Province/ ; 2025B1212050002//Guangdong Province Observation and Research Station for Marine Biodiversity in the Nanpeng Islands Zone/ ; SLYJ2023B4004//Guangdong Forestry Administration/ ; GML2020GD0804//Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou)/ ; GML2022GD0804//Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou)/ ; },
abstract = {Globally, coral reefs are undergoing rapid degradation due to climate change. Microbiomes associated with coral are integral to host metabolism and play critical roles in coral resilience. Determining the changes in compositions and functions of these coral commensal microbes is essential for forecasting coral responses to environmental stress and guiding conservation. We investigated the structure and function of Symbiodiniaceae and bacteria from 587 coral samples (5 orders, 62 genera, and 166 species) spanning a 15° latitudinal range in the South China Sea by combining environmental factor measurements with ITS2 and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing analyses. The abundance of dominant Symbiodiniaceae and bacteria varied with latitude, primarily driven by sea surface temperature. A higher proportion of heat-tolerant Symbiodiniaceae (Durusdinium, C15, and C3u) and copiotrophic bacteria (e.g., Endozoicomonas and Terasakiellaceae) was observed in low-latitude corals. Increased expression of bacterial genes was associated with triglyceride and glycogen degradation, and there was a decreased expression of genes involved in their biosynthesis. These findings suggest that corals cope with heat stress by reshaping symbiont composition and abundance, thereby enhancing thermal tolerance and optimizing energy metabolism. Based on the results, we propose region-specific conservation strategies, including the introduction of heat-tolerant symbionts to low-latitude corals, reducing nutrient pollution for high-latitude corals, and emphasizing reduction in global emissions as the ultimate solution to thermal stress.},
}

@article {pmid41692943,
year = {2026},
author = {Wang, H and Dai, Y and Chen, C and He, X and Li, M and Zhou, Y and Ip, JC and Sun, J},
title = {Multi-omics analyses of the Alviniconcha holobiont reveal multi-faceted adaptations to deep-sea hydrothermal vents.},
journal = {Science China. Life sciences},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {41692943},
issn = {1869-1889},
abstract = {Deep-sea hydrothermal vents are "extreme" environments with constantly fluctuating physicochemical conditions, but dense animal aggregations thrive primarily through symbiosis with chemoautotrophic bacteria to exploit the unusual chemistry. Alviniconcha snails, which harbor symbionts in their enlarged gill at an intermediate state between intracellular and extracellular, are a prime example. Here, we present chromosome-level genomes of two Alviniconcha species (A. adamantis and A. marisindica) to investigate the adaptations of this holobiont. Significant expansion of solute carrier families enhances nutrient transport between the two parties. Alviniconcha lacks complete methionine biosynthesis pathways, likely compensated by symbiont provisioning, highlighting host-symbiont metabolic complementarity. High myoglobin expression levels in the gills contradict previous reports of hemoglobin, suggesting myoglobin-mediated oxygen storage to mitigate fluctuating environmental oxygen levels. Spatial transcriptomics further delineated gill's functional zones on the gill filament responsible for symbiont digestion via phagocytosis in bacteriocytes, oxygen transport in secretory zones, and ciliary water flow regulation. Our findings elucidate molecular and physiological adaptations underpinning the Alviniconcha holobiont's success in dynamic vent ecosystems.},
}

@article {pmid41692941,
year = {2026},
author = {Jin, J and Wen, C and Li, J and Mai, C and Yuan, J and Wang, P and Peng, D and Zhao, Y and Sun, C and Ma, X and Feng, J and Yang, N},
title = {Collaboration of the symbiotic microbiome and host genome during the high altitude adaptation of chickens.},
journal = {Science China. Life sciences},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {41692941},
issn = {1869-1889},
abstract = {The harsh environments of high-altitude habitats present formidable challenges for animal survival and reproduction. The adaptation of plateau endotherms to hypoxic and cold stresses has been studied for more than a century. However, the responses and contributions of the symbiotic microbiota to host adaptation remain unclear. Here, we conducted an integrated analysis of the gut and respiratory microbiomes of Tibetan chickens native to the high-altitudes of Lhasa and maintained for 20 years (approximately 20 generations) in low-altitude Beijing, as well as other high- and low-altitude breeds, to determine microbiota-host co-evolution in high-altitude adaptation. The results revealed that the respiratory microbial composition differed from that of the gut. The cecal microbiota was enriched in metabolic pathways, whereas the lung microbiota was more enriched in environmental information processing. Higher microbial diversity was observed in the ceca of chickens housed in Lhasa, whereas the lungs presented lower microbial diversity. Notably, consistent with the varying altitudes, the microbial communities in the ceca and lungs could be classified into distinct enterotypes and pulmotypes, respectively. The lung microbiome exhibited a more rapid environmental adaptation response to high-altitude environments, as 88 microbial genera were identified as signatures of high-altitude adaptation compared with only 7 in the ceca. Additionally, cecal Acetobacteroides was jointly regulated by the environmental conditions and host genetics, with higher abundance in the high-altitude chickens. FST analysis and mbQTL mapping identified NAT8L as a key gene under natural selection influencing Acetobacteroides colonization. Moreover, genotype-associated differences in metabolite levels indicate a potential link between NAT8L and Acetobacteroides, possibly through shared involvement in alanine, as-partate, and glutamate metabolism. These findings reveal a host gene-metabolism-microbiota axis that enhances energy efficiency, offering new perspectives for microbiota-host collaboration in high-altitude adaptation.},
}

@article {pmid41692029,
year = {2026},
author = {Zhang, L and Chen, Y and Chen, Z and Zheng, W and Shi, X},
title = {An Integrative Genomic and Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals the Divergent Molecular Strategies Driving Mutualism and Pathogenesis in a Dinoflagellate Phycosphere.},
journal = {Environmental microbiology},
volume = {28},
number = {2},
pages = {e70257},
doi = {10.1111/1462-2920.70257},
pmid = {41692029},
issn = {1462-2920},
support = {41976130//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; 202510386086//Student Research Training Program of Fuzhou University/ ; },
mesh = {*Dinoflagellida/genetics/microbiology/physiology ; *Symbiosis/genetics ; Gene Expression Profiling ; *Transcriptome ; Genomics ; *Bacteria/genetics/pathogenicity/metabolism ; Type VI Secretion Systems/genetics ; },
abstract = {The dinoflagellate phycosphere hosts mutualistic and algicidal bacteria, but how the algal host integrates these opposing microbial signals is unclear. We used comparative genomics and dual RNA-seq to study Karenia mikimotoi in co-culture with its symbiotic and algicidal bacteria. Genomes revealed distinct potentials: the symbiont is equipped for nutrient exchange, while the algicide possesses a T6SS (Type VI Secretion System) and siderophore synthesis pathways. Dual RNA-seq revealed divergent host strategies. The symbiont induced a defence priming state, upregulating photosynthesis and antioxidant genes. Conversely, the algicide induced systemic metabolic failure. This collapse was driven by the pathogen's active suppression of algal glutathione reductase gene transcription, leading to oxidative stress and a shutdown of central metabolism, including glycolysis and TCA (tricarboxylic acid). The pathogen concurrently activated its T6SS, secreted proteases, and iron-scavenging systems. This study not only reveals the molecular blueprints for algal-bacterial symbiosis and pathogenesis, but it also challenges the conventional perception of these interactions as simplistic models of nutrient provisioning or toxin-mediated assault. It provides a new molecular framework, revealing these interactions as dynamic processes dictated by divergent transcriptomic responses of the host to either initiate a reinforced growth program or execute a systemic metabolic and defensive collapse.},
}

*Dinoflagellida/genetics/microbiology/physiology
*Symbiosis/genetics
Gene Expression Profiling
*Transcriptome
Genomics
*Bacteria/genetics/pathogenicity/metabolism
Type VI Secretion Systems/genetics

@article {pmid41690303,
year = {2026},
author = {Sørensen, MES and Zlatogursky, VV and Onuţ-Brännström, I and Walraven, A and Foster, RA and Burki, F},
title = {A novel kleptoplastidic symbiosis revealed in the marine centrohelid Meringosphaera with evidence of genetic integration.},
journal = {Current biology : CB},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2026.02.007},
pmid = {41690303},
issn = {1879-0445},
}

@article {pmid41689809,
year = {2026},
author = {Wickens, G and Greensmith, E and Schiessl, K},
title = {Spatiotemporal analysis of cell division during symbiotic root nodule development in the model legume Medicago truncatula.},
journal = {STAR protocols},
volume = {7},
number = {1},
pages = {104371},
doi = {10.1016/j.xpro.2026.104371},
pmid = {41689809},
issn = {2666-1667},
abstract = {This protocol combines rhizobial spot inoculation with deep-tissue imaging to capture cellular processes during early nodule development in the legume Medicago truncatula. We describe steps to visualize DNA replication activity and cell geometry as indicators of cell proliferation and cell expansion processes. We detail steps for rhizobial spot inoculation of seedlings, incubation in 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) medium, sample fixation and labeling of replicated DNA, clearing, staining of the cell walls, followed by confocal imaging. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Lee et al.[1].},
}

@article {pmid41689263,
year = {2026},
author = {Qin, C and Zhang, J and Tan, Z and Han, Y and Pan, Y and Han, J and Gao, B and Dong, K and Zhao, Y and Wang, J and Lu, S},
title = {Limited Benefits of Funneliformis mosseae for Hordeum jubatum Under Cold Stress: An Anatomical Perspective.},
journal = {Physiologia plantarum},
volume = {178},
number = {1},
pages = {e70793},
doi = {10.1111/ppl.70793},
pmid = {41689263},
issn = {1399-3054},
support = {2572023CT18-02//Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities/ ; 2024YFF1306403-02//National Key Research and Development Program of China/ ; 32072666//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; },
mesh = {Plant Roots/microbiology/anatomy & histology/physiology ; Plant Leaves/anatomy & histology/microbiology/physiology ; *Mycorrhizae/physiology ; *Hordeum/microbiology/anatomy & histology/physiology ; Cold Temperature ; *Glomeromycota/physiology ; *Cold-Shock Response ; Plant Stomata/anatomy & histology/physiology/microbiology ; Symbiosis ; },
abstract = {Plants in high latitude regions frequently experience cold stress, which strongly constrains plant growth and development. Although arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can form beneficial symbiotic relationships with plants, their role in mediating anatomical adaptations under different temperature regimes remains insufficiently understood. In this study, we investigated how inoculation with the AMF Funneliformis mosseae influences anatomical responses in Hordeum jubatum under contrasting temperature conditions using detailed microscopic analysis. Under normal temperature conditions, AMF inoculation promoted significant improvements in plant anatomical structures. Stomatal dimensions including length, width and area showed marked increases alongside elevated stomatal density. Leaf tissues exhibited enhanced development, particularly in vascular and epidermal components, while root systems displayed an expanded radius, greater cortical thickness and larger metaxylem area. These coordinated modifications demonstrated a comprehensive optimization throughout the root-leaf continuum. In contrast, under cold stress conditions, the positive effects of fungal inoculation were substantially diminished. Although a few traits, such as abaxial epidermal thickness and root cortical cell area, showed partial improvement, most anatomical parameters exhibited minimal responses to fungal treatments at low temperatures. This pronounced contrast between temperature regimes highlights the limited capacity of this single fungal strain to support anatomical adaptations under cold stress. These findings provide important insights into plant-microbe interactions under challenging environmental conditions and demonstrate that AMF-mediated benefits are strongly temperature dependent. Our work advances the understanding of the contextual nature of plant-AMF relationships and offers valuable anatomical perspectives for developing improved strategies to enhance plant resilience in cold-climate ecosystems.},
}

Plant Roots/microbiology/anatomy & histology/physiology
Plant Leaves/anatomy & histology/microbiology/physiology
*Mycorrhizae/physiology
*Hordeum/microbiology/anatomy & histology/physiology
Cold Temperature
*Glomeromycota/physiology
*Cold-Shock Response
Plant Stomata/anatomy & histology/physiology/microbiology
Symbiosis

@article {pmid41687764,
year = {2026},
author = {Luks, FI},
title = {Surgeons and medical illustrators: A symbiotic relationship.},
journal = {Journal of pediatric surgery},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {163012},
doi = {10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2026.163012},
pmid = {41687764},
issn = {1531-5037},
}

@article {pmid41687584,
year = {2026},
author = {Gomes, MP and Malinoski, L and Maranho, LT and Carneiro, DNM and Richardi, VS and Martinez, MG},
title = {Microbiota modulate metformin phytoremediation and stress responses in Lemna minor.},
journal = {Journal of hazardous materials},
volume = {505},
number = {},
pages = {141427},
doi = {10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141427},
pmid = {41687584},
issn = {1873-3336},
abstract = {The phytoremediation of pharmaceuticals by aquatic plants is influenced by both plant physiology and microbial interactions. This study investigated how microbial symbiosis modulates the uptake, transformation, and physiological responses of Lemna minor to metformin. Plants were cultivated under axenic and non-axenic conditions and exposed to 10, 50, and 100 µg/L metformin for 7 days. Both systems removed > 99 % of metformin from water, but exhibited distinct accumulation patterns, stress biomarkers, and metabolic profiles. Axenic plants accumulated 2.1-fold more metformin and 1.7-fold more guanylurea, a key metformin metabolite, at 100 µg/L, along with increased oxidative stress (↑MDA) and elevated cytochrome P450 activity. Non-axenic systems exhibited extracellular guanylurea concentrations up to 0.9 µg/L, indicating a reliance on intrinsic detoxification pathways. Guanylurea was detected in both plant types, but appeared in water only under non-axenic conditions, suggesting microbial-mediated excretion. Principal component analysis revealed that guanylurea accumulation was correlated with elevated P450 activity, lipid peroxidation, and hormonal shifts, especially in axenic plants. These results confirmed that L. minor can biotransform metformin independently of microbes, albeit with a greater physiological burden. Microbial presence mitigates stress and enhances extracellular degradation. Overall, the data demonstrate complementary roles of plants and microbiota, with microbiota reducing internal contaminant load and protecting plant homeostasis.},
}

@article {pmid41686420,
year = {2026},
author = {Senthilkumar, K and Muthiah, P},
title = {A Comprehensive Review of Kombucha Fermentation and Probiotic Functional Mechanisms: Microbial Dynamics, Bioactive Compounds and Health Effects.},
journal = {Probiotics and antimicrobial proteins},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {41686420},
issn = {1867-1314},
abstract = {The rising demand for health-promoting beverages, kombucha presents significant opportunities for scientific innovation and commercial growth. Symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY), which includes acetic acid bacteria (AAB), lactic acid bacteria (LAB), and several yeast species, plays a major role in kombucha fermentation. During fermentation, kombucha produces bioactive compounds mainly catechins, theaflavins, tannins, and organic acids that enhance health efficacy and probiotic properties, supporting gut health and non-communicable disease prevention. The present study emphasizes, nutritional qualities of kombucha through different Komagataeibacter starter cultures and alternative substrates such as herbal infusions and fruit extracts. This review also highlights the role of AAB, LAB, and Yeast in the production mechanism of the kombucha beverage by the different microbial strains of microbial species and the fibril network of bacterial cellulose. This study further explains the bioactivities in the human body, especially mechanisms of action in the intestine through fundamental signaling pathways such as PIK3-AKT, MAPK, NFκB, PPARγ, and JAK-STAT. Therapeutic efficacy of kombucha, including various substrate-based antioxidants, antimicrobials, synergistic impact, delivery mechanism of anticancer, anti-diabetic insulin, and glycaemic responses, regulations of inflammatory markers (ILs) in anti-obese properties, has also been reviewed. Further, it is necessary to develop the advanced kombucha beverage qualities through metagenomics, metabolomics. Future studies should address these research gaps to ensure controlled microbial and probiotic stability, validate metabolites availability, and explore innovative applications for improved functionality and shelf-life.},
}

@article {pmid41685123,
year = {2025},
author = {Gong, XF and Khan, W and Yang, L and Chen, YK and Chen, J and Zhang, L and Zhang, Y and Zhu, Y and Wang, ZY and Zhang, BL and Xue, LG},
title = {Altitude-mediated soil microbe-nutrient dynamics shape medicinal properties of Angelica sinensis.},
journal = {Frontiers in plant science},
volume = {16},
number = {},
pages = {1703258},
pmid = {41685123},
issn = {1664-462X},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Rhizosphere microorganisms play a critical role in plant growth and medicinal quality, yet their altitudinal patterns and interactions with soil nutrients and bioactive compounds in Angelica sinensis (A. sinensis) remain poorly understood.

METHODS: Using Illumina MiSeq sequencing, we analyzed bacterial, fungal, arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal, and archaeal diversity across an altitudinal gradient, alongside soil physicochemical characteristics and bioactive components.

