Comparative Metabolomics Reveals Phosphine-Induced Metabolic Disruptions in (Risso).

Phosphine (PH) is a fumigant often used to control insect pests, but its metabolic effects on insect physiology remain unclear. In this study, a comparative metabolomics analysis was performed to elucidate the physiological metabolic pathways affected by PH exposure in , and significant changes in the metabolic profiles induced by PH treatment were identified. Principal component analysis and correlation analysis revealed different metabolic changes, and a total of 45 metabolites were identified and mapped to metabolic pathways using the KEGG database.

Fungal-bacterial interactions leading to increased insect mortality: Trichoderma xixiacum enhances the pathogenicity of Serratia marcescens in Protaetia brevitarsis larvae.

Edible insect farming presents significant potential as a sustainable solution to meet the increasing demand for protein and biowaste recycling. However, microbial contamination in rearing substrates poses a serious threat to insect populations. This study investigates the pathogenicity of Serratia marcescens YSMM-S1, isolated from dead Protaetia brevitarsis larvae, and explores its interaction with Trichoderma xixiacum, a fungus co-isolated from the same rearing environment.

Metabolite changes by combined treatment, ethyl formate and low temperature, in Drosophila suzukii.

Although ethyl formate (EF) fumigant and low temperature applications are widely used for pest management, studies related to their mechanisms of action and subsequent metabolic changes in Drosophila suzukii models are still unclear. In this study, a comparative metabolome analysis was performed to investigate the major metabolites modified by EF and low temperature and how they are related to and affect insect physiology. Most of the identified metabolites function in metabolic pathways related to the biosynthesis of amino acids, nucleotides and cofactors.

Comparative Metabolic Profiling in by Combined Treatment of Fumigant Phosphine and Low Temperature.

The mechanisms of action of phosphine are diverse and include neurotoxicity, metabolic inhibition, and oxidative stress; however, its efficacy at low temperatures is unclear. : Comparative metabolomics is suitable for investigating the response of the spotted-wing fly to exposure toward a combination of cold stimuli and fumigant PH. : Under this combined exposure, 52 metabolites exhibiting significant differences in stress were identified and their physiological roles were analyzed in the metabolic pathway.

Functional Analysis of Pheromone Biosynthesis Activating Neuropeptide Receptor Isoforms in .

Insect sex pheromones are volatile chemicals that induce mating behavior between conspecific individuals. In moths, sex pheromone biosynthesis is initiated when pheromone biosynthesis-activating neuropeptide (PBAN) synthesized in the suboesophageal ganglion binds to its receptor on the epithelial cell membrane of the pheromone gland. To investigate the function of PBAN receptor (PBANR), we identified two PBANR isoforms, MviPBANR-B and MviPBANR-C, in the pheromone glands of .

Insect-based agri-food waste valorization: Agricultural applications and roles of insect gut microbiota.

Meeting the demands of the growing population requires increased food and feed production, leading to higher levels of agri-food waste. As this type of waste seriously threatens public health and the environment, novel approaches to waste management should be developed. Insects have been proposed as efficient agents for biorefining waste, producing biomass that can be used for commercial products.

Burkholderia gut symbiont induces insect host fecundity by modulating Kr-h1 gene expression.

Full-length cDNAs of the Broad-Complex (BR-C) from Riptortus pedestris were cloned. Moreover, Kr-h1 and BR-C expression levels in apo-symbiotic and symbiotic host insects were compared to verify whether they are modulated by Burkholderia gut symbionts. Interestingly, Kr-h1 expression level was significantly increased in symbiotic females.

Insecticidal Serralysin of Is Detoxified in M3 Midgut Region of .

insect indiscriminately acquires not only the symbiotic bacterium , but also entomopathogens that are abundant in the soil feeding. However, it is unclear how the host insect survives oral infections of entomopathogens. A previous study suggested that serralysin, a potent virulence factor produced by , suppresses cellular immunity by degrading adhesion molecules, thereby contributing to bacterial pathogenesis.

