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PubMed2026

Diagnostic and Predictive Value of Circulating and Exosomal microRNAs in Ferroptosis-Associated Neurological Conditions: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as potential non-invasive markers for intracranial pathology, yet their diagnostic accuracy and relationship with ferroptosis-mediated neuronal damage remain poorly defined. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic and predictive potential of circulating and exosomal miRNAs across ferroptosis-associated neurological conditions and to explore their associations with ferroptosis-related pathways. Following PRISMA-DTA guidelines, a systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and ScienceDirect, identifying 205 records. After screening for human clinical cohort validation, 7 studies were included in the qualitative synthesis and 5 in the quantitative meta-analysis. Pooled Area-under-the-Curve (AUC) was calculated using a random-effects inverse-variance model, while prognostic correlation coefficients (r) were synthesized using Fisher's Z-transformation. Methodological quality was assessed via QUADAS-2. Analysis of 7 clinical cohorts provided heterogeneous evidence on the diagnostic and prognostic potential of miRNAs. Random-effects pooling of the two eligible diagnostic AUC estimates yielded an exploratory pooled AUC of 0.87 (95% CI, 0.79-0.94; I2 .90%). Prognostic synthesis of Group 2 identified an exploratory association between miRNA levels and clinical severity scales (exploratory pooled correlation coefficient of 0.67 (95% CI: 0.56-0.76; I2 .714.4%). Selected miRNAs were mapped to ferroptosis-associated regulators, including SLC7A11, ABCB8, and SLC40A1. Exosomal miRNAs hold potential to indicate disease-associated molecular information, although comparative clinical evidence remains yet to be explored. Circulating and exosomal miRNAs show promising diagnostic and prognostic potential across selected neurological conditions. These findings highlight a potential mechanistic association between miRNA expression and ferroptosis-mediated neuronal injury.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Assembly and Characterization of the First Complete Mitochondrial Genome of Tussilago farfara L.: Insights into Biological Functions and Phylogenetic Relationships within the Asteraceae Family.

Tussilago farfara L., a member of the Asteraceae family, is an economically valuable species due to its edible and medicinal properties. To elucidate the structural characteristics, genetic mechanisms, and evolutionary pathways of the organelle genomes of T. farfara, we sequenced, assembled, and annotated its mitochondrial genome for the first time. The complete mitochondrial genome of T. farfara spans 306,024 bp and contains 33 mitochondrial protein-coding genes (PCGs), 3 rRNAs, and 22 tRNAs. Analysis of the nucleotide substitution rate and genetic diversity revealed that most mitochondrial genome genes may have undergone purifying selection, indicating a slow evolutionary rate and a relatively conserved genomic structure. We further identified 13 fragments of chloroplast-derived DNA integrated into the mitochondrial genome, evidencing intracellular gene transfer. Collinearity analysis showed that Arctium lappa shares the most extensive mitochondrial homologous sequences and the highest sequence similarity with T. farfara. Phylogenetic analysis based on the mitochondrial genome helped to clarify the evolutionary and taxonomic position of T. farfara within the Asteraceae family. The mitochondrial genome sequence of T. farfara provides a valuable genomic resource for species identification and for evolutionary studies within the Asteraceae family.

Genome, Mitochondrial↗
PubMed2026

Evolutionary conservation of heat shock proteins in Blattodea and their roles in wing morphogenesis and ovarian development of Blattella germanica.

