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Abstract Background Nuclear transport factor 2 and small GTPase Ran participate in the nucleo-cytoplasm transport of macromolecules, but their function in the 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) signal transduction pathway are not well known. Results A 703 bp encoding Ntf2 and a 1233 bp encoding Ran full-length cDNAs were cloned from Helicoverpa armigera, and named Ha-Ntf2 and Ha-Ran, respectively. Northern blot and immunoblotting revealed that Ha-Ntf2 had an obviously higher expression levels in the head-thorax and integument of the metamorphically committed larvae. In contrast, the expression of Ha-Ran did not show obvious variation at various developmental stages in four tissues by immunoblotting analysis, except in the midgut, which showed increased expression from 5th-36 h (molting) to 6th-48 h. Both expressions of Ha-Ntf2 and Ha-Ran could be upregulated by 20E in vitro. Immunohistochemistry revealed that Ha-Ntf2 and Ha-Ran were primarily localized in the nucleus of various tissues. Protein binding assay and co-immunoprecipitation indicated that Ha-Ntf2 and Ha-Ran can combine with each other in vitro and in vivo. Knock down of Ha-Ntf2 or Ha-Ran by RNAi resulted in the suppression of other 20E regulated genes including EcR-B1, USP1, E75B, BR-CZ2, HHR3 and Ha-eIF5c. In addition, the knockdown of Ha-Ntf2 resulted in Ha-Ran being prevented in the cytoplasm. The nuclear location of the ecdysone receptor b1 (EcR-B1) was also blocked after the knockdown of Ha-Ntf2 and Ha-Ran. Conclusion These evidences suggested that Ha-Ntf2 and Ha-Ran participated in the 20E signal transduction pathway by regulating the location of EcR-B1.

Abstract Background Metamorphosis is an important process in the life cycle of holometabolous insects and is regulated by insect hormones. During metamorphosis, the epidermis goes through a significant transformation at the biochemical and molecular levels. Results To identify proteins and phosphoproteins involved in this process, we separated and compared epidermal protein profiles between feeding larvae and metamorphically committed larvae using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and Pro-Q Diamond Phosphoprotein Staining. Sixty-one spots showing differential expression and/or phosphorylation were analyzed by mass spectrometry and eighteen proteins were proved related to larval-pupal transformation. Eight of them were further examined at the mRNA level by Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and two of them were examined at the protein level by Western blot. Calponin was highly expressed in the metamorphic epidermis and phosphorylated by protein kinase C. Conclusion Our results suggest that the expression and phosphorylation of these proteins may play important roles in coordinating the biochemical processes involved in larval-pupal metamorphosis.

The immunological interaction between Drosophila melanogaster and its larval parasitoids has been thoroughly investigated, however, little is known about the interaction between the host and its pupal parasitoids. Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae , a pupal ectoparasitoid of D. melanogaster , injects venom into its host while laying eggs on the puparium, which regulates host immunity and interrupts host development. To resist the invasion of parasitic wasps, various immune defense strategies have been developed in their hosts as a consequence of co-evolution. In this study, we mainly focused on the host immunomodulation by P. vindemmiae and thoroughly investigated cellular and humoral immune response, including cell adherence, cell viability, hemolymph melanization and the Toll, Imd, and JAK/STAT immune pathways. Our results indicated that venom had a significant inhibitory effect on lamellocyte adherence and induced plasmatocyte cell death. Venom injection and in vitro incubation strongly inhibited hemolymph melanization. More in-depth investigation revealed that the Toll and Imd immune pathways were immediately activated upon parasitization, followed by the JAK/STAT pathway, which was activated within the first 24 h post-parasitism. These regulatory effects were further validated by qPCR. Our present study manifested that P. vindemmiae regulated the cellular and humoral immune system of host D. melanogaster in many aspects. These findings lay the groundwork for studying the immunological interaction between D. melanogaster and its pupal parasitoid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antibiotic jinggangmycin (JGM) is broadly applied in Chinese rice producing regions to control rice blight, a fungal disease. Aside from protecting rice plants from the disease, JGM leads to the unexpected action of stimulating brown planthopper (BPH; Nilaparvata lugens ; Hemiptera: Delphacidae) reproduction to the extent it can influence population sizes. The JGM-induced BPH population growth has potential for severe agricultural problems and we are working to understand and mitigate the mechanisms of the enhanced reproduction. UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) are multifunctional detoxification enzymes responsible for biotransformation of diverse lipophilic compounds. The biological significance of this enzyme family in insect fecundity is not fully understood, however, upregulated UGT12 in JGM-treated BPH, may influence