A streamlined cloning and toxicity evaluation strategy of toxin-antitoxin systems in insect cells.

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems, which are prevalent in bacteria and archaea, have significant potential applications in eukaryotic cells due to their characteristic ability to inhibit cell growth. In particular, type II TA systems, where both the toxin and antitoxin are proteins, can serve as lethal and rescue genes in genetic pest management. However, traditional methods of cloning these systems often encounter difficulties due to cryptic promoter driven expression of toxins during the cloning process.

Study on the Effect of Bee Venom and Its Main Component Melittin in Delaying Skin Aging in Mice.

Bee venom (BV) and its main compound melittin (MLT) have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging activities; however, very little research has been conducted on their effects on skin aging. In this study, a mouse skin aging model induced by D-galactose was constructed via subcutaneous injection into the scruff of the neck, and different doses of BV and MLT were used as interventions. The anti-aging effects and mechanisms of BV and MLT were explored by detecting the skin morphology and structure, and anti-aging-related factors and performing non-targeted metabolomics of mice.

Analysis of the traction forces of two adjacent linear induction motors.

Linear induction motors (LIMs) are positioned head-to-tail in medium and low-speed maglev (MLSM) trains, and the interaction due to small spacing between two LIMs is not yet clear. In this work, based on the 2D electromagnetic field theory, the vector magnetic potential (VMP) of each region was solved, and the traction forces of two adjacent LIMs were derived. Subsequently, the correctness of the theoretical model was verified by simulation.

Functional and evolutionary analysis of key enzymes triacylglycerol lipase, glycogen hydrolases in the glycerol and glucose biosynthesis pathway and cellular chaperones for freeze-tolerance of the Rice stem borer, Chilo suppressalis.

Freeze-tolerance is an important physiological trait for terrestrial environmental adaptation and intraspecific geographic-lineage diversification in ectothermic animals, yet there remains a lack of systematic studies on its underlying genetic mechanisms and evolution. To address this problem, we employed the widely distributed rice pest, the Chilo suppressalis, as a model to explore the genetic mechanisms and evolutionary history of freeze-tolerance. First, we systematically characterized its antifreeze mechanisms by performing functional validation of potential key genes in laboratory-reared lines.

Cotton Bollworm (H. armigera) Effector PPI5 Targets FKBP17-2 to Inhibit ER Immunity and JA/SA Responses, Enhancing Insect Feeding.

The cotton bollworm causes severe mechanical damage to plants during feeding and leaves oral secretions (OSs) at the mechanical wounds. The role these OSs play in the invasion of plants is still largely unknown. Here, a novel H.

Tracking Existing Factors Directly Affecting the Reproduction of Bumblebees: Current Knowledge.

Bumblebees are primary social insects and a vital class of pollinating insects. Their distinctive reproductive mode is characterized by the independent initiation and construction of the nest by the queen and the subsequent production of sufficient workers, males, and gynes following colony development. After successful mating, the queen transitions to the first phase of its annual life cycle.

Structural basis for odorant recognition of the insect odorant receptor OR-Orco heterocomplex.

Insects detect and discriminate a diverse array of chemicals using odorant receptors (ORs), which are ligand-gated ion channels comprising a divergent odorant-sensing OR and a conserved odorant receptor co-receptor (Orco). In this work, we report structures of the OR5-Orco heterocomplex from the pea aphid alone and bound to its known activating ligand, geranyl acetate. In these structures, three Orco subunits serve as scaffold components that cannot bind the ligand and remain relatively unchanged.

Regulatory roles of long non-coding RNAs in short-term heat stress in adult worker bees.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are crucial modulators of post-transcriptional gene expression regulation, cell fate determination, and disease development. However, lncRNA functions during short-term heat stress in adult worker bees are poorly understood. Here, we performed deep sequencing and bioinformatic analyses of honeybee lncRNAs.

Knockdown of MAPK p38-linked genes increases the susceptibility of Chilo suppressalis larvae to various transgenic Bt rice lines.

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins have provided exceptional control of agricultural insect pests, however, over reliance on the proteins would potentially contribute to the development of field tolerance. Developing new sustainable insect pest control methods that target the mechanisms underlying Bt tolerance can potentially support the Bt control paradigm while also providing insights into basic insect physiology. The MAPK p38 pathway is strongly associated with Bt tolerance in Chilo suppressalis, a major pest of rice.

Spray-induced and nanocarrier-delivered gene silencing system targeting juvenile hormone receptor components: potential application as fertility inhibitors for Adelphocoris suturalis management.

Background: Adelphocoris suturalis is a destructive pest that attacks > 270 plants, including cotton, maize, soybean, and fruit trees. Adelphocoris suturalis can cause tremendous crop losses when the density exceeds economic thresholds, but because it can be both phytophagous and zoophytophagous it can serve as a natural enemy of other pests when the density is below the economic threshold. Effective control of its population is beneficial for maximizing yield and profits.

