Endocrine changes associated with metamorphosis and diapause induction in the yellow-spotted longicorn beetle, Psacothea hilaris

Regulation of Insect Hormones in Different Types of Diapause in Chilo Partellus (Swinhoe)

Maize stem borer, Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) is a key pest of maize and sorghum. It undergoes both in estivation and hibernation depending on prevailing environmental conditions. Present investigations were aimed to decipher the regulation of ecdysone, 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) and juvenile hormone III (JH III) during different stages (prediapause, diapause and post-diapause/pupae) of hibernation and estivation as compared to counterpart nondiapause C. partellus. Significant variations were found in the ecdysone, 20E and JH III titers in the hemolymph of different stages of hibernation and estivation over the nondiapause C. partellus. At the prediapause stages of hibernation and estivation, the 20E was greater than the ecdysone. However, the ecdysone and 20E downregulated, while JH III upregulated during prediapause stages of hibernation and estivation as compared to nondiapause larvae. During diapause, 20E decreased in hibernation, and increased in estivation as compared to their respective prediapause stages. The JH III significantly upregulated in diapause stages of hibernation and estivation over the nondiapause larvae. However, it was significantly greater in prediapause and diapause stages of estivation as compared to hibernation strain. During post-diapause stage, the ecdysone and 20E titers were greater in estivation than in the hibernation and nondiapause strains, while JH III was greater in nondiapause than in the hibernation and estivation strains. These findings suggest the crucial role of these hormones in establishing switch between different stages of diapause and metamorphosis in C. partellus, which could further be useful to strategize sustainable management of C. partellus.

Genome-wide analysis reveals transcriptional and translational changes during diapause of the Asian corn borer (Ostrinia furnacalis)

BACKGROUND

Diapause, a pivotal phase in the insect life cycle, enables survival during harsh environmental conditions. Unraveling the gene expression profiles of the diapause process helps uncover the molecular mechanisms that underlying diapause, which is crucial for understanding physiological adaptations. In this study, we utilize RNA-seq and Ribo-seq data to examine differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and translational efficiency during diapause of Asian corn borer (Ostrinia furnacalis, ACB).

RESULTS

Our results unveil genes classified as "forwarded", "exclusive", "intensified", or "buffered" during diapause, shedding light on their transcription and translation regulation patterns. Furthermore, we explore the landscape of lncRNAs (long non-coding RNAs) during diapause and identify differentially expressed lncRNAs, suggesting their roles in diapause regulation. Comparative analysis of different types of diapause in insects uncovers shared and unique KEGG pathways. While shared pathways highlight energy balance, exclusive pathways in the ACB larvae indicate insect-specific adaptations related to nutrient utilization and stress response. Interestingly, our study also reveals dynamic changes in the HSP70 gene family and proteasome pathway during diapause. Manipulating HSP protein levels and proteasome pathway by HSP activator or inhibitor and proteasome inhibitor affects diapause, indicating their vital role in the process.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, these findings enhance our knowledge of how insects navigate challenging conditions through intricate molecular mechanisms.

Methoprene, a Juvenile Hormone Analog, Causes Winter Diapause Elimination in Univoltine Bee Species Osmia bicornis L

Osmia bicornis syn. O. rufa is a univoltine bee species in which adults fly in spring and the offspring overwinter as cocooned imagoes. The flight period of solitary bees is short, so methods of control for development and emergence time are needed to synchronize the activity of managed pollinators with blooming. In our study, we tested the effectiveness of a juvenile hormone analog for the prevention of winter diapause. Bees developed in settled nests outdoors or in the laboratory (22 °C) until the end of the pre-pupa stage, then cocoons were removed from the nest cells and treated with a JH analog-methoprene-during the pupa and young imago stages. Then, bees were activated at 25 °C until the adults left the cocoons. Topical application of methoprene to the cocoon at the pupa or imago stage induced the emergence of some adult bees in the pre-diapause period, while no adults emerged when the bees were not treated with methoprene. Most adults emerged (about 50%) when treated with methoprene on 3-week-old cocooned imagoes. Bees treated in the pupal stage had a lower emergence rate (20-30%), but adult bees emerged earlier. The emergence time of adults for the laboratory group was, on average, from 70 to 91 days, and that for outdoor groups was from 57 to 72 days.