RESULTS: As cultivation elevation increased, bacterial and fungal diversity initially increased significantly and then stabilized (p < 0.05). In contrast, AM fungal and archaeal communities remained relatively stable. Bacterial communities varied significantly across altitudes (stress < 0.1, p = 0.001), as did soil nutrients and enzyme activities (p < 0.05). Bioactive components, except for ferulic acid, varied significantly with altitude. Redundancy analysis (RDA) confirmed that altitude and soil factors are key drivers of microbial community assembly. Mantel tests and structural equation modeling (SEM) demonstrated significant correlations between soil properties, microbial diversity, and medicinal properties of A. sinensis (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: The mid-to high elevation zone (2520-2717 m) was identified as optimal for both yield and bioactive compound accumulation. These findings deepen the understanding of how microbes adapt to different altitudes in medicinal plants and offer a framework for precise cultivation of A. sinensis, thereby supporting the high-altitude symbiosis theory.},
}

@article {pmid41684914,
year = {2026},
author = {Yang, G and Zhu, J and Wang, M and She, S and Dai, K},
title = {Research advances on gut microbiota dysbiosis and chronic liver diseases: a review.},
journal = {Frontiers in medicine},
volume = {13},
number = {},
pages = {1765047},
pmid = {41684914},
issn = {2296-858X},
abstract = {The gut microbiota is fundamental to human health, maintaining intricate symbiotic interactions with the host. Accumulating evidence highlights a critical association between gut microbiota dysbiosis and the initiation and progression of chronic liver diseases (CLDs). Particularly hepatitis B virus (HBV)/hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, alcoholic liver disease (ALD), metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), and cirrhosis. This microbial imbalance may contribute to the progression of CLDs primarily via the "gut-liver axis," the mechanisms involve gut barrier dysfunction, abnormal immune regulation, and metabolic alterations. This review synthesizes cutting-edge research on the interplay between gut dysregulation and CLDs, elaborating molecular mechanistic pathways including the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway, AMPK pathway, and farnesoid X receptor (FXR)-mediated bile acid signaling. Additionally, it discusses clinically oriented therapeutic strategies targeting microbiota modulation, including probiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), and personalized dietary interventions, offering innovative insights for the prevention and management of chronic liver diseases.},
}

@article {pmid41683964,
year = {2026},
author = {Li, L and Qiu, X and Lu, S and Yu, H and Lu, P and Zeng, S and Deng, A and Zhu, M and Xu, E and Niu, J},
title = {The Role of Probiotics Limosilactobacillus reuteri, Ligilactobacillus salivarius, and Lactobacillus johnsonii in Inhibziting Pathogens, Maintaining Gut Health, and Improving Disease Outcomes.},
journal = {International journal of molecular sciences},
volume = {27},
number = {3},
pages = {},
pmid = {41683964},
issn = {1422-0067},
support = {32160798//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; ZK2024(004)//he Provincial Key Fund Project of Guizhou Province/ ; },
mesh = {*Probiotics/therapeutic use/pharmacology ; Humans ; *Limosilactobacillus reuteri/physiology ; *Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Animals ; *Lactobacillus johnsonii/physiology ; *Ligilactobacillus salivarius/physiology ; },
abstract = {As the critical component of the gastrointestinal tract, which lives in trillions of gut microorganisms, in a healthy state, the host interacts with the gut microbiota and is symbiotic. The species Limosilactobacillus reuteri, Ligilactobacillus salivarius, and Lactobacillus johnsonii are indigenous gut commensal bacteria that are mainly found in the digestive tracts. These three bacteria possess a variety of characteristics that reflect their ability to adapt to the gastrointestinal environment. Herein, we summarize the current progress of research on the probiotic properties of these strains in terms of their ability to protect against harmful pathogens, maintain intestinal health, and improve disease outcomes. These bacteria can impact the intestinal barrier function and enhance intestinal immunity through various mechanisms, such as upregulating the tight-junction protein expression and mucin secretion of intestinal epithelial cells, adjusting and balancing the gut microbiota, and blocking pro-inflammatory cytokine production. They have been shown to ameliorate intestinal inflammation in animal models and provide protective effects against various healthy issues in humans, including diarrhea, constipation, colorectal cancer, obesity, and liver diseases. However, the detailed mechanisms of certain strains remain unclear.},
}

*Probiotics/therapeutic use/pharmacology
Humans
*Limosilactobacillus reuteri/physiology
*Gastrointestinal Microbiome
Animals
*Lactobacillus johnsonii/physiology
*Ligilactobacillus salivarius/physiology

@article {pmid41683908,
year = {2026},
author = {Ben-Laouane, R and Ait-El-Mokhtar, M and Meddich, A and Baslam, M},
title = {Nodule-Microbiome Dynamics: Deciphering the Complexities of Nodule Symbiosis and the Root Microbiome.},
journal = {International journal of molecular sciences},
volume = {27},
number = {3},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/ijms27031487},
pmid = {41683908},
issn = {1422-0067},
mesh = {*Symbiosis ; *Root Nodules, Plant/microbiology ; *Microbiota ; *Plant Roots/microbiology ; Soil Microbiology ; Endophytes ; Rhizobium/physiology ; Plant Root Nodulation ; Fabaceae/microbiology ; Nitrogen Fixation ; },
abstract = {Microbiomes play a pivotal role in sustaining plant function and broader ecosystem processes. Leguminous plants host vast populations of intracellular bacteria within specialized root organs known as nodules. The intricate mutualism between legumes and rhizobia ensures a stable supply of biologically fixed nitrogen (N) essential for plant growth. While rhizobia remain the central actors in this symbiosis, recent discoveries reveal the presence of non-rhizobial endophytes within nodules, suggesting a complex interplay shaped by host selection and compatibility with rhizobial partners. Understanding the structure and dynamics of crop nodule-associated microbial communities is thus critical for optimizing host responses to rhizobia and for leveraging beneficial plant-microbe interactions. This review explores the dualistic nature-both facilitative and inhibitory-of the nodule microbiome in relation to nodulation. We examine the diversity of soil bacteria that stimulate nodulation and those that ultimately colonize nodule tissues, questioning whether these functional groups overlap. Furthermore, we discuss the molecular dialogs and counter-signaling mechanisms that regulate endophyte ingress into nodules, and evaluate how nodule endophytes contribute to plant performance and soil fertility.},
}

*Symbiosis
*Root Nodules, Plant/microbiology
*Microbiota
*Plant Roots/microbiology
Soil Microbiology
Endophytes
Rhizobium/physiology
Plant Root Nodulation
Fabaceae/microbiology
Nitrogen Fixation

@article {pmid41681669,
year = {2026},
author = {Navarro, JM and Morte, A and Pérez-Pérez, JG},
title = {Mycorrhizal Inoculation Enhances Drought Resilience in Citrus Seedlings of Two Cultivars by Modulating Gas Exchange and Hormonal Signaling.},
journal = {Plants (Basel, Switzerland)},
volume = {15},
number = {3},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/plants15030505},
pmid = {41681669},
issn = {2223-7747},
abstract = {Water scarcity and climate variability threaten citrus production in semi-arid regions, requiring strategies to improve drought resilience. This study evaluated the physiological and hormonal responses of two citrus cultivars, alemow (Citrus macrophylla Wester) and 'Cleopatra' mandarin (Citrus reshni Hort. Ex Tanaka), inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi (Rhizophagus irregularis + Funneliformis mosseae) and subjected to drought stress imposed by progressive soil drying (water withholding) and quantified by volumetric soil water content (θv) classes: >0.20 cm[3] cm[-3] (well-watered), 0.05-0.20 cm[3] cm[-3] (moderate drought), and <0.05 cm[3] cm[-3] (severe drought). Gas exchange, plant water status, and abscisic acid (ABA) dynamics were monitored to assess cultivar-specific effects of AM symbiosis. Under well-watered conditions, +AM plants exhibited higher photosynthetic rates than non-inoculated plants, with a stronger response in Macrophylla. During drought, contrasting patterns emerged: +AM Macrophylla maintained higher stomatal conductance and photosynthesis, with foliar ABA increasing only under severe stress, suggesting that non-hormonal mechanisms support gas exchange. In Cleopatra, AM inoculation was associated with higher root-derived ABA and earlier stomatal closure, suggesting a more conservative water-use strategy under soil drying conditions; however, the benefits were limited to moderate stress and decreased beyond a stomatal conductance threshold. These findings reveal that AM symbiosis enhances drought resilience through contrasting mechanisms: hydraulic stabilization predominates in Macrophylla, whereas hormonal (ABA-mediated) regulation drives the response in Cleopatra. This cultivar-dependent modulation highlights the importance of developing AM-based strategies adapted to each cultivar for effective citrus drought management. Combining AM inoculation with irrigation-saving practices could improve water productivity and support climate-smart citrus production.},
}

@article {pmid41681631,
year = {2026},
author = {Zhou, Y and Luo, Z and Wang, X and Jia, T},
title = {The Heterogeneous Effects of Epichloë and Rhizophagus irregularis on the Physiological and Rhizosphere Microbial Community of Festuca rubra.},
journal = {Plants (Basel, Switzerland)},
volume = {15},
number = {3},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/plants15030467},
pmid = {41681631},
issn = {2223-7747},
support = {202503021211064//Basic Research Program of Shanxi Province Project/ ; 32171524//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; },
abstract = {In nature, a significant number of plant species form symbiotic associations with microorganisms, with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and endophytic fungi being two prevalent groups of these partners. However, the ability to establish such symbioses with AMF and endophytic fungi is limited to a small fraction of native grass species. Nitrogen is a crucial nutrient for plant growth, yet it is often a limiting factor, underscoring the importance of understanding how plants acquire it. AMF enhance plant growth by improving nitrogen uptake efficiency, but the combined effects of endophytic fungi and AMF on plant physiology and ecology remain underexplored. To address this knowledge gap, in the present study, we conducted an indoor randomized block experiment to investigate the influence of endophytic fungi and AMF infection on the physiological and ecological attributes of Festuca rubra under various nitrogen regimes. The findings indicated that AMF inoculation significantly affected the total carbon content of F. rubra and the total sulfur concentration in its underground tissues across different nitrogen conditions. Additionally, dual colonization by AMF and endophytic fungi had a significant impact on the underground total nitrogen content of the plants. Furthermore, the complex interactions among AMF, endophytic fungi, and nitrogen availability emerged as critical determinants influencing underground total carbon content, transpiration rates, intercellular carbon dioxide concentrations, and the activity of soil extracellular enzymes in F. rubra. The activity of soil extracellular enzymes and pH significantly affected the structure and diversity of rhizosphere bacterial, fungal, and archaeal communities. AMF enhanced the richness of rhizosphere bacterial communities under low-nitrogen conditions, whereas endophytic fungi infection increased bacterial diversity. Soil extracellular enzyme activity and pH were closely related to the community structures and diversities of rhizosphere bacteria, fungi, and archaea. This study clarifies the effects of AMF and endophytic fungi infection on the physiological and ecological characteristics of F. rubra, significantly contributing to our understanding of the synergistic mechanisms governing the interactions among AMF, endophytic fungi, and their host plants.},
}

@article {pmid41681520,
year = {2026},
author = {Wu, Z and Lv, Q and Tang, L and Liu, D and Chen, J and Li, R and Zhang, M and Tian, M},
title = {Action Pathways of Coprinellus radians in Promoting Seed Germination of Cremastra appendiculata.},
journal = {Plants (Basel, Switzerland)},
volume = {15},
number = {3},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/plants15030354},
pmid = {41681520},
issn = {2223-7747},
support = {SCCXTD-2025-19//the National Modern Agricultural Industrial Technology System, Sichuan Innovation Team Project, Genuine Traditional Chinese Medicine Innovation Team/ ; 32270311//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; GZNYGJHX-2023011//the Key Core Technology Research Project for Mountainous Agriculture in Guizhou Province of China/ ; 2024GZZ12//the Graduate Workstation of Guizhou University in China/ ; CGJPY-2023-020//the Education-Teaching Achievement Award Cultivation Project for Graduate of Guizhou Uni-versity in China/ ; },
abstract = {Cremastra appendiculata, a rare medicinal orchid, has extremely low natural seed germination due to immature embryos and dense seed coats, impeding its conservation. Commensal germination with fungi is effective, but the action pathways remain unclear. This study combined morphological observation (scanning electron microscopy and section observation), physiological-biochemical detection (lignocellulolytic enzyme activities, nutrient/hormone contents, FTIR analysis) and transcriptomics to explore Coprinellus radians' role in C. appendiculata seed germination, with commensal and non-commensal cultures on OMA medium set as experimental and control groups. Results showed C. radians significantly promoted C. appendiculata seed germination and protocorm development (superior to non-commensal conditions). Morphologically, C. radians hyphae invaded seed coats at 6 days post-inoculation; embryos broke through coats and formed apical meristems at 12 days, developing into peloton-containing protocorms at 25 days (breaking dormancy). Physiologically, C. radians secreted lignocellulolytic enzymes (laccase, cellulase, xylanase) to degrade coats, enhancing permeability and water uptake, while driving nutrient accumulation (starch, soluble sugars) and hormone balance. Transcriptomically, symbiosis activated carbon/energy metabolism genes, enriching starch-sucrose metabolism and glycolysis pathways. This study clarifies C. radians' multi-dimensional action pathways in promoting C. appendiculata germination, providing support for rare orchid conservation.},
}

@article {pmid41681021,
year = {2026},
author = {Liu, Z and Zhao, X and Li, X and Feng, Y and Wu, L and Wu, Z and Zhong, Y and Qiu, Q and Song, B and Zhao, H and Liu, H and Cheng, S},
title = {Chromosome-Level Genome and Organ-Specific Transcriptome of Alnus glutinosa Uncover Lineage-Specific Innovations in Root Nodule Symbiosis.},
journal = {Plant, cell & environment},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/pce.70440},
pmid = {41681021},
issn = {1365-3040},
support = {2019ZT08N628//the Guangdong Zhujiang Talents Program/ ; PT202101-01//the Special Fund for Science and Technology Innovation and Industrial Development of Dapeng New District, Shenzhen/ ; CAAS-ASTIP-2021-AGIS-ZDRW202101//the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences/ ; AGIS-ZDKY202002//the Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions Program/ ; 2023YFF1000100//the National Key R&D Program of China/ ; 2023YFA0914600//the National Key R&D Program of China/ ; 32401853//the National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; },
abstract = {Alnus glutinosa is one of only three lineages within the order Fagales capable of establishing root nodule symbiosis (RNS). Although a fragmented genome assembly of A. glutinosa was previously available, its limited quality, combined with the lack of comprehensive transcriptomic resources, has constrained in-depth comparative and functional genomic analyses. In this study, we present a 505 Mb chromosome-level genome assembly of A. glutinosa, anchored to 14 pseudochromosomes, representing the most complete and high-quality genomic resource for this species to date. Whole-genome alignment and synonymous substitution rate (Ks) analysis confirm Alnus and Betula as sister genera with shared genomic architectures and evolutionary histories. Functional enrichment analyses of nodule-enhanced genes reveal significant associations with photosynthesis and sugar metabolism, while expanded gene families are enriched in terpenoid biosynthesis and malate transport pathways, likely critical to RNS in A. glutinosa. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that Alnus has retained non-symbiotic class 1 haemoglobin (nsHB1), but lost nsHB2 haemoglobin, suggesting a lineage-specific adaptation in symbiotic oxygen regulation. Further comparative analysis of nsHB1 protein sequences across nodulating taxa highlights evolutionary patterns within the Alnus lineage. Through a targeted phylogenetic survey of known RNS-related genes, we identified PAV in RPG and copy number variation in AGO5, both of which may underlie Alnus-specific RNS adaptations. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis identified a nodule-specific module comprising 231 genes significantly enriched in sugar-related metabolic pathways. Notably, the bZIP ortholog shows conserved nodule-specific expression across species from Cucurbitales, Rosales and Fabales, suggesting deep evolutionary conservation within the nitrogen-fixing clade. Together, these findings provide a high-resolution view of Alnus-specific RNS adaptations and uncover conserved regulatory modules potentially critical for RNS. These works establish a foundational genomic framework for future efforts aimed at engineering RNS capacity into non-nodulating crops.},
}

@article {pmid41680145,
year = {2026},
author = {Pons, I and García-Lozano, M and Emmerich, C and Ayas, AM and Henzler, C and Enav, H and Ley, RE and Salem, H},
title = {Fidelity in co-diversified symbiosis.},
journal = {Nature communications},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1038/s41467-026-69366-4},
pmid = {41680145},
issn = {2041-1723},
support = {Consolidator Grant: 101171076//EC | EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation H2020 | H2020 Priority Excellent Science | H2020 European Research Council (H2020 Excellent Science - European Research Council)/ ; SA 3105/2-1//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation)/ ; Young Investigator Award//European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)/ ; Postdoctoral Research Fellowship//Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung (Alexander von Humboldt Foundation)/ ; },
abstract = {Obligate co-dependence can arise in symbiosis, yielding heritable partnerships. These interactions are considered to be highly specific, but partner fidelity is difficult to quantify owing to the experimental constraints of symbiont exchange between host species. Here, we overcome this challenge by leveraging the unique transmission dynamics of Stammera capleta, the obligate digestive symbiont of tortoise beetles (Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae). Despite its extracellular localization, S. capleta possesses a drastically reduced genome (~ 0.25 Mb) and is vertically transmitted through egg-associated spheres. Manipulating these spheres allowed us to experimentally exchange S. capleta between beetle species to determine their impact on host development. We show that non-native S. capleta can successfully colonize the symbiotic organs of a novel host, but that the interaction outcome correlates with genetic relatedness to the native symbiont. Genetically distant species trigger a more pronounced transcriptional response and can only partially rescue host development. While more closely related symbionts proliferate similarly to the native one and induce a comparable host response, they fail to propagate to the next generation, underscoring how transmission fidelity, host-symbiont compatibility, and local adaptation can further specificity within a Paleocene-aged partnership.},
}

@article {pmid41679351,
year = {2026},
author = {Wang, YF and Wang, SY and He, ZY and Jin, MZ and Yuan, WZ and Jin, WL},
title = {The signal hijacker: How tumors co-opt chemical, electrical, and mechanical cues to thrive.},
journal = {Biochimica et biophysica acta. Reviews on cancer},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {189556},
doi = {10.1016/j.bbcan.2026.189556},
pmid = {41679351},
issn = {1879-2561},
abstract = {To survive within hostile microenvironments, tumors exploit a coordinated, tri-dimensional signaling network encompassing chemical, electrical, and mechanical communication. This enables them to reshape the tumor ecosystem into a supportive niche. This review introduces a unified "signal hijacking" framework to decipher this process. First, chemical hijacking redirects metabolites through mechanisms like lactate shuttling and nucleotide theft via tunneling nanotubes and extracellular vesicles while subverting cytokine networks through TGFβ-dependent immunosuppression. Second, bioelectrical hijacking capitalizes on ion gradient alterations via V-ATPase-driven depolarization and intercellular communication through gap junction-transmitted calcium waves. Third, mechanical hijacking involves ECM restructuring through LOXL2-mediated fibrosis and cadherin tension modulation via β-catenin liberation during cellular force competitions. The hijacking of these signals reprograms the genetic and protein landscape of cells within the tumor microenvironment, fostering an environment suitable for tumor survival. Accordingly, therapeutic strategies targeting these vulnerabilities aim to disrupt tumor communication through three primary modalities: chemical interception (e.g., LDHA and MCT1 inhibitors), bioelectrical recalibration (e.g., Kv1.3 activators and TRPV1 antagonists), and mechanical intervention (e.g., LOXL2 antibodies and Piezo1 inhibitors). This "signal hijacking "paradigm recasts cancer as a battle for communicative control within the ecosystem. We thus propose that reestablishing system-wide signaling homeostasis, rather than pursuing pure cytoreduction, represents a fundamental strategy to overcome therapy resistance.},
}