Insulin receptor participates in the peripheral olfactory processes of honey bees (Apis cerana cerana).

Insulin receptors (InR) are an integral component of the insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling pathway, which plays a vital role in insect development, lifespan, reproduction, and olfactory sensitivity. However, whether InR participate in the peripheral olfactory system of insects remains unclear. Recently, we found that 2-heptanone (2-HT) affects AcerInR expression, the gene for an InR protein, in Apis cerana cerana.

JAK/STAT signaling regulated intestinal regeneration defends insect pests against pore-forming toxins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis.

A variety of coordinated host-cell responses are activated as defense mechanisms against pore-forming toxins (PFTs). Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a worldwide used biopesticide whose efficacy and precise application methods limits its use to replace synthetic pesticides in agricultural settings. Here, we analyzed the intestinal defense mechanisms of two lepidopteran insect pests after intoxication with sublethal dose of Bt PFTs to find out potential functional genes.

Chromosome-level genome assembly of an agricultural pest Zeugodacus tau (Diptera: Tephritidae).

The fruit fly Zeugodacus tau (Diptera: Tephritidae) is a major pest of melons and other cucurbits in Southeast Asia. In this study, we used Illumina, Nanopore, and Hi-C sequencing technologies to assemble a reference genome of Z. tau at the chromosomal level.

Cry9A and Vip3A protein-induced transcriptional changes correspond to their synergistic damage to the midgut of Chilo suppressalis.

Cry and Vip3 proteins are both pore-forming toxins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis that show synergistic insecticidal activity against different insect pests. However, the synergistic effect of Cry and Vip3 proteins on the midgut in target insects is still unclear. In this study, faster and more serious damage was observed after treatment with both Cry9A and Vip3A proteins in the Chilo suppressalis midgut compared to single-protein treatment.

Rapid response of midgut bacteria in Bactrocera tau (Walker) (Diptera: Tephritidae) to lambda-cyhalothrin- and spinosad-induced stress.

In recent decades, the increasingly widespread application of chemical pesticides has exacerbated the emergence of insecticide resistance among insect pests. In this study, we examined the rapid response of bacteria in the midgut of the fruit fly Bactrocera tau (Walker) (Diptera: Tephritidae) to stress induced by the insecticides lambda-cyhalothrin and spinosad by analyzing the bacterial community structure and diversity in the midguts of 4-day-old B. tau.

The chromosome-scale reference genome of mirid bugs (Adelphocoris suturalis) genome provides insights into omnivory, insecticide resistance, and survival adaptation.

Background: Adelphocoris suturalis (Hemiptera: Miridae) is a notorious agricultural pest, which causes serious economic losses to a diverse range of agricultural crops around the world. The poor understanding of its genomic characteristics has seriously hindered the establishment of sustainable and environment-friendly agricultural pest management through biotechnology and biological insecticides.

Results: Here, we report a chromosome-level assembled genome of A.

Functional characterization and structural basis of a reversible glycosyltransferase involves in plant chemical defence.

Plants experience numerous biotic stresses throughout their lifespan, such as pathogens and pests, which can substantially affect crop production. In response, plants have evolved various metabolites that help them withstand these stresses. Here, we show that two specialized metabolites in the herbaceous perennial Belamcanda chinensis, tectorigenin and its glycoside tectoridin, have diverse defensive effects against phytopathogenic microorganisms and antifeeding effects against insect pest.

The carboxypeptidase B and carbonic anhydrase genes play a reproductive regulatory role during multiple matings in .

Seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) are key factors in sexual reproduction and are transferred to females during mating with sperm. SFPs have a nutritional value because they protect and activate sperm storage and release to optimize fecundity. Multiple matings promote ovipositioning in several insect species.

Selective Oxidation of Triethylamine Catalyzed by Mn-Ce/ZSM-5.

The selective catalytic oxidation (SCO) of triethylamine (TEA) to harmless nitrogen (N), carbon dioxide (CO), and water (HO) is of green elimination technology. In this paper, Mn-Ce/ZSM-5 with different proportions of MnO/CeO were studied for the selective catalytic combustion of TEA. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, BET, H-TPR, XPS, and NH-TPD and their catalytic activities were analyzed.

Co-Expression Network Analysis: A Future Approach for Pest Control Target Discovery.

The striped stem borer (SSB, ) is a major pest of rice worldwide. Double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) targeting essential genes can trigger a lethal RNA interference (RNAi) response in insect pests. In this study, we applied a Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) to diet-based RNA-Seq data as a method to facilitate the discovery of novel target genes for pest control.