The effect of population density on the phenotype, metabolic and immunological adaptations in the cuticle of Spodoptera litura larvae.

Background: Species that experience outbreaks and those that display density-dependent phase polymorphism demonstrate density-dependent prophylaxis (DDP) by increasing their immune investment in response to increasing densities. Despite this phenomenon, the mechanisms of DDP remain largely unexplored.

Results: Here, we showed that Spodoptera litura exhibited heightened cuticular melanization and enhanced cuticular immune responses when reared at higher population density.

Discovery and characterization of a novel Lepidoptera-specific antimicrobial peptide from the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are critical components of innate immunity in diverse organisms, including plants, vertebrates, and insects. This study identified and characterized a novel Lepidoptera-specific AMP, named lepidoptin, from the invasive pest Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Lepidoptin is a 116-amino acid protein containing a signal peptide and a novel β-sandwich domain that is distinct from previously reported AMPs.

A myeloid differentiation-like protein in partnership with Toll5 from the pest insect senses baculovirus infection.

Many types of viruses infect insects and other arthropods. In contrast, little is known about how arthropods sense viruses, although several innate immune pathways including Toll have antiviral functions. Large DNA viruses in the family are used to control a number of pest insects.

Loss of function in Drosophila transcription factor Dif delays brain development in larvae resulting in aging adult brain.

Drosophila NF-κB transcription factor Dif has been well known for its function in innate immunity, and recent study also reveals its role in neuronal cells. However, the underlying mechanisms of Dif in the brain remain elusive. In this study, we aim to investigate the function of Dif in Drosophila brain development and how Dif regulates structure and plasticity of the brain to affect aging and behaviors.

Functional Analysis of Forkhead Transcription Factor Fd59a in the Spermatogenesis of .

Spermatogenesis is critical for insect reproduction and is regulated by many different genes. In this study, we found that Forkhead transcription factor Fd59a functions as a key factor in the spermatogenesis of . Fd59a contains a conversed Forkhead domain, and it is clustered to the FoxD subfamily with other FoxD members from some insect and vertebrate species.

Dual roles of α1,4-galactosyltransferase 1 in spermatogenesis of Drosophila melanogaster.

Spermatogenesis is critical for insect reproduction and the process is regulated by multiple genes. Glycosyltransferases have been shown to participate in the development of Drosophila melanogaster; however, their role in spermatogenesis is still unclear. In this study, we found that α1,4-galactosyltransferase 1 (α4GT1) was expressed at a significantly higher level in the testis than in the ovary of Drosophila.

Maintaining Toll signaling in brain is required to sustain autophagy for dopamine neuron survival.

Macroautophagy/autophagy is a conserved process in eukaryotic cells to degrade and recycle damaged intracellular components. Higher level of autophagy in the brain has been observed, and autophagy dysfunction has an impact on neuronal health, but the molecular mechanism is unclear. In this study, we showed that overexpression of Toll-1 and Toll-7 receptors, as well as active Spätzle proteins in a S2 cells enhanced autophagy, and Toll-1/Toll-7 activated autophagy was dependent on Tube-Pelle-PP2A.

Expression profiles of lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs and interaction analysis indicate their potential involvement during testicular fusion in Spodoptera litura.

Testicular fusion of Spodoptera litura occures during metamorphosis, which benefits sperms development. Previous research identified involvement of ECM-integrin interaction pathways, MMPs in testicular fusion, but the regulatory mechanism remains unclear. RNA-seq was performed to analyze long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) in testes, aiming to uncover potential regulatory mechanisms of testicular fusion.

Identification and functional analysis of CG3526 in spermatogenesis of Drosophila melanogaster.

Spermatogenesis is a critical part of reproduction in insects; however, its molecular mechanism is still largely unknown. In this study, we identified a testis-specific gene CG3526 in Drosophila melanogaster. Bioinformatics analysis showed that CG3526 contains a zinc binding domain and 2 C H type zinc fingers, and it is clustered to the vertebrate really interesting new gene (RING) family E3 ubiquitin-protein ligases.

Eurycomanone (EN) Activates Transcription Factor FoxO by Inhibiting the Insulin Signaling Pathway to Suppress the Development of .

The insulin-like signaling (IIS) pathway is essential for insect growth and development. In this study, we showed that eurycomanone (EN) is an active compound with growth inhibitory activity against larvae. Experiments in cells and RNA-seq analysis in the midgut showed that EN targeted the IIS pathway in to activate the transcription factor SfFoxO ( forkhead boxO) to regulate mRNA levels associated with nutrient catabolism.

Transcriptome-wide analysis of mRNA N -methyladenosine modification in the embryonic development of Spodoptera frugiperda.

N -methyladenosine (m A) RNA is the most abundant modification of mRNA, and has been demonstrated in regulating various post-transcriptional processes. Many studies have shown that m A methylation plays key roles in sex determination, neuronal functions, and embryonic development in Drosophila and mammals. Here, we analyzed transcriptome-wide profile of m A modification in the embryonic development of the destructive agricultural pest Spodoptera frugiperda.

The mechanism of Cry41-related toxin against Myzus persicae based on its interaction with Buchnera-derived ATP-dependent 6-phosphofructokinase.

Background: Myzus persicae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is one of the most notorious pests of many crops worldwide. Most Cry toxins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis show very low toxicity to M. persicae; however, a study showed that Cry41-related toxin had moderate toxic activity against M.

