The use of deer antlers dates back thousands of years in Chinese history. Deer antlers have antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties and can be used in treating neurological diseases. However, only a few studies have reported the immunomodulatory mechanism of deer antler active compounds. Using network pharmacology, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation techniques, we analyzed the underlying mechanism by which deer antlers regulate the immune response. We identified 4 substances and 130 core targets that may play immunomodulatory roles, and the beneficial and non-beneficial effects in the process of immune regulation were analyzed. The targets were enriched in pathways related to cancer, human cytomegalovirus infection, the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, human T cell leukemia virus 1 infection, and lipids and atherosclerosis. Molecular docking showed that AKT1, MAPK3, and SRC have good binding activity with 17 beta estradiol and estrone. Additionally, the molecular dynamics simulation of the molecular docking result using GROMACS software (version: 2021.2) was performed and we found that the AKT1–estrone complex, 17 beta estradiol–AKT1 complex, estrone–MAPK3 complex, and 17 beta estradiol–MAPK3 complex had relatively good binding stability. Our research sheds light on the immunomodulatory mechanism of deer antlers and provides a theoretical foundation for further exploration of their active compounds.

Soil potassium deficiency is a common issue limiting agricultural productivity. Potassium-solubilizing bacteria (KSB) show significant potential in mitigating soil potassium deficiency, improving soil quality, and enhancing plant growth. However, different KSB strains exhibit diverse solubilization mechanisms, environmental adaptability, and growth-promoting abilities. In this study, we isolated a multifunctional KSB strain ZHS-1, which also has phosphate-solubilizing and IAA-producing capabilities. 16S rDNA sequencing identified it as Pantoea vagans. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that strain ZHS-1 severely corroded the smooth, compact surface of potassium feldspar into a rough and loose state. The potassium solubilization reached 20.3 mg/L under conditions where maltose was the carbon source, sodium nitrate was the nitrogen source, and the pH was 7. Organic acid metabolism profiling revealed that strain ZHS-1 primarily utilized the EMP-TCA cycle, supplemented by pathways involving pantothenic acid, glyoxylic acid, and dicarboxylic acids, to produce large amounts of organic acids and energy. This solubilization was achieved through direct solubilization mechanisms. The strain also secreted IAA through a tryptophan-dependent metabolic pathway. When strain ZHS-1 was inoculated into the rhizosphere of rice, it demonstrated significant growth-promoting effects. The rice plants exhibited improved growth and root development, with increased accumulation of potassium and phosphorus. The levels of available phosphorus and potassium in the rhizosphere soil also increased significantly. Additionally, we observed a decrease in the relative abundance of Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria in the rice rhizosphere soil, while the relative abundance of genera associated with acid production and potassium solubilization, such as Gemmatimonadota, Acidobacteria, and Chloroflexi, as well as Cyanobacteria, which are beneficial to plant growth, increased. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the potassium solubilization mechanisms of strain ZHS-1 and highlight its potential as a plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria.

Straw pollution and the increasing scarcity of phosphorus resources in many regions of China have had severe impacts on the growing conditions for crop plants. Using microbial methods to enhance straw decomposition rate and phosphorus utilization offers effective solutions to address these problems. In this study, a microbial consortium 6 + 1 (consisting of a straw-degrading bacterium and a phosphate-solubilizing bacterium) was formulated based on their performance in straw degradation and phosphorus solubilization. The degradation rate of straw by 6 + 1 microbial consortium reached 48.3% within 7 days (The degradation ability was 7% higher than that of single bacteria), and the phosphorus dissolution rate of insoluble phosphorus reached 117.54 mg·L− 1 (The phosphorus solubilization ability was 29.81% higher than that of single bacteria). In addition, the activity of lignocellulosic degrading enzyme system was significantly increased, the activities of endoglucanase, β-glucosidase and xylanase in the microbial consortium were significantly higher than those in the single strain (23.16%, 28.02% and 28.86%, respectively). Then the microbial consortium was processed into microbial agents and tested in rice pots. The results showed that the microbial agent significantly increased the content of organic matter, available phosphorus and available nitrogen in the soil. Ongoing research focuses on the determination of the effects and mechanisms of a functional hybrid system of straw degradation and phosphorus removal. The characteristics of the two strains are as follows: Straw-degrading bacteria can efficiently degrade straw to produce glucose-based carbon sources when only straw is used as a carbon source. Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria can efficiently use glucose as a carbon source, produce organic acids to dissolve insoluble phosphorus and consume glucose at an extremely fast rate. The analysis suggests that the microbial consortium 6 + 1 outperformed individual strains in terms of both performance and application effects. The two strains within the microbial consortium promote each other during their growth processes, resulting in a significantly higher rate of carbon source consumption compared to the individual strains in isolation. This increased demand for carbon sources within the growth system facilitates the degradation of straw by the strains. At the same time, the substantial carbon consumption during the metabolic process generated a large number of organic acids, leading to the solubilization of insoluble phosphorus. It also provides a basis for the construction of this type of microbial consortium.

