Cuticle barrier efficiency in insects depends largely on cuticular lipids. To learn about the evolution of cuticle barrier function, we compared the basic properties of the cuticle inward and outward barrier function in adults of the fruit flies and that live on fruits sharing a similar habitat. At low air humidity, flies desiccate faster than flies. We observed a general trend indicating that in this respect males are less robust than females in both species. Xenobiotics penetration occurs at lower temperatures in than in . Likewise, flies are more susceptible to contact insecticides than flies. Thus, both the inward and outward barriers of are less efficient. Consistently, flies have less cuticular hydrocarbons (CHC) that participate as key components of the cuticle barrier. Especially, the relative amounts of branched and desaturated CHCs, known to enhance desiccation resistance, show reduced levels in . Moreover, the expression of () that encodes an ABC transporter involved in barrier construction and CHC externalization, is strongly suppressed in . Hence, species-specific genetic programs regulate the quality of the lipid-based cuticle barrier in these two Drosophilae. Together, we conclude that the weaker inward and outward barriers of may be partly explained by differences in CHC composition and by a reduced Snu-dependent transport rate of CHCs to the surface. In turn, this suggests that is an ecologically adjustable and therefore relevant gene in cuticle barrier efficiency.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2020.00887 | DOI Listing |
Chemosphere
January 2025
Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium. Electronic address:
Recently, there has been growing concern about the impacts of metal pollutants on insect populations, particularly as human societies increasingly rely on metal-based technologies. Unlike organic pollutants, metals - both essential and non-essential - are non-degradable and readily accumulate in insect tissues, sometimes reaching hazardous levels. While numerous studies address how insects cope with pesticide pollution, there is a notable scarcity of knowledge regarding their abilities to confront metal pollution.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Plant Sci
December 2024
Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Drought conditions severely curtail the ability of plants to accumulate biomass due to the closure of stomata and the decrease of photosynthetic assimilation rate. Additionally, there is a shift in the plant's metabolic processes toward the production of metabolites that offer protection and aid in osmoadaptation, as opposed to those required for development and growth. To limit water loss via non-stomatal transpiration, plants adjust the load and composition of cuticle waxes, which act as an additional barrier.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPest Manag Sci
January 2025
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
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.
Food Chem
December 2024
Key Laboratory of Green Processing and Intelligent Manufacturing of Lingnan Specialty Food of Ministry and Rural Affairs, College of Light Industry and Food, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, China. Electronic address:
'Tuogu' and 'Bingtang' plums display unique textural responses to salt curing, manifesting in volume reduction, surface wrinkling, and alterations in color and texture, alongside ongoing material exchange. Over a seven-day salting period, 'Tuogu' plums lost 14.9 % of their moisture, compared to 'Bingtang' plums' 24.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiosens Bioelectron
March 2025
Laboratory of Agricultural Information Intelligent Sensing, College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China; Innovation Platform of Micro/Nano Technology for Biosensing, ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 311215, PR China. Electronic address:
Plant electrical signals serve as a medium for long-distance signal transmission and are intricately linked to plant stress responses. High-fidelity acquisition and analysis of plant electrophysiological signals contribute to early stress identification, thereby enhancing agricultural production efficiency. While traditional plant electrophysiology monitoring methods like gel electrodes can capture electrical signals on plant surfaces, which face limitations due to the plant cuticle barrier, impacting signal accuracy.
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