Catharanthus roseus receptor-like kinase 1-like (CrRLK1L) plays pivotal roles in regulating plant growth and development, mediating intercellular signal transduction, and modulating responses to environmental stresses. However, a comprehensive genome-wide identification and analysis of the CrRLK1L gene family in maize remains elusive. In this study, a total of 24 CrRLK1L genes were identified in the maize whole genome. A phylogenetic analysis further revealed that CrRLK1L proteins from Arabidopsis, rice, and maize were grouped into nine distinct subgroups, with subgroup IV being unique to maize. Gene structure analysis demonstrated that the number of introns varied greatly among ZmCrRLK1L genes. Notably, the genome-wide duplication (WGD) events promoted the expansion of the ZmCrRLK1L gene family. Compared with Arabidopsis, there were more collinear gene pairs between maize and rice. Tissue expression patterns indicated that ZmCrRLK1L genes are widely expressed in various tissues, with ZmCrRLK1L5/9 specifically highly expressed in roots, and ZmCrRLK1L8/14/16/21/22 expressed in anthers. Additionally, RNA-seq and RT-qPCR analyses revealed that the expression of ZmCrRLK1L1/2/20/22 genes exhibited different expression patterns under drought and salt stresses. In summary, our study lays a foundation for elucidating the biological roles of ZmCrRLK1L genes in maize growth and development, reproductive development, and stress responses.

Background: The Dirigent (DIR) gene family is pivotal for lignin polymerization and stress adaptation in plants, yet its systematic characterization in Sorghum bicolor (S. bicolor), a critical bioenergy crop, remains underexplored. Methods: Leveraging the S. bicolor genome database, we conducted a genome-wide identification, phylogenetic classification, and expression profiling of the DIR gene family. Evolutionary dynamics, gene structure variations, promoter cis-regulatory elements, and spatiotemporal transcriptome patterns were analyzed using bioinformatics and experimental validation (RT-qPCR). Results: A total of 53 SbDIR genes were systematically identified, exhibiting uneven chromosomal distribution. Phylogenetic analysis clustered them into five clades (DIR-a, DIR-b/d, DIR-c, DIR-e, DIR-f), with subfamily-specific exon number variations suggesting functional divergence. Evolutionary studies revealed tandem duplication (TD) as the primary driver of family expansion, accompanied by strong purifying selection. Promoter analysis highlighted abundant hormone- and stress-responsive cis-elements. Tissue-specific RNA-seq data revealed root-enriched expression of SbDIR2/4/18/39/44/53, implicating their roles in root development. Notably, SbDIR39 and SbDIR53 were significantly upregulated (2.8- and 5-fold, respectively) under 150 mM NaCl stress, underscoring their stress-responsive functions. Conclusions: This study provides the first comprehensive atlas of the DIR gene family in S. bicolor, elucidating its evolutionary mechanisms and tissue-specific/stress-induced expression profiles. Key candidates (SbDIR39/53) were identified as promising targets for molecular breeding or CRISPR-based editing to enhance stress resilience in S. bicolor. These findings lay a foundation for translating genomic insights into agronomic improvements.

The global fermentation industry faces persistent bottlenecks in scaling laboratory innovations to industrial production, and the integration of synthetic biology (SynBio) and artificial intelligence (AI) within the Design–Build–Test–Learn (DBTL) loop has yielded inconsistent industrial outcomes. This review proposes that transformative impact requires a “scale-up-gated DBTL” framework, in which explicit decision gates constrain every iteration. At the Design phase, scale-down simulation data must inform genetic design choices. At the Test phase, downstream processing compatibility and industrial robustness metrics are enforced as non-negotiable evaluation criteria. At the Learn phase, techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life-cycle assessment (LCA) serve as the convergence criteria, replacing traditional titer plateaus. Through a qualitative cross-sectoral analysis of food, pharmaceutical, agricultural, and energy fermentation, the analysis reveals that workflows incorporating such constraints consistently bridge the valley of death, whereas unconstrained DBTL systematically converges on laboratory optima that are industrially unviable. Five strategic priorities are outlined—embedding TEA/LCA into DBTL, adopting scale-down simulation, building open fermentation data repositories, harmonizing regulatory frameworks, and fostering cross-disciplinary training—as prerequisites for progressing toward fully autonomous, scale-up-aware biomanufacturing.

Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide (GLP) exhibits prominent antibacterial and antioxidant activities. This study evaluated the effects of GLP seed soaking at two concentrations (4 g/100 kg, GLP4; 8 g/100 kg, GLP8) on wheat growth promotion and induced resistance against wheat sharp eyespot caused by Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium head blight (FHB) mainly caused by Fusarium graminearum. Physiological and agronomic analyses showed that GLP treatment increased the germination rate of all tested wheat cultivars (moderately resistant: Xiaoyan 22, Sumai 3; moderately susceptible: Mingxian 169, Xinong 873) by over 2%. Moderately susceptible and resistant cultivars presented average plant height increases of 0.5 cm and 2 cm, respectively, with most cultivars showing a height increase of approximately 3 cm. GLP significantly elevated leaf chlorophyll content by over 5% and differentially regulated malondialdehyde (MDA) levels: MDA decreased by 34–68% in Sumai 3 and Mingxian 169 but increased by 11–23% in Xiaoyan 22. Pot assays verified that GLP yielded over 10% control efficacy against both diseases. Overall, GLP seed soaking effectively promotes wheat growth, activates defense responses, and enhances host resistance to R. solani and F. graminearum infections.