Cloning and characterization of Methoprene-tolerant (Met) and Krüppel homolog 1 (Kr-h1) genes in the wheat blossom midge, Sitodiplosis mosellana

Juvenile hormone (JH), a growth regulator, inhibits ecdysteroid-induced metamorphosis and controls insect development and diapause. Methoprene-tolerant (Met) and Krüppel homolog 1 (Kr-h1) are two proteins involved in JH action. To gain some insight into their function in development of Sitodiplosis mosellana, an insect pest undergoing obligatory larval diapause at the mature 3rd instar stage, we cloned full-length complementary DNAs of Met and Kr-h1 from this species. SmMet encoded a putative protein, which contained three domains typical of the bHLH-PAS family and eight conserved amino acid residues important for JH binding. SmKr-h1 encoded a protein showing high sequence homology to its counterparts in other species, and contained all eight highly conserved Zn-finger motifs for DNA-binding. Expression patterns of SmMet and SmKr-h1 were developmentally regulated and JH III responsive as well. Their mRNA abundance increased as larvae entered early 3rd instar, pre-diapause and maintenance stages, and peaked during post-diapause quiescence, a pattern correlated with JH titers in this species. Different from reduced expression of SmMet, SmKr-h1 mRNA increased at mid-to-late period of post-diapause development. Topical application of JH III on diapausing larvae also induced the two genes in a dose-dependent manner. Expression of SmMet and SmKr-h1 clearly declined in the pre-pupal phase, and was significantly higher in female adults than male adults. These results suggest that JH-responsive SmMet and SmKr-h1 might play key roles in diapause induction and maintenance as well as in post-diapause quiescence and adult reproduction, whereas metamorphosis from larvae to pupae might be correlated with their reduced expression.

Regulation of Hormone-Related Genes in Ericerus pela (Hemiptera: Coccidae) for Dimorphic Metamorphosis

Insect hormones regulate metamorphosis including that leading to sexual dimorphism. Using RNA-Seq, we discovered that the second-instar male larva (SM) of the white wax insect, Ericerus pela, have 5,968 and 8,620 differentially expressed transcripts compared with the second-instar female larva (SF) and the first-instar male larva (FM), respectively. The expression levels of genes involved in the apoptosis of old tissues and the reconstruction of new ones in the SM significantly enhanced, while the SF mainly has enhanced expression levels of anabolic genes such as chitin. We predicted that the second-instar larvae are the developmental origin of sexual dimorphic metamorphosis. Meanwhile, in the juvenile hormone (JH) metabolic pathway, CYP15A1 and JH esterase (JHE) are differentially expressed; and in the 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) metabolic pathway, CYP307A1, CYP314A1, and CYP18A1 are differentially expressed. In the SM, the expression levels of CYP307A1 and CYP314A1 are significantly increased, whereas the expression level of CYP18A1 is significantly decreased; in the SF, the expression levels of the above genes are opposite to that of the SM. Expression trends of RNA-seq is consistent with the expression level of qRT-PCR, and seven of them are highly correlated (R ≥ 0.610) and four are moderately correlated (0.588 ≥ R ≥ 0.542).

The reduced brood nursing by mite-infested honey bees depends on their accelerated behavioral maturation

The parasitic mite Varroa destructor is regarded as the most important parasite of honey bees and plays a fundamental role in the decline of bee colonies observed in the last decade in the Northern hemisphere. Parasitization has a number of detrimental effects on bees, including reduced nursing, which can have important impacts on colony balance. In this work we investigated at the individual level the causes of this abnormal behavior and found that the reduced nursing activity in mite-infested workers is associated with impaired learning performance and a series of physiological traits that are typical of foragers, including reduced response to brood pheromone, limited development of hypopharyngeal glands and higher juvenile hormone titre in the haemolymph. Altogether our data confirm the premature transition to foraging already postulated based on previous genomics studies, from a physiological point of view.

