EGDB: A comprehensive multi-omics database for energy grasses and the epigenomic atlas of pearl millet.

Given the key role of energy grasses in biomass energy, electricity, biofuels, and carbon sequestration, the Energy Grass Omics Database (EGDB) integrates germplasm data with genomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, and phenomics data to support functional genomic research on diverse energy grass species. EGDB also currently supplies the largest epigenetic data set of energy grasses: a high-resolution chromatin modification, chromatin accessibility, and gene expression landscape of pearl millet to provide insights into regulatory traits essential for sustainable energy production.

Knockout of two uridine diphosphate-glycosyltransferase genes increases the susceptibility of Spodoptera litura to Bacillus thuringiensis toxins.

Uridine diphosphate-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) catalyze sugar conjugation of endogenous and exogenous molecules in insects. In this study, 45 putative UGT genes in 11 families were identified from the genome of S. litura.

A Spatiotemporal Transcriptome Reveals Stalk Development in Pearl Millet.

Pearl millet is a major cereal crop that feeds more than 90 million people worldwide in arid and semi-arid regions. The stalk phenotypes of Poaceous grasses are critical for their productivity and stress tolerance; however, the molecular mechanisms governing stalk development in pearl millet remain to be deciphered. In this study, we spatiotemporally measured 19 transcriptomes for stalk internodes of four different early developmental stages.

Exploring the Evolutionary History and Phylogenetic Relationships of Giant Reed () through Comprehensive Analysis of Its Chloroplast Genome.

Giant reed () is widely distributed across the globe and is considered an important energy crop. This study presents the first comprehensive analysis of the chloroplast genome of giant reed, revealing detailed characteristics of this species' chloroplast genome. The chloroplast genome has a total length of 137,153 bp, containing 84 protein-coding genes, 38 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes, with a GC content of 39%.

N-Terminal α-Helices in Domain I of Vip3Aa Play Crucial Roles in Disruption of Liposomal Membrane.

Vip3 toxins form a tetrameric structure crucial for their insecticidal activity. Each Vip3Aa monomer comprises five domains. Interaction of the first four α-helices in domain I with the target cellular membrane was proposed to be a key step before pore formation.

Removal of an Aminopeptidase N From Midgut Brush Border Does Not Affect Susceptibility of Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Larvae to Four Insecticidal Proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bacillales: Bacillaceae).

Spodoptera litura is one of the most destructive lepidopteran insects of cabbages and cauliflowers in the world. Cry1 and Vip3 toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis have been reported to show toxicity in multiple lepidopteran insects. Binding of toxic molecules to specific receptors on the midgut epithelial cells is known to be a key step in the action mode of Bt toxins.

Cloning and Characterization of a Novel Endo-Type Metal-Independent Alginate Lyase from the Marine Bacteria sp. Ni1.

The applications of alginate lyase are diverse, but efficient commercial enzymes are still unavailable. In this study, a novel alginate lyase with high activity was obtained from the marine bacteria sp. Ni1.

Bt Cry1Ac resistance in Trichoplusia ni is conferred by multi-gene mutations.

The three-domain Cry toxin Cry1Ac from Bacillus thuringiensis （Bt） is an important insecticidal toxin in Bt sprays and has been used in transgenic Bt-crops to confer insect resistance. The cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni, has developed resistance to Bt sprays in commercial greenhouses, and the resistance to Cry1Ac has been previously identified to be associated with altered expression of the APN1 and APN6 genes and be genetically linked to a locus on chromosome 15. In this study, the Cry1Ac resistance locus in T.

Transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of putative digestive proteases in the salivary gland and gut of Empoasca (Matsumurasca) onukii Matsuda.

Background: Infestation by tea green leafhoppers (Empoasca (Matsumurasca) onukii) can cause a series of biochemical changes in tea leaves. As a typical cell-rupture feeder, E. onukii secretes proteases while using its stylet to probe the tender shoots of tea plants (Camellia sinensis).

Characterization of bacterial communities associated with the pinewood nematode insect vector Monochamus alternatus Hope and the host tree Pinus massoniana.

Background: Monochamus alternatus Hope is one of the insect vectors of pinewood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus), which causes the destructive pine wilt disease. The microorganisms within the ecosystem, comprising plants, their environment, and insect vectors, form complex networks. This study presents a systematic analysis of the bacterial microbiota in the M.

Oligomer Formation and Insecticidal Activity of Vip3Aa Toxin.

(Bt) Vip3A proteins are important insecticidal proteins used for control of lepidopteran insects. However, the mode of action of Vip3A toxin is still unclear. In this study, the amino acid residue S164 in Vip3Aa was identified to be critical for the toxicity in .

Analysis of Homologs of Cry-toxin Receptor-Related Proteins in the Midgut of a Non-Bt Target, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae).

The brown planthopper (BPH) Nilaparvata lugens is one of the most destructive insect pests in the rice fields of Asia. Like other hemipteran insects, BPH is not susceptible to Cry toxins of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) or transgenic rice carrying Bt cry genes. Lack of Cry receptors in the midgut is one of the main reasons that BPH is not susceptible to the Cry toxins.

Insecticidal Activity and Histopathological Effects of Vip3Aa Protein from on .

Vegetative insecticidal proteins (Vips) are insecticidal proteins synthesized by during the vegetative stage of growth. In this study, Vip3Aa protein, obtained by in vitro expression of the gene from WB5, displayed high insecticidal activity against aside from and . Bioassay results showed that the toxicity of Vip3Aa protein against larvae statistically decreased along with the increase of the age of the larvae, with LC = 2.

Transcriptional profiling analysis of Spodoptera litura larvae challenged with Vip3Aa toxin and possible involvement of trypsin in the toxin activation.

Vip proteins, a new group of insecticidal toxins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis, are effective against specific pests including Spodoptera litura. Here, we report construction of a transcriptome database of S. litura by de novo assembly along with detection of the transcriptional response of S.

Loop replacements with gut-binding peptides in Cry1Ab domain II enhanced toxicity against the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål).

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry toxins have been used widely in pest managements. However, Cry toxins are not effective against sap-sucking insects (Hemiptera), which limits the application of Bt for pest management. In order to extend the insecticidal spectrum of Bt toxins to the rice brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens, we modified Cry1Ab putative receptor binding domains with selected BPH gut-binding peptides (GBPs).

Identification of Genes Relevant to Pesticides and Biology from Global Transcriptome Data of Monochamus alternatus Hope (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) Larvae.

Monochamus alternatus Hope is the main vector in China of the Pine Wilt Disease caused by the pine wood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. Although chemical control is traditionally used to prevent pine wilt disease, new strategies based in biological control are promising ways for the management of the disease. However, there is no deep sequence analysis of Monochamus alternatus Hope that describes the transcriptome and no information is available about gene function of this insect vector.

Purification and partial characterization of intact and truncated chitinase from Bacillus thuringiensis HZP7 expressed in Escherichia coli.

Objective: To ascertain the effect of chitin-binding domain (ChBD) and fibronectin type III domain (FN3) on the characterization of the intact chitinase from Bacillus thuringiensis.

Results: An intact chitinase gene (chi74) from B. thuringiensis HZP7 and its truncated genes (chi54, chi63 and chi66) were expressed in Escherichia coli BL21.

Proteolytic processing of Bacillus thuringiensis toxin Cry1Ab in rice brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål).

To understand the low toxicity of Cry toxins in planthoppers, proteolytic activation of Cry1Ab in Nilaparvata lugens was studied. The proteolytic processing of Cry1Ab protoxin by N. lugens midgut proteases was similar to that by trypsin activated Cry1Ab.