Heat shock proteins (Hsps) are essential molecular chaperones for protein homeostasis and stress responses. However, the Hsp repertoires and functions in Blattodea remain underexplored. Our genome-scale survey of nine Blattodea species revealed 37-46 conserved Hsp90, Hsp70, and DNAJ (Hsp40) genes, with DNAJ the most abundant and Hsp90 the least. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the evolutionary conservation of three Hsp90, seven Hsp70, and 29 DNAJ subclades in Blattodea. Selection pressure analysis revealed predominant purifying selection (dN/dS ≪ 1) across lineages, strongest in DNAJ and highest in Hsp90 conservation. In Blattella germanica, expression of six representative BgHsp genes progressively increased during development, peaking in fifth-instar nymphs. Tissue expression profiling revealed that BgHspA1-2/3/4 were predominantly expressed in legs, BgDNAJB5 and BgHsp90AB1-2 were enriched in the fat body, and BgHsp90AB1 was highly expressed in the head. dsRNA injection targeting conserved Hsp gene regions achieved 61.9-94.1% knockdown of all six target genes. RNAi knockdown of six BgHsp genes disrupted wing morphogenesis, causing distinct phenotypes: wing whitening (56.7%, dsBgHspA1-4), unequal length (66.7%, dsBgHspA1-3; 76.7%, dsBgDNAJB5), and wing wrinkling (70%, dsBgHspA1-2; 63.3%, dsBgHsp90AB1; 76.7%, dsBgHsp90AB1-2). During ovarian formation, the developmental delay was most severe in the dsBgHsp90AB1 group, moderate in the dsBgHsp90AB1-2 and dsBgHspA1-2/3/4 groups, and weakest in the dsBgDNAJB5 group. Besides, knockdown significantly downregulated key developmental genes (apterous-a, nubbin, scalloped, ultrabithorax, wingless, and vitellogenin). These findings provide a reference for understanding the evolutionary patterns of Hsps in Blattodea, and offer mechanistic insights into the developmental regulation mediated by Hsps in this important public-health pest.

Animals↗
PubMed2026

Evolutionary architecture and lineage-specific diversification of Forkhead box transcription factors in Perna viridis.

The Forkhead box (Fox) transcription factors are evolutionarily conserved regulators of development, cell cycle, and apoptosis across metazoans. This study provides the first comprehensive genome-wide analysis of the Fox gene family in the Asian green mussel (Perna viridis). We identified 28 Fox genes distributed across 10 chromosomes. Comparative analysis reveals the absence of the FoxI, FoxQ1, FoxR and FoxS subfamily, consistent with other bivalves and indicative of lineage-specific gene loss during molluscan evolution. Notably, gene duplications in the FoxAB, FoxD, FoxH, FoxN1-4, FoxQ2 and FoxQD subfamilies may reflect functional diversification associated with environmental adaptation. Exon-intron structural variability, including intron loss in several paralogues, suggests structural diversification and potential regulatory variation. Phylogenetic reconstruction confirmed the monophyly of core Fox classes while highlighting divergent expansion patterns in lophotrochozoans. Selection analyses showed strong purifying selection across duplicated Fox paralogs, supporting functional conservation after lineage-specific expansion. Gene Ontology enrichment linked Fox genes to stress response, apoptosis, and transcriptional regulation. By integrating phylogenetic, structural, and transcriptomic analyses, this study provides a genomic framework for understanding Fox gene organisation, evolution, and tissue-associated expression patterns in Perna viridis and establishes a comparative resource for future functional studies in bivalves.

Animals↗
PubMed2026

Colchicine attenuates cardiac hypertrophy by targeting the macrophage-driven Interleukin-6 suppression.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), the most prevalent inherited cardiovascular disease, is strongly linked to progressive heart failure and sudden cardiac death (SCD). However, its underlying pathogenic mechanisms remain incompletely understood, and effective therapeutic strategies are still lacking. Here, we established two murine HCM models harboring high SCD risk-associated mutations. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed immune activation and enhanced fibrotic remodeling in the myocardium of these models. Therefore, we hypothesized that colchicine, a widely used anti-inflammatory drug known to reduce cardiovascular events in multiple cardiac disorders, may also represent a promising therapeutic candidate for HCM. As we expected, colchicine treatment attenuated pathological remodeling in our study, as evidenced by reduced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, decreased fibrosis, and downregulation of cardiac stress markers (Anp, Bnp) and fibrotic mediators (Ctgf, Col1a1, Col3a1). In addition, colchicine attenuated pro-inflammatory macrophage populations and suppressed IL-6 expression, thereby contributing to the preservation of cardiac function. These findings provide the first preclinical evidence that colchicine alleviates myocardial inflammation and fibrosis in HCM, underscoring its potential as a novel therapeutic strategy to reduce fibrosis, lower SCD risk, and improve patient outcomes.