Hormone Signaling Regulates Nymphal Diapause in Laodelphax striatellus (Hemiptera: Delphacidae)

Diapause is a physiological adaptation that allows an organism to survive adverse environmental conditions. Diapause occurs at a specific developmental stage in each species. There are few reports regarding the molecular regulatory mechanism of nymphal diapause in Laodelphax striatellus, which is an important graminaceous crop pest. Our previous studies identified the conditions for nymphal diapause in this species. Here, we combined RNA sequencing transcriptomics and quantitative proteomic analyses to identify nymphal diapause-related genes and proteins. The analysis of differentially regulated genes identified four gene/protein pairs that were synchronously up-regulated, and six gene/protein pairs that were synchronously down-regulated, suggesting that these genes may regulate nymphal diapause. The up-regulated gene juvenile hormone acid methyl transferase (JHAMT) and the down-regulated gene cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (CYP314A1, Shd) were chosen for further functional studies. After knocking-down of LsJHAMT and LsShd in vivo by RNA interference, the titer of JH III and 20E decreased significantly, and the duration of the nymphal development period was severely altered. Thus LsJHAMT and LsShd regulated JH III and 20E titers in the hemolymph to control the nymphal diapause status. This study may lead to new information on the regulation nymphal diapause of this important agricultural insect pest.

Insights into How Longicorn Beetle Larvae Determine the Timing of Metamorphosis: Starvation-Induced Mechanism Revisited

Larvae of holometabolous insects must determine the timing of their metamorphosis. How they determine this timing has only been studied in detail for a few insect species. In a few species of Coleoptera, starvation is known to be a cue for metamorphosis, leading to the formation of smaller adults (starvation-induced pupation, SiP). We investigated the occurrence of SiP in the beetle Psacothea hilaris. When P. hilaris larvae were starved late in the feeding phase of the last (5th) instar, they exhibited typical SiP characterized by constancy of the time from food deprivation to pupation (TTP) irrespective of the body weight upon food deprivation or the length of prior feeding. In contrast, when larvae were starved early in the feeding phase, TTP decreased by roughly 1 day as the feeding became 1 day longer. The change in the response to starvation was estimated to occur on day 5.9 in the last instar. A series of refeeding experiments suggested that whereas SiP occurred readily in the larvae starved in the late feeding phase, activation of SiP was suspended until day 5.9 in the larvae starved early in the feeding phase. When P. hilaris larvae were fed continuously, they eventually ceased feeding spontaneously and pupated. The time length between spontaneous cessation of feeding and pupation was approximately equal to the TTP in SiP. This suggests that the same mechanism was activated by food deprivation in the late feeding phase and by spontaneous cessation of ad libitum feeding.

Anti-juvenile hormone activity of ethyl 4-[(7-substituted 1,4-benzodioxan-6-yl)methyl]benzoates and their effect on the juvenile hormone titer in the hemolymph of the silkworm, Bombyx mori

A series of ethyl 4-[(7-substituted 1,4-benzodioxan-6-yl)methyl]benzoates was synthesized and evaluated for their anti-juvenile hormone (anti-JH) activities to induce precocious metamorphosis in silkworm (Bombyx mori) larvae. The introduction of bulky alkyloxy substituents on the 7-position on the benzodioxan ring significantly increased activity. Ethyl 4-[(7-benzyloxy-1,4-benzodioxan-6-yl)methyl]benzoate (4c) showed the most potent activity among the test compounds, and its median-effective dose (ED₅₀) value was 41 ng/larva. The JH I, II, and III concentrations in the hemolymph of the 3rd instar larvae treated with compound 4c were determined by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (UHPLC/MS) after using a simple purification method. Compound 4c clearly decreased the JH I and II titers of 3rd instar larvae within 24 hr after treatment, and prevented JH I spike usually found immediately after 4th instar molting.