@article {pmid41679259,
year = {2026},
author = {Tian, H and Li, J and Liu, W and Wang, H and Zhang, J and Liang, X and Liu, Y and Hu, Y and Yi, J and Ji, Y and Zhou, Q},
title = {Insights on the impact of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis on Avena sativa drought tolerance at the early flowering stage.},
journal = {Plant physiology and biochemistry : PPB},
volume = {232},
number = {},
pages = {111092},
doi = {10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111092},
pmid = {41679259},
issn = {1873-2690},
abstract = {Oats (Avena sativa) are a nutritious and versatile crop, but they are highly vulnerable to drought, especially during the heading and flowering stages, which can significantly reduce yield and quality. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can improve plant resilience to drought and other abiotic stresses. However, the genetic networks underlying oat responses to drought during the early flowering stage, influenced by AMF, remain unclear. In this study, we combined transcriptome sequencing with phenotypic and physiological analyses to investigate how AMF enhance drought tolerance in oats. Samples were collected on day 60 of oat-AMF symbiosis (corresponding to day 30 of drought stress), with the 30-day drought period covering the critical water-sensitive phase of panicle initiation to flowering in oats. We found that AMF inoculation enhanced multiple drought-related traits in oats, including growth parameters, root vitality, antioxidant enzyme activity, and levels of oxidized glutathione (GSSG), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and abscisic acid (ABA). Transcriptomic analysis further identified differentially expressed genes involved in drought response, membrane integrity, and transport activities, with a focus on genes associated with stress tolerance. KEGG pathway analysis revealed that phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and plant hormone signal transduction were significantly affected under drought and AMF inoculation. Further analysis showed that genes such as PAL, PYL5, CRE1, and B-ARRs were differentially expressed in AMF-inoculated oat roots under drought stress. Additionally, weighted gene co-expression network analysis identified hub genes related to plant growth and defense (BGLU16, CGS1), oxidative stress (CAT2, RBOH), phosphate and nutrient transport (PHF1, PHT1-11,YSL13), and water transport (PIPs). Overall, these results provide valuable insights into the complex genetic networks underlying AMF-enhanced drought resilience in oats at early flowering stage, offering potential candidate genes for future studies aimed at improving drought tolerance through mycorrhizal-plant interactions.},
}

@article {pmid41678582,
year = {2026},
author = {Cleanclay, WD and Kernyuy, FB and Kintung, IF and Yensii, NG and Chick, JA and Obi, AMM},
title = {Evaluating paratransgenesis using engineered symbiotic bacteria for Plasmodium inhibition in mosquito vectors: A systematic review.},
journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases},
volume = {20},
number = {2},
pages = {e0013654},
pmid = {41678582},
issn = {1935-2735},
mesh = {Animals ; *Mosquito Vectors/parasitology/microbiology ; *Anopheles/parasitology/microbiology ; *Symbiosis ; *Bacteria/genetics/metabolism ; *Malaria/prevention & control/transmission ; Mosquito Control/methods ; Plasmodium falciparum/drug effects ; *Plasmodium ; },
abstract = {Malaria is a significant health problem in the world and has been increased by the emerging resistance to insecticides and antimalarial drugs. New measures must therefore be implemented as an emergency to break the cycle of Plasmodium parasite transmission by the Anopheles mosquitoes. This systematic review assessed the effectiveness of paratransgenesis, an engineering approach that utilizes symbiotic microbes to deliver antiplasmodial molecules into the midgut of the mosquito as a transmission-blocking agent. PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science were searched in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines, yielding 1,289 records. Ten eligible studies were then included after screening. The chosen articles studied bacterial and fungal symbionts, such as Asaia, Serratia, Pantoea, Enterobacter, and Aspergillus oryzae, that have been engineered to produce effector proteins, such as Scorpine, EPIP, Defensin, and SM1-2 peptides. The delivery of oral sugar meals was always associated with colonization of the mosquito midguts, and results reported high levels of inhibition of oocysts or sporozoites in the mosquitoes. Scorpine was the strongest and most commonly used effector with a high level of up to 97.8% inhibition of P. falciparum oocysts in various microbial systems. The combination of two or multiple-effector approaches increased the efficacy in some cases, surpassing 89% parasite inhibition. The risk of bias measurement showed moderate variation in the methods, yet it was in favor of the sound findings. All evidence suggests that paratransgenesis is a potentially important malaria control tool, complementing existing approaches to malaria control. Nevertheless, ecological safety, microbial stability, and field validation are the key obstacles before the translation to large-scale use.},
}

Animals
*Mosquito Vectors/parasitology/microbiology
*Anopheles/parasitology/microbiology
*Symbiosis
*Bacteria/genetics/metabolism
*Malaria/prevention & control/transmission
Mosquito Control/methods
Plasmodium falciparum/drug effects
*Plasmodium

@article {pmid41678542,
year = {2026},
author = {Xing, Y and Lu, R and Tian, W and Li, Z and Zhang, W and Xu, K and Deng, L and Fan, S},
title = {Bacterial community structure and diversity of common mosquito species in Chengdu: Insights from PacBio third-generation sequencing and public health implications.},
journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases},
volume = {20},
number = {2},
pages = {e0013177},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0013177},
pmid = {41678542},
issn = {1935-2735},
abstract = {Mosquitoes, as critical vectors of diseases such as Japanese encephalitis, dengue fever, and yellow fever, pose significant public health risks in Chengdu, a subtropical city in southwestern China. The present study ecological surveillance and PacBio third-generation sequencing to characterize the symbiotic microbiota of four dominant mosquito species (Aedes albopictus, Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus, Culex tritaeniorhynchus, and Armigeres subalbatus) across urban and rural habitats. From 2020 to 2024, mosquito density monitoring revealed spatial heterogeneity(Aedes albopictus, Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus, Culex tritaeniorhynchus, and Anopheles sinensis), with outer ring areas exhibiting the highest density (34.69 mosquitoes per trap per night), while central urban zones had the lowest (3.60). Sequencing identified 717 high-quality Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs), with Aedes albopictus harboring the most unique bacterial species (191). Beta diversity analysis demonstrated distinct microbial clustering among species, driven by Pseudomonadota dominance (54.27-93.89%) and variations in secondary phyla (Bacteroidota, Campylobacterota). Functional prediction analysis via the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) revealed significant disparities in the abundance of human disease-associated pathways across mosquito symbiotic microbiota (P = 0.049), with the disparities primarily observed in pathways related to bacterial, viral, and parasitic infections-categories of substantial public health relevance. Notably, Wolbachia (clade B) and Klebsiella variicola exhibited species-specific abundance patterns, underscoring their respective roles in potential pathogen suppression and public health risks. Unclassified taxa (norank_d__Bacteria, norank_p__Candidatus_Hydrogenedentes) clustered near novel mosquito-associated spirochetes, suggesting underexplored functional microbiota. This study establishes a foundational dataset for understanding mosquito-microbe interactions and inform the development of targeted strategies for mitigating vector-borne disease.},
}

@article {pmid41678296,
year = {2026},
author = {Tamrakar, K and Soriano Chavez, E and Miller, PW and Hale, B and DuVall, J and Williams, N and Brown, E and Mangan, S and Wijeratne, AJ},
title = {Integrated Multi-Omics Analysis Provides Insights into the Rhizosphere Microbial Dynamics in Soybean - Fusarium virguliforme Interaction.},
journal = {Molecular plant-microbe interactions : MPMI},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1094/MPMI-09-25-0121-FI},
pmid = {41678296},
issn = {0894-0282},
abstract = {Sudden death syndrome (SDS) is a major disease that affects soybean (Glycine max) production, primarily caused by the soil-borne fungus, Fusarium virguliforme in North America. Understanding the interactions among soybeans, F. virguliforme, and microorganisms in the soil near the vicinity of roots can provide microbial candidates for SDS management. The objective of this study was to elucidate the role of rhizosphere microbial composition and activity, both in the presence and absence of F. virguliforme, across two commercial soybean cultivars with differing susceptibility to SDS. Bacterial and fungal community dynamics were assessed using full-length 16S rRNA and Internal Transcribed Spacer 1 (ITS1) sequencing, respectively. Microbial activity was further evaluated with an optimized metatranscriptome workflow. The analysis revealed that SDS-tolerant soybeans recruit microbes with growth-promoting and biocontrol potential, such as members of the genera Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Trichoderma, Mortierella, and Talaromyces, when exposed to F. virguliforme. This distinct microbial recruitment strategy in response to F. virguliforme could provide the ability for soybeans to survive under pathogen stress. In contrast, pathogen inoculation reduced the abundance and activity of the nitrogen-fixing Bradyrhizobium spp. These findings suggest that selective recruitment of beneficial microbes likely contributes to SDS tolerance, while pathogen pressure compromises symbiotic nitrogen fixation. The results highlight candidate taxa and interactions for developing synthetic microbial communities to support SDS management. The information generated from this study is useful for assembling a combined synthetic microbial community and testing.},
}

@article {pmid41677854,
year = {2026},
author = {Erdogdu, B and Dokuz, S and Sarigode, E and Karabasoglu, C and Ozbek, T},
title = {Prophage: agent provocateur?.},
journal = {Archives of microbiology},
volume = {208},
number = {4},
pages = {183},
pmid = {41677854},
issn = {1432-072X},
mesh = {*Prophages/physiology/genetics ; Humans ; *Bacteria/virology ; *Lysogeny ; *Bacteriophages/physiology ; },
abstract = {Bacteriophages make important contributions to the evolution, pathogenesis, and general biology of host bacteria. Throughout their life cycle, temperate bacteriophages form stable relationships with their hosts, which contribute to the evolution and biology of phages, rather than simply explaining a passive process in which hosts are affected. Although lytic phages have been extensively studied in the literature, temperate phages have been excluded due to some traditional perspectives. In this review article we discuss the lysogenic life cycle of phages and the essential points necessary to understand this cycle in detail. The lysogenic cycle has been evaluated from three perspectives; phage, bacteria and human. In some cases, temperate phages exhibit symbiotic relationships with bacteria, while in others, their hostile behavior causes uncertainty as to whether they are on the side of humans or bacteria. Our perspective challenges the classical interpretation by suggesting that prophages can act as provocateur agent, offering advantages while also harboring destructive potential, thereby playing a complex role against bacteria and potentially exerting intricate effects on human health.},
}

*Prophages/physiology/genetics
Humans
*Bacteria/virology
*Lysogeny
*Bacteriophages/physiology

@article {pmid41677687,
year = {2026},
author = {Liu, M and Li, X and Zhang, W and Zhao, X and Sun, Y and Hu, A and Zhang, R and Luo, K},
title = {Physiological, Transcriptomic, and Metabolomic Responses of Brachiaria decumbens Roots During Symbiosis Establishment with Piriformospora indica.},
journal = {Biology},
volume = {15},
number = {3},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/biology15030215},
pmid = {41677687},
issn = {2079-7737},
support = {2024YFD1301201//National Key Research and Development Program of China/ ; 32560908//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; XTCX2022NYC10//Collaborative Innovation Center of Nanfan and High-Efficiency Tropical Agriculture, Hainan University/ ; },
abstract = {Brachiaria decumbens is a high-yielding forage grass of major economic value in tropical regions. The root endophytic fungus Piriformospora indica is widely recognized for promoting plant growth and stress tolerance, yet its effects on B. decumbens remain poorly characterized. Here, we profiled root responses to P. indica colonization at 10 days after inoculation (dais; early stage) and 20 dais (late stage) during symbiosis establishment. Colonization was confirmed by phenotypic and physiological assessments, with inoculated plants showing enhanced root growth; colonized roots exhibited higher activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and peroxidase (POD), along with increased indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) levels, whereas malondialdehyde (MDA), jasmonic acid (JA), and the ethylene precursor 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) were reduced. Transcriptome and metabolomic profiling identified 1884 and 1077 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 2098 and 1509 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) at 10 dais (Pi10d vs. CK10d) and 20 dais (Pi20d vs. CK20d), respectively, and 3355 DEGs and 2314 DAMs between stages (Pi20d vs. Pi10d). Functional enrichment highlighted key pathways related to secondary metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and lipid biosynthesis. Differentially expressed transcription factors spanned multiple families, including MYB, AP2/ERF, MADS-box, and bZIP, consistent with broad transcriptional reprogramming during symbiosis establishment. Integrative multi-omics analysis further highlighted phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and α-linolenic acid metabolism as consistently co-enriched pathways, suggesting coordinated shifts in gene expression and metabolite accumulation across colonization stages. Collectively, these results provide a multi-layered resource and a framework for mechanistic dissection of the P. indica-B. decumbens interaction.},
}

@article {pmid41677681,
year = {2026},
author = {Tu, IC and Lai, CT and Wu, LH},
title = {Curing Parthenogenesis-Inducing (PI) Wolbachia-Induced Reproductive Disorders in the Egg Parasitoid Telenomus remus.},
journal = {Biology},
volume = {15},
number = {3},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/biology15030210},
pmid = {41677681},
issn = {2079-7737},
support = {MOST 108-2313-B-020-010-MY3//Ministry of Science and Technology and National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan/ ; MOST 111-2313-B-020-003-MY3//Ministry of Science and Technology and National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan/ ; NSTC 112-2813-C-020-016-B//Ministry of Science and Technology and National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan/ ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia is an endosymbiotic bacterium widespread in invertebrates that causes various reproductive effects, including cytoplasmic incompatibility, feminization, male killing, and the induction of parthenogenesis (PI). PI-Wolbachia wRem converts Telenomus remus, an egg parasitoid of Spodoptera frugiperda, from arrhenotokous reproduction (male-producing) to thelytokous reproduction (female-producing). Long-term symbiosis between egg parasitoids and Wolbachia has been shown to lead to reproductive barriers and "female functional virginity," causing progressive and potentially irreversible sex ratio imbalances. However, whether such reproductive barriers occur in T. remus remains unknown, which has important implications for biological control programs utilizing this parasitoid. To address this question, we cured wRem using tetracycline and conducted crossing experiments with naturally uninfected strains (W-). The results indicated that the cured strain (Wcure) retained normal sexual reproductive capability, with self-crossing fertilization rates comparable to those of W- strains. However, first-generation hybridization between Wcure and W- strains produced strongly male-biased offspring (male proportion: 94.3% and 85.8% for W-♂ × Wcure♀ and Wcure♂ × W-♀, respectively), indicating substantial reproductive incompatibility. Notably, an asymmetric pattern was observed between reciprocal crosses. In second-generation hybridization experiments, hybrid females (W-/Wcure) mated with W- or Wcure males showed markedly recovered sex ratios (male proportion: 14.3% and 15.6%, respectively), although total offspring numbers remained lower than in self-crossing groups. These results suggest that the reproductive incompatibility in T. remus differs from female functional virginity and is more consistent with mitonuclear incompatibility arising from population divergence. The partial recovery in second-generation hybrids indicates that surviving F1 hybrid females likely represent individuals selected for compatibility, rather than exhibiting progressive deterioration of sexual function. These findings offer insights into Wolbachia's impact on parasitoid reproduction and highlight key considerations for biological control applications, underscoring the importance of evaluating reproductive barriers before deploying cured strains and preventing symbiont loss within populations.},
}

@article {pmid41677276,
year = {2026},
author = {Van Vlaenderen, L and Conner, WR and Shropshire, JD},
title = {Counting cytoplasmic incompatibility factor mRNA using digital droplet PCR.},
journal = {Microbiology spectrum},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e0234725},
doi = {10.1128/spectrum.02347-25},
pmid = {41677276},
issn = {2165-0497},
abstract = {Wolbachia bacteria inhabit over half of all insect species and often spread through host populations via efficient maternal transmission and cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), killing aposymbiotic embryos when fertilized by symbiotic males. Wolbachia's cifB gene triggers CI in males, while cifA, expressed in females, rescues embryos from CI-induced lethality. In some systems, cifA also contributes to CI induction. CI strength-the percentage of embryos that die from CI-is a key determinant of Wolbachia's prevalence in host populations, and cifB-mRNA levels in testes generally correlate with CI strength. Yet, cifB's rarity can hamper precise quantification, necessitating tissue pooling for reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) to achieve reliable measurements, obscuring variation at the level of individual insect tissues. Here, we present four RT digital droplet PCR (RT-ddPCR) assays to count rare cifA and cifB mRNA from wMel Wolbachia in Drosophila melanogaster. These assays count cif transcripts alongside a synthetic spike-in RNA or a D. melanogaster reference gene to normalize for technical or biological variation. These assays have a limit of detection of about one cifA and three cifB copies per reaction. We expect these methods to be useful for mosquito-control programs that use wMel to block the spread of pathogens from Aedes aegypti to humans. Moreover, the oligos were designed with homology to cifA and cifB sequences from at least 34 Wolbachia strains, suggesting potential utility beyond wMel. These methods will allow researchers to measure cif-mRNA levels from individual insect tissues, enabling efforts to pair molecular and phenotypic data at unprecedented resolutions.IMPORTANCEWolbachia, a maternally transmitted bacterium, is found in over half of all insect species. Its ability to induce cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), which prevents Wolbachia-free eggs from hatching, significantly contributes to its high prevalence in host populations. Public health experts use CI to spread pathogen-blocking Wolbachia through mosquito populations, thereby controlling pathogen spread. CI is often weak, resulting in few egg deaths and consequently slowing Wolbachia's spread. We recently discovered that weak CI often correlates with low CI factor B (cifB) mRNA levels. However, our understanding of CI-strength variation remains limited because cifB is transcribed at low levels, making it challenging to measure in individual insects. Here, we report four RT-ddPCR assays to overcome this challenge. These assays offer high sensitivity for rare targets and maintain accuracy and precision across a wide dynamic range. We expect these tools will enhance efforts to understand CI-strength variation in both natural and applied populations.},
}

@article {pmid41676963,
year = {2026},
author = {Johnsen, DC and Marchini, L and Garaicoa-Pazmino, C and Jain, A and Syrbu, J and Geneser, M and Butali, A and Hartshorn, JE and Desai, J and Stanford, CM and Vo, K and Spector, M and McGlynn, N and Young, LB},
title = {Critical Thinking Emulation Model With Outcomes-Based Assessment.},
journal = {Journal of dental education},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1002/jdd.70171},
pmid = {41676963},
issn = {1930-7837},
abstract = {BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Gaps exist between critical thinking importance and an organized agenda for the development of critical thinking learning outcomes. Multiple critical thinking skill sets were developed by the authors, forming a symbiotic network. The key concept for each critical thinking exercise follows one learning model emulating the master clinician's thinking. The purpose is to enhance symbiosis in a pedagogical framework for individual exercises with a common outcomes-based assessment; internalization of each skill set is followed by nuance exploration-"learning moments."

METHODS: Descriptive analyses for (1) a symbiotic network of patient-based, student-led demonstrations of thinking and judgment with expanded opportunities for critical thinking, (2) a common outcomes-based assessment for patient-based student-led demonstrations of thinking and judgment, and (3) learning moments for each skill set: periodontics, operative dentistry (caries), geriatrics, ethics, pediatrics, TMD, and technology decision-making.

