Human utilization of the mulberry–silkworm interaction started at least 5,000 years ago and greatly influenced world history through the Silk Road. Complementing the silkworm genome sequence, here we describe the genome of a mulberry species Morus notabilis. In the 330-Mb genome assembly, we identify 128 Mb of repetitive sequences and 29,338 genes, 60.8% of which are supported by transcriptome sequencing. Mulberry gene sequences appear to evolve ~3 times faster than other Rosales, perhaps facilitating the species’ spread worldwide. The mulberry tree is among a few eudicots but several Rosales that have not preserved genome duplications in more than 100 million years; however, a neopolyploid series found in the mulberry tree and several others suggest that new duplications may confer benefits. Five predicted mulberry miRNAs are found in the haemolymph and silk glands of the silkworm, suggesting interactions at molecular levels in the plant–herbivore relationship. The identification and analyses of mulberry genes involved in diversifying selection, resistance and protease inhibitor expressed in the laticifers will accelerate the improvement of mulberry plants.

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The protective effect of mulberry (Morus atropurpurea) fruit against diphenoxylate-induced constipation in mice through the modulation of gut microbiota.

The antiobesity molecular mechanisms of mulberry leave components were analyzed based on intestinal micro-ecology and metabolomics. An obesity model was established by feeding rats with a high-calorie diet. Rats were divided into seven groups: the obesity model control (MC), positive control (PC), mulberry leaf powder (MLP), mulberry leaf fiber (MLF), mulberry leaf polyphenols (MLPS), mulberry leaf fiber and polyphenols mixture (MLM), and normal control (NC), and fed daily for 6 consecutive weeks. The results demonstrated that the MLM group had the best efficiency on weight loss, indicating synergistic interactions between MLPS and MLF. The reduction of Firmicutes abundance, and the downstream Clostridiales, Lachnespiraceae, was a key pathway for the antiobesity effects. The increased abundances of Lactobacillus vaginalis and Lactobacillus gasseri might result in lipid metabolism disorder. The test groups regulated the amino acid and oligopeptides metabolic disorder tents to normal levels compared with the MC and NC groups.