Biology-BaselPub Date : 2025-06-19DOI: 10.3390/biology14060729
Jian Zhang, Fengmei Gu, Anand Thirupathi
{"title":"Effect of Exercise on Regulating miRNA Expression in Brain Health and Diseases.","authors":"Jian Zhang, Fengmei Gu, Anand Thirupathi","doi":"10.3390/biology14060729","DOIUrl":"10.3390/biology14060729","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Physical exercise induces epigenetic modifications that significantly influence the expression of a set of small non-coding RNAs known as miRNAs. These changes can enhance exercise performance and impact the neurological system, suggesting that understanding miRNA-mediated mechanisms during exercise may offer valuable insights into using exercise as a therapeutic approach for neurodegenerative diseases. The existing literature on exercise-induced molecular pathways often presents inherent biases, complicating the establishment of exercise-induced miRNAs as reliable biomarkers for various chronic conditions due to their variable expression at tissue, organ, and systemic levels. Specifically, miRNA expression can downregulate critical signaling pathways such as TGF-β, FOXO, and NOTCH, which are implicated in the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Exercise can override this scenario by targeting the expression of these miRNAs. However, the link between exercise modality-induced benefits (types, intensity, and duration) and the miRNA expression in brain cells is poorly understood. Therefore, this review aims to discuss how exercise-mediated miRNA expression affects brain pathophysiology, particularly in the context of neurodegenerative diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":48624,"journal":{"name":"Biology-Basel","volume":"14 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12190132/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144498659","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Biology-BaselPub Date : 2025-06-19DOI: 10.3390/biology14060734
Gina Cavaliere, Egidia Costanzi, Beniamino Cenci-Goga, Marco Misuraca, Giovanna Traina
{"title":"Potential Role of Probiotic Strain <i>Lactiplantibacillus plantarum</i> in Control of Histamine Metabolism.","authors":"Gina Cavaliere, Egidia Costanzi, Beniamino Cenci-Goga, Marco Misuraca, Giovanna Traina","doi":"10.3390/biology14060734","DOIUrl":"10.3390/biology14060734","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Histamine intolerance is a condition that occurs when there is an imbalance between the accumulation and degradation of histamine within the body. Excess histamine is metabolized and then degraded by two enzymes, of which the most abundant is the vesicular diamine oxidase (DAO). An imbalance or a state of dysbiosis of the intestinal microbiota has been observed in patients with histamine intolerance compared to healthy individuals. Studies indicate that the administration of bifidobacteria or lactobacilli alone or in mixtures can alter colonic microbiota populations and metabolic activities. The present study has evaluated the ability of a probiotic bacterial strain to stimulate the release of cellular DAO from an in vitro model of the human intestinal epithelial barrier. The results indicate that, under the experimental conditions used, probiotic strain <i>Lactiplantibacillus plantarum</i> LP115 has a significant stimulatory effect on DAO secretion in adenocarcinoma cell line HT-29.</p>","PeriodicalId":48624,"journal":{"name":"Biology-Basel","volume":"14 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12189723/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144498743","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Biology-BaselPub Date : 2025-06-19DOI: 10.3390/biology14060723
Alaa Talal Qumsani
{"title":"Gut Microbiome Engineering for Diabetic Kidney Disease Prevention: A <i>Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG</i> Intervention Study.","authors":"Alaa Talal Qumsani","doi":"10.3390/biology14060723","DOIUrl":"10.3390/biology14060723","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The gut microbiota has emerged as a critical modulator in metabolic diseases, with substantial evidence supporting its role in attenuating diabetes-related nephropathy. Recent investigations demonstrate that strategic manipulation of intestinal microflora offers novel therapeutic avenues for safeguarding renal function against diabetic complications. This investigation sought to determine the nephroprotective potential of <i>Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG</i> (<i>LGG</i>) administration in diabetic nephropathy models. Six experimental cohorts were evaluated: control, probiotic-supplemented control, diabetic, diabetic receiving probiotic therapy, diabetic with antibiotics, and diabetic treated with both antibiotics and