Conceptual diagram for the labile organic carbon (OC) fractions mediating microbial assembly processes during long-term vegetation succession.

The WRKY family of transcription factors (TFs) includes a number of transcription-specific groupings that play important roles in plant growth and development and in plant responses to various stresses. To screen for WRKY transcription factors associated with drought stress in Zanthoxylum bungeanum, a total of 38 ZbWRKY were identified and these were then classified and identified with Arabidopsis WRKY. Using bioinformatics analyses based on the structural characteristics of the conservative domain, 38 WRKY transcription factors were identified and categorized into three groups: Groups I, II, and III. Of these, Group II can be divided into four subgroups: subgroups IIb, IIc, IId, and IIe. No ZbWRKY members of subgroup IIa were found in the sequencing data. In addition, 38 ZbWRKY were identified by real-time PCR to determine the behavior of this family of genes under drought stress. Twelve ZbWRKY transcription factors were found to be significantly upregulated under drought stress and these were identified by relative quantification. As predicted by the STRING website, the results show that the WRKYs are involved in four signaling pathways—the jasmonic acid (JA), the salicylic acid (SA), the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and the ethylene signaling pathways. ZbWRKY33 is the most intense transcription factor in response to drought stress. We predict that WRKY33 binds directly to the ethylene synthesis precursor gene ACS6, to promote ethylene synthesis. Ethylene then binds to the ethylene activator release signal to activate a series of downstream genes for cold stress and osmotic responses. The roles of ZbWRKY transcription factors in drought stress rely on a regulatory network center on the JA signaling pathway.

Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim. (Z. bungeanum), a plant that belongs to the Rutaceae family, is widely planted in China. Its outstanding feature is its rich aroma. The main component that creates this aroma is the volatile terpenoids. In this study, we aimed to understand the molecular mechanism related to aroma synthesis in Z. bungeanum and provide new ideas for breeding. Headspace solid phase micro extraction-gas chromatography mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS), RT-qPCR and bioinformatics were used to study the changes in volatile terpenoids and identify key genes in the pathway of terpenoids in fruits of Z. bungeanum. The results show that the trend of volatile terpenoids is consistent among the two varieties. As the fruit matures, the terpenoids gradually accumulate and peak in the third period (mid-development) before gradually decreasing. Among these terpenoids, there is the highest content of α-pinene. In Z. bungeanum cv. ‘Hanchengdahongpao’ (Hanchengdahongpao) and Z. bungeanum cv. ‘Fuguhuajiao’ (Fuguhuajiao), this reached 24.74% and 20.78% respectively. In general, for the content of volatile terpenoids, Hanchengdahongpao is 62% and Fuguhuajiao is 41%. The results of RT-qPCR showed that most gene expression in this study was upregulated. Among them, ZbDXS has the highest relative level of expression in itself, which is the key rate-limiting enzymein the MEP pathway. These results explore the synthetic route of terpenoids during the ripening process of Z. bungeanum, which provides a reference for cultivar and improving good traits.

A heterologous indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA) for the gross detection of parathion and imidacloprid residues is developed, based on a broad-specificity polyclonal antibody (BsPAb). Multi-determinant immunogen was prepared by conjugating parathion haptens and imidacloprid haptens to bovine serum albumin (BSA) in turns. The BsPAb was generated by immunized male New Zealand white rabbits with the multi-determinant immunogen. The effects of coating antigens on the performance of the ELISA were optimized for obtaining satisfactory assay sensitivity. Under the optimized conditions, the 50% inhibition concentration (IC₅₀) value for parathion and imidacloprid mixture was 2.41 mg L⁻¹, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.025 mg L⁻¹. There was no obvious cross-reactivity (CR) with most of the neonicotinoids and organophosphorus insecticides, except for parathion–methyl (23.11%) and imidaclothiz (15.96%). The recoveries of parathion and imidacloprid in tap water samples ranged from 80.3% to 121%, and the relative standard deviation (RSD) were lower than 6.99%. The ELISA results were also confirmed by gas chromatography (GC). These results showed that the ic-ELISA can be used as a sensitive tool for detecting the gross (parathion and imidacloprid) in environmental samples.