Homeodomain Protein Scr Regulates the Transcription of Genes Involved in Juvenile Hormone Biosynthesis in the Silkworm

The silkworm Dominant trimolting (Moltinism, M³) mutant undergoes three larval molts and exhibits precocious metamorphosis. In this study, we found that compared with the wild-type (WT) that undergoes four larval molts, both the juvenile hormone (JH) concentration and the expression of the JH-responsive gene Krüppel homolog 1 (Kr-h1) began to be greater in the second instar of the M³ mutant. A positional cloning analysis revealed that only the homeodomain transcription factor gene Sex combs reduced (Scr) is located in the genomic region that is tightly linked to the M³ locus. The expression level of the Scr gene in the brain-corpora cardiaca-corpora allata (Br-CC-CA) complex, which controls the synthesis of JH, was very low in the final larval instar of both the M³ and WT larvae, and exhibited a positive correlation with JH titer changes. Importantly, luciferase reporter analysis and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) demonstrated that the Scr protein could promote the transcription of genes involved in JH biosynthesis by directly binding to the cis-regulatory elements (CREs) of homeodomain protein on their promoters. These results conclude that the homeodomain protein Scr is transcriptionally involved in the regulation of JH biosynthesis in the silkworm.

Effects of Pyriproxyfen on Female Reproduction in the Common Cutworm, Spodoptera litura (F.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The common cutworm, Spodoptera litura, is a rapidly reproducing pest of numerous agricultural ecosystems worldwide. The use of pesticides remains the primary means for controlling S. litura, despite their negative ecological impact and potential threat to human health. The use of exogenous hormone analogs may represent an alternative to insecticides. Juvenile hormones (JHs) play an important role in the reproductive systems of female insects, but the effects of pyriproxyfen, a JH analog, on reproduction in S. litura were poorly understood. In this paper, we topically treated the newly emerged females with 20, 60, or 100 μg of pyriproxyfen to determine its effects on reproduction. Then, we examined the expression of vitellogenin (Vg) and three hormone receptors, USP, HR3, and EcR, using quantitative reverse transcription and real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and found that pyriproxyfen up-regulated the expression of Vg, USP, and HR3, whereas the expression of EcR was unaffected. An analysis of fecundity showed that the peak oviposition day, lifespan, and oviposition period were progressively shortened as the pyriproxyfen dosage increased. We also found that pyriproxyfen decreased egg laying amount, whereas the number of mature eggs that remained in the ovarioles of dead females increased as the pyriproxyfen dosage increased. We examined oocytes using transmission electron microscopy and found that treatment with 100 μg of pyriproxyfen increased the metabolism by increasing the amount of rough endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria in the primary oocytes. Our results suggest that the topical application of pyriproxyfen on newly emerged females can efficiently reduce reproduction in S. litura and may represent an alternative to the use of insecticides for controlling the agricultural pest.

The endoparasitoid, Cotesia vestalis, regulates host physiology by reprogramming the neuropeptide transcriptional network

Endoparasitoids develop inside another insect by regulating host immunity and development via maternal factors injected into hosts during oviposition. Prior results have provided insights into parasitism-induced immunosuppression, including the neuropeptide accumulation in parasitized insects. Nonetheless, our understanding of neuropeptide influence on host development and behavior is not yet complete. We posed the hypothesis that parasitization alters expression of genes encoding pro-neuropeptides and used larvae of Plutella xylostella and its endoparasitoid, Cotesia vestalis to test our hypothesis. We prepared transcriptomes from the larval P. xylostella brain-CC-CA complex and identified transcripts encoding 19 neuropeptides. All corresponding cDNAs were confirmed by RACE. Our results demonstrate that parasitism significantly down-regulated, or delayed, expression of genes encoding pro-neuropeptides within 48 h post-parasitization. Changing expression of these genes may account for the previously reported decreased feeding behavior, reduced growth rates and aborted development in the host larvae. In effect, parasitization may operate at the molecular level within the CNS to create global changes in larval host biology. The significance of our finding is that, in addition to the known effects on immunity, parasitoids influence host pro-neuropeptide gene transcription. This finding reveals a new mechanism operating in host-parasitoid relationships to the advantage of the parasitoid.