fecundity through metabolism of developmental hormones. This idea prompted our hypothesis that NlUGT12 is a positive modulator of BPH reproductive biology. JGM treatment led to significant increases in accumulations of mRNA encoding Nl UGT12, numbers of eggs laid, oviposition period, juvenile hormone III titers, and fat body, and ovarian protein contents. dsUGT12 treatment suppressed NlUGT12 expression and reversed JGM-enhanced effects, resulting in under-developed ovaries and reduced expression of juvenile hormone acid methyltransferase and the JH receptor, methoprene tolerant. Application of the JH analog, methoprene, on dsUGT12 treated-females partially reversed the dsUTG12 influence on vitellogenin synthesis and on NlUGT12 expression. These results represent an important support for our hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal catalysts have been considerably used for NH3 decomposition because of the potential application in COx-free H2 generation for fuel cells. However, most transition metal catalysts prepared via traditional synthetic approaches performed the inferior stability due to the agglomeration of active components. Here, we adopted an efficient method, aerosol-assisted self-assembly approach (AASA), to prepare the optimized cobalt-alumina (Co3O4-Al2O3) catalysts. The Co3O4-Al2O3 catalysts exhibited excellent catalytic performance in the NH3 decomposition reaction, which can reach 100% conversion at 600 °C and maintain stable for 72 h at a gaseous hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 18000 cm3 gcat−1 h−1. The catalysts were characterized by various techniques including transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), nitrogen sorption, temperature-programmed reduction by hydrogen (H2-TPR), ex-situ/in-situ Raman and ex-situ/in-situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) to obtain the information about the structure and property of the catalysts. H2-TPR and in-situ XRD results show that there is strong interaction between the cobalt and alumina species, which influences the redox properties of the catalysts. It is found that even a low content of alumina (10 at%) is able to stabilize the catalysts due to the adequate dispersion and rational interaction between different components, which ensures the high activity and superior stability of the cobalt-alumina catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Two types of CeO2 nanocubes (average size of 5 and 20 nm, respectively) prepared via the hydrothermal process were selected to load gold species via a deposition‐precipitation (DP) method. Various measurements, including X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectra, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (in situ DRIFTS), and temperature‐programmed reduction by hydrogen (H2‐TPR), were applied to characterize the catalysts. It is found that the sample with ceria size of 20 nm (Au/CeO2‐20) was covered by well dispersed both Au3+ and Auδ+ (0 < δ < 1). For the other sample with ceria size of 5 nm (Au/CeO2‐5), Au3+ is the dominant gold species. Au/CeO2‐20 performed better catalytic activity for CO oxidation because of the strong CO adsorption of Auδ+ in the catalysts. The catalytic activity of Au/CeO2‐5 was improved due to the transformation of Au3+ to Auδ+. Based on the CO oxidation and in situ DRIFTS results, Auδ+ is likely to play a more important role in catalyzing CO oxidation reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bark beetle, Tomicus yunnanensis (Coleoptera: Scolytinae), is a seriously destructive pest of Yunnan pine ( Pinus yunnanensis ) and is distributed solely in Southwestern China. It has been a challenge to control this pest owing to its resistance to chemical pesticides, which have been used as the main control strategy of this species in recent years. Since this approach will continue until an alternative mitigation strategy is implemented, it is essential to develop novel or improved biocontrol approaches. In the current study, we aimed to identify most, if not all, of the bark beetle's chemosensory genes, and to address their respective phylogenetic relationships and expression characteristics. Digital gene expression (DGE) profiling and a comparison of the profiles at three developmental stages yielded 40,287,265 clean reads and a large number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), with 21 up- and 20 down-regulated DEGs involved in chemoreception. Transcriptome of the three mixed stages revealed a total of 80 transcripts encoding chemosensory-related proteins comprising 45 odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), 12 chemosensory proteins (CSPs), 20 receptor proteins [9 odorant receptors (ORs), 8 gustatory receptors (GRs) and 3 ionotropic receptors (IRs)] and 3 sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs). As many as 38 full-length sequences were acquired with a combination of transcriptomic analysis and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) strategy. Phylogenetic analysis showed that T. yunnanensis OBPs were clustered into four sub-groups: 27 Minus-C OBPs, 5 antennal binding proteins (ABPIIs), 10 Classic OBPs and one Plus-C OBP; meanwhile, the ORs were grouped into four clades (1, 2, 7b and Orco). Expression profiles revealed that 66 of 80 genes were detected in the three DGE libraries, and 15 soluble olfactory proteins were