RESULTS: Two factors were seen to contribute to interactions/sharing/symbiosis of learning guides among different departments: using a common emulation-learning model and using a common outcomes-based assessment. The use of a learning guide based on a designated thought process, combined with the use of a common outcomes-based assessment were also associated with subsequent rich and varied learning moments distinctive for each exercise.

CONCLUSIONS: With little literature on learning outcomes for critical thinking, the development of an emulation learning model based on the thought processes of the master clinician led to the development initially of multiple critical thinking skill sets, followed by interactions of exercises. The result was a symbiotic network with rigorous demonstration of a skill set followed by a rich exploration of nuances.},
}

@article {pmid41675697,
year = {2025},
author = {He, T and Ma, J and Liu, S and Ma, B and You, J and Wang, J and Li, M and Wang, W and Wang, YJ and Li, S and Cao, Z},
title = {MicroRNA-microbiota interactions: Emerging strategies for modulating intestinal homeostasis and enhancing host health.},
journal = {iMetaOmics},
volume = {2},
number = {1},
pages = {e57},
pmid = {41675697},
issn = {2996-9514},
abstract = {Long-term artificial selection and environmental shifts have driven adaptive changes in both the host genome and the intestinal microbiota. The complex symbiotic relationship between these two has become essential for maintaining intestinal homeostasis and overall health. Concurrently, advancements in sequencing technology and the functional annotation of noncoding RNAs, particularly microRNAs (miRNAs), have facilitated the exploration of mechanisms regulating intestinal homeostasis. Herein, we systematically update the role of miRNA-microbiota interactions in regulating the intestinal barrier, intestinal immunity, changes in intestinal microbiota dynamics, and maintenance of intestinal homeostasis, and we further critically discuss the role of miRNA-microbiota interactions in the maintenance of host intestinal health, metabolic regularity, brain function, and neurodegenerative disease-related disorders. Finally, we highlight the prospects and therapeutic strategies regarding miRNA-microbiota interactions in humans and animals in the context of intestinal microbiota and gene function studies. This study provides a comprehensive overview of miRNA-microbiota interactions and their influence on intestinal homeostasis and host health and offers novel therapeutic strategies for future personalized prevention and treatment of intestinal diseases.},
}

@article {pmid41675302,
year = {2026},
author = {Maruoka, N and Kudo, R and Igai, K and Shimizu, M and Yuki, M and Ohkuma, M and Hongoh, Y},
title = {Discovery and genomics of H2-oxidizing/O2-reducing Deferribacterota ectosymbiotic with protists in the guts of termites and a Cryptocercus cockroach.},
journal = {ISME communications},
volume = {6},
number = {1},
pages = {ycag002},
pmid = {41675302},
issn = {2730-6151},
abstract = {Members of the phylum Deferribacterota inhabit diverse environments, but their symbiosis with protists has never been reported. We discovered an ectosymbiotic clade of Deferribacterota specifically associated with spirotrichonymphid protists in the guts of the termites Reticulitermes speratus and Hodotermopsis sjostedti and trichonymphid protists in the gut of the wood-feeding cockroach Cryptocercus punctulatus. The ectosymbiotic Deferribacterota were spiral shaped and attached to 16%-91% of the host protist cells. These formed a monophyletic cluster within an uncultured insect gut-associated family-level clade, which is sister to the vertebrate gut-associated family Mucispirillaceae. The complete genome of an ectosymbiotic Deferribacterota was obtained from a Trichonympha acuta cell in a C. punctulatus gut and analyzed together with a single-cell amplified genome of another ectosymbiotic Deferribacterota associated with Holomastigotes sp. in the gut of R. speratus. Genome analyses suggest that these Deferribacterota ferment monosaccharides and conduct fumarate and oxidative respiration with H2 as an electron donor. They thus possibly contribute to the removal of hydrogen and oxygen to protect the fermentative activity of the protist hosts. The ectosymbionts possess reduced signal transduction gene repertoires, implying that the association has provided a relatively stable environment for these bacteria. The ectosymbionts likely possess flagella with an unusually expanded number of flagellin variants up to 40, which may reflect an adaptation to their ectosymbiotic lifestyle. We propose a novel genus, Termitispirillum, for these ectosymbionts and a novel family, Termitispirillaceae, for the insect-gut clade, under SeqCode. Our findings provide new insights into the ecology and evolution of Deferribacterota.},
}

@article {pmid41674902,
year = {2025},
author = {Tiricz, H and Lima, RM and Pfeiffer, I and Igaz, N and Domonkos, I and Jenei, S and Howan, DHO and Pál, A and Tímár, E and Hunyadi-Gulyás, É and Tóth, GK and Bozsó, Z and Kondorosi, É},
title = {Multifaceted antimicrobial mechanisms of NCR147-derived peptides from Medicago truncatula.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {16},
number = {},
pages = {1720738},
pmid = {41674902},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), key components of innate immunity, offer broad-spectrum activity against diverse pathogens. In Medicago truncatula, over 700 nodule-specific cysteine-rich (NCR) peptides with highly diverse sequences and physicochemical properties are produced in the symbiotic cells of root nodules, where cationic members block bacterial cell division and display potent antimicrobial activity in vitro. In contrast, anionic NCRs typically lack antimicrobial effects, and NCR147-a neutral peptide-is the only known non-cationic NCR that shows weak bactericidal activity. This unique property prompted us to identify the antimicrobial region of NCR147 and enhance its activity through targeted sequence modifications.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 13 truncated and substituted derivatives of NCR147 were chemically synthesized to identify peptide regions responsible for antimicrobial activity. Antimicrobial efficacy was evaluated against 18 pathogens by determining minimum bactericidal and minimum fungicidal concentrations. Inhibition and eradication of bacterial biofilms were assessed to determine peptide effects. Cytotoxicity was measured using hemolysis assays and multiple viability assays in human cell cultures. Peptide interactions with membrane lipids, effects on membrane permeability, and modulation of bacterial efflux pumps were analyzed using established biochemical and biophysical assays. Bacterial proteins interacting with selected peptides were identified by affinity chromatography followed by LC-MS/MS.

RESULTS: The NCR147 derivatives displayed varying degrees of antimicrobial potency and spectrum. Analysis of the physicochemical properties and predicted 3D structures of 13 NCR peptide variants revealed that the antimicrobial region resides in the C-terminal portion of these intrinsically disordered peptides, where the WAW hydrophobic patch together with the positively charged amino acids contribute to antimicrobial activity, most likely through interactions with microbial membranes. The most active peptides provoked alteration of bacterial membranes, inhibited efflux pumps, and interfered with essential intracellular targets. Moreover, these peptides exhibited potent antibiofilm effects, including the ability to both prevent and degrade Acinetobacter baumannii biofilms. Incorporation of 5-fluoro-L-tryptophan enhanced both antimicrobial breadth and antifungal activity. Importantly, this fluorinated peptide was non-cytotoxic to human cells.

DISCUSSION: These findings reveal that NCR147-derived peptides function via a multihit mechanism and highlight the therapeutic promise of plant-derived AMPs as next-generation antimicrobials with reduced risk of resistance development.},
}

@article {pmid41672322,
year = {2026},
author = {Gu, JJ and Mao, BD and Dou, XX and Zhang, BX and Xu, JW and Fu, CW and Lan, BJ and Zhang, XJ and Xu, Z and Gao, F},
title = {Unveiling the mechanisms of mechanical stirring for enhanced performance and stability of algal-bacterial flocs treating low C/N synthetic wastewater.},
journal = {Bioresource technology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {134175},
doi = {10.1016/j.biortech.2026.134175},
pmid = {41672322},
issn = {1873-2976},
abstract = {Algal-bacterial symbiotic systems (ABS) represent an environmentally sustainable wastewater treatment technology with significant application potential, though achieving stable and efficient operation remains a critical research challenge. This 180-day comparative study systematically investigated the performance differences and underlying mechanisms between mechanically stirred and aerated algal-bacterial symbiotic flocs (ABF) cultured in low C/N ratio wastewater. The results demonstrate that mechanical stirring enhances symbiotic interactions between microalgae and bacteria, leading to significantly improved performance metrics including higher biomass concentration (3.5 g/L), elevated dissolved oxygen levels (10.3 mg/L), increased lipid content (58.4%) and lipid productivity (9.3 mg/L/d), along with superior settling characteristics as evidenced by the reduced sludge volume index (80.7 mL/g). During Phase Ⅳ, the stirred ABFs exhibited exceptional contaminant removal efficiencies, achieving 98.2% ammonium nitrogen, 83.2% total nitrogen, and 89.7% chemical oxygen demand removal. Extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) analysis revealed stimulated secretion under stirring conditions (222.3 mg/g), with tight-bound EPS (TB-EPS) predominating, significantly enhancing floc structural stability. Metagenomic analysis demonstrated that stirring enriched functional genera like Thauera and Rubrivivax, strengthening denitrification and organic degradation capacities, while activating key pathways such as the TCA cycle and nitrogen metabolism, upregulating the abundance of EPS synthesis-related genes (e.g., galU), elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying efficient nutrient removal and floc stability. This study presents an optimized strategy for establishing high-performance ABS in low C/N ratio wastewater treatment, offering both environmental sustainability and economic viability.},
}

@article {pmid41671048,
year = {2026},
author = {Semchenko, M and Pétriacq, P and Prigent, S and Saar, S and Horn, G and Davison, J and Koorem, K and Moora, M and Zobel, K},
title = {Contrast in Mycorrhizal Associations Leads to Divergent Rhizosphere Metabolomes and Plant-Soil Feedback Among Grassland Species.},
journal = {Ecology letters},
volume = {29},
number = {2},
pages = {e70318},
pmid = {41671048},
issn = {1461-0248},
support = {TK200//Estonian Ministry of Education and Research, Centre of Excellence AgroCropFuture/ ; MetaboHUB (ANR-11-INBS-0010); PHENOME (ANR-11-INBS)//Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement/ ; 101044424/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; PRG1065//Estonian Research Council/ ; PRG1836//Estonian Research Council/ ; PRG2584//Estonian Research Council/ ; IUT20-31//Estonian Research Council/ ; PRG1223 E//Estonian Research Council/ ; },
mesh = {*Mycorrhizae/physiology ; *Grassland ; *Rhizosphere ; *Soil Microbiology ; *Metabolome ; Species Specificity ; Soil/chemistry ; *Plants/microbiology/metabolism ; },
abstract = {Species-specific feedback between plants and soil microbial communities is an important driver of vegetation dynamics. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi colonise most terrestrial plants but are not expected to generate specific feedbacks due to low host specificity. We tested whether variation in mycorrhizal associations and associated rhizosphere metabolomes among co-existing temperate grassland species leads to species-specific plant-soil feedback. More mycorrhizal plant species showed more divergent plant-soil feedback: they experienced reduced growth and mycorrhizal colonisation in soils originating from weakly mycorrhizal species, but feedback became neutral in soil from species with similar mycorrhizal strategies. The species with the most self-promoting soil feedback was characterised by strong metabolome shifts related to stress and immune responses following soil inoculum manipulation, while the metabolomes of species with more negative feedback were unresponsive. This study demonstrates that AM fungi can generate species-specific plant-soil feedback, which can be predicted from plant mycorrhizal strategies and rhizosphere chemistry.},
}

*Mycorrhizae/physiology
*Grassland
*Rhizosphere
*Soil Microbiology
*Metabolome
Species Specificity
Soil/chemistry
*Plants/microbiology/metabolism

@article {pmid41669199,
year = {2026},
author = {Zhang, SC and Lin, YC and Wu, CY and Hsieh, YE and Meng, YZ and Yang, SH and Fan, TY},
title = {Effects of Blue Light and Feeding on the Physiological Performance of Reef Corals, Stylophora pistillata and Pocillopora damicornis.},
journal = {Zoological studies},
volume = {65},
number = {},
pages = {e6},
pmid = {41669199},
issn = {1810-522X},
abstract = {Previous studies have shown that culturing corals under controlled blue light can increase calcification rate and stimulate the production of pigments while reducing the photosynthetic capacity of the corals' symbiotic algae. Additionally, feeding coral can accelerate growth and enhance their resistance to environmental changes. However, most studies have left their combined effects on coral physiology largely unexplored. Here we investigate the effects of two blue light intensities and two feeding concentrations on coral growth rates and color expression during cultivation. We cultured Stylophora pistillata and Pocillopora damicornis under different blue light intensities and fed varying concentrations of enriched brine shrimp (Artemia) twice a week. Both species maintained high survival (100%) and photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/ Fm > 0.6). S. pistillata exhibited the highest growth under high-light and high-feeding conditions, while P. damicornis showed no significant growth differences among treatments. However, both species displayed reduced color scores under high-light conditions, as indicated by elevated red-green-blue values. Together, these findings highlight coral species-specific responses to blue light intensity with feeding interactions and demonstrate that manipulating environmental regimes can optimize coral cultivation. This approach supports high-density ex-situ cultivation, advancing both reef restoration and production of corals for ornamental aquariums.},
}

@article {pmid41667773,
year = {2026},
author = {Hu, H and Liu, B and Sang, Y and Zhang, T and Yang, Y and Zhou, C and Li, S and Huang, Z},
title = {Effects of microplastics on the plant-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal symbiotic system: type, size, and concentration.},
journal = {World journal of microbiology & biotechnology},
volume = {42},
number = {2},
pages = {82},
pmid = {41667773},
issn = {1573-0972},
mesh = {*Mycorrhizae/drug effects/physiology/growth & development ; *Microplastics/toxicity/pharmacology/chemistry ; *Symbiosis/drug effects ; *Plants/microbiology/drug effects ; Soil Microbiology ; *Soil Pollutants/toxicity/chemistry ; Soil/chemistry ; Particle Size ; Biodegradation, Environmental ; },
abstract = {Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), serving as a key interface for plant-soil interactions, have ecological responses to pollutants such as microplastics, that directly impact the health and stability of the plant-soil system. This article systematically reviews the ecological effects and underlying mechanisms of microplastic type, particle size, and concentration on the plant-AMF symbiotic system. Research indicates that microplastics exert complex influences on the colonization process and functionality of AMF by altering soil physical structure, chemical properties, and microbial communities, thereby indirectly or directly affecting plant growth and stress resistance. Overall, non-biodegradable microplastics can indirectly influence plant growth, AMF colonization and community's C-S-R (Competitor-Stress tolerator-Ruderal) strategy by modifying soil structure or adsorbing pollutants, and plant recruitment of mycorrhizal types. The impact of biodegradable microplastics on plants increases with the degree of degradation, and their impact on plant and AMF community structure is significantly stronger than that of non biodegradable microplastics. Nanoplastics (< 0.1 μm), due to their greater ability to penetrate biological membranes, generally exhibit higher toxicity to the plant-AMF system compared to micron-sized particles. The effects of microplastics are highly dosage-dependent. Low concentrations (< 1% w/w) may stimulate AMF colonization, whereas medium to high concentrations (1-5% and above) typically inhibit mycorrhizal symbiosis and reduce host plants growth. Although preliminary progress has been made in current research, it is necessary to further reveal its molecular mechanism and explore both the combined pollution effects and the potential of AMF in the remediation of microplastic co-contamination.},
}

*Mycorrhizae/drug effects/physiology/growth & development
*Microplastics/toxicity/pharmacology/chemistry
*Symbiosis/drug effects
*Plants/microbiology/drug effects
Soil Microbiology
*Soil Pollutants/toxicity/chemistry
Soil/chemistry
Particle Size
Biodegradation, Environmental

@article {pmid41667686,
year = {2026},
author = {Seddaiu, S and Morittu, C and Franceschini, A and Iotti, M and Scali, E and Lancellotti, E},
title = {Dynamics of ectomycorrhizal communities in Sardinian cork oak forests: influence of management system, lithological substrate and season.},
journal = {Mycorrhiza},
volume = {36},
number = {1},
pages = {7},
pmid = {41667686},
issn = {1432-1890},
}

@article {pmid41667333,
year = {2026},
author = {Li, F and Kumar, A and Murray, JD},
title = {Hormone-nutrient coordination in AM symbiosis: a perspective on the WRI5a-MtABCB1 module.},
journal = {Science bulletin},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1016/j.scib.2026.01.058},
pmid = {41667333},
issn = {2095-9281},
}

@article {pmid41667107,
year = {2026},
author = {Methou, P and Mathieu-Resuge, M and Michel, LN and Cueff-Gauchard, V and Watanabe, HK and Cowell, EJ and Copley, JT and Beinart, RA and Zbinden, M and Pradillon, F and Cambon, MA and Chen, C},
title = {Evolutionary convergence and trophic diversity in hot vent and cold seep shrimps showcase a continuum of symbiosis.},
journal = {Proceedings. Biological sciences},
volume = {293},
number = {2064},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1098/rspb.2025.2883},
pmid = {41667107},
issn = {1471-2954},
support = {//ISblue/ ; //UK Natural Environment Research Council/ ; //ANR LIFEDEEPER/ ; //Schmidt Ocean Institute/ ; //Council for Science, Technology, and Innovation (CSTI), Japan/ ; //US National Science Foundation/ ; //Cooperative Research Program of Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Symbiosis ; *Biological Evolution ; *Decapoda/microbiology/physiology ; Phylogeny ; Hydrothermal Vents ; },
abstract = {Convergent evolution offers a powerful lens through which to examine the selective forces shaping life in extreme environments. In deep-sea hot vents and cold seeps, invertebrates have independently evolved symbioses with chemosynthetic bacteria, but repeated origins of such associations within a family remain rare. Here, we investigate the evolutionary emergence of chemosymbiosis in the shrimp family Alvinocarididae across 22 species collected globally. Electron microscopy identified a gradient of epibiotic bacterial colonization within the cephalothoracic cavity, ranging from absent to dense filamentous mats, suggesting distinct trophic strategies. Isotope and lipid trophic markers confirmed differences in reliance on chemosynthetic production among sympatric species with different bacterial colonization from a single vent. Phylogenetic analysis reveals at least two independent origins of chemosymbiosis, suggesting evolutionary convergence. Microhabitat association data further show that symbiotic phenotypes are most common in shrimps occupying the hottest, most geofluid-enriched microhabitats, though exceptions suggest contributions from additional ecological or physiological constraints. Our findings reveal many alvinocaridids as gradually evolving towards reliance on symbiosis, highlighting the importance of intermediate cases to understand the pathways to chemosymbiosis. This study contributes to a broader understanding of the predictability of evolutionary outcomes in dynamic habitats such as vents, with broader implications for resilience of deep-sea ecosystems.},
}

Animals
*Symbiosis
*Biological Evolution
*Decapoda/microbiology/physiology
Phylogeny
Hydrothermal Vents

