Nitrogen Fertilization of Host Plant Influenced the Nutritional Status and Life History of the Madeira Mealybug (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae).

Insect herbivores, especially sap-feeders, are sensitive to host-plant nitrogen quantity. However, past studies present contradicting results on sap-feeder life history traits influenced by plant nitrogen supplementation. This study analyzed the bottom-up effects of below-recommended nitrogen fertilization rates (0, 0.

ALLENE OXIDE SYNTHASE and HYDROPEROXIDE LYASE, Two Non-Canonical Cytochrome P450s in and Their Different Roles in Plant Defense.

The channeling of metabolites is an essential step of metabolic regulation in all living organisms. Multifunctional enzymes with defined domains for metabolite compartmentalization are rare, but in many cases, larger assemblies forming multimeric protein complexes operate in defined metabolic shunts. In , a multimeric complex was discovered that contains a 13-lipoxygenase and allene oxide synthase (AOS) as well as allene oxide cyclase.

Susceptibility of Corn Earworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to Cry1A.105 and Cry2Ab2 in North and South Carolina.

The corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), is managed in corn and cotton in the United States primarily using transgenic cultivars that produce insecticidal proteins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). However, increasing reports of resistance to one or more Bt proteins threaten the continued efficacy of Bt traits. To better understand the development of resistance of H.

Evaluation of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] genotypes for yield, water use efficiency, and root traits.

Drought stress has been identified as the major environmental factor limiting soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] yield worldwide.

Substrate channeling in oxylipin biosynthesis through a protein complex in the plastid envelope of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Oxygenated membrane fatty acid derivatives termed oxylipins play important roles in plant defense against biotic and abiotic cues. Plants challenged by insect pests, for example, synthesize a blend of different defense compounds that include volatile aldehydes and jasmonic acid (JA), among others. Because all oxylipins are derived from the same pathway, we investigated how their synthesis might be regulated, focusing on two closely related atypical cytochrome P450 enzymes designated CYP74A and CYP74B, respectively, allene oxide synthase (AOS) and hydroperoxide lyase (HPL).

Effects of Planting Date on Thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Cotton.

At-plant applications of insecticides are the most common method to manage thrips in upland cotton, Gossypium hirstutum L. Because the primary pest species, tobacco thrips, Frankliniella fusca (Hinds), has developed resistance to commonly used neonicotinoid insecticides used in producing cotton, alternative control options are needed for sustainable thrips management programs. A 3-year study (2015-2017) showed that densities of thrips, feeding injury from thrips, cotton growth, and yield varied among 10 planting dates.

Corrigendum: An Ethylene-Protected Achilles' Heel of Etiolated Seedlings for Arthropod Deterrence.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.

Genetic and genomic resources of sorghum to connect genotype with phenotype in contrasting environments.

With the recent development of genomic resources and high-throughput phenotyping platforms, the 21st century is primed for major breakthroughs in the discovery, understanding and utilization of plant genetic variation. Significant advances in agriculture remain at the forefront to increase crop production and quality to satisfy the global food demand in a changing climate all while reducing the environmental impacts of the world's food production. Sorghum, a resilient C grain and grass important for food and energy production, is being extensively dissected genetically and phenomically to help connect the relationship between genetic and phenotypic variation.

Development of wheat genotypes expressing a glutamine-specific endoprotease from barley and a prolyl endopeptidase from Flavobacterium meningosepticum or Pyrococcus furiosus as a potential remedy to celiac disease.

Ubiquitous nature of prolamin proteins dubbed gluten from wheat and allied cereals imposes a major challenge in the treatment of celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder with no known treatment other than abstinence diet. Administration of hydrolytic glutenases as food supplement is an alternative to deliver the therapeutic agents directly to the small intestine, where sensitization of immune system and downstream reactions take place. The aim of the present research was to evaluate the capacity of wheat grain to express and store hydrolytic enzymes capable of gluten detoxification.

Characterization of a soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) germplasm collection for root traits.

Root systems that improve resource uptake and penetrate compacted soil (hardpan) are important for improving soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) productivity in optimal and sub-optimal environments.

Effects of Bt Corn on the Development and Fecundity of Corn Earworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

The corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is only moderately susceptible to most toxins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) expressed in transgenic corn. To better understand the impact of Bt corn on the life cycle of H. zea, we collected pupae of H.

Natural Enemy Communities and Biological Control of Parthenolecanium spp. (Hemiptera: Coccidae) in the Southeastern United States.

We documented the species composition, seasonal ecology, and impacts of parasitoids and predators of Parthenolecanium corni (Bouché) and P. quercifex (Fitch) (Hemiptera: Coccidae) in the urban landscapes of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, United States. Twenty-one parasitoid morphospecies and 12 predator species were collected through rearing, beat sheet, and sticky card trapping.

Sampling Transgenic Corn Producing Bt Toxins for Corn Earworm Injury.

Transgenic corn, Zea mays L., hybrids expressing insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and non-Bt near isolines were sampled for injury from Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) in North and South Carolina from 2012 to 2017. A total of 7,260 ears were sampled, with an average kernel injury from H.

Molecular Identification of Thrips Species Infesting Cotton in the Southeastern United States.

Traditional identification of thrips species based on morphology is difficult, laborious, and especially challenging for immature thrips. To support monitoring and management efforts of thrips as consistent and widespread pests of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), a probe-based quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay with crude DNA extraction was developed to allow efficient and specific identification of the primary species of thrips infesting cotton.

