Chemosensory function of Varroa gnathosoma: transcriptomic and proteomic analyses.

In this study, we evaluated the role of the gnathosoma (mouthparts) in chemosensing of the most devastating honey bee parasite, Varroa destructor mite. Through transcriptomic analysis, we compared the expression of putative chemosensory genes between the body parts containing the main chemosensory organs (the forelegs), gnathosoma and the rest of the body devoid of these two body parts. Furthermore, we checked the presence of chemosensory-related transcripts in the proteome of the gnathosoma.

Insights into gene manipulation techniques for Acari functional genomics.

Functional genomics is an essential tool for elucidating the structure and function of genes in any living organism. Here, we review the use of different gene manipulation techniques in functional genomics of Acari (mites and ticks). Some of these Acari species inflict severe economic losses to managed crops and health problems to humans, wild and domestic animals, but many also provide important ecosystem services worldwide.

Towards disrupting Varroa -honey bee chemosensing: A focus on a Niemann-Pick type C2 transcript.

We focused our study on the 12 recently identified putative odorant carrier proteins in the ectoparasitic mite, Varroa destructor. Here we show, via an exclusion of the chemosensory appendages (forelegs and gnathosoma) that transcripts of five of the 12 genes were significantly lower, suggesting that they are likely involved in carrying host volatiles. Specifically, three transcripts were found to be foreleg-specific while the other two transcripts were expressed in both the forelegs and gnathosoma.

Review: Precision livestock farming, automats and new technologies: possible applications in extensive dairy sheep farming.

Precision livestock farming (PLF) technologies are becoming increasingly common in modern agriculture. They are frequently integrated with other new technologies in order to improve human-livestock interactions, productivity and economical sustainability of modern farms. New systems are constantly being developed for concentrated farming operations as well as for extensive and pasture-based farming systems.

Arabidopsis cysteine-rich trans-membrane module (CYSTM) small proteins play a protective role mainly against heat and UV stresses.

The genomes of Arabidopsis and other plants contain cysteine-rich small protein of unknown function, harbouring a transmembrane module (CYSTM proteins). In this work we show that the transcript of one gene (At1g05340) encoding a CYSTM protein is induced mainly by heat and to a lesser extent by UV, but less by NaCl or sorbitol. A functional analysis of At1g05340 and its paralog At2g32210 using T-DNA insertional mutants revealed a decrease in seedlings root length, and a lower PSII efficiency in mature plant, due to heat stress and to a lesser extent due to UV stress, in comparison to the effect on wild-type plants.

Biochar-based fertilizer: Supercharging root membrane potential and biomass yield of rice.

Biochar-based compound fertilizers (BCF) and amendments have proven to enhance crop yields and modify soil properties (pH, nutrients, organic matter, structure etc.) and are now in commercial production in China. While there is a good understanding of the changes in soil properties following biochar addition, the interactions within the rhizosphere remain largely unstudied, with benefits to yield observed beyond the changes in soil properties alone.

Grapevine acclimation to water deficit: the adjustment of stomatal and hydraulic conductance differs from petiole embolism vulnerability.

Drought-acclimated vines maintained higher gas exchange compared to irrigated controls under water deficit; this effect is associated with modified leaf turgor but not with improved petiole vulnerability to cavitation. A key feature for the prosperity of plants under changing environments is the plasticity of their hydraulic system. In the present research we studied the hydraulic regulation in grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.

Lures for red palm weevil trapping systems: aggregation pheromone and synthetic kairomone.

Background: The optimisation of the lure is essential for the implementation of trapping systems to control insect pests. In this work, the response of the red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier, to increasing emission rates of its aggregation pheromone (ferrugineol) and the efficacy of a convenient synthetic kairomone based on fermentation odours (ethyl acetate and ethanol) have been evaluated in different years and locations along the Mediterranean basin.

Results: In general, although capture data and emission had noticeable variability among locations, significantly fewer RPW were captured in pyramidal Picusan® traps with the lowest ferrugineol emission rates tested (0.

Review: Milking robot utilization, a successful precision livestock farming evolution.

Automatic milking systems (AMS), one of the earliest precision livestock farming developments, have revolutionized dairy farming around the world. While robots control the milking process, there have also been numerous changes to how the whole farm system is managed. Milking is no longer performed in defined sessions; rather, the cow can now choose when to be milked in AMS, allowing milking to be distributed throughout a 24 h period.

Grapevine petioles are more sensitive to drought induced embolism than stems: evidence from in vivo MRI and microcomputed tomography observations of hydraulic vulnerability segmentation.

The 'hydraulic vulnerability segmentation' hypothesis predicts that expendable distal organs are more susceptible to water stress-induced embolism than the main stem of the plant. In the current work, we present the first in vivo visualization of this phenomenon. In two separate experiments, using magnetic resonance imaging or synchrotron-based microcomputed tomography, grapevines (Vitis vinifera) were dehydrated while simultaneously scanning the main stems and petioles for the occurrence of emboli at different xylem pressures (Ψx ).

Heat-Treatment-Responsive Proteins in Different Developmental Stages of Tomato Pollen Detected by Targeted Mass Accuracy Precursor Alignment (tMAPA).

