This study aimed to evaluate the impact of Spinetoram (SPI) on the midgut of Apis cerana cerana Fabricius pupae, emphasizing detoxifying enzyme activity, gene expression, and morphological alterations. Pupae were subjected to SPI at LC₂₀ and LC₅₀ concentrations, and the midgut was evaluated using morphological assessment, detoxifying enzyme assays, and transcriptome analysis utilizing gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment. Transcriptome analysis revealed 32 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that were common to both the LC₂₀ vs. control (CK) and LC₅₀ vs. CK comparisons, along with 24 DEGs unique to the LC₂₀ vs. CK comparison and 76 DEGs unique to the LC₅₀ vs. CK comparison. KEGG pathway analysis indicated the substantial enrichment of pathways associated with drug metabolism, xenobiotic metabolism, and amino acid metabolism, implying disruptions in detoxification mechanisms and broader metabolic imbalances resulting from SPI exposure. Morphological analysis showed a normal midgut structure in the control group, while significant damage was observed in the LC₂₀ group, and severe degeneration was observed in the LC₅₀ group. Detoxification enzyme assays revealed that the activities of cytochrome P450, glutathione S-transferase, and carboxylesterase significantly increased at LC₂₀ (p < 0.05), indicating an initial induction of detoxification responses; however, they declined at LC₅₀, suggesting enzyme inhibition or midgut damage. The activity of acetylcholinesterase markedly diminished at both LC₂₀ and LC₅₀ (p < 0.05), with a more substantial decline observed at LC₅₀, suggesting possible neurotoxicity. These findings indicate that SPI exposure causes substantial alterations in midgut morphology, detoxifying enzyme activity, and gene expression in Apis cerana cerana Fabricius pupae, underscoring the insecticide’s detrimental impact on honey bee health.

Fall armyworm (FAW, Spodoptera frugiperda) has now spread to more than 26 Chinese provinces. The government is working with farmers and researchers to find ways to prevent and control this pest. The use of biochar is one of the economic and environmentally friendly strategies to increase plant growth and improve pest resistance. We tested four v/v combinations of bamboo charcoal with coconut bran [BC1 (10:1), BC2(30:1), BC3(50:1)] against a control (CK) in maize. We found that plant height, stem thickness, fresh weight and chlorophyll content were significantly higher in BC2, in addition to the lowest FAW survival %. We then compared the metabolome and transcriptome profiles of BC2 and CK maize plants under FAW herbivory. Our results show that the levels of flavonoids, amino acids and derivatives, nucleotides and derivatives and most phenolic acids decreased, while terpenoids, organic acids, lipids and defense-related hormones increased in BC-grown maize leaves. Transcriptome sequencing revealed consistent expression profiles of genes enriched in these pathways. We also observed the increased expression of genes related to abscisic acid, jasmonic acid, auxin and MAPK signaling. Based on these observations, we discussed the possible pathways involved in maize against FAW herbivory. We conclude that bamboo charcoal induces anti-herbivory responses in maize leaves.

(1) Background: This study aimed to detect whether alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) supplementation could reduce lead (Pb)-induced testicular toxicity in roosters. (2) Methods: A total of 48 roosters, aged 20 weeks, were selected and randomly allocated to six treatment groups: basic diet (CON); CON + 150 mg/kg (CH₃OO)₂Pb (LPB); CON + 300 mg/kg (CH₃OO)₂Pb (HPB); CON + 300 mg/kg ALA (ALA); LPB + 300 mg/kg ALA (ALP); and HPB + 300 mg/kg ALA (AHP). (3) Results: The testicular Pb content was obviously higher in the LPB and HPB groups than in the CON group, while ALA supplementation reduced the testicular Pb content (p < 0.05). Roosters showed a significant increase in serum testosterone, sperm viability, sperm concentration, and testicular score in the AHP group compared with the HPB group. Pb exposure caused a remarkable increase in sperm abnormality and testicular malondialdehyde level, which were down-regulated by ALA supplementation (p < 0.05). RNA sequencing identified 227 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the HPB and CON groups and 220 DEGs between the HPB and AHP groups. (4) Conclusions: ALA supplementation mitigated Pb-induced testicular damage, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic agent for Pb toxicity in birds and potentially other species.