probiotics. Diabetic conditions were established via intraperitoneal administration of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg) following overnight fasting, according to validated protocols for experimental diabetes induction. Probiotic therapy (3 × 10<sup>9</sup> CFU/kg, bi-daily) began one month before diabetes induction and continued throughout the study duration. Glycemic indices were monitored at bi-weekly intervals, inflammatory biomarkers, renal function indices, and urinary albumin excretion. The metabolic profile was evaluated through the determination of HOMA-IR and the computation of metabolic syndrome scores. Microbiome characterization employed 16S rRNA gene sequencing alongside metagenomic shotgun sequencing for comprehensive microbial community mapping. <i>L. rhamnosus GG</i> supplementation substantially augmented microbiome richness and evenness metrics. Principal component analysis revealed distinct clustering of microbial populations between treatment groups. The <i>Prevotella</i>/<i>Bacteroides</i> ratio, an emerging marker of metabolic dysfunction, normalized following probiotic intervention in diabetic subjects. <b>Results</b>: <i>L. rhamnosus GG</i> administration markedly attenuated diabetic progression, achieving glycated hemoglobin reduction of 32% compared to untreated controls. Pro-inflammatory cytokine levels (IL-6, TNF-α) decreased significantly, while anti-inflammatory mediators (IL-10, TGF-β) exhibited enhanced expression. The renal morphometric analysis demonstrated preservation of glomerular architecture and reduced interstitial fibrosis. Additionally, transmission electron microscopy confirmed the maintenance of podocyte foot process integrity in probiotic-treated groups. <b>Conclusions</b>: The administration of <i>Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG</i> demonstrated profound renoprotective efficacy through multifaceted mechanisms, including microbiome reconstitution, metabolic amelioration, and inflammation modulation. Therapeutic effects suggest the potential of a combined probiotic and pharmacological approach to attenuate diabetic-induced renal pathology with enhanced efficacy.</p>","PeriodicalId":48624,"journal":{"name":"Biology-Basel","volume":"14 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12189892/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144498688","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Liver Transcriptome Analysis Reveals a Potential Mechanism of Heat Stress Increasing Susceptibility to <i>Salmonella</i> Typhimurium in Chickens.","authors":"Qi Zhang, Yvqing Zhu, Zixuan Wang, Qinghe Li, Guiping Zhao, Qiao Wang","doi":"10.3390/biology14060720","DOIUrl":"10.3390/biology14060720","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Salmonella</i> infection poses a serious threat to the poultry industry, causing significant economic losses. Under global warming conditions, the underlying molecular mechanisms by which heat stress affects bacterial infections in poultry remain unclear. This study conducted a <i>Salmonella</i> Typhimurium infection under heat stress in Guang Ming broilers. A total of 100 chickens were randomly divided into three groups: control group (CTL), <i>Salmonella</i> Typhimurium (ST) infection group, and heat stress and <i>Salmonella</i> Typhimurium (HS + ST) co-stimulation group. By integrating inflammatory phenotypes, liver transcriptome profiles, and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), we systematically investigated the key regulatory factors through which heat stress affects host susceptibility to <i>Salmonella</i>. The results demonstrated that heat stress reduced body weight gain, exacerbated <i>Salmonella</i> Typhimurium-induced inflammatory responses, and increased mortality. Transcriptome results revealed that heat stress led to excessive inflammatory responses and antioxidant defense imbalances. Combined differential expression analysis and WGCNA identified three hub regulatory genes: <i>PTGDS</i> and <i>WISP2</i> showed significant correlations with the heterophil/lymphocyte ratio, while <i>SLC6A9</i> was significantly correlated with serum IL-8 levels. Validation in HD11 cell infection models confirmed the differential expression of these genes under heat stress and <i>Salmonella</i> Typhimurium co-stimulation, indicating their critical roles in host immune regulation. This study elucidates the intrinsic regulatory relationships through which heat stress promotes <i>Salmonella</i> pathogenicity and inflammatory responses, providing important insights for disease-resistant poultry breeding and prevention strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":48624,"journal":{"name":"Biology-Basel","volume":"14 