antennae-predominant, possibly guiding olfactory-associated behaviors of this beetle. Taken together, our study has provided valuable data for further functional studies of this beetle and will facilitate the identification of potential molecular targets associated with chemosensory reception for use in biocontrol strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Carboxylesterases ( CarEs) are involved in metabolic detoxification of dietary and environmental xenobiotics in insects. However, owing to the complexity of the protein family, the involvement of CarEs in insecticide metabolism in Plutella xylostella has not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to characterise two CarE genes and assess their potential roles in response to chlorpyrifos in P. xylostella. RESULTS Synergistic tests showed that triphenyl phosphate decreased the resistance of the third-instar larvae to chlorpyrifos. The treatment of the third-instar larvae with chlorpyrifos at the LC30 dose led to a significant increase in CarE activity. Two CarE cDNAs ( Pxae18 and Pxae28) were subsequently sequenced and characterised. Both genes were expressed predominantly in the larval midgut. Most importantly, two CarE genes showed significantly higher expression in the chlorpyrifos-resistant strain than in the susceptible strain. RNAi knockdown of Pxae18 and Pxae28 significantly increased the mortality to chlorpyrifos from 40% in the control to 73.8 and 63.3% respectively. CONCLUSION RNAi knockdown of Pxae18 and Pxae28 significantly inhibited detoxification ability and increased the mortality in P. xylostella. The results indicate that these two CarE genes play important roles in the detoxification of chlorpyrifos in P. xylostella. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-surface-area Co-SiO2 nanocomposites were synthesized by a simple two-step procedure with activated carbon as the template. These materials catalyze the decomposition of ammonia to produce COx-free hydrogen. The fresh and used catalysts were characterized by various techniques including X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption-desorption, and transmission electron microscopy. Furthermore, temperature-programmed reduction by hydrogen combined with the corresponding in situ XRD analysis was performed to investigate the redox properties of the as-prepared catalysts. The strong interaction between the cobalt species and silica can effectively prevent the active cobalt nanoparticles from agglomerating during calcination and the ammonia decomposition reaction. The ammonia reaction rate reached about 7000 mol NH3 molCo-1 h-1 with a very high GHSV of 124 000 cm3gcat-1 h-1 at 600 8C; this rate was maintained for 48h without any observable deactivation of the as-obtained Co-SiO2 nanocomposite catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal (Fe, Co, and Ni) nanoparticles dispersed in an alumina matrix as catalysts for NH3 decomposition have been synthesized by a facile co-precipitation method. The fresh and used catalysts were characterized by various techniques including powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption/desorption, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Also, temperature-programmed reduction by hydrogen (H2-TPR) combining in situ XRD was performed to investigate the reducibility of the studied catalysts. For the ammonia decomposition reaction, 88% conversion of ammonia can be realized at the reaction temperature as low as 600 °C using a space velocity of 72 000 cm3 gcat−1 h−1 NH3 during a long term (72 h) catalysis test without any observable deactivation. The small amount of alumina (low to 10 at%) can act as the matrix in which the catalytically active transition metal nanoparticles were stabilized. Thus, the agglomeration of active transition metals under reaction conditions was significantly suppressed and the high activity of catalysts was maintained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is likely to have marked ecological effects on terrestrial ecosystems, including the activities of insect pests. Most attention has focused on the increasing geographical ranges of pests; however, if extrinsic factors enhance their thermotolerance, populations may express increased voltinism and longer daily and annual activity periods. These changes in pest populations have the potential for severe consequences, including increased crop losses and decreased food security at the global level. The brown planthopper ( BPH) Nilaparvata lugens Stål (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) is a serious pest of rice crops in temperate and tropical regions of Asia. It is often present in rice microclimates at temperatures close to its maximum thermotolerance. Recent BPH outbreaks in tropical Asia are considered to be associated with excess use of pesticides and increasing temperature. This study tested whether exposure to sublethal concentrations of triazophos (tzp), an insecticide widely used in Asian rice production, enhances thermotolerance of BPH. Tzp exposure (40 ppm at 40 °C) significantly decreased mortality (from 94% in controls to 50% at 48 h post-treatment) and increased lethal mean time ( LT50) of adults by 17.2 h. To investigate the underlying molecular mechanism of this tzp-enhanced thermotolerance, we selected Hsp70 and Arginine kinase (Argk) for detailed study. Transcripts encoding