Multiple Precursor Proteins of Thanatin Isoforms, an Antimicrobial Peptide Associated With the Gut Symbiont of .

Thanatin is an antimicrobial peptide (AMP) generated by insects for defense against bacterial infections. In the present study, we performed cDNA cloning of thanatin and found the presence of multiple precursor proteins from the bean bug, . The cDNA sequences encoded 38 precursor proteins, generating 13 thanatin isoforms.

Suppression of pheromone biosynthesis and mating behavior by RNA interference of pheromone gland-specific fatty acyl reductase in Maruca vitrata.

In moths, various enzymes, such as fatty acid synthases, fatty acyl desaturases, and fatty acyl reductases (FARs), are involved in pheromone biosynthesis. In particular, pheromone gland-specific FAR (pgFAR) plays an important role in converting the functional group from carboxylic to alcohol during pheromone biosynthesis. A novel pgFAR of Maruca vitrata, Mvi-pgFAR, was identified through transcriptome sequencing of its pheromone gland.

Large-scale lipidomic profiling identifies novel potential biomarkers for prion diseases and highlights lipid raft-related pathways.

Prion diseases are transmissible spongiform encephalopathies induced by the abnormally-folded prion protein (PrP), which is derived from the normal prion protein (PrP). Previous studies have reported that lipid rafts play a pivotal role in the conversion of PrP into PrP, and several therapeutic strategies targeting lipids have led to prolonged survival times in prion diseases. In addition, phosphatidylethanolamine, a glycerophospholipid member, accelerated prion disease progression.

Characterization of the first insect prostaglandin (PGE) receptor: MansePGER is expressed in oenocytoids and lipoteichoic acid (LTA) increases transcript expression.

In arthropods, eicosanoids derived from the oxygenated metabolism of arachidonic acid are significant in mediating immune responses. However, the lack of information about insect eicosanoid receptors is an obstacle to completely decipher immune mechanisms underlying both eicosanoid downstream signal cascades and their relationship to immune pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Here, we cloned and sequenced a G protein-coupled receptor (MW 46.

Deletion mutant of sPLA using CRISPR/Cas9 exhibits immunosuppression, developmental retardation, and failure of oocyte development in legume pod borer, Maruca vitrata.

Phospholipase A (PLA) catalyzes release of free fatty acids linked to phospholipids at sn-2 position. Some of these released free fatty acids are used to synthesize eicosanoids that mediate various physiological processes in insects. Although a large number of PLAs form a superfamily consisting of at least 16 groups, few PLAs have been identified and characterized in insects.

Insulin signaling mediates previtellogenic development and enhances juvenile hormone-mediated vitellogenesis in a lepidopteran insect, Maruca vitrata.

Background: Insulin/insulin-like growth peptide signaling (IIS) down-regulates hemolymph sugar level and facilitates larval growth in the soybean pod borer, Maruca vitrata. The objective of this study is to determine whether IIS of M. vitrata can mediate ovarian development of adult females.

Insulin-like peptides of the legume pod borer, Maruca vitrata, and their mediation effects on hemolymph trehalose level, larval development, and adult reproduction.

Insulin-like peptides (ILPs) of insects mediate various physiological processes including hemolymph sugar level, immature growth, female reproduction, and lifespan. In target cells of ILPs, insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling (IIS) is highly conserved in animals. IIS in the legume pod borer, Maruca vitrata (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), is known to be involved in maintaining hemolymph trehalose levels and promoting larval growth.

Rapid Cold-Hardening of a Subtropical Species, Maruca vitrata (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), Accompanies Hypertrehalosemia by Upregulating Trehalose-6-Phosphate Synthase.

A subtropical insect, Maruca vitrata (F.) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), is invasive to temperate zones, in which low temperatures during winter would be a serious challenge for colonization. This study assessed cold tolerance and cold-hardening of M.

