Effect of dietary cadmium on the activity of glutathione S-transferase and carboxylesterase in different developmental stages of the Oxya chinensis (Orthoptera: Acridoidea)

Effects of Long-Term Exposure to Cadmium on Development, Reproduction and Antioxidant Enzymes of Aleuroglyphus ovatus (Acari: Acaridae)

Grain contaminated by cadmium (Cd) has become a serious food security problem, and it is necessary to determine and evaluate the toxic effect and defense mechanism of long-term heavy metal pollution in grain. In order to evaluate the effects of long-term heavy metal Cd stress on the stored grain pests, Aleuroglyphus ovatus were fed with an artificial diet supplemented with different concentrations of Cd (0, 5, 10, 20 mg/kg). The development, fecundity and detoxification enzymes of A. ovatus were analyzed and observed. In this study, the immature duration of A. ovatus was significantly prolonged under long-term Cd stress. Moreover, the survival duration of female adults was significantly shortened. The total number of eggs laid and the daily number laid per female adult decreased significantly. There were significant differences in protein content at protonymph and tritonymph stages when the concentration of Cd exceeded 10 mg/kg. The protein content of female adults was higher than that of male adults. The activity of detoxification enzymes showed differences in different conditions, such as development stage, Cd concentration and gender. These findings confirmed that A. ovatus were sensitive to Cd, and their offspring were severely affected under long-term Cd stress. Therefore, A. ovatus is a good model for evaluating the toxicity of long-term heavy metal Cd stress. The study provides the basis and enriches the research content of heavy metal pollution on mites, contributing to the harmonious and healthy development between the environment and human beings.

Enzymology, Histological and Ultrastructural Effects of Ar-Turmerone on Culex pipiens pallens Larvae

Our previous article demonstrated that ar-turmerone ((6S)-2-methyl-6-(4-methylphenyl)-2-hepten-4-one) extracted from Curcuma longa L. has a significant larvicidal activity against the fourth instar larvae of Culex pipiens pallens. To reveal the effects of ar-turmerone on C. pipiens pallens larvae, light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to observe the histological and ultrastructure changes in muscle and digestive tissues of fourth instar larvae. It was also revealed by detecting the activity of the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme and three detoxifying enzymes, including carboxylesterase (CarE), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and Cytochrome P450 monooxidases (P450). The observation under the light microscope showed that the larvae displayed a disruption of myofibril in ventral muscle cells, the disappearance of nucleolus in the malpighian tubule cells, and the exfoliation of the brush border in midgut epithelial cells, 24 h after treatment. The observation under the transmission electron microscope displayed disorganized Z-lines in the ventral muscle cells, and dissolved membrane of mitochondria, nuclear and endoplasmic reticulum in abdominal cells. The enzymatic activity results showed that ar-turmerone significantly increased the level of detoxifying enzymes, while the activity of AChE was not obviously affected. All the results suggest that the larvicidal mechanism of ar-turmerone is estimated to be stomach poison and the active sites might be the muscle and digestive tissues, and the mode of action of ar-turmerone may be unrelated to AChE.

Latrophilin mediates insecticides susceptibility and fecundity through two carboxylesterases, esterase4 and esterase6, in Tribolium castaneum

Latrophilin (LPH) is known as an adhesion G-protein-coupled receptor which involved in multiple physiological processes in organisms. Previous studies showed that lph not only involved the susceptibility to anticholinesterase insecticides but also affected fecundity in Tribolium castaneum. However, its regulatory mechanisms in these biological processes are still not clear. Here, we identified two potential downstream carboxylesterase (cce) genes of Tclph, esterase4 and esterase6, and further characterized their interactions with Tclph. After treatment of T. castaneum larvae with carbofuran or dichlorvos insecticides, the transcript levels of Tcest4 and Tcest6 were significantly induced from 12 to 72 h. RNAi against Tcest4 or Tcest6 led to the higher mortality compared with the controls after the insecticides treatment, suggesting that these two genes play a vital role in detoxification of insecticides in T. castaneum. Furthermore, with insecticides exposure to Tclph knockdown beetles, the expression of Tcest4 was upregulated but Tcest6 was downregulated, indicating that beetles existed a compensatory response against the insecticides. Additionally, RNAi of Tcest6 resulted in 43% reductions in female egg laying and completely inhibited egg hatching, which showed the similar phenotype as that of Tclph knockdown. These results indicated that Tclph affected fecundity by positively regulating Tcest6 expression. Our findings will provide a new insight into the molecular mechanisms of Tclph involved in physiological functions in T. castaneum.