Phosphorus is an essential macronutrient for plant growth and development, but phosphate resources are limited and rapidly depleting due to massive global agricultural demand. This study identified two genes in the phosphate transporter 2 (PHT2) family of soybean by bioinformatics. The expression patterns of two genes by qRT-PCR at leaves and all were induced by low-phosphate stress. After low-phosphate stress, GmPHT2;2 expression was significantly higher than GmPHT2;1, and the same trend was observed throughout the reproductive period. The result of heterologous expression of GmPHT2 in Arabidopsis knockout mutants of atpht2;1 shows that chloroplasts and whole-plant phosphorus content were significantly higher in plants complementation of GmPHT2;2 than in plants complementation of GmPHT2;1. This suggests that GmPHT2;2 may play a more important role in plant phosphorus metabolic homeostasis during low-phosphate stress than GmPHT2;1. In the yeast backfill assay, both genes were able to backfill the ability of the defective yeast to utilize phosphorus. GmPHT2 expression was up-regulated by a low-temperature treatment at 4 °C, implying that GmPHT2;1 may play a role in soybean response to low-temperature stress, in addition to being involved in phosphorus transport processes. GmPHT2;1 and GmPHT2;2 exhibit a cyclic pattern of circadian variation in response to light, with the same pattern of gene expression changes under red, blue, and white light conditions. GmPHT2 protein was found in the chloroplast, according to subcellular localization analysis. We conclude that GmPHT2 is a typical phosphate transporter gene that can improve plant acquisition efficiency.

In order to explore the distribution of cyanobacteria in paddy soil under different ecological conditions, the composition, diversity, and environmental drivers of soil cyanobacteria communities in rice fields from six regions of Jilin Province (China) were investigated. The results showed that the 16S amplicon high-throughput sequence detected the existence of cyanobacteria of 16 phyla, 33 orders, 60 families, and 113 genera in the soil of rice fields in Jilin Province. The dominant cyanobacteria populations in Jilin Province paddy soils comprised Cyanobium_PCC-6307, Synechocystis_PCC-6803, Planktothrix_NIVA-CYA_15, and Nodosilinea_PCC-7104. Each soil sample included a significant proportion of nitrogen-fixing filamentous cyanobacteria Anabaena and Nostoc according to microscopic analysis. The structural properties and diversity of cyanobacteria communities differed by geography, with soil pH and SOC being the main environmental drivers of cyanobacteria community structure. The alkaline soils S1, S2, and S5 displayed greater diversity than the acidic soils S3, S4, and S6, with S5 displaying the greatest cyanobacteria diversity. This research has crucial implications for developing and utilizing local cyanobacteria resources.

Cyanobacteria, ubiquitous phototrophic prokaryotes, can enhance soil fertility and crop productivity by promoting biological nitrogen fixation, phosphate dissolution, and mineral release. In this study, five nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria were isolated and purified from paddy soil in Jilin Province. The effects of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria on soil fertility and rice seedling growth were examined through a pot experiment to clarify their growth and nitrogen-fixing characteristics. The results showed that the application of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria led to a significant increase in soil nitrogen content. GD2 and GD8 have the highest nitrogenase activity, at 75.33 U·mg⁻¹ and 50.34 U·mg⁻¹, respectively. It also enhanced the activities of urease, sucrase, phosphatase, and catalase in rice soil. In addition, it significantly promoted root development and plant height in rice plants. The total number of microorganisms in rice soil increased by 133–366%. Remarkably, the Desmonostoc muscorum GD2 strain was found to exhibit higher growth state indicators, including the growth curve, chlorophyll content, carbon and nitrogen content, and biomass accumulation, compared to other algae strains. The total nitrogen content of rice leaves treated with GD2 increased by 48.73%, and the soluble protein content increased by 52.89%. GD2 has great potential as an excellent nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria inoculant for rice, suitable for agricultural production. In conclusion, the application of these nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria significantly increased soil nitrogen levels and activated key enzyme activities involved in plant nitrogen metabolism. Moreover, it improved nitrogen utilization rates and promoted plant growth.