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12190061/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144498711","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Vitamin D Modified DSS-Induced Colitis in Mice via STING Signaling Pathway.","authors":"Zhihao Wu, Baohua Ma, Min Xiao, Qian Ren, Yanhua Shen, Zhengyu Zhou","doi":"10.3390/biology14060715","DOIUrl":"10.3390/biology14060715","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Although the underlying mechanisms are not yet fully understood, vitamin D has been proven to be associated with the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease, participating in immune response and regulating gut microbiota composition. In this study, we established a dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis model and intervened with vitamin D. Subsequently, colonic histopathology, serum biochemistry, transcription of inflammatory cytokines, gut microbiota, and key signaling pathways were examined. Our research demonstrated that intervention with vitamin D reduced the disease activity index of DSS-induced colitis and improved histopathological changes, protecting tight junction protein ZO-1 and intestinal glands from damage induced by DSS. Analysis of gut microbiota revealed alterations in both α diversity and β diversity in DSS-induced colitis, whereas interventions with active vitamin D corrected the changes in certain bacterial abundance and improved the composition of gut microbiota. The transcription levels of inflammatory cytokines, including <i>IL-23</i>, <i>IL-1β</i>, <i>IFN</i>-γ, <i>IL-6</i>, <i>IL-17</i>, and <i>STING</i>, were elevated in the DSS-induced colitis model. However, intervention with active vitamin D effectively suppressed the transcription of these factors. Finally, immunohistochemistry and Western blotting revealed that the intervention with vitamin D suppressed the expression of proteins associated with the STING pathway, including GATA1, STING, IRF3, and IKBα, leading to inhibition of downstream IFN-β production. Vitamin D administration can ameliorate the severity of DSS-induced colitis by preserving intestinal barrier integrity, modulating gut microbiota composition through suppression of the STING pathway.</p>","PeriodicalId":48624,"journal":{"name":"Biology-Basel","volume":"14 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12190092/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144498766","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Biology-BaselPub Date : 2025-06-18DOI: 10.3390/biology14060716
Maitree Munyanont, Na Lu, Thanit Ruangsangaram, Michiko Takagaki
{"title":"Effect of Far-Red Light and Nutrient Solution Formulas on Calendula Production in a Plant Factory.","authors":"Maitree Munyanont, Na Lu, Thanit Ruangsangaram, Michiko Takagaki","doi":"10.3390/biology14060716","DOIUrl":"10.3390/biology14060716","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Calendula (<i>Calendula officinalis</i> L.), an edible and medicinal flower, faces challenges in yield uniformity and quality stability under open-field cultivation. Plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs) are highly controlled systems that enable year-round production, efficient resource use, and consistent crop quality, making them promising for the cultivation for calendula. To optimize calendula cultivation in PFALs, this study investigates the effects of far-red (FR) light and nutrient solution modification on calendula growth, flowering, and nutrient use efficiency (NUE). The experiment was conducted using a dwarf calendula cultivar, 'Orange Gem'. After transplanting, seedlings were subjected to a 2 × 3 factorial design comprising white (W) and end-of-day far-red (EOD-FR) lighting, in combination with three ammonium (NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup>) levels (1/3×, 1×, and 3× of the Enshi formula). The EOD-FR lighting and the increase in the NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> level resulted in taller plants and earlier first flower appearance. The shoot fresh and dry weight, the number of flowers, and the flower yield also increased under the higher NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> concentration, regardless of the light treatment. The 3× NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> treatment tended to enhance the nutrient absorption, leading to the highest nutrient use efficiency (NUE) based on the flower yield. These findings suggest that the application of EOD-FR lighting and high NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> in nutrient solution can improve calendula productivity and resource-use efficiency in PFALs.</p>","PeriodicalId":48624,"journal":{"name":"Biology-Basel","volume":"14 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12189887/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144498660","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Biology-BaselPub Date : 2025-06-18DOI: 10.3390/biology14060721