The complex world of plant protease inhibitors: Insights into a Kunitz-type cysteine protease inhibitor of .

Plants have evolved an intricate regulatory network of proteases and corresponding protease inhibitors (PI), which operate in various biological pathways and serve diverse spatiotemporal functions during the sedentary life of a plant. Intricacy of the regulatory network can be anticipated from the observation that, depending on the developmental stage and environmental cue(s), either a single PI or multiple PIs regulate the activity of a given protease. On the other hand, the same PI often interacts with different targets at different places, necessitating another level of fine control to be added in planta.

Transcriptome-based analyses of phosphite-mediated suppression of rust pathogens Puccinia emaculata and Phakopsora pachyrhizi and functional characterization of selected fungal target genes.

Phosphite (Phi) is used commercially to manage diseases mainly caused by oomycetes, primarily due to its low cost compared with other fungicides and its persistent control of oomycetous pathogens. We explored the use of Phi in controlling the fungal pathogens Puccinia emaculata and Phakopsora pachyrhizi, the causal agents of switchgrass rust and Asian soybean rust, respectively. Phi primes host defenses and efficiently inhibits the growth of P.

Doubled Haploid Transgenic Wheat Lines by Microspore Transformation.

Microspores are preferred explant choice for genetic transformation, as their use shortens the duration of obtaining homozygous transformants. All established gene-delivery methods of particle bombardment, electroporation, and cocultivation with Agrobacterium tumefaciens were optimized on androgenic microspores or derived tissues. In the biolistic gene delivery method 35-40 days old haploid microspore embryoids were used for genetic transformation, whereas freshly isolated androgenic microspores were used for genetic transformation in the electroporation and Agrobacterium cocultivation-based methods.

Geostatistical Characterization of Cereal Leaf Beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Distributions in Wheat.

A 3-yr study was conducted in wheat, Triticum aestivum L., in South Carolina to characterize the spatial distribution of Oulema melanopus (L.) adults, eggs, and larvae using semivariograms, which provides a measure of spatial dependence among sampling data.

Life History of Parthenolecanium spp. (Hemiptera: Coccidae) in Urban Landscapes of the Southeastern United States.

This study was conducted to better understand the life history of Parthenolecanium corni (Bouché) and Parthenolecanium quercifex (Fitch) (Hemiptera: Coccidae), and to develop degree-day models for crawler emergence of the two soft scale species in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. Both species were univoltine in the southeastern United States. In South Carolina, eggs hatched from mid-April to early June; second instars began to appear in September and migrated to twigs to overwinter in October; and third instars and adults appeared in mid-March to early April.

Multiple Disease Resistance Loci Affect Soilborne Disease Resistance in Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum).

Phytophthora nicotianae and Ralstonia solanacearum are two of the most important pathogens affecting tobacco worldwide. Greater insight regarding genetic systems controlling resistance to these two soilborne pathogens, as well as identification of DNA markers associated with genomic regions controlling this resistance, could aid in variety development. An evaluation of 50 historical tobacco lines revealed a high positive correlation between resistances to the two pathogens, preliminarily suggesting that some genomic regions may confer resistance to both pathogens.

HP30-2, a mitochondrial PRAT protein for import of signal sequence-less precursor proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Chloroplasts and mitochondria contain a family of putative preprotein and amino acid transporters designated PRAT. Here, we analyzed the role of two previously characterized PRAT protein family members, encoded by At3g49560 (HP30) and At5g24650 (HP30-2), in planta using a combination of genetic, cell biological and biochemical approaches. Expression studies and green fluorescent protein tagging identified HP30-2 both in chloroplasts and mitochondria, whereas HP30 was located exclusively in chloroplasts.

A Novel, Economical Way to Assess Virulence in Field Populations of Hessian Fly (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) Utilizing Wheat Resistance Gene H13 as a Model.

Mayetiola destructor (Say) is a serious pest of wheat, Triticum aestivum L., in North America, North Africa, and Central Asia. Singly deployed resistance genes in wheat cultivars have provided effective management of Hessian fly populations for >50 yr.

Within-Plant Distribution and Dynamics of Thrips Species (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Cotton.

A 2-yr study in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) was conducted to determine the abundance and species composition of thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) on different plant parts throughout the season in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. Plant parts sampled included seedlings, terminals with two expanded leaves, leaves from the upper, middle, and lower sections of the canopy, white flowers, and medium-sized bolls.

NADPH:protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase B (PORB) action in Arabidopsis thaliana revisited through transgenic expression of engineered barley PORB mutant proteins.

NADPH:protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase (POR) is a key enzyme for the light-induced greening of etiolated angiosperm plants. It belongs to the 'RED' family of reductases, epimerases and dehydrogenases. All POR proteins characterized so far contain evolutionarily conserved cysteine residues implicated in protochlorophyllide (Pchlide)-binding and catalysis.

Serpin1 and WSCP differentially regulate the activity of the cysteine protease RD21 during plant development in .

Proteolytic enzymes (proteases) participate in a vast range of physiological processes, ranging from nutrient digestion to blood coagulation, thrombosis, and beyond. In plants, proteases are implicated in host recognition and pathogen infection, induced defense (immunity), and the deterrence of insect pests. Because proteases irreversibly cleave peptide bonds of protein substrates, their activity must be tightly controlled in time and space.