@article {pmid41666730,
year = {2026},
author = {Liu, Y and Su, J and Bai, Y and Ma, J and Li, X and Wang, H and Li, X},
title = {Fungal-bacterial-algal systems for simultaneous removal of nitrates and heavy metals: metabolic and mechanistic studies.},
journal = {Journal of environmental management},
volume = {401},
number = {},
pages = {128934},
doi = {10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.128934},
pmid = {41666730},
issn = {1095-8630},
abstract = {Deteriorating environmental quality, significantly driven by the release of untreated industrial effluent, jeopardizes water ecosystems and threatens human health. Conventional treatment methods often struggle to efficiently remove such complex effluents. This paper proposed a novel fungal-bacterial-algal (FBA) symbiotic system capable of simultaneously and efficiently removing nitrate (NO3[-]-N), Zn[2+], and Cu[2+] from industrial wastewater. By optimizing the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, pH, and hydraulic retention time, the system demonstrated outstanding removal performance even under heavy metal stress conditions. Product metabolism analysis indicates synergistic enhancement of microbial activity within the fungal-algal symbiosis. Precipitation characterisation demonstrated that FBA achieves heavy metal immobilization and removal through biomineralization and adsorption mechanisms. Microbial community and gene prediction analyses revealed interspecies functional synergistic mechanisms. This study provides an efficient and sustainable solution for treating complexly polluted industrial wastewater.},
}

@article {pmid41665997,
year = {2026},
author = {Arnold, MFF and Sankari, S and Deutsch, M and Gruber, CC and Guerra-Garcia, FJ and Beis, K and Walker, GC},
title = {BacA(SbmA) importer of legume symbiotic NCR peptides: Protein architecture, function, and evolutionary implications.},
journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America},
volume = {123},
number = {7},
pages = {e2526811123},
doi = {10.1073/pnas.2526811123},
pmid = {41665997},
issn = {1091-6490},
mesh = {*Symbiosis/physiology ; *Sinorhizobium meliloti/genetics/metabolism/physiology ; *Bacterial Proteins/metabolism/genetics/chemistry ; Medicago truncatula/microbiology/metabolism ; *Plant Proteins/metabolism/genetics/chemistry ; Nitrogen Fixation ; Peptides/metabolism/chemistry/genetics ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Root Nodules, Plant/microbiology/metabolism ; *Fabaceae/microbiology/metabolism ; Mutation, Missense ; },
abstract = {Some legumes encode families of NCR (Nodule-Cysteine-Rich) peptides that cause their rhizobial partners to terminally differentiate during the development of a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis. Sinorhizobium meliloti, whose plant hosts Medicago truncatula and Medicago sativa express ca. 600 NCR peptides during root nodule development, possesses a symbiotically essential BacASm protein that imports certain NCR peptides into the cytoplasm. This import permits proteolytic degradation of the NCR peptides, thereby protecting the endocytosed bacteria from their antimicrobial peptide-like lethality, while also allowing certain NCR peptides to undergo their symbiotically critical interactions with cytoplasmic components, for example heme-sequestration in the case of NCR247. Our study employed 54 S. meliloti bacASm missense mutants (35 to cysteine and 19 to glycine) that we tested for protein production, ability to establish a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis, and their susceptibility to killing by higher levels of the NCR247 and the Bac7(1-35) peptides. We also used the Single Cysteine Accessibility Method to make topological inferences. Our detailed genetic, biochemical, structural, and physiological analyses have revealed that BacASm and SbmAhomodimers function as finely tuned transporters, whose structures can be relatively easily disrupted by single amino acid changes. Our finding that several mutations that differentially separate nitrogen-fixation, NCR247 import, and Bac7(1-35) import map to the lining of the peptide-binding cavity suggests a molecular explanation underlying the paradoxical observation that SbmA/BacAs from pathogens can fully replace BacASm, whereas BacAs from other rhizobia cannot.},
}

*Symbiosis/physiology
*Sinorhizobium meliloti/genetics/metabolism/physiology
*Bacterial Proteins/metabolism/genetics/chemistry
Medicago truncatula/microbiology/metabolism
*Plant Proteins/metabolism/genetics/chemistry
Nitrogen Fixation
Peptides/metabolism/chemistry/genetics
*Evolution, Molecular
Root Nodules, Plant/microbiology/metabolism
*Fabaceae/microbiology/metabolism
Mutation, Missense

@article {pmid41665867,
year = {2026},
author = {Bonacolta, AM and Li, L and Del Campo, J and Keeling, PJ},
title = {Endosymbiotic apicomplexans of marine holobionts: microbial parasites in a warming ocean.},
journal = {Integrative and comparative biology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/icb/icag006},
pmid = {41665867},
issn = {1557-7023},
abstract = {Apicomplexans are a large group of protists, including several species of major medical importance, most notably those which cause malaria and toxoplasmosis in humans. They are obligate intracellular symbionts that have an interesting evolutionary history, having evolved from a free-living, phototrophic ancestor. Despite the extensive research interest in this group, novel apicomplexans with important ecological roles are still being discovered, particularly from the marine environment. These often-overlooked microbes infect a myriad of marine organisms, and recent research on this clade has expanded our knowledge of parasite evolution and symbiosis in the ocean. Corallicolids, for instance, have impacted our understanding of plastid evolution and have also been shown to play a role in coral thermal tolerance. Closely related are the ichthyocolids, intracellular fish blood symbionts that were mostly overlooked and misclassified until a phylogenomic investigation showed they are sister to the corallicolids, and incredibly widespread across marine fish diversity. Another recent phylogenomic study similarly resolved a new apicomplexan class, marosporidians, which have been implicated in marine heat wave-triggered mollusk mass mortality events. Given the pace of recent discoveries within this lineage, developing a cohesive framework for studying endosymbiotic apicomplexans is critical. Such an approach will illuminate their hidden biodiversity, clarify their impacts on host health and fitness, and provide the knowledge needed to predict how these symbionts and their hosts will respond to accelerating climate change.},
}

@article {pmid41664488,
year = {2026},
author = {Zhang, J and Xiong, LH and Tang, BZ and He, X},
title = {Engineering Bacteriophage Cocktail with Mutually Promoted Chemodynamic-Photodynamic Activity for Targeted and Synergistic Biofilm Eradication.},
journal = {ACS nano},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1021/acsnano.5c19780},
pmid = {41664488},
issn = {1936-086X},
abstract = {Biofilms formed by bacterial symbiosis significantly strengthen bacterial resistance to external interference and cause chronic infections. Herein, a chemodynamic therapy (CDT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) coarmed bacteriophage cocktail was developed to eradicate Staphylococcus aureus biofilms by conjugating aggregation-induced emission photosensitizer (AIE PSs), glucose oxidase (GOx), and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) on the bacteriophage surface. Leveraging the particular specificity of the bacteriophage toward host bacteria, the three conjugates can penetrate the biofilm and colocalize on the inner bacterial surface. When thus enriched, AIE PSs exhibited intensified fluorescence, enabling labeling and killing pathogens via photoirradiation-generated singlet oxygen. After combining AIE PSs with GOx/HRP, which can convert glucose nutrients into H2O2 and ultimately to hydroxyl radicals via cascade catalysis, the bactericidal efficiency was dramatically improved compared to individual phage-CDT (>468%) or phage-PDT (>290%) at the same PFU concentration of phage. The colocalized PSs and enzymes on the confined space of the bacterial surface are mutually promoted in the microenvironment of the biofilm, realizing synergistic enhancement. This strengthened bacteriophage cocktail offers an effective strategy for treating biofilm-related clinical superbug infections.},
}

@article {pmid41663050,
year = {2026},
author = {Allan-Cardoso, A and Schwelm, A and Rückert, S},
title = {Filling the gaps - New molecular and morphological data of gregarine apicomplexans colonising freshwater invertebrates.},
journal = {Journal of invertebrate pathology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {108565},
doi = {10.1016/j.jip.2026.108565},
pmid = {41663050},
issn = {1096-0805},
abstract = {Gregarines (Apicomplexa: Gregarinasina) are widespread protist symbionts of invertebrates, occupying roles across the symbiotic spectrum from mutualism to parasitism. Despite their ecological importance, they remain far less studied than other apicomplexans, leaving many aspects of their diversity, host specificity, and evolutionary history unresolved. This is particularly true for freshwater taxa for which only a handful of small subunit (SSU) rDNA sequences from species colonising freshwater hosts are available in public databases. In this study, we screened ten freshwater invertebrates (Arthropoda and Annelida) from streams and rivers in North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany, for gregarine infections. Nine eugregarine species were detected and described by combining light and electron microscopy with SSU rDNA sequencing data. We provide new host and locality records, ultrastructural observations, and molecular data for these gregarine species. The SSU phylogenetic analyses reveal a novel well-supported subclade within Gregarinoidea and support the reassignment of the family Metameridae to the Actinocephaloidea. Our findings expand the available molecular and morphological data for freshwater eugregarines and contribute to a clearer picture of their evolutionary relationships.},
}

@article {pmid41662771,
year = {2026},
author = {Stonoha-Arther, C and Sun, J and Wang, D},
title = {Transcriptional Regulation of Protein Trafficking Machinery in the Legume-Rhizobia Symbiosis.},
journal = {Molecular plant-microbe interactions : MPMI},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1094/MPMI-07-25-0092-R},
pmid = {41662771},
issn = {0894-0282},
abstract = {The model legume Medicago truncatula delivers nodule-specific cysteine-rich peptides to the intracellular bacteria within nodules to coerce the microbe into terminal differentiation, which coincides with nitrogen fixation in this species. Inside the host cell, the anterograde protein trafficking pathway is repurposed toward a new compartment, the symbiosome. Precise protein delivery within the nodule is critical to the success of the symbiosis in M. truncatula; without it, nodules form but do not fix nitrogen. For example, when the plant lacks DNF1, the nodule-specific 22 kDa subunit of the signal peptidase complex (SPC), the intracellular bacteria fail to fully differentiate, leading to defective nitrogen fixation. The present study shows that DNF1 became specialized in symbiosis through its nodule-specific expression, and we identified nodule-specific cis-elements that are crucial for that transcriptional control. Furthermore, we identified the nodule-specific SPC catalytic subunit and demonstrated that CRISPR/Cas9- induced mutation of this gene causes a symbiosis defect which phenocopies the dnf1 mutant. These results suggest a dedicated signal peptidase complex in the nodule is co-opted for symbiosis through transcriptional regulation.},
}

@article {pmid41660830,
year = {2026},
author = {Knoll, M and Mirza, BS},
title = {Soybean root nodule occupancy: competition between Bradyrhizobium and Sinorhizobium strains inoculated at different plant growth stages.},
journal = {Applied and environmental microbiology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e0248925},
doi = {10.1128/aem.02489-25},
pmid = {41660830},
issn = {1098-5336},
abstract = {UNLABELLED: Soybean is frequently nodulated by species from the Bradyrhizobium (BR) and/or Sinorhizobium (SR) genera. Several factors, such as soil pH, host genotype, geographic location, and other environmental variables, are reported to influence the preferential selection between BR and SR species within soybean root nodules. However, it remains unclear whether the age of the host plant at the time of inoculation affects preferential rhizobial selection. To investigate this, we inoculated soybean plants with different cell densities of BR and SR strains at three time points: at sowing (T0), 2 weeks after germination (T2), and 4 weeks after germination (T4). We used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing of root nodules and rhizosphere samples to assess the relative abundance of BR and SR in nodules and rhizosphere. We observed a clear shift in nodule occupancy that favored BR at the time of seed sowing (T0) but increasingly favored SR when plants were inoculated at T2 and T4 stages. Specifically, at T4, SR dominated in nodules across all treatments, representing 88%-99% of total sequences, regardless of applied inoculum ratio. In contrast, a similar number of sequences for both strains was detected in the rhizosphere at the time of the final harvest. These results highlight host age as an important ecological driver in legume-rhizobium interactions and suggest that inoculation time strongly influences microsymbiont selection. This information is important in understanding rhizobial competition and optimizing the timing of inoculation for soybeans.

IMPORTANCE: Soybean is one of the world's most valuable crops and fulfills most of its nitrogen requirements by developing symbiotic associations with nitrogen-fixing rhizobia. This reduces the need for chemical fertilizers by converting atmospheric nitrogen into a plant-useable form of nitrogen. Multiple species from four rhizobial genera can nodulate soybean, and the plant's choice of rhizobial partner is reported to change depending on environmental conditions such as pH, host genotype, geographic location, and other environmental factors. This study explores how the age of the soybean plant affects its preference for two frequently reported beneficial rhizobial species (Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens and Sinorhizobium fredii). By testing inoculation at different growth stages, we discovered that at early growth stages, plants favored Bradyrhizobium, while older plants increasingly selected SR for nodule formation. These findings highlight the level of complexity in plant-microbe interactions and could help optimize bioinoculant strategies for improving sustainability and crop yields.},
}

@article {pmid41660302,
year = {2025},
author = {Boba, A and Domańska, A and Kulma, A and Nowosad, K and Kostyn, K},
title = {The role of epigenetics in shaping plant-mycorrhizal interactions and ecosystem resilience.},
journal = {Frontiers in fungal biology},
volume = {6},
number = {},
pages = {1718864},
pmid = {41660302},
issn = {2673-6128},
abstract = {Plants establish environmental connections through mycorrhizal symbiosis. These relationships enable them to obtain nutrients and cope with stress while simultaneously exchanging information through subterranean networks. A unified understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying mycorrhizal interactions that drive adaptation and survival has not yet been achieved, in part because research on them stems from diverse fields of research, such as mycorrhizal ecology and plant epigenetics. This review presents recent studies demonstrating that epigenetic control serves as a central system enabling plants to adapt and maintain stable relationships with mycorrhizal fungi. We begin by describing different types of mycorrhizae. We then analyze mycorrhizal symbiosis by integrating plant and fungal genomic data with molecular evidence on DNA methylation, histone modification, chromatin remodeling, and small RNA pathways. We demonstrate that mycorrhizal symbiosis depends on changing chromatin states, which influence the regulation of the establishment, maintenance, and efficiency of symbiotic connections. They also regulate the balance between nutrient uptake and defense. They may underlie mycorrhizal stress and transgenerational "memory." We review studies showing that RNA interference between different species enables reorganization of gene expression between plant and fungal cells. Finally, we identify key knowledge gaps and propose future research directions aimed at discovering reliable markers of mycorrhizal responses for epi-breeding and the development of climate-resilient agroecosystems.},
}

@article {pmid41535777,
year = {2026},
author = {Singh, NK and Singh, BK and Gidhi, A and Srivastava, H and Pandey, A and Kumar, S and Pattanayak, A and Bhadana, VP and Rakshit, S and Tribhuvan, KU},
title = {Chloroplast genome sequencing in winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus L.) and comparative analysis with other legumes.},
journal = {BMC plant biology},
volume = {26},
number = {1},
pages = {264},
pmid = {41535777},
issn = {1471-2229},
abstract = {UNLABELLED: The winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus) is a fast-growing, underutilized legume adapted to hot and humid regions and valued for its high nutritional content and symbiotic nitrogen fixation, making it suitable for crop rotation and intercropping systems. In this study, we generated high-coverage short-read sequencing data and assembled the complete chloroplast genome of winged bean. The plastome is 151,571 bp in length and comprises 130 genes, including 85 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNAs, and eight rRNAs, organized in a typical quadripartite structure. We identified 84 simple sequence repeats (SSRs), two compound SSRs, and 15 variable number tandem repeats (VNTRs). Comparative analyses with representative legume plastomes revealed strong clade-wise conservation of genome organization, gene content, and GC composition, together with localized variation at IR–SSC junctions consistent with plastome isomerism rather than fixed structural rearrangements. Phylogenomic reconstruction based on complete chloroplast gene sets robustly placed P. tetragonolobus within the Phaseoleae (Millettioid) lineage, consistent with current legume systematics. Molecular evolutionary analyses indicated pervasive purifying selection across chloroplast protein-coding genes, with limited relaxation of constraint in a small subset of loci, while codon usage patterns showed a pronounced A/U-ending bias typical of legume plastomes. Overall, this study provides the first complete chloroplast genome resource for winged bean and supports future comparative genomics, evolutionary studies, and crop improvement in legumes.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12870-026-08150-4.},
}

@article {pmid41660198,
year = {2026},
author = {Ulanova, D and Mezaki, T and Kubota, S},
title = {Mycobacteria isolated from temperate stony corals.},
journal = {microPublication biology},
volume = {2026},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {41660198},
issn = {2578-9430},
abstract = {In marine environment, actinobacteria are widely distributed in water and sediments, and form symbiotic relationships with higher organisms. In this study, we isolated 49 actinobacterial strains from three temperate stony corals , Pocillopora damicornis , Acropora hyacinthus and Acropora muricata . More than 60% of obtained actinobacterial isolates belonged to mycolic acid-containing genera, particularly members of the family Mycobacteriaceae . Our results combined with the previous studies demonstrated that these actinobacteria are frequently associated with coral hosts worldwide.},
}

@article {pmid41659446,
year = {2026},
author = {Ke, YH and Bazzicalupo, A and Ruytinx, J and Lofgren, L and Bruns, T and Branco, S and Looney, B and Hirose, D and Tedersoo, L and Peintner, U and Rojas, JA and Liao, HL and Plett, J and Anderson, I and Lipzen, A and Kuo, A and Barry, K and Grigoriev, I and Hoeksema, JD and Nguyen, NH and Kennedy, PG and Vilgalys, R},
title = {Global population structures and demographic history of Suillus luteus , a pine co-introduced ectomycorrhizal fungus associated with exotic forestry and invasion.},
journal = {bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.64898/2026.01.27.699563},
pmid = {41659446},
issn = {2692-8205},
abstract = {Human colonization since the 19 [th] century has resulted in the global spread of pines across the Southern Hemisphere, well beyond their original northern boreal distribution. Such introductions moved not only the pines but also expanded the distribution of their symbiotic partners. Although the introduction of pines is documented through historical records, little is known about the introduction history of their ectomycorrhizal fungi, which are critical symbionts for the survival and invasion of pines. Using Suillus luteus as an example, population genomic analyses of 208 individuals across both native and introduced ranges showed that all introductions originated from Europe, likely mediated by human activities along with pine introductions. With the exception of North America, introduced populations were genetically differentiated from the Europe population, with varying magnitudes of population expansion in different introduced regions, often linked to forestry practices. Genetic variation within the native European population followed isolation by distance, but not in the introduced range, highlighting the disparity in the spatial genetic patterns of native versus exotic habitats. This study provides insight into the population genetics of a globally introduced ectomycorrhizal fungus whose introduction process is likely applicable to other pine-co-introduced ectomycorrhizal fungi.},
}

@article {pmid41657995,
year = {2025},
author = {Parveen, G and Ansari, WA and Kumar, N and Jaiswal, DK},
title = {Harnessing secondary metabolites of endophytic microbes: a next-generation biopesticide for crop disease management.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {16},
number = {},
pages = {1705702},
pmid = {41657995},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {This review highlights the potential of endophytic microorganisms and their secondary metabolites as innovative biopesticides for sustainable disease management in agriculture. Agriculture faces substantial challenges from phytopathogens, resulting in significant economic losses worldwide, which are typically addressed with synthetic pesticides that pose environmental and health hazards. Endophytic microorganisms residing within plant tissues without inducing disease provide a natural defence alternative by synthesising a variety of beneficial secondary metabolites, including alkaloids, terpenoids, phenolics, and peptides. These chemicals serve as ecological mediators, directly inhibiting pathogens, promoting plant systemic resistance, and improving nutrient absorption and stress resilience. The review elucidates the biosynthesis routes of these metabolites, their ecological functions, and the symbiotic chemical interactions between endophytes and host plants that enhance plant growth and defence. Bacterial endophytes, including Bacillus and Pseudomonas, generate lipopeptides that compromise pathogen membranes and to improve plant immunity, whereas fungal endophytes, such as Trichoderma and Penicillium, produce antifungal and insecticidal agents. The manuscript additionally examines the molecular mechanisms that govern these relationships, encompassing phytohormonal signalling and quorum sensing. While the potential of endophytic microorganisms as biopesticides is promising, significant gaps remain in our understanding of their long-term ecosystem effects, molecular mechanisms, and scalable manufacturing techniques. This review highlights the importance of comprehensive research to fully harness the biotechnological potential of endophytes. Integrating their secondary metabolites into crop protection strategies could reduce our reliance on chemical pesticides, promoting environmental sustainability and food security. Understanding the long-term ecosystem effects of endophytic microorganisms is crucial for bolstering resilient agricultural systems globally.},
}

@article {pmid41657908,
year = {2026},
author = {Zhao, Z and Shi, S and Zhang, L and An, M and Wen, P and Sang, Y and Feng, H and Hou, B and He, J and Hung, WL and Li, B and Zhao, L and Li, X and Wang, R},
title = {Metabolic modulation of yogurt fermentation kinetics and acidification by Bifidobacterium-starter culture interactions.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {17},
number = {},
pages = {1724590},
pmid = {41657908},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Probiotic-fortified yogurt has gained substantial consumer preference owing to its well-documented health benefits. However, stability of probiotic yogurt necessitates a comprehensive understanding of microbial dynamics throughout fermentation and storage.