Ecdysteroid hormones link the juvenile environment to alternative adult life histories in a seasonal insect

The conditional expression of alternative life strategies is a widespread feature of animal life and a pivotal adaptation to life in seasonal environments. To optimally match suites of traits to seasonally changing ecological opportunities, animals living in seasonal environments need mechanisms linking information on environmental quality to resource allocation decisions. The butterfly Bicyclus anynana expresses alternative adult life histories in the alternating wet and dry seasons of its habitat as endpoints of divergent developmental pathways triggered by seasonal variation in preadult temperature. Pupal ecdysteroid hormone titers are correlated with the seasonal environment, but whether they play a functional role in coordinating the coupling of adult traits in the alternative life histories is unknown. Here, we show that manipulating pupal ecdysteroid levels is sufficient to mimic in direction and magnitude the shifts in adult reproductive resource allocation normally induced by seasonal temperature. Crucially, this allocation shift is accompanied by changes in ecologically relevant traits, including timing of reproduction, life span, and starvation resistance. Together, our results support a functional role for ecdysteroids during development in mediating strategic reproductive investment decisions in response to predictive indicators of environmental quality. This study provides a physiological mechanism for adaptive developmental plasticity, allowing organisms to cope with variable environments.

Diapause: delaying the developmental clock in response to a changing environment

Seasonal changes can induce organisms to modify their developmental growth. Many holometabolous insects, especially Lepidoptera, trigger diapause, an "actively induced" dormancy, for overwintering. Diapause is an alternative developmental pathway that reversibly blocks developmental growth during specific transitions and enhances the hibernating potential of the organism. Changes in environmental cues, such as light and temperature, trigger modifications in the levels, or in the timing, of developmental hormones. These in turn switch the developmental trajectory (diapause or direct development), strongly altering larval/pupal growth and inducing the appearance of diapause-bound seasonal morphs (polyphenism). We also discuss an example of vertebrate diapause using the killifish embryo as an example where diapause is an environmentally determined developmental switch analogous to that observed in lepidopteran dormancy. Based on the examples discussed here, we propose that the complex physiological responses leading to diapause might evolve quickly by relatively limited genetic changes in the regulation of hormonal signals that program normal developmental transitions.

Juvenile hormone changes associated with diapause induction, maintenance, and termination in the beet webworm, Loxostege sticticalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

At 22°C and under a long-day photoperiod of L:D 16:8, all the last fifth instar Loxostege sticticalis larvae undergo prepupal stage and pupate without diapause. Under a short-day photoperiod of L:D 12:12, in contrast, they all enter diapause with approximately 36 days diapause maintenance and then terminate diapause spontaneously, although only 44% of the larvae terminated diapause successfully. Changes in hemolymph juvenile hormone (JH I) titers of diapause-destined larvae across diapause induction, maintenance and termination were examined using HPLC, and were compared with those of non-diapause-destined larvae from the fifth instar through pupation. JH I titer of the earliest fifth instar diapause-destined larvae remained at a high level with a peak of 220.4 ng/ml, though it decreased continuously to a minimum of 69.0 ng/ml on day 5 in the fifth instar when the larvae stopped feeding to enter diapause. During the diapause maintenance, JH I titer of the mature larvae increased significantly and maintained a high level until day 31 in prepupae. JH I titer declined and fluctuated at low level from 5 days before pupation. In contrast, JH I titer of both the fifth instar non-diapause-destined larvae and prepupae remained and fluctuated at low level consistently, as well as decreased before pupation. These results indicate that diapause induction and maintenance in this species might be a consequence of high JH, whereas diapause termination can be attributed to low JH titer, which was in agreement with the hormonal regulation observed in many other larval-diapausing insects.