Recently, we have developed a quantitative shotgun proteomics strategy called mass accuracy precursor alignment (MAPA). The MAPA algorithm uses high mass accuracy to bin mass-to-charge (m/z) ratios of precursor ions from LC-MS analyses, determines their intensities, and extracts a quantitative sample versus m/z ratio data alignment matrix from a multitude of samples. Here, we introduce a novel feature of this algorithm that allows the extraction and alignment of proteotypic peptide precursor ions or any other target peptide from complex shotgun proteomics data for accurate quantification of unique proteins.

Interaction of Wharton's jelly derived fetal mesenchymal cells with tumor cells.

Currently, pre-clinical and clinical studies have demonstrated the importance of stem cell based therapies for the treatment of human diseases. Fetal Mesenchymal Stem Cells (Fetal MSCs) are potential candidates that can be utilized for the treatment of different types of cancer. Recently, Wharton's jelly (umbilical cord matrix) was proved to be a rich source of MSCs and they can be isolated by non-invasive methods such as Ficoll density gradient and antibodies coupled magnetic beads without any ethical issues.

Ipomovirus--an atypical genus in the family Potyviridae transmitted by whiteflies.

Ipomoviruses (genus Ipomovirus) are whitefly-transmitted viruses assigned to the family Potyviridae. They are characterised by filamentous flexible particles and a positive-sense single-stranded RNA (+ssRNA) genome. The viral genome is translated into a polyprotein precursor, which is processed into mature proteins and a short overlapping open reading frame.

The basis for rootstock resilient to Capnodis species: screening for genes encoding δ-endotoxins from Bacillus thuringiensis.

Background: Conventional methods often fail to control the flatheaded borers Capnodis spp., major pests of stone fruit trees; the larvae are protected from insecticides and predation because they feed deep in the roots. A potential solution is transgenic trees producing in their roots toxic compounds such as Cry proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).

Fitness costs associated with insecticide resistance.

Insects are exposed to a variety of stress factors in their environment, and, in many cases for insect pests to agriculture, those factors include toxic chemical insecticides. Coping with the toxicity of insecticides can be costly and requires energy and resource allocation for adaptation and survival. Several behavioural, physiological and genetic mechanisms are used by insects to handle toxic insecticides, sometimes leading to resistance by constitutive overexpression of detoxification enzymes or inducing mutations in the target sites.

High-level of resistance to spinosad, emamectin benzoate and carbosulfan in populations of Thrips tabaci collected in Israel.

Background: The onion thrips, Thrips tabaci Lindeman, is a major pest of several crop plants in the genus Allium, such as onions, garlic and chives. In Israel, these crops are grown in open fields and in protected housing. This thrips is usually controlled by the application of chemical insecticides.

Susceptibility to insecticides in the Q biotype of Bemisia tabaci is correlated with bacterial symbiont densities.

Background: The presence of symbiotic microorganisms may influence an insect's ability to tolerate natural and artificial stress agents such as insecticides. The authors have previously shown that Rickettsia in the B biotype of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) increases this insect's susceptibility to several insecticidal compounds. This communication reports a comparison of the susceptibilities of three isofemale strains of the Q biotype of B.

Prediction of embryonic developmental competence by time-lapse observation and 'shortest-half' analysis.

Selecting an embryo with the highest probability of achieving a pregnancy is a major challenge. Early-cleavage embryos are considered to be of good quality; however, the exact developmental stage that predicts further development has not been defined. The aim of the study was to characterize cleavage rate and distribution of various stages of mouse preimplantation embryos using a time-lapse system.

The presence of Rickettsia is associated with increased susceptibility of Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) to insecticides.

Background: The presence of certain symbiotic microorganisms may be associated with insecticide resistance in insects. The authors compared the susceptibility of two isofemale lines, Rickettsia-plus and Rickettsia-free, of the sweet potato whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) to major insecticides from different chemical groups, including imidacloprid, acetamiprid, thiamethoxam, pyriproxyfen, spiromesifen and diafenthiuron.

Results: While the Rickettsia-plus and Rickettsia-free lines showed no differences in their susceptibility to imidacloprid and diafenthiuron, higher susceptibility of the Rickettsia-plus line to acetamiprid, thiamethoxam, spiromesifen and especially pyriproxyfen was observed.

Pest management programmes in vineyards using male mating disruption.

Israeli vine growers have been reluctant to adopt the mating disruption technique for control of the European vine moth, Lobesia botrana Den. & Schiff. Since the chemically controlled honeydew moth, Cryptoblabes gnidiella Mill.

Effect of pyriproxyfen on developing stages and embryogenesis of California red scale (CRS), Aonidiella aurantii.

During the past decade, the insect growth regulator pyriproxyfen has been the most used insecticide for controlling the California red scale (CRS), Aonidiella aurantii (Maskell), an important pest in citrus groves worldwide. The aim of the present research was to develop bioassays for determining the effect of pyriproxyfen on developing stages and embryogenesis of CRS that can serve as baselines for monitoring resistance. Pyriproxyfen was very effective against first- and second-instar nymphs of a susceptible strain of CRS; 0.

Estimation of leaf water potential by thermal imagery and spatial analysis.

Canopy temperature has long been recognized as an indicator of plant water status and as a potential tool for irrigation scheduling. In the present study, the potential of using thermal images for an in-field estimation of the water status of cotton under a range of irrigation regimes was investigated. Thermal images were taken with a radiometric infrared video camera.