Lipoplex-based RNA delivery system enhances RNAi efficiency for targeted Pest control in Spodoptera litura.

RNA interference (RNAi) represents a promising biotechnological strategy for sustainable pest control by silencing essential insect genes, resulting in increased mortality. However, its practical application remains limited due to environmental instability and delivery inefficiency of RNA molecules. In this study, three novel RNA-delivery nanoparticles-Polyplex, CS-TPP, and Lipoplex- were developed and their ability to enhance RNA stability and gene silencing efficacy against the intestinal mesh gene in Spodoptera litura was evaluated.

Differential RNAi efficacy of siRNA and dsRNA targeting key genes for pest control in .

RNA interference (RNAi) is a promising gene-silencing technique for pest control that targets essential genes. We assessed the potential of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) and small interfering RNA (siRNA) to silence or genes in the midguts of larvae. Despite the theoretical promise of RNAi approaches, our findings revealed that dsRNA did not induce significant gene silencing or impact larval growth, whereas siRNA exhibited clear insecticidal effects, likely by disrupting intestinal osmoregulation and impairing larval fitness.

A Novel Chitin-Based Purification System Using GAL1 Fusion Tags: Enhancing Recombinant Protein Production While Retaining Biological Activity.

Efficient and economical purification methods are crucial for the commercial production of recombinant proteins with biomedical applications. In this study, we developed an affinity chromatography system that leverages the polysaccharide-binding properties of galectin-1 (GAL1) as a protein tag. The known GAL1-binding material, chitin, was used as the purification matrix.

Synergistic impacts of propargite exposure and deformed wing virus infection on the health of western honey bees.

This study aimed to elucidate the possible synergistic effects of chemical pesticides and viral infections. Our experiments demonstrated that the Varroa mite-borne deformed wing virus (DWV) by itself had a minimal impact on bees. Conversely, when bees were simultaneously treated with acaricides, their mortality rate increased.

Honey bee foraging ability suppressed by imidacloprid can be ameliorated by adding adenosine.

Honey bees are important pollinators in most ecosystem, but they are currently facing many threats, which have led to a reduction in their population. Previous studies have indicated that neonicotinoid pesticide can impair the memory and learning ability of honey bees, which can eventually lead to a decline in their foraging and homing abilities. In this study, we investigated the homing ability barrier from the perspective of energy supply.

Elevated temperature affects energy metabolism and behavior of bumblebees.

Bumblebees (Bombus eximius) are one of the most prominent pollinators in the agricultural industry because of their adaptation to temperate climates and pollination behavior (buzz pollination). Several studies have explained the need to increase conservation efforts for bumblebees due to climate change, but studies on the impact of climate change on pollination behavior of bumblebees have been limited. The present study investigated the effect of elevated temperatures on the survival and physiology of bumblebees.

Carbohydrate metabolism is a determinant for the host specificity of baculovirus infections.

Baculoviruses Autographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) and Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) have highly similar genome sequences but exhibit no overlap in their host range. After baculovirus infects nonpermissive larvae (e.g.

Real-time monitoring of deformed wing virus-infected bee foraging behavior following histone deacetylase inhibitor treatment.

Impairment in the learning/memory behavior of bees is responsible for the massive disappearance of bee populations and its consequent agricultural economic losses. Such impairment might be because of o both pesticide exposure and pathogen infection, with a key contributor deformed wing virus (DWV). The present study found that sodium butyrate (NaB) significantly increased survival and reversed the learning/memory impairment of DWV-infected bees.

Deformed wing virus infection affects the neurological function of Apis mellifera by altering extracellular adenosine signaling.

Deformed wing virus (DWV) infection is believed to be closely associated with colony losses of honeybee (Apis mellifera) due to reduced learning and memory of infected bees. The adenosine (Ado) pathway is important for maintaining immunity and memory function in animals, and it enhances antivirus responses by regulating carbohydrate metabolism in insects. Nevertheless, its effect on the memory of invertebrates is not yet clear.

MicroRNAs from Snellenius manilae bracovirus regulate innate and cellular immune responses of its host Spodoptera litura.

To avoid inducing immune and physiological responses in insect hosts, parasitoid wasps have developed several mechanisms to inhibit them during parasitism, including the production of venom, specialized wasp cells, and symbioses with polydnaviruses (PDVs). These mechanisms alter the host physiology to give the wasp offspring a greater chance of survival. However, the molecular mechanisms for most of these alterations remain unclear.

Identification of Immune Regulatory Genes in through Caffeine Treatment.

Plants and pollinators are mutually beneficial: plants provide nectar as a food source and in return their pollen is disseminated by pollinators such as honeybees. Some plants secrete chemicals to deter herbivores as a protective measure, among which is caffeine, a naturally occurring, bitter tasting, and pharmacologically active secondary compound. It can be found in low concentrations in the nectars of some plants and as such, when pollinators consume nectar, they also take in small amounts of caffeine.

Snellenius manilae bracovirus suppresses the host immune system by regulating extracellular adenosine levels in Spodoptera litura.

Sufficient energy supply to the host immune system is important for resisting pathogens. Therefore, during pathogen infection, the host metabolism is reassigned from storage, growth, and development to the immune system. Previous studies in Drosophila melanogaster have demonstrated that systemic metabolic switching upon an immune challenge is activated by extracellular adenosine signaling, modulating carbohydrate mobilization and redistributing energy to the hemocytes.