Jeancarlos Abrego, Enrique Medianero
{"title":"The Diversity and Composition of Insect Communities in Urban Forest Fragments near Panama City.","authors":"Jeancarlos Abrego, Enrique Medianero","doi":"10.3390/biology14060721","DOIUrl":"10.3390/biology14060721","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fragments of urban forests can host a remarkable diversity of insects, even in environments that have been greatly transformed. This study evaluates the diversity, abundance, and composition of insects that belong to seven families in four urban forest fragments near Panama City, i.e., Ciudad del Saber (CDS), Parque Natural Metropolitano (PNM), Corozal (COR), and Albrook (ALB). A total of 2038 individuals were collected via Malaise traps and categorized into 403 morphospecies, 75 genera, and 43 subfamilies. The highest richness of morphospecies was observed in CDS (223), whereas PNM exhibited the highest abundance of individuals (862). The alpha diversity indices (Shannon-Wiener > 4.3; Margalef > 21; Pielou ≈ 1.0; and Simpson's inverse > 0.95) reflected communities that were characterized by high levels of diversity and equity. The level of similarity observed among the fragments was moderate (Diserud-Odegaard index = 0.543), thus indicating differences among the sites evaluated as part of this research in terms of their taxonomic composition. These results provide evidence concerning the variability of entomological communities in tropical urban landscapes and the role of forest fragments as possible reservoirs of biodiversity.</p>","PeriodicalId":48624,"journal":{"name":"Biology-Basel","volume":"14 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12189055/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144498757","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Biology-BaselPub Date : 2025-06-18DOI: 10.3390/biology14060722
Luis Ramirez Agudelo, Gabriel Yarmush, Suneel Kumar, Francois Berthiaume
{"title":"Optimizing Cellular Metabolism Through Mass Balance Analysis to Improve Skin Wound Healing.","authors":"Luis Ramirez Agudelo, Gabriel Yarmush, Suneel Kumar, Francois Berthiaume","doi":"10.3390/biology14060722","DOIUrl":"10.3390/biology14060722","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Accelerating healing is a clinical goal in both acute and chronic non-healing skin wounds. We leveraged the public Recon database, which seeks to aggregate all of the metabolic pathways in the human body, to uncover whether increasing the supply of specific metabolites can bolster cellular metabolism and, in turn, enhance wound healing. The database was reduced to a set of 357 reactions and 339 metabolites that were better suited for human cells in culture. Monte Carlo simulations were performed to identify the impact of 25 different inputs on the metabolic fluxes within the cellular biochemical network. Biomass and ATP production were used as surrogate markers for cell proliferation and cell migration (an energy-intensive process), respectively, both of which are critical to wound healing. The subset of simulations yielding the highest ATP production or biomass production were those where glycine and/or glutamine uptake was increased. Maximizing ATP and biomass also generally increased oxygen uptake. Due to its low availability in chronic wounds, another set of simulations was carried out in which oxygen uptake was held constant to mimic the effect of a limited oxygen supply. However, even with this constraint, glycine and glutamine remained the most promising interventions. The predictions were tested in vitro using immortalized human keratinocytes. Amino acid uptake was tentatively increased by supplementing the base culture media with additional glycine and/or glutamine, with valine supplementation with a similar nitrogen load as a control. Glycine supplementation significantly increased cellular proliferation above the base media and accelerated wound closure rate in wound scratch assay. However, glutamine and valine supplementation did not improve these parameters above base media, and glutamine even suppressed the benefit of glycine in cultures supplemented with both amino acids. In conclusion, glycine supplementation enhances cellular processes that are associated with wound healing.</p>","PeriodicalId":48624,"journal":{"name":"Biology-Basel","volume":"14 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12189431/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144498727","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Biology-BaselPub Date : 2025-06-18DOI: 10.3390/biology14060719
Aras Fahrettin Korkmaz, Fatih Ekinci, Şehmus Altaş, Eda Kumru, Mehmet Serdar Güzel, Ilgaz Akata
