The UGlcAE has the capability of interconverting UDP-d-galacturonic acid and UDP-d-glucuronic acid, and UDP-d-galacturonic acid is an activated precursor for the synthesis of pectins in plants. In this study, we identified nine UGlcAE protein-encoding genes in tomato. The nine UGlcAE genes that were distributed on eight chromosomes in tomato, and the corresponding proteins contained one or two trans-membrane domains. The phylogenetic analysis showed that SlUGlcAE genes could be divided into seven groups, designated UGlcAE1 to UGlcAE6, of which the UGlcAE2 were classified into two groups. Expression profile analysis revealed that the SlUGlcAE genes display diverse expression patterns in various tomato tissues. Selective pressure analysis indicated that all of the amino acid sites of SlUGlcAE proteins are undergoing purifying selection. Fifteen stress-, hormone-, and development-related elements were identified in the upstream regions (0.5 kb) of these SlUGlcAE genes. Furthermore, we investigated the expression patterns of SlUGlcAE genes in response to three hormones (indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), gibberellin (GA), and salicylic acid (SA)). We detected firmness, pectin contents, and expression levels of UGlcAE family genes during the development of tomato fruit. Here, we systematically summarize the general characteristics of the SlUGlcAE genes in tomato, which could provide a basis for further function studies of tomato UGlcAE genes.

Tomato bacterial wilt, caused by Ralstonia solanacearum (G⁻), is one of the most devastating plant diseases. Developing effective resistance against this pathogen remains a major challenge in plant disease management. In this study, we constructed a fusion gene BPI-LY by combining the gene encoding the lipophilic functional domains of human bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) with the gene of human lysozyme (LY). The recombinant gene BPI-LY was heterologously expressed in yeast and tomato. Preliminary in vitro assays in yeast demonstrated that BPI enhances LY’s antibacterial activity against G⁻ bacteria. Furthermore, overexpression of BPI-LY in tomato delayed onset of the disease in the transgenic lines and lowered the degree of tissue damage and the number of bacteria present in the stems relative to those in the wild-type plant. Additionally, the expression levels of the SlSOD, SlPOD, SlPAL, SlPR5, SlPR10, and SlPR-NP24 genes were indirectly upregulated in the transgenic plants following R. solanacearum inoculation. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that BPI-LY enhances the resistance of transgenic tomato against bacterial wilt caused by R. solanacearum.

The neural circuits of the human brain are highly complex (due to the number of neurons and the diversity of synaptic connections), hindering the analysis of the pathological mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases. Invertebrates with simple yet well-differentiated nervous systems have a natural advantage over mammalian model organisms in the identification of pathogenic genes and functional studies of neurodegenerative diseases. They can provide unique and profound insights into the pathogenesis of complex human neurodegenerative diseases and the formulation of intervention strategies. This article reviews the conserved mechanisms of three neurodegenerative diseases across species, including protein homeostasis imbalance and aggregation toxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction and metabolic abnormalities, axonal transport defects, and loss of synaptic function. Based on research on three invertebrates in the field of neurodegeneration, namely Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), Drosophila melanogaster (D. melanogaster), and Bombyx mori (B. mori), we cover three major types of neurodegenerative diseases: Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and Huntington’s disease (HD). The aim is to find important inspirations for the future prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases from the aspects of the material basis and existing treatment strategies.