Animals↗
PubMed2026

Evolutionary diversification of invertase paralogs couples carbon metabolism and sexual reproduction in fission yeasts.

Dynamic patterns of gene gain and loss play a major role in the diversification of eukaryotes, reflecting adaptation to a broad range of ecological contexts. Reconstructing the evolutionary history of genes provides a powerful framework for understanding how functional innovation shapes life-history traits. Here we report a comprehensive analysis of gene gain and loss across the fission yeast clade, whose evolutionary trajectory remains elusive. Reductive evolution of metabolic genes is a major contributor to species diversification, as observed in other fungal taxa. Notably, we uncovered an evolutionary scenario in which an ancestral gene duplication was followed by lineage-specific loss of one or the other paralog, except in S. pombe, which retained both. We demonstrate that these paralogs encode catalytically-active invertases, named Inv1 and Inv2, with distinct enzymatic properties, localization, regulation, and physiological roles. Inv1 is a secreted enzyme subject to glucose catabolite repression and is the sole invertase required for sucrose assimilation, resembling canonical yeast invertases. In contrast, Inv2 is intracellular, constitutively expressed, and required for inducing sexual differentiation in response to nutrient availability. Overall, these findings reveal an unexpected role for carbon metabolism in modulating the haploid-diploid cycle of fission yeasts, suggesting that diversification of core metabolic functions may contribute to adaptation to environments with distinct sugar compositions.

Evolution↗
PubMed2026

Quality assessment, prognostic factors, and biomarkers for brain tumor analysis: a comprehensive systematic review.

The brain tumors possess different causative factors and properties, making their diagnosis and treatment difficult. Growth of these cancers usually leads to compression of the adjacent nerves and obstruction of the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, thus leading to increase in intracranial pressure. This affects the working of brain in many ways; thus, the difficulty involved in its treatment. With the improvements in technology in neuroimaging, including Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), Positron Emission Tomography (PET), and multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging (mpMRI), the diagnosis process has become easy. The effectiveness of any form of therapy in such patients depends primarily on their prognosis. While it is a common practice that physicians determine the prognosis of the disease by considering the age of the patient, histological grade of the tumor, and resection status, now this method has become more comprehensive by adding molecular signature and genetic analyses to the list of criteria. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) allows a reliable molecular classification. It increases the level of risk stratification, facilitating the application of therapies tailored to individual patients. Thus, molecular oncology has greatly changed our views on brain tumors' pathology and prognosis while neoadjuvant treatments aim at increasing the survival rate. On the other hand, radiogenomics is a field of study that combines non-invasive imaging phenotypes and genomic information in order to find unique molecular signatures of tumors without collecting samples from tumors. Molecular biomarkers are absolutely essential in the diagnosis of cancer, treatment monitoring, and recurrence of cancer. Advances in liquid biopsy technology, particularly the methods for circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and Extracellular Vesicle (EV) based analysis, have enabled the possibility of non-invasive monitoring of the progression of the tumors over time. This review highlights key studies and important scientific works about imaging technologies, biomarkers, and prognostic factors of malignant brain tumors.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Ramu stunt virus genome reveals previously unreported segments and nucleocapsid domain duplication in Mechlorovirus.