{"title":"A Deep Learning and Explainable AI-Based Approach for the Classification of Discomycetes Species.","authors":"Aras Fahrettin Korkmaz, Fatih Ekinci, Şehmus Altaş, Eda Kumru, Mehmet Serdar Güzel, Ilgaz Akata","doi":"10.3390/biology14060719","DOIUrl":"10.3390/biology14060719","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study presents a novel approach for classifying Discomycetes species using deep learning and explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) techniques. The EfficientNet-B0 model achieved the highest performance, reaching 97% accuracy, a 97% F1-score, and a 99% AUC, making it the most effective model. MobileNetV3-L followed closely, with 96% accuracy, a 96% F1-score, and a 99% AUC, while ShuffleNet also showed strong results, reaching 95% accuracy and a 95% F1-score. In contrast, the EfficientNet-B4 model exhibited lower performance, achieving 89% accuracy, an 89% F1-score, and a 93% AUC. These results highlight the superior feature extraction and classification capabilities of EfficientNet-B0 and MobileNetV3-L for biological data. Explainable AI (XAI) techniques, including Grad-CAM and Score-CAM, enhanced the interpretability and transparency of model decisions. These methods offered insights into the internal decision-making processes of deep learning models, ensuring reliable classification results. This approach improves traditional taxonomy by advancing data processing and supporting accurate species differentiation. In the future, using larger datasets and more advanced AI models is recommended for biodiversity monitoring, ecosystem modeling, medical imaging, and bioinformatics. Beyond high classification performance, this study offers an ecologically meaningful approach by supporting biodiversity conservation and the accurate identification of fungal species. These findings contribute to developing more precise and reliable biological classification systems, setting new standards for AI-driven research in biological sciences.</p>","PeriodicalId":48624,"journal":{"name":"Biology-Basel","volume":"14 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12189597/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144498621","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Biology-BaselPub Date : 2025-06-18DOI: 10.3390/biology14060718
Lang Zhang, Qiuying Qin, Qing Li, Yali Yu, Ziwei Song, Li He, Yanhong Sun, Liting Ye, Guiying Wang, Jing Xu
{"title":"Molecular Adaptations and Quality Enhancements in a Hybrid (<i>Erythroculter ilishaeformis</i> ♀ × <i>Ancherythroculter nigrocauda</i> ♂) Cultured in Saline-Alkali Water.","authors":"Lang Zhang, Qiuying Qin, Qing Li, Yali Yu, Ziwei Song, Li He, Yanhong Sun, Liting Ye, Guiying Wang, Jing Xu","doi":"10.3390/biology14060718","DOIUrl":"10.3390/biology14060718","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Declining freshwater resources have spurred interest in saline-alkali (SA) water aquaculture, with species like tilapia and rainbow trout demonstrating ecological plasticity in such environments. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying fish adaptation and quality impacts remain unclear. This study investigated the hybrid fish \"Xianfeng No. 1\" (<i>Erythroculter ilishaeformis</i> × <i>Ancherythroculter nigrocauda</i>), a key aquaculture species in China, under 60-day SA exposure. The results showed increased levels of oxidative stress markers (MDA) and antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GSH-Px), alongside improved quality traits. Transcriptomics revealed differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in muscle tissue associated with oxidative stress (<i>UQCRFS1</i>, <i>UQCR10</i>, <i>CYC1</i>), ion transport (<i>COX5A</i>, <i>COX7C</i>, <i>COX7B</i>), and the immune response (<i>ATG9A</i>, <i>ATG2B</i>, <i>ATG2A</i>, <i>ULK1</i>, <i>ULK2</i>, <i>CFI, CFH</i>). Metabolomics identified increased non-volatile flavors (e.g., glycine, proline) and collagen-related compounds. Integrated analysis highlighted the upregulation of <i>GSR</i> and <i>GGT</i>, and the downregulation of <i>CHDH</i> and <i>GBSA</i>, potentially driving glycine accumulation. These findings suggest that SA stress enhances antioxidant capacity, activates immune pathways, and modulates ion transport, enabling adaptation while improving meat quality. This study elucidates molecular mechanisms of fish acclimation to SA environments, providing insights for sustainable aquaculture development and breeding of stress-tolerant species in SA regions.</p>","PeriodicalId":48624,"journal":{"name":"Biology-Basel","volume":"14 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12189855/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144498722","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}