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Cui YL, Guo JS, Zhang CX, Yu XP, Li DT. Silencing NlFAR7 destroyed the pore canals and related structures of the brown planthopper. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 33:350-361. [PMID: 38430546 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/04/2024]
Abstract
Fatty acyl-CoA reductase (FAR) is one of the key enzymes, which catalyses the conversion of fatty acyl-CoA to the corresponding alcohols. Among the FAR family members in the brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens), NlFAR7 plays a pivotal role in both the synthesis of cuticular hydrocarbons and the waterproofing of the cuticle. However, the precise mechanism by which NlFAR7 influences the formation of the cuticle structure in N. lugens remains unclear. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the impact of NlFAR7 through RNA interference, transmission electron microscope, focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) and lipidomics analysis. FIB-SEM is employed to reconstruct the three-dimensional (3D) architecture of the pore canals and related cuticle structures in N. lugens subjected to dsNlFAR7 and dsGFP treatments, enabling a comprehensive assessment of changes in the cuticle structures. The results reveal a reduction in the thickness of the cuticle and disruptions in the spiral structure of pore canals, accompanied by widened base and middle diameters. Furthermore, the lipidomics comparison analysis between dsNlFAR7- and dsGFP-treated N. lugens demonstrated that there were 25 metabolites involved in cuticular lipid layer synthesis, including 7 triacylglycerols (TGs), 5 phosphatidylcholines (PCs), 3 phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs) and 2 diacylglycerols (DGs) decreased, and 4 triacylglycerols (TGs) and 4 PEs increased. In conclusion, silencing NlFAR7 disrupts the synthesis of overall lipids and destroys the cuticular pore canals and related structures, thereby disrupting the secretion of cuticular lipids, thus affecting the cuticular waterproofing of N. lugens. These findings give significant attention with reference to further biochemical researches on the substrate specificity of FAR protein, and the molecular regulation mechanisms during N. lugens life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Lin Cui
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection and Quarantine, College of Life Science, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jian-Shen Guo
- Center of Cryo-Electron Microscopy, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chuan-Xi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Xiao-Ping Yu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection and Quarantine, College of Life Science, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Dan-Ting Li
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection and Quarantine, College of Life Science, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, China
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Bajda SA, Wybouw N, Nguyễn VH, De Clercq P, Van Leeuwen T. Adaptation of an arthropod predator to a challenging environment is associated with a loss of a genome-wide plastic transcriptional response. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2024; 80:2021-2031. [PMID: 38110295 DOI: 10.1002/ps.7936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Structural and chemical plant defence traits may reduce the efficacy of biological control agents in integrated pest management. Breeding programmes have shown arthropod predators' potential to acclimate to challenging host plants. However, whether and how these predators adapt to novel plant environments remain unclear. Using the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis - herbivorous mite Tetranychus urticae system in an experimental evolution setup, we studied the adaptation mechanisms to tomato and cucumber, plants that possess a distinct repertoire of defensive traits. RESULTS Experimental evolution experiments on whole plants revealed that allowing P. persimilis to adapt to tomatoes led to an ~100% larger population size. Independent feeding assays showed that tomato- and cucumber-adapted prey reduced predator fecundity. The deleterious effect of ingesting low-quality prey persisted after adaptation of the predator to both cucumber and tomato. We demonstrated that jasmonic acid (JA)-dependent defences reduce prey quality by evaluating predator performance on prey fed on JA defence-deficient tomato plants. Transcriptomic profiling of the replicated P. persimilis lines showed that long-term propagation on tomato and cucumber plants produces distinctive gene-expression levels. Predator adaptation to tomatoes results in the loss of a large transcriptional response, in which predicted cuticle-building rather than detoxification pathways are affected. CONCLUSION We showed that the adaptation of predatory arthropods to a novel, challenging plant does not necessarily occur via the prey, but rather through the physical environment of the plant. We provided first insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabina A Bajda
- Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nicky Wybouw
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Việt Hà Nguyễn
- Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Patrick De Clercq
- Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Thomas Van Leeuwen
- Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Lima LD, Ceballos-González AV, Prato A, Cavalleri A, Trigo JR, do Nascimento FS. Chemical Camouflage Induced by Diet in a Pest Treehopper on Host Plants. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:216. [PMID: 38256769 PMCID: PMC10820158 DOI: 10.3390/plants13020216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Ants patrol foliage and exert a strong selective pressure on herbivorous insects, being their primary predators. As ants are chemically oriented, some organisms that interact with them (myrmecophiles) use chemical strategies mediated by their cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) to deal with ants. Thus, a better understanding of the ecology and evolution of the mutualistic interactions between myrmecophiles and ants depends on the accurate recognition of these chemical strategies. Few studies have examined whether treehoppers may use an additional strategy called chemical camouflage to reduce ant aggression, and none considered highly polyphagous pest insects. We analyzed whether the chemical similarity of the CHC profiles of three host plants from three plant families (Fabaceae, Malvaceae, and Moraceae) and the facultative myrmecophilous honeydew-producing treehopper Aetalion reticulatum (Hemiptera: Aetalionidae), a pest of citrus plants, may play a role as a proximate mechanism serving as a protection against ant attacks on plants. We found a high similarity (>80%) between the CHCs of the treehoppers and two of their host plants. The treehoppers acquire CHCs through their diet, and the chemical similarity varies according to host plant. Chemical camouflage on host plants plays a role in the interaction of treehoppers with their ant mutualistic partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luan Dias Lima
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de São Paulo—USP, Ribeirão Preto 14040-901, SP, Brazil; (A.V.C.-G.); (A.P.); (F.S.d.N.)