METHODS: This study employed an integrated approach combining fermentation kinetics, post-acidification profiling, and untargeted metabolomics to explore the complex interactions between three Bifidobacterium strains (B. animalis 23426, B. bifidum 91, and B. longum BB68S) and starter cultures (HYY) during symbiotic fermentation.

RESULTS: The results demonstrate that Bifidobacterium supplementation notably enhanced the biomass of S. thermophilus (8.13-8.54 lg CFU/mL) after 2 h by upregulating galactose catabolism and riboflavin biosynthesis, thereby reducing fermentation time by 0.5 to 2 h. In contrast, competitive exclusion effects caused a decrease in L. bulgaricus biomass by 0.2 to 0.8 log CFU/mL. Over 21-day of refrigerated storage, the acid accumulation in Bifidobacterium-enriched yogurts was significantly lower (Δ 3.08-7.49 °T) than in HYY yogurt (Δ 9.42 °T), primarily by downregulation key metabolic pathways involving glycerophospholipid metabolism, branched-chain and aromatic amino acid metabolism, and cofactor biosynthesis, leading to reduced post-acidification.

DISCUSSION: Therefore, Bifidobacterium accelerates fermentation by promoting S. thermophilus biomass while mitigating post-acidification by inhibiting L. bulgaricus. The results provide a scientific basis for developing next-generation probiotic yogurts with controlled acidification profiles and improved shelf-life characteristics.},
}

@article {pmid41657032,
year = {2026},
author = {Zhou, X and Fan, W and Chen, C and Chen, X and Yang, Y and Wu, L and Gu, J and Yan, L and Tao, J and Wu, X and Lv, X and Chen, C},
title = {Information-Guided Fusion of Multimodal Vibrational Spectroscopy for Disease Diagnosis Based on Symbiotic Attention Decoupled Contrastive Learning.},
journal = {Analytical chemistry},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1021/acs.analchem.5c06086},
pmid = {41657032},
issn = {1520-6882},
abstract = {Vibrational spectroscopy has gained significant attention in medical diagnosis due to its high sensitivity and nondestructive nature. Raman spectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy complement each other in their selection rules, vibration responses, and wavenumber coverage. Combining these two techniques can overcome the limitations of individual spectra, enhancing the accuracy of molecular structure identification. However, existing deep learning fusion methods often overlook the diagnostic advantages of different modalities, leading to overreliance on strong modalities or interference from weak modality noise, resulting in unstable fusion and imbalanced information flow. We propose a Symbiotic Attention Fusion Decoupled Network (SAFDN) to effectively model the information guidance mechanism. In the prefusion stage, we combine multilayer perceptrons and convolutional neural networks for intramodal encoding, laying the foundation for cross-modal fusion. Then, we design Symbiotic Attention Fusion (SAF) and Parasitic Attention Fusion (PAF) mechanisms to simulate biological symbiosis and parasitism, achieving a differentiated information enhancement. Finally, a supervised multimodal contrastive learning decoupling network is introduced to balance cross-modal consistency and intramodal cohesion, improving feature decoupling and semantic fusion. Experiments on cancer, autoimmune diseases, and cardiovascular disease data sets show that SAFDN outperforms existing methods, achieving accuracy and AUC values of 90.49%/0.9649, 95.48%/0.9866, and 96.67%/0.9934, respectively. SAFDN validates the advantages of the symbiotic effect in vibrational spectroscopy disease classification tasks through an in-depth comparison and analysis of fusion and loss mode ratios. This model provides an efficient solution for rapid, noninvasive precision medical diagnosis, improving the accuracy and interpretability of disease classification.},
}

@article {pmid41656827,
year = {2026},
author = {Upadhyay, SK},
title = {Strigolactones Targeting Plant-Microbe Dialogues From Roots to Soil: Unlocking Pathways for Sustainable Agriculture.},
journal = {Physiologia plantarum},
volume = {178},
number = {1},
pages = {e70787},
doi = {10.1111/ppl.70787},
pmid = {41656827},
issn = {1399-3054},
mesh = {*Lactones/metabolism/pharmacology ; *Plant Roots/microbiology/metabolism ; *Plant Growth Regulators/metabolism ; *Agriculture/methods ; *Soil Microbiology ; Mycorrhizae/physiology ; Soil/chemistry ; Signal Transduction ; Plant Development ; },
abstract = {Strigolactones (SLs) are phytohormones derived from carotenoids that influence various aspects of plant growth, development, and the ability of plants to respond to environmental changes and microbial interactions. Initially categorized as shoot branching inhibitors, SLs are now recognized as crucial rhizospheric signaling molecules that govern nutrient availability, hormonal control, and microbial interactions. Despite significant progress in SL biology, a cohesive synthesis connecting SL molecular signaling, rhizosphere communication, and stress tolerance remains fragmented, hindering their practical use in sustainable agriculture. A more comprehensive understanding of their synthesis process (D27-CCD7/8-MAX1-CLA cascade), their perception (D14-MAX2-SMXL module), and the impact of SMXL7 on chromatin has revealed significant implications on physiology. To enhance plant development under stress conditions, SLs drive auxin transport, regulate ABA-dependent stress signaling, influence the antagonistic effects of cytokinins, and coordinate gibberellin activity with the circadian rhythm. SLs augment arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization, stimulate nodulation, and attract plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria through chemotactic and metabolic interactions. Using GR24 and SL-conjugated nanomaterials enhances plant resistance to drought, salt, and metal stress. Modifying SL-transporters with CRISPR improves SL signaling and fosters beneficial symbiotic associations. The study is crucial because it underscores the importance of SLs in recruiting beneficial microorganisms and facilitating microbial-hormonal interactions. This review proposes a cohesive conceptual framework that integrates receptor specificity, rhizospheric sensing, and microbial response, beyond mere descriptive synthesis. It sets distinct research targets, such as receptor-specific SL-analogues, in situ sensing techniques, and tailored SL-responsive microbial consortia, to make biostimulation more precise and assist crops in withstanding climatic stress more effectively.},
}

*Lactones/metabolism/pharmacology
*Plant Roots/microbiology/metabolism
*Plant Growth Regulators/metabolism
*Agriculture/methods
*Soil Microbiology
Mycorrhizae/physiology
Soil/chemistry
Signal Transduction
Plant Development

@article {pmid41656734,
year = {2026},
author = {Gupta, GS and Madheshiya, P and Mishra, AK and Gupta, S and Mishra, S and Tiwari, S},
title = {Climate Change and Nitrogen-Fixing Legumes: Investigating Stress-Modulated Dynamics of Carbon Fixation and Root Nodulation.},
journal = {Plant, cell & environment},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/pce.70419},
pmid = {41656734},
issn = {1365-3040},
support = {//Institute of Eminence/ ; },
abstract = {In the Anthropocene era, climate change is increasingly subjecting the crops to overlapping abiotic stressors such as drought, elevated temperatures, and air pollution, thereby disrupting their physiological integrity and functional performance. This review synthesises current knowledge on responses of N2-fixing plants to such stressors, focusing on core physiological processes and symbiotic nitrogen fixation via nodulation. The intricate interdependence between these traits is explored through the lens of altered source-sink relationships, which are highly sensitive to multifactorial environmental perturbations. A key emphasis is placed on the emerging concept of multi-stress interactions, where the convergence of abiotic stressors leads to nonlinear, often compounding effects on plant metabolism, growth, and resource allocation. The modulatory role of elevated atmospheric CO2 (carbon fertilisation effect) is also examined, particularly in enhancing photosynthetic assimilation, and sustaining nitrogen-fixing potential under stress. By identifying critical knowledge gaps and integrating physiological, biochemical, and ecological insights, this review provides a holistic framework to understand legume function under compounded climate threats. Such understanding is pivotal for breeding climate-resilient legumes that not only withstand abiotic stresses but also sustain yield and soil health. This discourse directly contributes to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), notably SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 13 (Climate Action), by highlighting the role of legumes in securing global food systems and ecological resilience in the face of climate uncertainty.},
}

@article {pmid41655013,
year = {2026},
author = {Ma, C and Yang, M and Dong, X and Zhu, Z and Zhao, H and Lei, C and Chen, Z and Yu, X and Couzigou, JM and Zhang, H and Wu, X and Ratet, P and Chen, Q and Xin, D and Wang, J},
title = {The soybean GTPase RAC1 interacts with the rhizobial effector NopC to promote root nodulation and increase yield.},
journal = {Plant communications},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {101752},
doi = {10.1016/j.xplc.2026.101752},
pmid = {41655013},
issn = {2590-3462},
abstract = {Rhizobial type-Ⅲ effectors (T3Es) contribute to establishing symbiotic interactions with legume host plants, alongside Nod factors. However, the functions of most rhizobial T3Es, as well as the regulatory and molecular mechanisms underlying their symbiotic effects on hosts, particularly in soybean, are poorly documented. Here, we characterize the function of the T3E Nodulation Outer Protein C (NopC) in the broad-host-range rhizobium Sinorhizobium fredii HH103 for promoting symbiosis in soybean. NopC genotype influences root nodulation across diverse host germplasm and this is further influenced by GmRAC1, encoding a ROP/RAC family GTPase in soybean. GmRAC1 physically interacts with NopC to subsequently induce the expression of the essential symbiotic genes GmNIN2a/2b and GmENOD40. Knock-down of GmNIN2a/2b results in NopC failing to promote symbiosis, and Gmrac1 mutants have fewer nodules than the wild type. NopC facilitates multiple infection stages whereas the requirement for GmRAC1 is pronounced for infection-thread progression and nodule-primordia initiation. Natural variation in the GmRAC1 promoter largely dictates the symbiotic contribution of NopC during symbiotic establishment, and elite GmRAC1 haplotypes with strong expression were artificially selected in soybean breeding. Transgenic over-expression level and elite GmRAC1 haplotypes increase plant height, 100-seed weight and soybean yield. GmRAC1 serves as a key regulator of NopC-mediated symbiosis promotion and offers translational potential for enhanced symbiotic nitrogen fixation in molecular breeding of soybean.},
}

@article {pmid41654556,
year = {2026},
author = {Liu, Q and Mo, L and Shen, Y and Pang, Z and Fallah, N and Chen, B and Yuan, Z},
title = {Nitrogen starvation induces arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to optimize resource allocation in sugarcane roots via suppression of basal metabolism.},
journal = {NPJ biofilms and microbiomes},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1038/s41522-026-00927-7},
pmid = {41654556},
issn = {2055-5008},
support = {Guike AA22117004//the Guangxi Science and Technology Major Special Project/ ; },
abstract = {The interplay between nutrient availability and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) symbiosis during plant growth exhibits intricate complexity. In this study, we employ integrated physiological, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic analyses to investigate how sugarcane differentially adapts to nitrogen (N) fertilization and AMF colonization. Under nitrogen stress conditions, AMF colonization significantly enhances sugarcane growth, increasing plant height, stem diameter, and biomass while stimulating root exudation and rhizospheric nutrient mobilization-particularly available N, phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Multi-omics analyses reveal that AMF induces nitrogen-dependent metabolic reprogramming in sugarcane roots, activating pathways such as carbohydrate and lipid metabolic pathways while suppressing butanoate and ascorbate metabolism. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) identifies key root modules strongly correlated with soil N, P, and K availability, indicating AMF-mediated coordination of nutrient acquisition strategies. Field trials demonstrate that AMF boost sugarcane yield under nitrogen stress by enhancing root elongation and carbon partitioning for sucrose accumulation. Temporal integration of transcriptomic and metabolomic data highlights flavonoid biosynthesis as a persistently activated pathway across growth stages, potentially facilitating AMF symbiosis and stress resilience. Our findings elucidate how sugarcane optimizes AMF-mediated nutrient acquisition under nitrogen stress through root transcriptional and metabolic adjustments, providing insights for sustainable crop nutrient management.},
}

@article {pmid41654530,
year = {2026},
author = {Michalik, A and Franco, DC and Deng, J and Prus-Frankowska, M and Stroiński, A and Łukasik, P},
title = {Convergent extreme reductive evolution in ancient planthopper symbioses.},
journal = {Nature communications},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1038/s41467-026-69238-x},
pmid = {41654530},
issn = {2041-1723},
support = {2017/26/D/NZ8/00799//Narodowe Centrum Nauki (National Science Centre)/ ; 2021/41/B/NZ8/04526//Narodowe Centrum Nauki (National Science Centre)/ ; 2018/30/E/NZ8/00880//Narodowe Centrum Nauki (National Science Centre)/ ; },
abstract = {Strictly heritable endosymbiotic bacteria that provide limiting nutrients to sap-sucking hemipteran insects are known for their highly reduced genomes conserved in organization and function. Here, we show how in ancestral endosymbionts of planthoppers, Sulcia and Vidania, which have been gradually losing genes during ~263 my of co-diversification with hosts, co-infections by additional microbes and host ecological switches coincided with more dramatic genomic changes. At its extremes, this has resulted in the smallest non-organellar bacterial genomes known, at barely 50-52 kb. Such minuscule Vidania genomes evolved convergently in two planthopper superfamilies, and are strikingly similar in gene contents, including the ability to produce a single amino acid (phenylalanine) for the host. Losing many additional cell-function genes places them very close to organelles of symbiotic origin in the level of host dependence, further blurring the bacteria-organelle boundary.},
}

@article {pmid41653727,
year = {2026},
author = {Sahu, SR and Vishwakarma, N and Sharma, N and Singh, PP and Singh, K and Kumar, D and Kumar, M and Sharma, A},
title = {Advances in carbon capture, conversion, and utilization: A review of sustainable chemical production pathways.},
journal = {Journal of environmental management},
volume = {401},
number = {},
pages = {128869},
doi = {10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.128869},
pmid = {41653727},
issn = {1095-8630},
abstract = {Rising carbon emissions have intensified global climate change, creating an urgent need for innovative solutions that generate value while also reducing emissions. Carbon capture, conversion, and utilization (CCCU) is a transformational technique that captures and converts CO2 from energy and industrial sources into valuable fuels, chemicals, and materials. This review examines the current state of CCCU technologies, highlighting innovative materials including solvents, solid sorbents, and membranes, as well as main CO2 capture methodologies like pre-combustion, post-combustion, and oxy-fuel combustion. Emerging conversion technologies include photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, and biochemical pathways, with an emphasis on the synthesis of methanol, dimethyl carbonate (DMC), dimethyl ether (DME), urea, and formic acid. The role of nanomaterials and bio-inspired systems in enhancing conversion efficiency is also explored. Industrial case studies and life-cycle assessments demonstrate the economic and environmental viability of CCCU, particularly when paired with renewable energy sources such as green hydrogen. Despite promising progress, CCCU still faces technical, economic, and infrastructural challenges related to energy consumption, scalability, and policy support. Looking to the future, research should focus on creating hybrid systems that can combine capture and conversion in a single process, developing more advanced catalysts, designing flexible modular reactors, and improving efficiency using machine learning. CCCU can be unlocked to its full potential by integrating it into circular economy frameworks and industrial symbiosis models. CCCU promotes decarbonization by transforming CO2 waste into a valuable resource. This aligns economic growth with environmental responsibility and fosters sustainable development. This review focuses on the commercial viability of CCCU. The conference emphasized the critical importance of technological innovation and strategic implementation in establishing renewable energy as the foundation for a low-carbon, climate-resilient future.},
}

@article {pmid41622806,
year = {2026},
author = {McKee, CD and Webb, CT and Kosoy, MY and Suu-Ire, R and Ntiamoa-Baidu, Y and Cunningham, AA and Wood, JLN and Hayman, DTS},
title = {Manipulating vector transmission reveals local processes in Bartonella communities of bats.},
journal = {Parasitology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {1-12},
doi = {10.1017/S0031182026101656},
pmid = {41622806},
issn = {1469-8161},
abstract = {Infectious diseases result from multiple interactions among microbes and hosts, but community ecology approaches are rarely applied. Manipulation of vector populations provides a unique opportunity to test the importance of vectors in infection cycles while also observing changes in pathogen community diversity and species interactions. Yet for many vector-borne infections in wildlife, a biological vector has not been experimentally verified, and few manipulative studies have been performed. Using a captive colony of fruit bats in Ghana, we conducted the first study to experimentally test the role of bat flies as vectors of Bartonella species. We observed changes in the Bartonella bacteria community over time following the decline of bat flies and again after their subsequent restocking. Reduced transmission rates led to microbial community changes attributed to ecological drift and potential species sorting through interspecific competition mediated by host immunity. We demonstrate that forces maintaining diversity in communities of free-living macroorganisms act in similar ways in communities of symbiotic microorganisms, both within and among hosts.},
}