Versatile design of hydrogel-based scaffolds with manipulated pore structure for hard-tissue regeneration.

In recent years, a variety of biomimetic hydrogel scaffolds have been used in tissue engineering because hydrogels can provide reasonable soft-tissue-like environmental conditions for various cell responses. However, although hydrogels can provide an outstanding biofunctional platform, their poor mechanical stability and low processability have been obstacles for their usage as biomedical scaffolds. To overcome this limitation, we propose a simple and versatile method using 3D printing supplemented with a low-temperature working plate and coating process to reinforce the mechanical properties and various cellular activities by accommodating the poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL).

Mechanically reinforced cell-laden scaffolds formed using alginate-based bioink printed onto the surface of a PCL/alginate mesh structure for regeneration of hard tissue.

Cell-printing technology has provided a new paradigm for biofabrication, with potential to overcome several shortcomings of conventional scaffold-based tissue regeneration strategies via controlled delivery of various cell types in well-defined target regions. Here we describe a cell-printing method to obtain mechanically reinforced multi-layered cell-embedded scaffolds, formed of micron-scale poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL)/alginate struts coated with alginate-based bioink. To compare the physical and cellular activities, we used a scaffold composed of pure alginate (without cells) coated PCL/alginate struts as a control.

A soluble acetylcholinesterase provides chemical defense against xenobiotics in the pinewood nematode.

The pinewood nematode genome encodes at least three distinct acetylcholinesterases (AChEs). To understand physiological roles of the three pinewood nematode AChEs (BxACE-1, BxACE-2, and BxACE-3), BxACE-3 in particular, their tissue distribution and inhibition profiles were investigated. Immunohistochemistry revealed that BxACE-1 and BxACE-2 were distributed in neuronal tissues.

RNA interference of pheromone biosynthesis-activating neuropeptide receptor suppresses mating behavior by inhibiting sex pheromone production in Plutella xylostella (L.).

Sex pheromone production is regulated by pheromone biosynthesis-activating neuropeptide (PBAN) in many lepidopteran species. We cloned a PBAN receptor (Plx-PBANr) gene from the female pheromone gland of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.).

Three acetylcholinesterases of the pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus: insights into distinct physiological functions.

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) plays a key role in postsynaptic transmission in most animals. Nematodes encode multiple AChEs, implying its functional diversity. To explore physiological functions of multiple AChEs, three distinct AChEs (BxACE-1, BxACE-2, and BxACE-3) were identified and characterized from the pinewood nematode.

A Drosophila model of GSS syndrome suggests defects in active zones are responsible for pathogenesis of GSS syndrome.

We have established a Drosophila model of Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker (GSS) syndrome by expressing mouse prion protein (PrP) having leucine substitution at residue 101 (MoPrP(P101L)). Flies expressing MoPrP(P101L), but not wild-type MoPrP (MoPrP(3F4)), showed severe defects in climbing ability and early death. Expressed MoPrP(P101L) in Drosophila was differentially glycosylated, localized at the synaptic terminals and mainly present as deposits in adult brains.

A combination of biochemical and proteomic analyses reveals Bx-LEC-1 as an antigenic target for the monoclonal antibody 3-2A7-2H5-D9-F10 specific to the pine wood nematode.

Pine wilt disease (PWD) is one of the most devastating forest diseases in Asia and Europe. The pine wood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, has been identified as the pathogen underlying PWD, although the pathology is not completely understood. At present, diagnosis and confirmation of PWD are time consuming tasks that require nematode extraction and microscopic examination.

Bacillus thuringiensis serovar mogi (flagellar serotype 3a3b3d), a novel serogroup with a mosquitocidal activity.

The flagellated vegetative cells of the Bacillus thuringiensis strain K4 were agglutinated with the H3 reference antiserum and further, agglutinated with 3b and 3d monospecific factor sera but non-reactive for 3c and 3e factor sera. This creates a new serogroup with flagellar antigenic structure of 3a3b3d: B. thuringiensis serovar mogi.