Ramu stunt virus (RmSV), a member of the genus Mechlorovirus within the family Phenuiviridae, was previously described as a six-segmented RNA virus infecting sugarcane. In this study, we re-examined type material and additional isolates using high-throughput sequencing and RT-PCR validation, revealing that RmSV possesses a nine-segmented genome, making it the largest reported in the Phenuiviridae. This expanded architecture includes duplicated RNA segments (RNA 2a and RNA 2b) encoding nucleocapsid-like proteins and two novel segments (RNA 7 and RNA 8). Comparative analysis showed that RNA 2a and 2b share about 84% amino acid identity, while RNA 5 encodes a third nucleocapsid homolog, indicating unprecedented domain redundancy. Structural modeling confirmed that all three nucleocapsid proteins maintain a conserved fold despite low sequence identity, with electrostatic mapping suggesting differential RNA-binding potential. Additionally, RNA 6 encodes a hypothetical protein structurally similar to the rice stripe virus disease-specific S-protein, implicating a role in symptom development. Transcript abundance analysis revealed RNA 6 as the most highly expressed segment across isolates. These findings revise the genomic composition of RmSV, highlight mechanisms of genome plasticity and adaptive evolution in plant-infecting bunyaviruses, and underscore practical implications for diagnostic assay design, resistance breeding, and biosecurity surveillance.

Genome, Viral↗
PubMed2026

Ambrosia beetle invasions are structured by inbreeding, intraspecific hybridisation, and bridgeheads.

When invasive populations establish in regions far from their origin, they may accumulate deleterious mutations that limit population viability and later expansion. Invasions stemming from such bridgehead populations may experience further sequential bottlenecks. However, deleterious mutations can be masked or eliminated when populations outbreed with other lineages. Here, we analyse global invasions of a species complex of persistently inbreeding ambrosia beetles, using genomic data (N=247) from invasive populations in Africa, North America and Australia, and from native populations in Asia. We mostly focus on one species of this complex (Euwallacea fornicatus) which poses a severe threat to tree species worldwide and is rapidly expanding its global range. We uncover a single lineage of this species across California, South Africa, and Western Australia, involving an invasive bridgehead and containing almost no nuclear genetic variation. In South Africa we identify a second lineage that has repeatedly hybridised with the first lineage. Genetic patterns in the native range indicate that such opportunistic outbreeding may be common. Despite lacking nuclear variation, the first lineage contained two CO1 haplotypes that were also observed in every hybrid lineage, pointing to heteroplasmy and possible hybrid origins of this lineage. Native populations had fewer missense mutations than invasive populations, indicating that opportunistic outbreeding may help purge fixed deleterious mutations when local lineage diversity is high. These findings highlight the importance of outbreeding even when inbreeding is common, and they demonstrate the biosecurity threat posed by subsequent gene flow into invasive populations.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2026

Fructophilic lactic acid bacteria as a window into multi-scale convergent evolution.

Fructophilic lactic acid bacteria (FLAB) are a group of lactic acid bacteria with unique growth characteristics, that is, poor growth on glucose. Their growth is enhanced in the presence of fructose or external electron acceptors. These organisms inhabit fructose-rich environments such as flowers, fruits, and pollinating insects, particularly honey bees. Apilactobacillus spp. and Fructobacillus spp. are representatives of FLAB, although they belong to phylogenetically distant clades. These organisms commonly possess markedly small genomes with a low number of coding DNA sequences. Furthermore, their genomes are characterized by a markedly reduced number of genes involved in carbohydrate transport and metabolism. Genome reduction in FLAB reflects convergent adaptation to fructose-rich environments rather than general genome streamlining. The two distinct FLAB genera, Fructobacillus and Apilactobacillus, independently lost more than 100 genes in statistically similar orders. In contrast, genes involved in carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism exhibited reversed orders of loss between the two genera. Furthermore, FLAB genomes lack an intact bifunctional alcohol/aldehyde dehydrogenase gene (adhE), which causes their poor growth on glucose. A comparative genomic study suggested the evolutionary process underlying adhE gene decay during adaptation to the fructose-rich environments, including pollinating insects. In conclusion, FLAB represent a unique example of habitat-driven convergent reductive evolution that can be investigated across multiple biological scales - from individual genes to whole genomes - in the diverse LAB group with a wide range of habitats, and partially share the fructophilic evolution with eukaryotic yeasts found in fructose-rich habitats.

