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Sepiapterin reductase, a homodimer composed of two subunits, plays an important role in the biosynthesis of tetrahydrobiopterin. Furthermore, sepiapterin reductase exhibits a wide distribution in different tissues and is associated with many diseases, including brain dysfunction, chronic pain, cardiovascular disease and cancer. With regard to drugs targeting sepiapterin reductase, many compounds have been identified and provide potential methods to treat various diseases. However, the underlying mechanism of sepiapterin reductase in many biological processes is unclear. Therefore, this article summarized the structure, distribution and function of sepiapterin reductase, as well as the relationship between sepiapterin reductase and different diseases, with the aim of finding evidence to guide further studies on the molecular mechanisms and the potential clinical value of sepiapterin reductase. In particular, the different effects induced by the depletion of sepiapterin reductase or the inhibition of the enzyme suggest that the non‐enzymatic activity of sepiapterin reductase could function in certain biological processes, which also provides a possible direction for sepiapterin reductase research.

To evaluate carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) dynamics during the decomposition process, we investigated the temporal variability of extracellular enzymatic activities (EEA) associated with C, N, and P acquisition in microbial communities from different land uses. We hypothesized that EEA ratios would reveal different primary resource requirements with respect to microbial demand, depending on soil properties, litter type and the relative proportion of bacteria: fungi in the microbial community. To test this hypothesis, we implemented an experiment using four litters (Triticum aestivum, Fagus sylvatica, Festuca arundinacea and Robinia pseudoacacia) in four soils (cropland, plantation, prairie and forest) located in close proximity to one another on the same parent material. Analyses of EEA showed that overall N requirement increased relative to P during litter decay, but C requirement increased more rapidly than either N or P in most of these ecosystems. Soil type was the main factor controlling N versus P requirement whereas litter type was the primary driver of C versus nutrient requirement. Shifts in EEA were related to changes in metabolic quotient (C respired per unit biomass) but there was no evidence that the relative proportion of fungi: bacteria drove changes in EEA. We concluded that the use of EEA as a proxy of microbial resource demand improved our understanding of temporal shifts in resource requirements to microbial communities, their associated respiration efficiency and dynamics of C and nutrients among different ecosystems.

Photosynthetic rate (Pn) and photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency (PNUE) are the two important factors affecting the photosynthesis and nutrient utilization of plant leaves. However, the effect of N fertilization combined with foliar application of Fe on the Pn and PNUE of the maize crops under different planting patterns (i.e., monocropping and intercropping) is elusive. Therefore, this experiment was conducted to determine the effect of N fertilization combined with foliar application of Fe on the photosynthetic characteristics, PNUE, and the associated enzymes of the maize crops under different planting patterns. The results of this study showed that under intercropping, maize treated with N fertilizer combined with foliar application of Fe had not only significantly ( p < 0.05) improved physio-agronomic indices but also higher chlorophyll content, better photosynthetic characteristics, and related leaf traits. In addition, the same crops under such treatments had increased photosynthetic enzyme activity (i.e., rubisco activity) and nitrogen metabolism enzymes activities, such as nitrate reductase (NR activity), nitrite reductase (NiR activity), and glutamate synthase (GOGAT activity). Consequently, intercropping enhanced the PNUE and soluble sugar content of the maize crops, thus increasing its yield compared with monocropping. Thus, these findings suggest that intercropping under optimal N fertilizer application combined with Fe foliation can improve the chlorophyll content and photosynthetic characteristics of maize crops by regulating the associated enzymatic activities. Consequently, this results in enhanced PNUE, which eventually leads to better growth and higher yield in the intercropping system. Thus, practicing intercropping under optimal nutrient management (i.e., N and Fe) could be crucial for better growth and yield, and efficient nitrogen use efficiency of maize crops.

Aim Integrating chemical and organic fertilizers not only improves soil biological health and plant growth but also reduces costs of agricultural production, and hence, is an economically feasible approach to sustain plant growth in developing countries. Methods We performed a field experiment to evaluate the impact of poultry litter-derived biochar (BC; 10 and 20 t ha −1 ) with and without chemical fertilizers (CF) on soil nutrient availability, microbial abundance, and soil enzymatic activity. Results Combined application of BC and CF significantly increased soil nutritional status and soil organic carbon (SOC), however these improvements were more prominent at higher BC level (20 t ha −1 ), which increased soil microbial biomass carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus by 27, 58, and 61%, respectively. Furthermore, BC20 + CF treatment improved soil microbial abundances such as actinomycetes (24%), bacteria (70%), AMF (49%) and saprophytic fungi (38%). In terms of wheat growth and yield attributes, BC20 + CF application enhanced spike length (55%), leaf area index (30%), tillers (12%), along with biological yield (26%) and grain yield (36%). BC20 + CF application was positively correlated with different soil enzymatic activities i.e. urease (24%), dehydrogenase (44%), and β-glucosidase (93%). Principal component analysis (PCA) analysis also showed that co-application of BC at the rate of 20 t ha −1 along with CF was the most efficient treatment for improving soil nutrient status and microbial activities. Conclusions Hence, soil supplementation with BC along with CF improved soil biochemical characteristics and nutrients availability for longer time, resulting in better and more sustainable agricultural production. Graphical Abstract