both proteins in third-instar nymphs and brachypterous adult females were up-regulated, compared with controls, after exposure to tzp. RNAi silencing of both genes demonstrated that Hsp70 and Argk are essential for survival and tzp-increased thermotolerance. We propose that tzp induces thermotolerance in BPHs by increasing the expression of genes that act in cell protection mechanisms. The significance of our proposal relates to the importance of understanding the influence of sublethal concentrations of insecticides on pest biology. In addition to its influence on thermotolerance, tzp also enhances BPH reproduction. We infer that exposure to a pesticide stressor can produce cross-tolerance, that is, increased tolerance to one stressor also increases tolerance to other stressors, including temperature. Aside from needing a better understanding of these effects in nature and in other pest/cropping systems, we suggest that pest management programmes can be improved with better understanding of the influences of stressors, including increased environmental temperatures and sublethal concentrations of insecticides, on pest biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd) is a widely distributed heavy metal in south of China. Growing evidence indicates that systemic exposure to Cd, particularly the long-term exposure, may cause neurotoxic effects. Nevertheless, mechanisms underlying Cd neurotoxicity remain not completely understood. In this report, we investigated the neural alterations in the spider Pardosa pseudoannulata (Bösenberg and Strand, 1906) exposed to long-term Cd (LCd) and short-term Cd (SCd) pressure. Cd stress lowered foraging ability and prey consuming time in the spiders. In addition, enzymatic analysis results indicated that Cd exposure reduced the level of acetylcholinesterase at subcellular level. We then identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the Cd exposed spiders using pairwise comparisons and found that a large number of DEGs were related to neurotransmitter receptors and ion transport and binding proteins. Notably, LCd exposure harbored more altered genes in ion transporter activity comparing with SCd exposure. From six K-means clusters, 53 putative transcriptional factors (TFs) belonging to 21 families were characterized, and ZBTB subfamily displayed the most distinctive alterations in the characterized genes, which is assumed to play a key role in the regulation of ion transmembrane process under Cd stress. A protein-to-protein interaction network constructed by the yielded DEGs also showed that ion and receptor binding activities were affected under long-term Cd exposure. Four key modules from the network indicated that Cd may further down-regulate energy metabolism pathway in spiders. Collectively, this comprehensive analysis provides multi-dimensional insights to understand the molecular response of spiders to Cd exposure. [Display omitted] • Cd decreased enzymatic activity of AChE in P. pseudoannulata at subcellular level. • Cd lowered foraging ability and delayed prey consumed time in spiders. • DEGs involved in neuron sensitivity were identified from pair-wise comparisons. • PpZBTB is considered as a putative modulatary mediator in spiders under Cd exposure. • Neuronal hyper-excitation may result in insufficient energy supplement in spiders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd) pollution is currently the most serious type of heavy metal pollution throughout the world. Previous studies have shown that Cd elevates the mortality of paddy field spiders, but the lethal mechanism remains to be explored profoundly. In the present study, we measured the activities of protective enzymes (acetylcholinesterase, glutathione peroxidase, phenol oxidase) and a heavy metal chelating protein (metallothionein) in the pond wolf spider Pardosa pseudoannulata after Cd exposure. The results indicated that Cd initially increased the enzyme activities and protein concentration of the spider after 10- and 20-day exposure before inhibiting them at 30-day exposure. Further analysis showed that the enzyme activities in the cephalothorax were inhibited to some extent. Since the cephalothorax region contains important venom glands, we performed transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis of the venom glands collected from the spiders after long-term Cd exposure. RNA-seq yielded a total of 2826 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and most of the DEGs were annotated into the process of protein synthesis, processing and degradation. Furthermore, a mass of genes involved in protein recognition and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) -associated protein degradation were down-regulated. The reduction of protease activities supports the view that protein synthesis and degradation in organelles and cytoplasm were dramatically inhibited. Collectively, our outcomes illustrate that Cd poses adverse effects on the expression of protective enzymes and protein, which potentially down-regulates the immune function in the venom glands of the spiders via the alteration of protein processing and degradation in the ER. Image 1 • Cd increased protective enzyme activities before inhibiting them at long-term stress. • Cd inhibited protective enzyme activities in spider's cytoplasm and microsome. • Long-term Cd exposure altered genes expression of