Fructose↗
PubMed2026

The association between normalized creatinine-to-cystatin C ratio and incident circadian syndrome in middle-aged and older adults: a national cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Evidence on the association between the normalized creatinine-to-cystatin C ratio (NCCR) and Circadian Syndrome (CircS) in the general population remains scarce. This study aimed to investigate this relationship using data from middle-aged and elderly participants in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 5,981 participants (2011 wave) and a prospective cohort analysis of 2,053 participants (2015 wave, median follow-up 4.0 years). CircS was defined as a cluster including elevated blood pressure, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, abdominal obesity, depression, and abnormal sleep duration. RESULTS: During follow-up, 552 participants developed incident CircS. A significant inverse association was observed: the risk of new-onset CircS progressively decreased with higher baseline NCCR levels. After adjusting for multiple confounders, each standard deviation increase in NCCR was associated with a 40% reduced odds of CircS (adjusted odds ratio = 0.60, 95% confidence interval: 0.48 to 0.75). Subgroup and dose-response analyses confirmed the robustness of this inverse relationship. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, a lower NCCR is independently associated with an elevated risk of developing CircS. These findings support NCCR's role as a practical serum indicator of sarcopenia and implicate muscle loss as a potentially key underlying pathway in the pathogenesis of Circadian Syndrome.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

BIOCARD framework: integrating fecal bile acids, lipids, and metabolites to assess response to a cardiovascular health intervention.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly in under-resourced populations. Although nutritional interventions are important for CVD prevention, their outcomes are commonly evaluated using conventional clinical and behavioral indicators, which may not fully capture early molecular responses. In this study, we developed the BIOCARD framework, an exploratory fecal multi-omics platform integrating bile acids, lipids, and metabolites to evaluate intervention outcomes related to cardiovascular health. Fecal samples were collected from caregiver-child participants enrolled in a 10-week randomized controlled trial comparing a multicomponent garden-based intervention (SHA) with an education-only control group (MSP). Fecal polar metabolites, lipids, and bile acids were analyzed by UHPLC-HRMS-based approaches and integrated with conventional health indicators. Traditional clinical indicators in the present study showed limited sensitivity for detecting intervention-related differences. In contrast, fecal multi-omics analyzes revealed intervention-associated differences in metabolites, lipids, and bile acids, with children showing more apparent molecular variation than parents. Network analysis further revealed associations between selected molecular features and cardiovascular-related indicators, including blood pressure, body fat, skin carotenoids, and Healthy Eating Index scores. Together, these findings suggest that the BIOCARD framework may serve as an exploratory molecular approach to complement traditional outcome measures and improve the evaluation of nutritional interventions for cardiovascular health.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

A mechanism-guided framework for prioritizing membrane-interaction anti-Vibrio peptides from peptidomics data.

A mechanism-guided framework for prioritizing membrane-interaction antimicrobial peptide candidates from proteomics-derived peptide mixtures is presented. The framework integrates conservative machine-learning-based antimicrobial peptide (AMP) screening with a literature-derived membrane-interaction plausibility (MAP) assessment and a data-driven membrane-interaction ranking function (AIPx), followed by structural visualization for interpretability. MAP encodes physicochemical characteristics commonly associated with peptide-membrane interaction and provides a graded plausibility assessment. Building upon this physicochemically interpretable framework, AIPx ranks peptides using feature weights calibrated from experimentally characterized anti-Vibrio peptides, where minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values are used as a coarse-grained ranking reference rather than a direct prediction target. In a peptidomics-based peptide fractionation study targeting Vibrio spp., AIPx exhibited a consistent relationship with experimentally observed antibacterial activity. Distributional analysis revealed that peptide fractions exhibiting high anti-Vibrio activity are characterized by enrichment of high-ranking peptides rather than by AMP abundance alone. By structuring AMP identification and prioritization as sequential stages, the MAP + AIPx framework enables interpretable and experimentally actionable candidate selection by reducing biologically implausible candidates. The framework facilitates species-oriented prioritization of AMP candidates, addressing a key challenge in antimicrobial peptide discovery where activity may depend on target-specific membrane characteristics. Moreover, the approach is extensible through species-specific calibration and supports interpretable, mechanism-informed prioritization in antimicrobial peptide discovery.