Heavy Metal Accumulation/Excretion in and Food Utilization of Lymantria dispar Larvae Fed With Zn- or Pb-Stressed Populus alba berolinensis Leaves

Heavy metal contaminations have attracted increasing concern worldwide due to their potential damages to the whole ecosystem. This study investigated the heavy metal-accumulation and excretion in, and food utilization of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) larvae that were fed with leaves plucked from poplar seedlings (Populus alba berolinensis) grown in either noncontaminated soil (control), Zn-contaminated soil (500mg/kg), or Pb-contaminated soil (500mg/kg). Our results showed that excretion of heavy metals via insect feces and exuvia is an effective approach to reduce the internal Zn and Pb concentrations, and result in the decrease of Zn and Pb concentrations in the gypsy moth larvae with the increased larval age. In addition, the gypsy moth larvae seemed to have a strong homeostatic adjustment mechanism [between approximate digestibility (AD) and efficiency of conversion of digested food (ECD)] that maintains a stable level of "efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI)" regardless of heavy metal (Zn or Pb) contaminations or not, except the fifth instar larvae in which the increase in AD was insufficient to compensate for the decrease of ECD. These results suggest that heavy metal excretions could help the gypsy moth larvae cope with Zn or Pb stress, and the increased digestion of food could meet their energy requirements for both detoxification and growth. However, further increase in Zn or Pb exposure time seemed to inhibit the larval food utilization.

Effects of Cd accumulation on cutworm Spodoptera litura larvae via Cd treated Chinese flowering cabbage Brassica campestris and artificial diets

By exposing herbivorous cutworm Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae to Cadmium (Cd) stress via Cd treated cabbages Brassica campestris and artificial diets, we investigated effects of Cd accumulation in larvae on their survival and food utilization. The results showed that Cd transferred from soils contaminated with different Cd concentrations through cabbages-larvae, and be mainly accumulated in larvae guts. There was a dose-response relationship between Cd accumulations in larvae cuticle, head, guts and Cd concentrations in artificial diets, and the highest one was found in the guts, regardless of generations. High Cd stress (10 mg kg^-1 Cd in soil, 40.6, 81.2 mg kg^-1 Cd in artificial diets) had inhibited effects on larvae growth and food utilization, whereas low Cd stress (Lvbao 701 planted in 2.5 mg kg^-1 Cd soil, 4.06 mg kg^-1 Cd in artificial diets) showed stimulated effect. Cd accumulations in the guts were significantly negative correlated with efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI) and relative growth rate (RGR) of larvae feeding on Cd treated diets or cabbages while were significantly positive correlated with relative consumption rate (RCR). Therefore, after S. litura larvae feed on Cd treated natural food or artificial diets, Cd could be transferred to different tissues, and mainly accumulated in the guts, which significantly affected growth and food utilization. Additionally, Cd stress via Cd treated artificial diets presented less detrimental effects on S. litura larvae than via Cd treated cabbages.

Effects of Cd, Zn or Pb stress in Populus alba berolinensis on the development and reproduction of Lymantria dispar

In order to investigate the effects of heavy metal stress on woody plant defense against phytophagous insects, we studied development and reproduction traits of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar that were separately fed with leaves plucked from poplar seedlings (Populus alba berolinensis) grown in either non-contaminated soil (control), Cd-contaminated soil (1.5 mg/kg), Zn-contaminated soil (500 mg/kg) or Pb-contaminated soil (500 mg/kg). The results showed that feeding on Cd or Pb stressed poplar leaves significantly decreased L. dispar larval weights, body lengths and head capsule widths, pupal weights and female fecundity, and delayed the duration of larval development. Similar effects from the Zn stressed poplar leaves were also observed on all the above mentioned variables except male pupal weight and larval development duration that showed no differences from the control. Cd, Zn, or Pb stressed poplar leaves had no significant effects on L. dispar larval survival, pupation and emergence rates; in fact, both larval survival and pupation rates reached 100%. These results suggest that Cd, Zn or Pb stress in P. alba berolinensis might help the trees defend against the defoliator, however; L. dispar may in turn have an effective detoxification mechanism for lessening the effects of plant-mediated defenses and heavy metals in leaves on larval survival, pupation and eclosion.