| | - Amalia Victoria Ceballos-González
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de São Paulo—USP, Ribeirão Preto 14040-901, SP, Brazil; (A.V.C.-G.); (A.P.); (F.S.d.N.)
| | - Amanda Prato
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de São Paulo—USP, Ribeirão Preto 14040-901, SP, Brazil; (A.V.C.-G.); (A.P.); (F.S.d.N.)
| | - Adriano Cavalleri
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande—FURG, Rio Grande 96203-900, RS, Brazil;
| | - José Roberto Trigo
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas—UNICAMP, Campinas 13083-970, SP, Brazil
| | - Fábio Santos do Nascimento
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de São Paulo—USP, Ribeirão Preto 14040-901, SP, Brazil; (A.V.C.-G.); (A.P.); (F.S.d.N.)
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Sharif S, Wunder C, Khan MK, Qamar A, Amendt J. Cuticular hydrocarbons as weathering biomarkers of empty puparia of the forensically important blowfly Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in soil v/s under room conditions. Forensic Sci Int 2023; 349:111748. [PMID: 37301034 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2023.111748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Forensic entomology uses the age of insects, such as blow flies, to determine a minimum post-mortem interval (PMImin). Recent research has focused on using the analysis of specific cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) in adult insects and their empty puparia to estimate their age, as it has been shown that their profile changes are consistent with age. The current work is based on the weathering of five CHCs from empty puparia of Calliphora vicina that were stored in soil (field/outdoor) and non-soil (room/indoor conditions) based pupariation media for a total of six months. The experiment was conducted in a controlled environment chamber at a constant temperature of 25 ± 2 °C under constant darkness. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to analyze the cuticular hydrocarbons after they were extracted in n-Hexane. n-Pentacosane, n-Hexacosane, n-Heptacosane, n-Octacosane, and n-Nonacosane were the five CHCs investigated. Results showed that CHCs weathered more quickly in the soil than in the non-soil environment. It was also found that the abundance of Heptacosane increased in the samples during the fifth month when stored in a non-soil medium, while the abundances of all five CHCs were not detected after eight weeks onwards in soil pupation medium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swaima Sharif
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Forensic Biology, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Section of Entomology, Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, U.P., India
| | - Cora Wunder
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Forensic Toxicology, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Mohd Kaleem Khan
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Jawahar Lal Nehru Medical College and Hospital, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, U.P., India
| | - Ayesha Qamar
- Section of Entomology, Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, U.P., India.
| | - Jens Amendt
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Forensic Biology, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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Wang ZC, Tao S, Cheng X, Li DT, Zhang CX, Bao YY. CPR Gene Contributes to Integument Function and Ovary Development in a Rice Planthopper. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052875. [PMID: 35270018 PMCID: PMC8910901 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR) is an essential enzyme that transfers electrons from NADPH to cytochrome P450 monooxygenases. CPR is involved in cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) synthesis in insects and is vital for insect development and survival. Here, we clarify the physiological function of a CPR gene in Nilaparvata lugens, an important rice pest, by using RNA interference. CPR gene knockdown leads to the functional loss of waterproofing and water retention in the integument of female adults, which causes significantly reduced body weight and a lethal phenotype. Scanning electron microscopy shows that the lipid layer on the outermost surface of the abdominal cuticle becomes thin in dsCPR-injected adults. Furthermore, CHC profile analysis reveals that CPR knockdown significantly decreases the contents of CHCs with a carbon chain length ≥ C27 in adult females. Moreover, we find that CPR knockdown generates a deficient phenotype in ovaries with deformed oocytes and a complete failure of egg-laying. These findings suggest that CPR plays multiple functional roles in CHC biosynthesis and embryo development in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe-Chao Wang
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insect Pests, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (Z.-C.W.); (S.T.); (X.C.)
- Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Shuai Tao
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insect Pests, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (Z.-C.W.); (S.T.); (X.C.)
- Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xu Cheng
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insect Pests, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (Z.-C.W.); (S.T.); (X.C.)
- Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Dan-Ting Li
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection and Quarantine, College of Life Science, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China;
| | - Chuan-Xi Zhang
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insect Pests, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (Z.-C.W.); (S.T.); (X.C.)
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of Ministry of Agriculture and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
- Correspondence: (C.-X.Z.); (Y.-Y.B.); Tel.: +86-(571)-88982995 (Y.-Y.B.)
| | - Yan-Yuan Bao
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insect Pests, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (Z.-C.W.); (S.T.); (X.C.)
- Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Correspondence: (C.-X.Z.); (Y.-Y.B.); Tel.: +86-(571)-88982995 (Y.-Y.B.)
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