Proteomics↗
PubMed2026

Avian egg incubation period: Revisiting existing allometric relationships via surface area-to-volume ratio of an egg.

The incubation period (I) for bird eggs varies among species and is used in establishing allometric relationships. Research on variations in I shed light on the evolutionary mechanisms that gave rise to the differentiation of embryonic development in distinct taxa of birds. Here, using a sampling of 444 images from 444 avian species, 89 families and 30 orders, we calculated their major geometric dimensions: volume (V) and surface area (S). An assessment of the relationship between I and the measured and calculated egg parameters demonstrated the closest and most significant correlation (R = -0.760) between I and the S/V ratio that was adopted as a conditional indicator and reflects the embryo's metabolic rate. Approximation of the values of these parameters made it possible to derive a power-law dependence for the prediction of I depending on the S/V value of a particular egg (R2 = 0.757). The prediction accuracy was higher (R2 = 0.783) if the eggs of the family Procellariiformes (petrels), whose I value is characterized by a longer time, were removed from the general sampling computation. We conclude that the value of the S/V ratio can characterize both the metabolism of an embryo and the conditional thermal conductivity of an egg, which aids in ensuring the temperature regime of egg incubation.

Animals↗
PubMed2026

Characterisation of HIV-1 Gag Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Epitopes in the Southern African Region-A Systematic Review.

During early HIV-1 infection, robust Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses are mostly targeted at immunodominant Gag p24 epitopes to reduce HIV-1 viraemia to a set-point. The aim of this study was to review the current body of knowledge on HIV-1 Gag CTL epitopes in the southern African region where subtype C is prevalent. Peer-reviewed records were obtained from three databases: PubMed Central, Web of Science Core Collection, and Scopus, using the following search terms: HIV subtype C Gag epitopes, and HIV clade C Gag epitopes. The search results were restricted to countries within the southern African region, and only data published in English and between the years 2000-2025 were considered for this review. The search from the three databases produced a total of 2103 peer-reviewed records, and 49 records were included in the review. The majority of studies (58.44%) were conducted in South Africa, followed by Botswana (15.58%), Zambia (10.39%), Malawi (7.79%), Zimbabwe (6.49%) and Angola (1.30%). There were no studies identified from other southern African countries. A total of 60 Gag CTL epitopes were identified, of which 17 (28.33%) were located within the matrix protein (p17), 33 (55.00%) within the capsid protein (p24), and 4 (6.67%) within the Gag polyprotein (p2p7p1p6). The commonly detected immunodominant epitopes were mostly located within the Gag p24 protein; and included TPQDLNTML (TL9, Gag p24 48-56) and TSTLQEQIGW (TW10, Gag p24 108-117) present at 16.00% and 13.3%, respectively. The proportion of HLA-A, B and C allotypes in this systematic review were 18%, 78%, and 4%, respectively. The more common HLA-B allotypes that restrict immunodominant Gag epitopes and facilitate better control of HIV-1 were HLA-B*57, -B*58:01, -B*42:01 and -B*81:01. This systematic review has provided important insights into the description of immunodominant Gag epitopes and HLA-I alleles that contribute to the control of HIV-1 viraemia in the southern African region. It has also exposed that some CTL epitopes identified in the southern African studies are not reported on the Los Alamos HIV database (LANL HIV database). This highlights a need to have this database updated with this information as it is used as a reference for epitopes. This review could provide insights into the design of an epitope-based HIV-1 vaccine that would also be effective in the southern African region.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Exploratory identification and cellular functional characterization of ppiabl as a candidate gene associated with growth traits in Paralichthys olivaceus.

The Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) is an important mariculture species. However, the genetic mechanisms underlying its growth traits remain poorly understood. To explore the genetic basis of growth variation, whole-genome resequencing was performed in a cultured cohort of 60 individuals, followed by exploratory genome-wide association analysis and candidate-gene prioritization. The results revealed heritability estimates of 0.40 for body weight and 0.24 for body length, with substantial overlap in associated loci between the two traits. Exploratory association and variant-annotation analyses prioritized ppiabl, which carries a nonconservative missense variant, as a candidate gene for further investigation. Tissue expression analysis showed that ppiabl was highly expressed in muscle tissue. This gene encodes a protein belonging to the conserved peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase family. In Japanese flounder primary muscle cells, ppiabl knockdown was associated with altered expression of growth-related genes and an increased G1-phase fraction, whereas overexpression produced changes in the opposite direction. In line with this, fast-growing individuals were found to have significantly larger muscle fiber areas than slow-growing ones. These findings suggest that ppiabl may be involved in muscle-related cellular processes associated with growth variation in Japanese flounder, although its contribution to whole-animal growth requires further validation. Overall, this exploratory study prioritizes ppiabl as a candidate gene potentially associated with growth-related cellular processes in Japanese flounder, although validation in larger independent populations and in vivo models is required.

Animals↗
PubMed2026

Divergent trajectories of genome architecture and chromosome evolution in ferns and angiosperms.

Ferns and angiosperms represent the two largest vascular plant lineages but exhibit striking genomic and ecological contrasts. We investigated whether differences in genome size, chromosome architecture, GC content, and stomatal traits reveal divergent evolutionary trajectories between these lineages. We assembled the most comprehensive dataset to date, integrating genome size, chromosome number and size, GC content, and stomatal traits for over 1100 fern species and compared it with an extensive angiosperm dataset. Ferns exhibited markedly lower variability and c. 16-fold slower rates of chromosome size evolution than angiosperms. A persistent positive relationship between genome size and chromosome number in ferns suggests limited cytological post-polyploid diploidization. While ferns generally possess larger stomata, this difference disappears after accounting for genome size, indicating that nucleotypic constraints, rather than lineage-specific physiology, dictate stomatal dimensions. Both groups share a unimodal GC-genome size relationship peaking at c. 14 Gbp. Larger fern chromosomes imply lower genome-wide recombination rates, potentially limiting genetic reshuffling and adaptive potential. Our results highlight fundamentally divergent evolutionary trajectories, likely shaped by meiotic symmetry in ferns and meiotic asymmetry, possibly centromere drive, and post-polyploid diploidization in angiosperms, defining the functional and genomic landscapes of these lineages across deep evolutionary timescales.

Genome, Plant↗
PubMed2026

Evolution of maize recombination landscape during domestication.

Despite the plethora of knowledge about the benefits of meiotic recombination and numerous theoretical studies examining how recombination rates evolve, there is a general lack of empirical support and consensus across species. To fill this knowledge gap, we characterized the evolution of recombination landscape in maize during its domestication from teosinte and related the observed changes to established theoretical frameworks. Through examining recombination in experimental populations of maize and teosinte and the population genomics approach of identifying historical recombination events using ancestral recombination graph inference to generate saturated maize and teosinte recombination maps, we found that during domestication, maize experienced a 12% increase in its genome-wide recombination rate. Furthermore, maize evolved higher recombination rates on the long arms of chromosomes in regions closer to centromeres, where recombination is generally very low. The repatterning of crossover events came from changes in global crossover positioning rather than alterations in cis-acting chromatin factors. Consequently, we found evidence of selection acting on trans-acting recombination modifiers affecting crossover interference and controlling the interference-dependent class I crossover pathway. We show that CO repatterning was likely beneficial for maize fitness, as significant recombination rate increases were predominantly in gene-rich regions, which harbor domestication-related variation. This work suggests genomic and mechanistic processes leading to the evolution of meiotic recombination landscape in response to directional selection pressure and provides evidence for the evolutionary advantage of recombination.

Zea mays↗