LncRNA (long non-coding RNA) has been confirmed to be associated with growth, development, cell proliferation, and other biological processes. This study explored the potential role and dynamic change process of lncRNAs and related ceRNA (competitive endogenous RNA) networks in skeletal muscle development of the Yangtze River Delta White (YDW) goat, and to analyze the differences in muscle fiber characteristics and meat quality levels of goats at different growth stages. In this study, we compared the expression profiles of lncRNAs in the M. Longissimus dorsi of the YDW goats at different stages of growth and development by RNA sequencing. The results revealed that, in terms of muscle fiber characteristics, muscle fiber diameter and muscle fiber area were significantly larger in 6-month-old and 10-month-old goats than those in 2-month-old goats (p < 0.01). In terms of muscle quality, a* and b* values of 6-month-old goats were significantly higher than those of 2-month-old goats (p < 0.01). Additionally, the a*, b*, and L* values of 6-month-old goats were significantly higher than those of 10-month-old goats (p < 0.01). The pH at 45 min post-mortem (pH_45min) in 10-month-old goats was significantly higher than that in 2-month-old goats (p = 0.006). However, the pH at 24 h post-mortem (pH_24h) in 10-month-old goats was significantly lower than that in both 2-month-old and 6-month-old goats (p < 0.01). Shear force increased gradually with age (p < 0.05), while there was no significant difference in drip loss among the different age groups (p > 0.05). Among the identified lncRNA expression profiles, a total of 3073 lncRNAs were found, including 2676 known lncRNAs and 397 novel lncRNAs. Of these, 110, 93, and 99 lncRNAs were specifically expressed in 2-month-old, 6-month-old, and 10-month-old goats, respectively. The lncRNA target gene enrichment analysis showed that they were mainly involved in actin binding, the actin cytoskeleton, the myocardin complex, as well as the AMPK, FoxO, and GnRH signaling pathways. When constructing the lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA ceRNA network, it was found that the ceRNA networks centered on chi-miR-758 and chi-miR-127-5p were involved in muscle development across all three periods, suggesting that they may play an important role in goat muscle growth and development.

Differential fecundity in goats is a complex trait governed by coordinated molecular regulation across reproductive and endocrine tissues. In this study, we performed integrated metabolomic profiling of follicular fluid, serum, thyroid tissue, and uterine luminal fluid together with transcriptomic sequencing of follicular, thyroid, and uterine horn tissues from high-fecundity (HF) and low-fecundity (LF) Yangtze River Delta White goats. In addition, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was conducted to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying differential litter size. High-fecundity goats exhibited enhanced follicular steroidogenesis, superior corpus luteum function, and more stable hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid (HPT) axis activity, accompanied by increased uterine gland density and greater myometrial thickness. Metabolomic profiling identified 6640 metabolites displaying tissue-specific differential abundance patterns. Pathway enrichment analysis highlighted steroid hormone biosynthesis and energy metabolism in follicular fluid, PPAR signaling and tyrosine metabolism in thyroid tissue, and glycerophospholipid and one-carbon metabolism in uterine luminal fluid as major pathways associated with fecundity. Transcriptomic analysis identified 1596 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including 20 genes shared across all examined tissues, constituting a systemic molecular signature associated with fecundity. WGCNA further revealed three functional tissue axes associated with follicular development (ELOVL4, INHA, NR5A2), thyroid endocrine regulation (GRHL2, NAPRT), and uterine receptivity (RSPO1, AGTR2, PTGER3). Low-fecundity-associated modules were predominantly concentrated in follicular and thyroid tissues, whereas the high-fecundity-specific module was mainly enriched in uterine horn. These findings provide a multi-tissue molecular framework underlying differential fecundity in goats and identify candidate hub genes and metabolites that may serve as candidate biomarkers for fecundity assessment and selective breeding programs.