A possible mechanism of Cry7Ab4 protein in delaying pupation of larvae.

Cry toxins produced by (Bt) are well known for their insecticidal activities against Lepidopteran, Dipteran, and Coleopteran species. In our previous work, we showed that trypsin-digested full-length Cry7Ab4 protoxin did not have insecticidal activity against larvae but strongly inhibited their growth. In this paper, we expressed and purified recombinant active Cry7Ab4 toxic core from for bioassay and identified its binding proteins.

Sublethal exposure to spinetoram impacts life history traits and dengue virus replication in Aedes aegypti.

Insecticides are anthropogenic environmental stressors and also a common stressor for mosquito vectors. However, the use of insecticides is often guided by short-term efficacy, and the sublethal effect on their target or nontarget species has long been ignored. Here, we analyzed how sublethal exposure of the promising vector-control bioinsecticide spinetoram to Aedes aegypti larvae alter adult performance and susceptibility to dengue virus (DENV) infection.

A dual role of lola in Drosophila ovary development: regulating stem cell niche establishment and repressing apoptosis.

In Drosophila ovary, niche is composed of somatic cells, including terminal filament cells (TFCs), cap cells (CCs) and escort cells (ECs), which provide extrinsic signals to maintain stem cell renewal or initiate cell differentiation. Niche establishment begins in larval stages when terminal filaments (TFs) are formed, but the underlying mechanism for the development of TFs remains largely unknown. Here we report that transcription factor longitudinals lacking (Lola) is essential for ovary morphogenesis.

BmMD-2A responds to 20-hydroxyecdysone and regulates Bombyx mori silkworm innate immunity in larva-to-pupa metamorphosis.

20E-hydroxyecdysone (20E) plays important roles in larval molting and metamorphosis in insects and is also involved in the insect innate immune response. Insect metamorphosis is a highly successful strategy for environmental adaptation and is the most vulnerable stage during which the insect is susceptible to various pathogens. 20E regulates a series of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) through the immunodeficiency (IMD) pathway activation in Drosophila; nevertheless, whether other immune pathways are involved in 20E-regulated insect immunity is unknown.

Genome-wide identification and characterization of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors in Spodoptera litura upon pathogen infection.

Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors play an important role in a wide range of metabolic and developmental processes in eukaryotes, and bHLH proteins also participate in immune responses, especially in plants. However, their roles in insects upon entomopathogen infection are unknown. In this study, 54 bHLH genes in 41 families were identified in a polyphagous pest, Spodoptera litura, including a new bHLH gene in group B, which is specifically present in Lepidoptera and was thus named Lep.

Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis Influences Metabolic Homeostasis in .

Insect gut microbiota plays important roles in acquiring nutrition, preventing pathogens infection, modulating immune responses, and communicating with environment. Gut microbiota can be affected by external factors such as foods and antibiotics. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is an important destructive pest of grain crops worldwide.

Genome-wide identification and comparative analysis of Cry toxin receptor families in 7 insect species with a focus on Spodoptera litura.

Cadherin, aminopeptidase N (APN) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) have been characterized as Cry receptors. In this study, comparative genomic analysis of the 3 receptor families was performed in 7 insects. ALPs and APNs are divided into three and eight clades in phylogenetic trees, respectively.

Toll9 from functions as a pattern recognition receptor that shares features with Toll-like receptor 4 from mammals.

Toll/Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are key regulators of the innate immune system in both invertebrates and vertebrates. However, while mammalian TLRs directly recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns, the insect Toll pathway is thought to be primarily activated by binding Spätzle cytokines that are processed from inactive precursors in response to microbial infection. Phylogenetic and structural data generated in this study supported earlier results showing that Toll9 members differ from other insect Tolls by clustering with the mammalian TLR4 group, which recognizes lipopolysaccharide (LPS) through interaction with myeloid differentiation-2 (MD-2)-like proteins.

Comparative genomic analysis of C-type lectin-domain genes in seven holometabolous insect species.

C-type lectins (CTLs) recognize various glycoconjugates through carbohydrate recognition domains (CRDs) and they play important roles in immune responses. In this study, comparative genomic analysis of CTLs were performed in 7 holometabolous species. CTL-S1 to S8 and CTL-X1 to X4 orthologous groups existed in the 7 species, while CTL-X5 group with dual-CRD, CTL-S11 group with triple-CRD, CTL-S9 group with a long C-terminus and Lepidopteran specific CTL-S10 group were not conserved.

The novel lncRNA PTTG3P is downregulated and predicts poor prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer.

Introduction: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-associated mortality worldwide. Recently, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been studied as key regulators in some biological processes. Of note, the molecular mechanism and prognostic value of lncRNAs in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have largely remained unclear.

Possible Insecticidal Mechanism of Cry41-Related Toxin against by Enhancing Cathepsin B Activity.

Cry toxins produced by are well known for their high insecticidal activities against Lepidoptera, Diptera, and Coleoptera; however, their activities against Aphididae are very low. Recently, it has been reported that a Cry41-related toxin exhibited moderate activity against the aphid , and thus, it is highly desirable to uncover its unique mechanism. In this paper, we report that Cathepsin B, calcium-transporting ATPase, and symbiotic bacterial-associated protein ATP-dependent-6-phosphofructokinase were pulled down from the homogenate of as unique proteins that possibly bound to Cry41-related toxin.