Addressing aquatic phosphate pollution requires advanced materials that combine high selectivity with recyclability. Here, we present a hierarchically structured composite integrating Mg-Fe layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with magnetic biochar derived from mulberry branches—an abundant agricultural byproduct. Through hydrothermal synthesis, the composite achieves a unique architecture combining Fe3O4-enabled magnetic recovery (2.63 emu·g−1 saturation) with LDHs’ anion exchange capacity and biochar’s porous network. Systematic characterization reveals phosphate capture mechanisms dominated by hydrogen bonding through deprotonated carboxyl groups, inner-sphere complexation with metal oxides, and interlayer anion exchange, enabling 99.22% phosphate removal at optimal conditions (pH 6, 25 °C). Crucially, the material demonstrates exceptional selectivity over competing Cl− and NO3− ions while maintaining 87.83% efficiency after three regeneration cycles via alkaline treatment. Kinetic and thermodynamic analyses confirm chemisorption-driven uptake aligned with pseudo-second-order kinetics (R2 > 0.9998) and Langmuir monolayer adsorption (7.72 mg·g−1 capacity). This waste-derived magnetic composite establishes a sustainable paradigm for eutrophication control, merging selective phosphate sequestration with energy-efficient recovery for circular water treatment applications.
Galactitol synthetase (GolS) as a key enzyme in the raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs) biosynthesis pathway, which is closely related to stress. At present, there are few studies on GolS in biological stress. The expression of MnGolS2 gene in mulberry was increased under Botrytis cinerea infection. The MnGolS2 gene was cloned and ectopically expressed in Arabidopsis. The content of MDA in leaves of transgenic plants was decreased and the content of CAT was increased after inoculation with B. cinerea. In this study, the role of MnGolS2 in biotic stress was demonstrated for the first time. In addition, it was found that MnGolS2 may increase the resistance of B. cinerea by interacting with other resistance genes. This study offers a crucial foundation for further research into the role of the GolS2 gene.
Phthonandria atrilineata, also known as the mulberry looper, is a major defoliator of mulberry trees. This feeding behavior directly affects the growth of the trees and reduces the quality and yield of mulberry leaves for its use in sericulture. Despite its importance the molecular basis of its resistance to insecticides remains poorly understood. Therefore, this study aimed to comprehensively characterize the cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) gene family in P. atrilineata and identify key effectors responsible for responses to diverse chemical stressors. We integrated genome-wide re-annotation, phylogenetic analysis, and comparative transcriptomics following exposure to five chemically distinct insecticides. We identified a high-confidence set of 70 P450 genes, dominated by the CYP6 and CYP4 families, whose expansion was driven by tandem gene duplication. Transcriptomic analysis revealed a powerful yet highly selective “elite-driven” response, wherein a small subset of P450s was strongly induced by multiple insecticides. Random Forest and Support Vector Machine (SVM) models converged with differential expression data to pinpoint a core trio of P450s as primary drivers of detoxification: two generalists, CYP6(09521) and CYP6(04876), responsive to all compounds, and one potent specialist, CYP4(04803), exhibiting massive induction to a specific subset of insecticides. Our findings uncover a complex, energy-efficient metabolic strategy in P. atrilineata and identify pivotal P450 genes for broad-spectrum detoxification. These genes represent high-priority targets for developing molecular diagnostic tools for resistance monitoring and informing scientifically guided insecticide rotation strategies.
Cytochrome P450 (CYP) is a crucial oxidoreductase enzyme that plays a significant role in plant defense mechanisms. In this study, a specific cytochrome P450 gene (MnCYP710A11) was discovered in mulberry (Morus notabilis). Bioinformatic analysis and expression pattern analysis were conducted to elucidate the involvement of MnCYP710A11 in combating Botrytis cinerea infection. After the infection of B. cinerea, there was a notable increase in the expression of MnCYP710A11. MnCYP710A11 is overexpressed in Arabidopsis and mulberry and strongly reacts to B. cinerea. The overexpression of the MnCYP710A11 gene in Arabidopsis and mulberry led to a substantial enhancement in resistance against B. cinerea, elevated catalase (CAT) activity, increased proline content, and reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. At the same time, H2O2 and O2− levels in MnCYP710A11 transgenic Arabidopsis were decreased, which reduced the damage of ROS accumulation to plants. Furthermore, our research indicates the potential involvement of MnCYP710A11 in B. cinerea resistance through the modulation of other resistance-related genes. These findings establish a crucial foundation for gaining deeper insights into the role of cytochrome P450 in mulberry plants.
Agricultural pests can rapidly adapt to chemical pressures, and expression-based surveys of chemosensory genes may not fully capture the associated genomic variation. We hypothesized that the molecular profiles of chemosensory and detoxification genes in the mulberry thrips Pseudodendrothrips mori Niwa (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) are associated with local genomic variability and methylation context alongside transcript abundance. To explore this, we integrated PacBio HiFi-derived single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), structural variants (SVs), DNA methylation, and RNA-seq data on a chromosome-level reference genome. We analyzed 179 focal genes from six families, applying a consensus prioritization framework—based on weighted percentiles of feature values, principal component distances, and anomaly-detection scores—to rank the candidates. The integrated priority score correlated positively with SNP (r = 0.603) and SV burden (r = 0.632) and negatively with local methylation (r = −0.524), whereas its correlation with expression was weaker (r = 0.427). Three OBPs—PSMOgene01223, PSMOgene012530, and PSMOgene012982—emerged among the highest-priority candidates, exhibiting favorable in silico docking scores (−5.038 to −6.792 kcal/mol) with (Z)-octadec-11-enyl acetate and a long-chain oxygenated acetate. These findings indicate potential linkages between multi-omics plasticity and chemosensory gene variation. Furthermore, these computationally prioritized OBPs suggest potential targets for exploring semiochemical-based management tools.