Myeloid-derived growth factor (MYDGF) is a novel secreted protein with potent antiapoptotic and tissue-repairing properties that is present in nearly 140 human tissues and cell lines, with the highest abundance in the oral epithelium and skin. Initially, MYDGF was found in bone marrow-derived monocytes and macrophages for cardioprotection and repair after myocardial infarction. Subsequent studies have shown that MYDGF plays an important role in other cardiovascular diseases (e.g., atherosclerosis and heart failure), metabolic disorders, renal disease, autoimmune/inflammatory disorders, and cancers. Although the underlying mechanisms have not been fully explored, the role of MYDGF in health and disease may involve cell apoptosis and proliferation, tissue repair and regeneration, anti-inflammation, and glycolipid metabolism regulation. In this review, we summarize the current progress in understanding the role of MYDGF in health and disease, focusing on its structure, function and mechanisms. The graphical abstract shows the current role of MYDGF in different organs and diseases (Fig. 1).

The expansion of agriculture and intensive mechanized production have resulted in the loss of habitats and biodiversity, which has led to the loss of ecological services such as the biological control of pests and diseases, and insect-borne pollination. Current studies mainly focus on the impact of small-scale crop diversity (such as intercropping) on ecological service but lack research on the effects of crop diversity at the landscape scale. In this study, vegetation-dwelling arthropods in naked oat (Avena chinensis) fields under different planting patterns were collected at different growth stages by standardized sweep netting sampling, and the differences in arthropod communities and temporal dynamics were analyzed. Taking this information as an example, the effects of crop diversity at the landscape scale caused by different planting patterns on arthropod communities were studied. It was found that herbivores were the most abundant functional group in the arthropod community in naked oat fields, accounting for 70.13% of the total abundance, followed by natural enemies, accounting for 23.45%, and, finally, other insects. The abundance and species richness of natural enemies in naked oat fields under diversified planting pattern were significantly higher than those under intensive planting pattern, while the abundance and species richness of herbivorous pests showed no significant difference between the two planting patterns. Planting patterns significantly affected the composition and structure of arthropod communities in naked oat fields. Significantly higher ratio of natural enemy to pest and more diverse natural enemies under the diversified planting pattern have shown better biological control potential and the significance of biodiversity protection.

The establishment of native grassland species is widely implemented on abandoned land as a strategy to restore degraded soils. However, its effects on soil properties are highly species‐specific, as plant‐driven physicochemical changes subsequently reshape microbial community structure. The linkages between soil physicochemical properties and microbial communities following native grassland establishment remain poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we examined the effects of 11 native grassland species on soil physicochemical properties and fungal community structure. Using co‐occurrence network analysis, we elucidate how plants drive fungal community reorganisation through soil‐mediated trophic pathways. The results showed that soil aggregate stability, chemical properties, and fungal communities differed significantly among the 11 species. Soil chemical properties, such as pH and EC, correlated with symbiotic fungi dominated modules; both soil aggregate stability and chemical properties were linked to pathogenic fungi dominated modules, while saprophytic fungi dominated modules displayed no linkage to either soil aggregate stability or chemical properties. These findings establish that fungal trophic modes govern species‐dependent restoration outcomes via modular soil–microbe linkages, thereby offering predictive frameworks for species‐specific management of abandoned soils.

Soil bacterial diversity often shows different trends due to changes in dominant plant species. However, the potential key drivers of processes that reveal bacterial diversity per se have not been clearly elucidated. We established a field experiment with 9 native grassland species and assessed the relationship between soil bacterial diversity and ecological taxa classified by network construction. A co-occurrence network of 1065 points and 10023 edges, among 9 native grasses, was established to classify microbial ecological taxa. The results showed that the relative abundance of ecological taxa classified as peripherals, which is influenced by soil urease activity, inhibited bacterial diversity. Conversely, the relative abundance of specific taxa directly controlled by plants was positively related to bacterial diversity. Further, the composition of peripherals was not affected by soil physicochemical properties, while the composition of specific taxa was affected by NO₃^-, TP, AP, SU, TC and AK. The composition of peripherals and specific taxa have different responses to soil properties due to their sensitivity to environmental changes. Our findings reveal that plant-dominated bacterial diversity is closely linked to the abundance of peripheral and specific taxa. Understanding these mechanisms may provide a new insight in to the management of grassland soil microbes through the selection of grass species following disturbance and subsequent restoration.

The reintroduction of grassland plant species is widely used to restore degraded cropland, yet the species-specific effects on soil microbial diversity remain poorly understood. Understanding how individual plant species shape microbial communities is critical for improving restoration outcomes. To address this, we established experimental plots with 11 plant species on abandoned cropland and evaluated their impacts on soil bacterial diversity. Our results revealed marked variations in soil bacterial diversity across species. Richness indices (ACE and Richness) were positively correlated with soil total phosphorus (TP) and pH, while evenness indices (Simpson and Pielou) were negatively correlated with the proportion of water-stable aggregates (WSA). By classifying soil bacteria into ecological groups via co-occurrence network analysis, we found that bacterial diversity was positively correlated with the relative abundance of keystone and low-frequency taxa, but negatively correlated with peripheral taxa and other taxa. Further analysis indicated that stochastic processes following plant reintroduction promoted the emergence of low-frequency taxa, while deterministic processes contributed to a higher relative abundance of other taxa. Taken together, these findings suggest that species such as Elymus sibiricus (E. sibi) enhance soil bacterial diversity by shifting community assembly toward more stochastic processes, accompanied by an increase in low-frequency taxa and a reduction in the relative abundance of other taxa. Our results provide critical insights for selecting plant species that enhance microbial diversity for the restoration of abandoned cropland. Graphical Abstract Our study demonstrates a dual-pathway mechanism by which plant species regulate soil bacterial diversity: (i) by modifying soil properties (e.g., pH, TP, WSA), which filter the microbial community; and (ii) by modulating the abundance and assembly of key ecological groups within the microbial network. The selection of plant species determines the balance between these pathways, ultimately shaping the diversity outcome.

Drought is becoming more frequent and severe under global climate change. Bouteloua dactyloides (Nutt.) (hereafter, B. dactyloides) is a dioecious, drought