@article {pmid41652898,
year = {2026},
author = {Beltrán-Torres, G and De La Cruz, HJ and Maury, S and Janoušková, M and Veneault-Fourrey, C and Latzel, V and Courty, PE and Duruflé, H and Tost, J and Sammarco, I},
title = {Epigenetic regulation of mycorrhizal symbioses: from plastic responses to transgenerational legacies.},
journal = {The New phytologist},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/nph.70982},
pmid = {41652898},
issn = {1469-8137},
support = {RVO 67985939//Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences/ ; ANR-24-PEAE-0001//Agence Nationale de la Recherche/ ; GACR 23-04749S//Grantová Agentura České Republiky/ ; },
abstract = {Mycorrhizal symbioses represent one of the most widespread and ecologically significant plant-microbe interactions, shaping plant nutrition, stress resilience, and ecosystem functioning. Beyond their role in nutrient exchange and systemic defense, growing evidence suggests that these symbioses also influence plant plasticity within and across generations through epigenetic regulation. These mechanisms operate throughout the mutualistic interaction, from fungal recognition and root colonization to symbiosis functioning, by regulating gene networks that control signaling, defense suppression, and nutrient exchange. By integrating environmental cues into potentially heritable gene regulatory states, epigenetic regulation fine-tunes within-generation responses and may also contribute to effects across generations, thereby influencing adaptation and resilience. The extent of mycorrhiza-induced epigenetic inheritance likely depends on the host's reproductive strategy and lifespan. Clonal propagation and shorter-lived hosts tend to preserve epigenetic marks, whereas sexual reproduction and longer-lived species show partial resetting. This contrast shapes offspring performance, ecological interactions, and evolutionary trajectories. Here, we synthesize current knowledge on the epigenetic regulation of mycorrhizal symbioses, draw parallels with other plant-microorganism interactions (including plant-pathogens and plant-endophytes), highlight its role in within-generation plasticity and propose a potential role across generations. We outline future research directions to disentangle the stability, ecological relevance, and evolutionary significance of mycorrhiza-mediated epigenetic inheritance.},
}

@article {pmid41651145,
year = {2026},
author = {Wang, Y and Sun, T and Li, L and Wang, M and Hu, B and Chen, Z and Hu, S},
title = {Synergistic effects of carbon dots and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on mitigating PFAS stress and reinforcing the purification performance of constructed wetlands.},
journal = {Environmental research},
volume = {295},
number = {},
pages = {123952},
doi = {10.1016/j.envres.2026.123952},
pmid = {41651145},
issn = {1096-0953},
abstract = {Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are highly persistent pollutants that disrupt plant-microbe interactions and compromise the performance of constructed wetlands (CWs). Here, we demonstrate a synergistic strategy combining carbon dots (CDs) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to alleviate PFAS-induced stress and enhance CW remediation efficiency. CD amendment markedly improved plant physiological performance under PFAS exposure, increasing photosynthetic efficiency and antioxidant enzyme activities, while simultaneously facilitating AMF colonization. Under high PFAS concentrations, the AMF-CDs treatment increased AMF colonization density by 33.3-100% relative to AMF alone, indicating substantial protection of symbiotic functionality. Metagenomic and community analyses revealed that the AMF- CDs combination reshaped the rhizosphere microbiome, enriching taxa such as Chloroflexi, Planctomycetes, and Campylobacterota that are functionally linked to nitrogen cycling, PFAS transformation, and metabolic resilience. These microbial shifts enhanced nutrient turnover and strengthened redox coupling processes critical for pollutant degradation. Consequently, the AMF-CDs system achieved pronounced improvements in water quality, with total phosphorus (TP), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN), and NH4[+]-N removal efficiencies elevated by 34.3-158.3% compared with untreated controls. This study provides the first evidence that CDs function as nano-bridging agents that stabilize the root-microbe interface, reinforce AMF-plant symbiosis, and drive microbial community specialization toward pollutant degradation. The AMF-CDs synergistic mechanism offers a sustainable and scalable nano-bio strategy for restoring PFAS-contaminated ecosystems and advancing next generation constructed wetland technologies.},
}

@article {pmid41651116,
year = {2026},
author = {Graber, LC and Moreau, CS},
title = {Insect-microbiome interactions in a changing world.},
journal = {Current opinion in insect science},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {101495},
doi = {10.1016/j.cois.2026.101495},
pmid = {41651116},
issn = {2214-5753},
abstract = {Humans have greatly altered the Earth and its environments through activities such as agriculture, industry, and urbanization. In recent years, the impact of anthropogenic global change on insect populations has become a topic of increased interest, with much written for both scientists and the public on how insect populations are in decline due to climate change, land use change, and exposure to chemical pollution. Additionally, many insects host microbial symbionts, which some insect species rely on for a wide range of physiological needs such as nutrient acquisition, detoxifying diet substrate, or reproduction. This review summarizes recent experimental and observational studies on the effects of anthropogenic global change on insect microbial symbioses from multiple ecosystems and continents, with a focus on the impacts of climate change and habitat loss and degradation. Each of these modes of change has been demonstrated to affect the composition of insect microbial communities, with reduction of species diversity within microbial communities (alpha diversity) as the most common result. Results of experimental study on heat stress response in bacterial symbionts suggest that warming temperatures often associated with climate change may have direct impacts on symbiont mortality, as symbionts tend to be more sensitive to thermal stress than free-living bacteria. Habitat loss and degradation impact insect microbial symbionts via the changed microbiomes of host food and environmental substrate. Chemical pollution associated with habitat degradation has altered the microbiomes of insects, though some insects may be able to detoxify chemical pollutants with symbiotic microbial taxa. While early research has shown that human-induced climate change can have negative impacts on insect symbionts, there is still much to learn about how the changing world will impact insect microbiomes and how this in turn will impact entire ecosystems at a global scale.},
}

@article {pmid41650968,
year = {2026},
author = {Naragon, TH and Viliunas, JW and Yousefelahiyeh, M and Brückner, A and Wagner, JM and Okamoto, KE and Ryon, HM and Collinson, D and Kitchen, SA and Wijker, RS and Sessions, AL and Parker, J},
title = {Symbiotic entrenchment through ecological Catch-22.},
journal = {Cell},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1016/j.cell.2025.12.041},
pmid = {41650968},
issn = {1097-4172},
abstract = {Why symbiotic organisms evolve irreversible dependencies on hosts is an outstanding question. We report a biological stealth device in a beetle that permits infiltration of ant societies. Via transcriptional silencing, the beetle switches off biosynthesis of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs)-body surface pheromones that function pleiotropically as a waxy desiccation barrier. Silencing transforms the beetle into a chemical blank slate onto which ant CHCs are transferred via grooming behavior, leading to perfect chemical mimicry and acceptance into the colony. Silencing is irreversible, however, forcing the beetle into a chronic dependence on ants to both maintain mimicry and prevent desiccation. We show that evolutionary reversion of the silencing mechanism would render the beetle detectable to ants; conversely, reversion of the beetle's attraction to ants would render it desiccation prone. Symbiotic entrenchment can thus arise from epistasis between symbiotic traits, locking lineages into a Catch-22 that obstructs reversion to living freely.},
}

@article {pmid41650653,
year = {2026},
author = {Chen, B and Kuo, CH and Liu, CH and Lee, YK and Kao, JK and Fan, CH and Wu, FC and Liu, LL and Chiu, K and Chen, YY},
title = {Differential metabolomic shifts in jellyfish tissues exposed to artificial light spectra.},
journal = {The Science of the total environment},
volume = {1017},
number = {},
pages = {181454},
doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.181454},
pmid = {41650653},
issn = {1879-1026},
abstract = {This study aimed to determine how different light spectra affect the growth and metabolism of the upside-down jellyfish, Cassiopea andromeda, which relies on symbiotic algae for energy. Jellyfish were reared for 60 days under seven light conditions-red, yellow, white, blue, green, ultraviolet (UV), or complete darkness-while monitoring survival, growth, and metabolic changes. White, blue, and green lights yielded the highest growth and 100% survival. By contrast, red and yellow light produced moderate growth, whereas UV or darkness caused severely stunted growth and high mortality. Untargeted metabolomic profiling (UHPLC-MS/MS) detected ~380 metabolites, with amino acids and fatty acids comprising the major metabolite classes. Different spectra induced distinct metabolic profiles: bell tissues under white and blue/green light showed broader metabolic shifts (e.g., upregulated osmolyte and amino acid pathways), while tentacle tissues maintained more stable profiles enriched in unsaturated fatty acid metabolism. These findings demonstrate that light spectrum significantly shapes jellyfish physiology and metabolism, advancing our understanding of cnidarian photobiology. Optimizing spectral exposure (e.g., using green or blue light) could enhance jellyfish health in aquaculture and inform strategies to mitigate jellyfish blooms under artificial lighting conditions.},
}

@article {pmid41650214,
year = {2026},
author = {Bisot, C and Galvez, LO and Kahane, F and van Son, M and Turcu, B and Broekman, R and Lin, KK and Bontenbal, P and Winter, MK and Kokkoris, V and West, SA and Godin, C and Kiers, ET and Shimizu, TS},
title = {Carbon-phosphorus exchange rate constrains density-speed trade-off in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal growth.},
journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America},
volume = {123},
number = {6},
pages = {e2512182123},
doi = {10.1073/pnas.2512182123},
pmid = {41650214},
issn = {1091-6490},
support = {0029//Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP)/ ; 101076062//EC | European Research Council (ERC)/ ; 834164//EC | Horizon Europe | Excellent Science | HORIZON EUROPE European Research Council (ERC)/ ; 0029//Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP)/ ; NA//Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment (TGF)/ ; NA//Arthur J. Schmitt Foundation (Schmitt Foundation)/ ; NA//Paul G. Allen Family Foundation (PGAFF)/ ; NA//Ammodo Foundation/ ; NA//Hefner Foundation/ ; NA//Quadrature Climate Foundation (QCF)/ ; NA//Bezos Earth Fung/ ; 202.012//Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO)/ ; SPI.2023.2//Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO)/ ; },
mesh = {*Mycorrhizae/growth & development/metabolism ; *Carbon/metabolism ; *Phosphorus/metabolism ; Symbiosis/physiology ; Machine Learning ; },
abstract = {Symbiotic nutrient exchange between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and their host plants varies widely depending on their physical, chemical, and biological environment. Yet dissecting this context dependency remains challenging because we lack methods for tracking nutrients such as carbon (C) and phosphorus (P). Here, we developed an approach to quantitatively estimate C and P fluxes in the AM symbiosis from comprehensive network morphology quantification, achieved by robotic imaging and machine learning based on roughly 100 million hyphal shape measurements. We found that rates of C transfer from the plant and P transfer from the fungus were, on average, related proportionally to one another. This ratio was nearly invariant across AM fungal strains despite contrasting growth phenotypes but was strongly affected by plant host genotype. Fungal phenotype distributions were bounded by a Pareto front with a shape favoring specialization in an exploration-exploitation trade-off. This means AM fungi can be fast range expanders or fast resource extractors, but not both. Manipulating the C/P exchange rate by swapping the plant host genotype shifted this Pareto front, indicating that the exchange rate constrains possible AM fungal growth strategies. We show by mathematical modeling how AM fungal growth at fixed exchange rate leads to qualitatively different symbiotic outcomes depending on fungal traits and nutrient availability.},
}

*Mycorrhizae/growth & development/metabolism
*Carbon/metabolism
*Phosphorus/metabolism
Symbiosis/physiology
Machine Learning

@article {pmid41649704,
year = {2025},
author = {Lv, C and Huang, YZ and Luan, JB},
title = {Correction: Insect‒microbe symbiosis-based strategies offer a new avenue for the management of insect pests and their transmitted pathogens.},
journal = {Crop health},
volume = {3},
number = {1},
pages = {3},
pmid = {41649704},
issn = {2948-1945},
}

@article {pmid41649656,
year = {2025},
author = {Huang, Z and Qi, F},
title = {Engineering strigolactone signaling: toward crops that resist parasites without sacrificing symbiosis.},
journal = {Crop health},
volume = {3},
number = {1},
pages = {13},
pmid = {41649656},
issn = {2948-1945},
support = {32400234//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; 2024M762854//China Postdoctoral Science Foundation/ ; },
}

@article {pmid41649480,
year = {2026},
author = {Becerra-Rivera, VA and Ide, AA and Reyes-González, AR and Dunn, MF},
title = {Divergent and overlapping roles of homospermidine and spermidine in Sinorhizobium meliloti physiology and symbiotic performance.},
journal = {Microbiology (Reading, England)},
volume = {172},
number = {2},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1099/mic.0.001668},
pmid = {41649480},
issn = {1465-2080},
mesh = {*Sinorhizobium meliloti/genetics/physiology/metabolism/growth & development ; *Spermidine/metabolism/analogs & derivatives ; *Symbiosis ; Bacterial Proteins/genetics/metabolism ; Medicago sativa/microbiology ; Mutation ; Biofilms/growth & development ; Nitrogen Fixation ; },
abstract = {Unlike most rhizobia, Sinorhizobium meliloti produces spermidine (Spd) in addition to putrescine (Put) and homospermidine (HSpd) as soluble intracellular polyamines. To investigate their roles, we analysed S. meliloti Rm8530 mutants lacking hss (homospermidine synthase, smc04016) or casdh (carboxyspermidine dehydrogenase, smb21630), as well as a double mutant. Biochemical and phenotypic characterization confirmed that hss and casdh are responsible for HSpd and Spd synthesis, respectively, and showed that these structurally similar molecules exert both distinct and overlapping physiological functions. The hss and hss casdh mutants exhibited reduced swimming motility, which was fully restored by HSpd or hss complementation, but not by Spd or casdh. In contrast, swarming motility defects in the double mutant were rescued by either gene or polyamine. Biofilm formation and exopolysaccharide production were largely unaffected. The hss mutant grew normally in minimal medium and formed effective symbioses with alfalfa, whereas the casdh mutant showed slightly delayed growth and reduced nitrogen fixation. The double mutant displayed a pronounced growth lag and significantly lower plant biomass and nitrogen fixation. The expression of hss and casdh was lower in the quorum-sensing-competent strain Rm8530 than in the quorum sensing-deficient strain 1021, with hss expressed about tenfold higher than casdh despite Spd being more abundant in the cells. These results highlight complementary and partially interchangeable roles of spermidine and homospermidine across S. meliloti growth and symbiotic functions.},
}

*Sinorhizobium meliloti/genetics/physiology/metabolism/growth & development
*Spermidine/metabolism/analogs & derivatives
*Symbiosis
Bacterial Proteins/genetics/metabolism
Medicago sativa/microbiology
Mutation
Biofilms/growth & development
Nitrogen Fixation

@article {pmid41649168,
year = {2026},
author = {Guha, S and Bledsoe, RB and Sutherland, J and Epstein, B and Fry, GM and Venugopal, V and Sankari, S and Polo, AG and Levin, G and Geddes, B and Young, ND and Tiffin, P and Burghardt, LT},
title = {Mutations in legume genes that influence symbiosis create a complex selective landscape for rhizobial symbionts.},
journal = {The ISME journal},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/ismejo/wrag005},
pmid = {41649168},
issn = {1751-7370},
abstract = {In the mutualism between leguminous plants and rhizobia bacteria, rhizobia live inside root nodules, creating potential for host genes to shape the rhizobial selective environment. Many host genes that affect symbiosis have been identified; however, the extent to which these genes affect selection acting on rhizobia is unknown. In this study, we inoculated 18 Medicago truncatula symbiotic mutants (including mutants that alter Nodule Cysteine-Rich (NCR) peptide production, plant defence, and nodule number regulation) with a mixture of 86 Sinorhizobium meliloti strains. Most mutations resulted in reduced host benefits, but the effects on rhizobial benefit (i.e., relative strain fitness) varied widely, revealing widespread host-by-strain fitness interactions. Genome-wide association analyses identified variants on rhizobial replicons pSymA and pSymB as important in mediating strain fitness responses to host mutations. Whereas most top variants affected rhizobial fitness with one host mutation (limited effect variants), nine affected fitness across six or more host mutations. These pervasive variants occurred primarily on pSymA, the symbiotic replicon, and include fixL and some metabolic genes. In contrast to the limited effect variants, variants with pervasive positive effects on strain fitness when host genes were mutated tended to adversely affect fitness in wild-type hosts. Competition assays across Medicago genotypes confirmed a pervasive role for one candidate (malonyl-CoA synthase), and AlphaFold multimer modelling suggests that many rhizobial top candidates could interact with host NCR peptides. Our results reveal how host genetic mutations alter strain fitness, setting the stage for improving rhizobial inoculants and breeding legume hosts better adapted to multi-strain environments.},
}

@article {pmid41648569,
year = {2026},
author = {Gabandé-Rodríguez, E and Gómez de Las Heras, MM and Ramírez-Ruiz de Erenchun, P and Simó, C and García-Cañas, V and Inohara, N and Berenguer-López, I and Enríquez-Zarralanga, V and Fernández-Almeida, Á and Oller, J and Soto-Heredero, G and Carrasco, E and Delgado-Pulido, S and Escrig-Larena, JI and Francos-Quijorna, I and Justo-Méndez, R and Aranda, JF and Poulton, J and Lechuga-Vieco, AV and Enríquez, JA and Núñez, G and Mittelbrunn, M},
title = {Butyrate extends health and lifespan in mice with mitochondrial deficiency.},
journal = {bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.64898/2026.01.13.699287},
pmid = {41648569},
issn = {2692-8205},
abstract = {Mitochondrial diseases progressively lead to multisystemic failure with treatment options remaining extremely limited. To investigate novel strategies that alleviate mitochondrial dysfunction, we have generated an ubiquitous and tamoxifen-inducible knockout mouse model of mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM), a nuclear-encoded protein involved in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) maintenance - Tfam [fl/fl] Ub [Cre-ERT2] (iTfamKO) mice. Systemic TFAM deficiency triggers mitochondrial decline in a myriad of tissues in adult mice. Consequently, iTfamKO mice manifest multiorgan dysfunction including lipodystrophy, sarcopenia, metabolic alterations, kidney failure, neurodegeneration, and locomotor dysregulation, which result in the premature death of these mice. Interestingly, iTfamKO mice display intestinal barrier disruption and gut dysbiosis, with diminished levels of microbiota-derived short-fatty acids (SCFAs), such as butyrate. Mice with a deficient proof-reading version of the mtDNA polymerase gamma (mtDNA-mutator mice) phenocopy the dysfunction of the intestinal barrier and bacterial dysbiosis with reduced levels of butyrate, suggesting that different mouse models of mitochondrial dysfunction share deficient generation of butyrate. Transfer of microbiota from healthy control mice or administration of tributyrin, a butyrate precursor, delay multiple signs of multimorbidity extending lifespan in iTfamKO mice. Mechanistically, butyrate supplementation recovers epigenetic histone acylation marks that are lost in the intestine of Tfam deficient mice. Overall, our findings highlight the relevance of preserving host-microbiota symbiosis in disorders related to mitochondrial dysfunction.},
}

