The superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymes are a group of key enzymes involved in oxidative stress defense and play a significant role in organismal growth and development. The SOD gene family has been identified in many plants, animals, and some fungi but not in the economically important edible mushroom Lentinula edodes. In this study, members of the SOD gene family of L. edodes were identified and analyzed using bioinformatic methods. Three proteins containing signature SOD domains were identified in each of the two monokaryotic strains SP3 and SP30 of L. edodes, and all six proteins belonged to the major Fe/Mn-SOD type. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these LeSOD genes were classified into two subtypes, with members of each type sharing the same conserved motifs. Transcriptome data of mycelia grown under different conditions showed that LeSOD1 was significantly up-regulated under heat stress, while LeSOD2 was significantly up-regulated under hydrogen peroxide stress. Together, the genomic and transcriptomic analyses suggest that LeSOD1 and LeSOD2 are key genes for L. edodes to respond to abiotic stresses. This study provides a foundation for understanding both the roles of the SOD gene family and the molecular mechanism by which L. edodes responds to heat and oxidative stresses.

This study investigated the aerobic biodecolorization of azo dyes by Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. S. oneidensis MR-1 can rapidly degrade azo dyes under aerobic conditions, even at high concentrations of up to 270 mg/L, demonstrating remarkable dye decolorization capabilities. This decolorization efficiency persists even under high concentrations of oxygen. The introduction of different environmental metal ions led to either inhibitory or stimulatory effects on the decolorization of Methyl Orange and Amaranth. Furthermore, the addition of extracellular electron shuttles and electron scavengers confirmed that dyes were being reduced via electron transfer, and the decolorization capability of S. oneidensis MR-1 correlated with electron density. Our study unveils the rapid degradation ability of S. oneidensis MR-1 for dyes under aerobic conditions, which is closely linked to its electron transfer capacity. This research holds significant implications for a deeper understanding of the biodegradation mechanisms of azo dyes under aerobic conditions.

Artemisia annua L., a well-known traditional Chinese medicine, is the main source for production of artemisinin, an anti-malaria drug. Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) plays an important role in plant growth and development as well as in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. While the HSP70 gene family has been characterized in many species, its role in A. annua remains unclear. To investigate the evolutionary relationships, functions, and expression patterns of the A. annua HSP70 (AaHSP70) gene family, we conducted a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis of the HSP70 gene family in the LQ-9 haplotype 0 genome of A. annua. In this study, 47 AaHSP70 genes containing the HSP70 protein structural domain were identified and were unevenly distributed on seven chromosomes, among which, 39 AaHSP70 genes contained 10 identical conserved motifs and eight genes contained varying numbers of seven to nine motifs. Genome collinearity analysis showed that two pairs of genes were duplicated in genome and duplicated segmental duplication (DSD) was the major mode of amplification for this gene family. Cis-acting elements analysis indicated that AaHSP70 was involved in responding to various biotic and abiotic stresses, such as abscisic acid-responsive and defense and stress responsiveness. Gene expression profiling showed that 45 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of AaHSP70 genes responded differently to heat treatment, of which 12 genes were up-regulated and two genes were up-regulated and then down-regulated. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment showed that two AaHSP70 genes were enriched in the pathway related to reactive oxygen species (ROS). Furthermore, reverse transcription-qPCR (RT-qPCR) experiments confirmed the expression levels of 10 up-regulated genes. This study provides a comprehensive characterization of the HSP70 gene family in A. annua and systematically identifies AaHSP70 genes that were responsive to heat stress, laying the groundwork for further research into the role of the HSP70 gene family in the response of A. annua to abiotic stress.

Soybean (Glycine max) is a globally important source of protein and oil, and its capacity for biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) underpins its strategic role in sustainable agriculture. However, BNF efficiency is highly sensitive to abiotic stresses, and conventional agronomic interventions struggle to simultaneously optimize nodulation, nitrogenase activity, and stress resilience. Agricultural nanotechnology offers a unique avenue to address this bottleneck by modulating the tripartite nanomaterial–rhizobium–soybean interaction at multiple scales. This review systematically examines (1) nanomaterial design strategies tailored to the rhizosphere and nodule microenvironments; (2) the ‘Rhizosphere–Nodule–System’ (RNS) cascade model, which integrates rhizosphere interfacial events, nodule metabolic reprogramming, and systemic stress signaling; and (3) field-level efficacy, genotype-dependent responses, and barriers to scalable application. By elucidating the mechanistic logic by which nanotechnology coordinates BNF enhancement with abiotic stress tolerance, this framework provides theoretical support for the targeted deployment of nano-agricultural technologies in soybean production systems.