Studies have shown that the application of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi or exogenous melatonin (MT) can alleviate drought stress and improve plant growth, but the additive effects of both treatments on plants grown under drought stress are largely unknown. In this study, we conducted a pot experiment to investigate the effects of AM inoculation (Funneliformis mosseae BGC XJ01) and/or MT application on tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Yuyan No. 6) seedling growth, photosynthetic and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, antioxidant enzymatic activity, osmotic adjustment substance accumulation, and nutrient uptake under three water conditions (75–80%, 50–55%, and 30–35% of the maximum moisture retention capacity). The results show that applying either the AM inoculant or MT alone significantly increased tobacco seedling growth and decreased the negative effects of drought stress. Furthermore, AM inoculation alone promoted root function (root biomass, root/shoot ratio, root system architecture), facilitated the capture and conversion of solar energy (photosynthetic rate, ΦPSII), and increased nutrient uptake more effectively than MT. In contrast, exogenous MT application alone was more effective at increasing peroxidase and catalase activity and decreasing H2O2 and MDA accumulation, which in turn enhanced the adaptation of seedlings to drought stress by improving their antioxidant capacity and reducing oxidative damage. Nevertheless, applying exogenous MT significantly enhanced the AM colonization rate under AM inoculation conditions but had no obvious effect on AM colonization under noninoculated conditions. The combined application of AM and MT had an additive effect and produced the largest increases in tobacco seedling growth, photosynthetic ability, antioxidant enzymatic activity, and N, P, and K uptake and the largest decreases in H2O2 and MDA contents of all the treatments. The results suggest that AM inoculation in combination with exogenous MT application may render plants more productive and more tolerant of drought stress.

Intercropping, a widely adopted agricultural practice worldwide, aims to increase crop yield, enhance plant nutrient uptake, and optimize the utilization of natural resources, contributing to sustainable farming practices on a global scale. However, the underlying changes in soil physio-chemical characteristics and enzymatic activities, which contribute to crop yield and nutrient uptake in the intercropping systems are largely unknown. Consequently, a two-year (2021–2022) field experiment was conducted on the maize/soybean intercropping practices with/without nitrogen (N) fertilization (i.e., N 0 ; 0 N kg ha −1 and N 1 ; 225 N kg ha −1 for maize and 100 N kg ha −1 for soybean ) to know whether such cropping system can improve the nutrients uptake and crop yields, soil physio-chemical characteristics, and soil enzymes, which ultimately results in enhanced crop yield. The results revealed that maize intercropping treatments (i.e., N 0 MI and N 1 MI) had higher crop yield, biomass dry matter, and 1000-grain weight of maize than mono-cropping treatments (i.e., N 0 MM, and N 1 MM). Nonetheless, these parameters were optimized in N 1 MI treatments in both years. For instance, N 1 MI produced the maximum grain yield (10,105 and 11,705 kg ha −1 ), biomass dry matter (13,893 and 14,093 kg ha −1 ), and 1000-grain weight (420 and 449 g) of maize in the year 2021 and 2022, respectively. Conversely, soybean intercropping treatments (i.e., N 0 SI and N 1 SI) reduced such yield parameters for soybean. Also, the land equivalent ratio (LER) and land equivalent ratio for N fertilization (LER N ) values were always greater than 1, showing the intercropping system’s benefits in terms of yield and improved resource usage. Moreover, maize intercropping treatments (i.e., N 0 MI and N 1 MI) and soybean intercropping treatments (i.e., N 0 SI and N 1 SI) significantly ( p  < 0.05) enhanced the nutrient uptake (i.e., N, P, K, Ca, Fe, and Zn) of maize and soybean, however, these nutrients uptakes were more prominent in N 1 MI and N 1 SI treatments of maize and soybean, respectively in both years (2021 and 2022) compared with their mono-cropping treatments. Similarly, maize-soybean intercropping treatments (i.e., N 0 MSI and N 1 MSI) significantly ( p  < 0.05) improved the soil-based N, P, K, NH 4 , NO 3 , and soil organic matter, but, reduced the soil pH. Such maize-soybean intercropping treatments also improved the soil enzymatic activities such as protease (PT), sucrose (SC), acid phosphatase (AP), urease (UE), and catalase (CT) activities. This indicates that maize-soybean intercropping could potentially contribute to higher and better crop yield, enhanced plant nutrient uptake, improved soil nutrient pool, physio-chemical characteristics, and related soil enzymatic activities. Thus, preferring intercropping to mono-cropping could be a preferable choice for ecologically viable agricultural development.