Biological activities of juvenile hormone III skipped bisepoxide in last instar nymphs and adults of a stink bug, Plautia stali

Juvenile hormone III skipped bisepoxide (JHSB(3)), methyl (2R,3S,10R)-2,3;10,11-bisepoxyfarnesoate was recently determined as a novel juvenile hormone (JH) in a stink bug, Plautia stali. To further confirm the biological function of JHSB(3) in this insect, its juvenilizing, reproduction-stimulating and diapause-terminating activities and the presence in the hemolymph were examined. Topical application of JHSB(3) to last instar nymphs inhibited their metamorphosis in a dose-dependent fashion. In allatectomized and diapausing adults, JHSB(3) application exerted stimulatory effects on the development of ovaries and ectadenia in females and males, respectively. JHSB(3) was detected from the hemolymph of reproductively active females by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis while its titer in the hemolymph collected from diapausing adults was too low to be detected. These results demonstrated that JHSB(3) has biological function as a JH in P. stali. Topical application of JHSB(3), its stereoisomers and 10R-JH III also indicated that compounds with the 2R,3S-configuration were more potent than those with the 2S,3R-configuration and 2,3-double bond.

Neuropeptide regulators of the juvenile hormone biosynthesis (in vitro) in the beetle, Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae)

The genome of Tribolium castaneum encodes two allatostatin [AS type B; W(X)(6)Wamide and AS type C; PISCF-OH] and one allatotropin (AT) precursor, but no AS type A (FGLamide) (Tribolium Genome Sequencing Consortium, 2008: Nature 452:949-955). Here we studied the activity (in vitro) of peptides derived from these precursors on the synthesis/release of juvenile hormone (JH) III. The corpora cardiaca-corpora allata (CC-CA) complexes of adult females of another tenebrionid beetle, the mealworm Tenebrio molitor, were used. Incubating the gland complexes in a medium containing Trica-AS B3 peptide, we showed that the peptide has allatostatic function in T. molitor. The activity of the type C AS depended on the age of the test animals and their intrinsic rate of JH III biosynthesis. The Trica-AS C peptide inhibited the JH release from CA of 3-day-old females with a high intrinsic rate of JH synthesis, but activated JH release from the CA of 7-day-old females with a lower intrinsic rate of JH production. The allatotropin peptide (Trica-AT) also activated the JH release from the CA of 7-day-old females in a dose-dependent and reversible manner. Unexpectedly, a type A AS derived from the precursor of the American cockroach Periplaneta americana (Peram-AS A2b) inhibited the JH release from the CA of younger and older females in the concentration range of 10(-8) to 10(-4) M, and the effects were fully reversible in the absence of peptide. These data suggest a complex role of allatoactive neuropeptides in the regulation of JH III biosynthesis in beetles.

Venom of Pteromalus puparum (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) induced endocrine changes in the hemolymph of its host, Pieris rapae (Lepidoptera: Pieridae)

Pteromalus puparum is a predominant endoparasitoid wasp of Pieris rapae. Its venom is the only active factor injected into host associated with oviposition. In this report, we explored whether the venom alone from this wasp affects the endocrine system of its host or not. We monitored the changes of hemolymph juvenile hormone (JH; only JH III detected), ecdysteroid, and juvenile hormone esterase activity (JHE) over 72 h in parasitized and venom-microinjected P. rapae pupae. Non-parasitized and PBS-microinjected P. rapae served as controls. Results showed that JH titers were significantly higher in parasitized and venom-microinjected pupae than that in control pupae during 24 to 72 h. After 12 h, JH titers were significantly promoted by parasitization and venom microinjection. JHE activities of non-parasitized and PBS-microinjected pupae were significantly higher than that of parasitized and venom-microinjected pupae, which was with a peak at 12 h (parasitized pupae) or 24 h (venom-microinjected pupae) during 6 to 48 and 12 to 36 h, respectively. The hemolymph titers of ecdysteroid in non-parasitized and PBS-microinjected pupae increased rapidly during 12 to 36 h with a peak at 36 h, and were higher than treatments before 48 h, while presenting a significant difference at 24 to 48 h between the treatments and controls. The results demonstrate that venom alone of this parasitoid wasp can disrupt its host's endocrine system.