protective enzymes and toxins. • Cd down-regulated protein processing and degradation pathway and protease activity. Cd inhibits protective enzyme activities in spiders, as well as a dysfunction of protein processing and degradation in ER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The brown planthopper (BPH) is a devastating pest of rice throughout Asia. In this paper we document the BPH biogeographic range expansion in China over the 20-year period, 1992 to 2012. We posed the hypothesis that the range expansion is due to a syndrome of adaptations to the continuous presence of agricultural chemicals (insecticides and a fungicide) over the last 40 years. With respect to biogeography, BPH ranges have expanded by 13% from 1992 to 1997 and by another 3% from 1997 to 2012. In our view, such expansions may follow primarily from the enhancing effects of JGM, among other agricultural chemicals, and from global warming. JGM treatments led to increased thermotolerance, recorded as decreased mortality under heat stress at 40 ± 1 °C (down from 80% to 55%) and increased fecundity (by 49%) at 34 °C. At the molecular level, JGM treatments led to increased abundances of mRNA encoding Acetyl Co-A carboxylase (Acc) (up 25%) and Hsp70 (up 32%) in experimental BPH. RNAi silencing of Hsp70 and Acc eliminated the JGM effects on fecundity and silencing Hsp70 reduced JGM-induced thermotolerance. Integrated with global climate change scenarios, such syndromes in pest insect species have potential for regional- and global-scale agricultural disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens, sugar transporter gene 6 (Nlst6) is a facilitative glucose/fructose transporter (often called a passive carrier) expressed in midgut that mediates sugar transport from the midgut lumen to hemolymph. The influence of down regulating expression of sugar transporter genes on insect growth, development, and fecundity is unknown. Nonetheless, it is reasonable to suspect that transporter-mediated uptake of dietary sugar is essential to the biology of phloem-feeding insects. Based on this reasoning, we posed the hypothesis that silencing, or reducing expression, of a BPH sugar transporter gene would be deleterious to the insects. To test our hypothesis, we examined the effects of Nlst6 knockdown on BPH biology. Reducing expression of Nlst6 led to profound effects on BPHs. It significantly prolonged the pre-oviposition period, shortened the oviposition period, decreased the number of eggs deposited and reduced body weight, compared to controls. Nlst6 knockdown also significantly decreased fat body and ovarian (particularly vitellogenin) protein content as well as vitellogenin gene expression. Experimental BPHs accumulated less fat body glucose compared to controls. We infer that Nlst6 acts in BPH growth and fecundity, and has potential as a novel target gene for control of phloem-feeding pest insects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C-type lectins are important immune molecules that participate in crustacean defense response. The present work reports a novel C-type lectin ( PcLec6 ) from the red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii. PcLec6 encodes a single-peptide protein of 385 amino acids, which include a C-type lectin domain (CTLD) and a serine-rich region. PcLec6 expression in lymph organ and gills was up-regulated after bacterial challenge by Vibrio alginolyticus or white spot syndrome virus (WSSV). Recombinant full-length PcLec6 or its CTLD proteins were used for the functional analyses. Results showed that these two proteins had the capacity to bind to carbohydrates and bacteria. Both the full-length PcLec6 and CTLD facilitated the bacterial clearance, but only full-length PcLec6 protected crayfish from WSSV infection. Furthermore, PcLec6 regulated the expression of ALF genes. These results suggest that PcLec6 is involved in the innate immune response of crayfish against both bacterial and viral pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of Bacillus thuringiensis ( Bt ) toxin proteins on non-target predatory arthropods is not well understood at the cellular and molecular levels. Here, we investigated the potential effects of Cry1Ab expressing rice on fecundity of the wolf spider, Pardosa pseudoannulata , and some of the underlying molecular mechanisms. The results indicated that brown planthoppers (BPHs) reared on Cry1Ab-expressing rice accumulated the Cry toxin and that reproductive parameters (pre-oviposition period, post-oviposition stage, number of eggs, and egg hatching rate) of the spiders that consumed BPHs reared on Bt rice were not different from those that consumed BPHs reared on the non- Bt control rice. The accumulated Cry1Ab did not influence several vitellin (Vt) parameters, including stored energy and amino acid composition, during one generation. We considered the possibility that the Cry toxins exert their influence on beneficial predators via more subtle effects detectable at the molecular level in terms of gene expression. This led us to transcriptome analysis to detect differentially expressed genes in the ovaries of spiders exposed to dietary Cry1Ab and their counterpart control spiders. Eight genes, associated with vitellogenesis, vitellogenin receptor activity, and vitellin membrane formation were not differentially expressed between ovaries from the treated and control spiders, confirmed by qPCR analysis. We infer that dietary Cry1Ab expressing rice does not influence fecundity, nor expression levels of Vt-associated genes in P. pseudoannulata . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd) pollution is intractable heavy metal pollution in the farmland ecosystem, posing a life-threatening challenge to the paddy field organisms. Spiders are riveting animal biomarkers for evaluating Cd-induced toxicity, yet the effects of long-term Cd toxicity on spider reproductive function and its underlying mechanism remain unclear. In the present study, we found that Cd exposure impaired the antioxidant enzyme system in the wolf spider Pardosa pseudoannulata and decreased the concentration of four antioxidant enzymes (catalase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and peroxidase) (p < 0.05). The content of vitellogenin and the number of hatched spiderlings were also dramatically reduced under Cd stress (p < 0.05), indicating that Cd stress could vitiate the fecundity of P. pseudoannulata. Moreover, a total of 10,511 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 391 proteins (DEPs) were yielded from the ovarian transcriptome and proteome, and a mass of genes and proteins involved in protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) were significantly down-regulated. DEGs and DEPs directly encoding the antioxidant enzyme system and/or vitellogenesis were also distinctively down-regulated. In addition, we illustrated that the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway might play a crucial role in regulating protein synthesis, cell cycle, growth, differentiation and survival in P. pseudoannulata. The effects of protein processing in ER and PI3K-AKT pathways could further trigger transcriptional factor Forkhead shackling the protein synthesis and cell growth process. Collectively, this integrated analysis identified the Cd-induced reproductive toxicity on P. pseudoannulata and provided multifaceted insights to investigate the molecular mechanisms of spiders to Cd pollution. [Display omitted] • Cd pollution impairs antioxidant system in the whole body and subcellular components. • Cd-induced reproductive toxicity inhibits vitellogenesis process in the spiders. • Inhibited ER and PI3K-AKT pathways alter protein synthesis and cell cycle process. • Forkhead is considered as a modulatary factor in spiders under long-term Cd exposure. • Protein interaction network shows the regulatory mechanism of key genes and modules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Bioaccumulation of Cry1Ab protein harbors no adverse impact on the growth of spider. • Cry1Ab protein affects detoxifying enzyme activities at subcellular level. • Transcriptome analysis displays the altered genes involved in cuticle proteins. • Organ-level bioinformatics analysis identifies the safety of Cry1Ab on predation and sensitivity. • Cry1Ab protein constitutes no influence on foraging behavior of spiders. Cry1Ab toxin has been successfully integrated into crops (e.g., rice and cotton) for pest control. Concomitantly, the environmental safety assessment of non-target organisms exposed to transgenic crops has become an essential task. Spiders grant a new perspective on the influence of the transgenic toxin on invertebrates, but the mechanisms of Cry1Ab bioaccumulation, adaptation, and safety in spiders remain unclear. In this study, we identified that the wolf spider Pardosa pseudoannulata, fed with Nilaparvata lugens enriched with Cry1Ab protein, suffered no significant toxicity in terms of body mass, carapace width, and survival rate, except the prolonged developmental duration in 7th ∼ 8th instars. The overall activities of four detoxifying enzymes (SOD, POD, CAT, and GSH-Px) were not altered in four organs of adults and spiderlings. Comparison analyses of whole-body transcriptomes revealed 1,480 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and down-regulated cuticle encoding genes were considered as a segment for the prolonged developmental duration under Cry1Ab exposure. Further venom gland transcriptome sequencing analysis found that a total of 31 toxin encoding genes were up-regulated under Cry1Ab protein stress, indicating that the spiders needed to inject more venom to digest the external protein. Furthermore, gene expression profiles of ganglia transcriptome showed that Cry1Ab protein did not generate DEGs involved in neuron sensitivity in spiders. Behavioral experiments verified that both Cry1Ab and Cry1Ab-free spiders were in line with the Holling type II functional response model. In summary, the data provide multi-level views to assess the safety of genetically modified crops on non-target arthropods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To probe the specific functions of the chaperone protein Hsc70 in 20-hydroxyecdysone signaling, we report on the roles of the Hsc70 from Helicoverpa armigera. RT-PCR analysis revealed that the genes for HaEcRB1 and HaUSP1 were upregulated in 5th molting and metamorphic molting larvae, whereas HaHsc70 maintained a constitutive expression level throughout larval development. Silencing HaEcRB1, HaUSP1 or HaHsc70 by RNAi inhibited the expression of a set of 20E-responsive genes. Immunocytochemical assay demonstrated that HaHsc70 is located predominantly in the cytoplasm of unstimulated cells and partially translocated to the nucleus