Background: Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a food crop for humans worldwide. However, temperature has an effect during the vegetative and reproductive stages. In high-latitude regions where rice is cultivated, cold stress is a major cause of yield loss and plant death. Research has identified a group of plant-specific transcription factors, DNA binding with one zinc fingers (DOFs), with a diverse range of functions, including stress signaling and stress response during plant growth. The aim of this study was to identify Dof genes in two rice subspecies, indica and japonica, and screen for Dof genes that may be involved in cold tolerance during plant growth. Results: A total of 30 rice Dofs (OsDofs) were identified using bioinformatics and genome-wide analyses and phylogenetically analyzed. The 30 OsDOFs were classified into six subfamilies, and 24 motifs were identified based on protein sequence alignment. The chromosome locations of OsDofs were determined and nine gene duplication events were identified. A joint phylogenetic analysis was performed on DOF protein sequences obtained from four monocotyledon species to examine the evolutionary relationship of DOF proteins. Expression profiling of OsDofs from two japonica cultivars (Longdao5, which is cold-tolerant, and Longjing11, which is cold-sensitive) revealed that OsDof1 and OsDof19 are cold-inducible genes. We examined the seed setting rates in OsDof1- and OsDof19-overexpression and RNAi lines and found that OsDof1 showed a response to cold stress. Conclusions: Our investigation identified OsDof1 as a potential target for genetic breeding of rice with enhanced cold tolerance.

In August 2017, soybean root rot plants exhibiting root rot were observed in Baiquan County (47°60′N, 126°10′E), Heilongjiang province, China. The disease occurred on approximately 65% of soybean (...

Rice seedling blight is a globally occurring seedling disease caused by multiple pathogens. It is currently the most common disease affecting rice production in northeast China; hence, determining the causal agents, including its biological characteristics, host range, and fungicide efficacy is vital for its effective management. The present study obtained 45 pathogenic isolates from diseased rice seedlings in Suihua, Heilongjiang Province, China. Of these, five pathogens were identified based on their morphology and molecular identification, while 10 oomycete isolates were identified as Pythium aristosporum—the first to be reported in rice seedling blight. Its optimum growth conditions include a temperature of 25 °C, pH 6, and photoperiod of 24 h. Except for soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.), black soybean (Glycine max var.), and cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), P. aristosporum can potentially infect and cause seedling blight on other hosts, such as wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), maize (Zea mays L.), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), oats (Avena sativa L.), and white clover (Trifolium repens L.). Its isolates were found to be highly sensitive to metalaxyl + propamocarb (EC₅₀ = 0.0138 μg/mL) with 84.1% efficacy at 313 μg/mL. These results can serve as the basis for controlling P. aristosporum.

Introduction: Gray mold, caused by the necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea, is a significant threat to agricultural production, especially under low temperature and high humidity conditions. This disease can cause substantial yield losses in various crops, including tomatoes. To address this issue, the search for novel biocontrol agents has become a priority. In this study, we explored the potential of endophytic fungi isolated from wild medicinal plants in the southern foothills of the Daxing’an Mountains in China as biocontrol resources against B. cinerea.Methods: Endophytic fungi were isolated from the roots of Astragalus membranaceus, a wild medicinal plant native to the study area. Among the isolates, Pyrenochaeta nobilis strain SFJ12-R-5 (CGMCC No.17766) was selected for its significant antagonistic activity against B. cinerea. The inhibitory effects of P. nobilis on B. cinerea were evaluated through in vitro assays, including mycelial growth inhibition tests and lesion inhibition tests on tomato leaves and fruits. Additionally, the genome of P. nobilis SFJ12-R-5 was sequenced using a combination of next-generation and third-generation sequencing techniques, followed by systematic annotation and identification of key gene families, such as carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) and phage-related (Phi) genes.Results: P. nobilis strain SFJ12-R-5 exhibited strong inhibitory effects on B. cinerea, with a mycelial growth inhibition rate of 66.67 ± 3.15% and a large inhibition zone of 20.83 ± 3.78 mm. The fresh fermentation filtrate of P. nobilis, even at a 10-fold dilution, completely inhibited the growth of pathogenic hyphae. In vitro tests on tomato leaves and fruits showed lesion inhibition rates of 87.21% and 100%, respectively. Furthermore, plants co-treated with B. cinerea and the P. nobilis filtrate had a significantly lower gray mold disease severity (28.57%) compared to those inoculated solely with B. cinerea (75.34%), indicating a disease reduction rate of 62.08%. The genome of P. nobilis SFJ12-R-5 was successfully assembled and annotated, revealing the presence of CAZymes and Phi genes that may contribute to its biocontrol potential.Discussion: Our findings provide the first evidence that P. nobilis could serve as a promising natural antagonist against B. cinerea, particularly in integrated disease management systems for tomato production in greenhouses. The high-quality genome sequence and the identification of key gene families lay a solid foundation for future research on the molecular mechanisms underlying the inhibitory activity of Pyrenochaeta spp. against B. cinerea. Further studies are needed to explore the practical application of P. nobilis in agricultural settings and to elucidate its mode of action at the molecular level.

Fusarium oxysporum is one of the main pathogens causing rice seedling blight disease. Revealing its pathogenic mechanism is of great significance for formulating prevention and control strategies for rice seedling blight disease. Copper transporting P-type ATPases (Cu-ATPase) is a large class of proteins located on the plasma membrane that utilize the energy provided by ATP hydrolysis phosphorylation to transport substrates across the membrane. It plays a crucial role in signal transduction, the maintenance of cell membrane stability, and material transport. The main function of Cu-ATPase is to maintain the homeostasis of copper in cells, which is essential for the normal growth and development of organisms. This study utilized the ATMT-mediated gene knockout method to obtain the knockout mutant ∆FoCrpA and the complementation strain ∆FoCrpA-C, which are highly homologous to the P-type heavy metal transport ATPase family in F. oxysporum. The results showed that, compared with the wild-type strain, the knockout mutant ∆FoCrpA had a lighter colony color; a reduced tolerance to copper ion, osmotic, and oxidative stress; a weakened ability to penetrate glass paper; and decreased pathogenicity. However, there was no significant difference in pathogenicity and other biological phenotypes between the complementation strain ∆FoCrpA-C and the wild-type strain. In summary, the FoCrpA gene is involved in osmotic and oxidative stress, affecting the invasion and penetration ability and pathogenicity of F. oxysporum, laying a theoretical foundation for understanding the development and pathogenic mechanism of F. oxysporum.