Rice koji, used early in the manufacturing process for many fermented foods, produces diverse metabolites and enzymes during fermentation. Using gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS), ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography linear trap quadrupole ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-LTQ-IT-MS/MS), and multivariate analysis we generated the metabolite profiles of rice koji produced by fermentation with Aspergillus oryzae (RK_AO) or Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (RK_BA) for different durations. Two principal components of the metabolomic data distinguished the rice koji samples according to their fermenter species and fermentation time. Several enzymes secreted by the fermenter species, including α-amylase, protease, and β-glucosidase, were assayed to identify differences in expression levels. This approach revealed that carbohydrate metabolism, serine-derived amino acids, and fatty acids were associated with rice koji fermentation by A. oryzae, whereas aromatic and branched chain amino acids, flavonoids, and lysophospholipids were more typical in rice koji fermentation by B. amyloliquefaciens. Antioxidant activity was significantly higher for RK_BA than for RK_AO, as were the abundances of flavonoids, including tricin, tricin glycosides, apigenin glycosides, and chrysoeriol glycosides. In summary, we have used MS-based metabolomics and enzyme activity assays to evaluate the effects of using different microbial species and fermentation times on the nutritional profile of rice koji.

Silicon (Si) is a relatively novel element that has found widespread application in various fields. Gibberellic acid (GA 3 ) is known to induce different physiological traits in a variety of plants. While Si and GA₃ independently improve plant performance, their interactive mechanisms and potential synergy are poorly understood. In the present study, different treatments of GA 3 (0, 10, 20, 50, 75 and 100 ppm) and Si (50 ppm) were applied as foliar and soil irrigation on sugarcane ( Saccharum officinarum L. cv. GT55) plants at specific time intervals, such as 60 and 90 days. The result findings indicated that the application of foliar and soil irrigation containing GA 3 and Si notably enhanced and/ or stabilized enzymatic and non-enzymatic activities, i.e., soluble protein, catalase, peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase, hydrogen peroxide, lipid peroxidation, proline, ascorbate, glutathione, oxidized glutathione, glutathione-S-transferase, dehydroascorbate, and plant hormones, such as indole-3-acetic acid, abscissic acid, and gibberellic acid in sugarcane plant leaves and roots after foliar and soil irrigation application. The results showed that the interactive applications of GA 3 and Si were not harmful to sugarcane plants, and positively affected their growth and development. The simultaneous application of Si and GA₃ is a safe and highly effective strategy to upregulate sugarcane growth and metabolic regulation. This innovative approach presents sustainable technology to enhance crop productivity and contribute to global food security goals without relying on conventional chemical inputs.

Aster varieties are widely used for medicinal purposes, landscaping, and ecological restoration, but their growth and reproduction are significantly threatened by the seed predator Tephritis angustipennis (Diptera: Tephritidae). The cultivation of pest-resistant varieties offers an effective, economical, and eco-friendly approach to managing T. angustipennis infestations. This study evaluates the impact of T. angustipennis on ten Aster varieties in the Three Rivers Source Region (TRSR), with a focus on population density, plant damage rate, and the activity of resistance enzymes and insect-resistant metabolites. The results classified the ten varieties into four resistance groups: one highly resistant variety [HR: Aster altaicus (MQAA)], four moderately resistant varieties [MR: Aster asteroides (DRAA), Aster flaccidus (QLAF), Aster tongolensis (BMAT), Aster poliothamnus (MQAP)], two moderately susceptible varieties [MS: Aster diplostephioides (QLAD), Aster souliei (DRAS)], and three highly susceptible varieties [HS: A. diplostephioides (MQAD), Aster yunnanensis var. labrangensis (MQAY), Aster farreri (MQAF)]. Notably, HR and MR varieties exhibited significantly higher activities of catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), trypsin inhibitor (TI), and chymotrypsin inhibitor (CI), as well as higher contents of tannins (TN) and flavonoids (FN), compared to MS and HS varieties. Specifically, the HR variety (MQAA) showed the highest levels of CAT, POD, SOD, and TN, significantly enhancing its resistance to T. angustipennis . Statistical analyses further revealed that MDA, TN, FN, and antioxidant enzyme activities were found to be key factors influencing insect resistance across the different varieties and resistance levels. These findings enhance our understanding of the physiological and biochemical mechanisms underlying resistance in Aster spp. and offer valuable insights for developing integrated pest management strategies. By identifying and promoting resistant varieties, this study lays the groundwork for effective, sustainable control measures that protect Aster crops from T. angustipennis damage.

Understanding the impact of rhizosphere soil properties on tobacco growth after land consolidation is crucial for optimizing agricultural practices. This study investigated the relationship between rhizosphere soil biochemical properties, enzymatic activities, and tobacco growth in three fields in Guizhou province. We found no significant differences in the biochemical properties, soil quality index, or enzymatic activities between tobacco plants exhibiting Good and Bad growth performance. Soil microbial activity was primarily limited by phosphorus, but there were no significant differences in carbon, nitrogen, or phosphorus limitations between the two growth performance. Additionally, soil ecosystem multifunctionality showed no significant correlation with tobacco plant performance. These results suggest that while rhizosphere soil properties play a role, other factors such as microbial communities and management practices may have a more significant influence on tobacco growth after land consolidation. Further research is needed to explore these complex interactions and develop strategies to enhance tobacco production in post-consolidation environments.