after stimulation by 20E. Knockdown of HaHsc70 by RNAi decreased the amount of both HaEcRB1 and HaUSP1 in the nucleus. HaHsc70 was capable of binding to HaUSP1 in pull-down assays. These data suggest that Hsc70 participates in the 20E signal transduction pathway via binding to USP1 and mediating the expression of EcRB1, USP1 and then a set of 20E-responsive genes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens, is a resurgent pest with an unexpected response to jinggangmycin (JGM), a broadly applied antibiotic used to control rice sheath blight disease. JGM stimulates BPH fecundity, but the underlining molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Here we report that JGM sprays led to increased glucose concentrations, photosynthesis and gene expression, specifically Rubsico , sucrose phosphate synthase , invertase 2 (INV2) and INV3 in rice plants. JGM sprays led to high-glucose rice plants. Feeding BPH on these plants led to increased insulin-like signaling and vitellogenin synthesis. Treating BPH with metformin, a gluconeogenesis inhibitor, reversed the influence of feeding on high-glucose rice, which was rescued by glucose injections. Silencing insulin-like peptide 2 using per os dsRNA led to reduction in juvenile hormone (JH) III titers and other fecundity parameters, which were reversed by topical applications of the JH analog, methoprene. We infer that JGM acts via two broad mechanisms, one through increasing rice plant sugar concentrations and a second by upregulating BPH insulin-like signaling. • JGM sprays led to increased glucose concentrations and genes expression in rice. • BPH feeding on high-glucose rice plants led to upregulated insulin signaling. • Silencing ILP2 led to reduced JH III titers and other fecundity parameters. • JGM enhances BPH fecundity via increasing rice glucose and BPH insulin signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, two novel antibacterial peptide genes, termed lugensin A and B were identified and characterized from a rice sap-sucking hemipteran insect pest, the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens. Lugensin gene expression was significantly induced by Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial stains under the regulation of a signal receptor, the long peptidoglycan recognition protein (PGRP-LC) in the IMD pathway. Knockdown of PGRP-LC by RNAi eliminated bacterium induced Lugensin gene expression. Lugensins had the apparent antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli K12, Bacillus subtilis and the rice bacterial brown stripe pathogen Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae (Aaa) strain RS-1. Lugensins inhibited bacterial proliferation by disrupting the integrity of the bacterial membranes. Scanning electron microscopy revealed abnormal membrane morphology of the recombinant Lugensin-treated bacteria. Lugensins induced complete cell disruption of E. coli K12 and B. subtilis strains while formed the holes on the cell surface of Aaa RS-1 strain. Immunofluorescence showed that Lugensins localized in the cell membrane of E. coli K12 while accumulated in the cytosol of B. subtilis. Differently, Lugensins remained in both the cell membrane and the cytosol of Aaa RS-1 strain, suggesting different action modes of Lugensins to different microbes. This is the first report of the novel antibacterial peptides found in the rice sap-sucking hemipteran insect species. Image 1 • Two novel antibacterial peptides, Lugensins were found in a phloem-sucking insect, N. lugens. • Gram-negative and -positive bacteria activated Lugensin gene expression. • PGRP-LC, a signal receptor in the Imd pathway, regulated Lugensin gene expression. • Lugensins had antibacterial activities against Gram-negative and -positive bacteria strains. • Lugensins displayed the different action models on the membranes of the bacteria strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell division and differentiation after egg fertilization are critical steps in the development of embryos from single cells to multicellular individuals and are regulated by DNA methylation via its effects on gene expression. However, the mechanisms by which DNA methylation regulates these processes in insects remain unclear. Here, we studied the impacts of DNA methylation on early embryonic development in Bombyx mori . Genome methylation and transcriptome analysis of early embryos showed that DNA methylation events mainly occurred in the 5' region of protein metabolism-related genes. The transcription factor gene zinc finger protein 615 ( ZnF615 ) was methylated by DNA methyltransferase 1 (Dnmt1) to be up-regulated and bind to protein metabolism-related genes. Dnmt1 RNA interference (RNAi) revealed that DNA methylation mainly regulated the expression of nonmethylated nutrient metabolism-related genes through ZnF615 . The same sites in the ZnF615 gene were methylated in ovaries and embryos. Knockout of ZnF615 using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing decreased the hatching rate and egg number to levels similar to that of Dnmt1 knockout. Analysis of the ZnF615 methylation rate revealed that the DNA methylation pattern in the parent ovary was maintained and doubled in the offspring embryo. Thus, Dnmt1-mediated intragenic DNA methylation of the transcription factor ZnF615 enhances its expression to ensure ovarian and embryonic development.