Assessment of oxidative stress and activities of antioxidant enzymes depicts the negative systemic effect of iron-containing fertilizers and plant phenolic compounds in the desert locust

For herbivore insects, digesting can be somewhat challenging, as the defense mechanisms evolved by plants, including the release of phenolics like the non-protein amino acid L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA), can cause fitness costs. In addition, industrial and agricultural activities have elevated the amounts of iron that can be found in nature and more particularly FeSO₄ that is used as fertilizer. Traces of iron can enhance the auto-oxidation of L-DOPA, in turn, generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) and consequently oxidative stress in insects. We examined the effects of the ion Fe²⁺ (as FeSO₄) and L-DOPA on fifth instars of the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria. We measured the level of oxidative damage occurring to macromolecules (proteins and lipids) from midgut and thoracic tissues and assessed the activities of responsive antioxidant enzymes. Injected L-DOPA and redox-active metal iron generated ROS which caused oxidative damages to proteins and lipids to S. gregaria. The protein carbonyls and lipid peroxides present in tissue homogenates were elevated in treated insects. No synergism was observed when L-DOPA was co-injected with Fe²⁺. K _m values of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase (GR), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were 4.3, 2.6, and 4.0 mM in thoracic muscles and 5.00, 2.43, and 1.66 mM in whole midgut for SOD, GR, and GPx, respectively, and 8.3 and 3.43 M for catalase (CAT) in the two tissues, respectively. These results suggest higher affinities of GPx and CAT to H₂O₂ in midgut than in muscles. The time-course changes in activities of antioxidant enzymes and amounts of protein carbonyls and lipid peroxides showed fluctuating patterns, suggesting complex interactions among macromolecules, L-DOPA and FeSO₄, and their degradation products. Our results demonstrated the stressful effects of L-DOPA and FeSO₄, proving that iron-containing fertilizers are pollutants that can strongly affect S. gregaria.

DNA barcoding, species-specific PCR and real-time PCR techniques for the identification of six Tribolium pests of stored products

Flour beetles of the genus Tribolium Macleay (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) are important stored product pests in China and worldwide. They are often found or are intercepted in grain depots, flour mills, and entry-exit ports, etc. Traditionally, Tribolium species are identified according to the morphological characteristics of the adult. However, it is almost impossible to rapidly identify adult fragments and non-adult stages based on external morphological characteristics. Molecular techniques for the rapid and accurate identification of Tribolium species are required, particularly for pest monitoring and the quarantine of stored products pests. Here, we establish DNA barcoding, species-specific PCR, and real-time PCR techniques for the identification of six stored-product pest Tribolium species including T. castaneum, T. confusum, T. destructor, T. madens, T. freemani and T. brevicornis. We detected the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) barcodes for Tribolium from 18 geographic populations and 101 individuals, built a Tribolium DNA barcode library, and designed species-specific primers and TaqMan probes for the above six Tribolium species. The three techniques were applied to identify Tribolium collected from stored samples and samples captured from quarantine ports. The results demonstrated that three techniques were all able to identify the six species of Tribolium both rapidly and accurately.

Two metallothionein genes in Oxya chinensis: molecular characteristics, expression patterns and roles in heavy metal stress

Metallothioneins (MTs) are small, cysteine-rich, heavy metal-binding proteins involved in metal homeostasis and detoxification in living organisms. In the present study, we cloned two MT genes (OcMT1 and OcMT2) from Oxya chinensis, analyzed the expression patterns of the OcMT transcripts in different tissues and at varying developmental stages using real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), evaluated the functions of these two MTs using RNAi and recombinant proteins in an E. coli expression system. The full-length cDNAs of OcMT1 and OcMT2 encoded 40 and 64 amino acid residues, respectively. We found Cys-Cys, Cys-X-Cys and Cys-X-Y-Z-Cys motifs in OcMT1 and OcMT2. These motifs might serve as primary chelating sites, as in other organisms. These characteristics suggest that OcMT1 and OcMT2 may be involved in heavy metal detoxification by capturing the metals. Two OcMT were expressed at all developmental stages, and the highest levels were found in the eggs. Both transcripts were expressed in all eleven tissues examined, with the highest levels observed in the brain and optic lobes, followed by the fat body. The expression of OcMT2 was also relatively high in the ovaries. The functions of OcMT1 and OcMT2 were explored using RNA interference (RNAi) and different concentrations and treatment times for the three heavy metals. Our results indicated that mortality increased significantly from 8.5% to 16.7%, and this increase was both time- and dose-dependent. To evaluate the abilities of these two MT proteins to confer heavy metal tolerance to E. coli, the bacterial cells were transformed with pET-28a plasmids containing the OcMT genes. The optical densities of both the MT-expressing and control cells decreased with increasing concentrations of CdCl2. Nevertheless, the survival rates of the MT-overexpressing cells were higher than those of the controls. Our results suggest that these two genes play important roles in heavy metal detoxification in O. chinensis.