Roles of ecdysteroid and juvenile hormone in vitellogenesis in an endoparasitic wasp, Pteromalus puparum (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae)

To elucidate the endocrine regulation of vitellogenesis in an endoparastic wasp (Pteromalus puparum), the titers of ecdysteroid and juvenile hormone (JH) from the whole bodies are measured using the method of radioimmunoassay and GC-MS, and compared with the levels of vitellogenin (Vg) mRNA in the fat bodies, hemolymph Vg and ovarian vitellin (Vt), respectively. The results show that the ecdysteroid titer and fat body Vg mRNA level have a similar dynamics tendency, and the peak titer is at adult eclosion. The titer of JH III and ovarian Vt also have a similar dynamics tendency, and the peak titer is at 48h after eclosion. The profiles of hemolymph Vg, Vg mRNA in fat bodies and ovarian Vt, are also measured in the wasps after treated with different amounts of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20HE) or JH III in female pupa and adults. The results show that 20HE stimulates Vg synthesis in the fat bodies and its release into the hemolymph, and that JH III only accelerates Vg sequestration in the oocytes. Decapitation, which is believed to terminate synthesis of JH in insects, can not inhibit vitellogenesis and oocyte maturation in P. puparum. Furthermore, Vg gene is expressed with a lower titer of JH and depressed by a higher titer of JH III. These studies suggest that ecdysteroids play a role in Vg synthesis and believed to be the dominant hormones in regulation of vitellogenesis in P. puparum, and JHs are not the essential factors to female reproduction in this wasp.

Juvenile hormone esterase activity in the pupating and diapausing larvae of Sesamia nonagrioides

The development of the Mediterranean corn borer, Sesamia nonagrioides, under long-day (LD) photoperiod is associated with juvenile hormone (JH) decline and pupation in the 5th or 6th larval instar. The larvae grown under short-day (SD) conditions maintain a moderate JH titer and enter diapause during which they undergo several extra larval molts. Both types of larvae exhibit similar levels of juvenile hormone esterase (JHE) activity that increases in each instar during the period of low ecdysteroid titer and drops when the titer rises to a molt-inducing peak. A suppression of JHE activity within 24h after application of an ecdysteroid agonist suggests that the drop of activity is a rapid and possibly direct response to ecdysteroids or their agonist. Esterase inhibitor 3-octylthio-1,1,1-trifluoro-2-propanone (OTFP) suppressed more than 98% of the JHE activity without affecting pupation timing and adult development. The data indicate that JHE is not crucial for the switch between larval development, diapause, and metamorphosis in S. nonagrioides.

Eco-physiological phases of insect diapause

Insect diapause is a dynamic process consisting of several successive phases. The conception and naming of the phases is unsettled and, sometimes, ambiguous in the literature. In this paper, the ontogeny of diapause was reviewed and the most often used terms and the best substantiated phases were highlighted, explained and re-defined. The aim was to propose relatively simple and generally applicable terminological system. The phases of diapause induction, preparation, initiation, maintenance, termination and post-diapause quiescence were distinguished. The specific progression through diapause phases in each species, population (genotype), or even individual, is based on (thus far largely unknown) physiological processes, the actual expression of which is significantly modified by diverse environmental factors. Thus, such phases are eco-physiological in their nature.