Background: There have been concerns that literature described radiological feature differences between drug-sensitive pulmonary tuberculosis (DS-PTB) and multidrug-resistant (MDR)-PTB were confounded by that MDR-PTB cases tend to have a longer history. Using history length matched DS-PTB and MDR-PTB cases from a well-defined urban region in Dalian, we retrospectively analysed the CT feature differences of these paired cases with a focus on pulmonary nodular (PN) consolidation and pulmonary cavity (PC)., Methods: There were 33 consecutive MDR-PTB cases [inclusive of rifampicin-resistant (RR) cases, 27 males and 6 females, mean age: 49.2 years], with 19 cases had a history of <1 month and 8 and 6 cases had a history of 1-6 and >6 months respectively. To pair the MDR-PTB cases with history length, matched 33 cases of DS-PTB patients (21 males and 12 females, mean age: 56.5 years) were included. All patients were new PTB without HIV infection. The first CT exams prior to treatment were analysed., Results: Compared with DS cases, MDR cases had a much higher prevalence of PN (75.76% vs. 45.45%) and a higher number of PN per positive case for PN (6.2 vs. 1.53). For the cases >1 month history, MDR-PTB had a higher number of PC per positive case than that of DS-PTB cases (7.18 vs. 2.36). To differentiate DS-PTB from MDR-PTB, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed a cutoff PN number of ≥3 had 48.5% sensitivity and 93.9% specificity, and a cutoff PC number of ≥4 had 39.4% sensitivity and 84.9% specificity. The lung field distribution of all lesions tended to be wider for MDR-PTB cases. MDR-PTB cases appeared to be associated with a faster progression in the absence of treatment., Conclusions: MDR-TB is likely intrinsically more invasive than DS-TB. Multiple PN and Multiple PC are promising signs for the suspicion of MDR-PTB on chest imaging., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://jtd.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/jtd-22-145/coif). YXJW is the founder of Yingran Medicals Co., Ltd., which develops medical image-based diagnostics software. YXJW serves as an unpaid editorial board member of Journal of Thoracic Disease from April 2022 to March 2024. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2022 Journal of Thoracic Disease. All rights reserved.)

PHF7 exhibits male-specific expression in early germ cells, germline stem cells and spermatogonia in insects, and its expression promotes spermatogenesis in germ cells when they are present in a male soma. However, the influence of male-specific PHF7 on female reproductive biology via mating remains unclear. Thus, we investigated the potential impacts of male PHF7, existed in seminal fluid of Nilaparvata lugens (NlPHF7), on fecundity and population growth via mating. Our results revealed that suppressing male NlPHF7 expression by RNAi led to decreases in body weight, soluble accessory gland protein content, arginine content, and reproductive organ development in males, resulting in significant reduction of oviposition periods and fecundity in females, and significant decrease in body weight, fat body and ovarian protein content, yeast-like symbionts abundance, ovarian development and vitellogenin gene expression in their female mating partners. Similarly, suppression of NlPHF7 expression in males mated with the control female reduced population growth and egg hatching rate, but did not influence gender ratio. We infer that NlPHF7 play a role important in stimulating female fecundity via mating. This study provides valuable information by identifying a potentially effective target gene for managing BPH population through RNAi.

High-surface-area Co-SiO 2 nanocomposites were synthesized by a simple two-step procedure with activated carbon as the template. These materials catalyze the decomposition of ammonia to produce CO x -free hydrogen. The fresh and used catalysts were characterized by various techniques including X-ray diffraction, N 2 adsorption-desorption, and transmission electron microscopy. Furthermore, temperature-programmed reduction by hydrogen combined with the corresponding in situ XRD analysis was performed to investigate the redox properties of the as-prepared catalysts. The strong interaction between the cobalt species and silica can effectively prevent the active cobalt nanoparticles from agglomerating during calcination and the ammonia decomposition reaction. The ammonia reaction rate reached about 7000 mol NH 3 mol Co -1  h -1 with a very high GHSV of 124 000 cm 3  g cat -1  h -1 at 600 °C; this rate was maintained for 48 h without any observable deactivation of the as-obtained Co-SiO 2 nanocomposite catalyst., (© 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

A major challenge in ecology lies in understanding the coexistence of intraguild species, well documented at the organismal level, but not at the molecular level. This study focused on the effects of the antibiotic, jinggangmycin (JGM), a fungicide widely used in Asian rice agroecosystems, on reproduction of insects within the planthopper guild, including the brown planthopper (BPH) Nilaparvata lugens and the white-backed planthopper (WBPH) Sogatella furcifera, both serious resurgence rice pests. JGM exposure significantly increased BPH fecundity and population growth, but suppressed both parameters in laboratory and field WBPH populations. We used digital gene expression and transcriptomic analyses to identify a panel of differentially expressed genes, including a set of up-regulated genes in JGM-treated BPH, which were down-regulated in JGM-treated WBPH. RNAi silencing of Acetyl Co-A carboxylase (ACC), highly expressed in JGM-treated BPH, reduced ACC expression (by > 60%) and eliminated JGM-induced fecundity increases in BPH. These findings support our hypothesis that differences in ACC expression separates intraguild species at the molecular level.