Thymic degeneration and regeneration are regulated by estrogen and androgen. Recent studies have found that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in organ development. In this study, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) results showed that ovariectomy significantly affected 333 lncRNAs, 51 miRNAs, and 144 mRNAs levels (p < 0.05 and |log2fold change| > 1), and orchiectomy significantly affected 165 lncRNAs, 165 miRNAs, and 208 mRNA levels in the thymus. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were closely related to cell development and immunity. Next, we constructed two lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA networks using Cytoscape based on the targeting relationship between differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) and DEGs and differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) analyzed by TargetScan and miRanda. Besides, we screened DEGs that were significantly enriched in GO and in ceRNA networks to verify their expression in thymocytes and thymic epithelial cells (TECs). In addition, we analyzed the promoter sequences of DEGs, and identified 25 causal transcription factors. Finally, we constructed transcription factor-miRNA-joint target gene networks. In conclusion, this study reveals the effects of estrogen and androgen on the expression of miRNAs, lncRNAs, and mRNAs in mice thymus, providing new insights into the regulation of thymic development by gonadal hormones and non-coding RNAs.

This study aims to explore the effects of resveratrol on the NLRP3 inflammasome and its regulatory mechanism in the liver of heat‐stressed broilers. Broilers were randomly divided into three groups: (1) Control (23°C ± 2°C), (2) Heat stress (HS, 35°C ± 2°C, 8 h/day), and (3) Resveratrol (HS + resveratrol) group. Resveratrol supplementation (400 mg/kg diet) commenced 48 h prior to HS and continued throughout the experimental period. The results showed that resveratrol improved growth performance with a higher average daily gain (ADG) and lower feed conversion ratio (FCR), and increased liver weight and index along with reduced inflammatory cell infiltration in broilers. In addition, resveratrol upregulated the autophagy‐related genes and protein levels in the liver. Moreover, resveratrol obviously down‐regulated the protein and mRNA levels of the NOD‐like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. In conclusion, resveratrol mitigated heat stress‐induced liver injury by modulating autophagy and down‐regulating NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) poses a significant threat to the global swine industry. In this study, the genetic diversity, evolutionary dynamics, and key antigenic characteristics of the PRRSV-1 GP5 gene in China were systematically investigated. A total of 114 Chinese PRRSV-1 GP5 sequences, isolated between 1999 and 2024, were analyzed alongside global reference strains. The nucleotide and amino acid sequence similarities ranged from 60.03% to 100% and from 48.72% to 100%, respectively, with mutation and deletion hotspots concentrated in the N-terminal hypervariable region. Phylogenetic analysis further classified the Chinese strains into four major lineages: Amervac-like, BJEU06-1-like, HKEU16-like, and NMEU09-1-like. Notably, a preliminary phylogenetic observation indicated that several recent Chinese PRRSV-1 isolates clustered topologically close to PRRSV-2 strains. However, as this finding is based solely on a single-gene tree and has not been validated by formal tests for convergent evolution, homoplasy, or selection pressure, it should be interpreted with caution and warrants further investigation using whole-genome data. A Bayesian evolutionary analysis estimated the evolutionary rate at 1.94 × 10⁻³ substitutions per site per year and the time to the most recent common ancestor at approximately 1910. No statistically significant recombination events were identified within the GP5 gene. The transmembrane topology of GP5 was highly conserved, whereas B-cell linear epitopes were enriched in the N-terminal extracellular region. This study establishes a useful molecular foundation for understanding PRRSV-1 evolution in China and offers valuable insights for the development of broad-spectrum vaccines and effective control strategies.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) has been prevalent in Germany for over 30 years, posing a significant threat to the local swine industry. There are limited analyses to offer German PRRSV ORF5 genetic and evolutionary characteristics and GP5 structural and functional features. In this study, a total of 518 sequences of the PRRSV GP5 gene were obtained from the GenBank database, encompassing 102 sequences from Germany to investigate the genetic relationships and GP5 structural and functional features. Similarly, phylogenetic and recombination analyses were used to identify genetic relationships. Two German PRRSV-1 lineage 1 strains exhibited more than 98.0% nucleotide similarity with vaccine strains. Eighteen German PRRSV-2 lineage 5 strains exhibited more than 98.0% nucleotide similarity with a prototype vaccine strain. German PRRSV-1 lineage 1 was predominant. GP5 structural and functional features were determined by N-glycosylation sites, B-cell epitopes, and transmembrane domain predictions. The main N-glycosylation patterns and transmembrane domains of German PRRSV-1 lineage 1 were time-dependent. Mutations of German PRRSV-1 lineage 3 in the primary neutralizing epitope were detected. In conclusion, these findings reveal lineage-specific molecular variation and improve the understanding of the molecular evolution of German PRRSV.