@article {pmid41648409,
year = {2026},
author = {Oakes, C and Beilinson, V and McFall-Ngai, MJ and Pachter, L},
title = {Uniform pre-processing of bacterial single-cell RNA-seq.},
journal = {bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.64898/2025.12.04.692398},
pmid = {41648409},
issn = {2692-8205},
abstract = {Bacteria are highly heterogeneous, even under controlled conditions, making single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) essential for studying microbial diversity and symbiosis. Since its first application in 2015, bacterial scRNA-seq has expanded, but different assays depend on distinct, custom, in-house preprocessing making it difficult to analyze data as part of a unified workflow. The kallisto-bustools suite of tools has enabled uniform pre-processing of eukaryotic scRNA-seq while also reducing time and resource demands for pre-processing, but is not optimized for bacterial scRNA-seq. We adapt kallisto-bustools to be suitable for reads generated from operons, as well as for a much shorter gene length distribution, and show that it can efficiently and accurately quantify bacterial scRNA-seq. Our work provides a scalable foundation for uniform pre-processing of microbial single-cell transcriptomics.},
}

@article {pmid41648390,
year = {2026},
author = {Riedmuller, KC and Dyer, JE and Ottesen, EA},
title = {Large temperature excursions have modest impacts on community composition in the high diversity gut microbiome of omnivorous American cockroaches (Periplaneta americana).},
journal = {bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.64898/2026.01.21.700893},
pmid = {41648390},
issn = {2692-8205},
abstract = {UNLABELLED: Microbial residents of ectothermic hosts are exposed to variations in temperature that have the potential to impact their physiology and the host-microbe symbiotic relationship. In this experimental warming study, laboratory populations of American cockroaches (Periplaneta americana) were kept at a baseline low room temperature of 20-22°C or a high temperature of 30°C for two weeks. We quantified bacterial load and performed high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing to assess the hindgut microbiome's response to a near 10°C shift in environmental temperature. We report modest impacts of temperature on cockroach gut microbiome composition. The high temperature treatment induced increases in the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Euryarchaeota phyla as well as the Lactobacillaceae and Enterococcaceae families. We also observed increased interindividual variability. There were no significant differences in the dominant Bacteroidota or Firmicutes phyla and no significant losses or reductions in taxa or bacterial load, respectively. This suggests that the gut community of American cockroaches is largely resilient to prolonged increases in temperature and has implications for the cockroach to withstand the impacts of climate change.

IMPORTANCE: Insects, as with most animals, often harbor microbial symbionts that play an essential role in host health and nutrition. As insects are ectotherms, these microbial symbionts are subject to the same temperature fluctuations as their hosts, potentially impacting host temperature responses. Here, we demonstrate that the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) gut microbiome exhibits only modest changes following an ∼10°C increase in environmental temperature. This contrasts with studies in other insects, whose microbiota were highly responsive to temperature variation. This work illustrates that the microbiota of insects may vary in their sensitivity to long-term temperature shifts, providing a more comprehensive understanding of potential variability in insect responses to climate change.},
}

@article {pmid41648010,
year = {2025},
author = {Chen, K and Hao, H and Zhang, K and Li, K and Li, Y and Andrews, M and Zhang, H and Feng, Z and Zhang, J},
title = {motA-mediated flagellar motility modulates biofilm formation and competitive nodulation in Mesorhizobium ciceri USDA 3378.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {16},
number = {},
pages = {1743961},
pmid = {41648010},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {The introduced rhizobial inoculum M. ciceri USDA 3378 demonstrates a significant competitive advantage over the indigenous M. muleiense CCBAU 83963 for nodulating chickpea in newly established planting areas in China. Previous genomic analyses revealed that USDA 3378 possesses a greater number of genes related to cell movement and flagella production compared to CCBAU 83963. Transcriptomic analysis indicated that the expression of the flagella-associated gene motA (flagellar motor protein) significantly changed under symbiotic conditions. Although the genome of M. ciceri USDA 3378 contains the motA gene, its biological function within this strain has not been previously reported. In this study, we constructed a motA mutant (ΔmotA-3378) in USDA 3378 using homologous recombination and biparental conjugation methods to assess the differences in bacterial structure, growth, motility, exopolysaccharide synthesis, biofilm formation, and competitive nodulation ability between the wild type and the mutant. Experimental results showed that the ΔmotA-3378 mutant was unable to produce flagella, leading to reduced motility, diminished biofilm formation, and lower exopolysaccharide production. In competitive nodulation with wild-type USDA 3378, the ΔmotA-3378 mutant's nodule occupancy was 40.43 %. Furthermore, its competitive nodulation advantage against CCBAU 83963 decreased from 100 % (achieved by wild-type USDA 3378) to 94.6 %. These findings indicate that the motA gene plays a crucial role in the motility, exopolysaccharide synthesis, biofilm formation, and competitive nodulation ability of M. ciceri USDA 3378.},
}

@article {pmid41646833,
year = {2026},
author = {Zhang, Y and Wang, Y and Druzhinina, IS and Vasco, F and Zhong, D and Peng, L and Yao, J and Yuan, Z and Martin, FM},
title = {Ecological genomics of saprotrophy to biotrophy transitions in the genus Clitopilus (Fr. ex Rabenh.) P. Kumm. (Agaricales, Entolomataceae).},
journal = {IMA fungus},
volume = {17},
number = {},
pages = {e179417},
pmid = {41646833},
issn = {2210-6340},
abstract = {Transitions between saprotrophic and biotrophic lifestyles represent pivotal evolutionary events in fungal ecology; however, the genomic and physiological mechanisms underlying such shifts remain poorly understood. The agaric genus Clitopilus (Basidiomycota, Entolomataceae) offers a valuable model system, with most species being soil saprotrophs. Clitopilus cf. baronii Consiglio & Setti exhibits genomic signatures suggesting incipient biotrophic capacity. Here, we investigated the genomic and eco-physiological properties of seven strains representing five Clitopilus species to identify traits associated with lifestyle transitions. ITS-based phylogeny combined with ecological metadata revealed potential facultative biotrophy in multiple taxa from the section Scyphoides. Physiological profiling showed that all strains utilized mannitol and sucrose poorly, preferred organic nitrogen compounds, and produced variable amounts of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) in vitro in a strictly tryptophan-dependent manner. Enzymatic assays revealed substantial variations in the nitrogen and phosphorus acquisition capabilities among the strains. Comparative genomics of high-quality assemblies identified a pleuromutilin biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) across all strains, although synteny analysis revealed considerable structural variation and putative gene loss, indicating that genomic plasticity potentially affects antibiotic production. Principal component analysis of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) across 25 fungal genomes partitioned Clitopilus strains into two distinct groups: one resembling saprotrophic white-rot basidiomycetes, the other matching biotrophic ectomycorrhizal and endophytic taxa. This first comprehensive genomic analysis of Clitopilus revealed that nutritional specialization, phytohormone production, and CAZyme repertoire remodeling collectively signal an ongoing evolutionary transition from saprotrophy to plant-associated lifestyles in multiple lineages. These findings provide a rare genomic window into the early stages of symbiosis evolution, offering insights into how free-living fungi acquire the molecular toolkit for mutualistic partnerships.},
}

@article {pmid41646635,
year = {2026},
author = {Iriart, V and Kubota, N and Ashman, TL},
title = {Can the right partner mitigate harm? Rhizobial strains vary in their mediation of herbicide stress in a plant-rhizobia mutualism.},
journal = {Evolution letters},
volume = {10},
number = {1},
pages = {54-64},
pmid = {41646635},
issn = {2056-3744},
abstract = {Agriculture has intensified the presence of chemical stressors in the rhizosphere-the region surrounding roots where critical plant-microbe interactions occur, such as those between leguminous plants and nitrogen-fixing rhizobial bacteria. Particularly, rhizospheric pesticide exposure can disrupt the efficacy of the plant-rhizobia mutualism and reduce plant productivity. However, it is unknown whether genetic variation in plants (GP), rhizobia (GR), or interactions between them and the pesticide environment (E), i.e., GP or R [Formula: see text] E, or GP [Formula: see text] GR [Formula: see text] E, could mitigate these negative outcomes. We grew two genotypes of the leguminous plant Trifolium pratense in symbiosis with each of eight genetic strains of its rhizobial partner Rhizobium spp. symbiovar trifolii. We exposed symbionts to the contemporary synthetic auxin herbicide dicamba or a control in the rhizosphere, and evaluated the symbiotic interaction and plant growth. Our results provide new evidence that rhizobial genetic variation drives herbicide impacts on mutualism outcomes through GR [Formula: see text] E interactions. Rhizospheric herbicide delayed rhizobial colonization of plants via root nodule formation, but its effects on the number of nodules and fixed nitrogen produced varied depending on rhizobial strain. Similarly, while herbicide exposure reduced plant size on average, the degree of this effect was mediated by rhizobial partner, suggesting that rhizobia could potentially function as an "extended genotype" for defense against herbicide damage. As the use of herbicides, particularly synthetic auxins, continues to escalate, our findings have important implications for how certain rhizobia could be selected to improve plant fitness in the face of these anthropogenically-released chemicals.},
}

@article {pmid41645593,
year = {2026},
author = {Koszalinski, R and Wilson, C and Schaefer, AM},
title = {Underpinning Human Health Outcomes of Harmful Algal Bloom Exposure Research: An Analysis of the Relationship and Applicability of the Bureaucratic Caring Theory.},
journal = {Scandinavian journal of caring sciences},
volume = {40},
number = {1},
pages = {e70199},
doi = {10.1111/scs.70199},
pmid = {41645593},
issn = {1471-6712},
support = {00007298//Florida Department of Health/ ; },
mesh = {Humans ; *Harmful Algal Bloom ; *Empathy ; *Environmental Exposure ; Male ; Female ; Nursing Theory ; },
abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Caring is a transpersonal concept within the context of the expression from clinical practitioners or researchers to an individual, family, community and policy development. The connections between human health outcomes and the environment are profoundly relevant in harmful algal bloom (HAB) research. Nurses are responsible for integrating science and environmental health into nursing education, research and practice for collaboration, community engagement and policy changes to address patient needs and mitigate adverse environmental changes and health impacts. A theoretical framework is required to guide this work.

DESIGN: An analysis of the Bureaucratic Caring Theory (BCT). BCT is a holographic theory that harmonises a dialectical synthesis of thesis (spiritual-ethical) and antithesis (bureaucracy) into a broader meaning of truth or symbiosis.

RESULTS: BCT supports (1) co-creation of improved conditions for the community, (2) fostering self-consciousness and an understanding of health to existing Physical, Educational, Legal, Technological, Educational, Economic and Political dimensions unified by Spiritual-cultural meaning and (3) the study of existing theories and models to communicate community member needs and the response of the nursing profession.

DISCUSSION: A theoretical framework was needed to guide practice, education, and research in HAB Human Health Outcomes research. The underpinning of HAB research with BCT aligns with nursing practice, nursing education and nursing research with interprofessional scientists and has significant health care implications.

CONCLUSION: We propose the application of BCT which identifies the seven dimensions of the theory and the 8th central dimension of spiritual-ethical caring to enhance continued scientific inquiry, increased attention to environmental health education, and knowledgeable, caring practice to improve the health and well-being of individuals, families, communities, and the impact of environmental health policy development.},
}

Humans
*Harmful Algal Bloom
*Empathy
*Environmental Exposure
Male
Female
Nursing Theory

@article {pmid41645552,
year = {2026},
author = {Frei Dit Frey, N and Spallek, T},
title = {CLE peptides in plant-biotic interactions.},
journal = {The New phytologist},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/nph.70958},
pmid = {41645552},
issn = {1469-8137},
support = {273134146//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft/ ; 424122841//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft/ ; ANR-PRC SYMPA-PEP//Agence Nationale de la Recherche/ ; },
abstract = {Plant-biotic interactions are driven by the exchange of molecules. Small peptide hormones like CLAVATA3/EMBRYO SURROUNDING REGION (CLE) peptides play central regulatory roles in these interactions. CLEs determine the extent of symbiotic interaction to balance costs and benefits for the host. In parasitic interactions, CLEs regulate the formation of feeding sites by plant pathogenic nematodes and promote the formation of haustoria in parasitic plants. By reviewing recent findings on CLE functions, their receptors, and responses across different biotic interactions, we provide insights into the increasingly complex roles of CLEs in plant development and nutrient signaling.},
}

@article {pmid41645294,
year = {2026},
author = {Zhang, ZY and Wei, GF and Hou, LY and Zhang, GZ and Li, XD and Li, M and Meng, L and Wu, GY and Xu, J and Zhou, YX and Sun, C and Dong, LL},
title = {Effects of developmental stage-driven fungal community shifts on biomass and metabolite accumulation in Gastrodia elata.},
journal = {Environmental microbiome},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1186/s40793-026-00860-4},
pmid = {41645294},
issn = {2524-6372},
support = {CI2023E001TS03-04-01//grants from the Scientific and technological innovation project of China Academy of Chinese Medical Science/ ; 2024SF-ZDCYL-03-10//Shaanxi Province Key R&D Plan/ ; HJSYF2024(31)//Nuclear Technology R&D Program/ ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Fungal communities play crucial roles in plant development and metabolite accumulation, especially in fully mycoheterotrophic medicinal plants like Gastrodia elata. While the importance of fungal symbiosis in G. elata is recognized, how fungal community dynamics evolve across its entire growth cycle and how they influence biomass and bioactive compound accumulation remain largely unclear.

RESULTS: High-throughput sequencing combined with multi-omics analyses revealed that developmental progression significantly shapes fungal diversity and composition, thereby influencing biomass and metabolite accumulation in G. elata. These effects are mediated by stage-specific selective recruitment and dynamic remodeling of fungal communities in both rhizome and rhizosphere compartments. Structural equation modeling indicated that developmental stage, fungal α-diversity, and community structure exert both direct and indirect effects on biomass and the accumulation of bioactive compounds. High-resolution association network analyses further identified key functional fungal groups, particularly wood and soil saprotrophs, as major contributors to seed stem biomass regulation. Notably, the symbiotic fungus Armillaria showed the strongest positive correlation with gastrodin accumulation, while wood saprotrophs and plant pathogens also significantly influenced its levels.

CONCLUSIONS: This study systematically elucidates the dynamic changes in fungal communities across different developmental stages of G. elata and their effects on biomass and bioactive metabolite accumulation. Our findings highlight the central role of microbe-plant-metabolite interactions in regulating biomass and bioactive metabolite production, offering valuable insight for optimizing the cultivation and quality of medicinal plants through microbiome-targeted strategies.},
}

@article {pmid41645277,
year = {2026},
author = {Ramírez, GA and Bar-Shalom, R and Perez, T and Epchtien, RE and Furlan, A and Romeo, R and Gavagnin, M and Garber, AI and Lalzar, M and Steindler, L},
title = {Diel transcriptional dynamics of a marine sponge and its microbiome in a natural environment.},
journal = {Animal microbiome},
volume = {8},
number = {1},
pages = {12},
pmid = {41645277},
issn = {2524-4671},
support = {GBMF9352//Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation/ ; 933/23//Israel Science Foundation/ ; },
}

@article {pmid41645059,
year = {2026},
author = {Elhai, J},
title = {Genomes of N2-fixing endosymbionts of unicellular eukaryotes and host-independence.},
journal = {BMC genomics},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1186/s12864-026-12517-0},
pmid = {41645059},
issn = {1471-2164},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: The projected 2.7-fold increase in population in sub-Saharan Africa by the end of the century demands consideration as to how agricultural output can keep pace. Augmenting nitrogen inputs is a practical necessity, but this must be accomplished in such a way that avoids the environmental costs of past advances and also places the resource in the hands of those who will be the most affected. Biological nitrogen fixation might play an important role. The realization that certain algae are able to provide for their own nitrogen needs by fixing atmospheric N2 raises the possibility that an endosymbiont responsible for the nitrogen might be transferred to crop plants. For this to take place, it is necessary that the endosymbionts be (or be made to be) sufficiently independent of their hosts so that they may establish themselves in crop plants appropriate to African agriculture.

RESULTS: Genomes from six endosymbionts from diatoms within the family Rhopalodiaceae were analyzed. They were compared to genomes from free-living cyanobacteria and to those of the nitroplast UCYN-A and chromatophore from Paulinella, to which they are related. Unlike the latter two endosymbionts, the six from Rhopalodia encode all the enzymes considered that underlie metabolic processes and provide the energy to power N-fixation. Some of the endosymbionts also appear able to synthesize cofactors essential for central metabolism. The analysis points to possible carbon sources the endosymbionts might take up from their hosts, including glycerol and chitobiose. Possible routes of nitrogen export to the host were also examined.

CONCLUSIONS: Within the limits of genome analysis, some of the Rhopalodian endosymbionts appear to be metabolically independent of their hosts, except for requiring a carbon source. However, the choice of carbon source and the likely means of nitrogen export are not compatible with crop plants. Genetic modification would surely be necessary for any prospect of propagation of an endosymbiont in a plant of agricultural importance, and significant questions must first be answered in the laboratory. To this end, the endosymbiont of Epithemia clementina may be best suited for such investigations, eventually after transfer to the model diatom Phaeodactyllum tricornutum.},
}

@article {pmid41644692,
year = {2026},
author = {Rojas-Jimenez, K and Morera-Huertas, J and de Bedout-Mora, M and Loria-Vinueza, B and Zúñiga-Orozco, A and Molina-Mora, JA and Solís-Ramos, L and Blanco, MA and Valverde-Barrantes, OJ},
title = {Exploring symbiotic legume-rhizobia relationships across tropical species.},
journal = {World journal of microbiology & biotechnology},
volume = {42},
number = {2},
pages = {75},
pmid = {41644692},
issn = {1573-0972},
}