Tenebrio molitor antifreeze protein gene identification and regulation

The yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor, is a freeze susceptible, stored product pest. Its winter survival is facilitated by the accumulation of antifreeze proteins (AFPs), encoded by a small gene family. We have now isolated 11 different AFP genomic clones from 3 genomic libraries. All the clones had a single coding sequence, with no evidence of intervening sequences. Three genomic clones were further characterized. All have putative TATA box sequences upstream of the coding regions and multiple potential poly(A) signal sequences downstream of the coding regions. A TmAFP regulatory region, B1037, conferred transcriptional activity when ligated to a luciferase reporter sequence and after transfection into an insect cell line. A 143 bp core promoter including a TATA box sequence was identified. Its promoter activity was increased 4.4 times by inserting an exotic 245 bp intron into the construct, similar to the enhancement of transgenic expression seen in several other systems. The addition of a duplication of the first 120 bp sequence from the 143 bp core promoter decreased promoter activity by half. Although putative hormonal response sequences were identified, none of the five hormones tested enhanced reporter activity. These studies on the mechanisms of AFP transcriptional control are important for the consideration of any transfer of freeze-resistance phenotypes to beneficial hosts.

Endocrine changes associated with the starvation-induced premature metamorphosis in the yellow-spotted longicorn beetle, Psacothea hilaris

Under 25 degrees C and a long day photoperiod, about half of the fourth instar Psacothea hilaris larvae molt to the fifth instar on day 13 and pupate about 18 days later; the rest pupate without a further larval molt with a mean fourth instar period of 24 days. However, starvation of fourth instar larvae exceeding a threshold weight induces premature pupation, resulting in the formation of small but morphologically normal adults. To clarify the endocrine basis for this premature pupation, hemolymph juvenile hormone (JH) and ecdysteroid titers were quantified during the fed and the starved periods. Normally fed fourth instar larvae exhibited two populations with regard to JH and ecdysteroid titers, one having JH titers ranging from 1.2 to 2.1 ng/ml through to day 13, the other, similarly high titers in the early part of the instar but low titers reaching 0.1 ng/ml on day 13. One population had ecdysteroid titers with a peak of 43 ng/ml on day 10, coinciding well with the period when some larvae normally molt to the fifth instar (day 13), the other, a small peak of 14 ng/ml on day 14 and a large peak of 70 ng/ml on day 17 coinciding well with the period just before the prepupa stage. When fourth instar larvae were starved after 4 days of feeding, JH titers decreased sharply in the next 24h and never recovered, and a small but significant increase (to 21 ng/ml) in ecdysteroid titers was observed on day 6, followed by a large peak of 63 ng/ml on day 11. Altogether, these results suggest that starvation induces a rapid decline in the JH titer, and this cues the early occurrence of a small ecdysteroid peak that commits larvae to early metamorphosis.

Feeding glucose or sucrose, but not trehalose, suppresses the starvation-induced premature pupation in the yellow-spotted longicorn beetle, Psacothea hilaris

Under 25 degrees C and a long-day photoperiod, starvation induces premature pupation in 4th instar Psacothea hilaris larvae exceeding a threshold weight of 180 mg, resulting in the formation of small but morphologically normal adults. To investigate possible mechanisms underlying this phenomenon, we first measured the hemolymph trehalose and glucose levels of starved larvae. When larvae were starved after 4 days of feeding (attaining the threshold weight), glucose levels decreased 4-fold within the next 24 h, while trehalose levels, after a temporary slight decrease, increased remarkably to reach a peak just before the prepupa stage. The effects of ingesting various nutrients on the developmental fate and the hemolymph sugar titers of starving larvae were then examined. Feeding on agar blocks containing sucrose or glucose totally suppressed the occurrence of premature pupation, while trehalose, fructose, casein and starch were ineffective. Feeding on glucose or trehalose resulted in a 6-fold decrease in hemolymph glucose levels and remarkably elevated trehalose levels. Since feeding on glucose and trehalose induced similar changes in hemolymph sugar titers but trehalose was not effective in suppressing premature pupation, glucose may have exhibited its effects via gustatory mechanisms.